Chapter 17
CARRIE
It was hours since she’d run away from the beach and very early Tuesday morning, dark, quiet – even the cicadas must have nestled down for the night.
A time of day Carrie used to enjoy in the nightclub, with the brouhaha of customers a distant memory and the birds not yet chorusing in a new morning.
Carrie sat out on the villa’s balcony, on the small, ornate metal chair, not caring about mosquitoes or a good night’s sleep.
After one last look at the sea in the distance, moonlight flirting with its ripples, she plodded across the decking and went inside.
Carrie gazed around the whole room, the hanging murals of pomegranate trees, the ornate tiles in the kitchen area, the white-sand-coloured sofa and cushions scattered across it, bearing illustrations of ancient Greek soldiers and olive branches.
What was she doing, in the middle of the Aegean Sea, a location picked by closing her eyes and pointing on a map?
Mum had always taught her not to run away from problems and here she was doing just that, the very first time she’d had to face life alone.
She’d run away from the argument with her friends, run away from a life that left her feeling as if something inside was missing.
And now she’d run away from an idiot on the beach – instead of staying, enduring and finding resolution.
Shortly before she died, Mum had told Carrie not to worry, that she was a strong young woman who would more than cope – she’d thrive – that the future held great things for her.
Carrie spoke towards the ceiling.
‘If I’ve got a molecule of you in me, Mum, then that’s true, I can survive anything.’
But now she’d sold her life, back in England, to another person. She couldn’t expect Eliza to hand it back. Nor could Carrie repay all the money.
So she would commit to sorting her life out from the middle of the Aegean Sea.
First up, from here, she’d work on rebuilding her friendships.
Why had she given up on them so easily? Ariana, Rae, they were family.
Carrie had hurt them badly. They’d offered to listen to her talk, they were worried and had suggested counselling, but still she’d pushed them away. Somehow, she had to win them back.
Carrie picked up her phone off the breakfast bar and collapsed onto the sofa.
An email. From Eliza. Oh, how lovely. Carrie didn’t have a good friend to chat to at the moment.
Easy-going and non-judgemental, Eliza was suddenly the nearest thing to that.
Carrie would have to visit England at some point to meet her.
And to see Boo. Plus her friends – if they ever became that again.
Hi Carrie,
A quick reply as I’m just back from the club. Jez seems like a decent sort. As do your friends, now that we’ve got to know one another a little better. I’m so sorry you all fell out.
Jules is wonderful and already treats me like one of the team. I had a great first shift and danced to my favourite song ‘Dynamite’ – in public! I haven’t let myself go like that, with an audience, for years and years. It made me feel alive but no doubt my joints will pay for it later!
Giannis GoGo? I love ‘Can’t Break Me’. Not a great dance song but the words really…
resonate. ‘Sometimes we have to make ourselves stand solid and unmovable, like a mountain, not once flinching, despite all the bad weather thrown at us’, isn’t that how it goes?
What a shame Mr GoGo hasn’t met expectations.
But then it must be hard for famous people; we expect them to perform for us offstage as well as on.
I know what it’s like to wear a false face. It takes its toll.
Nana sounds great. You’ve never had a grandma?
I’m sorry to hear that. I was meant to have a grandchild years ago, but the chance was taken away, so very painful.
It’s a hole in my life that I’ve never been able to fill with anyone or anything else.
Well, you probably don’t want to hear about that; it’s not usually something I talk about.
So much for a short email! Must go and sleep. I’ll send you more photos of Boo. No questions from me, so far. Your boiler is beautifully quiet compared to mine! And the car just takes a bit of getting used to.
Have fun!
(And please invite me to your and Dimitrios’s wedding… I mean if he sounds so nice, I’m sure you’ll find a way to meet him? Especially if he is learning Mancunian! Carpe diem and all that. New beginnings!)
Eliza
Carrie burst out laughing, got more comfortable and read the email again.
Interesting, her take on Giannis. She couldn’t imagine sweet Eliza putting on a false identity and wondered what the story was – a story that made her a little less indignant towards the Greek pop star.
Perhaps the celebrity life wasn’t all Carrie imagined it to be.
False faces dropped at some point, she supposed, and she went into Instagram to study her new Greek account.
The five posts she’d put up had hardly any likes because she hadn’t bought any followers yet, and had lost the enthusiasm to engage with other accounts.
However she knew that those shots reflected one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Maybe the Internet wasn’t the way to prove something – or someone’s true worth?
She went back to Eliza’s email. Imagine trying to get over the death of a child. She must have found Carrie easy to write to, to mention it. The idea of that warmed her heart.
As for a wedding! But perhaps she should meet up with Dimitrios. She must have some questions about the rental. Surely it would be rude not to suggest meeting up? Yes. Definitely. For a quick drink, keeping it formal, nothing more; certainly not.
Hello Dimitrios,
How about we meet up for a coffee, my treat? I have a few questions about the property. No problem if you are busy but it’s an opportunity to improve your Mancunian.
Ta-ra!
Carrie
Don’t press send. Don’t press send.
Why did she do that! The word ‘delivered’ came up and Carrie put her fingers over her face and laughed in a way she hadn’t for… too long.
She sent a quick email to Eliza.
Hi Eliza.
Totally your fault but I’ve texted Dimitrios and asked him to meet me!
So how about a bit of carpe diem yourself! You think Jez is decent? Well, letting you know he’s on the market!
Carrie x
She hadn’t been sure about mentioning Jez.
Carrie didn’t have any much older people in her life.
But Eliza didn’t sound so different to any of her other friends.
If she was young enough at heart to work in a nightclub, why shouldn’t she be young enough for a bit of romantic fun?
Carrie went to the bathroom, washed her face in cold water and cleaned her teeth, suddenly exhausted – suddenly…
calm. She changed into her pyjama shorts and top and climbed into bed.
She closed her eyes and Giannis’s song ‘Can’t Break Me’ came into her head.
Mum had said those words near the end, and Ariana when she’d nearly lost her travel agent job during Covid.
Rae too when the guy she’d been dating for the longest time ever said she was ‘too much’.
Carrie went onto Spotify and played the song, feeling more resolute by the verse.
Her phone pinged.
Yassou, Carrie!
Ah, you wake up early too? A coffee together?
Mint idea, innit? (See what I did there!) But I’ll go one better than that.
Please do me the honour of coming to my birthday party today, if you are free.
It would be good to meet, seeing as you’ll be a tenant for quite a while.
It is my big 3-0! I own The Bar on Tolmiros beach and the private celebration begins at midday.
To prevent people whom I haven’t invited getting into the party, my nickname is the password to give to security.
I still get embarrassed by it – my friends know, which is why they’ve never let me forget it.
It comes from a tourist who, when I was little, mispronounced my name and my friends fell about laughing!
So I shall sign off using the password! I hope to see you tomorrow.
Ta-ra chuck!
Doritos