Chapter 17 #2
Maya finished her last mouthful and put her knife and fork together before turning to Tash.
‘What about you? It’s your turn now.’
‘Hang on,’ Tash said, straightening up and pushing her fringe aside. ‘First, I want to hear what’s happened to Achilles. Cleo, have you and he been in touch?’
Cleo felt her cheeks redden. She’d decided not to mention a word to her friends about that kiss. The memory felt almost sacred and she didn’t want to tarnish it with jokes and teasing.
‘Actually, yes,’ she said truthfully. ‘We’ve been writing to each other a bit. He sends his love to you.’
Maya inspected Cleo’s face suspiciously. ‘A bit? What does that mean?’
‘Well, a lot actually,’ Cleo admitted, with a sheepish grin. ‘I do really, really like him. But we’re so different and we live miles apart and lead such different lives. I don’t see how anything could work long-term.’
‘Why don’t you invite him to London?’ Tash suggested. ‘You could show him a good time.’
Cleo nodded. ‘I have. Sort of. But I’m afraid he won’t like it. I think he’ll hate the crowds and the concrete everywhere. And he’ll miss the sea terribly.’
‘Well, go and visit him in Crete then.’
‘He’s asked me to,’ Cleo said with a coy smile, ‘but I’m nervous.’
‘Nervous?’ Maya repeated. ‘Why?’
‘Because things were so lovely between us before, but the circumstances were highly unusual. I mean, I was only supposed to be in Crete for a week, of course, then there was the bloody great earthquake. Like any disaster, I guess, it threw everyone together and Achilles and I got quite close. If I go back now, I’m afraid it won’t be the same.
He’ll see me clearly in the cold light of day and realise I’m a fifty-something woman with a load of baggage.
What if he thinks – what the hell am I doing?
Maybe it’s better just to hold on to the wonderful memories and leave it at that. ’
But Maya wasn’t having any of it. ‘Rubbish! Are you really going to throw away the possibility of a beautiful relationship because you’re afraid?
None of us knows what lies round the corner or how long we’ve got.
I think you should seize the day. You might regret it for the rest of your life if you don’t take that chance.
If it doesn’t work out, well, at least you gave it a go. ’
Cleo bit her lip and frowned. ‘Hm, maybe you’re right.’
‘Of course I am!’ Maya cried.
‘That’s so nice you’ve been writing to each other,’ Tash said next. ‘He’s pretty special.’
‘Yes, he is,’ Cleo replied, with a secret little smile.
When it was clear there was no more to come on that topic, Maya turned back to Tash, with eyebrows raised.
‘So?’ she said. ‘Again. Over to you.’
Tash sighed. ‘I suppose I’ve been a bit in my head lately.’
‘Go on,’ Maya coaxed.
‘I’m getting just a bit bored with doing audiobooks. I mean, it’s a great sideline and the money’s handy, it’s just not hugely fulfilling. What I really want is to get my play off the ground, but so far all I’ve had is rejections.’
‘It’s early days, isn’t it?’ Cleo commented. ‘And anyway, don’t most writers get loads of rejections before they strike lucky? I thought it was par for the course.’
Tash bit her lip. ‘True,’ she said with a frown. ‘I’m too thin-skinned, that’s the problem. I need to be more resilient.’
‘How’s the scriptwriting course going?’ Maya asked next.
Tash’s eyes lit up. ‘Great. I’m really enjoying it.
There are some lovely, interesting people on the course and the tutors are excellent.
One of them – a professional scriptwriter who’s done loads of TV work – singled out my last piece of writing and asked me to read it to the class.
He said it was better than a lot of the stuff TV companies pay for. I was really chuffed.’
Cleo clapped her hands. ‘There you go! I knew it. You’re obviously a natural. Keep at it, Tash. Keep plugging away. You’re so talented, you’ll get there eventually, for sure.’
Tash looked down at her plate. ‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘I wish I could be as confident. But yes, I will keep trying – and thanks for being so kind and supportive.’
After that, the conversation turned to other matters – current affairs, celebrity gossip, films they’d seen and places they’d visited.
They laughed so much, their second cups of coffee went cold and the waiter checked twice to ask if they needed refills.
The afternoon slid into early evening and the sky drifted through ever deeper shades of grey as the river darkened. Meanwhile, folk came and went round them, but the three women were oblivious, so wrapped up were they in each other’s company.
Eventually, after Maya insisted on paying the bill, they decided to take a short walk along the river.
The wind had picked up slightly, ruffling their hair, and the lights along the embankment flickered on, casting a soft golden glow across the pavement.
‘I’ve missed you both,’ Maya said quietly.
‘So have I,’ Cleo replied.
Tash nodded and wrapped her multicoloured scarf more tightly round her neck, like a comfort blanket.
They paused near a railing to watch a tourist boat glide by. The people on board waved and Maya waved back enthusiastically, which made them all giggle.
‘You know,’ Cleo said after a moment, ‘I’ve been thinking.’
‘Oh dear,’ Tash murmured. ‘That’s a worry.’
‘Hush,’ Cleo replied with a laugh. ‘I’ve been thinking that maybe we should all go back to the village.’
‘To Porto Liakáda?’ Maya asked, surprised.
‘Yes,’ said Cleo. ‘The three of us. Next spring or summer.’
There was a pause while the river swelled beneath them, and in the distance came the harsh nee-naw of a police or ambulance siren.
‘Do you think we can handle it?’ Tash asked eventually, though a smile had crept into her voice.
‘I reckon we can handle anything after last summer,’ Maya said softly.
Cleo shifted from one foot to another and stuck her hands deep into her pockets. It was beginning to feel really cold.
‘It wouldn’t be the same as before,’ she said, ‘but maybe that’s a good thing. We can make new memories.’
She was thinking of the friends they’d left behind – Katerina, Marina, Henrietta and Mark, especially. It would be wonderful to see them again. And she was thinking a lot about Achilles, too.
Yes, it was true their lives were very different. But what she hadn’t told her friends was that somehow, since she and Achilles had been writing to each other, their worlds no longer seemed quite so far apart.
He was almost as eloquent with words as he was gifted at playing the guitar and each email he sent seemed to open a new window into his character. The more she found out about him, the more she liked him, and it was strange how often their thoughts seemed to be attuned.
The three women stood there, shoulder to shoulder, allowing the idea of a return visit to Crete to settle while gusts of wind blew the autumn leaves hither and thither, round and about.
‘Let’s do it,’ Maya said finally. ‘Let’s go back.’
Tash inhaled deeply, then released her breath in one long exhalation. ‘All right. One more summer in Crete.’
Cleo felt a warm glow spread through her body, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, and her face broke into a wide smile.
‘Perfect,’ she whispered. ‘Just perfect.’
They walked back slowly, lingering at the street corner where they needed to part ways – Maya and Cleo towards the tube and Tash towards the bridge.
‘I love you both,’ Maya said, with a slight wobble in her voice. ‘Thank you for today.’
Tash looped an arm through Maya’s on one side and Cleo’s on the other. ‘I love you too.’
‘Always,’ Cleo added warmly.
They embraced, the three of them wrapped up in a slightly awkward, tangled group hug. When they stepped back, they were smiling, but with tears in their eyes.
‘Next summer,’ Maya said softly.
‘Next summer,’ Tash echoed.
Cleo nodded. Her throat felt tight but her heart was full. ‘Next summer.’