Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
‘Everything sorted?’
Maddie went straight in with a question to stop Sofia asking any of Charlotte, who’d had more than enough for one evening.
‘Sorted?’
‘We assumed you had to go and’—Maddie put her fingers into air quotes—‘“sort something”?’
Sofia tried to hide her smile.
‘You can talk. We never got any of the juicy details about your evening with Thanassis, the hot fisherman.’
‘No, and you’re never going to.’
‘Spoilsport.’
Sofia looked down at the empty glasses on the table.
‘Have you two had a nice time, chatting?’
Charlotte smiled up at her.
‘Lovely, thanks. We took Adonis at his word and ordered cocktails.’
Sofia clapped her hands together.
‘Good. I’m starving now though. Shall we go out?’
‘Sorting things can give you a right old appetite, I’m told.’
Sofia ignored Maddie’s remark.
‘I’ve got a car waiting downstairs to take us to the next part of my treat.’
The car dropped them off at an isolated beach with a small white-boarded restaurant and tables right on the sand.
There were candles on every tabletop and plenty of couples staring into each other’s eyes. They were shown to a spot right on the front row facing the water, with nothing between them and millions of gallons of sea but a strip of sand.
‘What a romantic setting!’ Charlotte stared out to sea. ‘Shame it’s just us three.’
Sofia reached out for both their hands.
‘It’s not a shame at all. Let’s be proud to be three women here together. It’s a celebration of our friendship and our love for each other, if that’s not too sickly greeting card for you.’
‘It is a bit.’ Maddie smiled at both her friends. ‘But it’s a gorgeous idea. Fifty years is one hell of a long time to know each other. We’ve outlasted husbands, countless relationships and numerous court appearances. And that’s just you, Sof.’
‘Hilarious.’
‘But seriously, I want to thank you two for supporting me so much over the past year. I know I’ve been a crabby cow at times, but you’ve always been there at the other end of a phone for me, no matter what. Tony would have been very proud of the two of you.’
Sofia grabbed a menu and fanned herself with it.
‘Don’t set me off before we’ve even ordered a drink.’
‘Or me.’ Charlotte leaned forward and grabbed Sofia’s hand.
‘I want to thank you too, Sof, for organising this whole trip. I’d certainly never have got it together, but it’s come at just the right time for me…’ Charlotte’s voice trailed away. ‘And now you both know why.’
Maddie squeezed Sofia’s other hand.
‘Me too. More than you know.’
Maybe tonight would be a good time to tell them about the rift with her son.
‘Me three.’ Sofia squeezed back. ‘I need you two now like I’ve never needed you. I’ve only got to work out what to do with the rest of my life. Simple.’
‘We’re all at a strange place in our lives, aren’t we?’ Maddie smiled at her friends. ‘And we’ve all got some big decisions to make. Without going all philosophical on you both, life’s been a little bit crazy recently, but there’s plenty of life in the old dog yet.’
Sofia did her outraged face.
‘Who are you calling an old dog?’
Settled happily with a large carafe of white wine and some water, Sofia put her hand on top of the pile of menus before the others even had a chance to look.
‘We can share some starters, but we must all have the dish that they’re famous for here, kléftiko. I insist.’
‘What’s that when it’s at home?’
Maddie was getting better at recognising the names of Greek food, but this was a new one on her.
‘It’s pieces of succulent lamb, marinated and slow cooked with peas, potatoes, herbs and plenty of local cheese, all wrapped up in a parchment parcel and tied with string.’
‘Mmmm, sounds wonderful. I’m convinced.’ Maddie licked her lips.
‘I have to warn you, it’s pretty filling. So shall we just have some courgette fritters with tzatzíki to start?’
Sofia took her hand off the menus at last.
‘Fine with me.’ Charlotte unwrapped her serviette and placed her knife and fork on the whitewashed table, painted with blue and green starfish. ‘You’ve got me salivating too.’
The main courses were brought out to them by three different waiters holding a dish each, and laid down with plenty of ceremony.
They pulled open the strings holding the parcels together at the same time, and the smell that rose up caused them to moan out loud.
‘This looks’—Maddie forked up the first mouthful—‘and tastes, amazing.’
‘Are these special potatoes, Sof?’ Charlotte piled the melting cheese on top of one.
‘Yes, they’re really waxy, so they don’t fall apart. They grow them here in the centre of the island.’
‘And this white cheese?’
‘Different islands, and indeed different families, all have their own variations on the basics, and the cheeses vary. You can use feta, graviera, which is a yellow cheese, or indeed any local cheese you like.’
Charlotte smiled at the enthusiasm in her friend’s voice.
‘You’re sounding worryingly like me.’
‘I was just so blown away by this the first time I had it, that I wanted to know all about it.’
Sofia put on a posh voice.
‘It’s said to be named after sheep-rustling bandits called the Klephts, engaged in fighting Ottoman rule. They would cook their ill-gotten gains on coals in an underground pit to avoid detection and to stop the smell escaping.’
‘Oooh, crafty. That’s fascinating.’
Sofia’s side helping of facts was obviously doing it for Charlotte, mused Maddie.
‘Can we carry on eating this delicious food now, before you two start on the overthrow of the Ottoman empire?’
Sofia stuck out her tongue at Maddie.
‘I’m just so pleased you both love it too.’
The end of the meal coincided nicely with the sun slowly going down over the water.
They’d been offered a shot of mastika liqueur to finish off the evening, which went well with a bit of people watching.
Entwined couples and groups of friends strolled along the shore in the twilight, and someone, somewhere in one of the properties backing on to the beach, played a guitar, slowly and mournfully.
Charlotte lifted her glass to her friends.
‘What a lovely evening you’ve given us, Sof. It really has been a treat. To friendship. Yamas!’
‘Yamas!’
‘Yamas!’
‘I’m so pleased this evening was an improvement on last night, Char. I’m still reeling from Doug’s doings.’ Sofia caught Maddie’s grimace at her words. ‘Not that I’m going to be bringing it up again. It’s my turn for confession time…’
Sofia drained the glass. ‘My evening wasn’t great either. Yes, I did meet up with Car Hire Konstantinos…’
‘I knew it.’ Maddie slammed her glass down on the table.
‘And he turned out to be a particularly unreconstructed male, who thought that bonking in the bogs of a bar might be fun…’
‘You didn’t do it?’ Charlotte’s expression was a classic.
‘No, I didn’t. Nor did I want to spend much time in his scuzzy flat. So, my virtue is safe for another day.’
Maddie raised her eyebrows.
‘Virtue?’
Sofia grinned and Maddie knew what was coming next.
‘What sort of evening did you have, Mads?’
‘OK, I might as well get it over with. I’m never going to see the guy again, and I’m not giving you the details…’ She wagged a finger at Sofia. ‘And I mean it, but, like the famous cocktail … yes, I had sex on the beach with the Hunky Fisherman, and it was lovely.’
‘Woah! Good on you, girl.’
Sofia poured each of them a mouthful of wine from the tiny amount left in the second carafe.
‘We’ve got to celebrate you breaking your duck. Cheers!’
The three of them clinked glasses again.
It so wasn’t the right time to reveal that she’d also told Thanassis about her family rift ahead of her best friends, thought Maddie. This was an evening just to kick back and forget their problems, not bring them out and dissect them.
Stumbling back into their hotel room after midnight, she and Charlotte kissed Sofia goodnight and thanked her once again.
‘Will we see you at breakfast?’
‘Probably. Adonis has to be up and at it early.’
Sofia put up her hands.
‘Don’t say it! And remember we’re going to that eighties’ night at the club tomorrow where you’ll meet my friend Grace again, who might even be doing a spot of DJing.’
Maddie flopped down on the nearest bed on her stomach.
‘I thought you said DJing for a minute.’
‘I did. Night, night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.’
‘I really hope there won’t be any in a hotel of this class.’ Charlotte’s voice drifted off as she slumped down on the other bed, making the others laugh.
‘Night, lovelies. See you in the morning.’
Maddie just waved a hand in Sofia’s direction. She’d used up all her talking.
The following morning, they breakfasted in style on the enormous hotel terrace decorated with palm trees and statues, and were waited on hand and foot. The food was spectacular, but Maddie couldn’t help comparing it with Thea’s simple repasts made with love. She knew which she preferred.
‘We’re being taken to our new hotel after you’ve both finished here.’ Sofia leapt up out of her seat to pick up a dropped serviette, but a waiter got there first and was treated to a smile.
‘You won’t get the five-star service we’re getting here…’
‘Good.’ Maddie said under her breath. She’d had enough of lurking waiters who appeared at every turn.
‘But the setting is stunning.’
Sofia was true to her word, and the much more manageable family-run hotel to one side of the port gave them vistas all round the town and out past the harbour to the majesty of the Aegean.
Again, they had three rooms in a row, this time on the ground floor, with little blue tiled terraces jutting out over the water, and sturdy ladders to climb down into the sea if you wanted to indulge in a spot of early morning swimming.
There was also a substantial pool to one side of the hotel, which Sofia was keen to point out.
Adonis’s cousin, Petros, and his wife, Artemis, were their hosts this time, a sweet couple in their thirties with a couple of toddlers at their heels.