Page 25 of The House Swap

‘He’s a freelance photographer, you know,’ Sue chipped in, sounding proud. ‘I keep telling him he could get some work taking photos of villas if he decides to move out here permanently.’

Keira ignored her, focusing on Jem. ‘I have to fly home on Saturday, but Poppy’s here for longer. I’m sure she would appreciate some company.’

‘Keira!’ Poppy almost choked on her wine, her face heating in embarrassment. If Keira was going for subtle, she didn’t quite achieve it. ‘Jem’s busy with his own stuff. I’ll be fine.’

Talk about putting him in an awkward position.

He didn’t seem put out, though. Instead, he looked amused at Keira’s cheekiness. ‘I can free up some time to hang out a bit,’ he said. ‘It will be fun.’ He glanced between them, lingering a fraction longer on Poppy. ‘You’re not staying in one of the hotels, are you?’

She shook her head. ‘No, we have a villa. The only hotels we’ve seen are closed.’

Jem nodded. ‘As I said before. It’s a ghost town.’

‘And we’re here too, don’t forget,’ Sue chimed in. ‘You can come to dinner with us, Poppy, or call in to see us any time.’

She was being kind. Still, Poppy wanted to kick Keira under the table.

There was no time alone with Jem, as Ian asked for the bill the same time Keira did and the five of them left Manoli’s together. As they were heading in different directions, Jem suggested he and Poppy swap numbers before they left.

‘Ooh, that’s a good idea,’ Sue agreed, pulling her own phone out of her bag.

‘Twenty euros that woman messages you before we get home,’ Keira teased, after they had said goodnight and she and Poppy were heading back to the villa.

‘You’re not funny,’ Poppy huffed, mock annoyed. ‘She’s going to be a thorn in my side, isn’t she?’

‘Without a shadow of a doubt,’ Keira agreed, before nudging her arm. ‘But look on the bright side. At least the hot guy wanted your number.’

True. Jem seemed nice. And he was definitely hot. It had given her ego a much-needed boost that he had shown up tonight. She hadn’t thought he would, and he had seemed keen to see her again.

Briefly, she thought of Tom, and immediately she felt guilty. She was here in Crete because of him, and it didn’t seem right, fawning over another man after he had been so good to her. Tom wasn’t her boyfriend, though. And although Poppy hoped things might develop between them further down the line, for now he was just a friend.

It wasn’t as if she was cheating on him by flirting a little with Jem. And although Keira’s intervention hadn’t been appreciated at the time, Poppy was glad she would have some company after her friend had gone home.

Still, she made a mental note to message Tom when she got back. Just to check in and see how he was. He had been on her mind a lot and she was anxious for news on James too.

On a positive note, one person she had barely thought about since arriving in Crete was Simon Daley, but if she spent too much time alone, she worried she might start overthinking things again. Yes, Jem’s company wouldn’t be a bad thing.

The main road was still lit by streetlamps, but once they turned onto the dirt track leading up to the villa, the darkness closed in. Poppy switched on her phone torch. The incline was steeper now and the gravel crunching beneath their feet seemed too loud in the silence.

Keira slowed. ‘Wait…’

‘What?’

She turned, listening. For a moment, there was nothing, then came the sound of movement. It stopped as soon as they did.

‘Probably just one of my kitty friends,’ Keira said, but she didn’t sound convinced.

They walked again, but Poppy found herself glancing back once more.

She was relieved when they reached the villa gate and stepped inside. Staring back at the darkness, she couldn’t shake the feeling that they had interrupted something.

She told herself she was imagining it.

Still, she closed the gate a little more firmly than necessary.

11

I like Crete at this time of year.