Page 78 of Never Too Late to Date

Suzie held her face in her hands for maximum waif vibes.

‘Not even to me?’

‘Especially not to you.’

‘Manoli seemed very worried that Kosta wasn’t in tonight … positively traumatised.’

‘Enough already!’

Suzie forced a smile.

‘Not even a tiny little morsel of news to brighten my day?’

Charlie sighed.

‘Not sure it’ll brighten it. There are some ongoing issues there, I can tell you that. But you’d need to speak to Kosta directly to find out anything else.’

She’d pushed him as far as he would go. Suzie patted Charlie on the leg as she jumped down from the stool. A large group chattering away ten to the dozen had just walked in, and she had work to do.

‘Understood. And thanks for giving me an update. On both subjects.’

‘No worries.’

The evening passed in a blur. Suzie was on her feet for six hours straight without a break. The Eighties’ nights always brought in a good crowd, and the lovely May weather meant even more people than usual were out and about, natives and tourists alike. The club section of the Star Bar was packed with people of all ages and nationalities drinking and dancing away to Charlie’s beats.

Once the DJ set had finished, and the crowd thinned and drifted out the door, a sweaty Charlie came to sit at her bar again, and she handed him another beer. Suzie smiled at his soaking wet hair and the T-shirt clinging to his chest.

‘Tired?’

‘Yeah, but good tired. I love a receptive crowd.’ He raised his beer in her direction. ‘Cheers. I’m going to make a move as soon as I’ve downed this. Anna’s waiting for me at home, plus I’ve got a class of nine-year-olds to teach in the morning.’

Teaching and DJing may sound like unusual bedfellows to some, but Charlie put his all into both his passions, and Suzie loved him for it.

‘That’ll be a way tougher gig than this, if they are anything like you three were, little terrors.’

‘True.’

Suzie happened to look up from the bar at the exact moment a tall blond man walked in.

Her hand shook on the tray of empty glasses she was holding.

Charlie looked from one to the other.

‘Bloody hell. And you think you’re going to be able to hide that away? Now I’ve seen it with my own eyes, he could be Gianni’s older brother.’

Suzie swallowed hard.

‘Thanks. Helpful, not.’

Christian approached the bar with a determined look on his face as Charlie knocked back the last of his beer and lowered his voice to a whisper.

‘Do you want me to stay?’

‘No, you’re sweet, and thanks for asking. But I’ve got to face him sometime.’

‘If you’re sure, I’ll be off.’

Charlie gave the man who’d reached the bar a nod and blew Suzie a kiss. Christian took his vacated seat at the bar and smiled his slow smile.