Page 37 of The Little Greek Guesthouse

But she couldn’t bring herself to do any of that. The bracelet wasn’t just a thing, it was her last connection to her mum, and she was devastated by the loss of it. She always kept it safe and she didn’t understand how Theo could have been so careless as to lose her most precious possession. And she wasn’t ready to forgive him yet, however much his obvious pain caused her stomach to twist.

‘I’m going out with Vassilis,’ she said, brushing past him and leaving him standing on the stairs with his head bowed. She tried not to hear the despair in his sigh.

Vassilis was leaning against the wall outside the house, and the sight of him still made her heart flip; the dark eyes that creased as he smiled at her, the sexy stubble lining his jaw, with just the beginnings of a hint of silver. He heaved himself away from the wall and stepped towards her.

‘You look nice,’ he said, apparently oblivious to her puffy face and minimal makeup.

‘Thanks.’

‘So. Argostoli, yes?’

Nina sighed. ‘I don’t know, what about just a quiet drink round here? I’m feeling a bit . . .’

‘If this is what you want then of course we will do it,’ he said. ‘But I had something nice planned. Something special. Take your thoughts off this sadness.’ He smiled, looking so hopeful that Nina didn’t have the heart to disappoint him.

‘Okay. No that’s – Argostoli will be lovely,’ she said, thinking longingly of the sofa.

She was rewarded with the sight of Vassilis’s handsome face wreathed in smiles. ‘Okay, this is good – let me spoil you.’

Nina found herself ushered into the waiting taxi, watching a little wistfully as the quiet streets of Metalios slipped by. Vassilis placed his hand on her thigh, so that she could feel the warmth of his touch through the thin material of her dress. He talked about his day, about the work he and Theo had done on the house, and asked Nina if she had any more plans for it. She found her thoughts wandering to what George had said on the beach.

‘Do you know anything about who my dad’s planning to sell the hotel to?’ she asked.

He laughed and shrugged. ‘I know nothing, I am just the hired help, eh? Building, plastering, painting, that’s all me, but plans – no.’

‘It’s just, I heard that it’s not going to be a small hotel, it’s going to be a complex, with an outside bar and a pool or whatever, lots of artificial lighting. It’s bad for the turtles. You know, the babies, when they hatch and they’re trying to get to the sea.’

She looked at him, hoping for some reassurance that George was mistaken, that Theo was selling to someone who would simply turn the house as it was into a small guest house.

Vassilis frowned. ‘I don’t know anything about this, these turtles –’ He shrugged. ‘I don’t know about this with the lights. But a lively bar in Metalios is a good thing, I think. It will liven it all up. Now it is just families and old people there. Nothing happens.’

Nina found herself thinking of Eirini, Alex and the children, sweet Yiannis, their grandad, who ran the café and insisted on giving food away to her and Theo. And Maria, the sparky old woman who liked paddleboarding and cooking, who loved her pet goat and took the time to teach Nina how to cook. These were the people Vassilis was talking about, people who made up the heart of Metalios, and she was struggling to see that as a bad thing.

Once again, she pictured the turtles swimming around the fishing boats, their heads rising from the sea. Was George right? That irritating, obnoxious man who had lit up at the sight of them, who had helped her search for the bracelet when he knew it was pointless, who thought she only cared about makeup and jewellery and money. Had she got it all wrong?

Vassilis took her to the lighthouse, a beautiful white, rounded building, standing on crystal clear waters that lapped onto a beach of soft white stones. Her head throbbed. She should’ve taken a tablet before they left. But the place was stunning, and deserted, as the low sun was reflected on the sea, casting an ember glow that set the water alight.

Nina felt her mind clear a little, the knots in her stomach beginning to relax as she took her shoes off and paddled in the warm waters. Vassilis watched, smiling.

‘You make any view more beautiful,’ he said.

She turned to smile at him over her shoulder. The water was so clear and inviting, and she wanted to wash all her worries away. ‘Shall we swim?’

He looked at her as though she was mad. ‘You don’t have a costume.’

‘I have underwear.’ Personally, she didn’t think even that was necessary. She gazed longingly at the turquoise water.

He shook his head, smiling. ‘Maybe another time. We’re going for a very nice meal, we need to look good. Come on.’

He turned and walked away. Reluctantly, with one last glance at the sea, Nina followed.

The restaurant, one they hadn’t been to before but equally as luxurious as the others, was a little outside Argostoli. Nina felt the waiter’s eyes slip over her loose, casual dress and informal sandals and, though he maintained a carefully neutral expression, she knew she was underdressed.

They were taken to a table with a gorgeous view of the sea. The best table, no doubt. Vassilis looked at her expectantly, and she nodded.

‘It’s beautiful,’ she said, trying to stop picturing herself on the sofa with Theo.

Remembering his miserable expression, she had to swallow down rising guilt and sadness. It was unlike him to lose things, especially something so precious. He’d been distracted and disorganised lately, getting upset and lacking his usual playfulness. Perhaps the stress of the work on the house and the protests was getting to him. Perhaps he was just getting older.