Page 80 of The Little Greek Guesthouse

She flicked a headphone off his ear, and he lurched up, eyes flying open and hands flying into the air.

‘You trying to give your poor baba a heart attack?’ he grumbled, but he looked sheepish even as he spoke.

‘No, but you know you deserve a telling-off.’

He spread his arms and tried to look innocent. She wasn’t buying it.

‘How could you let me walk in to Sam like that without telling me?’

He shrugged and pulled a face. ‘Oh well, this boy, he’s come all the way to see you and he brought these flowers and he looked so sad without you, Antheia . . .’

‘He cheated on me! And you said he didn’t deserve me.’

‘Well, I know, but you can at least see him while he’s come all this – why, you’re not getting back with him, are you?’ He looked horrified, his eyes like saucers.

‘Of course not,’ she said. ‘No thanks to you, though.’ She poked his ribs and he yelped, batting her away and rubbing his side with a wounded expression, as though she’d inflicted a great injury on him. ‘Bit of warning would’ve been nice,’ she muttered.

‘Okay,’ he relented. ‘I’m sorry. Next time an ex-boyfriend flies all this way over to beg to be forgiven I will give you this thumbs up.’

‘Heads up, Baba.’

He grinned. ‘This is what I said.’

Life continued peacefully.

Days were spent with Theo, readying the house, preparing paperwork, planning when to start inviting guests. Evenings and weekends were a pleasant, mellow mix of spending time with Eirini and the children, paddleboarding – she was now an expert – and going out for walks.

Sometimes George sent messages. She never read them. She considered blocking him, but couldn’t quite bring herself to.

‘Why don’t you come for a nice walk, eh?’ Theo asked one evening. ‘Come with your baba, bit of fresh air, lovely views. Eh?’

Theo looked suspiciously innocent, his eyes stretched wide.

Nina frowned. ‘What are you up to?’

‘Me? How could you say this? I just want to come with my Antheia for a walk at the end of a hard day.’

Nina eyed his bare feet, propped up on a chair as he sat in the courtyard. ‘Yes, you look like you’re working your socks off.’

‘Come on, come for a walk, eh? I’ve been asking and asking and you’re always too busy to spend time with poor Baba.’ He pulled a face, drooping his lips and casting his eyes down. ‘I’ll be waiting till the cows freeze over at this rate.’

‘Till the – I don’t even know what to do with that one, Baba!’ She laughed, despite herself. His Oscar-worthy performance didn’t entirely convince, and she still had a sense he was up to something, but he was right; she’d been seeing a lot of Eirini recently and hadn’t made much time for Theo.

‘Fine,’ she said. ‘Let me get my jumper.’

‘Good, yes, yes, off you go.’

Theo had snatched up his phone and was furtively typing.

‘Who are you messaging?’

‘What? No one. Just looking up how to make a kite.’

‘Make a kite? What are you on about?’

‘Stop being such a nosy parking!’ He hid the phone against his chest. ‘Go off and get this jumper.’

‘Nosy parker, Baba,’ she called as she grabbed her jumper, grinning to herself as she heard him grumbling.