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‘How long will we be there?’ Her life felt very strange now. Days were melting into days and almost a week had gone by since she’d left her own very humdrum life behind. She could get used to this timelessness.
Achilles shrugged. ‘A couple of days...then I have to go to New York for a meeting.’
Sofie almost made a sound. New York had always been her number one wish list destination. But Achilles had said I. Maybe he was already planning on letting her go after the island.
Hating the feeling of powerlessness, she needed to prove to herself that she wasn’t just a piece of flotsam on the current of Achilles’s life. Stoutly, she said, ‘New York will be exciting and I’m sure you’ll be busy. It’s about time I arranged a flight home anyway, I’ll look into it tomorrow.’
Achilles looked at her. ‘What are you talking about? You’re coming with me.’
Her heart palpitated. ‘What?’
‘You’re coming with me, of course.’ Achilles popped an olive into his mouth, as unconcerned as if he suggested taking someone to New York with him every day of the week. Which, Sofie had to concede, perhaps he did.
His arrogant assumption that she would agree warred with the sense of pure excitement that a) he didn’t want her to leave yet, and b) she could see New York after all.
But she couldn’t afford to forget that sense of powerlessness—because that was the reality. She was here only while she still held interest for Achilles, and if she had any control it would be in deciding her own fate.
It almost killed her to say, ‘That sounds amazing. Thank you. But I think it would be best for me to return home after Greece.’
Achilles smiled at her and it was dazzling. ‘You don’t have to decide now.’
Sofie wanted to hit him. He oozed an arrogance that told her they both knew he would all too easily bend her to his will. And if he wanted her to go to New York then it would be nigh on impossible for her to resist.
His smile widened, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. And that smile did her in, because he rarely smiled like that. Not even on Gallinvach before his memory had returned. Too often he wore a brooding air—which, when she thought about it now, didn’t really fit with his persona as a debauched devil-may-care playboy.
But to think that she could make him smile like that, even once... Her heart thumped ominously. She was in trouble.
A couple of hours later they were nowhere near the hotel and the car had pulled up on a quiet side street that looked vaguely familiar. Achilles had been on his phone and now he was off it.
Sofie asked, ‘Where are we?’
Achilles said mysteriously, ‘Rectifying a situation.’
He came around to her door and pulled her out. And then he handed her a pair of flat slip-on trainers.
Sofie looked at them. ‘Was it that obvious I couldn’t walk in those heels?’
Achilles pushed them towards her. ‘Just swap your shoes.’
Sofie had had a couple of glasses of champagne and felt a little giddy. As she slipped off her shoes with relish and stepped into the flat ones she said, ‘You know, you’re very bossy. You were bossy like this before your memory returned. It’s obviously an inherent trait.’
He said nothing, but when she straightened up to hand him her shoes she could see a smile playing around his mouth. Oh, boy.
He put the shoes in the boot and caught Sofie’s hand, leading her to a huge set of gates where a man was waiting. It was only when they were through the gates and walking up some wide steps that Sofie realised where they were.
She stopped, and made Achilles stop too. She looked at him. ‘No way.’
He looked at her. ‘Yes, way. This is the Acropolis.’
‘But it’s closed.’
‘Not for us.’
Struck dumb with awe, Sofie let herself be led up to the majestic ancient site. Floodlit. Soaring over them with its tall columns and spectacular statues. Athens lay around them, glittering like a bauble. They couldn’t even hear the traffic from here.
The man who had met them led them around, giving them a tour in perfect English. All Sofie could think about was how hot it had been earlier and how many people had been clamouring to get on the site. This, in comparison, was magical. And cool. With stars overhead in a clear sky.
When the tour was over, Sofie floated back down to the car by Achilles’s side. Impulsively she threw her arms around his neck to say thank you, and for the first time she noticed that he tensed a little bit. As if caught off guard by her spontaneity.
She drew back, her buoyant mood pierced. ‘Sorry, I just... That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced.’ She tried to lighten the suddenly brooding mood by saying, ‘It’s a good move. Very smooth. I bet it goes down well with everyone.’
He frowned. ‘Everyone?’
Now Sofie felt uncomfortable. ‘Other women?’
Achilles shook his head. ‘I’ve never done this before.’
‘Oh.’ Now Sofie felt crass. But right now she didn’t know where she stood with this man. He’d smiled at her earlier and it had sparked a scary feeling of joy inside her. And then he’d just done possibly the most romantic thing she would ever experience in her life. But now he was looking at her with an undecipherable expression.
‘Sorry, I just thought maybe...’ She trailed off weakly. ‘It was a lovely gesture. Thank you.’ She couldn’t help feeling that she’d ruined it now.
Achilles helped her back into the car and they went back to the hotel and his apartment. When they got inside, Sofie holding her high-heeled shoes in one hand, Achilles shrugged off his jacket and said, ‘I have to make some calls. You should go to bed, Sofie. We’ll leave for the island first thing in the morning.’
