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‘I signed myself out and went private...’ He took another sip of his drink before continuing ‘And at my posh new hospital I got a scan and was stitched up, was woken every hour and a light shone in my eyes, so I signed myself out of there and went to a hotel. This morning I finally got my new crown...’
He showed her his new tooth amongst the row of lovely white ones and then, considering the conversation over, spread his gorgeous, slightly swollen mouth into a satisfied smile.
‘I don’t believe you, Costa—well, not about the door,’ she said.
‘Then don’t.’ Costa shrugged. ‘We really need to go; the helicopter is waiting.’
‘No.’
Mary shook her head. It was odd, but even in another country, and with no hint of a safety net, she was not scared to fall. And neither did she feel obligated to simply up and go just because of some cases beside her.
She had been here before, but she was older now.
The hardest part was behind her—she had walked out on Coral and lost her home and her job—and she suddenly felt liberated rather than scared...on the edge of something...or rather on the edge ofher.
The old her.
The one who had been buried a long time ago and left unnoticed. Except it would seem she’d actually grown in that time, for it was a new Mary that had emerged.
‘I’m not leaving here till we’ve sorted out our stories.’
Costa, though, had clearly grown a little too used to people jumping to his command. ‘The helicopter is busy bringing in guests for tomorrow’s party,’ he said. ‘It can’t just sit idle while we play “getting to know you”.’
‘We can take the ferry, then.’
‘I gave up taking the ferry a long time ago,’ Costa scoffed.
But then he looked over and saw that Mary wasn’t moving. In fact, Mary was more than happy to sit there all night.
‘They’re getting ready for something,’ Mary commented, glancing around at the waiter, who had changed into evening attire. ‘I think someone famous must be arriving...’
‘The sun has brought them all out. They’ll come off their yachts soon. Look at that,’ he said, and she watched a family being moved to a table behind the rope. ‘Making way for the oligarchs...’
‘They’re not moving us,’ Mary said. ‘Or rather, they’re not moving you.’
‘They would have once,’ he assured her, and then she saw him realise that Mary had trapped him, and that they would be sitting here until they had all this sorted. ‘You’ve changed,’ he accused.
‘I have,’ Mary agreed. ‘It must be the sun.’
‘Well, whatever it is,’ Costa begrudgingly admitted as he took out his phone, ‘I like it.’
Stay cross, Mary told herself as he cancelled the helicopter. ‘Can we start again?’ Costa said and, turning off his phone, offered her his full attention. ‘I hated that I couldn’t be at the airport,’ Costa said. ‘Kristina was my last resort. Believe me, we donotget on.’
‘Have you slept with her, then?’
‘God, no!’ He screwed up his nose. ‘Why do you bring everything back to sex?’
‘She hates you with too much passion, Costa, and she’s also very beautiful.’
‘Ice is beautiful—it doesn’t mean I want to—’ He halted what she was sure would be a crude response. ‘Kristina hates everyone. I had to bribe her with a babymoon in Anapliró...’
‘A babymoon?’
‘Anextendedbabymoon.’ Costa rolled his eyes. ‘Kristina should be a hostage negotiator rather than a PA, but she’s hellishly efficient. And I got Leo out of bed before midday—which, believe me, is a miracle. He’s angry with me too.’
Mary had been so hurt by his absence that she hadn’t paused to think he might have actually had to jump through hoops in order to prevent her arriving alone and unmet. And while perhaps the realisation should have made her feel small, instead she suddenly felt looked-after, when she realised just how much worse this morning could have been.
‘Thank you,’ Mary said. ‘I mean that.’
