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‘You look beautiful too,’ Mary said. ‘Your dress...’
‘Leo, of course,’ Yolanda said, and then looked to her son. ‘I wanted to wear Yaya’s earrings; they would have been perfect. But I must have misplaced them...’
‘You don’t need them with that dress.’
‘Really?’
He was so kind to her, Mary thought. Even if he didn’t want to be here, no one would be able to tell.
‘I’ll give you your gift tomorrow,’ Costa said. ‘On your actual birthday.’
‘Spoilsport.’ Yolanda pouted.
‘For now,’ Costa said as he handed over Mary’s card.
Yolanda was, as Mary had predicted, delighted. ‘Eyelashes!’
‘They peel off,’ Mary explained.
Yolanda also loved her seashell earrings—well, perhaps not the actual earrings, but she greatly appreciated the gesture.
‘Finally.’ She patted her son’s smooth cheek. ‘And your stitches are out...’
Mary looked over, for she realised she hadn’t even noticed. Perhaps that was what was so different about Costa tonight.
‘Tell me, please,’ Yolanda persisted. ‘What happened?’
‘Leave it...’ He went to pull Yolanda’s hand away and then changed his mind. ‘It was the man who was making Mary so miserable. He was waiting for me at the airport.’
‘Ha!’ Yolanda’s eyes widened and then she laughed. ‘One minute a fighter, the next in a helmet on his scooter...’
Costa rolled his eyes.
‘They’re all laughing.’ She looked over to Mary. ‘Well done, you. I have told him more than a million times.’
And as Yolanda introduced Mary to the nearest group of guests, Costa’s hand snaked naturally around her waist.
She felt his warm palm sit loosely there, and was so aware of his touch. It struck her as odd that something so simple could cause her stomach to tighten low down, as if a clock were being wound too tight. She had to force herself to focus on the introductions.
‘This is Mia...’ Yolanda said. ‘The retreat’s chef who is refusing to eat...’
Even the sulking Mia smiled. ‘BecauseIwanted to cook for you tonight.’
‘You cook for me every night,’ Yolanda said.
‘I hear you visited the new restaurant today.’ Mia fired a look at Costa. ‘When you haven’t even been into the retreat’s restaurant.’
‘Because I save the best till last.’ Costa smiled.
He was different here, Mary realised. He was lighter here. Perhaps because it was his home.
‘Roula...’ said Yolanda, and waved her over.
Mary braced herself for impact. But Roula was not what Mary had expected. Though seriously beautiful, it was as if she was doing her best to hide the fact. Aside from the diamond clip holding her heavy Titian fringe back, Roula was very conservatively dressed, and still wore her wedding ring.
‘Mary...’ Roula hugged her. ‘Oh, my God, finally he brings a woman home, and of course she is beautiful.’
There was not even a fish bone’s worth of contention that Mary could detect, but all eyes were on them. All eyes!
