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‘No funeral,’ Galen said.
‘Your tie should be black,’ she said as he led her to a seat.
‘Yaya, this is Roula,’ he introduced her. ‘You might see her a bit over the next few weeks.’
‘Kupia Florakis,’ Roula smiled. ‘It is nice to...’ She hesitated, for surely she should say that it was nice to see her again, rather than deny knowing her. ‘It’s good to see you.’
Galen watched as hisyayaturned her currant eyes to Roula, and then he watched as she did what he must not. She reached up and took hold of the single strand of hair that she had been twirling.
‘Kyrios?’ Yaya said.
‘Yes.’ Roula nodded, but did not glance over to see Galen’s reaction to the fact that she had been recognised, albeit by her previous name.
Yaya looked her slowly up and down and then turned to Galen. ‘Roula shopped for me.’
‘Did she?’ Galen took a breath. ‘I didn’t know that.’
‘Well, you were gone,’ Kupia Florakis rebuked him. ‘No help. Go back to your books Galen.’ Now she looked back to Roula and tapped the side of her head. ‘He’s not right up here. The doctor said. Damaged.’
Roula saw the tension behind his smile as he ignored her cruel words, and, yes, she might be confused now, but Roula rather guessed Galen might have heard much the same growing up.
‘Roula brought you this,’ Galen said, and opened the glowing cool bag. ‘Come on,’ he said gently. ‘Eat.’
But Kupia Florakis hadn’t finished with her observations yet, and she looked over to Roula.
‘What happened to you? You were so pretty once.’
Galen tried to distract her with the cheese.
‘Why is she hiding?’
‘Yaya...’ Galen said as Roula stood, her face one burning blush.
‘She’s so ugly now.’
The nurse came in then. It was pill time for hisyaya, it would seem.
To her shame, Roula felt somewhat relieved, for she felt more than a little exposed.
‘She says things...’ Galen said, and he sighed once they were back in the car, leaning back on the headrest, his eyes closed for a moment. ‘You know, she spent the first decade of my life telling me to engage my filter before I spoke, and the last decade has been spent...’ He opened his eyes and looked over at her then. ‘I’m sorry if she was rude. I have to buy flowers for the staff all the time to apologise.’
‘No flowers required.’ She smiled back.
‘She doesn’t mean half of it...’
‘I know that.’ Roula nodded.
But it was the half that was true which burnt...
Kolonaki Square was beautiful.
‘Leo’s studio is over there,’ Galen said. ‘You’re more than welcome to get a new work wardrobe...’
‘I have plenty of clothes, Galen.’
Her response was a little acidic, but with every sentence spoken the division between them grew wider. He flew—she took the ferry. He dressed in designer clothes and turned heads—she...
Oh, it was more than that, though, and the division actually helped. Even walking through the square, she was aware of him in such an unfamiliar way.
