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‘Oh, he’s in his element! He adores being with Ariel and Max. Oscar calls them the Terrible Trio because they’re always up to some kind of mischief, sniffing out all the new nooks and crannies in the pub and the beer garden. And of course they all love a walk along the beach down in Blossomwood Bay, or a meander through the woodland around the manor house, although we’ve stayed well clear of the gardens. Thankfully, it looks like someone is still taking care of the lawns and flowerbeds, at least.’
Suzie couldn’t help feeling a little upset that Archie didn’t seem to be missing her as much as she was missing him, but she was also relieved that he was thriving in Holly’s capable care, which was the most important thing. Even though her luxury canine hotel wasn’t yet opened to the public, it was clear that Holly was relishing the role of Doggie Doyenne to her three devoted charges. Suzie’s heart ballooned with joy that after such a heart-breaking few months, her friend not only had a new venture planned, but had found someone as wonderful as Oscar to share it with.
‘I don’t suppose there’s been any news from Andrew yet?’
‘No news, but I saw a photograph of him standing next to a bright red Porsche, wearing a very expensive three-piece suit, hand-stitched Italian loafers, and a gold Rolex on one of the music websites I occasionally check for information. Would you believe that he told the journalist that he was “about to head off for a couple of days in the Californian wilderness to recharge his depleted batteries”? Apparently being the business manager of a superstar musician is exhausting and he needed a break. I don’t think he realises that hiking the Pacific Crest Trail isn’t the same as taking a Sunday morning stroll around Regent’s Park. Dressed like that, I give him twenty-four hours – forty-eight at the most.’
‘Well, at least he’s made a start at last.’
‘True. Let’s just hope he isn’t eaten by a hungry bear.’
‘Oh, God, don’t say that!’
After thanking Holly again for looking after Archie so well, Suzie slipped her feet into Beckie’s well-worn deck shoes and skipped down the stairs to the gallery, coming to an abrupt halt when she saw the jumble of discarded stationery that seemed to have mushroomed overnight.
She recalled the extreme orderliness she had found the previous day and grimaced, a wave of guilt rolling through her chest. She and Katerina had been so busy serving the constant influx of customers that their tidying tasks had fallen by the wayside. Everywhere she looked there was disarray; corrugated cardboard and sheets of tissue paper littered the floor, with the gallery’s signature blue boxes and reels of white ribbon strewn across the glass desk and the chrome-and-leather chair.
Pens, pencils, scissors, and tape were scattered on every available surface, but worst of all, the stock looked like a gang of marauding wildebeests had enjoyed a party in the shop overnight. The paintings were wonky, the ceramics askew, and Heidi’s knitted menagerie was piled in a heap in a wide sunflower-yellow dish. The only part of the gallery to have escaped the maelstrom of mess was the room at the back where the gloomy artwork was housed.
Suzie sighed. Clearly, it had been Amber’s influence that kept the gallery from becoming a complete disaster zone, which meant that it was Suzie’s job to step up to the plate and maintain her sister’s penchant for ensuring that everything was not only neatly displayed and dust-free, but also aesthetically pleasing.
After all, this was anartgallery!
She spent a few minutes gathering the discarded packing materials and returning them to their rightful places in an elegant cupboard hidden behind a bamboo screen, and then scooping together the hotchpotch of stationery – invoices, receipts, order forms and payment slips – that had been left in the most random of places.
Why was the receipt book stuffed into a glazed Greek urn?
She was about to give herself a congratulatory pat on the back when her gaze fell on one of Amber’s beloved plants, and she experienced another spasm of guilt; it had already started to wilt. Was she expected to water them every day? She was about to rush up the stairs to her studio to fetch a jug of water when the door burst open, and Katerina walked in clutching two coffees with theTaverna Giorgoslogo printed on the side.
‘Kalimera, Suzie! Did you sleep well?’
‘I did.’ Suzie smiled. ‘I really did!’
‘Great. Here’s your coffee. I thought you might like to mix it up a little, so I got you ametrios. It has less sugar than theglykosI got for you yesterday, but I think it’s the perfect way to kick-start the day. What do you think?’
Suzie took a tentative sip. ‘Mmm, delicious.Efharistó.’
‘Parakaló.’
Katerina plonked herself onto the white leather desk chair and dropped her over-sized handbag onto the now clutter-free desk. Today she wore a figure-hugging cream shift dress, its neck and hemline edged in navy-blue ribbon, along with a pair of her favourite sky-high stilettos. Her makeup was pristine, her dark hair bouncy, and her perfume was light, fresh, and floral. Suzie knew that even if she spent the whole morning in front of the mirror in Amber’s tiny bathroom, she would never be able to match the polished elegance Katerina seemed to achieve so effortlessly.
‘Ready for another day at the cutting edge of modern art?’
‘Absolutely!’
***
Once again, the day flew by with a steady stream of customers interested in finding out about the processes Katerina used to create her coloured glasswork. Suzie was delighted to sell a tall hand-blown vase that she had secretly coveted for herself, although she was less delighted when a toddler picked up one of Heidi’s knitted courgettes that had become entangled with a pair of cherries and insisted that her rather pink-faced parents purchase them immediately.
She was also now an expert in packing the framed paintings and more fragile items that Katerina produced, even going as far as to curl the ends of the white ribbons when the client told her that the item was a gift for someone special “back home”. However, by the time five o’clock rolled around and Suzie was able to take a break from her wrapping duties, she couldn’t help cringing when she saw that the room was even more cluttered than when she’d first stepped into it that morning.
‘I’ll just make a start on tidying up the—’
‘No, no, it’s fine, leave it. I’ll do it. You have your date to get ready for.’
Suzie’s stomach lurched. They had been so busy she’d completely forgotten about Christos’ promise to show her the sunset over the caldera. She met Katerina’s gaze and couldn’t fail to see the sparkle of mischief in her eyes, not to mention the suggestive wriggling of her perfectly sculpted eyebrows.
‘It’s not a date!’
