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‘Parakaló.’
Heidi gave Miranda a quick hug, then floated away to take the hikers’ breakfast order, her habitually cheerful demeanour returning when the guy who was wearing a khaki utility vest said he’d hiked up Snowdonia several times and they started to share weather-related anecdotes.
‘Okay, I think I should head back to the bookshop and make a start on the tidying up.’
‘Need any help?’ Suzie asked. ‘It’s my day off today.’
‘I wouldn’t dream of it! Go off and enjoy whatever you have planned.’
‘I don’t actually have anything planned.’
‘Then the world’s your oyster, as they say!’
Miranda patted Suzie on the shoulder and made her way from the taverna, leaving behind the faint aroma of crushed rose petals. Suzie checked her watch and was astonished to see that it was only ten a.m. and that the whole day stretched out in front of her with nothing to do and no one to do it with.
To her surprise, she suddenly felt bereft.
When she was at home in Devon, she actually preferred her own company, often turning down invitations to join her friends on their various activities, mainly for fear of encountering someone who recognised her from when she’d lived in London. It had only happened on two occasions since she’d fled the capital, but both times had been traumatic and had left her with recurring nightmares that the whole heart-breaking debacle would be revisited in the local press – accompanied by photographs – and she would have to move on again.
However, here in Santorini, she felt like a different person, like what had happened the previous year had happened to someone else, and the New Suzie Sandringham could do whatever she liked without having to first think about who she might bump into. No one knew her here, and anyway, everyone was more concerned with enjoying their holiday than wondering who the woman with the pink-streaked hair sitting in the corner of a Greek taverna reminded them of.
While her demons hadn’t yet headed off to torment another luckless soul with their snide, confidence-sapping comments, their hold on her emotions wasn’t as tenacious as it had once been, and if Katerina, Heidi, or Miranda hadn’t been at work, and had asked her to spend the day exploring the island with them, she would have jumped at the chance. However, she refused to waste her time off mooching around her studio when there was so much to see and do, so she tossed back the remainder of her coffee and rummaged in her pocket for her phone so she could do some research on the top ten “must-see” sights on Santorini.
When she pulled out her phone, the crumpled envelope she’d found shoved under the door that morning came with it and fluttered to the floor. She picked it up and stared at the scribbled writing for a moment, then ran her finger under the flap and drew out a scrap of paper – which looked like it had been torn from the back of a guidebook – and she couldn’t prevent a smile from tugging at her lips when she read what it said:
If you’re ever looking for someone to give you a tour of the island, I’m happy to oblige.
Christos.
Chapter Thirteen
Before she could think of a reason not to do so, she dialled the number Christos had scrawled across the bottom of his note, her heart pounding against her ribcage as it was the first time in a long time she had called someone she was attracted to. Was she doing the right thing? What if…
‘Ne?’
‘Oh, hi, Christos, it’s Suzie…. from the gallery?’
‘Yassou, Suzie. I take it you got my note?’
She loved the way he said “Suzie” in his sexy Greek accent, and it was immediately clear from the tone of his voice that he was pleased she’d called. Her heartbeat slowed from gallop to trot, and her spirits lifted, giving her the confidence to continue their conversation without feeling she was imposing on his time.
‘I did, and I’d love to take you up on your offer, but…’
‘But what?’
‘It’s my day offtoday.’
‘That’s fine. I’ll collect you in thirty minutes.’
Before she could respond, the line went dead. She glanced down at the tattered old hoodie she’d pulled on in a hurry when Heidi had appeared on her doorstep in a state of panic, and cringed. She dropped a few euros on the table, waved goodbye to Giorgos, and hared back to her studio to change, choosing a pair of lightweight dungaree shorts and a sleeveless white tee-shirt, hoping that her outfit was suitable for what Christos had in mind.
***
This time Christos turned up on time.
She pulled open the door and experienced a surprise surge of desire that caused her cheeks to flush when she saw him standing there, his hands thrust casually into the pockets of his frayed jeans, his smile bracketed by the cute dimples that caused her heart to flutter. His dark wavy curls were still damp from the shower, and he had obviously been a little over-zealous with the cologne, a detail that caused her to return his smile. Clearly, he was looking forward to their day together as much as she was.
‘Hey, Suzie, ready to see therealSantorini?’
