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‘His fiancée?’
‘Sorry, his ex-fiancée. She apparently ran off with his cousin a couple of months ago. They live in Mykonos now.’
‘Oh, I—’
‘Okay, I think I’d better head off to open the gallery. You stay and finish your coffee. I’ll see you later.’
Before Suzie could say anything further, Katerina was striding across the veranda, her heels clickety-clacking on the wooden slats. Not wanting to dally for too long either, she tossed back her coffee and had just hooked her bag over her shoulder when she saw that Heidi’s would-be dance partner was sitting at his usual seat in the corner of the veranda, sipping coffee and staring at an undefinable point in the distance, deep in thought.
She wondered why he was always by himself. Why didn’t he ask one of his friends or colleagues from the hotel in Parissa to join him? That morning he looked particularly lonely – and a little bit sad – so, in a completely uncharacteristic gesture on her part, she decided to say a cheery hello on her way past his table. Even making the decision to do that caused her spirits to lift.
‘Kalimera,’ she said with a broad smile.
Her greeting had clearly taken him by surprise because he jolted in his seat, his body stiffening and his pale blue eyes wary at the unexpected interruption as he looked up from where he’d been typing something into his phone.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you jump.’
‘It’s fine, it’s just… sorry.Kalimera, I’m Nathan.’
Nathan pushed back his chair and stood, slotting his phone into the pocket of his beige canvas trousers, then offering Suzie his palm and subjecting her to an unexpectedly firm handshake before surprising her by asking her to join him for a coffee. She was about to decline but she didn’t want to appear rude. After all, she’d interruptedhimand not the other way round.
‘Thanks. I’m Suzie.’
As she waited for Giorgos to bring them their coffees, she tried to ignore the squirm of discomfort that had started to worm its way upwards from her stomach, tightening as it went, and eroding that initial spark of confidence she’d experienced before she’d uttered her ill-advised greeting to a random stranger.
What had she been thinking?
Fortunately, Nathan didn’t seem to notice how uncomfortable she was in his company and after taking a sip of hismetrioshe had launched into a soliloquy about how good the coffee was atTaverna Giorgos, and how he made it a habit to get his caffeine fix there before he started work, which enabled her to talk about Katerina and her love of the coffee bean. Her bout of nervousness began to retreat, and she even allowed herself a smile when she saw Nathan scoop back his sandy hair from his eyes and toss it over his forehead in the gesture that had caught Heidi’s attention.
Her friend was right; Nathan was attractive, in his canvas trousers and collarless linen shirt with its cuffs rolled back to reveal the child’s plastic watch she’d noticed before. Now she was sitting next to him she saw that the cartoon character was Winnie the Pooh, a choice she applauded, even if she did think it unusual for a man in his thirties. Perhaps it was a gift from someone special, or maybe a childhood keepsake, and she wondered if the same went for the slender silver chain he wore around his right wrist.
‘Heidi said you’re a bartender at a hotel in Parissa.’
‘Heidi?’
Suzie’s heart sank. Nathan clearly didn’t remember their introduction as clearly, or as fondly, as Heidi did, which made her sad. She nodded towards where Heidi had just served breakfast to a couple who had brought their Pekinese with them and was currently fussing over the little dog whilst sending enquiring glances in Suzie’s direction.
‘Ah, yes, Heidi. Yes, she’s right, I am.’
‘That must be fun.’
‘I suppose so,’ said Nathan, without enthusiasm.
‘It’s a bit of a drive, though, isn’t it?’
‘What is?’
She was surprised at the confusion in Nathan’s eyes. ‘From Parissa?’
‘Oh, yes, yes, it is, but as I said, they do serve the best coffee on the island here.’
Suzie saw Nathan flick his eyes towards the entrance of the taverna where another group of breakfast-seekers had arrived, and it occurred to her for the first time that perhaps hehadn’tbeen sitting at his corner table alone and lonely as she had initially thought, but was simply waiting for someone, a thought that caused her cheeks to colour.
‘Okay, well, I’d better—’
‘Actually, before you go, I happen to have overheard you and your friends chatting about a party you’re organising—’
‘Oh, it’s not a party, just a dance lesson for one of our friends to cheer her up after… after she had a bit of a shock the other day.’
