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Suzie experienced a sharp nip of anxiety at the mention of the word Wimbledon. She knew it was extremely unlikely they would have recognised her – after all, Wimbledon was a big place and very few people knew their neighbours – and yet she had the same reaction every time someone mentioned the place where she and Adam had lived when they were together.
‘Are you okay, Suzie?’ asked Katerina, concern in her eyes.
‘What? Oh, yes, yes, I’m fine.’
To her relief, Stefanos chose that particular moment to emerge from the kitchen and make his way to the bar where he perched on one of the stools, his head dipped as he scrolled through the messages on his phone, and Katerina’s attention was diverted elsewhere. Suzie saw Katerina hesitate for a few seconds in the hope that he would glance in her direction, but when he didn’t, she switched her gaze to the dance floor where Heidi was coaching Nathan in a high-octane version of the Macarena with lots of exaggerated hip wiggles.
‘Looks like Heidi’s having a great time.’
‘It does.’ Suzie smiled, happy for her friend.
‘Actually, I think I’ll ask Stefanos if he wants to dance, too.’
Suzie watched Katerina stroll towards the bar, and she was about to go in search of Christos when he dropped into the seat Katerina had vacated and took a long gulp of water from Suzie’s glass.
‘Having fun?’ he asked.
‘Absolutely. It’s the best night I’ve had for a very long time – apart from my own personal sunset cruise, of course.’
Christos smirked. ‘Not our visit to the pottery studio, then?’
Suzie laughed. ‘Actually, I want a word with you about that.’
‘I don’t know what you mean?’ Christos assumed an innocent expression, but his lips twitched at the corners, indicating that he knewexactlywhat she meant. However, before she could jokingly berate him about putting her vase in the gallery’s front window, he’d pushed back his chair, and taken her hand into his. She thought he was going to ask her to join him in a rendition of Gangnam style that was currently being attempted by Giorgos and his friends, but to her relief, he collected a bottle of wine from the cooler on the bar and led her into the lemon grove, to where someone had set up a table and two chairs.
Instead of inviting Suzie to take a seat, he drew her into his arms, his dark mahogany gaze holding hers for a moment before he lowered his head and kissed her, softly at first, a mere brush of his lips against hers that caused a curl of pleasure to weave its way through her veins, then more urgently, the contours of their bodies moulding perfectly together.
She could feel his heart beating against her chest, faster and faster, whipping her emotions into a maelstrom of desire. She kissed him back, sliding her hand around to the nape of his neck, caressing the curls that were still damp from that evening’s energetic dance routines, hoping to show him in that one gesture how much he meant to her.
Time seemed to stand still; their embrace serenaded by the ubiquitous melody of the cicadas, punctuated by the occasional ripple of music that floated from the direction of the veranda. She had no idea how long they stayed there amidst the fragrant lemon trees, but they finally drew apart when their romantic interlude was interrupted by a loud burst of laughter emanating from behind a tree to their right.
‘Who do you…?’ she began, before falling silent as she squinted into the darkness, thrilled to see Miranda and Giorgos strolling arm-in-arm through the lemon grove, chatting softly, completely oblivious to their presence. They looked happy together, relaxed in each other’s company, and if Suzie hadn’t known that they had only met that night, she would have thought they were a married couple, such was their contented body language. She knew they had both been through heartbreak as far as their previous relationships were concerned, and she hoped that this was the start of something new for them.
After sharing a glass of wine, Christos escorted Suzie back to the veranda where the band had packed away their instruments and were enjoying a brandy with their friends, along with Diana and Robyn, who seemed to be having no problem navigating the language barrier. Stefanos had disappeared, and there was no sign of Heidi and Nathan, which Suzie hoped was a good sign.
‘See you tomorrow, Suzie.’
Katerina deposited kisses on Suzie and Christos’ cheeks, then left the taverna with her arm hooked through Eleni’s, gossiping in rapid-fire Greek as they disappeared into the darkness. After a quick nightcap with Diana and Robyn, Suzie said her ownefharistós andkalinychtas and Christos walked her back to her studio before heading to his friend’s apartment on the other side of the island.
***
Later, as she stared at the ceiling fan rotating languidly above her sofa bed, a wave of elation washed over her. It had been a wonderful day; one filled with fun, friendship, and lots and lots of laughter, surrounded by people she cared about and who cared about her. She was thrilled that Miranda had made a connection with Giorgos, that Heidi had plucked up the courage to invite a clearly reluctant Nathan to join in with their Greek dance class, and that Katerina had broken the ice with Stefanos at last – even though, after their initial dance, he’d spent most of the rest of the night staring at his phone.
She was also happy that her friends’ business ventures were blossoming, too. Miranda had expanded the bookshop’s clientele by organising her book-club-and-literary-cocktail nights, Heidi had successfully launched her SOS Skincare range to appreciative fanfare, and Katerina’s gallery was thriving and her dream of diversifying into the fashion arena, as well as designing her own fabrics, had been a triumph, not to mention her plan to run workshops.
Santorini had softened the jagged edges of her trauma. It was a beautiful place – picturesque, photogenic, and inspiring – but it was the people that gave it itssoul, and she would be sad to leave when Amber returned from her trip. She felt safe here, far away from the gremlins that had pursued her from London to Devon.
Could she stay?
Could she run the jewellery-making classes that Katerina had suggested?
If she did, she could build on her relationship with Christos, which she hoped was more than just a holiday romance. Maybe, with Christos by her side, she could make a fresh start, and look forward to a life that didn’t involve constantly looking over her shoulder or worrying about things like people taking photographs at a Greek dance class.
Her new friends had shown her how to live again, free from the tethers of her emotional captors, and for the first time in a long time, she felt like she was therealSuzie Sandringham – happy, upbeat, ready to smile and laugh, and willing to join in instead of remaining resolutely on the side-lines for fear of being judged, or worse, rejected.
She was within touching distance of her dream of leading a calm and carefree life.
All she had to do was reach out and grab it.
