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‘I’m in the snug.’
‘What are you doing in here? Is everything okay?’
‘Everything’s fine. I was just talking to my sister.’
She waggled her phone in the air, its silver charm clanking against the screen.
‘How is she?’ asked Holly, sliding onto the sofa next to Suzie.
‘She’s doing great. Actually, I’ve offered to fly over to help out at the gallery so she can go travelling for a few weeks with Tom, but now I realise that I can’t. I’m just about to call her back and let her down, which won’t surprise her. I’ve been doing it for most of my life.’
‘What do you mean? Why can’t you go?’
‘I’m ashamed to say that I completely forgot that I now have responsibilities.’
‘What kind of responsibilities?’
‘Archie! I can’t go swanning off to the Greek islands whenever it suits me. What was I thinking?’
Holly held Suzie’s gaze for a beat, then smiled broadly as she reached out to lace her fingers through hers, her soft blue eyes shining. ‘Archie is welcome to stay here with me and Oscar. In fact, he can be our first VID guest at Holly’s Luxury Hotel for Dogs! It’s a perfect solution for both of us, and I know that Ariel and Max will do everything they can to make him feel welcome. As you know, Archie spent several months at the kennels before he came to live with you, so he’ll be right at home, and I promise to give him the deluxe package; long walks through the woods and on the beach, regular grooming, home-made treats, safe doggie toys.’
Suzie stared at Holly. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Of course.’
Words failed Suzie so instead she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Holly’s shoulders, giving her an extra tight squeeze to let her know how much her offer, and more importantly, her friendship, meant to her.
‘Thank you, Holls.’
‘No problem.’
‘Can I ask you for another favour?’
‘Fire away.’
‘Can I borrow a pair of shorts and maybe a swimsuit?’
Holly giggled. ‘What about a cute Hawaiian shirt?’
‘Sure.’
It was decided.
She was on her way to sunny Santorini.
Chapter Four
Suzie knew Santorini was promoted as one of the jewels of the Aegean Sea; an island famed for the beauty of its architecture, its multi-coloured beaches, its impressive caldera, and its awe-inspiring sunsets. She had seen the photographs on the front covers of glossy magazines, in travel companies’ adverts, and on Amber’s Instagram feed, but nothing had prepared her for seeing the real thing.
She was grateful that she’d been gifted with the slowest taxi driver south of Athens so she could feast her eyes on the whitewashed villages whose sugar-cube buildings seemed to tumble down the rugged coastline and into the shimmering turquoise waters below. Their doors, shutters and window frames were painted in the same azure blue as the sky, their eaves draped in floral frills of pink bougainvillea, and their windowsills adorned with blue and white ceramic pots crammed with scarlet geraniums.
No matter which way she looked, there was an image worth savouring, something to enliven her hitherto sluggish senses. A trio of cats snoozing in the shade of a fruit-laden lemon tree, a picturesque church with blue-domed roof, a flotilla of sailboats bobbed jauntily on the smooth-as-glass bay to her left. She removed her phone from the pocket of her crumpled linen trousers and took a bunch of photographs to send to Holly and Beckie, then tipped her head back and inhaled the intoxicating scent of jasmine that floated through the window on the warm afternoon breeze, along with a surprising top-note of exhaust fumes.
She hadn’t expected the roads to be so busy!
However, despite the fact she seemed to have arrived during rush-hour, her driver tootled along as though he was taking his elderly grandmother on a Sunday afternoon jaunt around the island. Completely oblivious to the lengthening tailback behind them, his leisurely trundle caused a constant stream of cars, scooters, delivery vans, and on one occasion a couple riding a tandem bicycle, to overtake them. Several tooted their horns in exasperation, some shook their fists and shouted expletives, but still her driver showed no inclination whatsoever to increase his speed to accommodate their impatience. Suzie had never been more relieved when they glided to a smooth, controlled stop in front of an impressive stone archway, and the driver announced that they had arrived at their destination.
Oia.
