Page 18 of All You Need is Greece

‘What a lovely thing to do. And if there is anything I can do to help, I would be happy to,’ I offer, before wondering what I can do. I’m not particularly creative, but I guess I could do something. The more I get to know Judith and Lars, the more I feel I want to help towards their big day.

‘Me too,’ adds Hannah.

‘Well, that’s very kind of you both, but hopefully we will have everything sorted. The people in the village are all going to bring some food and Tania is baking the wedding cake – she is a wonderful baker. It won’t be a fancy affair, but everyone is most welcome, of course.’

‘I think it sounds just perfect,’ I tell her. I imagine the garden overflowing with people, music mingling with the sound of their laughter, and a beautiful wedding cake taking centre stage on a table in the garden. I can picture the pretty pink house covered in balloons and banners.

‘I hope it will be. We don’t want anything too flashy at our time of life.’ She smiles.

The word ‘flashy’ makes me think of Artemis and how my very first impression of him may not have been entirely fair. He was courteous and polite last night, listening and asking questions about me, hardly talking about himself at all.

‘And it’s a shame the animals can’t join us, but can you imagine?’ says Judith. ‘We won’t be able to leave them alone all day, but a few hours celebrating will be just wonderful. But I can’t leave them alone for too long.’

‘I’m sure people will pop over and check up on them,’ I reassure her. ‘It’s your big day! In fact, I don’t mind doing just that, and I’m sure the other volunteers will help too. You don’t need to worry, the animals will be in good hands. That’s definitely something I can help with.’

I don’t expect to be fully involved in the wedding celebrations, and even though Judith has kindly invited the volunteers, she barely knows us. Although maybe there is still a part of me that is trying to avoid a wedding ceremony by offering to look after the animals.

It’s just after six, when I receive a text from Artemis telling me has a day off work tomorrow, and do I have any free time at all. I tap out a reply saying we will be at Star Beach fundraising for most of the day for the rescue.

Great, I have always liked Star Beach. I might see you there x,he replies.

I’m surprised that the thought of seeing him again seems quite appealing. Suddenly I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.

ELEVEN

Star Beach is busy this morning, as people enjoy the last weeks of the summer sun, and we set up our stand beneath a tree on the wooden boardwalk approaching the beach. The footfall is constant, especially as we are quite close to the beach bar. Strategic positioning, as suggested by Michael, seems to pay off as after an hour we collect quite a few donations, wearing our bright yellow T-shirts emblazoned with the Pine Forest Rescue logo, with a silhouette of a dog in the corner. Judith has even provided us with a little card reader for people to ping a donation across, aware that people are carrying less and less cash.

‘This seems to be going well,’ I say, as a coach load of tourists pull up, some of them stopping to chat and donating a little something, others heading straight for the sand, beach bags slung over their shoulder.

‘Ah, it’s gorgeous here,’ says Hannah, eyeing the pine forests rising beyond the sea in the background. The busy beach bar is gently pumping out music, making the most of the last of the warm weather, and a couple of guys are chatting to a group of young people at a stand hiring out speedboats and pedalos. I’m told the weather can be a little unpredictable here at this time of year, although it is warmer in Crete than other Greek islands as it is the most southerly. Judith told me that she had a walk with the volunteers after Christmas lunch last year, as the weather was so mild.

‘Lovely day, isn’t it? I’ve always loved this beach, we used to bring the children here when they were younger,’ says an Englishwoman wearing a pink T-shirt with the slogan ‘I Love Strictly’, chatting to Doll. She cleverly moves the conversation to the dance show, and the woman’s mouth falls open when Michael joins them and tells her the pair are world champions in Latin American dance.

‘Never! That’s wonderful. I’d love to see a live show. Do you tour?’ asks the woman excitedly.

‘We do. We have actually just finished a dance tour around some European cities,’ Michael tells her. ‘We will be touring in the UK again next year, all being well.’

‘How exciting! I would love to see you both dance, and Latin American just happens to be my favourite,’ says the woman, clearly overjoyed to be in the presence of triple world champions.

He glances at Doll.

‘Although we’re not actually dressed for it, we can show you a bit of a dance if you like?’ he offers and the woman is speechless.

Doll asks Hannah if she has Spotify on her phone, and a few seconds later, a tune, perfect for a salsa dance, starts playing. Michael takes Doll by the hand and pulls her to him, moving to the rhythm of the music as easy as breathing. Soon, a small crowd has gathered, mesmerised by the couple’s dancing. They aren’t the only ones, as it’s like nothing I have ever seen before. Even dressed in casual clothing, Doll and Michael are pure magic.

When the dance comes to an end, a thunderous applause follows and even the bar staff have walked around to the other side of the bar to get a better look. Coins and notes appear from the crowd and are pushed into the collecting tin.

‘That was amazing!’ I tell Michael and Doll. ‘You’ve made a huge difference to the collecting with that impromptu show. Judith will be absolutely thrilled.’

‘It was nice to dance. And I really enjoyed the audience’s reaction,’ says Michael, lapping up the attention, particularly from the woman in theStrictlyT-shirt. She looks as though she might just pass out with excitement.

‘Of course you did,’ Doll says with a laugh. ‘Any chance to show off. Although, I must admit, that did feel good. It’s lovely to get such a great response, it shows we still have it, I suppose.’

‘Use it or lose it, my love.’ He kisses her and I think of how in love they must be, to have an enduring marriage, living and working together for so many years.

A couple of hours later, we are about to break for lunch when a handsome man strides towards us, attracting admiring glances from a group of women dining at a table nearby. I notice at once that it is Artemis.

‘Kalispera,’ he says, removing his glasses and kissing me on both cheeks. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Doll give Hannah a nudge and Hannah smiles. He is dressed casually, in beige shorts and a tight navy T-shirt that hugs his body in all the right places.

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