Page 21 of All You Need is Greece

Judith is more than thrilled with the collection today, and delighted by the story of Michael and Doll giving an impromptu dance to the people at the beach.

‘Isn’t that wonderful! That’s it then. I’ll be sending you out to dance to a crowd more often now, in exchange for a donation or two. I’m sorry I missed it.’

‘That’s actually not a bad idea,’ says Michael. ‘We could set up a place for a show. Isn’t there an old amphitheatre not far from here?’ He rubs his chin in thought.

‘We are supposed to be here recharging our batteries, not putting on shows,’ Doll reminds him, although she doesn’t seem to be protesting too much.

’But think about it. We could put the word about, and maybe ask for donations rather than selling tickets. We could sort the music out.’ Michael is on a roll now.

‘The old amphitheatre isn’t far from a busy village, actually,’ Judith tells him. ‘Come to think of it, the village square is surrounded by restaurants. Maybe you could do a bit of a show there instead. If you really want to, that is.’

‘Even better!’ Michael beams. ‘Captive audience there with the diners in the restaurants.’

‘We could pass around a hat for donations,’ says Doll, clearly warming to the idea.

‘That’s sorted then. Maybe next week, we could speak to the restauranteurs and ask them to advertise a dance evening in the square. I’m sure they would be up for that as it would be good for business after all. They could advertise it on a chalkboard, along with the menu outside their restaurant. World champions here, for one night only.’ Michael seems to be getting carried away with himself now, and Doll tells him to calm down.

‘But I couldn’t ask you to do that,’ protests Judith, surprised but clearly excited by their generous offer.

‘You didn’t ask, we offered,’ says Michael.

‘Well, you did,’ Doll whispers to me, but she is smiling.

‘I haven’t packed any of my dance dresses, though,’ says Doll. ‘Although there is probably a place in Heraklion where I could buy something? I wouldn’t mind a trip there anyway.’

‘Any excuse for a shopping spree,’ says Michael, with a smile. ‘But, of course, I’m sure we could manage that, my love.’ He kisses her on the cheek and she smiles. ‘Me, on the other hand, I have a suit packed for such an occasion, as you never know when an opportunity might present itself.’

‘Why does that not surprise me?’

Lars has made the most wonderful moussaka this evening, served with a crunchy Greek salad, and we dine outside beneath the ancient olive tree that is threaded with lights. Just after eight, Judith and Lars nip inside for some blankets that they offer around, before lighting a fire pit. It’s warm and cosy, and after toasting some marshmallows, talk turns to beaches in the surrounding areas.

‘I would definitely like to go back to Star Beach,’ says Hannah. ‘That water looked very inviting,’ she continues, finishing her drink. ‘I do enjoy sea swimming but the beaches back home are a bit of a drive away. And very cold.’

‘Of course! Hannah is a bit of a champion swimmer.’ I tell the others how she used to swim for her county.

‘That’s wonderful,’ says Judith, asking Hannah all about her swimming and she modestly tells them her story.

‘Anyway, that water wasn’t as warm as it looked, let me tell you,’ I say to Hannah. ‘Which was surprising, given the hot sun.’

‘You went swimming?’

‘Yes, with my new friend.’ I dive into a slice of juicy melon, wondering if I ought to fetch the ouzo and the shot glasses, as the conversation is flowing and the evening is turning out to be very relaxed and enjoyable. Then again, maybe not. We have work to do tomorrow and I’m pretty sure I would only regret it in the morning.

‘Oh, was that the guy you went out with the other evening?’ asks Judith.

‘Yes, it was.’

‘I meant to ask you, what’s his name? There aren’t that many houses here in the village, so I probably know him, or his mother at least,’ she says.

‘Oh, it’s Artemis,’ I tell her and she draws back, visibly surprised.

‘Do you know him?’ I ask and she quickly recovers her smile.

‘As a matter of fact, I do, yes. He is the son of my friend Yolanda.’

‘He did say he grew up here, but I didn’t realise you would be so close with his mother! He seems like a nice guy and it’s good to make some new friends, but I’m certainly not looking for romance,’ I tell her, and she smiles but says nothing.

‘Right, that’s me. I think it’s time I got to bed,’ says Hannah. ‘I have one more chapter of my book left and I’m dying to find out what happens.’

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