Page 42 of All You Need is Greece

‘Oh my goodness. What time is it? Where are we?’ I glance around the room, wondering what on earth I have done.

‘You don’t remember? How insulting.’ There is a smile playing around his mouth.

‘No. Not really. Kind of. I remember walking,’ I say, having little recollection of arriving at this place, that is what, a hotel? Apartment?

‘I did warn you about the firewater.’ He laughs, standing up and flicking on a kettle to make coffee.

‘The ouzo. Oh my goodness, never again.’ The thought of it makes me want to throw up. I have a vague recollection of doing just that last night, thankfully having made it to a bathroom. I think of the dog rescue then. Oh my goodness! Judith must be wondering where I have got to.

‘I can’t believe I stayed out overnight.’ I put my head in my hands. ‘What must Judith think of me?’

‘Don’t worry.’ He hands me a coffee once the kettle has boiled. ‘I phoned my mother. She was going to let Judith know what has happened. Your phone was out of battery, so I couldn’t find the number to call Judith directly. We will head back when you feel ready.’

‘Oh… Thanks. We didn’t do anything, did we?’ I ask, although it seems I am fully dressed, my green dress crumpled and my shoes on the floor.

‘No. I am not in the habit of having sex with women who are barely conscious.’ He raises an eyebrow.

I’m completely mortified.

‘Oh, thank goodness for that.’

‘Thank you.’ He laughs.

‘You know what I mean,’ I say, feeling a little more human after a few sips of coffee.

‘Indeed. And it would have been such a shame if you couldn’t have remembered it.’ He grins. ‘I like to think it’s something you would never forget.’

He’s so cheesy I burst out laughing, but then my head hurts.

‘I did think about us taking a taxi back to the rescue, but I didn’t think you were up to the journey. This is my cousin’s place. It was lucky she had a room available.’

I take a shower, then slip out of the small bed and breakfast and wait outside, while Artemis chats to his cousin, embarrassed by the whole experience.

‘You must at least let me pay for the room,’ I offer, but he tells me his cousin wouldn’t let him pay as she has had a very profitable summer.

We walk towards the car park as the sun is still rising in the sky, a soft yellow ball hovering above a church in the distance. The streets are eerily quiet now, the stillness broken only by the sound of a street cleaning machine making its way along the road, clearing up last night’s debris. There is no sign of life, in complete contrast to the neon lights and pumping music of the previous evening. We walk silently to the car before making the journey back to the rescue. As we navigate the mountain roads, I begin to feel a little queasy and curse myself for drinking so much last night and not heeding Artemis’s warning about the ouzo. Especially as there will be work to be done today, and no time for lounging around with a hangover.

It’s just before nine when Artemis drops me off, telling me he will be in touch soon, before he drives up to pay a visit to his mother.

‘I’m so sorry,’ I say in my best apologetic voice to Judith, who is in the kitchen, emptying the dishwasher.

‘Don’t worry about it. You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last, to have indulged a little too much. It was Saturday night, after all.’ She stacks some plates into the cupboard of the large dresser.

‘I know. I got a bit carried away with the party atmosphere. Or should I say the ouzo,’ I confess.

‘I believe Malia has that effect.’ She smiles. ‘Not to worry. At least Artemis had the sense to call his mother and she was able to let me know you would be staying out for the evening. At least I wasn’t worried about you. Well, not too much.’

‘I was fine. At least I think I was.’ I rub my temples. ‘Right, I will just go and change, then I will start work,’ I tell her.

‘No rush,’ she says kindly. ‘And there are some paracetamol in there if you need any.’ She points to a drawer.

‘Thanks, Judith.’

‘Did you have a good night then?’ asks Hannah as we are out walking some of the dogs a while later. I’m feeling better having swallowed down some paracetamol and glugged two bottles of water.

‘I think so. At least the bits I can remember. Oh gosh, never again. It was all going so well until I overindulged in the ouzo. Artemis did try and warn me.’ I sigh. ‘How did your evening go?’ I ask as we arrive at the dog park and let the dogs off the lead.

‘Okay.’ She shrugs. ‘Quiet. I read and then had a long phone chat with my folks back home.’

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