Page 57 of All You Need is Greece

‘A walk along the harbour might be nice,’ suggests Marco.

‘It’s so wonderful here, isn’t it?’ I glance at Marco as we walk, our hands entwined.

‘Really lovely. I can understand why you like coming over here.’

I don’t tell him that the main reason for my visit this time was to try and put some space between us.

We have reached the end of the harbour and are glancing out across the water, the sound of distant music coming from a bar.

‘But I must ask you, Marco, what happens now?’

‘That rather depends on you.’ Marco moves closer and kisses my neck, sending thrills through my body.

‘It does?’

‘Hmm.’ He kisses my lips, then my face with feather stokes that send me into a spin.

‘I could drive you home, but maybe I am a little over the limit,’ he says.

‘What did you have in mind?’ I can feel my pulse racing, just standing here next to him, lost in the moment. Maybe any deeper chats can wait.

‘I could leave the car here and drive you back in the morning? My Airbnb is a short walk from here.’

His eyes are fixed on mine as he waits for an answer.

‘Lead the way,’ I tell him as he takes my hands in his and we set off, the street lamps dotted along the road leading the way.

It feels like déjà vu when I message Judith and tell her I will arrive back tomorrow morning, although this time I am able to deliver the message myself.

When Marco leads me to the bedroom of his stylish accommodation, and we slide into bed together, I sink into his arms and feel like I have come home.

THIRTY-ONE

‘Good morning, beautiful.’

Marco kisses me on the top of the head as he places a coffee on the bedside table. I’m still tangled in the expensive cotton sheets, reliving the wonderful time we had together last night. I stretch out my arms and sit up and take a sip of the delicious coffee that really hits the spot.

‘It’s a pity you have to work today,’ he says, sitting on the edge of the bed and sipping his coffee. ‘We could have gone into Malia, maybe have taken a boat trip before they finish for the season and had some lunch. I bet you haven’t had a chance to go there, have you?’

‘Actually, yes, I have. I went with a friend. It wasn’t for a boat trip, though, we just stayed in the town.’

I cross my fingers and ask for forgiveness for avoiding the topic. We didn’t do anything, and Artemis was no more than a friend. I am not sure why I am being so secretive about it, but maybe I don’t want to ruin the mood.

‘What was it like?’ he asks before he heads into the shower.

‘A typical tourist destination, if I’m honest, although the beach was beautiful.’

I recall stretching out on a bed beneath the sun and watching the waves gently roll onto the shore. I try not to think about the evening at the bar, where I knocked back the ouzo.

When Marco is in the bathroom, Judith calls me.

‘Judith, hi. I will be back in half an hour, if that’s okay?’

‘That’s why I’ve called you.’ She surprises me by telling me to take my time, and at least have breakfast. ‘I imagine you have a lot to talk about this morning. I hope everything is okay between you both, but maybe you can’t talk now.’

‘Marco has just stepped into the shower, so I’m okay to talk for a moment. Oh, Judith, we had a lovely evening, I hadn’t realised quite how much I missed him.’

‘It was plain to see,’ she says honestly. ‘I could tell by the way you spoke about him that you still loved him.’

---