Page 58 of All You Need is Greece

I hear the sound of the shower turning off, and thank Judith, telling her I will be back after breakfast.

‘It seems I have been given at least another hour from work,’ I tell Marco as he emerges from the shower, a white towel around his waist. ‘I’ve just been talking to Judith, who tells me there is no rush, and that maybe I want to get breakfast somewhere.’

‘Is that right?’ Marco strides towards the bed. ‘At least an hour, you say?’

‘Marco, I need a shower,’ I say, throwing the covers back, and racing to the bathroom.

‘Mind if I join you?’

‘But you’ve just showered.’

I don’t regret anything about last night, despite Marco not really discussing the real reason he is here. But I want a little thinking time.

‘Who said anything about showering,’ he says, before following me into the bathroom.

‘Please, Marco.’ I gently push him out of the door. ‘I’m taking a leisurely shower. With no distractions.’

THIRTY-TWO

We have stopped at the café not far from the rescue in the forest, eating pancakes and drinking coffee.

‘What will you do with yourself this evening?’ I ask Marco, as I pop a strawberry into my mouth.

It’s the evening of the hen party and I am really looking forward to it. I still haven’t asked Marco why he is really here, but thinking about it, maybe I wanted to confirm my feelings for him, which may or may not be a foolish thing to do. So much for coming here to get over him.

‘I was going to tell you that.’ Marco dives into his pancakes, which are drizzled with honey and berries, and makes appreciative noises. ‘Nicos has invited me to go night fishing with him and Lars. They have invited Michael too, I think his name is, the dancer?’

‘Yes. That’s right.’

‘Nicos and Tania are such a great couple, aren’t they? It was so kind of them to let me stay the night I turned up,’ he tells me.

‘They really are lovely. And only you could come over to a place where you don’t know anyone and you’ve never visited, and be invited to a stag party immediately.’

‘I wouldn’t call it that exactly, going sea fishing. I can’t imagine there will be any visits to lap-dancing clubs, or the groom being tied naked to a lamp post.’ He laughs.

‘It says a lot about the stag nights you have been on.’

I wonder then if he will ever have one of his own. Probably not, if he still feels the same way about marriage.

‘Tania and Nicos are a lovely couple,’ I say, returning to the conversation about them. ‘I quickly became friends with Tania. And she makes the best lemon drizzle cake.’ I almost salivate, just thinking about it.

‘Even nicer than my mother’s?’ He winks. ‘I promise I won’t tell her.’

‘On a par, I would say,’ I tell him diplomatically, although I think Tania’s just had the edge.

I think of Marco senior then, and his wife, Luisa, the loveliest, warmest people who quickly welcomed me into their family when we started dating. I missed them when I split with Marco. I always imagined being in their lives for as long as they lived, as their daughter-in-law. I know Marco’s father was disappointed that Marco and I never got married, but he loved me like a daughter-in-law all the same.

‘So, are you going with them later? I didn’t realise you liked fishing.’ I drain the last of my latte.

‘I don’t particularly, although I have never tried sea fishing. Me and my sister used to go with my grandfather occasionally, sitting on a riverbank with him, but he never usually caught a thing. We went along for the picnic, as he always brought a basket filled with goodies.’ He laughs. ‘I think my parents appreciated him taking me and my sister out from under their feet when they were busy with the restaurant, especially during the school holidays.’

‘Probably,’ I say, glancing at my watch and standing up. ‘Right, I really must get a move on and make up for the time I have missed this morning.’

Marco settles the bill and takes the short drive to the rescue, where he drops me off.

‘Have a lovely evening.’ He kisses me once more before I head inside. ‘I will call you tomorrow.’

‘Thank you. Enjoy your sea fishing trip.’

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