Page 76 of All You Need is Greece

Once more, Hannah is in the background taking photos as the couple cut into the enormous cake. Tania places generous slices onto paper plates that are immediately passed around for the guests to enjoy.

‘This is amazing,’ says Marco, forking a huge piece of cake into his mouth. ‘Maybe you ought to make our wedding cake.’ He turns to me and winks. The cake is loaded with fruit, and so moist it tastes nicer than any wedding cake I have ever tasted.

After a quiet spell, more dancing ensues and the sound of ‘Opa’ can be heard coming from Yolanda and her village friends, and makes me smile when I think of dancing the hokey-cokey at the hen party. Eventually, as the evening draws on, the lively music gives way to some slow songs, as some of the older village residents filter off, crushing Judith and Lars in warm embraces as they leave.

Hannah and Panos head to the dance floor for a slow number, and when Panos circles his arms around Hannah’s waist, I can’t stop myself from smiling.

‘Fancy a dance then?’ Marco asks, already leading me to the floor.

As we dance, he draws me to him and nuzzles my neck before pulling me even closer to him and it feels just wonderful.

Eventually, most of the village have left, and things are cleared away in the marquee, which will be collected by a friend of Nicos’s tomorrow.

Outside, there are several of us sitting around a table on the front porch, grazing on the last of the buffet, and chatting. I comment on Liz’s gorgeous shoes that she tells me she customised herself.

‘Tania persuaded me to go to college and study design and dressmaking, and it is the best thing I have ever done,’ she tells me. ‘It’s actually at the college where my boyfriend teaches art. I met him here, though.’

‘That’s it, I think we need to rename this place Love Island,’ I say and the others laugh.

‘I’ve been dying for a cuppa all day,’ says Judith as she sips some tea, before slipping her shoes off and rubbing her feet. Her carefully pinned-up hair is coming loose a little, so she feels for the tiny clips and lets it all loose. ‘Ooh, that’s better. Gosh, I’ve had such a wonderful time, although I’m wondering whether we ought to have got a photographer to record the day a little more, although I know you took some photos,’ she says, turning to Tania.

‘There was no need,’ says Hannah, waving her phone. ‘I recorded the wedding ceremony on here, and I have been taking photos all day. I have a top of the range phone with a brilliant camera installed. I’ll email all the pictures to you. Call it a little wedding present.’

‘Oh, Hannah, you absolute darling.’ She reaches over and kisses Hannah on the cheek. Hannah gives the widest smile and Panos looks at her in admiration.

Doll and Michael have just returned from the rescue, having changed once more, this time into tops and sweatpants, and report to Judith that everything is okay.

We chat, drink and eat when suddenly Wes asks Judith if she still has a guitar at the rescue.

‘I do. Why do you ask?’

‘I thought you might like me to round off the evening with a song,’ he offers, and Judith looks thrilled.

‘Wes, really? How wonderful.’

‘I’ll go and get my earplugs then,’ teases Liz.

Lars offers to go over and retrieve the guitar, and when he returns, Nicos has lit a fire pit, and pulled some chairs around it in a circle.

‘Do you have any special requests?’ Wes asks Judith, as he tunes up the guitar.

‘I’ll let you choose,’ says Judith, warming her hands in front of the fire as the temperature has cooled a little.

Just then, Liz’s phone begins to ring, and she answers a videocall. A pretty blonde woman appears on the screen and waves.

‘Hi, guys! And Judith and Lars, congratulations!’

‘Chloe! How wonderful to see you.’ Judith and Lars wave at the camera and chat.

‘I must look a right sight now,’ says Judith, laughing. ‘I’ve just taken my hair down; it was beautifully sculpted earlier.’

‘You look just beautiful. And I would have called before, but didn’t know the right time to call with the time difference. We’re in Los Angeles.’

‘Living your best life, I’m happy to see. Thank you so much for the champagne and chocolates once again, it was very thoughtful of you.’

‘Not at all. Thanks for the invite, I’m just sorry we couldn’t make it.’

Her boyfriend Phillipe appears then and wishes Judith and Lars congratulations, before they have a quick catch-up with Tania, Wes and Liz.

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