Page 65 of The Greek Villa

‘Claudia, are you at the villa yet?’

‘I’ve literally just arrived. I’m about to remove the blue plastic from the balcony.’

‘Wait there, I will be over in two minutes. I want to see your face as you see it.’

‘Right, okay sure. I’ll head inside and make a brew,’ I say, gesturing for Phoebe to follow me.

It feels so good now that the gas and electricity are connected. It feels almost like a home; it’s just awaiting some furniture and finishing touches and it really will feel like a second home.

‘Come.’ Phoebe guides me upstairs, and flinging the bedroom door open there is my bed, assembled and waiting, complete with crisp white bedding.

‘You’ve assembled the bed! I was kind of expecting to sleep on a mattress this evening, and then spend the day putting it together tomorrow.’

‘You think I did that?’ She laughs. ‘No, it was Dimitri, he has the muscles.’ She lifts her arm and touches her biceps. ‘But I help with the bedding.’

A few minutes later, Dimitri arrives. Alone.

‘Claudia, hi, how are you?’ He squeezes me in a hug, and despite trying to deny having any attraction towards him, I feel my pulse quicken.

‘I’m fine, thank you, thanks for coming over, and for putting the bed together. I really did not expect you to do that, you have gone above and beyond.’

‘It did not take long.’ He shrugs.

‘Are you not busy at the harbour?’ I ask.

‘I have taken a few tourists out today, but the last trip has finished. I have just returned from taking a friend somewhere.’

So the striking brunette was a friend?

‘It’s good to see you,’ I tell him.

‘You too. And before we reveal your balcony rail, take a look at the garden,’ he says, heading downstairs and out towards the rear of the house.

Phoebe tells me she will finish making the tea, and Dimitri leads me to the back garden. The rendered walls of the house are gleaming as bright as snow in the sunshine. I notice two new pots against the wall. To my surprise, the white wall has a centrepiece of a blue shuttered door at the centre, which, when opened, reveals a mirror.

‘Oh my goodness, who did that? It’s beautiful.’

‘I found it in a reclamation yard, and thought it would look good, so I bought it for you. I think it looks like a real Greek garden now.’

My eyes fall on two pots sitting on the floor against the wall, one a terracotta pot filled with a thriving rosemary plant, the other a coloured heather in shades of mauve and yellow in an amber-coloured glazed pot.

‘And the plants?’

‘A gift from me also. I think the garden looks perfect.’

I can imagine sitting on the bench in the morning sipping coffee and listening to the sound of birdsong.

‘I couldn’t agree more, it looks wonderful! Thank you so much, Dimitri.’

I want to kiss him on the cheek, but something stops me.

The grey concrete stairs leading to the bedroom have been whitewashed, and I follow Dimitri as he leads the way to the top of them. The original rusty handrail has also been spruced up and painted black, much to my delight.

‘Are you ready?’ He can’t seem to keep the smile from his face as he places his hand on the blue tarpaulin sheet.

‘Ready. Although I feel as though we ought to have a bottle of champagne or something.’

‘To smash against your beautiful new balcony?’ He frowns.

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