Page 81 of Not My Greek Wedding

The evening entertainment is slick and professional, the fire-eaters and acrobats drawing an amazing response from the assembled guests.

As the evening wears on though, I don’t feel quite the level of excitement I usually do at such events. Everything seems to be about appearances, and who has the biggest following, and I get the feeling there is a definite pecking order. Especially when I notice a particularly well-known YouTuber hardly mix with anyone, apart from the owners of the club.

Almost everyone around me has their phones out recording, which, as this is a freebie, I ought to be doing the same in order to do a review. I pan my phone around the room, and take the obligatory photos of the cocktails and food, having already snapped one or two of the entertainment, but not nearly as many I would normally.

‘You okay?’ asks Lulu later as we head out into the night in search of a taxi.

‘Yes, fine,’ I tell her. ‘It’s just, oh I don’t know, I wasn’t really feeling it tonight, exciting as it was,’ I tell her truthfully.

‘I had a lovely time though, I am so happy you invited me,’ she says.

‘Oh, don’t get me wrong, I have massively enjoyed spending the evening with you,’ I tell her. ‘I was referring to the social media aspect,’ I explain. ‘I enjoyed just being at an event and wished I didn’t need to think about reviewing it later. You know how I love spending time with you,’ I say as we approach a vacant taxi.

‘I know that.’ She smiles. ‘And I wonder if things have lost their appeal slightly, now that you are off to Santorini again shortly.’

‘Who knows?’

‘I am so excited for you, Mia, no one deserves this more than you,’ she tells me. ‘I wish I could come over again and hear you sing, but I guess there is always next year.’

‘You think they will offer me more work next year?’

‘They would be mad not to.’

‘Thanks, Lulu.’ I know that Lulu has always been one of my biggest supporters when it comes to my singing.

As we make our way home, I think about Lulu’s comment about my lack of excitement over my social media. Surely posting content of my singing in Santorini would send my followers wild, maybe even increase my followers by tenfold. The thought of it should be sending me wild with excitement, yet it doesn’t.

I think back to the laid-back attitude of Andreas, who despite being part of a rich family enjoys his beachcombing, and creating beautiful things. He lives in the moment, and barely glances at his phone.

‘Maybe fame and fortune isn’t everything after all,’ I mutter.

‘What was that?’ asks Lulu.

‘Oh, nothing really. Just thinking out loud,’ I say as we drive on.

THIRTY-FOUR

Andreas greets me at the airport with a lingering kiss that confirms how much I have missed him. He looks so handsome and smells so good, I could stand here in his embrace forever.

‘So are you excited?’ he asks as he loads my suitcase into his car.

‘I am. Nervous and excited,’ I tell him as we climb into the car and make our way to Oia. It’s late morning and I stifle a yawn after an early morning flight.

‘I imagine you will be busy later, so I was wondering if I might show you something now,’ Andreas says. ‘If you are not too tired that is.’ He smiles. ‘And breakfast is on me.’

‘Then how can I refuse?’

We make our way along a familiar road, and it feels so good to be back here, beneath a blue sky.

Presently, we pull up at the beach, with the beach shack and other shops we had visited previously.

As we stand outside the once abandoned building at the end of the row, a slow smile spreads across my face.

A sign above the door has the words ‘Nature’s Treasures’ written on it and Andreas takes a key from his pocket, and lets us inside.

‘Oh wow, it looks beautiful,’ I say, glancing around at the transformed space. The walls have been painted white, with driftwood shelves displaying his work.

A wooden island in the middle of the space has some bowls and trinket boxes displayed on a long silk turquoise drape.

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