Page 83 of Not My Greek Wedding

Andreas sent me a good luck message earlier, and said he will call me when he finishes work at the shop.

We kept in touch regularly before I returned, via texts and video calls, and I am deeply happy that he came into my life. He is so funny and kind, I can hardly believe that Christos is his brother.

There has been no talk of Christos thankfully, other than Andreas telling me he is currently in Ibiza and that he is no longer allowed to use the family yacht. It seems he had a party that ended up with someone being drunk and falling overboard.Luckily, they were fine, but the police had been called and their father had been enraged.

I walk to the edge of the water, and gaze out into the far distance as I take a deep breath. Tonight I will make my debut at the club, and I am determined to enjoy every single minute.

‘Did you feel nervous before your first performance?’ I ask Saskia, a bubbly blonde singer when I have returned to the shared house.

‘I did,’ she says. ‘Which is silly really, as I’ve done loads of concerts back home, but Theo’s is a bit posh, isn’t it?’ She laughs. ‘At least that’s what I thought. But believe me, later in the evening, no one is posh after they have had a few cocktails.’ Which puts me at my ease.

‘Really, you will be fine,’ she says kindly. ‘You have the voice of an angel; I heard you practising in your room earlier,’ she lets slip.

‘Thank you. I was trying not to, as Nicos said it’s important to rest my voice, but I don’t know what to do with myself,’ I admit.

‘It’s only natural. But really, once you have done the first performance, you will be just fine.’ She winks.

I have chosen a simple knee-length red dress for this evening’s performance, and a single solitaire necklace, and before I know it, I am striding into the cocktail lounge where Nicos waits at the piano.

When he plays his note, I feel the familiar butterflies in my tummy before I begin my first song. Thankfully, it is received with rapturous support and over the next hour, as the lounge begins to fill with people arriving after dinner, I relax into my set. I even have a little chat with the audience in between songs.

When it’s time to take a break, I find myself in a side room, and almost shaking.

‘I would say you went down a storm,’ says Nicos kindly as he makes himself a coffee from a machine. ‘It seems you are a natural in front of a crowd.’

‘Thank you. I hope so. I really enjoyed it,’ I say, feeling exhilarated.

‘Want one?’ He offers me a coffee, but I decline and have some bottled water instead. I think a coffee would send my already adrenaline-filled body through the roof.

‘And you can relax now,’ he tells me. ‘At this time in the evening, people are in high spirits.’

‘You mean, they will have had so many drinks, it doesn’t matter what I sound like?’ I laugh.

‘Not quite. But perhaps the pressure is off a little in the last hour.’ He grins.

I am just returning from the bathroom, when my phone rings. It’s Andreas.

‘How is it going?’ he asks me.

‘Andreas, hi, really well, I think,’ I tell him. ‘At least the applause has been good, so I think so.’

‘That is wonderful, I knew you would be a hit,’ he tells me kindly.

I can hear chatter in the background and he tells me he is out with friends. I can’t deny a tiny stab of disappointment that he isn’t here this evening for my debut, but he said he was busy today and perhaps he already had plans that he couldn’t get out of.

‘I will see you very soon,’ he tells me. ‘Good luck with the rest of the evening.’

‘Thank you.’

Quickly glancing at my phone before I am due back on stage, I smile at some voice notes from my family, wishing me the best of luck. I dearly wish they could be here to watch me, butknow that maybe isn’t possible right now, especially with Gran’s mobility problems.

Returning to the lounge for the last part of the evening, I notice some of the younger groups have drifted off, maybe in search of a nightclub, but the lounge is busier than ever with couples, and groups of slightly older people sitting around chatting.

As I grab my microphone ready to resume my set, I scan the room. There is no mistaking the bloke at the back of the room, with a phone in front of him, seemingly ready to record me, and a warm feeling washes over me. Andreas lifts his hand and waves.

The evening is coming to a close, when I turn to Nico and ask him if we can change the last song of the evening.

‘Sure.’ He smiles. ‘Especially as it is one of my favourites.’

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