Page 74 of Hot Greek Summer

Twisting the other way, she looked towards Gav, who did as she did, looking away over his shoulder. She took the time to notice that he’d definitely been taking better care of himself lately; his once ever-present beer paunch had all but disappeared, and while he’d probably never have a sixpack, he was easily the leanest and healthiest she’d ever seen him. She’d expected him to huff and puff his way through their session, but he didn’t. He was far from an expert, but he’d made a decent fist of copying her moves and followed her quiet breathing instructions.

As they lay on their backs for the cool-down at the end, Frankie’s hands moved absently in the sand, letting the grains fall softly through her fingers. Behind her, Seth Manson opened one eye a fraction to look surreptitiously over at Gavin, noting that he still wore his wedding ring. Gav did the same, but his eyes were drawn instead to Frankie’s left hand, to the lack of her wedding ring, indisputable evidence of the fact that she’d obviously found moving on easier than he had. Not that that wasn’t painfully obvious anyway; she lived here now in this glamorous world of sunshine and rock stars. He’d never have been able to offer her a life like this. He was a regular bloke with a regular job and he’d always been content with his lot. Or, more accurately, he hadn’t, he just hadn’t known what the hell to do about it; it had taken Frankie walking out to force their hands. He didn’t blame her. Their marriage had been mothballed for years, so full of dust and holes it had disintegrated into a pile of solicitor’s letters, packing boxes and empty hallways.

For Gav, there had been no future filled with sand, sea and sunshine. There had been only quiet rooms, dinners for one, and occasional pints down the local with his workmate Steve, who had tried to introduce him to online dating a couple of months back with hopeless results. Gav had found himself having dinner in a place he used to take Frankie and the kids on birthdays and holidays, except this time he’d been accompanied by a redhead who kept calling him Kev and had a full sleeve tattoo when she took her cardigan off. Rock bottom had turned out to be a miserable, lonely place, and while there he’d looked around and found there was a Frankie-shaped doorway that he wanted to find the key to again.

He knew it had been a risk coming here. He wasn’t fool enough to think that she’d be pleased to see him, but he’d caught the plane anyway, because he had something for Frankie that couldn’t be mailed or sent directly.

Rolling his towel up because the others were, he nodded a quick thank you in the direction of the most beautiful woman in the world as Seth abandoned his towel and started off for his morning run along the beach. Did the man never stop exercising? Gav had joined the local slimming club back home, and much as he’d dreaded going in he’d found himself surrounded by a fun bunch of women who’d encouraged him and become his friends. They’d even roped him into going to the gym after group, but it was nothing on the way Seth Manson’s body was obviously his temple.

‘Gav?’

Her voice stilled him.

‘Frank?’

He turned as she caught up with him, more pixie-like than ever in her gym kit with her hair kept from her face by a red band.

‘I wondered if you fancied lunch later, if you’re free?’ she said. ‘We could walk over to Panos’s bar.’

It was more than he’d hoped for, but there was no softening smile on Frankie’s face or sparkle in her eye to turn her suggestion into an invitation. It sounded like more of a summons to the gallows.

‘I was kind of planning to go for a hike along the coastline today,’ he said. ‘Would you have any objection to making it dinner instead?’

She looked mildly surprised, as well she might. He’d never hiked in his life back home, but things were different here. He was a couple of stone lighter for one, and that view deserved to be looked at.

‘Dinner it is, then,’ she said, and he nodded and walked away, schooling himself to not look back until he reached the stairs and took them at a jog.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

At eleven o’clock sharp on Saturday morning, Winnie, Stella and Frankie met in the cellar to make up their first full batch of gin.

‘Let’s do it ten at a time to keep things in order,’ Winnie said, lining up ten bottles of base spirit on the bench and unscrewing the caps.

Stella lifted the scales out on the surface and wiped them clean. ‘Cinema tonight then, Win?’

Winnie nodded. ‘Dirty Dancing, would you believe.’

‘Very dirty, if Jesse has anything to do with it, I should think.’

Winnie rolled her eyes. ‘It’s on a public beach. I hardly think it’s going to be X-rated.’

Frankie tipped juniper berries into the scale. ‘Just remember what happened to Mr P in that car at that same cinema,’ she said. ‘Don’t put your hand on his knee, for God’s sake.’

‘Noted.’ Winnie screwed the cap on the jar of juniper berries and reached for the coriander seeds. ‘So how was your dinner with Gav?’

Frankie’s face relaxed into a smile. ‘It was fun, actually.’

Stella looked at her, interested. ‘Gav wasfun? Are you sure we’re talking about the same man?’

‘Don’t be unkind,’ Frankie admonished her softly. ‘He’s a good man, Stell. I know you two never hit it off, but he’s a gentle soul really.’

Stella frowned. ‘Gentle? Frank, you’ve got Seth “smokin’ hot” Manson out there making moony eyes at you over the croissants and you’re talking about gentle Gav? Gentle isn’t a good word when it comes to men. Try charismatic. Try alpha. Try sexy.’

Frankie looked up. ‘Yeah. Because that worked out well for you, didn’t it Stell?’ She regretted her sharpness as soon as she saw it register in Stella’s surprised, hurt eyes. Angelo had been the elephant in the room ever since he’d left the villa earlier in the week; Stella point-blank refused to even acknowledge he’d ever existed.

‘We probably shouldn’t have left reception unmanned,’ Stella said, banging the angelica root jar down on the bench. ‘I’ll go and watch it. You two can manage this between you I’m sure.’

‘Stell–’ Frankie said, reaching a hand out to her friend, but she shook it off and huffed out of the cellar.

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