‘What are you afraid of? Step on it,’ Katerina screeched for the hundredth time that day.

Jimmy gave her a furrowed look and was tempted to swap seats with her, but it was impossible to do that on the highway. ‘Katerina, I’m not about to step on it when I don’t have a license, okay? I’d rather take it safe than be stopped by the police,’ he told her.

Ren was oblivious to their conversation and Antonis was listening to his own music on the backseat. Whenever Katerina and Jimmy decided to get behind the wheel, it was always them who controlled the radio stations, and Antonis considered their folk music taste shit, or skata in Greek, to be precise.

It was a bright and humid day. It was only March, but the temperature had decided to surge dramatically since the day Ren had kissed Jimmy.

‘Are you guys all right?’ Ren asked them, putting his face between the two front seats.

Katerina pinched his cheek with enthusiasm. Jimmy kept his eyes on the road.

‘Other than the fact she’s trying to get us killed and fined, yes,’ Jimmy commented.

Ren put his hand on his elbow. ‘But Jimmy, you are the one driving. If anyone is going to get us killed, that’s you.’

Katerina laughed and Ren chuckled.

‘Ha. Ha. Ha. You are so funny. Both of you. Sit back down, because I need to focus,’ Jimmy told him and Ren obeyed his command. ‘What’s the time?’

Katerina checked her watch. ‘Time to change drivers.’

Jimmy found a side of the road to stop the car where it wouldn’t obstruct highway traffic, just before the final turn to the airport, and Katerina and him changed positions. She re-adjusted her seat and came back out on the traffic with twice the confidence Jimmy would ever have behind the wheel.

‘Why did you guys swap?’ Ren asked putting his head back in between the front seats.

‘There are police in the airport,’ Katerina said.

‘Yeah and they’re notorious for stopping drivers for the crappiest of reasons. We don’t need to give them a real one.’

Katerina entered the final long straw of road that led directly to the airport and parked in the official parking space instead of illegally stopping in the front entrance like people often did to avoid the parking fees.

Daisy’s flight was arriving in twenty minutes, and Ren kept checking his phone. They waited outside, and the three of them smoked while Ren kept a small distance, fanning the smoke away.

‘Are you excited?’ Antonis asked.

Ren nodded his head. ‘I love Daisy. I’m over the moon. I can’t wait to introduce her to you guys,’ he said.

‘We can’t wait to meet her,’ Katerina cheered.

They eventually found their way in and discovered the flight had already landed and the passengers were disembarking. Ren gripped the handrails in front of the sliding doors. He had only walked through the same doors a month ago, changing everyone’s lives.

Ren cheered and went around the handrails to hug a woman who was also screeching. People pushed past them and they moved to the side. He let her out of his arms and she faced the group.

‘Daisy, this is Antonis,’ he said and Antonis shook her hand before kissing the back of it.

She was a tiny woman. She was shorter than Ren but had the same chestnut brown hair as her nephew. Her curls competed with his for the wildest. A red headscarf was wrapped around her hair, giving it the semblance of control. Her green eyes were outlined with dark mascara, eyeliner and the subtlest of eye shadows.

‘This is Katerina, Antonis’s girlfriend,’ he pointed next.

Katerina waved at her and shook her hand. She turned to Jimmy, withdrawing her hand to her chest and smirking.

‘And don’t tell me, this young man is Jimmy?’ she said.

Ren confirmed her assumption.

‘Aren’t you a looker! What a gorgeous man,’ she said and passed Jimmy her hand. It was milky pale and freckled. It had seen its time in the sun, that was certain, but other than her frail skin, she looked to be in her mid-thirties.

‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss,’ Jimmy said.

She tutted. ‘Please, hon. I’m not your schoolteacher. Call me Daisy. I’m only a decade older than you guys.’ She turned to Ren. ‘Why didn’t you tell them to call me Daisy?’

‘You can tell them yourself,’ he replied.

She gave him a dirty look and turned back to Jimmy. ‘That boy! You’d think he was ashamed of me, the way he let you call me miss like I’m a granny,’ she chuckled.

Daisy was the personification of everything English. From her accent to her features and her mannerisms, she could not be mistaken for anything but.

Ren took her luggage and dragged it across the lounge and outside, while Daisy took up front and centre.

‘You guys are incredible. Thank you so much for looking after my Renny. Especially you, Jimmy, for finding him another place and standing up to that atrocious landlord of his,’ she said.

Jimmy smiled at her. She had a natural craze Ren didn’t.

‘It was our pleasure,’ Jimmy responded.

She fanned herself with her hand. ‘Oh, dear, that accent.’

Jimmy apologized.

‘Don’t be silly, dear. It’s sexy. Isn’t it, Ren?’

Ren opened his eyes wide and stared Daisy down. When she ignored him, he shook his head and put her suitcase in the boot.

‘What’s the address of the hotel, Daisy?’ Katerina asked when she’d repositioned on the seat.

Daisy entered the passenger seat and looked through her bag. ‘One second, hon. Let me find it.’

Katerina put the car in motion and set off back into the city. Daisy found her notebook and gave the address to Katerina.

‘Do you know where that is?’

Katerina read it and laughed. ‘That’s next to Dimitri’s work.’

Jimmy took the note from her and read the address. ‘That’s right opposite my workplace. What are the chances?’

‘That’s wonderful. Well, it was the most decent one I could find, plus they don’t serve English breakfast, which is a plus,’ Daisy said.

‘Why is that a good thing? Don’t you like English breakfast?’ Antonis asked her.

Ren, who was squashed next to him, answered for her. ‘Daisy’s travelled all around the world and usually spends most of her time out of the country than in. She’s grown fond of intercontinental cuisine. Ask any other Brit to give up their sausage and eggs in the morning and they will kill you with their stare. Also, she’s vegetarian,’ he said.

‘Right. You’re more than welcome to try breakfast at my place for the duration of your stay if you want. We’ve got all the traditional stuff you have to try before going back.’

Her eyes met Jimmy’s through the rear-view mirror. ‘I most certainly will.’

They were back in the city within the hour, and circled around the centre, trying to find parking space around the hotel. In the end, Katerina gave up and dropped them off in front of the hotel before leaving with Antonis back for their house, promising to join them later.

Daisy checked in, and Ren and Jimmy went to Todaylicious for a coffee while she settled in.

‘How have you been? I feel like I haven’t seen you in weeks?’ Ren asked Jimmy.

Jimmy looked away from him. It was true. He hadn’t exactly avoided Ren, but it had worked that way. He had skipped a couple of the lessons, and other than two classes they shared, all their other classes were different.

‘Been busy. Professor’s decided to go on holiday so I’ve had to pick up some extra shifts. Sorry,’ he said.

Ren shrugged. ‘What are you apologizing for? I was just a bit worried. I’m sorry about the other night. I was a bit too drunk, I think.’

Jimmy looked at the counter. His colleague acknowledged him with a shake of the head and he turned to Ren. ‘No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.’

‘I have been.’

‘Why?’ Jimmy asked.

Ren opened his mouth to respond.

‘I’m back!’ Daisy exclaimed as she entered the shop. She was wearing a hat and sunglasses and ready to explore the boiling city. She and Ren had a slice of pizza and a beer while Jimmy indulged in a tyropita and a frappé and left wondering what Ren had been meaning to say.

‘What do you do, Daisy? How come you travel so much?’

‘I am a fashion designer. I do mainly men’s fashion and travel for materials, inspiration, and new deals.’

‘She’s a self-made brand, as well. She doesn’t have minions to do the job for her. She does everything on her own,’ Ren cut in.

Daisy nodded. ‘Which is why I’m not a millionaire, or anywhere close. But I love it. Wouldn’t change it for the world.’

Jimmy asked her if she minded him lighting a cigarette and she took hers out of her bag. They both smoked while Ren moved his chair away from both of them. ‘Why men’s fashion, if you don’t mind me asking?’

She huffed and rolled her eyes. ‘Darling, have you ever met women?’ she started doing high-pitched voices that made some of the customers look her way. ‘I’m too skinny. I’m too fat. I won’t eat until I’m all bones. I’m doing the water diet. I look horrid in that. I look horrid in everything. You look horrid in everything. Why would you ever be confident with your weight? Why don’t you go kill yourself, fatty! It’s a never-ending commentary.’ She breathed out smoke and Jimmy pursed his lips.

‘That does sound horrible,’ Jimmy admitted. ‘Well, Daisy, it was lovely to meet you. I have to get to work now. And I think Ren wanted to show you around.’

Ren smiled at her. Daisy stood up and kissed Jimmy on the cheek. ‘Oh, darling, it was a pleasure to meet you too. And thank you so much for being a friend to my Renny. You have no idea how much it means to me.’

Jimmy looked from her to Ren and back to her. It meant a lot to him too, he wanted to say to her, but he didn’t dare.