Twenty-four
En route to Kalami
Andras was watching Tess. She was laying across the front of the boat, body relaxed, face turned up to the sun. Her shoes were still on her feet but there was no phone in her hand and there was definitely less tension in her expression. Why that seemed to please him so much he didn’t really know. Although perhaps, if she was more chilled, enjoyed all the island had to offer, then acting his girlfriend might not feel such a trial. He shook his head as he held the wheel of the boat. What was he doing? Blackmailing someone to play a part for him just to appease his mother? And just why did he always fall back into the trap of trying to live up to his mother’s high Greek expectations?
‘We are almost there,’ he called out to the women.
‘Oh! Already?’ Sonya said, turning her body away from the seascape. ‘And we didn’t see a dolphin.’
Tess sat up, smoothing her hair with a hand. ‘Oh, there’s always tomorrow.’ She was looking directly at him now. ‘Isn’t that right, Andras?’
He smiled back. ‘Maybe not for the whole of the day but after six courses of food tonight and pretending to be in love with me, I think you will have earned another boat trip.’
Tess laughed. ‘I never said I would pretend to be in love with you.’
‘I think this is exactly what we have already agreed.’
He watched her stand, towelling her body down. She did have a body she obviously took care of. Long legs, a waist that curved like an hourglass … He looked back to the sea.
‘Oh no, Andras. You simply said I had to pretend to be your girlfriend.’
He looked back to her then. ‘And there is no love with this?’ He was intrigued now.
‘Of course not,’ she answered. ‘Dating is casual … we talked about casual.’
He remembered. Except how he chose to live his life when it came to relationships was not ordinarily in tune with anyone else.
‘Tess is a somewhat of a serial dater,’ Sonya blurted out.
‘A what?’ Andras asked.
‘Tess likes to date,’ Sonya continued.
‘What Sonya is trying to say is, I’m not like your starry-eyed holidaymakers falling for your heavy accent and your hot lamb shanks.’ She smiled. ‘There’s no danger of me wanting a proposal of marriage before the last plate has been smashed.’
‘Or before the last scallop has been opened,’ Sonya added.
Was it his imagination or had Tess’s stance just altered at her friend’s words?
She smiled quickly. ‘I’m off arthropods at the moment.’ She patted her midriff. ‘A couple of bad experiences.’
Her humour was restored and Andras gave his attention back to their journey across the waves, the afternoon wind making the sea a little choppier than the journey that morning.
‘Tonight I expect there will be lamb shanks,’ Andras stated. ‘Just like you said.’
‘I do like lamb,’ Sonya announced, hands to her hat as the keen breeze whipped the rim.
‘Where is this dinner tonight?’ Tess asked him.
‘At my mother’s house,’ he answered.
‘Which is?’
‘In Kalami.’
‘Near your restaurant?’
He shook his head. ‘No.’ Then he pointed a finger as they rounded the headland and began to sail towards the mountain scene ahead of them. ‘Up there.’
‘Right up there?’ Sonya queried. ‘On the very top of the mountain!’
‘Ne,’ he answered.
‘I hope you’re not expecting us to walk,’ Tess told him.
‘No, of course not.’ He smiled at her. ‘I have a moped.’
‘With some sort of sidecar for me?’ Her hands went to her hips, riled again. ‘Sonya’s coming with us, or had you forgotten?’
‘I think I would prefer the sidecar option,’ Sonya stated. ‘I’ve never been very good at getting my leg over …’ She paused. ‘Over things, you know, like walls and horses and … shopping trolleys.’
‘We won’t be getting on a moped,’ Tess stated firmly. ‘Either of us.’
He smiled then. ‘You are never relaxed, Trix.’
‘Because, funnily enough, my holiday has so far consisted of acting a part for you!’
‘And wine,’ Sonya chipped in. ‘We’ve had quite a lot of wine.’
He smiled again at Tess, slowing the boat further as they started to travel into the bay. ‘You should not worry,’ he said. ‘I have a car.’
Out of the corner of his eye he saw something move and instinctively he ducked. The small missile still caught him on the chest then fell to the decking.
‘No wonder you don’t have a real girlfriend!’ Tess screeched. ‘You’re so annoying.’
He glanced to the floor for a second then concentrated on navigating towards Mathias who was beckoning the boat in from the wooden jetty. ‘And I guess you will not be needing your honeycomb and caramel lipstick anymore.’
‘What?’
‘It was a gift for me, yes?’
‘Oh my,’ Sonya said, stifling a laugh. ‘Is that what you threw at him?’
‘Give it back,’ Tess said, standing up and looking annoyed.
‘Sit down please, I cannot see the dock.’
‘Here,’ Sonya said, handing a plastic tube to Tess. ‘Try my apricot and cream one.’
Folding her arms across her chest, Tess sat back down as the boat gently swayed towards the shore and the solid, if a little rickety, pontoon. Why did he have to be so irritating as well as being the sexiest man she had encountered since the ex-TV-Gladiator who played rugby? Actually, Dougie – had that been his name? – had been a little too preoccupied with his teammates and she had started to question his sexuality after date number four – watching and singing along with every single word of Legally Blonde the Musical. He hadn’t made the whole six weeks.
‘My mother is coming.’
At Andras’s statement Tess immediately felt the need to sit up straight and move her shoulders back. This was crazy. She had nothing to lose here. If Andras’s mother worked out all this was a sham then … so what? Her eyes went to the helm of the boat then and she watched Andras in deep concentration as he prepared to dock. What made someone give up on anything romantic except sex? At least with her dating lifestyle she actually had conversation as well as fun between the sheets. Who did he talk to? Share things with? Grr, she didn’t care!
‘She has my cousin with her,’ Andras added. ‘And my brother’s fiancée.’
‘Ooo, the lucky lady getting married? Is that her? With the long, dark hair all down her back?’ Sonya asked. ‘I always wanted hair that long but my hair just goes to fluff – newborn Easter chick fluff – when it gets too far past my shoulders.’
‘The cousin your mother wants you to marry?’ Tess asked.
‘She does?’ Sonya exclaimed. ‘That’s the reason you’re fake-dating Tess?’
‘Yes,’ Tess answered. ‘I haven’t had a chance to catch you up with that.’ She looked back to Andras. ‘What are their names?’
‘My cousin is Marietta. Spiro’s wife-to-be is Kira.’
‘And your mother’s name?’
‘You have forgotten this?’
‘The way she looked at me last night, I thought I might have to call her Mrs Georgiou … or ma’am.’
‘It is Isadora,’ Andras answered. ‘Yassou, Mathias!’ He moved to grab the rope and with one giant swing, threw it over to his colleague who caught it and began to tie the vessel up.
‘I am so sorry about this,’ Tess whispered to Sonya. ‘I know this wasn’t what you had planned for our trip and it wasn’t what I had planned either and actually, if you want me to put a stop to this farce right now then I will.’ She swallowed, her insides pumping mixed signals.
Sonya smiled. ‘I had the best day today. Swimming in that sea, enjoying lunch and cocktails at Nissaki Beach, Andras telling us all the stories about when the Albanians tried to invade. It really helped to take my mind off …’
Tess saw the emotion invade her friend’s expression and she reached for her hand, slipping their fingers together and uniting them with a squeeze.
Sonya tried again. ‘It helped take my mind off England.’
‘You must come! Come now!’ It was Isadora’s voice, loud and unrelenting. Tess’s attention was taken from her friend.
‘What has happened?’ Andras called, his tone a little anxious.
‘Get off the boat, Andras!’ Isadora yelled, arms flapping.