Sixty
‘This place is so buzzy!’ Tess remarked over the street sounds of mopeds, traffic and a red-and-white uniformed brass band playing under the ornate bandstand. ‘But nothing like London.’ She looked across at Andras. ‘I meant that in a good way.’
‘What is London like?’ Andras asked her.
‘Hectic and stressful, but eclectic … and wonderful all at the same time.’
‘You have lived there a long time?’
‘No, well, since Adam.’ She swallowed. She’d said his name again and it seemed that now she had started saying it here in Greece, each mention hurt just a little bit less. She cleared her throat as they carried on walking up the esplanade. ‘I come from a small village.’
‘Like Kalami?’ Andras inquired.
‘It isn’t quite as lovely as Kalami,’ she admitted. ‘And it has more cows than goats and tortoises.’
Andras stopped walking and took a deep breath. Tess turned her head then, and saw the sign: Beta Bank.
‘We are here,’ he stated. ‘We will have time to go through the numbers on the computer and then …’
‘Don’t worry,’ Tess urged. She wanted to touch him. Take his hand or put her hand on his shoulder and just connect with him. Let him know she knew how important this was for him. Instead she held steady. ‘Everything is going to be OK. You have a great business and so much potential.’
‘But not enough tomatoes,’ he said, sighing.
‘What?’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ he replied. ‘Come on. We will go in.’ He pushed at the door.
Andras could remember the last time he had felt this nervous. It was meeting up with Elissa at the lawyer’s office to complete the paperwork for their divorce. Her pregnant swell had been obvious then and, as he signed his name to the end of their marriage, it was an extra dart to his heart to know that she was literally starting a brand-new life without him.
The all-marble office was cool and air-conditioned, for which he was grateful, and he led the way to approach the desk.
He spoke in Greek. ‘Andras Georgiou to see—’
‘Good morning, Mr Georgiou, Mr Giantsiorhs will see you now.’
‘What?’ He turned and looked at Tess. Wetting his lips, he turned back to the receptionist. ‘My appointment is not for another half an hour.’
‘What’s happening?’ Tess asked. ‘What is she saying?’
‘Mr Giantsiorhs is running ahead of schedule so he can see you now,’ the receptionist repeated.
‘He can see me now,’ Andras said to Tess.
‘Now?’ Tess exclaimed. ‘Now now?’
He nodded. ‘What do we do?’ He lowered his voice, eyes locking with hers. ‘I haven’t looked, or prepared, or … I have to make this work.’
He felt her take hold of his hand then and that spiral of something he still couldn’t quite explain shot through him. Fear, excitement, nervous tension, all began to whip up a tsunami of emotion. He needed to get his head together.
‘Then we see him now,’ Tess stated calmly.
‘Your work, on the figures, in English. I don’t know how to …’
‘Then I will present them,’ Tess replied. ‘And you will have to translate.’ She nodded like she was completely at ease with this situation. ‘OK?’
Her question was because he was floundering. He needed to keep control, keep the faith. He knew his business. He believed in this business. And that was all he needed to know.
‘OK,’ he answered. ‘I am ready.’
Mr Giantsiorhs looked like he had eaten rather too many knuckles of lamb, but he had a nice smile and a firm handshake that Tess got the benefit of as well as Andras. She was going to treat this just like a meeting at McKenzie Falconer. She was going to build Andras’s brand right in front of Mr Giantsiorhs’ eyes, wow him with the restaurant figures and get an agreement in principal to the loan. This Greek bank manager was just like a client needing direction towards signing on a dotted line, nothing more.
She put the laptop on the table and, instead of sitting in one of the chairs opposite the banker, remained standing.
‘Good morning Mr G—’ Shit, there was no way in hell she was going to pronounce his surname. She smiled and spoke to Andras out of the corner of her mouth. ‘Translate.’
A flurry of Greek ensued until Andras spoke again. ‘He wants to know who you are.’
‘I am Mr Georgiou’s business representative.’ She lowered her voice. ‘It sounds so much better than fake girlfriend, doesn’t it?’ She smiled as she flipped open the laptop lid and moved her fingers over the touchpad.
‘Mr …’ She really needed to stop addressing him by a name she couldn’t say. ‘Sir, we are here to offer you, and your establishment, a fantastic opportunity.’
‘We are?’ Andras queried.
‘We are.’ She nodded, for her own benefit more than anything else in the hope it would instil confidence. ‘Andras, translate please.’ She cleared her throat. ‘We would very much like Beta Bank to be partners in bringing this locally renowned restaurant in Kalami on to the international stage.’
‘Tess …’ Andras stated.
‘Don’t worry,’ she whispered. ‘I do this all the time. We are going to show him, right here, just what you’re going to be doing with the loan, how it’s going to progress your business and increase its profitability tenfold, and how that loan is going to be paid back before the term even finishes.’ Tess waved a hand. ‘Picture the scene.’ She turned the laptop around to face Mr Giantsiorhs and a photograph of Taverna Georgiou flashed up on the screen. ‘This individual, traditional but contemporary restaurant has been drawing locals and holidaymakers to its tables for centuries …’
‘Centuries?’ Andras exclaimed.
‘Aren’t you translating?’
Andras said something in Greek and Tess, on a roll, continued.
‘The souls of Greek warriors speak from its walls and the sides that … aren’t walls … have an unprecedented view of Kalami Bay.’
‘Tess …’ Andras tried again.
‘Mr Georgiou has been running this business for five and a half years and in the last two years he has seen a significant rise in turnover, and this after a rather erratic Greek financial position within Europe.’ She nodded knowingly at Mr Giantsiorhs. ‘We all know all about that, don’t we?’
‘Tess,’ Andras said. ‘I don’t think you need to say all of this.’
She looked at Andras. ‘I’m outlining the business and in a minute I’m going to move on to the plans you have for your events and …’ She turned her attention to Mr Giantsiorhs then, before looking back to Andras. ‘Why aren’t you translating anything I’m saying to him?’
The banker cleared his throat. ‘I actually speak English.’
Suddenly the air conditioning was inadequate to subdue her flaming face. She sank down into the chair, wobbling a little. Why hadn’t Andras stopped her? She swallowed. She hadn’t let him get a word in. This was his business meeting and she had hijacked it – with the best intentions, granted – but she didn’t know Greek business and he needed this loan to keep the restaurant his and keep his mother at arm’s length.
‘I’m sorry,’ Tess said apologetically.
Mr Giantsiorhs waved a hand and reached for the laptop, pulling it across the desk towards him. ‘It is no matter.’
‘Mr Giantsiorhs,’ Andras said. ‘I am looking for a loan of twenty-five thousand euro.’
‘Mmm,’ the banker replied, his fingers jabbing at the keys.
‘The figures are all there,’ Tess said. ‘You’ll find on the sixth PowerPoint slide is quite a convincing flow chart.’ She really did need to shut her mouth now.
‘I have plans to create some additional space – more covers – but first, I would like to try some small events. However, I cannot do that without a little capital for initial outlay and advertising to kick-start things.’
Mr Giantsiorhs was now writing things down on a piece of paper, his other chubby hand reaching out for an ancient-looking calculator. Was he really going to make his decision using something so … analogue? She was nervous on Andras’s behalf.
‘He can afford the loan repayments,’ Tess blurted out. ‘I mean, based on the rate you offer on your website page.’ As she said this she wondered whether the man even knew what a website was. ‘And the taverna itself … wow, it is really something special. You really have to visit it to see the—’
‘View of the bay?’ the banker asked, looking up from his paper. ‘Or to hear the souls of Greek warriors speaking to me from the walls?’
Why had she said that? She blamed Sonya for all her Corfu guidebook talk on the way here.
Mr Giantsiorhs pushed his calculator away and took a deep breath, elongated his rotund frame into the back of his deep leather chair. His body language was saying no. She didn’t want him to say no.
‘Your brother is getting married, no?’
Andras’s heart dropped. This had been his main fear. To come here and use a white lie to get the money he needed had always been a risk on this small island where everyone knew everything about everyone. He knew, if he had been honest and said he needed the money to pay out his business partner then the application would be immediately denied. But now it looked like he had tried to pull the wool over Mr Giantsiorhs’ eyes. And dishonesty, no matter how slight, was not something that would be accepted.
‘Yes,’ he answered. ‘My brother gets married in two days.’
‘And he is leaving Corfu.’
‘Yes.’ He swallowed. ‘He is.’ He could feel the anxiety invading his shoulders. ‘I will be honest—’
‘Mr Giantsiorhs …’ Tess swallowed, having just about managed the pronunciation. ‘The truth is, Andras wants to make a new start with this business when his brother leaves. You know what it is like, growing up with a big, Greek family, there is always someone wanting to do something one way and another wanting to do quite the opposite.’ She smiled. ‘Now, Andras wants the chance to take the taverna in a different direction, not forgetting all the great times his family made there, but forging something new, taking what works really well already and building on that, creating something even better.’
The air seemed to still and Andras surveyed the banker’s expression, hoping to garner some indication of what he was thinking. Tess had stopped him from telling the truth about the loan. It was still prickling his conscience. And this man wasn’t stupid.
‘Your brother does not need money for his share of the business before he leaves the island, no?’
Andras’s chest tightened. How could he possibly lie to a direct question like that? He steeled himself, his lungs expanding in preparation for admitting everything.
‘He does need money to leave the island,’ Tess blurted out. ‘But I’ve covered that.’ She nodded.
‘Tess …’ Andras said.
‘And why would a business advisor do that?’ Mr Giantsiorhs asked. ‘Or, what else did you call yourself? A fake girlfriend?’
Andras wanted to drop his head into his hands now. This was a disaster.
‘I know how this must look to you,’ Tess began softly. ‘I know that I came in here and said some stupid, perhaps a little over-the-top things, but I did that because I am passionate about the taverna and I am passionate about Andras. He is the most solid, dedicated, trustworthy person I’ve ever met. More than that, he’s highly intuitive and understanding, not just of his business but of … life.’ She took a deep breath. ‘He has been putting everything and everyone ahead of his own needs for such a long time, now it’s his turn.’ She stretched forward, pushing the laptop towards Mr Giantsiorhs again. ‘You really need to look at the figures and the projections before you make a decision, and why not come and have dinner at the taverna one evening. Come and see what makes it so special for yourself.’
Andras couldn’t take his eyes off her. All those things she had just said. Was that really how she felt about him? Or was that just for the benefit of the banker? To ensure he got the loan? He swallowed, finding himself really wanting to believe the former.
‘OK,’ Mr Giantsiorhs spoke finally.
‘OK?’ Tess asked. ‘He gets the loan?’
‘No, OK I will print off the figures and I will make my consideration.’
‘You will?’ Andras asked.
‘I will need to put this all into a system and it will need to pass to the head office and … we will see,’ the banker concluded.
‘Thank you,’ Andras said, getting to his feet and extending his hand. ‘Thank you so much.’
‘I’m so happy I could kiss you!’ Tess exclaimed. ‘But I won’t,’ she said quickly. ‘But maybe we should spit.’
Mr Giantsiorhs looked a little wary of Tess’s suggestion and Andras quickly butted in. ‘Thank you so much for your time.’