‘I’m sure my aunt can vouch for me.’ He holds his hands up. ‘It’s just that the price of wood and building materials has increased in price and my supplier I am afraid likes a hefty deposit.’
‘Not a problem.’ I reassure myself that everything will be alright, and, of course, I have come to know Thea well. I tell him I will transfer the money if he gives me his bank details, which he does.
‘I will see you in two weeks. Let me know when you arrive,’ he says. ‘And don’t worry, everything is in good hands.’ As he shakes my hand and heads to the van, I notice Yiannis sitting in the passenger seat, and he waves.
‘Yiannis, I didn’t see you there. How are you?’ I stroll towards the van.
‘I am okay. A little pain in my back, but I am getting older.’ He smiles as Dimitri climbs up beside him into the driver’s seat.
‘You come out of a bakery empty-handed?’ I can’t help remarking to this Greek god, and Dimitri laughs.
‘I like to look after myself, although I do indulge occasionally. No one can resist temptation the whole time.’ He holds my gaze with his dark-brown eyes, and I feel the heat rise in my cheeks.
‘Have a safe journey home,’ he says as he starts up the engine. ‘Actually…’ He hesitates for a moment, before adding, ‘Itdoes not matter, I will be in touch with you soon.’ I can’t help wondering what he was about to say.
Back at the apartment Evie is ready and we set off to head into Sidari. The sky is blue, and it feels like it is shaping up to be a beautiful day.
‘Actually,’ I say, noticing a place that hires quad bikes and mopeds. ‘Do you fancy leaving the car here and hiring a moped? Maybe after Sidari we can take a little ride out somewhere.’
‘I thought you said there would be no sightseeing on this trip?’
‘I said no walking. It might be fun, but not if you don’t fancy it. We can have a pool day if you like?’
‘I’m joking. Hiring quads does sound like fun.’ Evie smiles.
There is a small pool at the apartments, although thinking about it I wonder if maybe I ought to be at the villa, at least trying to have a go at tidying the garden a little and pulling up some weeds. But then again, I don’t want to ruin Evie’s weekend. I will get properly stuck in in a couple of weeks, along with Dimitri and Yiannis, and maybe a couple more workers, who he mentioned he employs on a casual basis. Fingers crossed my employer will let me have the time off. I’m pretty certain no one else has holidays booked, and I can work from here for a few days if I need to.
As neither of us particularly like riding pillion we decide to hire a moped each and are soon scooting along the main road towards Sidari. Driving out of the main street in Roda, we pass a tourist office offering trips into Corfu Town and boat trips across the water. Shops display football shirts of every country on rails outside on the street, alongside vibrant beach towels and floaty summer dresses. It’s still a little quiet as the shop owners slowly open up their stores ready for the summer onslaught of visitors to the island.
We drive on past half-built hotels and buildings with graffitied walls, before the landscape changes to roadside villas painted in various pastel shades with elevated pools looking down across the valley. Gardens are filled with lush green plants, some with palm trees. In the distance, cypress trees can be spotted perched high on hills alongside tiny white churches. When a car driver rounds a bend rather quickly though and almost in the middle of the road, it reminds me to keep my eyes firmly on the road ahead.
Presently, we approach the main strip of Sidari, and slow down as a trickle of early season tourists walk along a road that has no significant path, walking inside a yellow painted line.
Recalling our favourite bar, we park in the car park at the rear of the restaurant that has views over the beach. After being shown to a seat, we order a drink just as Evie receives a message on her phone and smiles.
‘Is that from Nick?’ I ask, sipping a strawberry mocktail through a straw.
‘No, it’s from the girls actually.’ She turns the phone towards me to show a photo of them in a restaurant having Sunday lunch with their grandparents, pulling funny faces for the camera. I’m not sure why I’m so fixated on Evie being content with Nick and staying married. Maybe it’s because my own parents have been married for so long. Or maybe it’s because I can’t stand cheats, and the thought of Evie being tempted fills me with dread.
I push away the memory of the guy who I thought just might have been the one, after discovering he didn’t believe in dating someone exclusively. A fact he failed to mention to me.
We enjoy lunch, a huge Greek salad, and some calamari, drizzled with lemon juice, before taking a stroll along the beach front. It’s busy being the weekend, with local families as well as tourists swimming and enjoying water sports in the lovely weather, warmer than usual I was told by Thea in the bakery.
We sit and watch the world go by for a few minutes, then take a walk along the main strip, passing bars with people sitting outside drinking and chatting. I stop and linger for a moment at my favourite jewellery shop as their selection of silver rings and bracelets displayed outside on a stand catches my eye.
‘Why don’t you treat yourself?’ says Evie as my eye falls on a stunning bracelet with an amethyst stone at its centre, which just happens to be my birthstone. ‘You have just come into an inheritance after all.’
‘I have, haven’t I? You’ve convinced me,’ I say, trying it on for size.
It’s such a reasonable price for silver that when Evie goes to explore the inside of the shop, I purchase one with her birthstone on it too. Perusing lots of shops, selling all the usual touristy souvenirs, but with hidden gems amongst them – I buy a gorgeous olive wood bowl for my new house – we eventually stop for a cold drink at another restaurant that overlooks a section of the beach.
‘Fancy driving back to Acharavi Beach? It’s on the way back to Roda. We could spend a couple of hours there if you like?’ I suggest.
‘It’s a shingle beach though, isn’t it?’ Evie points out. ‘I prefer the beach at Roda, if I’m honest.’
I wonder if that also includes a stroll along the main street to catch a glimpse of Kostas.
‘That’s fine. I just thought it would make a change, that’s all.’
