Not today, Satan.
‘Was that your phone?’ Roxy asks.
‘It’s OK, I’ll check it later.’
‘Check it now! I’ll wait.’ I don’t want to because I’ve got a sneaking suspicion who the message refers to.
I hold in a sigh and open the text:
Lucy has confirmed! She’s so excited to be the guest of honour at the launch. She did have one stipulation, that it be black tie. Love Georgios
‘Don’t leave me in suspense! Who is it?’
Begrudgingly, I hand Roxy the phone. Once she’s read the message she lets out an ear-piercing shriek. ‘Fabulous! Santorini is going to beinundatedwith people wanting to meet her. This is a marketing dream.’
I try to arrange my face into a smile but it’s inexplicably frozen up and feels like more of a grimace. ‘It’s. Super. But … isn’t she abitof a prima donna, asking for black tie. I mean …’ Who is Lucy to start making rules?
‘Yes, she’s exactly that and rightly so! I’d be a prima donna if I were her too. Black tie is a great idea. Much better for publicity photos. Actually.’ She types another note into her phone. ‘We need to hire a photographer. We can later share publicity pics online and possibly even sell to some gossip mags, but we’ll need someone of note to take snaps.’
‘That would be great but sadly there’s no money for such a thing, Roxy.’
She holds up a finger. ‘It’s OK, leave it with me. I’ll see if I can find someone to do it in exchange for the scoop and a cut of the profit if we manage to sell to a celebrity gossip site, or whatever.’
‘Good plan.’
We go back and forth and make a note of what else needs to be done and who Roxy will contact in the media. It’s sweet to see her in her element, buzzing with ideas and reignited with her passion for PR and marketing.
‘Wait a minute.’ Roxy suddenly stops dead. ‘He saidLove Georgiosin his text.Love?That’s a bit much for a platonic friendship. What’s going on there?’ She folds her arms and gives me one of those fess-up stares.
I blush to the roots of my hair. The whole Georgios thing has never come up in conversation with us. I prefer to keep my love life private and my fake love life even more so, since then there’s less chance our devious plan will be found out. Especially considering all of the family connections on the island. But how to explain this?
‘Don’t tell me you’ve foundthe onein a bookshop! I knew it – didn’t I say it would happen? My theory proved correct! I guess I need to commit to spending a greater chunk of time here if I want to be shot through the heart by Cupid’s arrow next.’
Do I break it to her that it’s not real? I can’t be that person who thwarts another’s ideals! ‘Shot through the heart sounds needlessly vicious.’
She lifts a shoulder. It’s a metaphoric arrow. And don’t try and weasel out of telling me the full story. Are you and Georgios a couple?’
‘Umm, it’s early days.’
‘Early days and he signed off:Love Georgios! Who is this Greek god? Tell me everything.’
Yikes, her excitement is palpable. I debate with what to say, just how far down the rabbit hole I’m prepared to go. All this lying isintense.
While I’m still grappling with how to answer, Roxy peppers me with questions. ‘Have you kissed? Is he the best kisser you’ve ever had?’
‘Well …’
She gasps. ‘Sex?’
‘No, thank you.’ Golly that escalated fast.
‘No.’ She cackles like a witch. ‘Oh my God, Evie! I meant, have you andGeorgioshad sex already?’
‘Ooh, right.’ I need to answer or she’s going to continue showering me with questions, but inside my gut twists at my duplicity. ‘We’ve kissed. And as far as kissing goes, he’s gold-medal standard.’ I stop for a moment, remembering the jump-hug debacle. But yes, the kiss was sweet and saucy. I’d felt possessed, as if someone else was in control of my body but I can’t tell Roxy that. She’ll think I’m insane. ‘And as for sex. It’s far too early for all of that.’
‘Is it though?’
‘Much too early.’ I’m not going to explain my dating rules, but let’s just say there’s a lengthy wait for that sort of commitment. Hence the lack of any of the between-the-sheets sort of shenanigans lately. It appears most men work to a much quicker timeline. If they don’t want to wait that’s fine, but I’ll know they are not the right person for me.
