Page 23 of The Greek Café

‘Bye, Mum, have a great day. And thanks for everything.’

‘Bye, love. Have a lovely day in the sunshine tomorrow. It’s raining here.’

The following evening I am sipping a soft drink in the bar area and staring into space. I almost jump out of my seat when I am approached by a man wearing a tight-fitting jumpsuit and a black wig.

‘Kai, it’s you.’ I laugh. ‘Or should I call you Freddie?’

‘I’m on in half an hour. Just getting into character.’ He grins.

‘Ooh, are you Elvis?’ asks an old lady as she walks by with her husband. She looks visibly disappointed when he informs her that he isn’t.

‘That doesn’t bode well,’ says Kai, pulling a face. ‘I’m not sure she had even heard of Freddie Mercury.’

‘It will be fine. The audience is mixed ages,’ I tell him, glancing around. ‘And everyone loves a bit of Queen,’ I assure him. ‘Although maybe not the lady who thought you were Elvis.’ I chuckle.

‘I hope so. Anyway, back to my question. You looked miles away there; is everything okay?’

‘Just something I am mulling over. I will tell you more tomorrow if you like; it’s my day off.’

‘Half day for me. There’s a new starter taking over at noon. Fancy going into Lindos? There’s a boat from the harbour that leaves every couple of hours.’

‘I would love that.’

‘Right, I’d better go and have a voice warm-up,’ he says before he disappears.

‘You are taking this seriously, aren’t you?’ I giggle. ‘Good luck. I can hardly wait.’

As he swaggers off, I can’t think of anyone better to be up there on the stage, getting the crowd up dancing.

Summer joins me breathlessly after the kids’ disco, and after grabbing drinks we wait in anticipation for Kai to walk onto the stage.

If I was expecting some kind of comic impression of Freddie Mercury, I was truly mistaken. Kai belts out a well-known song and has the whole crowd mesmerised from the off. His voice is so good, I wonder why he is still working as a lifeguard. By the end of his performance we are all on our feet following his rendition of ‘We Will Rock You’ that has everyone clapping their hands above their head and stamping their feet. He is sensational.

‘You never said you were an actual singer,’ I tell him open-mouthed when his set is over. ‘You were absolutely brilliant.’

‘I took a few singing lessons a couple of years ago.’ He shrugs as he enjoys a well-earned drink. ‘I thought it might come in handy. I have actually done a few paid pub gigs back home.’

‘Of course you have,’ I say, thinking of all the previous jobs he has mentioned. ‘Is there anything you haven’t done?’

‘Not much.’

‘Amazing set, well done,’ says Zeta as she passes our table and lets her hand linger on Kai’s arm.

‘Do you reckon she fancies me?’ he asks with a cheeky grin as she heads off.

‘Get over yourself.’ I roll my eyes. ‘She is just a tactile person.’

‘Maybe. She is a seriously good-looking woman though.’ He winks as he takes a sip of his pint.

We enjoy the rest of the evening, swapping stories about our day and listening to some music at the disco. By the time we all walk to our accommodation, I head to bed feeling good. I am also looking forward to having a full day off tomorrow and exploring Lindos with Kai, thoughts of the café still turning over in my mind.

FIFTEEN

The next morning, I meet Kai in reception, and we walk together downhill to the harbour. He is dressed in navy shorts and a white T-shirt beneath an unbuttoned blue cotton shirt. Designer sunglasses on, and immaculately styled sun-streaked hair, he looks as if he has come straight from a modelling shoot. Even so, I kind of wish it was Takis I was heading out with this morning.

It is almost noon, and we chat easily as we walk beneath a cloudless blue sky.

‘You not wearing a hat?’ I ask. ‘You might regret that later.’