Page 47 of The Greek Café

‘No.’ She shakes her head. ‘At least, I do not think so. He works long hours at an olive oil factory. I see him leave in the morning, and coming home late. Besides, it is not so easy to meet someone new in a small village.’

‘Maybe you ought to speak to him and tell him how you feel,’ I suggest. ‘That you thought you were too young to settle, but that you still love him. You do still love him, don’t you?’

‘Yes,’ she says, tears prickling her eyes. ‘But as I say, he barely looks at me now. I think it is too late.’

‘Maybe it is difficult for him seeing you around if he still has feelings for you too.’

‘You think so?’

‘I can’t be sure, of course, but it is possible, but you will only find out if you talk to him.’ I place my hand over hers. ‘And at least you will know if he has truly moved on. Then maybe you can too.’

‘Perhaps you are right. Thank you, Erin, I am pleased I ran into you today.’ She smiles warmly. ‘My mother thinks I am a fool, she always liked Nicos, so I don’t talk about such things with her,’ she confides. ‘Everyone likes Nicos. It is true you do not realise what you have until it’s gone.’

‘I hope everything works out.’

We chat for a while, before we leave, and Phoebe drops me off at the hotel in her car.

‘Enjoy your lie-in tomorrow,’ I say as we depart.

‘I will. I am going to enjoy a day in the garden reading my book.’

‘Sounds perfect.’

Inside, I can’t help thinking of how many relationships fail due to a lack of communication. Maybe if my ex would have told me he wasn’t ready to settle, I would not have invested so much time in him. Still, life teaches us lessons. It is better to learn from them rather than dwell on what might have been. And being here, I feel like the last little piece of my hurting heart has finally healed.

TWENTY-FOUR

My morning swim invigorates me as the cool water awakens all my senses. It’s a far cry from the occasional river swim I did back home, the crystal-clear water here contrasting with the indeterminate sludge colour of the river. Not to mention the worry of what might be lurking beneath the water. I recall a day I screamed in terror, when I mistook some plant life wrapping itself around my leg for some kind of river monster. There were no more wild swims after that.

I flip onto my back and float in the water, admiring the backdrop of pine forests and pastel-coloured villas high in the hills. I daydream of spending my days at the café, serving drinks and chatting to customers asking them about their walking routes. In the summer months, I can take a swim at the end of the day, the evenings balmy and long, the beaches still filled with people soaking up the last of the day’s sunshine before heading home. Maybe now and then I will treat myself to dinner at the hotel in the evening.

I try not to think too much about the winter months. I have always loved the varying seasons, happily embraced nature and enjoying the changing landscape, which will be more noticeable in a forest setting. Even in the winter months, I am sure it will be a little warmer than back home.

Takis is nowhere to be seen this morning, and when I head into reception, there is no sign of him there either. Perhaps he has a day off. I guess everyone needs a day of rest.

I enjoy my day but find myself mulling over my chat with Takis. He seemed tense when I mentioned taking a trip to Kato Petres. Maybe I will take a long walk there one day. It isn’t too far from the hotel and the long beach looks stunning.

‘Good morning, Erin. Did you have a good day yesterday?’ asks Zeta as she walks past.

‘I did, thanks. Your nephew provided a first-class service, and the picnic was delicious, thank you.’

‘I am glad you had fun.’ She smiles. ‘Takis is enjoying a last minute day off today. Hopefully he is meeting with his long-suffering girlfriend. She complains that he is so busy she never gets to see him these days.’ She laughs.

‘That’s nice,’ I say, despite a feeling of disappointment that I don’t want to acknowledge. ‘And at least business is good for him.’

‘This is what I tell him,’ agrees Zeta. ‘If he wants to settle down, he must save the money. Anyway, see you later.’

So, he is saving money to settle down. Of course he is; why wouldn’t he be? It’s no surprise that a good-looking guy like Takis would be saving for a future life with his partner. Maybe even a wedding. He never mentioned a girlfriend on the boat yesterday, but then I suppose there was no need to talk of his personal life to a customer. Even so, the news that Takis has a girlfriend has made me feel a little flat.

‘Hi, Erin.’

A large blue dog with floppy ears is walking towards me and waving.

‘Hellooo, who goes there?’

‘It’s me. Summer,’ the dog tells me. ‘I can’t remove the head; there’s a couple of kids over there.’

‘Oh gosh, Summer!’ I burst out laughing. ‘You must be hot in that get-up.’