‘Okay, yes, of course. I’d love to. So kind of you.’ Lily hugged Carole back. ‘Thank you so much.’
She could see Matt over Carole’s shoulder, looking his usual tall, dark, handsome self, but a lot more uncomfortable than he usually did.
Sixteen
Matt
‘Penny for them?’ Carole gave Matt an almighty nudge and – totally unprepared for it – he almost staggered. She’d be excellent in a boxing ring. ‘You’re glowering into the distance like some kind of nineteenth-century brooding hero. What’s up?’
‘Nothing’s up.’ Matt tried really hard to drop any glower and smile instead.
‘Now you look like you’re in pain.’
‘Just still a bit hungover from last night,’ he said. How was Lily reacting to Carole pointing out that he looked seriously miserable? Was she feeling equally low? And whywashe so down actually? It was one more evening in Lily’s company, and they weren’t going to be alone, so there’d be no more one-on-one chat to remind him how sad it was that they wouldn’t ever be together. And then tomorrow morning they should all be able to get themselves on either ferries or flights to Athens. So it was just a delay of one night, and then that would be that. He could go back to his Lily-less life, which heliked, and forget about her, with closure this time. She was absolutely right: they weren’t right for each other. He felt his brows draw into a frown again.
‘Youdolook like a brooding hero.’ Felix waggled his eyebrows and pursed his lips in Matt’s direction, which did genuinely make Matt smile. A bit. Hard to smile alotwith Lily standing there staring out to sea like the completely featureless horizon wasthemost interesting sight ever.
‘Cheer up.’ Carole nudged Matt again.
‘Leave him alone,’ Norm said. ‘He’s probably just irritated that you’re nagging him. I know how he feels.’
‘Do youmind?’ Carole turned a glower of her own on Norm.
Lily still had her face – the part visible beneath her sunglasses expressionless – firmly turned in the direction of the horizon.
‘Come on.’ Norm picked up two of the cases that were scattered at their feet and set off towards Carole’s jeep.
When they had all the cases in the back of the jeep, Norm and Lily squished in together on the long front seat next to Carole, and Matt, Felix and Alfredo got in the back.
‘This likely to be a nightmare for you, Matt?’ Alfredo asked. ‘Workwise?’
‘No, all good,’ Matt said. ‘I have a flight out of Athens tomorrow evening anyway, with a flexible ticket, and I’m lucky enough to be my own boss, so the only demanding people I have to deal with are my clients, plus there’s a fair amount I can do remotely, so even if I have to stay a day or two longer, it’ll be fine.’
‘Oh, okay.’ Alfredo’s voice was inflected like he was surprised. Oh, right. That would be the whole glowering thing Carole had accused Matt of. That he probably had been doing, if he was honest.
‘If I was looking a little unenthusiastic back there,’ Matt said, ‘it was just the hangover thing. Still a bit dehydrated from last night.’
‘You really are a lightweight.’ Felix shook his head. ‘We were there for hours longer than you, and we’re fine. I’m going to boast here. We’re hardcore. A group of us were dancing until the sun came up. Your friend Aaliyah was there the whole time, Lily. With a sprained ankle, as well, likenothingwas stopping her.’
‘Oh yes,’ Lily said. ‘She was making the most of her last child-free night. She has three kids. I texted her earlier. She loved you guys.’
‘Well, who wouldn’t?’ Felix said. ‘We loved her too. You should have stayed too, Lily.’
‘I know I should have done.’ Lily half-turned, so that she was facing towards Felix and Alfredo, with her back to Matt. ‘Sounded like so much fun.’ Matt was pleased she hadn’t stayed dancing with the others. It had been depressing but good for him – he was pretty sure – having their conversation. To draw a line under things.
‘So, Lily, how are you fixed workwise over the next couple of days? Were you supposed to be doing any shifts at the hospital or were you going to be doing photo curation?’ Alfredo asked.
‘I’m not working at the hospital until Wednesday. I was going to be doing some curating work but I can work anywhere with good Wi-Fi if I’m not meeting with clients in person, so I’m okay to stay until Monday if necessary.’
‘So I had an ulterior motive in asking that,’ Alfredo said. ‘Can we sneak in some extra curating while we’re here?’
‘Still not getting rid of the feather boa photos,’ Felix said.
Lily and Alfredo both laughed and then Lily said, ‘You know, I totally know what you mean. I do think you should prune your photo collection so that you enjoy what you do have and just, you know, the whole clutter thing; it isn’t good for you. But I do agree that it’s soooo hardparting with certain things. And not just blurry photos of great nights. Like I have this skirt that I used to wear a lot in my big clubbing days and, honestly, there’s no way I could get into it now and even if I could I’d just bewaytoo self-conscious to wear it because it’ssoshort, but I still can’t get rid of it because of the memories.’
‘I’d like to say that that’s why Alfredo still wears clothes he bought fifteen years ago,’ said Felix, ‘but actually I think he just hates shopping.’
Alfredo shook his head. ‘No, I’m just wise. You find a look that suits you, you should stick with it. And I’m doing the environment a favour too.’
