‘So.’ Her eyes were laughing a little and she was doing a small, intimate smile which gave him shivers.
‘I thought we should talk.’ He should maybe have thought this through a bit better before he got going.
‘I think we already talked.’ She put her head to one side. The smile hadn’t gone yet.
‘I think we could stand to talk some more. Well, I could.’ Oh, for God’s sake. What an idiot. He should have just gone straight in with what he wanted to say. And he shouldn’t have done it when they were standing within earshot of Meg, Pythagoras, Felix, Alfredo and Carole.
‘Come on.’ Carole began to march towards the house. ‘Let me show you to your room, Meg and Pythagoras, and then we can reconvene next to the pool, with some drinks.’
Lily went off to her room saying that she’d be down soon, so Matt decided that he’d take the opportunity to change into a shirt, clean his teeth and maybe slap a little bit more aftershave on. Couldn’t hurt. Because tonight he was definitely going to go for it, hopefully have a very big conversation. With the woman he loved.
Oh, God. High stakes.
He and Norm were out at the pool first. Norm had taken up station by the enormous stone barbecue next to the pool house, so Matt joined him there.
‘Carole’s decided I’m barbecuing, so here I am. To be honest, it’s a good place to be because she’ll be too busy talking to – or I should sayat– all our – or I should sayher– guests, to bother coming over here, so I’ll get some peace for once.’ Norm gave the coals a vicious poke with the barbecue fork.
‘Ha,’ said Matt. He was pretty sure that Norm wasn’t joking, but he wasn’t keen to get involved in his aunt and uncle’s marital spats. Lily popped into his head – well, not exactly; it was more like she’d taken up permanent residence there since he’d arrived in Greece – and he felt guilty. If someone wanted to talk, she’d always listen. ‘You okay, Norm?’
‘I’m not actually.’ Norm forked the coals around a bit more. ‘Fed up.’
‘I’m very sorry.’
‘I think I need a break.’
‘Um, what kind of a break?’ Out of the corner of his eye, Matt saw Lily arrive. She’d changed into a long, loose, yellow sundress and she looked gorgeous.
‘Just a break.’ Norm put his fork down and picked up some tongs and started moving coals around with those instead. ‘On my own. With no nagging.’ He looked like hemeantit. Like, maybe things really weren’t good between him and Carole.
‘What about a holiday? On your own? Things often feel better after a few days away. You’d be very welcome to stay with me in London?’ God. Matt was already imagining having Norm stay in his spare room and his mind was boggling.
‘I might take you up on that.’
‘Great.’
Carole shouted, ‘Norm!’ and made an exaggerated barbecue tonging gesture with her arms.
Norm looked over at her, physically turned his back to her and said, ‘Have you seen the latest cricket score? England all out yet?’
‘They were doing a bit better when I came down. Let me check.’ Matt took his phone out and showed Norm the screen where he had the cricket up, half-watching Lily as he did so. He really wanted to go and speak to her but she was deep in conversation with Meg now, plus it didn’t feel right to abandon Norm to barbecue chef loneliness.
An hour, yes, an entire hour, later, Matt was still with Norm next to the barbecue. Pythagoras and Alfredo had joined them, and they were both great company, but Matt was really running out of time now and he was feeling pretty desperate to go and talk to Lily.
‘Norm, over here,’ called Carole. ‘Time to go and get the puddings from the house. Everyone’s done on the meat.’
Norm pinched his mouth, turned round and went into the pool house kitchen and emerged with more steaks, which he put onto the barbecue.
‘What are you doing?’ Carole yelled.
‘Barbecuing as many steaks as I want.’
Wow. This was the first time Matt had witnessed a steak mutiny.
‘Talk us through any chef’s barbecuing tips,’ Alfredo said to Pythagoras.
Under cover of all the barbecue chat, Matt went over and sat down next to Lily, Meg and Felix.
‘What’s happening with the steaks?’ whispered Lily.
