With each memory of him, the seams of my stitched-together heart started straining, some of the threads barely hanging on. And I knew there was no way I could spend even a minute more with Tommy without them coming apart entirely. So how was I supposed to spend an entiredaywith him?
I finally fell into a restless sleep around 3a.m., my eyes popping open a mere four hours later. I got up and made myself a double-shot espresso with a heaping spoonful of sugar, drinking it on the porch of my villa, staring numbly at the view down to the water. I should have been awestruck by how beautiful it was on Aetheria, but I was too fraught to take it in properly.
Coffee drunk, the question of what to wear arose. I went back inside and studied the outfits I’d unpacked when I arrived, settling on a pair of white tailored shorts, an off-the-shoulder Breton top, and espadrilles. Casual, yet cute and perfect for PR photos and footage aboard a sailboat. Nothing atallto do with wanting to look my best for Tommy.
I applied sunscreen and a touch of blush, waterproof mascara, peachy lip gloss, and enough concealer to make me look human, then gathered my hair into a low ponytail. I packed my navy bikini, a sarong, sunscreen, a small makeup bag, and a book into my beach tote and slung it over my shoulder. On the way out the door, I stepped in front of the full-length mirror, slid on my sunglasses, and scrutinised my appearance.
I was aiming for just-a-workday-in-paradise casual and no matter how I felt on the inside, at least I looked the part. Now it was time to face the music. Or, as it were, the man who broke my heart into a thousand pieces.
I waited outside my villa at the designated time and was collected in a golf cart by… you guessed it, Christos. Aphrodite was clearly having a laugh, parading him in front of me again.
‘Kalimera!’ he called out enthusiastically, his teeth even whiter in the morning sunshine.
‘And to you too,’ I replied. I climbed into the back of the golf cart, and we headed further up the hill to collect the other guests for the sailing trip.
‘So, you’re a driver as well as a waiter,’ I asked out of curiosity.
‘We all have multiple roles on Aetheria,’ he replied without elaborating.
If last night was anything to go by, he’s looking to add ‘guest services’ to his duties.
‘Did you sleep well?’ he asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
‘Yes, thank you.’
No one ever wants the real answer to that question. They’re either asking to be polite or they want to tell you howtheyslept. Julian used to do that all the time. ‘How did you sleep, darling?’ he’d ask, and before I had a chance to answer, he’d commence a lengthy monologue, including a recap of his dreams.
If I hadn’t caught him repeatedly sticking his penis into other women, I may have divorced him for that alone. No one wants to hear about another person’s dreams either. And if they say they do, they’re lying.
We pulled up in front of a villa, a mirror image to mine, and an older couple was waiting outside. He was tall, slim, and angular and wore pale-blue board shorts and a short-sleeved button-up shirt covered in flamingos. In contrast, she was round and soft, with a warm, smiling face and a halo of brown curls. She looked fabulous in her salmon-pink silk kaftan, and I took to her instantly.
‘Hello!’ she called out, waving enthusiastically as if we were a mile away.
‘Hello!’ I replied just as cheerily.
She climbed into the cart next to me and her husband sat next to Christos.
‘I’m Trudy and that’s my husband, Dale,’ she said as Christos made a U-turn and we headed back down the hill.
‘I’m Ally.’
‘Oh, I love that name. Is it short for Alison?’ she asked.
‘No, just Ally,’ I replied with a smile.
‘Well, I was lumped with Gertrude, which is an awful name. And Trudy’s only marginally better.’
‘I think Trudy suits you,’ I said. ‘It’s cheerful.’
‘Oh, you’re a sweetheart, you are,’ she replied. ‘So, going by your accent, you’re from England?’
‘Yes. A Londoner, born and bred. What about you, where are you from?’
‘We’re Canadian – from Ottawa,’ she replied. ‘I was a teacher – I taught the third grade for thirty-five years – and Dale was in tech. But we’re both retired now.’
‘And how did you end up on Aetheria?’
‘Julian invited us.’
