The tears, when they came, racked her whole body, and Grace gave in to them in a way she hadn’t done since the terrible months following Phil’s death.
ChapterNine
When she woke, her mouth was like sandpaper and her eyes so sore she could barely open them. A glance at her phone and the light pouring through the open shutters told her it was six o’clock on a sunny Saturday evening in Greece. She should be celebrating the fact that her daughter was pregnant, not worrying about how much involvement she’d have with her grandchild. A cold shower should help.
Grace dressed carefully in one of her leopard-print dresses, choosing the pink and grey version to go with the new suede espadrilles she’d bought with Sofia. A little eyeliner and mascara helped to make her eyes look less piggy, and the sun cream she wore anytime she was outside smoothed out her skin a little where it had been patterned by the cushion she’d laid against.
A generous spray of perfume and she was ready to go for a walk in the town and maybe a bite to eat. She’d got used to being on her own most of the time– she’d had to– and going out alone didn’t hold any fear.
In the lobby, she was surprised to bump into Thanassis, who emerged from a room across the hall as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Lessons had finished hours ago, so he must have been doing some planning work. His usual cheery persona seemed to be having a day off too if first impressions were anything to go by; even his navy linen shirt was crumpled.
‘Grace, hello.’
Grace inclined her head.
‘Thanassis.’
‘You are looking very festive. Have you got somewhere nice to go?’
‘Not really, but I need to go out and get some fresh air.’
She wasn’t about to divulge the contents of her phone call to him. She’d made sure none of the staff knew very much about her. If anyone asked her a direct question, she wouldn’t lie, but jumping straight in wasn’t her style. She’d already discovered that most Greeks loved a good gossip, including the men, and while she wasn’t averse to it herself sometimes, she didn’t want to be the subject.
Thanassis sighed heavily.
‘I know what you mean. It’s been a tough day. I need to go out too.’
Grace smiled politely as Thanassis took a step towards her.
‘How would you feel about us going out together? For a drink?’
Her face must have given away her shock as he put up both hands in a gesture of surrender.
‘Just as colleagues, of course. We never have time to talk when we’re teaching.’
Her first instinct was to come up with an excuse, but Grace stopped herself in time. He’d made it clear that it was only a friendly chat, almost a work commitment if you thought of it like that. It wasn’t a hardship to go for an innocent drink with an attractive man. Sofia had begged her to take more chances. And the poor guy really did look like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. As Phil used to say, she’d always been a sucker for a sob story.
‘Yes, why not.’
Thanassis’s blue eyes brightened up considerably, and creased into lines as he smiled.
‘Kataplictiko.’
From her limited, but gradually expanding knowledge of Greek, Grace knew the word meant amazing. She hoped she wouldn’t regret it.
‘I know a place right at the top of the town with fantastic views all round the island. It’s a bit of a walk though, are you up for that?’
Her espadrilles had a wedge heel which Grace deemed solid enough for walking.
‘Sounds fun.’
After twenty minutes of climbing up and away from the town, during which time they’d chatted mainly about the pupils and their progress, Grace was finally sat in a tiny bar with bright blue metal tables and chairs.
The bar itself was inside a ruined stone tower, open to the elements and strewn with strings of fairy lights across the missing roof, jazz playing softly somewhere in the background. It did indeed boast fantastic views on all sides.
The calm turquoise sea was in front of her, but to her right she could see all the way up into the hills, where goats scampered over rocky ground far away. It wasn’t anywhere near dark yet, and there were very few people around. Grace could actually hear the tinkling of the animals’ bells as they followed the goatherd luring them back to base with the promise of food.
It was an incredibly peaceful spot. Her colleague had chosen well, and her initial glass of Mythos, the dry Greek beer she was fast getting a taste for, was almost empty.
