‘I am surprised. An attractive woman like you.’
Grace waved off his compliment. It was the first time she’d referred to herself as single, rather than widowed. It felt strange, but good.
‘And what about you?’
Thanassis put his head in his hands.
‘Ah, it’s a long and sad story…’
Grace waited. The Greeks she’d met had a tendency to be a trifle dramatic. At first, she’d assumed that shouting and gesticulating meant anger and rows, but she’d come to learn it could just be innocent conversation. What would pass for a disturbance in Oxfordshire was friendly banter here. Grace smiled as her younger daughter’s face flashed into her mind. Flo hated her using the word ‘banter’ and always put her hands over her ears and yelled, ‘Stop it!’ She seemed convinced it was only for the young.
Thanassis had stalled mid-sentence.
‘Come on, you can tell me. What’s said in the bar stays in the bar.’
Why was she putting on a sinister Italian accent?
Thanassis waved the waiter over and ordered more ouzo.
‘My wife and I are… separated. It’s all over between us. There’s no going back.’
‘Oh, I’m so sorry.’
‘It is her decision…’ Thanassis filled up her glass again. ‘And I have come to accept it. So, yes, like you, I am officially single too.’
Grace wasn’t sure you could call it official unless you were divorced, but Thanassis seemed convinced.
‘I have been living at the language school recently. They keep a spare room for me there, in case I have to work late.’
‘That must feel a bit lonely after what you’re used to.’
‘You’re right, Grace. I am lonely. Which is why it is so lovely to be out with you tonight.’
The bedraggled puppy look was growing on her. They were just a couple out for an evening drink in a beautiful setting. He may be a few years younger than her, but age was just a number.
Several drinks later, Grace had lost count exactly how many, she knew all about Thanassis’s parents and brother back in Athens, his university days and his love of teaching. The content of some of the conversation was hard to recall, but she was mesmerised by her companion’s mouth. His lips looked like they’d be soft to kiss. She let Thanassis talk on as she imagined reaching over and putting her mouth to his.
He’d moved even closer so that their shoulders were virtually touching, and the spicy smell coming off his body was aftershave overlaid with a tinge of sweat. Male sweat was something she hadn’t smelt for a while. It wasn’t that she craved it, that would be weird, but it was something that had disappeared out of her life when Phil went.
Thanassis topped up her drink with the large bottle of ouzo that had been left on their table by the waiter, now busy with other customers. Thanassis’s hand was resting on top of her fingers on the table, causing her heart to flutter wildly. She wasn’t so out of touch that she didn’t know when a man wanted her.
Maybe she should just throw caution to the wind, as Sofia advised, and sleep with him. It would be a gentle introduction back into the world of sex. There was no danger of her falling in love with him, but they could definitely have some fun. He had his own room to go back to, and they could make a pact not to let anyone else at the language school know what they’d been up to. Did that make her sound like some calculating floozy? Did she even care what anyone thought? It was her body and her life.
She turned to face Thanassis, their hands still entwined. But before she could think about kissing him, a figure loomed up behind her companion, tall and bulky. Grace recognised that crooked smile immediately. No! Not him, not now.
ChapterTen
‘Hey, Thanassis!’
Grace watched Will embrace her drinking companion in the Greek way, with a half hug and a pat on the back, before turning his attention to her.
‘And… Grace, isn’t it?’
He knew damn well it was. She gave Will what she hoped was a wintry smile.
‘What are you two doing out so late?’
Grace followed his glance down to the table and the empty ouzo bottle. Maybe someone else had joined them and she’d forgotten, which was unlike her.
