‘Let me take you back to the language school. I will stay there in my room tonight, and I promise I will talk to Maria tomorrow.’
Grace tried to stand, but there was something wrong with her legs. They appeared to belong to someone else.
It was Will who caught her arm as she stumbled on the stone floor.
‘Don’t worry, mate, I can take Grace home.’
Grace looked back and forth between the two of them. The dawn was starting to come up behind the sea, and she needed her bed. She made her decision. As a gay man, Will was hardly likely to try anything on. Grace turned towards him.
‘OK.’
‘OK, what?’
‘Yes, you can take me home.’
‘It will be my pleasure.’
Will’s smirk could have earnt him a slap. She had to remember that he was doing her a favour.
A deep frown appeared on Thanassis’s forehead.
‘Are you sure, Grace? Do you know him well?’
‘Well enough.’ Grace spoke to Thanassis behind her hand in what she hoped was a whisper. ‘And I’m going to be safe with him, aren’t I?’
The frown was replaced by a confused smile.
‘If you say so.Kalinichta…’ Thanassis indicated at the lightening sky, ‘or should I saykalimeraas we now have a brand-new day.’
‘Kalimera!’
Grace raised her hand to wave at him as he ambled off down the hill, which made her lean on the table rather heavily.
Will’s eagle eyes were on her again.
‘I think we should go for a coffee before I take you home. The bars in the port will still be open and it’s on the way anyway.’
‘Yes, oh leader!’
Grace’s salute had Will turning his back. He was laughing at her– she could see his shoulders shaking– but she couldn’t prove it. He held out his arm.
‘Do you think you can manage the steps? There are quite a few of them on the way down.’
‘Of course, what do you think I am? Some sozzled old hag who can’t put one foot in front of the other?’
Will’s raised eyebrow made her want to upgrade that slap to a punch. But she did need to get back to her room, and she had no real idea of where she was. A sense of direction wasn’t a highpoint of her skill set.
She vowed not to speak to him again until they’d got down to the port, hoping that silence would help her concentration. She reluctantly took his arm, which felt solid and surprisingly warm.
They made slow progress on the age-worn stone steps, and after she’d slipped for the third time, Will’s heavy breathing told her that he was more than a little fed up. He let go of her arm and turned to face her.
‘Fasten your seat belt, honey. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.’
Before she could complain about the awful American accent, Grace was hoisted up into a fireman’s lift and over Will’s shoulder.
‘Aaaaah.’
‘Don’t scream. You’ll wake all those people who are having a well-deserved Sunday lie-in.’
