‘I’m not naïve enough to think I’m the only attraction on the island. I’m sure you’ve both met a certain someone called Adonis.’
Sofia put her hands on her hips.
‘Grace! Why are you trying to wind me up the second I’ve got here?’
Maddie winked at Grace.
‘We certainly have noticed Adonis. Sof was desperate to get here. On the previous island she was all twitchy and restless like you wouldn’t believe. She even turned down a perfectly hunky car hire guy with the looks of a Greek god, and you know that’s not like her…’
Sofia slammed her beer down on the table.
‘Oh great, you’re ganging up on me now.’
Grace put her arm round Sofia’s shoulders.
‘We’re just excited that this one’s lasted more than one night. I was here when you met him almost a year ago, remember. And you’ve been back for more quite a few times since, haven’t you?’
‘Back for more sounds sleazy. Look, I keep telling you all that it’s just casual. He’s a nice guy, and we get on well. There’s nothing more to it than that. Why won’t you believe me?’
Sofia wasn’t sure how convincing she sounded. It was almost as if she was trying to convince herself. She couldn’t bear the thought of being in thrall to a man. Look where it had got her mother, years of torment and regret, feeling she’d failed and wasn’t good enough. There was no way she was going to let a man make her feel like that. Keeping things light with Adonis was the key, even though her body ached knowing he was so close.
Charlotte patted her friend on the arm.
‘I believe you.’
Maddie exchanged a look with Grace before she spoke.
‘Mmmm, me, not so much.’
The music from next door had been getting louder and louder as they talked. Grace stood up at the sound of an announcement in both Greek and English.
‘OK, I’m on in a few minutes. I’ll see you in there.’
After they’d waved her off, Maddie downed the last of her beer.
‘So, I wasn’t dreaming about you saying she’s a DJ. I thought I’d made it up.’
Sofia finished her bottle too and stood up.
‘She’s still a teacher by day, but she’s always loved music. She does a soul session at the eighties’ nights every now and then to keep her hand in.’
‘Fantastic. Go Grace!’
Charlotte took a last lingering look at Suzie manning the bar before they moved through to the music venue.
‘Oh! That’s why it’s called the Star Bar!’
Maddie looked up at the hundreds of stars twinkling above them, now darkness had fallen.
‘I have to admit that’s pretty special.’
Grace was already on the raised dais with a much younger blonde guy, who was coming to the end of his set.
They quickly found seats at a table next to the large dance floor and ordered more beers from the floating waiters.
When, minutes later, the first beats of McFadden and Whitehead’s ‘Ain’t No Stopping Us Now’ pulsed into the night air, Charlotte was straight out of her seat.
‘Come on, you two! We have to dance to this. It was our anthem back in the day.’
