‘Fine. I’ll find a tiny corner somewhere.’
The waiter returned with three shot glasses and two bottles.
‘Rakiormastika?’
Both Charlotte and Maddie waved away therakiand all three of them opted for the mysterious soundingmastika,which Sofia didn’t have the heart to tell them was actually made from tree bark resin. Some things were better kept to herself.
‘Down in one!Yamas!’
Sofia’s voice in her ear shocked Charlotte into gulping it down before putting a hand on the table to steady herself. She’d tried to keep up with her friends, who had knocked it back with abandon. It meant she’d drunk more in one night that she usually did in a week, probably more like a month.
The music in the square had been getting steadily louder, and one table had already risen en masse and started dancing, armover arm and feet crossing in a series of steps that looked far too complicated to master in a week, let alone a night.
Maddie threw out her arms and looked at Charlotte.
‘Look at that scene! Doesn’t it make you want to paint it? Believe me, I’m no artist and even I want to paint it.’
Charlotte spoke without thinking.
‘I haven’t painted anything in a month! Nothing. I’m not sure I can even paint anymore.’
Tears sprung into her eyes, and one tumbled out onto the tablecloth. She tried to cover it up by putting her hand over her face and lowered her head to the table.
But a gentle stroking of her hair on both sides told her that her friends had left their seats and were standing over her.
‘Shhhh. It’s fine.’ Sofia put a tissue in her hand.
Charlotte wiped her eyes and managed to sit back up in the chair.
It was Maddie who reached over to stroke her leg.
‘Your poor thing. Is it like writer’s block?’
‘Not exactly…’
They were both waiting for her to speak, to explain. She couldn’t tell them the truth, but she’d have to come up with something. As she tried to form the words in her head, a middle-aged woman at the end of a very long line of dancers approached her and attempted to pull her to her feet.
‘Dance, please. All of you. Feel the music of Greece.’
The three women looked at each other, nodded, and linked hands. Charlotte could have kissed her unknown saviour.
‘Try to follow me,’ the woman shouted above the music, which was speeding up considerably. ‘But if you can’t,den peirázei, it doesn’t matter, let the music guide you.’
After a few stumbles, Sofia and Maddie started to get the hang of the steps and the beat, although Charlotte wasn’t anywhere near. She was never going to be a dancer, but it reallydidn’t matter as the atmosphere was so welcoming. Men, women and children moved like one giant snake.
As the music built to a crescendo and more and more people joined the line which wound itself into a series of circles, Charlotte gave up any attempt to master the steps and just let herself be dragged along.
She glanced up at the faces of her friends, glowing with exertion but wreathed in smiles. It struck her anew that she loved these women, heart and soul. After her sons, they were the closest thing she’d get to unconditional love from another human being, now her parents were long gone. Her husband had sunk right to the bottom of the pile, not that she’d ever been under any illusion that his love was unconditional. But she couldn’t give him headspace right now. Staying in the present was the important thing, feeling the music making its way through her body from the toes up.
Her heartrate soared and when the climax of the music came, the roar of the crowd was deafening. The circles within circles pulled apart and the woman who’d invited them to dance bowed extravagantly and put her hands together in thanks.
They flopped back down onto the chairs, too exhausted to even attempt to speak. Sofia topped up their glasses one last time and was pleased to see Charlotte looking way more relaxed.
She’d been about to tell them something significant earlier, Sofia was sure, but it could wait. It was only their first night together. They had plenty of time. Whatever it was stopping Charlotte from painting must be serious, but they’d had such a fun night it would be a shame to spoil the mood.
Chapter Four
Something or someone was pulsing bright light into her eye. Over and over again. And it hurt, big time. Finally, Sofia managed to open the eye that wasn’t being blasted, but the same thing happened again. Where the hell was she?
