He held her gaze for a long moment.
‘Thank you. I will fetch the rest.’
‘Don’t mind us…’ Sofia whispered at his departing back.
Maddie hoped her blush wasn’t too noticeable now she had a tan.
‘Stop it. He offered it to me first because he can see that I’m a food connoisseur.’
‘Greedy pig more like.’
‘Miaow.’
At first Thanassis made to sit a little way from them, but Sofia beckoned him over.
‘Please, come and eat with us,’ she shouted. ‘You’ve done all the hard work.’
Several different types of fish, all crisp and as fresh as the moment they’d been taken out the sea, were accompanied by a large bowl of some sort of dip, which Thanassis laid on a piece of cloth in the middle of the towels.
‘This isskordaliá, made from stale bread, potatoes, almonds, garlic and olive oil. Everyone has their own recipe, and I made this myself this morning. It comes from myyiayiá, my grandmother, and has been in the family for generations. It’s usually served with cod, but it suits all fish.’
Sofia noticed that he seemed to be addressing most of his remarks directly to Maddie. Not that she minded; she was genuinely thrilled to see her friend getting special attention.
Thanassis pointed to a large plastic container at his side.
‘And the salad is a mix of things from my garden. But the key is to use only the best olive oil. I am warning you, never ever buy cheapelaiólado. You will ruin the flavour of whatever you’re cooking.’
Thanassis’s deep voice bounced off the rocks and reverberated around the tiny bay.
‘Got the message.’ Sofia dived in for another piece of fish and dunked it in theskordaliá,while Thanassis went to fetch some more stuff from his makeshift kitchen.
‘Mmmm. That tastes so much better than it sounds or indeed looks for that matter.’
Maddie scooped up more of the dip with her own fish.
‘Rude, Sof.’
‘You have to agree it’s a bit beige. And it has the texture of wallpaper paste. Usually, Greek food is so colourful.’
‘Yes, it does look a bit weird, but I agree it tastes fantastic,’ Charlotte chimed in.
Maddie looked behind her.
‘The taste is far more important than the look. You’re too hung up on image, Sof. And I’m not just talking about food.’
‘I like nice things, so sue me.’
‘Shhh. He’s coming back.’
She’d hate for Thanassis to hear any negative comments when he’d served them up such a feast.
They ate mainly with their hands, just using a fork for the salad, and paper cups for the wine. It came in a big plastic bottle without any labels or markings, and Thanassis filled their cups to the brim.
‘Thiskrasíis a rosé, made from my friend’s grapes from the vines we grow up in the hills. It is good with fish.’
Maddie knocked back too big a mouthful and coughed several times, causing Thanassis to rush round and pat her on the back.
‘It is probably stronger than what you’re used to in a restaurant, but it is natural andorganikós, how you say, organic, which is of course a Greek word by origin, as many words in your language are.’
