‘Agreed,’ Dimitria said. ‘Perhaps we should call Alexandros. I know I said I did not need him at this meeting but maybe he has heard something? It is in his interests to do a deal after all.’
Faye looked at her watch. It was almost twenty minutes after the time they were meant to be meeting. It was unprofessional to be late to such an important appointment. And if Kostas was going to be a complete no-show then it was downright rude. ‘Yes, you’re right. But you stay here, I’ll call him from outside. The signal is better out there.’
Faye got her phone from her bag and stood up, making her way out of thetavernaand onto the road. A few strides and she was on the pebbles of the beach, looking out over the sea and towards the land that was at the heart of all this as she dialled and put the phone to her ear.
‘Hello, Faye.’
Faye almost dropped her mobile in shock. The greeting hadn’t come from her call; the voice had come from just behind her, close. And it was oh-so familiar. She spun around.
‘Matthew,’ she said, looking at her ex-husband. It had been almost a year since she had seen him in person. She’d gone back to the UK to visit Saffron and agreed to a ‘family’ meal at the Harvester. She took a breath and now observed the man before her. He didn’t look much different, sideburns speckled with a bit more grey perhaps…
‘Yes,’ he replied, smiling. ‘It is me, not an apparition. God, Faye, you look like you’ve seen a ghost. We got divorced, I didn’t die.’
‘Sorry,’ Faye said. What she was apologising for she didn’t know, but his presence here was so unexpected. ‘I just didn’t know you were coming.’ And what was he doing here? Why hadn’t Saffron said anything? Did Saffron even know?
‘Ah, well, that’s one of the upsides with being divorced, isn’t it? We don’t have to tell each other what we’re doing and when. Although, in some ways, it can be nice checking in, as long as it’s not checking up.’ He paused momentarily and then gave her a rather awkward hug as if he didn’t know how hugging worked any more. She reciprocated almost as awkwardly. And when the moment was done, she didn’t know what to say next.
‘So, this place hasn’t changed a bit. I really didn’t believe that when Saffron kept telling me, but it’s kind of like a time-warp,’ Matthew said, turning to the beach. ‘That’s not the same dock, is it?’
Faye looked at the wood and metal structure leading from the beach out into the water, a few power boats docked and bobbing with the waves. ‘It’s the same structure but they obviously replace the wooden planks.’
‘Hmm,’ Matthew mused. ‘Nothing is forever, I guess.’
‘Saffron didn’t say you were coming to Corfu,’ Faye continued.
‘No?’
‘No.’
‘Well, that’s because I told her to keep it a surprise,’ Matthew said, putting his hands in the pockets of what Faye knew were his ‘smart’ shorts.
‘A surprise?’ Faye frowned. ‘I don’t understand. Who are you surprising if Saffron already knows?’
Matthew smiled. ‘You, Faye.’
OK, this was a bit weird now.
‘And Dimitria. Is she in thetaverna?’ He turned, looking past Faye and towards the entrance of Cavo Barbaro.
‘What?’
‘Listen, I know I’m late, but I was behind a truck full of chickens all the way from Ipsos.’
‘Late?’
‘Come on, Faye,’ Matthew said. ‘I know you’re a bit smarter than that. I’m who you’re meeting to talk about my offer for the hotel.’ He smiled wide. ‘Surprise!’
61
Faye felt like she had been struck by lightning. But lightning that had iced her insides instead of burning them. Matthew was talking, walking towards thetaverna, and her legs were carrying her alongside him, but she had no idea what he was saying; it was white noise. This couldn’t be happening. Matthew was the one behind the offer for the hotel? Personally? Or on behalf of someone else? Surely that had to be it. He was working for one of his clients in some kind of go-between capacity. That felt better. She felt a lot less wobbly with that thought.
‘Matthew?’ Dimitria asked, sounding almost as surprised as Faye had been.
‘Yes, Dimitria,’ Matthew greeted as Dimitria stood up and he kissed her on both cheeks. ‘How are you? Honestly, people are sounding a lot more shocked than I thought they would be that I’m here.’ He smiled. ‘The UK is only three hours away on a plane, you know. And I do have family here.’
‘I know this. And it is always a delight to see Saffron,’ Dimitria said. ‘But if you had told us you were coming we could have arranged a room for you.’
‘You don’t have a room for me?’ Matthew asked. ‘Not for the potential new owner of Hotel Margaritári?’
