Page 37 of More Than Just Friends

When he’d taken the initiative to ask Petros about what the journey would be like before we even got on the coach and asked Kayleigh if she’d mind swapping again because he knew I’d find the mountainous views too much, he blew me away. He’d been really thoughtful again and I was so grateful.

After we’d chatted about how much we’d enjoyed visiting Fira, I said I was going to read on my phone to distract me, but then clearly I’d fallen asleep. I hadn’t even realised I was that tired, but I must’ve been more shattered from all the travelling than I first thought. The next thing I knew I was being woken up by Petros’s announcement that we’d arrived in Oia.

Thankfully I hadn’t left any dribble on Noah’s shoulder, but that wasn’t the point. Yeah, it wasn’t the first time I’d slept on him. I still remember when I accidentally did that on his chest years ago.

But the situation was different now. He was here with Kayleigh and I was with Adonis. I shouldn’t be laying my head on him. It’d give people the wrong idea.

As hard as it would be, on the way back to the hotel, I needed to just put on my big-girl knickers and sit with Adonis. Hopefully this time he’d be a gent and let me have the aisle seat.

Actually, maybe now was a good time to ask him.

‘Adonis,’ I said. ‘Do you think I could have the aisle seat on the way back to the hotel so that we can sit together?’

‘You are finding it hard to be away from me.’ He grinned.

‘Yes!’ I said enthusiastically. ‘You’re my match and I’d really like to get to know you better.’

‘I like the sound of that.’ He smiled. ‘Of course, my darling. The aisle seat is yours. Always.’

‘Oh!’ I said, surprised that it was that easy, given how strongly he’d refused when I’d asked him earlier. ‘Thanks. I really appreciate it.’

‘Anything for you.’ He grinned again.

‘So,’ I said, pushing my knife and fork together, ‘what would you like to do after this? Go and check out the sights?’

‘Of course, but first we will go to the shops.’

‘Okay,’ I said, thinking how great it was to be with a guy who liked to go shopping. He really was shaping up to be my dream man.

Visions of us doing a spot of shopping, followed by strolling down the pretty streets arm in arm flashed into my mind. Then of course we’d head to the castle ruins to see the most beautiful sunset in the world.

It didn’t get more romantic than that.

Luckily, we still had hours left to explore the village. It was almost 4 p.m. and Petros recommended we arrive at the castle ruins at least an hour and a half in advance, so by seven at the latest to secure the best spot because there were so many tourists. Actually, I’d suggest to Adonis that we turn up at 6.45. That way we didn’t have to rush and we’d get the pick of the best positions.

Yes. Great plan.

Once we’d finished dessert, Adonis led me away from the restaurant past the tourist shops to an area of the village that was slightly calmer.

A string of designer boutiques lined the wider streets and Adonis’s eyes lit up. At first, I thought we’d just do some window shopping. But over an hour and a half later he’d taken me to all of them and literally tried on every T-shirt they had. Ordinarily I enjoyed shopping, but even I was starting to lose the will to live.

Women had a reputation for being big shoppers, but Adonis made Becky Bloomwood from Confessions of a Shopaholic look like a fashion-phobe.

In one shop he bought three identical T-shirts for hundreds of pounds (which in my opinion were two sizes too small, but hey, he loved them, so that was the important thing). And they all had huge logos emblazoned across the front.

‘What do you think?’ Adonis asked as he emerged from the changing room of the latest boutique he’d dragged me to. ‘Do they make my arms look good?’

I studied him as he turned to look at himself in the main mirror from one angle, then twirled himself around to check the other side of him was also on point.

Then he whipped his mobile out of his pocket and started taking mirror selfies like the ones I cringed at when I scrolled through dating app profiles.

‘Er, they… your arms look… really… big,’ I’d said diplomatically as his biceps strained against the fabric, which looked dangerously close to splitting.

‘Great!’ He beamed, before flexing in the mirror like he was competing in a bodybuilding competition. He’d said he’d won a few of those, so this was obviously something he was passionate about.

‘You can take photos of me too if you like.’ He smiled.

‘Oh…’ I paused. ‘Okay. Thanks.’