by Mandy Baggot
Despite the emoji and the ‘I’ve’ instead of ‘I have’, this was definitely Charles himself. Grammatically correct and all those ‘wells’ making dramatic pauses. Beth also couldn’t imagine anyone else using the word ‘soupçon’ in a text message. There was now no doubt in her mind that she had to reply. She wasn’t the sort of person to ignore a reaching out and Charles seemed to need his conscience easing. She could do that for him. Perhaps she owed him it. Although Heidi would never understand that. But then Heidi had never really seen the softer side of Charles, the Charles who had comforted her through her mother’s illness with a warm embrace and cosy bistros on speed dial…
‘Did you hear me?’ Heidi asked her.
‘Yes,’ Beth answered.
‘Stop thinking about him then, because I know you are. You didn’t make one comment on my driving on the way over here. Not even when we nearly ploughed into the pack of sheep.’
‘At the moment I’m only thinking about what to reward ourselves with if we survive this madness,’ Beth lied.
‘It’s gorgeous here,’ Heidi said, taking a deep breath in and looking at their surroundings. Heidi had seemed to find it hard to dress for both being suspended in the air and meeting the woman of her dreams, so she had opted for a black swimsuit that zipped at the front to make the most of her cleavage, plus red cotton batik-printed shorts over the top. Beth had gone for a one-piece too, except she was wearing denim shorts. The one thing she had learnt from watching You Tube videos of parasailing this morning, was there was likely to be chafing.
It was beautiful here though. The endless cerulean sea, stretching out into the distance, wooden pontoons – one with sunbathers laying out on towels – a fine stone beach catching the tide with a fizz and a crackle. Above them there wasn’t a cloud in the clear blue sky… absolutely nothing white and fluffy to catch them should they be catapulted into the yonder… In truth, what she really wanted to do was get down onto the beach and see if there were any pieces of sea glass for her to pick up.
‘Ah, that’s where we’re going,’ Heidi said, pointing to a platform coated in a green material like the equivalent of a felt-based Astroturf.
‘Heidi,’ Beth said, following her friend. ‘Are you really sure you want to do this?’
‘No,’ Heidi admitted. ‘But I’m never quite sure of most things I do.’ She smiled. ‘You know me, one minute it’s low calorie, the next it’s loaded nachos.’
Beth smiled. She made a very good case. Plus, it couldn’t be that dangerous if hundreds of holidaymakers did it. If you looked at it statistically, it was probably a whole lot safer than going on a Kenyan safari. Or to Asda on Black Friday…
‘Plus,’ Heidi said, setting off at a stride now, ‘I’ve got to be all ballsy and blasé about it if I’m going to have an audience with the Greek goddess.’ She sniffed, eyes surveying the water sports area in front of them, its orange flags fluttering in the slight breeze. ‘I can’t see that she’s here yet.’
‘Did you tell her the right time?’ Beth asked.
‘I think I repeated it three times.’
‘Then she’ll be here,’ Beth stated, giving her friend’s arm a reassuring squeeze.
‘Kalimera, ladies,’ said an olive-skinned, dark-haired man, eyes hidden by mirrored sunglasses. ‘You are here to ride with me.’
The line was so corny both women fell into fits of laughter.
‘Oh, Beth,’ Heidi said, struggling to contain her giggles. ‘He’s wasted on me, but please tell me you’ve not shagged him before.’
Twenty-Six
Dassia
This hotel was new, only open for its second season and the state-of-the-art palace had not been on Alex’s morning agenda. But circumstance had led him here and he was now giving himself a pep-talk whilst looking at the mammoth establishment in front of him.
Since leaving his mother and her dreams of garage management, he had fed their animals and collected and delivered two hire cars. His last drop was here in Dassia, and with samples of juice in the boot and all the knowledge about the benefits of kumquats well established in his mind, he was going to go for it, completely on the fly. He had come up with a name and had called Spiros about the branding. Elektra wanted things to move and they were moving.
This whole matter was all about confidence – not necessarily having it, but making others think you had it. He was going to exude professionalism and try to get his products a trial here.
He checked his reflection in the wing mirror of the car he would be delivering back later. He needed to look like the entrepreneur he had told Beth he already was. His mobile buzzed with a message. He pulled it from his trousers, ready to switch it to silent. The text was from Elektra.
I have invited the woman with the kumquat business to lunch. I will not let her leave until I know everything about her company and who she trades with. Have you made any appointments yet?
The woman with the kumquat business was worrying and it was obviously really getting to Elektra. He wouldn’t reply to her now. He would answer after this meeting… if he got a meeting… hopefully with good news. He slipped his phone back into his pocket and opened the boot of the car.
*
The reception area shouted luxury five-star holiday. Everything was muted cream and light blue, all still pristine and untainted. In his hand was a small glass flagon of the kumquat rejuvenation juice. His first mission was to get further than the receptionist. He knew how salesmen without appointments were frowned upon and everyone would want their products used in an establishment such as this. This hotel was a prime target for him because it had a spa. They already stocked products from a well-known French skincare company. He just had to convince the buyer that his products would offer something new. He had locale on his side at least. And when it came to health benefits, organic and not-well-travelled definitely came before price. A hike for luxury could always be passed on to the consumer.
Before he could approach the reception desk, a woman strutted in his direction, wearing a business suit, her hair neatly tied. Perhaps the way to get past reception was to not go to reception at all.
‘Good morning… Sophia,’ Alex said, reading the name badge on the assistant’s chest.
‘Good morning,’ she replied, coming to a halt in front of him.
‘My name is Alex Hallas and I called earlier, hoping to meet with the manager.’
‘You have the wrong day,’ the woman answered, preparing to move on. ‘Interviews for bar workers is tomorrow.’
‘Please,’ Alex said, stepping a little into her space without trying to appear too intrusive. ‘I am not here for an interview. I am here to help the hotel discover Kalm.’
Sophia stopped moving then and looked at him, up and down and down and up as if wondering what to make of him. Finally, she said something:
‘Are you drunk?’
‘Drunk only on opportunity,’ he replied with a smile. He held up the flagon. ‘This is… not alcohol,’ he said quickly. ‘It is something I think the manager will be very interested in.’
‘Is that so?’ Sophia asked, folding her arms across her chest.
‘I would love to tell him about it,’ Alex carried on. Then realisation seemed to dawn. ‘Or her,’ he rushed out.
She smiled then and plucked the glass from his hands. ‘You are lucky I am in a good mood and that I admire ingenuity… plus you told me my hotel is not calm enough. I want to find out exactly what a bottle of orange liquid can do to benefit us.’
‘I would be more than happy to tell you everything,’ Alex said, trying not to let his insides jump with joy.
‘You have five minutes,’ Sophia told him. ‘No more.’
Twenty-Seven
Dassia Beach
‘She’s not coming!’ Heidi wailed. Her phone was in her hand.
Beth was getting fastened in to the parasailing harness and was starting to realise that her cut-off jeans were not going to save her from strap burn. ‘What?’
&n
bsp; ‘Elektra,’ Heidi bleated. But then her expression suddenly brightened. ‘She can’t make it here now. But… she wants to meet me for lunch. In Acharavi.’
‘What?’ Beth said again, unable to focus with her vulva literally panting for blood flow under the restraints… and this was before she had taken off.
‘I have to go,’ Heidi said, backing away from Beth.
‘Go?’ Beth said. ‘What, right now?’ She tried to sound deflated, but actually, if they had to abandon this idea at least her lady bits might recover by the evening.
‘It’s going to take me forty minutes to get to this taverna she’s suggested.’
‘OK,’ Beth said, side-eyeing the employee who was still tightening strips of fabric to her. ‘You can let me out now. We can’t do it after all,’ she said to him. ‘It’s a shame because we were obviously looking forward to it but…’
‘You don’t go?’ the Greek man said, looking up, his fingers somehow dangerously close to a nipple.
‘No,’ Beth said. ‘I do go. Sorry.’
‘Good,’ he answered with a smile and he tightened a strap that seemed to pull literally everything inwards. She could definitely feel spleen-ache.
‘No,’ Beth panted. ‘I mean I don’t go.’ This was getting lost in translation somehow. ‘I don’t go with you. I go with my friend.’ She looked to Heidi. ‘Tell him.’
‘Beth, just because I have to leave doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it,’ Heidi said, checking her reflection in her iPhone screen.
‘I think it does!’ Beth said. ‘It was all your idea!’ She started to pull at the straps herself.
‘I know, but it was a good one and if I wasn’t chasing my dream of finding a life partner then you know I would do it so… do it for both of us,’ Heidi suggested with a smile. She looked at the employee. ‘You’ll video it for me, won’t you?’
‘I will put on our social media pages,’ he answered happily.
‘No!’ Beth said, eyes wide. ‘No, you won’t do that. Heidi!’
‘Listen,’ Heidi said, slipping her phone into the pocket of her shorts and taking hold of Beth’s hands. ‘I really like her. And she’s invited me to lunch and I can’t remember being as excited as this in so long. But I’ve paid for the parasailing, I want you to do it and enjoy it. While you’re high in the sky looking down at beautiful Corfu remember the Beth Martin who went skinny-dipping and won margarita drinking races.’ Heidi grinned. ‘I want her to come out to play again.’
Beth couldn’t help but snort at the memories Heidi’s words were bringing back. When had she last even had a margarita? Charles had always thought cocktails were childish, like retro sweets…
‘Have I missed take-off?’
Beth moved her eyes from Heidi and looked straight into the depths of Alex’s. Like two soft, gooey, giant chocolate buttons with less Cadbury and a whole lot more sex appeal.
‘Great!’ Heidi exclaimed immediately. ‘Perfect timing.’
‘What are you doing here?’ Beth asked him as he came closer. He was wearing that suit again, well the trousers anyway, the jacket folded over his arm, shirt sleeves rolled up, olive-skinned bare forearms.
‘You asked for a sample of my juice.’
‘Sweet Jesus,’ Heidi said, whistling through her teeth. ‘I need to leave before I’m even more of a third wheel to this.’
‘He means the kumquat juice,’ Beth said hurriedly. She couldn’t move, either close or further away, she was literally at the mercy of the man who was still tightening restraints. ‘You could have dropped it at our cottage.’
‘And miss out on seeing you do this?’
She had told him about it last night. Not only that they were parasailing, but the where and when. She was not going to drink any more white wine on this holiday. Perhaps margaritas were a safer bet…
‘So, Alex, if you could ditch the suit you can take my place,’ Heidi said, backing away. ‘I’ll come and pick you up after lunch, Beth. Or Alex could maybe give you a ride back, once you’ve sampled his liquid gift.’ She waved a hand. ‘Let me know.’
‘Heidi!’ Beth called as her friend skipped away. ‘Heidi!’ She had no choice but to look back at Alex who seemed quite amused. ‘This isn’t funny. I don’t really want to do this. It was Heidi’s idea to try and impress a girl who’s also sensibly bailed on it in favour of a meal.’
‘Why do you not want to do it?’ Alex asked.
‘Because it’s…’ Why didn’t she want to do it? Because it wasn’t something she would ordinarily do? Because she was frightened?
‘Out of your comfort zone?’ Alex offered.
She knew her face was saying it all and she felt silly. She was being a wimp. Heidi had paid for this ‘treat’. She would completely regret it for the rest of her life if she didn’t go through with it now. Plus, she couldn’t bear the thought of enduring the release from the torture straps without having had any of the experience.
Alex spoke to the employee in Greek.
‘What did you ask?’ Beth wanted to know.
‘I asked him if he had something I can wear.’
The man replied with a grin.
‘He said he had a wetsuit or some trunks,’ Alex said.
‘I don’t understand,’ Beth said.
‘Let’s both get out of our comfort zone,’ Alex said. ‘I’ll do it with you.’
Twenty-Eight
Alex had no idea why he was doing this. But adrenaline was pushing him on. He was one step closer to getting a foot in the door with the kumquat business, so his lies to Beth about being successful in business felt more like half-truths now. The hotelier he had met had thought the kumquat juice was divine and he had reeled off all the well-practised information about its health benefits and included Elektra’s science bits he didn’t understand fully but had luckily already learnt for presentation purposes. She wanted to see the cream and the nutrition bar before she made a final decision, but he could feel her vibe was positive and she had liked it when he suggested she would be giving her customers something no other hotel on the island was currently offering. It was true for now. Perhaps it would stay that way if her offer was good enough. He had been thinking on his feet and perhaps that’s what business was all about, adapting quickly, not making promises you couldn’t keep…
He took a deep breath, standing outside the small wooden changing room-cum-office, looking at Beth all harnessed up and ready to go. She had been the first person he had thought of when the hotel meeting had been successful. Before even Elektra. And he couldn’t even share it with Beth yet. Not unless he admitted his life wasn’t as successful as he had made out. The truth was, he felt the same way about her as the day they had parted all those years ago. Was it wrong to want to reconnect? Even in the basest sense? He looked over her body and felt a bit shameful for doing it. It wasn’t only her physicality that attracted him, but it was feminine perfection in his eyes. Softly curved, brown hair in natural waves, big green eyes that always showed every feeling… although it had been her spirit he had ultimately fallen for. Her vitality and passion. Life had been harsh to her, she had lost her mother now as well as her father, and he did not know too much about her ex-husband… but perhaps there was something he could do to make her smile again. He stepped up.
‘Are you ready?’ he asked, coming up behind her.
‘Before I turn round and look at you, are you wearing the wetsuit or the trunks?’ she replied.
He laughed. ‘Which of these do you want me to be wearing?’ He paused before continuing. ‘And answer honestly.’
He held his breath, willing the employee not to hasten over to tether him into the harness just yet.
‘I think, given you’re about to be flung skywards, that your dignity might be better protected in the wetsuit.’
‘Beth,’ he answered, lips so close to her ear he could almost taste her skin.
‘Yes.’
‘That wasn’t an honest answer.’ He breathed out. ‘Turn round.’
Please be the wetsuit. Please be the trunks. That was what her mind was offering up to her in quick succession. Granted both were Lycra-esque but the wetsuit seemed the more conservative option. But she was on holiday… and single… and grabbing life by the balls… which she might actually be able to see in either of the outfit options.
‘I’m wearing the wetsuit,’ Alex told her.
She turned her head then. Pleased and disappointed in equal measure. ‘No chafing for you then.’
‘Chafing?’ he asked, not seeming to understand.
‘Where your skin, rubs together…’ This didn’t sound filthy at all. ‘And there’s… friction.’ She couldn’t seem to stop herself.
‘You are worried about this?’ Alex asked.
It sounded ridiculous. All this worrying! She was in an enviable position by a lot of people’s standards. She shook her head. ‘I think you should get strapped in so we can get up there.’ There was the shot of bravery talking that she didn’t wholly feel. Heidi would be so proud.
She faced the expanse of blue in front of them, the water shimmering under the sunlight while she shivered with anticipation. She felt Alex move in close behind her and every part of her body woke up.
‘You are OK with me coming from behind,’ he whispered.
She closed her eyes, visions of his naked body instantly replaying on a loop like a well-used gif. ‘Don’t play the innocent Greek, Alex. I know your command of English includes double entendres, even if you didn’t seem to know about chafing.’
‘I do not know what you mean,’ he answered.
‘I think you know exactly what I mean,’ Beth replied, a frisson fizzing through her as Alex put a hand on her shoulder.
‘I am innocent,’ he told her as the man came over to assist them.
‘Well, for the record, I don’t remember us ever adopting that position.’ She held her breath, feeling absurdly wanton. She was flirting with him. She wasn’t meant to be flirting with him! Again, Heidi would be so proud. What was he going to say in reply? What did she want him to say? Her heart felt suspended, her labia were practically quivering…
