Demetra kindly lent Bella one of Vana’s dresses and Daniel approaches, scooping her up in his arms and, peering over her shoulder, gives Rosie a warm smile. When his eyes alight on mine his look is a little apprehensive, until he gauges by my reaction that I’m fine.
It is a pity that Thanos has already left to take Vana home, I reflect. But in another way I’m glad in case he picked up on the way Daniel and I are exchanging furtive glances.
I’ve chosen a knee-length, wraparound dress in deep purple and with my skin now sporting a subtle sun-kissed glow, I feel good in it. With simple silver leaf-shaped earrings and my curls scooped back in a comb, it’s cool as well as rather chic. When Daniel’s eyes meet mine, they sparkle a little and I feel the need to briefly look away as, once again, he’s making my pulse race. I don’t want him to see how unsettled he’s making me feel at this moment. When I turn back around he’s still looking at me and I laugh, out of embarrassment.
‘What?’ I ask, wondering if something is out of place.
‘Nothing. Nothing at all. I’m just pleased to see you both this morning.’ It’s not innuendo, though, it sounds genuine enough.
And this is a man who thinks he’s destined to be alone? Oh Daniel, who are you kidding? Some lucky women will capture your heart before too much longer and she’ll make you see that a relationship can turn your life back around. How I wish that could be me and it was as simple as being attracted to someone and falling in love.
Fleetingly, I wish Daniel could have met the old Leah, the one who believed that anything could happen if you wanted it badly enough. She wouldn’t have wasted one second in grabbing his attention, knowing he was a very special man. Now, I weigh up every little thing I do because my daughter comes first. So, he has his secrets – so do I. I can’t really hold that against him as that would make me a hypocrite. But hiding my growing attraction to him is hard work, despite my natural hesitancy given the situation. I wonder if Rosie looks at Daniel, thinking about her own dad and what her life would be like with him in it. It’s tough, that’s for sure, but I can’t let what’s happened make me throw all caution to the wind. There are two impressionable young girls involved here and neither of us is in a position to talk openly today, even if we wanted to. We can’t risk being overhead.
‘Can you give me a couple of minutes just to pop this paperwork back up to the room? I’ll be really quick, promise!’
I leave them looking at a tourist information stand and when I return the girls already look bored.
‘At last, Mum,’ Rosie pipes up. She has been very patient as it probably took us a good two hours to do the tour of the hotel before our visitors arrived.
‘Right, are we ready for this? Is everyone wearing comfortable footwear?’ Daniel asks, brightly.
All three of us nod.
‘Follow me, then.’
We make the usual left turn out of the hotel but instead of taking the next left again to lead us back up to Plaka, we carry straight on.
‘Okay, ladies. Time to hold hands as we have a couple of busy roads to cross.’
‘Look, Mum, I can see part of the Temple of Zeus. I told you it was this way!’ Rosie is excited as she grabs my hand. She’s keen to push forward but we’re standing behind Daniel and Bella, waiting for the lights on the crossing to change.
‘You’ve been studying a map of the city, Rosie. Well done, you.’
Rosie glows at Daniel’s praise. He takes a moment to glance directly at her and nod. Positive encouragement is so important at her age; kids generally only want to please until they get to the teen years when everything begins to change.
‘We’re off. Stay close together guys. You can see where we are heading.’
The traffic is busy and it’s a bit of a zig-zag route but at every turn we can look across and see the ruins which aren’t too far away. It doesn’t take long before we’re standing in front of the remains of an arched wall, the first of two archaeological sites.
‘This is Hadrian’s arch,’ Daniel explains. ‘Originally it spanned the ancient road which led from the centre of Athens to the eastern side of the city. Not much of it left, is there girls?’
We all stare up at it and he’s taken the words out of my mouth. What’s left is more of a marker for the site.
‘It wasn’t a very wide road, was it Dad?’ Bella asks, as we head towards our next stop.
‘You’re right, Bella. The road was single track and most people, including soldiers, would have been on foot. Some would have had small carts, although carts were generally only used to transport goods. The most important military personnel would have travelled on horseback. Wealthy people often travelled lying down on something called a litter, which was like a bed, carried on the shoulders of four slaves. The only other option would have been a sedan chair, again carried by slaves.’
Neither Bella, or Rosie seem impressed by that thought.
‘You mean it took four people to save one person from having to go for a walk?’ Rosie sounds scandalised.
Daniel nods. ‘Yep, that’s how it was back in the day.’
‘Well, they were lazy and spoiled, then,’ she adds, frowning with indignation.
Daniel and I both burst out laughing. Luckily, Rosie doesn’t take offence but she lets go of my hand to stroll alongside Bella.
‘And this,’ Daniel confirms, coming to a halt, ‘is the Temple of the Olympian Zeus. It was one of the largest temples in the ancient world. Right, girls, we need to wait for these lights to change and cross over this road. Then we can take a leisurely stroll up to the gardens ahead of us.’
Once we’re safely across Daniel falls in alongside me, the wide pavement stretching far enough ahead for the girls to walk and chat.
‘I thought today should have a little variety. Maybe keep the history to the minimum as hopefully they’ll both want to come back when they are much older. We’re approaching the National Gardens; it’s pretty and there are some lovely features I’m sure everyone will enjoy. We can stop at the little café there to get a drink. It will take us in the direction of Syntagma square, which is regarded as the heart of Athens. From there we can head towards the shopping area, which will eventually lead us back to Plaka.’
‘I think the girls won’t be the only ones who will want to come back and spend more time discovering the delights of Athens,’ I mutter, thinking out loud.
‘It’s a lot of walking and we’re bypassing some of the other top attractions, but you can only pack so much into a day. It’s a pity you have to fly back tomorrow.’ His glance is tinged with sadness.
Daniel sounds genuinely disappointed, reflecting my own sentiments. I remind myself that this is a working holiday, so every moment has been a bonus.
‘The gates are just up here and we need to steer the girls inside. It’s all tree-lined paths, ponds filled with fish and terrapins, and an exotic collection of trees and shrubs from around the world. It’s a green oasis in the middle of the city and covers about forty acres in total.’
‘It sounds wonderful,’ I reply as we hurry on ahead to catch up with Rosie and Bella.
Once inside it’s easy to forget the busy network of roads surrounding the gardens and here and there, hidden between the lush greenery, are marble statues. Little pathways run off in all directions and we meander, but Daniel ensures that we are ultimately heading in the right direction, which is parallel with the main road.
We spend almost an hour discovering several ponds, a swathe of orange trees heavy with fruit and hidden relics, half-buried in shrubbery. I’m taking so many pictures that my arms begin to ache holding up the camera, when we come across a little café area.
Daniel orders the drinks while I take the girls off to the find the toilets. When we return the girls take their drinks and go to sit on the grass, while Daniel and I sit watching them.
‘This is an unexpected little oasis, and I think I might have bypassed this if we’d been on our own, thinking it was just another park. But it’
s almost like an arboretum filled with different follies, ponds and fountains. I can’t even believe what is on the other side of these trees. Sitting here we could be in a park anywhere. All you can see is greenery all around.’
‘One of the benefits of living here this last year is that there isn’t an inch of Athens I haven’t discovered. I will miss it, but this isn’t my home.’
He sounds like he’s ready to slip back into his old life once more and I wonder how much of that is down to missing Bella and the time they’ve spent apart.
‘Isn’t it weird to think our paths would probably never have crossed back in the UK and yet you come out on a short trip and here we are.’ Daniel looks pensive. ‘Do we need to clear the air about last night? It wasn’t planned, I can assure you, but I’m glad it happened the way it did; it seemed so right and now with your departure imminent it seems wrong somehow.’
I put my drink down on the table. What exactly is he trying to say? Is this a hint about meeting up in the UK at some point? And what is he hiding from me?
‘I don’t really know what to say, Daniel, because … well, I’m usually very cautious. I have no regrets at all, if that’s what you need to hear,’ I reply, trying to sound quite casual.
‘Oh, I wasn’t … I, um, guess we both got a little caught up in the moment.’
Suddenly I’m flustered. In the cold light of day this isn’t quite as easy as it was under the cover of darkness.
‘I think we’ve been very lucky and Rosie and I are very grateful to you both, Daniel. You’ve made Athens come alive for us.’ There, he has his get out if he’s looking for one.
He seems to be studying my face again, as if deep in thought.
‘It’s been a pleasure. I can’t believe this time tomorrow it will be just Bella and me, again.’
And? Is there an and? Please, say whatever it is that is on your mind, Daniel. This might be our only chance to talk without the girls within earshot.
Instead he looks down at the table, keeping his thoughts to himself.
I gaze around trying not to feel desperately disappointed. Telling myself that we have the rest of the day for him to get up the courage to say what he’s thinking helps a little. Whether another opportunity will arise, I don’t know. He doesn’t seem to be talking specifically about the girls and a little quiver of excitement runs down my back.
They have quickly formed a bond, it’s true, and as a parent that’s something to encourage. But Daniel and I have been able to talk quite openly about our respective situations and that, too, forms a bond. Fleetingly, I wonder if my display of anger last night over Antonio has set alarm bells ringing for him? I’m going to get help, though, and then – hopefully – there will be no shadows in my life.
However, last night and being with Daniel has triggered a need deep inside of me whether I’m ready for it or not. The thrill of being desired and experiencing the act of physical love with someone again is appealing. I think we’re both from the same mould; too sensitive for our own good. And therein lies the problem. What if the things you are trying to run away from are too big to share? Even a seemingly temporary fix can be dangerous if you can’t control how you feel inside.
Maybe the moment has already passed and it’s too late. That would be just my luck and serve me right for being so stubborn. But what if the possibility of an ongoing attraction between us is all in my head and he’s simply being polite to pass the time? I could be misreading the signs. Maybe he doesn’t feel the same connection that I do at all and that’s why he’s hesitating. He might feel relieved because I’m the one leaving and walking away. Is he worried about my reaction to the morning after the night before? Or is this about what I discovered and was about to challenge him over this morning?
Suddenly my heart is heavy, despite the brilliant sunshine and the glorious setting around us. And the hope that keeps leaping in my chest.
I watch him as he looks around, studying the trees and looking relaxed. I’m out of practice, Daniel, the voice in my head is longing to explain. I’m ready and I’m waiting, but you need to make the first move if you want to explore whatever it is that is going on between us. You have to convince me that your intentions are good and that you won’t hide anything from me.
It occurs to me that pride is an annoying stumbling block at times and I wish I had the courage to sweep it aside and ask him for some answers. But I still don’t have what it takes to expose my deeper feelings in case I get hurt yet again.
One Blink and They’re Gone
As I half-feared, the day has flown by but it has been one full of lots of laughter, some great food and soaking up the vibrancy of a very busy, high-end shopping area. Daniel found us the perfect restaurant where we could sit outside to eat and watch people passing by. We were all grateful to rest our feet for an hour or so, before we continued exploring.
Both girls are happy to do a little shopping and I manage to pick up a couple of souvenirs to take back home as presents.
Eventually we end up back in Plaka, where Rosie steers us towards the ice cream shop. While they wait in the queue I can’t resist taking a few more snaps of some of the doorways tucked in between the shopfronts. One property looks abandoned and as I draw closer, zooming the lens in beyond the fancy metalwork insets in the badly decaying door, I glimpse a beautiful staircase. But looking up, there’s a hole in the roof where shafts of sunlight cascade down onto the dusty, rubble-laden floor. There is a lot of beauty in this building and I feel sad to see it wasted and neglected. Not all ruins are ancient, I reflect, and this house has a lot of redeeming features.
‘Indulging in your door obsession again?’
I switch off the camera and pop it back into my bag, taking the ice cream cornet Daniel is holding out to me.
‘I’m sure there’s some hidden meaning behind it, because I seem to be the only one taking the least bit of interest. I love this one; imagine the life it’s had so far. I hope someone falls in love with the house and decides to restore it to its former glory.’
Daniel stops focusing on the cornet in his hand to look at the building with interest.
‘You’re right, of course. Even the shabby paintwork has a charm but you’re a romantic at heart, Leah. Few would look at this and think about how beautiful it could still be; they’d simply be thinking of the cost involved and the difficultly gaining access through these narrow and crowded streets. Imagine transporting in all the building materials you’d need and then moving in furniture?’
I rather begrudgingly agree he has a point but already the girls are getting ahead of us and it’s time to move on. As we approach the square, the hotel is close by now and we’ve made no plans beyond our sightseeing.
‘It’s great you were able to take the week off to spend time with Bella. Does that mean the project is going well?’
He nods his head. ‘Yes, but it’s in its infancy and work will continue for many years I should imagine. A bit like the dig beneath the new museum where there is layer upon layer of the past just waiting to be discovered. Who knows, I may even get to come back here again sometime in the future.’
There is no long-term plan in Daniel’s head by the sound of it.
‘I’ve learnt that you have to be prepared to grab opportunities whenever they come your way,’ he adds.
‘And fit everything else around it?’ I can’t help asking the question. If he lives for his work and Bella, maybe that will be enough for him. But, a bit like that old property being allowed to decay, that would be such a waste of an extremely sensitive and passionate man.
‘Pretty much. I’m not good with relationships, obviously, and I hate feeling I’m letting people down. I’m never going to be Mr Nine-to-Five, am I? I bet you think I’m a bit of a lost cause.’
Our gazes lock and I can see he really is interested in my response.
‘No, not at all. You’re naturally cautious and that’s a trait I appreciate.’
His smile is warm and engaging; I feel
there’s something he wants to say to me but as he glances away once more, the girls draw our attention.
‘Bella, Rosie, wait for us. Don’t get too far in front.’ Daniel calls out to the girls, who stop while we catch up. We turn right and I can already see the steps of the hotel further along the street.
‘Do you have to head back, now?’ I brave the question, not wanting the day, or our conversation, to end so abruptly and with so many things still left unsaid.
‘No, if you aren’t tired of our company maybe I could buy us all dinner in the conservatory restaurant at the hotel?’ Suddenly his voice is full of enthusiasm. ‘If we could get the girls to settle down with a board game afterwards, there’s something I need to tell you. It’s not easy to explain and I wouldn’t want the girls to overhear. But I don’t want things between us to end—’
There’s a loud yell and when I turn to check that the girls are okay I see that Bella has tripped up on the steps to the hotel. Rosie is bending over her. Daniel and I start running.
‘Dad, I’ve twisted my ankle and it really hurts.’ Bella squeezes out the words amidst a flood of tears.
Rosie looks on; her little face has turned quite pale.
Daniel lifts Bella up effortlessly and as we approach the top of the steps Thanos is there, holding the door open. We all hurry across to one of the leather couches in the spacious seating area beyond the reception desk.
Thanos has called one of his staff over and gives him an instruction, his words an unintelligible stream to my ears but the tone conveys his sense of urgency.
As Daniel props Bella up on the sofa, already the staff member is back with some linen napkins and a bucket of ice.
A Greek Affair Page 15
