by Joanne Walsh
“Only he never did beat it,” Dimitri interjected grimly. She watched as he rose and moved towards the fireplace, where he stretched to lean his hands on the mantel, right next to where the framed photo of Manos sat, and stare at the embers, the sinews in his powerful shoulders bunching up. The only sounds were the ticking of the old wind-up clock on the wall and McTavish’s snuffling snores. After a while, he turned around. “How much did he lose?”
“A lot—most of our savings, and he maxed out our joint credit card as well.” She grimaced. She knew the way she was telling it made her sound hopelessly naïve and suckered, but that was better than the mortification of confessing she hadn’t known what her husband was up to. “I-I was too busy with the Mini-Mart. I didn’t realize what he was doing. When he asked me to co-sign an agreement to re-mortgage this house, I believed him when he said he wanted capital to invest in the store. I also signed a form that turned out to be a massive loan he’d taken out in my name.”
Dimitri’s eyes widened. “He tricked you?”
She nodded. “He led me to believe it was insurance for the re-mortgage. His timing was terrible. He borrowed just before the country’s debt crisis happened. You know, when the government brought in austerity measures and raised taxes, and interest rates were sky-high.”
“Thee mou!” Moving swiftly, he sat down beside her, close enough that his thigh touched hers and she could feel the heat of him, inhale the scent of his cologne—the notes of orange, amber, and cinnamon she always associated with him. “My good friend, Manos, did that to you, his wife? Sally, I’m lost for words.”
“There are no words for what he did.”
His frown deepened. “And you learned he had left this mess when?”
“After he died, when our lawyer was settling his affairs. We’d made mirror wills, and everything was to come to me. But there was nothing, save for an investment account that he’d set up in my name.” She gave a bitter smile. “I was hugely surprised when it came up. Somewhere, deep down, he must have had a conscience. It helped me keep my head above water for a while, but now it’s nearly gone.”
“An investment account,” Dimitri repeated before going silent. She glanced at him. He was gazing off into the distance, probably dazed by what she’d just told him. After a while, he asked, “Am I correct in thinking there are still repayments to be made on that loan he tricked you into signing for?”
“There are. Obviously, because I signed the consent form there’s no recourse. I tried for better terms, but the bank was having none of it.”
“And you also have payments to make on the mortgage and credit card?”
“Yes, every month, and the bank won’t budge on those either. It won’t be too long before I start falling behind on all of it, and then it’ll be repossession.” She plucked at the sweatshirt. “I was a fool, the way I let him—” she blurted then stopped.
“Sally, he fooled us all,” Dimitri replied sternly. “Was feeling foolish why you didn’t talk to me about your money problems?”
“Partly.” She averted her eyes. “It was difficult too, because you and Manos were good friends.”
Hearing him draw in a sharp breath, she gazed back in his direction. “But I would always have made time for you, Sally,” he replied slowly. “You know, when Manos told me about his heart problems, he also made me promise I would take care of you if anything happened to him.”
She couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “Take care of me. Okay…” He really had bought into Manos’s crap. “I kind of guessed you were checking up on me, Manos’s little widow, so I didn’t really feel like sharing.”
“Well, I wish you had. However, what matters right now is how we deal with it. You shouldn’t have to leave your home and your friends.” His gaze flashed with determination. “I’m going to help you out of this. You need a plan, but before we can make one, I need to know the extent of what is owed and what your remaining assets are. Then, a little time to think about ways in which we can turn things around for you.”
She didn’t reply. She knew she should welcome his offer with a grateful smile, but her mouth wouldn’t cooperate. He wasn’t doing it for her, but because of his promise to Manos. Anyway, he could try and fix her money problems all he liked, but what about the hurt that still lingered on fifteen years after he two-timed her with another woman and set the
damned wrecking ball swinging in the first place? How much longer could she keep on being reminded of how she’d been Twice-Stupid Sally?
Chapter Three
Dimitri stared as she said nothing, at the way her mouth pinched shut and her hands twisted in her lap. Hell, it was so bad what Manos had done, and all the while, hiding in plain sight. Not for the first time, he cursed himself for not having been around for her like he should have. But hearing the truth just now had changed everything. He needed to push aside the anger he was feeling with the man who’d once been his good friend and reach out to her. “What are you thinking? Talk to me.” He flexed his fingers, wanting to stroke her flushed cheeks but stopped himself in time.
“I don’t want to talk,” she ground out. “It’s done, and I’m done.”
Dimitri’s fingers clenched. He would not let her slip away because she was too stubborn to see she was in deep and needed rescuing. “I get it. You’ve been struggling by yourself for years. But you do not have to feel alone anymore. I’m here for you.”
He heard her inhale. “So now you’re honouring your promise to the man who lied and cheated and you’re here for me? Well, that’s terrific, but I can take care of myself, thank you.”
Her sarcasm was a slap in the face, but he balled his fist tighter, reminding himself she was terribly wounded by her husband’s weakness and duplicity. “Listen to me,” he gritted, “this has nothing to do with my promise to Manos, not now. I should have realized how bad things were, what he was doing. I’m going to help.”
A flicker passed across her face that he couldn’t read. She bent to pick up McTavish, who’d abandoned his cosy spot to hop over and paw her leg insistently, taking her time settling the dog on her lap. “Dimitri, um, look. I-I’ve decided I’m leaving. It’s for the best.”
Suddenly, he thought he realized what was going on with her. She was grieving. If you loved someone as much as she’d loved Manos, you didn’t instantly stop, no matter how much they’d betrayed you. Perhaps running away to somewhere else seemed like an ideal solution for dealing with the hurt and havoc her beloved husband had left behind.
“If you leave, where will you go?” he asked more softly.
She seemed startled by his question. “Er, I haven’t decided. Maybe somewhere else on the island, or Lekopolos. Or perhaps I need to make a clean break and return to England.”
“England? How long is it since you were there?” He knew she had a challenging relationship with her mother and older sister, both of whom had disapproved of her abandoning her studies for marriage to Manos, who, to their snobbish eyes, was just a lowly, foreign shopkeeper. Neither woman had attended the wedding. “Where would you stay? With your family?”
“It’s been a while.” She shrugged. “There’s an old schoolfriend who I keep in touch with. Melissa. She was my bridesmaid. Maybe she can put me up until I get back on my feet. But only if I decide to go back there. Nothing’s fixed yet. Would you like more tea before you go?”
“I remember Melissa.” He deliberately ignored her attempt to shut the subject down. Did she not realize how huge the upheaval of leaving here would be? “What will you do about McTavish? It isn’t so easy now travelling from Europe to England with pets.”
Her eyes widened as if that hadn’t occurred to her. “Like I said, nothing’s fixed yet,” she returned sharply, “but whatever I choose to do, I’m sure I’ll figure everything out.” Bending her head, she turned her attention back to McTavish, stroking his ears as he snuggled on her knees.
“Have you had this house valued?” Dimitri persisted. “Checked if the sale price will pa
y back the mortgage, the loan and the credit card?”
Her gaze snapped up to meet his again. “No, I haven’t. But between the house and the store, I reckon I’ll raise enough. The Mini-Mart has to be worth something even in its flooded state.”
There was something about the way she spoke that made him think she hadn’t really thought any of this through. The gears in his brain sprang into action. That meant there was still a chance to persuade her to stay in Agia Kalamaros, if only he could come up with an attractive alternative plan. “Thank you for the offer of more tea but I must be going.” He stood up. “Sally, one thing is for sure. Whatever you decide to do, wherever you go, you will need to pay off those debts. At least let me support you with the process.”
She squinted at him. “Dimitri, honestly, there’s no need. I don’t want you to waste your time. I’ll cope.”
“Please, get all your documentation together and I will come by to collect it tomorrow evening at six.” His mouth curled into a smile. “It’s my time. Let me choose how I spend it.”
Chapter Four
McTavish was thoroughly enjoying his morning constitutional. First, Sally had taken him down to the quay, where he’d barked at the stray cats lurking around Stelios’s Taverna, and now they’d hit the beach, where she let him off his leash and he lolloped joyously around, going as fast as his three good legs, and the one that was not so good, would let him.
Rolling her stiff shoulders, she turned her face upward and closed her eyes, drinking in the late spring sunshine. Her shore walks were usually a relaxing pleasure, keeping her sane when all around her was crumbling. But last night’s encounter with Dimitri kept on turning over and over in her mind. His words floated back to her. ‘It is not so easy now travelling from Europe to England with pets.’ She didn’t know whether it was or not because she hadn’t checked it out, or anything else to do with moving away from Agia Kalamaros for that matter. She heaved a sigh into the brisk sea breeze. She was in danger of digging herself into a huge hole. What had merely been a comforting notion during dark, desperate times—that she could escape somewhere and start again—had somehow morphed. When the store had flooded, in a moment of shock, she’d blurted out to Nik she had to sell up and leave, and now Dimitri was believing it.
Hunching up, she eased her hands into her jacket pockets, her fingers making contact with the keys to the Mini-Mart. The truth was, she didn’t want to leave here. Despite all that’d happened, she still loved her cosy little house, and it was breaking her heart to think she’d have to let the store go after she’d fought so hard to keep it afloat. She longed for a fairy godmother to make all her problems just disappear—
“Sally!” A female voice calling out her name had her jerking her head up and turning around, and she saw Frankie Kontarinos hurrying down the quayside steps.
“You’re out early,” she shouted back, smiling as she watched her friend gingerly pick her way in heels over the sand. Frankie would surely have heard from her businessman and part-time fireman husband Nik about the flood.
“Hey, I just had a meeting with the owner of a house on that lane that runs up from the quay,” Frankie told her after giving her a hug. “He’s thinking of renovating it as a holiday rental. He’s seen what Sergei, Hannah and I did with the shepherd’s cottage on the mountain.”
“And no doubt heard how many takers you’ve got for it this coming summer.” Sally was delighted for Frankie and how Ionian Villas, her company based around vacation properties, had blossomed over the last couple of years.
“Yup,” Frankie beamed, “back-to-back bookings from the beginning of May to mid-October, and a handful thereafter.” Her features creased in concern. “I’m glad to catch up with you. Nik told me what happened with the Mini-Mart and about the money issues you’ve been having. Sal, why didn’t you say something?”
She hesitated, those familiar feelings of pride mixed with unease spreading through her.
“Have you thought about renting out 5 Dionysou Street?”
Frankie’s out-of-the-blue question took her aback. “Renting out my house?”
“Yes. It’s charming, a traditional Greek home, and you’ve furnished it in such a welcoming way. I think it would attract tourists all season long. You’d have a couple of alternatives, either running it as a bed and breakfast, which means you can stay there, or you could move out and find somewhere cheap to live while you have paying tenants. Did you hear Alison is looking for a lodger?”
Sally lowered her eyebrows into a frown at the mention of Alison Angelis, another good friend who ran the local animal shelter. “I thought she had her nephew coming to stay to help out at KATs?”
“That’s right. Ben’s still coming over from London to do the summer work experience he needs to earn credits for the final year of his veterinary studies degree. But Alison mentioned to me just yesterday she’s decided that since she’s got another spare bedroom, she could do with the money, if she can find somebody to occupy it. I’m sure she’d jump at you taking it rather than a stranger—”
“Oh, Frankie, I don’t know. Surely, running a B&B or letting out the house won’t cover all the repayments I have to make? I mean, it’ll probably take a while to sell the store given the state it’s in, so my debts won’t go away for a while yet.”
“But it could be a big help,” Frankie grinned. “Look, I hope you don’t mind, but after Nik told me about how you’d found yourself in this predicament, I took the liberty of sitting down with Hannah and we’ve put together scenarios with figures for you. If you’ve got some time early this evening, we can call in, talk you through them. And, if you decide to go with one of them, Ionian Villas will be very happy to organize and manage everything for a discounted fee.”
Sally stared at her friend. She’d convinced herself the house had to go, but what if there was a chance she could hang onto it? “Um, alright. Dimitri will be joining us. He’s calling in at six.” When, last night, he’d insisted he’d stop by to pick up the paperwork relating to her debts, she’d agreed. If she was honest, she was curious to see what he came up with. If anyone could find a route through money woes, he could; he was a canny entrepreneur who’d built a multi-million-Euro business out of the land his father gave him for his eighteenth birthday.
“Perfect!” Frankie gave her another hug, then bent to give McTavish, who’d come hopping over, a quick parting pat. “Ooh dear, he’s got himself covered in something nasty and fishy,” she exclaimed, quickly withdrawing her hand.
“Urgh.” Sally pulled a face at her pet, who barked happily, oblivious to how bad he smelled. “What have you been rolling in this time, McStinky? Looks like we’d better be heading home for a bath, pronto.”
*
“I’m amazed.” Sally sat back on the couch, leafing through the scenarios Frankie and Hannah had prepared for her. “I hadn’t realized the place had this kind of potential.”
“You could be sitting on a source of regular income,” Frankie said. “You’ve kept it nice, and it has an authentic Greek charm that will appeal to a certain kind of traveller. As we’ve shown in our projections, the tourist season runs from the beginning of March to the end of October these days, and you may well get bookings for the holidays as well; people love to get away for Christmas and the New Year.”
“Mm, I’m thinking about how we market it, and the set of that film, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, springs to mind,” Hannah joined in, looking around her. “Or even the house they used in Mamma Mia! I love that you have your own paintings on the walls. They are yours, aren’t they?”
“Yes, they’re mine. You said I might have to make a few upgrades to meet with health and safety requirements?”
“You would have to have the place inspected and the furnace checked, also get insurance, but I’m sure that if there are any repairs needed, they won’t cost you too much. Whatever, we can arrange all that for you.”
“Ah, I couldn’t—”
“Yes, you can.” Frankie patted
Sally’s hand. “Now, how do the income projections we presented to you match up to your current outgoings?”
“My mortgage would be taken care of, but I’d still need to find money to meet the other repayments until the store is sold. And, of course, I’ll want something to live on too. I guess I’ll need to look for a job—” She was interrupted by the sound of rapping at the front door. She glanced at the clock on the mantel: six-twenty-five. “That must be Dimitri.”
She made her way to the door, followed by an excited McTavish bouncing about. “That’s enough!” she admonished when he barked at Dimitri, who stood on the threshold kitted out in a suit and tie.
“Are you talking to the dog or me?” he joked and gave her a brief peck on her forehead as he entered. She reeled backwards with a small gasp, shocked by the brush of his lips, which had her nipples puckering in response.
“Hey, are you okay?”
He put out a hand to steady her and she let his firm fingers cup her elbow. His coffee-brown eyes met her green ones questioningly and her breasts tingled again. Biting her lip, she willed her body to stop its ridiculous overreaction. “Yes, I missed my footing because of the dog,” she lied, shooting a look downwards at her pet, who obliged her by nosing between her calves. “You’re late.”
“My apologies. I had a business meeting that ran over.” His mouth curving, he went down onto his haunches to give McTavish a rub around the ears. “He’s pleased to see me.” His gaze met hers again, his eyebrow raised.
She dragged her eyes away, although not before they’d skimmed over a smudge of red lipstick on his face. Business, or had it been one of his many dates? “Frankie and Hannah are here,” she announced tersely.
