I shuddered at the thought of what ThinkBig would do to Caretta Cove… Probably stick imitation turtles everywhere and tell children they were just hibernating. They’d flatten little landmarks in the village where generations of families had made memories. Like the peach tree near the village’s main post box – Georgios would often mention how he’d first kissed Sophia underneath it. And Grandma would point out a huge rock on the outskirts of town, from which one of her brothers supposedly spotted German troops, prior to the Battle of Kos during the Second World War.
I chewed my thumbnail, imagining gaudy neon signs lighting up Taxos at night, instead of the glow of candlelight from restaurants and stars; imagining shrieks of young tourists falling out of nightclubs, as opposed to the gentle cheers from local and visiting families playing boules. The aroma of garlic and oregano would disappear due to the strong stench of burgers and hotdogs. Fishbowls of cocktails guzzled by riotous groups, through straws, would be the norm, instead of a few ouzos shared over backgammon and cards.
After what seemed like hours, I stood up. The family next to me had gone. I looked to my left. The queue for the paragliding was small now. I brushed sand off my dress, before turning northwards. The beach was wide and the cliff not too steep to climb, if the tide came in. I would continue my walk to Taxos. I’d done it once as a child, with Niko’s uncle.
My watch said half past six and the sun had started to descend. It would be almost dark by the time I got back – and quiet, compared to Tyrionitsa. I swallowed. Henrik no doubt had good intentions – the entrepreneurial side of me could see why ThinkBig thought they were doing the Greeks a favour. However, a ball of fire swelled in my chest. He’d kept these plans secret for months, so must have known that people – I – would object. Well, stuff him… At that precise moment I didn’t care whether he was scouring Tyrionitsa for me or flying back to England.
An hour later, twilight had fallen. The chirp of cicadas and gently breaking tide accompanied me back to Taxos. Powdery sand, like the finest scone mix, slipped in between my toes as I walked bare foot. The outline of the cliff gently disappeared as darkness fell. Ahead I could see the amber lights from Taxos, indicating tavernas and homes – so beautiful. Despite all my love-stuff ups and downs, I wouldn’t have changed being back in dear Taxos for anything. A bat swooped over my head and I headed into the waves as I kept on walking. If only I had my swimming costume, I could wash away the perspiration of another humid evening. I stopped for a moment as catchy Greek guitar music wafted over from the village.
My eyes squinted as I saw the fig tree and… was someone sitting underneath? I cleared my throat and walked forward, sunhat in one hand, sandals in the other, handbag over my shoulder. A man with curly hair and a checked shirt sat on the sand, knees bent up, head in his hands.
‘Niko? Is that you?’
He met my gaze. Moonlight lit up a downturned mouth and drooping eyes.
‘Pippa… Ya sou… Why are you walking here?’
I sighed and sat down next to him. Where to begin? His voice sounded flat. Perhaps he was worrying about Leila – what I’d said about her seeking employment abroad. I’d got my special day out with Henrik so wrong, thinking he was about to seal our future together… Perhaps I’d been wrong about Leila too, and the woman I saw in Kos Town wasn’t her.
‘Look, Niko… About Leila… perhaps I made a mistake. Just forget what I said. You’d know, right, if she wasn’t happy in Taxos and wanted to move abroad? After all, you two are engaged.’
Weird… his face didn’t brighten. Must have been something else bothering him. Grandma, perhaps? Yet she was better by the day…
‘Thanks…’ He stared at me, then picked up a flat pebble. Niko stood up, strolled to the water’s edge and threw it hard so that it skimmed across the surface.
‘Two bounces? Not bad,’ I said, now by his side, squinting through the poor light. I picked up a pebble. Mine bounced off the tranquil surface three times.
Niko chuckled. ‘You always were better than me at skimming stones.’
‘That must niggle, seeing as you are the one who taught me…’ We grinned at each other, just like old times.
He picked up another pebble. ‘So… talking of me being engaged, how was your day?’ he asked, without looking at me. ‘Did Henrik finally reveal all about his surprise wedding and ask you to marry him?’
‘Um…’ Damn – my voice broke. My eyes felt wet. Niko dropped his stone and turned to face me.
‘Pippa? What’s the matter?’
I sniffed. ‘He didn’t, you see…’
A curious look crossed his face before he leant forward to hug me. As our bodies touched, that magnetised feeling washed over my body again. Breathing quicker, my skin prickled as his hands ran up and down my back. Images of us kissing sidled into my mind.
‘Sorry you’re sad, Pippa,’ he said eventually, and stood back. ‘You… you must really love him. Maybe he’ll ask another time.’
‘No… yes… I mean…’ I wiped an eye. ‘I’m not really upset because of that.’
Niko’s mouth seemed to quirk up for a moment and then he shook his head. ‘So, what’s the problem?’
How could I tell him that the place he’d grown up in was about to be destroyed? The two of us walked back to the fig tree and sat down.
‘I made glittery scones you know. For the surprise wedding ceremony I thought Henrik had planned for tomorrow.’
‘That’s what’s bothering you?’ he said gently and squeezed my arm. ‘Then I’ll eat them. Bring the scones over tomorrow. A bit of glitter – that will put an even bigger smile on Grandma’s face.’
To my surprise I burst out laughing. ‘No… I’m not that much of a romantic… a waste of glittery scones hasn’t upset me, but thanks all the same.’ I gave a wry smile. ‘But… it’s not that, you see… Henrik took me to Tyrionitsa.’
Niko snorted. ‘That spiritless place?’ He banged his chest with his fist. ‘No heart there, any more. Big corporations… They destroyed everything it once was.’ He glanced sideways at me. ‘Why Henrik take you there? Tyrionitsa must be the least scenic place on the whole of the island.’
I stared at him, feeling my eyes fill with liquid, holding it close like a dam, ready to burst. ‘You know he works for ThinkBig, a development company?’
Not dropping his gaze from my face, Niko nodded.
‘You were right about Stavros. He’s pushed through permission for ThinkBig to… to…’
‘What?’
‘… to turn Taxos into the next Tyrionitsa,’ I blurted out.
Blood filled Niko’s cheeks and he gasped, before insisting I must have got it wrong. So I repeated everything Henrik had said. Niko got to his feet. He paced up and down, arms flailing in the air.
‘Not possible! Taxos… people love this village. Our grandparents… our grandchildren in the future… Taxos is our heritage. You knew about this, Pippa?’ He shook a finger in my direction.
Finally the dam burst and a tear trickled down my face.
His eyes glistened. ‘No… you’ve got heart… This is as much a shock to you.’ He turned and walked quickly in the direction of the village. ‘I’ll wake up everyone!’ he said. ‘We’ll fight this development!’
I got up and ran after him. With both my hands I dragged him backwards. ‘Niko! Use your brain. Think this through. A knee-jerk reaction won’t get Taxos anywhere.’
He turned to face me and pulled away his arm.
‘I’m not a brain-person like you, but a simple fisherman. My fists, my angry voice, they are the weapons I use.’
‘Henrik has brains. Doesn’t make him a clever person,’ I said. ‘Anyone can see that, long-term, it’s a sense of community, of belonging, that holds a country together. Although…’
‘There is an “although”?’ spat Niko.
I shrugged. ‘Henrik is a good man. People have to eat. Buy clothes. Put aside for their retirement… All he can see is the short-term financial benefits.
With my mathematician head on, I understand. He sees how you and your fellow villagers struggle… To him a quad bike track, nightclub, bars… It is the obvious answer. He won’t put nostalgia or the future of some turtle before economic factors.’ I shrugged. ‘Taxos fits the bill perfectly for being reinvented. Henrik is great at his job. In theory, he was a whizz to close this deal.’
‘Sounds like you are on his side.’
‘No… I mean… during my walk back, tonight, I calmed down and thought it through. I understand his reasons, that’s all.’
Niko threw his arms up in the air. ‘So, what do we do? This meeting tomorrow…’
‘Hmm, at midday, in the town hall. Invitations should have arrived today.’
Niko nodded. ‘Now you mention it, Papa talked of a letter from the council, talking of an “exciting” planning meeting tomorrow. We just thought it referred to some modernisation of the roads that has been talked about for months now.’ He shook his head. ‘We need to warn everyone.’
I went back to the fig tree to collect my hat and handbag, before slipping back into my sandals. We walked towards the harbour, finally sitting down together on a large rock. It smelt of seaweed and salt. I inhaled, relishing the pollution-free air.
‘Not yet. Let’s think through a plan first. If we tell the village without offering a way out, they may think it’s a hopeless cause to begin with. Why don’t we let Henrik say his piece then invite locals to the taverna afterwards?’
‘Henrik has been planning this since January?’
I nodded, as my chest squeezed. Part of me felt disloyal to Henrik giving away details – but then he had hidden this from me on purpose, for the last six months.
‘Okay. Our taverna will be an open house tomorrow then, after the meeting. Now I go back – tell my parents about the plan. But first I’ll walk you back to the villa.’
‘No need.’
‘But still.’
‘Okay… if it makes you feel better.’
‘And when you get in, eat one of those glittery scones. Pippa Pattinson doesn’t need a man to feel special and enjoy a bit of sparkle.’
My chest tingled. ‘Thanks, Niko.’
‘What for?’
‘For not saying “I told you so”. You suspected Stavros and Henrik were up to something. I should have listened, but–’
‘You love him, no? Love isn’t logical.’
‘I thought I loved him, but recently… I mean… of course. Yes. Henrik and I – we’re a good match. Like you and Leila.’
That curious look crossed Niko’s face again, that I’d seen earlier and before I knew it, we were standing inches in front of each other.
‘Yes… naturally. I… respect her a lot,’ he whispered.
My heart raced. Weird that he would say respect and not love. Our hands found each other and his thumbs gently rubbed my palms. Oh God, forget all my reservations about how much he’d changed – I longed to press my lips against his. I bet they were so soft and warm and sweet. But Henrik and I were still officially together, and then there was Leila of course and Grandma’s excitement about her grandson’s wedding… How could we kiss? How could I be that selfish and put my needs above a whole family’s?
Niko broke his gaze, gave a sigh and just gave me another hug. My head swirled. The way he behaved around me was so confusing, one moment touching me like a tender lover, but in the next breath joking around like just a good mate.
‘No problem,’ he murmured. ‘I understand why you stuck up for Henrik.’
Kaleidoscopic magic fairy dust flickered in front of my eyes, at this brief but overwhelming closeness, just like the time we’d laid close for butterfly kisses. A hot glow surged down my back, where his hands had touched and felt unfamiliar yet comfortable… dangerous yet safe…
He jerked his head towards the village and I nodded. Side-by-side, we headed back to the high street. I longed to hold his hand and feel his arm against mine. It was as if some uncontrollable physical force pulled us towards each other, regardless of circumstances. But consequences mattered and had so far managed to keep us from crossing an unacceptable line.
‘What happened to those carefree days of our youth,’ I muttered.
Niko stopped and his mouth upturned. ‘Come on, old woman – let’s stop off at the taverna first. I make you a special coffee.’
‘Old woman?’ I said, as the sexy sensations between us had morphed into the banter of old. ‘Forget it, young man – and I’ll make my own way home.’
‘I don’t think so,’ he grinned and ducked down to stand up again, with me over his shoulder.
I screamed and beat his back with my hands. Strong Niko would do this to me when we were youngsters, even though he was shorter. How the fishermen, who saw this on a regular basis, would laugh because they knew exactly how I’d get Niko back – by mercilessly exploiting a particular tickle spot I’d identified, under his left arm.
‘Niko. Put me down!’
Which he did immediately as suddenly bright lights shone our way and a Greek voice bellowed out. Once on terra firma I looked up to find… Oh my God. Two policemen had handcuffed Niko and read him some kind of rights.
Chapter Eleven
‘Niko? Arrested for abduction?’ Henrik snorted as he did up his tie and grinned.
‘It’s not funny,’ I said, voice tight. He was getting to the town hall early, to go over the presentation with Stavros. ‘There was no need to call the police to search for me. I’m surprised they agreed, considering I’d only “gone missing” for a few hours. They totally overreacted to Niko and me just–’
‘Just doing what?’ Henrik raised an eyebrow. ‘You profess to be deeply upset about the transformation of Taxos, yet in a matter of hours after hearing the news, you’re larking around on the beach. Anyway, what’s the big deal – they dropped all charges.’ Henrik poured me an orange juice. I sat at the breakfast bar and sighed. Our arguments had gone around in circles when I’d returned to the villa, last night.
‘Niko and I… we, um, go back a long way. Banter always got us through tough situations when we were small.’ Like when I’d just started a new boarding school and was dreading going back. Niko refused to let me mooch.
Henrik pursed his lips. ‘Don’t expect every villager to see this proposal as a “tough situation”. If Stavros’ experience is anything to go by, many Greeks have accepted that drastic action is needed to save the local and national economies.’ He reached in the fridge for eggs and flour. ‘Look…’ His voice softened. ‘I hate us arguing… how about I make pancakes?’
‘Would that be a guilty conscience cooking?’
I tied my dressing gown more tightly around my waist. Henrik sat down next to me and those slate eyes crinkled. He’d always looked great in a starched shirt, with his oat hair slicked back. I’d never met a man so well-groomed, but just lately I’d found it irritating. Organised. Neat. Successful. Charming. An answer for everything… It may sound churlish to complain, but sometimes it was hard dating someone whose flaws were either non-existent or hidden. It set the standards way too high for more laidback, imperfect me, who didn’t iron her underwear ( he did), slouched in onesies at weekends and left the kitchen tap running on a recent weekend away (thankfully without the sink plug left in).
‘Pips… don’t be like this… It’s nothing personal and you know it makes sense. ThinkBig are investing in Taxos’ future. Like it or not, things can’t go on as they have been.’
‘That’s true,’ I said. ‘But can’t ThinkBig come up with a plan that doesn’t tear the heart out of the place?’
Henrik took my hand. ‘That heart stopped beating a long time ago – youngsters have moved away to cities, older people have been driven to working the land. Things haven’t stayed the same in Taxos since you last visited, like you romantically imagine, Pippa – they’ve gone backwards. Life here needs to start moving forwards again.’
Urgh, and that was the annoying thing – the logical part of me knew t
hat Henrik was right. Yes, compared to my last trip here, nine years ago, everything that was thriving about Taxos had declined.
Gently Henrik squeezed my fingers. ‘Stand by me today, Pippa. Your support would make all the difference.’
I pulled my hand away. ‘Sorry. Just can’t. ThinkBig’s proposal is too drastic.’ I gave a hopeful smile. ‘Why don’t you stand by me instead, and try to dilute your employer’s plans?’
‘Dilute?’ Henrik shook his head and stood up. He knocked back his orange juice. ‘I don’t know what’s happened to you this last week, Pippa, but where’s that savvy executive gone? Back home you have no qualms about turning down much-wanted loan applications or declaring family businesses bankrupt… Whereas here you are letting sentimentality affect your common sense.’
When he left the villa, without saying goodbye, I rang Mum and Dad. They were surprised to hear of ThinkBig’s plans but thought it also the only way forwards. They even gleefully discussed how the development would increase the value of their villa.
What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t the sensible mathematician in me talk my romantic side around? The trouble was, when I thought of Taxos, I still dreamed of running a little afternoon teashop and enjoying a traditional family life. With a sigh, I turned off my phone and headed to the shower. A brisk walk into Taxos would clear my head. I’d grab a coffee at Taxos Taverna before the meeting, and then walk to the town hall with Niko’s family.
‘Ya sou, Pippa!’ called the postman, as I strode down the dusty road, an hour or so later. I smiled as he slowed his bike. How Niko and I had played jokes on him, in the past, stashing heavy rocks at the bottom of his bag. ‘You go to this meeting later?’
Game of Scones Page 10