though she was almost certain Michalis felt the same way.
Yet why was she now suddenly tormented by these perverse pangs of attraction towards another man, when she should be content with her new friendship with Michalis? She needed no more fleeting adventures, she told herself sternly: Paolo had already helped her to regain what James had knocked out of her. What was needed now was stability. Her feelings for Michalis went deep: she could see a future with him, or so she had thought until now . . .
The cheerful voices of Eleni and Froso, who had evidently now moved to the garden, floated through the open window, interrupting her anxious self-questioning and prompting her to go downstairs to join them. As she swung her legs out of bed, she hesitated for a moment, apprehensive that her mother and aunt would almost certainly want to discuss last night’s party and her behaviour might well be the subject they would dwell on.
She was halfway down the stairs when her mobile rang. ‘I hope I didn’t wake you,’ Michalis said. ‘Nicos and I were just talking about you. We are going up to the olive estate soon and we wondered if you’d like to come with us?’
She felt a churning in her insides, between a guilt-induced queasiness and excitement. ‘When?’ was all she managed to ask before going out into the garden.
‘Kalimera, Calliope mou!’ Froso was the first to greet her, as she walked barefoot towards them in her night shorts and T-shirt. The two sisters were drinking their coffee and interrupted their flow of talk. ‘You look flustered,’ her aunt said with concern as the young woman pulled up a chair next to hers. ‘Is your room too hot? Did you sleep all right?’
‘No . . . I mean yes, Thia, I’m fine, no problem with my room,’ Calli blurted, aware that her face must look flushed after the phone call.
‘It was unusually hot last night,’ her aunt continued. ‘I was worried about you. Maybe today the heat will subside a little.’
‘Enough about the weather!’ Eleni burst out, interrupting her sister. She gave Calli a long lingering look. ‘So . . . last night was an interesting evening?’ she said, right on cue, and raised an eyebrow.
‘Er . . . well . . . yes,’ Calli mumbled. She turned to her aunt, ignoring her mother. ‘Unless you have anything else planned for me this morning,’ she announced, addressing them both, ‘I’ve been invited by Michalis and his brother to go out for a drive.’
‘Let’s take Calli for a coffee and a bite before we head to the estate,’ Nicos suggested when they picked her up soon after their phone call, giving her just enough time to dress and get ready.
‘They are both such good boys,’ Froso had said to her sister as they left. ‘I am glad Calli is having a good time.’
The kafenio they chose that morning was nothing more than a shack on the beach owned by an old man and his wife.
‘It doesn’t look like much,’ Michalis said, ‘but I promise we will eat like kings here.’
They feasted on a breakfast of freshly picked grapes and figs, crusty village bread, olives, cheese, hard-boiled eggs and honey from local hives. No sooner had they finished eating one dish than another was set before them. Calli, battling with her nervous digestion, did her best; each course tasted as good as the last.
‘This is what I miss, away from home,’ Nicos sighed. ‘Finding a simple place like this on the beach.’ He picked up a green fig. ‘I never understood why anyone would want to peel a fig,’ he said and popped it whole into his mouth as he reached for another; this time he took care to choose the finest one, large and deep purple. ‘Try this,’ he said, offering it delicately to Calli: ‘for me it’s the skin that has most of the flavour.’
‘The darker they are, the better the flavour.’ Michalis nodded in agreement.
Calli leaned back on her chair and bit into the honey-scented fruit. She savoured both texture and taste, pungent and sweetened by the sun, relishing each mouthful. How marvellous it was to be sitting on a sandy beach a few metres from the water’s edge, her bare feet plunged into the warm sand, discussing the best way to eat figs. Nothing could have been more perfect at that moment. She closed her eyes and wished it could last for ever.