The Little Teashop: Game Of Scones Part 3

We exchanged a brief look before Niko charged into the waves.

Two hysterical kids and one adult? Nope, that wasn't going to work. So thanks to the mathematician in me and to the amazement of a few elderly locals who must have heard the commotion and come down to the beach I pulled off my blouse and stepped quickly out of my shorts. Thank G.o.d I was wearing matching underwear and had recently waxed. Blocking out thoughts of jellyfish, I ran across the sand, to make up the numbers, flinching as one foot landed on something sharp before I hit the warm waves.

Trouble was, that wind seemed twice as strong in the water, which increased the height of the waves for every half-metre forward, I had to navigate a half-metre into the air.

Bobbing up and down, I got flashes of the children's faces scrunched up, lilos colliding. As salt.w.a.ter filled my mouth, I suffered a coughing fit and Niko turned around.

'Pippa? You crazee woman! Go back!' he hollered.

'Not likely. You'll need help,' I shouted. A scream cut through the air from the beach. I stared at the lilos. One of the children had fallen off the eldest, by the looks of it.

'Theo!' shouted Niko, before disappearing from view himself. I also dived under the water. Just a few more metres and I'd be at the inflatables. Hundreds of white bubbles blocked my vision, but eventually I could just make out Niko's muscular legs and the black curly head of a child. He dragged the boy up to the surface and we all came up for air.

Spluttering, I glanced again at the lilos, whilst Niko tried to calm down Theo. Nausea backed up my throat. Both were empty, now. The youngest must have fallen in too. Oh skata (rude word, you can guess which one).

I took a deep breath and dived again, leaving Niko to deal with Theo, who kept gagging and flapping his hands. Frantically I paddled my legs, arms tearing through the relentless current. Within seconds I was under the red plastic rectangles, exhausted, despite having only progressed a couple of metres. A clump of seaweed floated past and my eyes stung as I forced them to focus towards the inky black depths. With brilliant timing I recalled the film Jaws. Were great white sharks common in the Aegean?

With all my might I pushed myself further downwards. Now all I could think about what how much I needed oxygen. Luxurious, fragrant Greek cedar air, wafting into my lungs... My chest burnt as something grabbed my leg. I pirouetted around, throat aching as I ran out of breath. Little fingers reached up. In one swift movement I ducked and put my hands beneath the boy's armpits. Legs kicking wildly, I propelled us to the surface.

'Pippa...' Niko's voice broke as my head shot above the water's surface. Theo was back on one of the lilos.

'Help!' I yelled, my open mouth taking in more briny liquid. Somehow we dragged Theo's brother onto the other lilo and turned him onto his side. The little boy suffered a violent coughing fit. Water and saliva spewed out of his mouth. He gagged several times and burst into tears. The knots in my stomach unfurled as crying probably meant he was all right.

Niko ordered the children to lie on their fronts, on the lilos, and hold tight.

By this time a group of fishermen had sailed out, towards us. Thank G.o.d. My whole body felt as heavy as the anchor I spotted on the boat's side. After what seemed like five hours, not five minutes, they arrived, first hauling the boys to safety. Niko insisted I went next. He followed, panting for breath, and the four of us crouched on the wooden seats, me in between the two boys.

A young fisherman, in a checked shirt, altered the angle of the sail, whilst his grey-bearded man companion wrapped the boys in towels and pa.s.sed me a spare one. He avoided my eye. Ah yes. Of course. Just remembered my outfit consisted of one lacy bra and high-leg knickers. I wrapped the towel around my body, sarong-style, and wiped my mouth. Urgh. I hated that salty taste, and was that a slimy lace of seaweed down my back? My hair hung in rats' tails, the tight bobble lost, as I slipped my arms around the children and cuddled them tight. My cheeks p.r.i.c.ked and tingled like only fair skin does under the sun. Niko spoke to the crew, a couple of whom had clapped him on the shoulder.

Whilst the boat swayed from side to side, I spotted two adults with Mrs Dellis, on the beach. All three waved madly. As we neared I could see their tear-stained faces. The young couple must have been the boys' parents. A bigger crowd had a.s.sembled near the old jetty. As the boat hit the sand, the boys' mum and dad rushed forward, wading into the water. Old Mrs Dellis was still wailing and wringing her bony hands.

'Efharisto, efharisto,' the boys' family kept saying to me and Niko. In turn, we thanked the fishermen.

A while later, Niko gave me a wry smile. 'So here we are again,' he muttered.

Having escaped the congratulations of the crowd and beady eye of the local doctor, we stood under the fig tree, me back in my shorts and blouse. I picked up my hat and gla.s.ses. He leant forward and ran a thumb over my cheeks.

'They'll be painful later. Grandma swears that yogurt helps sunburn.'

I shrugged and turned to go, like I had a couple of hours before.

'Pippa... No leave it like this...' He held out a hand. 'How you see me... it is not true. I'm no playboy. It's just... I'm so pleased to see you again. Stay a while. Tell me about your life. Let's catch up on the time we've been apart.'

I fought the urge to slip my hand into his.

'Look, it's great to see you too,' I said, now over the shock of the change in him. Almost losing those boys gave a bit of perspective. 'But I'm a Londoner now part of the rat-race. An office worker. A suit wearer. Whereas you...' I gazed around at the island... the lapping waves... the squawking seagulls... 'We couldn't be more different. And I'm here to spend time with Henrik. I mean, you are happy with Leila, right? Committed to spending the rest of your days with her?'

'Of course,' said Niko quickly and for some reason averted his eyes.

'Just like I am committed to honest, caring Henrik,' I continued, shifting uncomfortably. Well, I hadn't made my mind up yet.

'Henrik? Honest? Pah, I can keep quiet no longer.' He sneered. 'This Dutch giant is up to something. Back in January he kept meeting Stavros Lakis, our local mayor. He is a sly figure, well-known for zooming around in his new white Range Rover, smoking fancy cigars and tricking people out of money. Wake up, Pippa, your tall, handsome boyfriend whose charm is legendary, is in fact a scoundrel, making some deal with the most corrupt man on the whole of Kos island...'

Chapter Five.

I wrapped my arms around Niko's neck. My fingers played with his curls. The teasing mouth quirked into a smile and like a mirror reflection, I'm guessing my lips quirked back. I couldn't be more grateful to him, for pointing out the dark ways of clearly unwholesome Henrik. I mean, fancy him speaking to the dodgy town mayor. Without hesitation, I stripped off and lay down on a carpet of fallen fig leaves. Holding my hand up, I muttered 'Ravish me, my little sea urchin... let your feelers do their work...'

Hmm. As if that was going to happen me play right into that gigolo's hands? Yes, "gigolo" all civility had left me the moment he insulted my boyfriend. I'd snorted in Niko's face and flounced off, dignity lacking due to my high heels wobbling in the sand. It was laughable. Henrik talking to an underhand mayor meant nothing, because as everyone else on this planet knew, corruption throughout the Greek establishment was rife. In fact it would be more suspicious if Henrik had talked to an official whose reputation was still intact.

I glanced sideways, across the sh.e.l.l-white pillows. Slowly Henrik's chest rose and dipped. Yesterday we'd spent just a quiet Sunday together, by the pool, managing with basic food provisions and... okay, if you must know, we finally made love again and it was... nice.

Aarggh, and now I'd used a word that reminded me of Niko. But me realising what a jerk Niko had grown into, forced me to abandon my doubts and realise Henrik really was a catch. My head told me to grow up that like oysters, not all men had something priceless inside. My man had lots of good qualities, like his honesty, and that should be enough.

I jumped as someone knocked at the villa's front door. Henrik yawned and went to sit up. I shushed him, slipped through a gap in the mosquito net and headed towards our little blue-painted front door, which I unlocked and pulled open.

'Ya sou, Theo!' I squinted in the sunlight and bent down to ruffle the black hair. The little boy stood next to his dad.

'Miss Pattinson...' Mr Dellis bowed his head.

'Please, call me Pippa.' I smiled and smoothed down my nightdress. Eek, by the position of the sun, it must have already been late morning. I yawned again. 'Excuse me we got woken up by the fire station last night.'

'Ah yes... There was a fire in a nightclub, further north our crew went to help out. My brother is one of the team. Fortunately no one was hurt.' Mr Dellis cleared his throat. 'Pippa... again... Sat.u.r.day efharisto. It was dangerous. Like firemen, you risked your life for my boy.'

'Efharisto,' mumbled Theo, in a shy voice, from under the green sunhat he'd just put back on.

'No problem,' I said, chest glowing.

'But as a thank you, we put on a little meal tonight and have booked Taxos Taverna for eight o'clock. Please say you and your boyfriend will be there. My family and I will treat you and Niko like the greatest of G.o.ds.'

My stomach twisted. Niko? Could I really face seeing him again, without my temper urging me to shower him with retsina and.... Oh no. Did I really just imagine what it would be like to lick it off?

My ears burned. 'There is no need, honestly'

'That is exactly what Niko said.' Mr Dellis took my hand. 'My wife and I, my mother... so grateful. Please. Let us honour you in this small way. We have arranged for Georgios and Sophia to put on a modest buffet.'

Bags bulged under his eyes and his nails had split, no doubt from working the land. 'Okay. Um... lovely, thank you. But please let me bring something... for dessert.' I didn't want to hurt his pride by saying don't spend money you can't afford.

His face lit up. 'We look forward to it. Eight o'clock. Until later!'

I closed the door. How great to see Theo looking so well, although I doubted he'd go back on a lilo any time soon.

As I walked through the hallway, gentle snoring wafted out from the spare room. Both Henrik and I had slept like exhausted Olympic torchbearers since arriving in Greece no doubt the months of a hectic London life catching up with us. Humming, I headed into the kitchen and filled the coffee maker. Mmm, those ground beans smelt good. Soon it was percolating and energised by just the aroma of caffeine, I opened one of the cornflower-blue cupboards and took out the flour, b.u.t.ter and sugar that Henrik and Leila had bought on Sat.u.r.day afternoon. We were almost out of milk, but I wouldn't need much for even a large batch of scones.

Leila. How long had she been going out with Niko? Did they laugh together like I used to with him? Who'd made the first move? Did she, too, like wildlife?

My heart pumped as I recalled Niko's face, up against mine... Could I avoid him forever? No. For a start, food was running low which meant a trip into Taxos. Talking of which, how on earth would I flavour the scones? Not that much beat a plain, well-risen one with melting b.u.t.ter on top, but I had a bit of a reputation to uphold with the Sotiropoulos family, particularly Grandma.

My gaze fell upon a large bar of chocolate on the low wooden table, in the middle of the lounge. Henrik had bought it at the airport. He liked it dark. Surely he wouldn't mind me using a little if I replaced it at the local supermarket? I gazed out of the patio windows and for the first time really studied the plants, especially a wide, roundish tree with emerald leaves and what looked like bulbous orangey-red peaches... Of course apricots! The last fruits of the season hung in August and we used to gorge on them for breakfast when I was a child. Chocolate chip and apricot scones would be a perfect combination of bitter and sweet flavours. I slipped into my flip-flops and drew back the patio doors.

As I walked onto the paving stones, the tolerable morning sun kissed my cheeks. I still winced as Sat.u.r.day's sunburn had not quite turned brown. Cicadas chirped and I inhaled salty sea air. Bliss a heavenly change from the stuffy smell of the London underground.

I tucked strands of unbrushed hair behind my ears, only for the breeze to release them once more. On reaching the apricot tree, I plucked off tiger-orange fruits, clearly bursting with juice. In fact several lay open on the ground, providing flies with a sumptuous brunch. I bit into one and a wet trickle ran down my chin. Annoying... Why did that remind me of Niko's juice-smeared mouth as he'd devoured half a fig?

Back indoors, I cracked on with the culinary task in hand. Ah, that was better, me kneading the scone dough, up and down, then around and around.... How pretty it looked with flecks of hard brown and squishy orange. Aaahhh... slowly my shoulders and brow relaxed and confused thoughts swapped places with happy images in my mind, such as a gently-breaking tide or colourful Greek salad.

I couldn't wait to see Grandma again. How she would loves these scones. Please let her get better... My vision blurred for a second. It was strange to think of the hardworking, no-nonsense Iris bed-ridden with people looking after her for a change.

'So, when are you going to replace my chocolate?' said Henrik, as we strolled into Taxos that evening, just before eight. The road was difficult to make out, due to the sunset. Like movie actors teasing paparazzi, stars glinted, now and again, in the sapphire sky. I breathed in cedar wood smells from the nearby forest.

He glanced down. I looked up. As he squeezed my fingers through the twilight, we both grinned. With the other hand I carried a basket, containing the scones with a tea-towel over the top. I felt like one of those American Stepford wives you see in TV series, who always welcome new neighbours with homemade delights. Or like Red Riding Hood in the woods, except without the cape.

'Although I guess I can write off the debt, seeing as you're such a hero,' Henrik continued. 'What happened Sat.u.r.day you saving that boy...'

I groaned. 'Please. I'm dreading tonight. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the meal, but all this fuss anyone else would have done the same.'

Henrik stopped and turned to face me. 'You really believe that? Remember when we went skiing last year? That man went off-piste and landed head-first on the ground, catching his helmet on a rock? Even though he declared himself fine, it was you who insisted he visit the resort's medical centre. He'd have been dead twelve hours later if it hadn't been for that.'

I shrugged.

'Then that time, shortly after we met, when a woman choked in that Chinese restaurant.'

I pulled his hand, to continue our journey towards the lights of Taxos. Hmm fortunately I'd known how to employ the Heimlich manoeuvre, whilst everyone else panicked, apart from Henrik who'd calmed down her husband and kids.

Henrik looked sideways at me. 'Whilst other people are prepared to stand at the sidelines, watching disasters unfold, you get stuck in to change the course of events. No doubt that's why your career is such a success.' He cleared his throat which had broken a little. 'That's why you and I make such a good match. The easy way out is never an option. We do the right thing, even if that means making tough decisions that not everyone will like. In fact...' Henrik inhaled as if he had something important to say... was he about to propose? I steeled myself. You'd be mad to say no, Pippa, said a prim voice in my head.

'This Friday I have planned a very special day out for you and me. So don't arrange anything with your Taxos friends.'

I swallowed. So, Greta was right. No doubt he'd chosen an exquisite location for the proposal.

'And, er, also I forgot to mention...' he said, '...whilst you were showering an urgent phone call came in. Tomorrow I have to go into Kos Town for a meeting and'

'Henrik! We've only just arrived!'

'Sorry Pips... I promise, it won't take long.'

'So what's so important about this bit of business that it can't wait?' Suddenly his fingers seemed clammy and I loosened my grip.

'Oh, I won't bore you with the details...' He stared straight ahead. 'It's just some client who is anxious to close a big deal.'

'Which client?' I pushed, but all to no avail as at that moment shrieks of laughter greeted us at the village's edge. My heart flipped it was just the shock, of course at the sight of Niko with little Theo on his shoulder. He looked as comfortable as if he were the boy's actual dad, wearing a shirt as white as Greek yogurt, tucked into well-fitting jeans. With Leila, by his side, holding hands with a little girl. They looked like a family, happy and complete. On seeing us, Niko bent over and let Theo who was carrying a football slide onto the ground 'Ya sou, Pippa...' His mouth twitched into a smile, the shirt showing off his caramel skin. He nodded at Henrik. 'We have come to greet you... Good food, good wine, good company it awaits you in Taxos. Mind you...' He looked down at Theo and grinned. 'We almost didn't make it. At this time of night, with only a few locals and tourists around, the streets make a fine, empty football pitch.'

'I did my best to make them hurry,' said pet.i.te Leila and I couldn't stop smiling down at her amiable face. Nor could I stop gawping at her gorgeous dress. The colourful red and yellow floral pattern perfectly suited her skin. Nipped in at the waist, it accentuated her trim figure. Whilst I'd grown accustomed to and even liked my height, once again I just briefly wondered what it must be like to be a small, delicately-featured woman and whether that aspect of her was what Niko found appealing.

'Lovely flower,' I said and pointed to the red-orange bloom with large petals, tucked behind her ear.

'Thank you. Our pomegranate trees have bloomed late this year.'

Theo looked up shyly and said something to Niko who shrugged. 'He asks if Henrik would go ahead with him, back to the wider part of the road, for a kick-around before we eat.'

A bubble of laughter tickled my throat. Henrik wasn't what I'd call child-friendly. I'd never forget his bulging eyes and wrinkled-up nose when we recently visited a friend who'd just had a baby. She'd insisted Henrik hold the tiny tot, who promptly screamed in his arms, filled its nappy and broke copious amounts of wind. Having said that, Henrik oozed charm, whether it be directed at toddlers, young adults or pensioners. Indeed, his love of football won the day and he ruffled Theo's hair before the two of them hurried away. Leila and the little girl laughed and ran after them.

Niko turned to me and took a step closer, fiddling with his leather bracelet. I doubted that a baby's dirty nappies would faze him. The sky was pitch black now, without the intrusive amber glow of city lights I was used to in London.

'Pippa I am glad we are alone. We have something to discuss.'

I stared at the ground. 'Do we?'

'Yes.' He put a hand on my shoulder. 'The desire of Niko Sotiropoulos to make f.u.c.k with you.'

Chapter Six.

'What did you say?' I almost dropped my basket and shook off his hand as I looked up.

'That film. I watched it. You compared me to the Greek waiter. He said something like that to Shirley, about making f'

'You watched Shirley Valentine?' I gasped. 'How... I mean... so quickly...'

'A shop in Kos Town stocks DVDs for tourists. It's not funny, that you think me like him. Pippa...' He threw his hands in the air. 'I have no agenda. Am serious. Unlike the waiter in film who was just looking for lightweight adventures.'

'At least he wasn't hiding a fiancee,' I muttered.

'Let me explain.'

His mocha eyes gazed earnestly into my face and tingles in all sorts of places p.r.i.c.ked my skin.

'No! Let's just leave it Henrik and I, we... are happy. Look, I kind of get it life in dusty Taxos, especially after the recession, must be... well, I can't blame you for having a bit of fun with visiting tourists. Mind you, it stinks that you flirt with everyone behind Leila's back.' I started walking again. 'But don't badmouth Henrik to me.'

'And don't you badmouth Taxos life here is as special as ever.'

My cheeks burned. He was right. For me old-fashioned, unsullied Taxos was still idyllic, with its ramshackle character contrasting Kos Town's glossy glitz.

'As for Leila...' he continued. 'You really think so little of me?'

'What does my opinion matter?'

He swallowed. 'Everything.'