The Little Teashop: Game Of Scones Part 7

'Great to see this place buzzing, isn't it?' he said. 'What do you fancy for lunch? A burger? Hot dog? I know, why don't we just share a really big ice cream sundae? I'm still full after that huge brunch.'

Before I could express an opinion, we'd walked into the American ice cream parlour and sat down. It provided a welcome refuge from the afternoon sun. A woman dressed in a pencil skirt and short-sleeved blouse roller-skated (I repeat, roller-skated) over to us and Henrik ordered the triple chocolate fudge any day sundae. The stream-lined tables had gilt edges and photos of American movie stars, from the fifties, covered the walls. In the corner a juke box played Elvis Presley.

I was just about to feign indignation that he'd ordered for me, when I understood. Of course he could hardly hide a ring box in his flimsy T-shirt or shorts' pocket. Henrik must have come to Tyrionitsa earlier in the week to drop off the ring which, no doubt, would be served in the ice cream he'd ordered. My mouth went dry as the moment I'd worried about for weeks was just a few minutes away.

Okay, so the table wasn't candlelit, with sophisticated gla.s.ses of champagne, but the parlour was fun. In fact a little bit too fun for Henrik... I studied his face. This whole trip was bizarre.

'So...' I smiled and took off my hat and gla.s.ses. 'What are we doing here? Of all the places to visit in Kos, what's special about Tyrionitsa especially now?'

'Especially now?' His brow furrowed.

A group of young English men sitting near us laughed as one of them ran to the toilets, gagging, with dried vomit already down his shirt.

'It's hardly the picturesque fishing village I remember, with a carpet of pretty sh.e.l.ls on the beach and traditional smells of garlic and oregano wafting down avenues.' I pulled a face. 'And did you see that tacky souvenir shop we pa.s.sed outside?' Through the window I'd seen what looked like ma.s.s-produced sh.e.l.l mermaid ornaments, covered in pink and blue glitter.

A muscle in Henrik's face twitched as the waitress skated over and put the ma.s.sive sundae between us, with two spoons.

'Wow. That's enormous,' I said and stared at the dessert gla.s.s which held squares of fudge cake wedged between generous scoops of ice cream. On top lay rivers of dark brown sauce, sprinkled with white, dark and milk chocolate shavings.

Bearing what I hoped was a bright, cheery expression, I gazed at Henrik, then the sundae, trying to spot a diamond ring. Perhaps it would be wrapped in plastic. Or hidden at the bottom and we had to scoff the whole dessert before finding it. My stomach scrunched but tough luck, I told it I'll never meet a more suitable man than Henrik. Plus Niko has proposed to another and in any case, me and him? How could that work? No... marrying my Dutch boyfriend made sense. Urgh! This indecision was so unlike me. Any moment I could be faced with a ring, yet I still couldn't swear what my answer would be.

'You don't approve of the village's renovation?' he said and picked up a spoon. 'Surely your business mind sees the value. Tourists now visit Tyrionitsa. That brings in money. Puts food on the table in these challenging times... Picturesque views don't fill empty stomachs, nor placate bank managers waiting for loans to be repaid.'

I looked through the window. 'But all its character has gone... What about Greek heritage?'

Henrik snorted. 'Oh come on, Pips, it's not like you to be naive... You know most people come to Greece for the weather, cheap booze and great beaches. They don't give a stuff about whether the souvenirs are made here or in Taiwan.'

I dug my spoon into a moist square of cake. My head knew Henrik might be right but my heart ached for the Tyrionitsa from my memories. Eventually I shrugged.

'Well, I guess people have had to do what it takes and move forward to survive the economic downturn.'

'Exactly,' said Henrik and his eyes shone. 'And talking of moving forward, I've brought you here today for a very exciting reason...'

This was it. I swallowed my mouthful, put down the spoon and wiped my lips with a napkin. I leant forward, noting the slight flush in Henrik's cheeks and for a moment I felt a tiny surge of how I used to feel about him. He was a good man. He'd make a good husband. Mum and Dad would be pleased.

'I've brought you here today,' he said, 'because...'

Oh, G.o.d... suddenly I felt sick. Deep breaths. Yes. Henrik was perfect. Me deciding to stay with him was in no way a knee-jerk reaction to discovering how much Niko has changed. More deep breaths. A proposal from such an honest, hardworking, caring man didn't come along every day.

I forced a wide smile. 'Because...?'

Henrik took my hand. 'Dear Pippa... tomorrow at midday, in the town hall in Taxos...'

Here we go...

'... will you help me reveal ThinkBig's next big project to the residents?'

Huh?

His grin widened. 'Rundown, struggling Taxos is set to become the next dynamic, euro-rich Tyrionitsa!'

I stared at him. Blinked several times. Opened my mouth but no words came out.

'I brought you here today to show you how ThinkBig can breathe new life into your favourite Greek village. My meeting last Tuesday wasn't really with a customer. I met up with Stavros, the mayor of Kos Town. I put the wheels in motion last January when I met up with him we're going to turn little Taxos into one of the most profitable, tourist-driven areas of the island, just like Tyrionitsa which is a success story of foreign investment.'

I don't know what shocked me more the lack of marriage proposal or horrific proposal for the destruction of Taxos.

'Isn't it brilliant?' said Henrik, slightly less buoyant. 'You don't have to worry about your friends next summer their tills won't stop ringing with a constant influx of new trade.'

'ThinkBig... developing Taxos?'

Henrik cleared his throat. 'Yes. Permission is going through to approve a quad bike track on the land behind the church. In the centre we'll construct one nightclub and encourage locals to buy the franchise for fast-food restaurants otherwise we've a list of investors who'll come up with the money and employees themselves. Plus a c.o.c.ktail bar will be built in Caretta Cove, which will be the booking centre for all-day boat parties and drinking games. They'll take place just off the sh.o.r.e.'

'But... what about the fishing and sponge-diving? It'll be ruined. And experts believe the endangered Caretta turtle might finally be considering the cove in Taxos again, as a nesting site.'

Henrik snorted. 'I've read those reports and the marine people have no solid proof. Pippa! Your Taxos friends are barely sc.r.a.ping a living... you've now seen it for yourself. As soon as I came here in January, I knew Taxos would benefit from this type of project.' He swallowed a mouthful of ice cream. 'I can just picture Niko hosting parties, out at sea... There is no reason why anyone in the village should be worse off.' He ate another mouthful. 'And we thought signs in the shape of the Caretta turtle could be the theme for the village like mermaids are here.'

I swallowed. Stupid me. I thought Stavros and he had been talking about the shape of a wedding cake.

My eyes narrowed as I thought back to their conversation that I'd overheard in The Flamingo Inn. The words "hurried through as a favour" popped into my head no wonder Henrik hadn't wanted me to look in that folder of paperwork he'd brought over to Greece with him.

'So you only decided this in January...' That explained why he'd come back from that trip all excited. He'd clearly struck the deal then, as all the extra phone calls he took at home started from his return. 'How come the permission has gone through so quickly?' I asked, the words sounding shaky.

Henrik shuffled in his seat. 'Um... Stavros helped pave the way...' His face broke into a smile again. 'But you can see the advantages, can't you? This development will turn the town around. You don't need to work in a bank to work out how little profit the locals are turning over at the moment. Their tourist trade is zilch and locals can't support the economy on their own...'

'I know on paper this is the answer to their problems but...' I shuddered. 'Those all-day boat parties... I saw a doc.u.mentary about them last year. Within the s.p.a.ce of a few months these changes would destroy Taxos' history the look of the sh.o.r.eline... the old buildings which for years have withstood bad weather and forest fires... and as for the authentic, gentle ambience...'

Henrik shook his head. 'I can't believe I'm hearing this. You're a businesswoman. You know ambience doesn't feed hungry mouths doesn't secure a future. The residents are lucky that out of all the locations on Kos, ThinkBig has picked Taxos.'

I stood up. 'Sorry Henrik I need some fresh air.' Without looking at him I went out of the ice cream parlour and sat down on a bench outside.

A few moments later Henrik sat next to me, his long legs stretched out in front. He squeezed my arm. 'I thought you'd be more excited.'

'So this was the special day out to visit Tyrionitsa, as a snapshot of the future Taxos?'

His fingers intertwined with mine. 'Yes. I've seen the concern on your face at the ramshackle sight of Georgios and Sophia's restaurant. I thought you'd be pleased, and as a bank executive approve of and support this project.'

Pleased? No. Instead a ball of something unpleasant spun in my chest.

'And when are the residents going to be told?' I said, in even tones.

He cleared his throat. 'They should receive their invitations today for the meeting, tomorrow, in Taxos town hall. We don't give details, just say to turn up for exciting information about the village's future.'

And I'd a.s.sumed they were wedding invitations.

'If you thought I'd consider ThinkBig some sort of saviour, why have you held off so long telling me? All these months you've known, yet I've found out the day before everyone else? In fact why keep it such a secret from me and everyone, right until the very last minute? Clearly you knew this decision won't go down well.'

His cheeks flushed. 'No one likes change. But eventually the positives will win them over. I... I didn't want to bother you with all this you've had such a challenging year. And you needed to see Taxos firsthand, to understand just how much this project will benefit the area.'

'Liar!' My eyes tingled. Wow. That's not a word I ever thought I'd use to describe Henrik. 'You knew I'd hate the thought of beloved Taxos being turned into one of those playgrounds for binge-drinking, s.e.x-seeking tourists. You've told me right at the last minute, so I don't have time to mention the plans to my friends before your presentation which, no doubt, will be heavily persuasive...' My voice wobbled. 'I fell in love with your honesty, Henrik.' I turned to look at him. That was the one quality that had stood up to my doubts about marrying him. 'But it seems you aren't that upfront after all.'

'That's absurd,' he said, in a measured voice. 'I realise the news must have been a shock, but your business logic should have kicked in by now. Taxos is home to people who've lost their jobs seen their retirement savings decimated just to get through each day. How do you think your beloved Greek village would look in five years from now, without the financial support of ThinkBig?'

Yes, my head knew he was right but still my heart grieved for the Taxos I might lose. I gazed up and down Tyrionitsa's high street. It had no personality and could have been anywhere in the Mediterranean.

I got to my feet. 'Absurd or not, I can't support your scheme. Surely the locals have recourse to an appeal?'

His mouth twitched. 'Of course, but what would be the point? A few down-on-their-luck villagers against the might of ThinkBig and a mayor?'

'An underhand mayor, if rumour is to be believed.'

He stood up too, towering over me. 'Business works in a different way, over here especially since the collapse of the Greek economy.'

Niko's words about Stavros's shiny white Range Rover sprang to my mind the same model, no doubt, as the ThinkBig company car Henrik had been driving.

'So you've bribed the authorities, been working in cahoots with one of the most corrupt officials... you've gone behind my friends' backs... you've lied to me.' I put on my sunhat. 'Who are you, Henrik? Not the upstanding, clean-cut man I thought I'd come on holiday with.' I walked in the direction of the beach. Easily he caught up and grabbed my arm.

'Pippa. Think it through. It's for the best and if you stand by my side it will give your Taxos friends confidence in the project...'

'I'd rather support the building of a nuclear reactor nearby.'

'Look, come on, get in the car. Let's talk about this sensibly,' he said in a tight voice.

'No. I'll make my own way back to the villa,' I snapped and ran towards the sand.

Chapter Ten.

'Fancy some s.e.x with an alligator, love?'

I lifted up the brim of my hat to see the grinning face of a sunburnt man, in the queue for paragliding. He held out a drink, layered dark red and green.

'Melon and raspberry liqueur with Jagermeister it's hot stuff, honey.'

'No thanks,' I said, wondering what the other c.o.c.ktails were called, as every young person in the queue held a rainbow-coloured drink in a plastic beaker. I hurried along towards the so-called Mermaid Cove where artificial caves had been carved out of the cliff. Small children lined up to go in. On nearby rocks sat ceramic mermaids. A young Greek man, in some kind of holiday resort uniform, explained to a small English girl that they were real mermaids, turned to stone centuries ago by a curse.

At a relaxed pace now and glad that Henrik had given up the chase, I headed along the beach, determined to walk back to Taxos on my own. Litter was strewn across the sand, including beer bottles, takeaway wrappers and rubber.... Ew. You'd rather not know. A pebble slipped into my sandal and I sat down on some rocks, near a Greek mum with two children. I undid my shoe and the small stone slid out. I smiled at the daughter who was building a sandcastle.

'Kalos,' I said and held up my thumb, remembering that was the word for good. The mother smiled and removed her sungla.s.ses. I took off mine too.

'You no going up in the sky on those boats or drinking c.o.c.ktails?' she said.

I grimaced. 'No. I didn't realise Tyrionitsa had changed so much. I knew it a long time ago.'

The light left her face for a moment, dark eyebrows furrowing together.

'Is not Tyrionitsa any more not the village I grew up in.'

I put my sandal back on. 'But you earn more money now?'

'Pah! Euros not everything. Yes, our bar makes good business at night but the customers... When we used to run our little taverna, people no sick on the floor nor ...' her face flushed, '... nor made s.e.x in the toilets with strangers.'

I shook my head and we sat quietly, watching a distant paraglider. A sense of doom weighed me down, due to ThinkBig's plans for Taxos. I shifted uncomfortably on the rock as I realised this upset me more than the lack of marriage proposal. Couldn't Henrik see the village as a living, breathing ent.i.ty, made up of individuals' lives and dreams instead of just acreage to knock down and tackily rebuild? What would Georgios and Sophia say? And Grandma? My mouth dried. Dear Iris how would this affect her health? Niko had said my presence seemed to have perked her up, even though I'd just been back in Greece a few days this news from Henrik could undo all that progress.

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 c.o.c.ktails 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...' d.a.m.n 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...'