My Big Fat Christmas Wedding (13 page)

He snorted. ‘No, but as I’m sure you’ve found out recently, it sure as hell makes life a lot easier. Is it really such a difficult choice – the oasis that is Dubai or a practically bankrupt country in the refugee-swamped Aegean?’

‘I once read an article, about living in Dubai. There’s no heritage. Everything has been built to order, for the rich and playboys. It’s like living in Disneyland – fabulous for a few years but poison for the soul thereafter.’

‘Then we’d only be there for the set-up. In a year or two we could transfer back, with more money in our pockets than we’ve ever dreamed of. Our kids could go to the best boarding schools in London.’

Boarding? So he still wasn’t up for the full family life? I smiled at images in my head of Taxos parents bringing their children into the teashop on the way home from school.

‘So? Pippa? What do you think?’

A loud creak made him jump and we turned towards the door. Olivia crossed the mink carpet. ‘Henrik? At last I’ve found you. Greta isn’t feeling well.’ She looked from him to me and then at the empty dishes. ‘I wasn’t sure where you were. Lisette told me – about her and Niko. Are you okay, Pippa?’

Perspiration beading on his forehead, Henrik stood up and cleared his throat. ‘Sorry for the disappearing act, Olivia – I reckoned Pippa could do with someone to talk to. What’s wrong with Mum?’

‘One of her blinding headaches. The manager has gone to get painkillers but I wondered if she should go home.’

Henrik and I exchanged glances and then he nodded. ‘Of course. Thanks for tracking me down. I’ll see to her immediately.’ He strode to the door, glancing back at me before he disappeared. Olivia approached the sofa and sat down. Oh my word. Talk about awkward.

‘Sorry for becoming a nuisance,’ I muttered. ‘It’s just…’

Olivia shook her head. ‘Please don’t apologise. My sister is a disgrace. By the sounds of it, though, Niko knew just how to handle her, by remaining polite and distant.’

I nodded. Niko. The perfect gentleman. ‘Do you mind if I just text him a minute?’

Olivia smiled. ‘Of course not. I’ll just steal one of those delicious turkey bites.’

Let’s talk. Wait up for me
, I punched into my phone.

‘I hope Listette hasn’t caused a big fall-out between you.’

‘Not really. To be honest, things were already tense between us.’ I sighed. ‘Adapting to village life hasn’t been as easy as I thought.’

Those appealing seaweed-green eyes stared at me intently, like two untainted, freshwater ponds. Blood rushed to her cheeks. ‘It’s okay, Pippa. I know you still have feelings for Henrik. And I’ve increasingly sensed that he’s—’

‘No! Honestly, you’ve got it wrong.’

Her expression didn’t change. ‘Pippa…we haven’t known each other long, but I’ve always been one to speak my mind. There’s something I have to say. I
know
– perhaps you don’t – that Henrik is still in love with you.’

I shifted in my seat. What could I say? I never had been a good liar.

‘There. I’ve said it,’ she continued. ‘To myself. To the room. To the world.’ Her shoulders sagged. ‘He was so animated after his last trip to Taxos when he saw you, and tonight he was like an excited boy getting ready for cub camp.’

‘Because it’s your engagement party,’ I said.

Olivia shook her head. ‘He hardly talked about it until he knew you were coming.’ She exhaled. ‘I’m not stupid. It’s just taken a while to sink in. And that’s why I’m calling the engagement off.’

‘When did you decide that?’ I stuttered.

‘Just this second, for certain.’ She sniffed. ‘Walking into this room and seeing you two together was like stumbling across the final piece of evidence. Henrik will never love me how I want. This party was to celebrate our future together and he’s preferred to spend it away from the crowds, eating off his lap with an ex.’

I shifted again. Poor Olivia.

‘He’s already asked you, hasn’t he?’ she said.

My eyes widened.

‘Dubai. I heard him, on the phone to his boss last week. He asked if the team was expanding as he knew of someone with a great business head, who’d be a huge asset. He knows I’d never give up my charity work, so he wasn’t talking about me.’

‘Did you want to go?’ I mumbled, hardly knowing where to look.

‘No. Henrik guessed as much.’ I met Olivia’s gaze as she ran a finger along the coffee table. A wry smile crossed her lips. ‘I thought that after you married Niko, Henrik would see me in a different light. I really love him, you know.’ Her voice broke. ‘The way he puts my hand in his coat pocket if we’re out walking and it turns cold…how he always leaves me the last bite if we share a pudding. And he’s made such an effort the last couple of months – he even wrote me a poem. But…’ Her chin wobbled. ‘I’ve been a fool. All that effort, that self-improvement of his – the aim was to win
you
back. I’ve been kidding myself that Henrik and me would ever work out.’

So that’s why she’d sounded so uncertain earlier, when she talked of their future.

‘I’m so sorry, Olivia. But don’t be hard on yourself. We all fool ourselves sometimes.’ My stomach tightened at her crumpled face.

‘Niko loves you to bits, you know,’ she said, eyes glistening. ‘And I’m not just saying that to make you go back. Henrik and me – it’s definitely over.’ She sat up and wiped her face. ‘Niko sounded like a proud dad at parents’ evening, talking of Pippa’s Pantry and your idea for the Christmas fair.’

‘So…what will you do?’ I said. ‘I mean…’

Olivia sniffed. ‘After telling him tonight? Tomorrow I’ll have to start informing family and friends. Then, well… I’m lucky having a job I love to throw myself into.’ She closed her eyes for a moment.

I squeezed her arm. ‘People will understand – and probably, like me, think you are brave for taking this decision. Fighting your romantic feelings like that, to do the right thing – it takes guts.’

Olivia gave a small smile. ‘Poor Greta is going to be so disappointed. I do hope she and I can stay friends.’

We talked for a while about the resolutions each of us would make for the imminent New Year – and it kind of boiled down to Olivia being more single-minded and me being slightly less so. She should have confronted Henrik about his feelings for me weeks ago, whereas I should have stopped being so confrontational with Niko about money and tried harder to understand his point of view.

My phone vibrated. A text? Please let it be from the sexiest fisherman in the world.

‘Right.’ Olivia smoothed down her hair. ‘Guests to attend to. I’d better get back to the buffet.’ She stood up. ‘Despite everything, Pippa…it’s a shame you don’t live nearer. I think you and I…we could be good friends.’

‘But we’ll stay in touch.’

‘For sure.’ She squeezed my shoulder and we exchanged smiles before she left.

As soon as she’d gone, I grabbed my mobile. Oh. A message from Henrik:
Taking Mum home. Back in half an hour – for your answer
.

I tried to phone Niko. No answer. So I texted again.

I’m coming to the hotel right this minute. Let’s talk
.
Sorry about everything. I love you to bits
.

Chapter Ten

Three o’clock in the morning – the witching hour. I gazed out of our hotel window, down onto the street. No ghosts or wizards floated through the air, only flurries of snow. I looked down at a car carefully stopping at the traffic lights. With no view of the city skyline, suddenly London didn’t seem so impressive. I shivered and moved my fingers over a scrunched-up piece of paper in my hand, its scribbled words stuck in my mind:

Got a cancellation back to Kos
.

Flight leaves in two hours
.

Niko
.

No explanation. No kisses.

Sleep had evaded me as I tossed and turned, my thoughts tripping back over recent months. If only Grandma were here with her comforting hugs and sensible words. I tossed the note onto a nearby desk and slid back between the sheets. Eyes wide open, I tried to determine exactly what had gone wrong over recent weeks. That was one of the few good things that came out of my years at boarding school – the “self-discovery” modules we studied once a week. The headmistress had studied psychology and swore by self-analysis.

So. I cleared my throat and pictured myself back at school, sitting in front of the teacher who’d take us through the process for getting to the root of problems. Her mantra was, if you asked someone what is wrong, there is no such answer as “I don’t know”. Dig deep enough and the truth will show itself.

I gazed into the darkness. What did I dislike most about Taxos at the moment? I bit my thumbnail. Had the chemistry between me and Niko fizzled out? My pulse thumped louder as I imagined him stretched out next to me, my mouth just inches away from the most tender, yet urgent kisses in the world. Okay. Clearly the attraction was still there. So, what about the issue of money between us? Was that really causing all the trouble? Did I really question my future in Taxos because it would mean fewer trips to the hair and nail salons?

I shuffled uncomfortably. Time to look deeper within myself. I stared harder into the blackness and ran through our daily routine. Breakfast. Niko making me coffee. Grandma reading the sediment. A smile crossed my face. How twitchy he’d get if time was ticking but she insisted on predicting his day ahead. Then me baking scones and making lunch for his return. Us talking about our morning. The fish he’d caught. The scones I’d sold. Which flavours I’d sent in the latest batch to the Creami-Kos chain. In the afternoon, weather permitting, Niko would sponge-dive. Since the weather had got colder, the influx of tourists wanting fishing trips had reduced to nil. So Niko would help out in the taverna if required or, just to keep busy, volunteer his services at the Dellis’ farm.

I sighed. So far this analysis wasn’t working. Apologies if you are bored, but…hmm. I sat up in bed. Our evenings in Taxos – me reading, Niko and his dad playing cards…how different to in England, where I’d have animatedly told Henrik about work and the next day’s projects. We’d have sparked off each other and the conversation would have lurched from the day-to-day challenges of an ever-changing job.

Deep breaths. Okay. Finally I’ve reached the pertinent question: Henrik, Niko and Taxos aside, had I fallen out of love with
myself
? Had I lost my spark? Why was I spending many evenings simply reading? I never did that back in London.

Questions and possible answers swirled around my mind as I reached for my phone on the bedside table. It was almost four now. Once more I texted Niko.

Let me know you got home safely. See you tomorrow
.

I still hadn’t received a text from him when I woke up at eight. What if he’d cancelled the wedding; told the family – the whole village – that in his opinion, I much preferred London over Taxos?

A glutinous blob of anxiety wobbled around the inside of my chest, refusing to leave. Because Niko was often out sailing in bad weather, it had become one of our “things” to always check in with each other regularly. He’d text as soon as his boats got back on shore and if I went into Kos Town to make a delivery to Creami-Kos, I’d ring to say I was on my way home. Even if we argued and one of us went out to get some fresh air, sulkiness would never stop us texting to say where we’d gone.

Finally a call came, after my shower, but it was from Henrik, sorry that I hadn’t waited for him to return to the hotel last night. I explained that I’d wanted to see Niko but that he’d just left me a note and gone back to Kos. Henrik insisted on coming over to pick me up, saying that I may as well spend the day shopping with him. He didn’t mention Olivia, nor did I ask. I checked my phone umpteen more times, over my very English hotel bacon and eggs, but to no avail.

Will you pick me up from Kos airport tonight, or shall I get a taxi
? I texted at ten, hoping to, at least, appeal to Niko’s practical nature. By five to eleven, a few minutes before Henrik was due to pick me up, I’d still heard nothing. The blob of unease in my chest clung on tighter. I decided to text Sophia.

Did Niko get back okay? See you tonight
.

I wasn’t quite sure what else to say but surely she would reply?

A knock at the door made me jump and I slipped my phone into my small rucksack. I pulled my suitcase on wheels over to the door and opened it.

‘You okay?’ said Henrik.

I gazed up and nodded. ‘You?’

He leant forward and I breathed in his citrus aftershave. Easily, those strong arms lifted me up, onto the nearby desk, and before I knew it, he had run a hand through my hair. Gently his legs pushed mine apart and he moved forwards, those slate eyes crinkling in what I used to think was the sexiest of ways.

Cheeks hot, I firmly pressed my palm on his chest and pushed him away.

‘No, Henrik. You and me – it’s not going to happen,’ I said softly.

For a moment he stared. ‘Come on,’ he said eventually and backed off. ‘You can leave your case in my parked car. We aren’t going anywhere on the roads. Have you seen the weather?’

I understood what he meant, after I’d handed my keys in to reception and joined him outside, nose pinching in the arctic air. Clearly he was hoping to change my mind about getting back together with him. How awkward. Too awkward. I couldn’t spend the day with him.

‘Let’s head to Covent Garden for a coffee to start off. It’s only a few tube stops away. And I’d suggest ringing the airport, to see if your flight has been cancelled.’

‘You really think it might be?’

He slipped an arm around my shoulder. ‘Best to check.’

I shook off his arm and we stood on the chilly pavement, by his car. ‘Look…sorry, Henrik, but I think it’s best if I go shopping alone.’

He gazed at me. ‘Last night, Olivia and I split up.’ He held up a hand. ‘And before you act surprised, I know she told you. That’s one of the really likeable things about Olivia. She’s one of the most open people I’ve met.’ He took out his car keys. ‘I just wish I could have felt the same for her as I still do for you.’

‘Henrik. Stop. What you said about Dubai…me and Niko—’