searching for something to occupy him. He had already swept the veranda and terrace and watered the plants, despite paying Sophia and Angelos to do it for them; he was now repositioning the umbrella above her sun-lounger so that she was safely in the shade. She tilted her wide-brimmed hat back on her head, looked at him over the top of her sunglasses and added, ‘I don’t think we should bother him, do you? Not today. We don’t want to make a nuisance of ourselves.’
‘Who said anything about bothering anyone?’ Max said indignantly. ‘I don’t call it making a nuisance of ourselves by being friendly. Naturally I was including Theo’s friend in the invitation.’
Laura exchanged a smile with Izzy, who was stretched out in the sun a few feet away, tanning nicely. ‘Of course you were, darling.’
‘Okay, okay,’ he said, ‘so I’m as transparent as polished glass. And what if I am curious to meet the man behind so many good books?’
Laura laughed. She closed Captain Corelli, slipped the paperback on to the floor, and held out her arms to Max. ‘My husband, the star-struck little boy, wants to rub shoulders with his hero. How sweet.’
He leaned down to her and gave her a kiss. ‘I thought perhaps you could go and see if they’d like to come,’ he said, when he emerged from nuzzling her breasts.
She pushed him away with a playful shove and rearranged her swimsuit. ‘Why me? Why not you?’
‘It’ll be more of a temptation coming from you. You know how Theo panders to your every whim.’
‘But this isn’t my whim,’ she teased, ‘it’s yours. Try asking Izzy to help you out. I’m sure Theo would be just as persuaded by her. If not more.’
Izzy raised her head. ‘Oh, no, you don’t,’ she said. ‘Don’t go including me in this.’
‘I think it’s a brilliant idea,’ said Laura, warming to the suggestion and seeing it as a way to push Izzy in Theo’s direction. ‘How could he say no to you, especially if you go just as you are in that very-nearly bikini?’
Izzy flushed. She had known she would regret buying such a skimpy little thing. It had been one of those impulse buys that was supposed to boost her confidence, confirm her independence. You see, she was telling her mother, this is what I can wear when you’re not around. Except it wasn’t really working: her mother’s disapproving influence was only a stone’s throw away. Self-conscious, she sat up, pulled on her sun-top, and wondered if she would ever shake off the nagging voice that followed her wherever she went.
In the end Laura put Max out of his misery and agreed to go and see Theo. She tied a sarong around her waist and set off. When she reached Villa Anna she found him sitting on the terrace reading a newspaper while eating his breakfast.
‘An unexpected pleasure,’ he said, rising to his feet and bending his head to kiss her cheek beneath her hat. He hadn’t shaved yet and his stubbly chin grazed her skin. It was not an unpleasant sensation. His shirt was unbuttoned and flapped loosely at his sides in the breeze. ‘Please, sit down. I am having a late breakfast. Would you care to keep me company. A drink? Or maybe something to eat?’
‘No, thanks. I’m here on an errand.’
‘Oh?’
‘I’m sorry, but it’s Max. He’s dying to meet your friend and has sent me here to invite you both to join us on a little boat trip down to Áyios Stéfanos.’
He gave her a shrewd look. ‘And why did Max not come here himself?’
Laura smiled.
‘Aha, the cunning Max. He is a man with so much guile. So you are the bait, are you? What a dangerous game he plays.’
‘Dangerous?’
He bit into the cake on the plate in front of him. ‘Yes,’ he said, when he had finished chewing. ‘Am I not the hungry shark who might be tempted to snap up the bait in one delicious mouthful?’
‘Now, Theo, you really must stop fantasising like this.’
He licked his fingers provocatively. ‘Sadly, it is all I am
‘Who said anything about bothering anyone?’ Max said indignantly. ‘I don’t call it making a nuisance of ourselves by being friendly. Naturally I was including Theo’s friend in the invitation.’
Laura exchanged a smile with Izzy, who was stretched out in the sun a few feet away, tanning nicely. ‘Of course you were, darling.’
‘Okay, okay,’ he said, ‘so I’m as transparent as polished glass. And what if I am curious to meet the man behind so many good books?’
Laura laughed. She closed Captain Corelli, slipped the paperback on to the floor, and held out her arms to Max. ‘My husband, the star-struck little boy, wants to rub shoulders with his hero. How sweet.’
He leaned down to her and gave her a kiss. ‘I thought perhaps you could go and see if they’d like to come,’ he said, when he emerged from nuzzling her breasts.
She pushed him away with a playful shove and rearranged her swimsuit. ‘Why me? Why not you?’
‘It’ll be more of a temptation coming from you. You know how Theo panders to your every whim.’
‘But this isn’t my whim,’ she teased, ‘it’s yours. Try asking Izzy to help you out. I’m sure Theo would be just as persuaded by her. If not more.’
Izzy raised her head. ‘Oh, no, you don’t,’ she said. ‘Don’t go including me in this.’
‘I think it’s a brilliant idea,’ said Laura, warming to the suggestion and seeing it as a way to push Izzy in Theo’s direction. ‘How could he say no to you, especially if you go just as you are in that very-nearly bikini?’
Izzy flushed. She had known she would regret buying such a skimpy little thing. It had been one of those impulse buys that was supposed to boost her confidence, confirm her independence. You see, she was telling her mother, this is what I can wear when you’re not around. Except it wasn’t really working: her mother’s disapproving influence was only a stone’s throw away. Self-conscious, she sat up, pulled on her sun-top, and wondered if she would ever shake off the nagging voice that followed her wherever she went.
In the end Laura put Max out of his misery and agreed to go and see Theo. She tied a sarong around her waist and set off. When she reached Villa Anna she found him sitting on the terrace reading a newspaper while eating his breakfast.
‘An unexpected pleasure,’ he said, rising to his feet and bending his head to kiss her cheek beneath her hat. He hadn’t shaved yet and his stubbly chin grazed her skin. It was not an unpleasant sensation. His shirt was unbuttoned and flapped loosely at his sides in the breeze. ‘Please, sit down. I am having a late breakfast. Would you care to keep me company. A drink? Or maybe something to eat?’
‘No, thanks. I’m here on an errand.’
‘Oh?’
‘I’m sorry, but it’s Max. He’s dying to meet your friend and has sent me here to invite you both to join us on a little boat trip down to Áyios Stéfanos.’
He gave her a shrewd look. ‘And why did Max not come here himself?’
Laura smiled.
‘Aha, the cunning Max. He is a man with so much guile. So you are the bait, are you? What a dangerous game he plays.’
‘Dangerous?’
He bit into the cake on the plate in front of him. ‘Yes,’ he said, when he had finished chewing. ‘Am I not the hungry shark who might be tempted to snap up the bait in one delicious mouthful?’
‘Now, Theo, you really must stop fantasising like this.’
He licked his fingers provocatively. ‘Sadly, it is all I am
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