Page 33 of Clean Point

‘What was your favourite?’ His eyes betrayed a hunger I recognized too well, certain it wouldn’t be satisfied with another protein shake.

‘I was a big fan of peaches and crème fraîche, then I’d get them to add a drizzle of honey.’ My mouth watered at the memory, the sweetness of August ripe peaches with the tartness of the creme, all wrapped in the delicate pancake.

‘Can you guys get a little closer?’ Sarah pressed, reminding me of her existence. Nico cleared his throat on a cough as he eased, our arms brushing as we walked. How much more could she ask for? My tongue down his throat?

My gaze caught behind us, and I found the three cats from before, all trailing behind us. When we stopped to let a car pass, one tortoiseshell came right up to Nico and began to rub against his trainers, weaving in and around his legs.

Nico lifted his leg, a scowl forming on his face as he tried to escape the assault of the feline.

I laughed. ‘What is it about you and cats?’

‘I’m allergic,’ he mumbled while bending down, and waving his hand to shoo the cat. Instead, the cat lifted its delicate pink nose in the air, booping his palm and taking a good sniff. Nico pulled away, shaking his hand as if he had been burnt.

‘If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re afraid.’

He didn’t take his eyes from the cats for a moment, narrowing them as if he was contemplating a hiss to seal the deal. ‘Only afraid of my throat closing up.’

We had made it to the beginning of the steps up to the Acropolis, and while standing at the base of the hike, I allowed myself a moment to take in the true size of the mountain.

My mouth was dry as I leaned over to Nico, my eyes stuck on the tiny figures at the top I was sure were other people. ‘Are you sure you can manage this today?’

‘Yes,’ he snipped, his tone turning defensive. I looked at him, finding his brows pressed together, his face set in a serious look. I glanced behind him at Sarah, who was distracted by her camera.

‘I’m sorry. My own legs are ruined from today’s practice.’ My apology did little to soothe his frustrated look. ‘Maybe if we give Sarah some good shots on the way up, really play it up, they won’t mind if we slip away early.’

‘Why would we need to do that?’ he asked innocently. I didn’t bother to argue with him any further, not pointing out that he managed to walk comfortably at the end of a day of practice. Over the weeks, I had seen improvement in his performance. Jon had been right, he was slower than he had been, but he was older, so it was a given for most. Even if he wasn’t ready to admit that.

‘Just in case.’

Sarah continued taking our photos as we scaled the mountain steps, the climb taking its toll on my already battered and bruised body. Quietly, I damned Jon for making us do those extra exercises today. I knew this trip was too good to be true.

I pulled myself up a tall step, thighs and calves burning as I climbed another, the rugged stone almost carved into the hill. Fighting weariness, I took a moment to rest, stopping to admire the view, the sea, a deep Mediterranean Aegean turquoise, contrasting the tangerine sky as the sun journeyed toward the horizon.

Nico appeared by my side, pulling my attention from the scene, his tanned skin aglow with the golden light. I swung my hip into his side to pull his attention. ‘You taking a break, old man?’

He tilted his head to me, an eyebrow raised playfully. ‘Dare I remind you that you stopped first?’

I feigned innocence with a shrug. ‘I thought you’d give up by now.’

With what I’m sure was a smirk on his lips, he pushed past me to the next step. ‘Come on, before we lose the rest of the group.’

I turned to follow him, the path becoming increasingly rough as we went higher. Nico had to help me up the steps, offering me a hand to keep me moving up. I didn’t admit it to him, but I was grateful for it, unsure how he was able to manage it with his knee. I was beginning to wish I had worn appropriate footwear instead of a pair of Elite sandals when Jon yelled from ahead.

‘Almost halfway, guys! Come on, keep up the pace.’

I’d pulled back in shock, the realisation that we weren’t even halfway up hitting hard. My will and motivation were already waning. If it hadn’t been a training day, a full morning on the tennis court followed by strength training in the gym, then it would’ve been easy. But my legs had already been tortured enough, and with Jon’s words, I’d found my limit.

Nico was a step ahead of me, turning back to help me up again when my face betrayed me, showing him my reluctance to take a single step further. He narrowed his eyes at me for a moment, then his expression changed, his head tilting as if he was having an internal debate.

He yelled out,. ‘Jon, I have to go back.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Sorry, it’s my knee. I wasn’t expecting a hike.’

Jon grumbled to himself before looking over at Sarah. ‘Have you got enough for today?’

She nodded. ‘But I’d still like to make it to the top. I can focus on the others.’

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