Page 54 of One Bed

He turned and grinned and her heart stopped at the laughter in his eyes. ‘OK, so you’re not my wife, and I definitely don’t want you to fall pregnant, but I do want to take you to bed.’

She drilled a finger into his chest. ‘How much time have you been spending with my godmother? That sounded like somethingshewould say.’

‘Yeah, yeah. All I’m interested in is whether we’re going back to bed or not.’

‘What do you think?’ she asked, trying to be coy.

He brushed his thumb over her tight nipple. ‘I think this tells me I have a good chance of you saying yes.’

Bea sighed. He wasn’t wrong.

* * *

On the night of Golly’s party, many of her guests, especially those who flew in that day or late the previous night, gathered on the esplanade to watch the sunset. Cass dispatched a couple of waiters to the area to keep the guests lubricated with champagne as they eagerly waited for the Santorini spectacle to unfold. Glasses clinked together as laughter filled the air, mingling with expensive scents, the native herbs on the island and the smell of the sea.

As the sun began its fall, casting a warm glow across the landscape, the sky bloomed with vibrant pinks, oranges and purples. No one spoke as it painted its masterpiece across the sky: it was as if everyone understood that speech would destroy the ambience and experience, and that this was the universe’s way of paying homage to one of its most excellent creatures: Golly.

Standing apart from the guests, Bea watched as the sun dipped below the horizon, dousing the sea in hues of fiery orange and molten gold. With each passing moment, the sky seemed to pulse with passion. It was bright and bold, an exact match for Golly’s strong and vibrant personality. Had she sent a memo upstairs, demanding an incredible sunset? Bea’s lips quirked upward. Honestly, she wouldn’t put it past her godma…

Reena came to stand next to her and nudged her in the ribs with her elbow. She wore Jacqui’s sheath, and the small rips of toilet paper dotting her legs and the big patch of coarse hair on her right shin suggested that shaving wasn’t something she did well. Or often.

And instead of heels she wore bright green Crocs. Bea smiled at her. ‘Hi, Reen.’

‘Bea-darling,’ Reena replied, in her husky voice. ‘Golly is loving all the adulation and is totally up her own arse at the moment.’

She could always rely on Reena to call a spade a spade.

Reena ran her hand over her short grey hair. ‘And I bet she forgot to tell you that Lou won’t be here tonight. She called sometime this afternoon with some excuse.’

Bea placed her hand on her heart. She’d been on high alert, expecting to see her mother, but Reena’s assurance allowed her anxiety to drain away. ‘Thanks for letting me know, Reen. I can relax now.’

‘With your godmother around?’ With a snort of disbelief and a pat on her shoulder, Reena headed back to the villa.

Bea pulled her eyes off the sunset and scanned the guests for Gib. He stood at the back, and a little apart from everyone, and as if sensing her gaze on him, turned his head. Their eyes clashed and held, and Bea wasn’t surprised when he crossed the flagstones to stand next to her. He took her hand, palm to palm, their fingers intertwined, and Bea placed her temple on his bicep as she turned her gaze back to the darkening sky. It seemed right to share this surprisingly quiet, completely perfect moment with Gib, to allow herself to be lost in the beauty of the sunset and the magic of this much-loved island. A little overwhelmed by nature’s magnificence, she knew this memory would never fade.

The sky turned navy, then indigo and the fairy lights in the pergola flicked on, as did the lights illuminating the path back to the villa’s courtyard. The deepening sky raised the volume of the guests, and their laughter and chatter danced on the evening air.

‘Everything OK?’ Gib asked, his hand lightly resting on her lower back.

She nodded. Now that she knew Lou wouldn’t be around to spoil the evening, it was better than OK, it was perfect. She and Cass had done their last-minute checks earlier. Long trestle tables had been stretched across the courtyard, draped in crisp white linens and adorned with sparkling candelabras and delicate floral arrangements. Each place-setting was a work of art, with gleaming silverware, crystal glassware, and personalised menus showcasing the culinary delights to come.

As she and Gib joined the procession moving from the esplanade to the villa, conversations between the guests washed over them.

‘Darling, it’s so good to see you!’Kiss, kiss.‘I meant to call you about missing the opening night of your exhibition…’

‘I’m glad to run into you, Angus. Can you spare a half hour tomorrow to talk about a project I’m launching? I think you’d like to invest…’

‘Have you met Kylie? She’s just completed a run in the West End, sweetie. So talented.’

Live music from a jazz quartet drifted through the evening air, and laughter added another element to the celebratory atmosphere.

When they reached the courtyard, Gib excused himself and Bea sipped her champagne, her eyes on Golly, who stood in a group with Jack and a well-known author. Golly wore a scarlet dress with a feathered bolero jacket, in acid green, for warmth. The colour combination shouldn’t have worked, but because Golly was Golly and didn’t care what anyone thought, she pulled it off. She was in her element, Bea mused, entertaining the great and good at her home, all the focus of the attention on her.

Bea smiled as Cass approached her, looking elegantly competent in her black shirt and trousers, carrying her iPad. Black hightops back on her feet. Bea knew Cass had an earpiece in her ear and a small microphone attached to her dress, making it easier for her to bark quiet orders to the staff. They were lucky to have Cass coordinating this event, and lucky to have Nadia in the kitchen. Even luckier that Cass and Nadia had agreed to stay in Santorini for the rest of the week –switching from event and catering whizzes to house and cooking elves. Cass joined her and Bea surprised herself, and Cass, by threading her arm through hers. ‘It’s going well, isn’t it?’ she murmured.

‘Rather. And I haven’t had any surprises from Golly yet,’ Cass told her. ‘No strippers have arrived, and the circus hasn’t pitched their tent.’

The night was still young. Bea squeezed her arm. ‘Have the belly dancers, fire-eaters and fire-stick-swinging people arrived?’

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