Page 12 of Old Girls Go Greek
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I pulled on a clean blue shirt and made my way upstairs to the roof terrace, where in one corner there was a small pool, an even smaller jacuzzi and, most unexpectedly on the other side of the roof, a bar where Costas was sitting looking gloomy reading a newspaper. Beryl, Anita and Effie were already settled at one of the tables in the shade of an oversized white parasol. It looked idyllic.
I’d been on the mailing list of some Italian garden furniture company, and their catalogue was filled with photographs of wonderfully attractive people on massive lounging beds and lavishly cushioned chairs. I’d spent quite a long time indulging in a fantasy where I had the Sorrentodining experience, with seats for twelve, a cantilevered parasol and matching fire pit. Or perhaps the Ischia daybed, with floating white curtains and the same sublime view over the Bay of Naples which I too would be sharing with a companion who looked like a young Franco Nero. Instead of that I’d made do with some chairs from a discount outlet store and Malcolm’s mother’s picnic table. Although there had been more than a bit of Nero in Malcolm’s character as he aged.
How lovely to have the space and the money for those things, but of course back home in Herefordshire there would have been a continual to-ing and fro-ing with the seat cushions, the elegant, cantilevered parasol would be blown down the end of the garden in minutes and Ivan the Terrible would have made short shrift of the billowing voile drapes.
I went over and swished my hand in the water. It was a bit too cold for my liking.
‘Isn’t this lovely?’ Anita called. ‘Just glorious. I wish I had something like this at home. But then the view wouldn’t be the same. Or the climate. I tried to get Rick to put in a hot tub after we got back from Rhodes, but we argued about where to put it so much that in the end we didn’t get one.’
‘I don’t think a hot tub would be much fun on one’s own,’ Beryl said, and she winked. ‘Far better to have company and the ensuing entertainment.’
‘Beryl! Really!’ Anita spluttered.
‘Depends on the company,’ I said.
‘The others aren’t back yet then?’ Effie said, leaning back in her chair with a happy sigh. ‘I wonder what they will be like.’
‘Well, we know there’s Dennis,’ I said, ‘and didn’t that other man with them look familiar to you?’
‘Not particularly,’ Beryl said. ‘I asked Nina about him. She said he booked a place here ages ago. She doesn’t know much about him. She told me she believes he’s a history buff. Very keen on the Minoans. Nina and I had such a nice chat. I know all about her bunions and how she wants her son to get married and have a family. He’s working as a DJ on Mykonos. Now then, shall we have a coffee? Costas has one of those clever machines behind the bar, and my caffeine levels are running low.’
Anita went off to order some and Effie pushed her chair back a little way, took a cigarette out of a silver case and lit it with a pleased sigh.
‘I’ve cut down a lot,’ she said as she saw Anita coming back. ‘I tried nicotine patches once and then I had a cigarette as well because I forgot I was wearing them. I didn’t half have a headache.’
‘That shows you how bad for you they are,’ Beryl said, ‘although back in the sixties nearly everyone did. We both used to smoke Sobranie cocktail cigarettes which had gold filter tips. Do you remember? And I had an amber cigarette holder just like Princess Margaret’s. I don’t think I actually inhaled, just waved them around a bit.’
We could suddenly hear the sound of chattering voices from out in the street and the unmistakeable boom of Dennis laughing and shouting at the others.
‘Now, come along, ladies, there will be plenty of opportunity to find blister plasters later. Will wants a drink and I for one agree. So, everyone upstairs to the terrace.’
The four of us grinned at each other.
‘Incoming,’ Beryl murmured.
* * *
A few minutes later, Dennis appeared in the doorway onto the terrace and stopped theatrically when he saw us, causing his companion to bump against the staircase behind him.
‘Ah, there you are. Did you not read Jillian’s notes? About the guided walk? Susan printed them out. You missed an absolute treat. This is a fascinating little place. You can ask me anything.’
‘Why are you so incredibly noisy all the time?’ Beryl whispered under her breath, and I giggled.
Dennis’s gaze swivelled on to me.
‘Ah! There she is. The new girl. Maggie, isn’t it?’
‘I don’t think I count as new any longer, and I’m Meg,’ I said.
‘That’s what I said. We have had a grand old time, I must say. I’m glad I am as fit as I am. That’s what comes of being practically but not exclusively vegetarian and not smoking,’ he said, fixing Effie with a stern look.
‘I’m so pleased for you,’ Effie drawled with a sweet smile, blowing a plume of smoke into the air. ‘You look a fine figure of a man.’
Dennis looked confused for a moment and then gave a modest smile.
‘Anyone got any blister plasters? Susan here had the wrong shoes on.’
