Page 29 of Old Girls Go Greek
‘There you are,’ Jillian called from the door, looking rather flustered. ‘It seems I can never get you all together in one place for long. I’ve never had this trouble before. People wandering off, it makes life very difficult. Now then, before one of you disappears, let’s go down the road to Athena’s.’
‘What about Will?’ I said. ‘He’s not here yet.’
Jillian pursed her mouth into a button of disapproval.
‘No, well, I suppose someone should go and find him. Meg, you seem to be volunteering. The rest of you, follow me.’
‘Go girl,’ Anita whispered as she passed me, ‘and take your time. By the way, I saw him sitting in the courtyard. I expect he’s still there.’
I nudged her with my elbow. ‘Stop being naughty!’
Effie touched my arm. ‘We’ll see you later, or perhaps not. See how things develop.’
I found Will sitting in the courtyard, once more with his laptop open.
‘You’re not still working, are you?’ I said.
He looked up. ‘Oh, you know. Just a few things to finish up.’
I went to sit down on the other side of the table.
‘What things?’
‘Did you want something?’
He sounded a bit tetchy. I decided I was going to ignore it and press on.
‘Jillian told me to come and get you and take you to Athena’s restaurant. The table is booked for six thirty, and if we eat too late, Dennis will be tossing and turning all night.’
He gave a grin. ‘And this affects me how?’
‘His wife sometimes has to sleep in the spare room.’
‘I would too.’ He slapped his laptop shut. ‘I’ve got a better idea. Let’s go to the Colosseum.’
I was confused for a second. ‘In Rome?’
‘Yes, I thought we could take a taxi. No, I mean the place I saw down by the seafront.’
‘Well, I could ask the others what they think,’ I said uncertainly.
I could just imagine it, bursting into one restaurant and trying to organise the group out of one set of chairs and into another at a different venue, while Jillian flapped and twittered her distress.
‘I didn’t mean everyone. I meant just you,’ he said, ‘unless you don’t like the idea?’
He looked a bit anxious then, as though it had taken a lot to ask me in the first place and he was unsure of my response.
I felt a bit stunned at this point, wondering why I had been singled out like this and then rather excited at the prospect. I realised my mouth was gaping unattractively with the shock.
‘Oh. Just me?’
‘Absolutely,’ he said, very earnestly and, gaining a bit of confidence, he gave me a rather unexpected, twinkling look that made my knees go wobbly. Gosh, I hadn’t seen this coming at all.
Could I do this? Wouldn’t I be seen as rather rude? And Jillian had already expressed her disapproval of us failing to stick together like a proper tour group. I drew in a deep breath, ready to voice these thoughts, to explain why the idea of the two of us forming a splinter group and going off alone wasn’t a good idea.
‘Oh, okay then,’ I said. ‘That sounds great.’
Honestly. Weak as water, that was me.
