repgreece
08-26-2008, 07:15 PM
Please let me know what your impressions are of this first chapter. Any feedback would be most appreciated.
Welcome to Crete
Newcomers
Chapter 1
Adam stood at the edge of intense darkness, took a deep breath and ducked before edging himself into the lowest part of the cave leading to the exit. He had to disagree with Fay at that point for it was just as difficult getting back out of the cave as it was entering it, perhaps even worse considering that she had rushed on ahead and left him without a steadying hand. He hoped to God that she had managed on her own without further incident. It must have been the earlier blow to her head that had prompted her to disappear without him as no one in their right mind would want to face this eerie darkness on their own! The ground under his feet was extremely uneven and as he moved forward his feet were constantly slipping or twisting on the grooves in the weathered rock.
What was that? Bats?
He could make out nothing. Had Fay reached the exit yet? How much further? He pressed on, his eyes straining to find light. It was only moments later when the sudden sound of a scream shattered the silence. Adam froze. It wasn’t just a scream; it was the sound of utter terror. Panic prompted him to move then and in his urgency to reach light he gave up trying to inch forward and got down on his hands and knees, ignoring the way that the rocks bruised his legs as he scrambled out of the cave.
“Fay!” he bellowed, struggling to focus his eyes as the brilliant sunlight hit them. With his vision returned he frantically scanned the area for evidence of her.
“Fay!” he called again. “Where are you?” Still there was silence. He ran a little further down the mountain path but she was nowhere to be seen.
Oh hell! What’s happened?
A whole number of theories as to what might have happened to her raced through his head. He wasn’t willing to accept any of them but faced with her ambiguous absence he had no choice but to assume the worst. Anxiously holding his breath, he went to the wooden barrier at the edge of the mountain and looked over. He let out a sigh of relief and with it another anguished shout.
“Fay!”
For heaven sake just answer me damn it!
“Fay!”
His anxiety soon turned into angry frustration and he bolted down the path then, determined to find her. He stopped when the road came back into sight, turning his head towards the cave again with uncertainty.
Damn it, if she didn’t come this way then I should go back. But she’s not there either. It makes no sense!
He stood there on the side of the mountain, willing her to reappear and running his hands through his hair, unable to think of what to do next.
The previous day
What on earth is she doing?
Fay watched as her friend emerged from the Arrivals door of Heraklion airport, trying to juggle a huge suitcase, backpack, sports bag and a rug! Sally’s long, auburn hair fell over face and the small frame of her body began to buckle with the weight of her load. Fay cringed as the rug began to slip from under Sal’s arm, after which she attempted to catch it on her knee but failed miserably. It skidded down her leg, landed on the floor with a thud and rolled towards Fay, who caught it under her foot.
“Welcome to Crete!” Fay said with a grin as Sal gave up and let all of her luggage drop to the floor in a twist of straps, zips and buckles. She jumped over the luggage enthusiastically and ran to Fay, throwing her arms around her friend and jumping up and down like an excited puppy.
“I made it, I’m here!” she cheered.
“Yes, I can see that,” Fay laughed, peeling Sal’s arms from around her neck. “Don’t you think you should move some of that luggage out of the way though so that people can get past?” Sal looked behind her to see a family of people trying to steer an airport trolley around her luggage which was strewn across the floor.
“Ah yes, good idea,” she said, returning to her bags and giving the family an apologetic smile.
Between them they managed to haul the luggage, and the rug, out of the Arrivals building and across the car park to Fay’s car where they squeezed it into the boot. The airport, which was situated in the island’s capital city, was located roughly in the middle of the long, thin island and their journey would take them along the north east coast some sixty-five kilometres to Fay’s hometown of Agios Nikolaos. As Fay drove she laughed at the catalogue of events that had characterised Sal’s four-hour flight from London. She loved Sal dearly but wherever Sal went disaster invariably ensued, and she wasn’t sure how long she wanted to house ‘disaster’ in her perfectly organised apartment. Although Sal had asked Fay to help her find a place to move into, Fay knew how hard it often was to find somewhere to live in the town and it was likely to be some time before she found anywhere suitable.
Before long they began to pass through the tourist resorts of Hersonnissos, Stalis and Malia, which over the years had lost their authenticity and become playgrounds for the British youth market. Although these resorts had the advantage of being placed near to the sea, there was little charm about the rows of bars and nightclubs, flashing neon lights and garish buildings. After passing through Malia however the surroundings became considerably more rural with fields, orchards and olive groves stretching out to the right of the road and a pale, rocky coastline to the left. Such scenery was pleasing to the eye of travellers in the region however it was the magnificence of the rocky mountains ranging across most of the island’s centre which left the biggest impression. The road laboured around the mountains, or cut through them at times under the odd tunnel which had been built to reduce journey time to the more easterly towns and villages.
On nearing Agios Nikolaos, Fay made her way through the one-way system of roads into the centre of the town past the harbour and picturesque lake. She continued along the sea front where she eventually turned and drove up a road which cut in between the buildings and lead to the residential areas on the streets above. Unfortunately however, when she neared her apartment she realized that her favourite parking spot had been commandeered and she was forced to park two roads away from the building. Fay and Sal tugged the luggage out of the boot and began the uphill walk to her home. To make matters worse it was that time of year, about a month before the tourists began arriving, when the local council decided to utterly demolish a number of roads throughout the town in an attempt at improvement. This road was no exception, making it extremely hard to walk over the bumps and rubble but even harder to pull a weighty suitcase. Eventually they rounded the corner of the road on which Fay lived; however at this point Sal suddenly stumbled on a pothole and staggered out alarmingly into the road. Fay looked on in horror as a car turned the corner and hit the break, stopping inches from her friend.
“What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing? Do you have a death wish or something?” the driver shouted out of the window. Sal looked taken aback as the man parked the car at the side of the road, got out and strode towards her.
“Oh, sorry about that, it’s these roads…”
He cut into her sentence, “Haven’t you ever heard of using the pavement?”
Towering over her, he crossed his arms and fixed her with a steely look. The bag on her shoulder began to slip and he rolled his eyes, catching it before it fell.
“Hey, wait just a minute,” Fay came to her friend’s defence, “she’s already apologised Mister and…”
The man turned his attention to Fay, running his eyes over her as she stormed towards them.
“God help us, there are two of them,” he interrupted her. His condescending remark incensed her further so she moved in between them, snatching the bag out of his hands and glaring up into his face.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” she asked angrily. He looked startled for a moment, and then a smile tugged at his mouth as his eyes scanned her furious, flushed face. At closer range the man was surprised to see that despite the harshness of her words the woman had an element of softness about her face and figure. The tumble of soft, blonde curls and pale, turquoise eyes almost gave her an air of vulnerability regardless of the scowl on her face.
“Perhaps you should inform your friend about the dangers of walking out into the middle of the road,” he said with polite sarcasm. His voice was firm but had lost most of its edge now. Sal placed a hand on the man’s arm to get his attention and he broke eye contact with Fay to look sideways at her in surprise.
“I don’t suppose you could help us? We do have rather a lot of luggage and we just need to get to that apartment down there,” she said, pointing down the road. Fay turned to her with an incredulous look and then swung her head back to the man with a sarcastic smile.
“You know, we can manage just fine,” she assured him, glaring back at Sal. “My friend here seems to be suffering from a bad case of jet lag, must have affected her judgement.” Suddenly Fay felt the bag in her hands move and she turned back to see the man prising it away from her.
“Listen, if we’d have wanted your help…” she began.
“You’d have what? Asked for it? She already has,” he said, following Sal down the road and leaving Fay behind with an astounded look on her face.
“Okay, but we would have been just fine without your help Mister!” she shouted after him, reluctantly tagging behind.
Fay was irritated to see both Sal and the stranger finally disappear into her apartment block and she sped up suddenly, racing up the stairs and squeezing past them to unlock the front door.
“Thank you, we can manage now,” she said politely, turning to the man and blocking the entrance to her apartment at the same time. He grinned at her reluctant expression of gratitude.
“Hey, would you like a coffee now that you’re here?” Sal said, pushing past Fay and dragging her bags into the lounge. Fay’s eyes widened at her friend’s invitation and the man laughed out loud, seeming to enjoy Fay’s discomfort as he moved around her to enter the apartment.
“I think I could manage a coffee,” he chuckled.
The man strode around the room; taking in its contents and making Fay feel uncomfortable with his presence in her lounge. He had the kind of disturbingly inquisitive eyes which seemed to be constantly assessing everything and coming to, what she could only assume would be, the wrong conclusions.
Bloody hell! Does anyone actually live in this place?
He searched the room for any evidence of imperfections; a stray coffee cup left on a table, a misplaced cushion on the sofa, an ornament that wasn’t strategically placed, but he found none. The immaculate, cream cushions were lined up on the black leather sofa, the glass coasters were placed perfectly on the coffee table, the ornamental candles and glass vases were set down in lines on the shelving units and the white tiled floor showed no signs of ever being trodden on. He had this sudden urge to mess everything up just to see what her reaction would be, but instead he contented himself with discretely nudging one ornament out of place and turning to see if she had noticed. Fay’s attention was however fixed on Sal at that moment and she watched with annoyance as Sal flicked the switch on her kettle and took out three mugs from her cupboard. Feeling surplus to requirements in her own home Fay moved to turn the computer on in the corner of the room, muttering to herself,
“I just wanted a peaceful day and what do I get? A friend who picks up complete strangers off the street, and an arrogant, male chauvinist invading my apartment!” Sal and the stranger exchanged looks and tried not to laugh.
Fay checked her e-mail and attempted to ignore the fact that there was a strange man sitting on her sofa chatting with her best friend. Nevertheless, as she read her messages her eyes unconsciously moved from the screen from time to time as curiosity got the better of her. The man had fallen into easy conversation with Sal and he exuded charm as he listened politely to Sal’s lively chatter, laughing at the appropriate times and drawing her in with the warmth of his chocolate coloured eyes and seductive smile. She suddenly became irritated by the fact Sal was so obviously enjoying his company and had conveniently forgotten that the man had almost run her over less than an hour ago!
“Sal, I said that we would meet Pat in the bar at four o clock,” she hinted, glancing at her watch, turning off the computer and standing up.
“Okay,” Sal replied, returning to her conversation. Fay sighed and leant against a shelf with one elbow, staring at the man in an attempt to make him feel uncomfortable enough to leave. The man’s eyes flicked towards her and then to her right where the ornament had been repositioned. She followed the movement of his gaze and instinctively lifted her hand to straighten the object but stopped abruptly and narrowed her eyes at him with suspicion. A slow smile spread across his face and she dropped her hand, growling with annoyance.
“Err, sorry to interrupt but I could do with getting a shower,” she said with barely concealed anger, giving the man a purposeful glare.
He laughed. “Go ahead; I wasn’t planning on getting in there with you.” She looked taken aback and felt her face begin to redden.
Why am I blushing? I never blush. This is ridiculous!
“Not unless I’m invited to anyway,” he added with a grin. Sal giggled.
“Right, I’ve had enough!” she exclaimed, charging over to the sofa, taking the mug out of the man’s hand, placing it onto the coffee table and dragging him up from the sofa by the arm. “Thank you very much for your help, but goodbye.” She pushed him towards the door and he looked down at her hands on his chest with a raised eyebrow.
“Is she always this physical?” he said over her shoulder to Sal.
Sal laughed. “Not usually, thanks for the help,” she called out as the door was closed behind him.
As soon as the sound of his footsteps on the stairs faded Fay turned to Sal with a frown.
“Did you have to invite him in?” she asked, striding over to the coffee table, collecting up the coffee cups and straightening the coasters.
“Hey, I thought he was nice. Good looking too, don’t you think?”
Fay tutted. “He was arrogant in the extreme and very assuming!”
Oops, perhaps I shouldn’t have told him where the bar was.
“And very good looking.” Sal added, grinning at Fay.
“Well he’s gone now and we’re going to be late for Pat,” she replied.
“Look I’ll make do with a quick wash and a change of clothes, then you can get showered and meet us down there.”
Fay sighed. “Okay, fine. Just don’t go picking up any more strange men along the way,” she said, ushering Sal into the bathroom.
Chapter 2
Fay entered The Wheelhouse and scanned the people in the room for Sal and Pat. The bar was housed in an old building where the paintwork and furniture had seen better days. The darkness of the woodwork and navy blue walls didn’t add much to the decor either and gave the impression that the bar was narrower than it actually was. Despite this though the place had a homely feel about it with the pictures and soft furnishings that had been dotted around the room; and many of the British workers in the town frequented the establishment for the warm welcome they received from Ruth, the bar owner, who always offered a sympathetic ear and friendly conversation. Expats could often be seen sitting at the bar reading one of the paperback books that lined the shelves running down the length of the room, or watching a DVD of classic British television whilst enjoying a beer.
Fay eventually spotted Sal sitting at the far end of the bar with an assortment of take away boxes in front of her. As she made her way across the room a number of people looked up and smiled or waved at Fay.
“Hi you two, I see you’ve introduced Sal to the local take away then Pat,” Fay said as she approached them. A woman with wild curly hair and a bright smile looked up.
“Well, it would be rude not to,” Pat said with a wink. Fay sat next to them at the bar and peered into the takeaway box.
“What is this anyway?” she asked with curiosity, looking down at the remains of some kind of meat in sauce.
“Mmm it was lovely, Chef Chicken and potatoes in the oven, not to mention an excellent glass of local wine. Good place is this Fay. Can’t believe they let you eat takeaways in here too.” Sal replied.
“Yep, as long as you order drinks and don’t cause too much chaos the rules are pretty much that there are none.”
Pat laughed and looked at Sal dubiously. “Well I’m sure that Sal can manage to order the drinks but do you really think she’s capable of not causing any chaos?” Fay shook her head and they both chuckled as Sal stuck out her tongue.
The bar owner overheard the tail end of their conversation and appeared in front of them, folding her arms on the bar and leaning over it to talk.
“Who’s causing chaos in my bar?” Ruth asked with a grin.
“No chaos as of yet Ruth but watch this space.” Pat said looking across at Sal.
Sal abruptly put her wine glass down on the bar and glared at them. “Hey, I’m being picked on here and I’ve only just arrived!”
“Don’t worry Sal; I’ve seen these two cause enough chaos in their time. Glass of wine Fay?” Ruth asked.
“Go on then Ruth but I can’t stay long, I’ve got a review to finish I’m afraid.”
Sal turned to Fay with a frown. “You can’t work tonight; it’s my first night here!”
“Sorry Sal but if I get it done tonight then we’ll have the whole day tomorrow free. And besides it looks as though it’s the last one I’ll be doing for a while so I’ll have lots of spare time then,” she said trying to appease Sal and thanking Ruth as she placed a glass of wine on the bar for her and cleared away the empty takeaway boxes.
Sal sulked for a while and then turned to Pat. “But you’ll stay out for a bit won’t you?”
“Sure, someone has to keep an eye on you!” Pat exclaimed.
“Yes, she’s already invited a complete stranger back to my apartment,” Fay added.
Pat smiled knowingly at Fay. “Ah yes, so I heard. A tall, dark stranger who wanted to get you into the shower eh Fay.”
“That wouldn’t happen to be the same tall, dark stranger who is sitting over there would it?” Ruth interjected, pointing across the room.
“Oh wonderful!” Fay said, looking nervously down the bar. “And by the way, he didn’t want to get me into the shower so you can stop that rumour right now!” Ruth, Pat and Sal looked at Fay with wide eyes at the sudden harshness in her voice.
“You seem very touchy on the subject Fay,” Ruth teased, “are you sure you aren’t harbouring any lustful thoughts for this man?”
Fay rolled her eyes. “You are all being completely ridiculous! I have to go soon anyway so I’ll leave you to your outrageous gossiping… and come to think of it, out of all the bars in town how come he ended up in this one Sal?”
Sal glanced down sheepishly. “Err, I might have told him where we were going.”
“Hmm, thought so.”
“Let’s take a look at him then.” Pat said, leaning past Fay and straining to catch a glimpse of the newcomer.
“Don’t look now, he’s coming over,” Ruth warned.
Fay looked up in shock to see the man approaching them. “You embarrass me now and you can find yourself somewhere else to live!” she whispered to Sal. The man stopped behind Fay and leant forward to order a drink.
“Can I get a beer please? And whatever the ladies would like,” he said grinning down at Fay who was trying her best to ignore his presence. Pat and Sal looked delighted and ordered more wine.
“None for me I’m afraid, I have to go,” Fay said emptying the contents of her glass and standing up. She turned to the man with a false smile. “Thanks anyway,” she said. He shrugged. “I’ll see you later Sal. Bye everyone,” Fay called out, turning abruptly and striding out of the bar.
The man watched her leave before turning to look at Ruth. “Bit uptight that one isn’t she?”
Ruth laughed and leant across the bar to speak in a hushed voice, “Not usually, maybe it’s just you.” He grinned.
“Perhaps you would like to join us for a drink then, err…” The man began, waiting for an introduction.
“Ruth. And this is Pat and Sal,” she said gesturing to them.
“Adam,” he supplied, shaking hands with all three. “Where has she disappeared to so quickly then?” he asked, glancing at the door through which Fay had just exited.
“She has some work to finish off. She writes reviews for holiday companies,” Sal explained. Adam looked up suddenly in shock and began to laugh, putting a hand over his face and shaking his head. The women looked puzzled by his reaction.
“Don’t tell me, her name is Fay Thompson.”
“How did you know?” Sal said with surprise.
“She was recommended to me, I was going to offer her some work,” he informed them, glancing again towards the doorway.
“Oh, she has just told us that she was going home to finish her last review for a while so she would probably be glad of some more work, hold on,” Ruth said, moving down the bar and reappearing with a card in her hand. “Here, this is her contact number.” He took the card and looked at it with a smile. “This should be interesting,’ he said to himself as he slipped the card into his pocket.
Chapter 3
Fay decided to take the long route back to her apartment, which gave her a chance to walk along the sea front. She wasn’t particularly in the mood to work and wouldn’t have minded staying to enjoy another drink or two with her friends.
On second thoughts though, the way the conversation was going some innuendo about what had happened earlier was bound to have slipped out. I bet he’d be thrilled to know that we were talking about him. Thinks he can buy us all drinks and have us falling at his feet!
She sighed and turned to look at the view as she passed the marina. The rows of sailing boats swayed with the movement of the water and she noticed the mountains in the distance beginning to turn their usual smoky pink colour, veiled by the haze from the day’s heat. She never tired of looking at the views there, they seemed to have a calming effect on her and they were often a source of inspiration for her writing.
On arriving home she made herself a mug of tea and sat at her computer to finish the review. She had written most of it and only had the last few paragraphs to finish. However, just as she began the next paragraph the phone on her desk beeped. She looked at it in surprise and picked it up to read the message.
Hi, I believe that you write reviews here in Agios Nikolaos and you were recommended to me. I may have some work for you if you are interested. My name is Adam Ford and my office is on the sea front, next to The Sunrise hotel. Pass by at 7 o clock and I’ll explain more.
Wow! Couldn’t have come at a better time, I could do with some more work.
She looked at her watch, 6 o clock.
Not much notice though!
Glancing back at the screen, she calculated how long it would take her to finish the review and get changed to be there in time. She decided to work on the review for another half an hour and then stop, be it finished or not. This new work could be a godsend and she wanted to make the right impression, turning up late would not be a good start.
As she had suspected after half an hour she still hadn’t finished the review. She decided to finish it when she got back so she tidied her desk and headed for the bedroom to change her clothes. Opening the wardrobe, she pulled out the only suitable top that didn’t need ironing. It was a thin, airy white blouse and she coupled it with a black, knee length skirt. She moved to the mirror to survey the results and inspect the transparency of the blouse.
Well, it looks quite conservative. What can he expect with such short notice anyway?
Then as an after thought she decided to scrape her hair back off her face; she had always thought that it gave her a more efficient look. She twisted the loose blonde curls at the back of her head and secured them with a clip. Vaguely satisfied with her appearance, she grabbed her phone, bag and keys and left the apartment.
She arrived at the office with minutes to spare, curious as to what exactly the job would entail but nonetheless excited about its prospects. The door was closed so she peered into the office but saw no evidence of life. Strange, she had expected somebody to be there. Looking at her watch, she wondered if she had got the time right so she searched in her bag for her phone to check the message again.
“Hi, you lost something?” came a voice from behind her. She spun around but frowned when she saw who it was.
“What are you doing here?” she asked frostily. Icy, blue eyes met amused brown ones.
“Not pleased to see me then?” he grinned. A sudden uneasy feeling came over her then.
“Why are you here?” she repeated.
He ignored her question again and glanced down at her clothes. “You’ve changed your clothes, very efficient looking.”
She folded her arms. “Well, if there’s nothing in particular you wanted…” He went into his pocket and took out a key.
“Excuse me,” he said, his eyes gesturing towards the door she was blocking. She moved aside anxiously and watched with apprehension as she began to fear the worst.
Damn, don’t tell me it’s him! Please not him! Oh well, I’ll probably not get the job now anyway with the way I’ve been talking to him.
He unlocked the door and turned to her. “Are you coming in then or are you just going to stand there staring?”
More to the point can I work with this man anyway?
She gave him a small smile and walked past him into the office, hovering around the front desk.
He held out his hand to her. “Adam Ford.”
She shook his hand. “Fay Thompson.”
“So I’ve heard. I wanted to talk to you earlier but you seemed in a rush to leave the bar.”
“Err, yes. I had an appointment.” She lied, biting her lip. He watched her thoughtfully and then moved around the desk to take a seat, motioning for her to do the same.
“I hear that you write reviews for brochures et cetera and I am looking for someone to help me with an advertising campaign, and perhaps to help put together some trips for tourists. Would you be interested?” he asked.
Yes, I’d be interested! Sounds like regular work.
She took time to look as if she was considering the proposition. “Perhaps.”
He crossed his arms on the desk and grinned at her, his eyes scrutinizing her face.
“I’ve read some of your reviews and I’m impressed but I’d like to pay you extra if you would work on these tours with me as well,” he added, trying to tempt her further.
“What kind of tours are we talking about?” she questioned, remaining non-committal. “That would be left up to you, although I would want to oversee them of course.”
“Of course,” she smiled.
Hmm, he obviously likes to stay in control.
“Are you free tomorrow?” he queried.
He doesn’t beat about the bush either!
“I think so. I’ll check my diary,” she replied snootily. He broke into laughter then and she looked at him in confusion.
“What?” she frowned. He was beginning to annoy her.
“Well if you find that you are free, once you have checked your diary,” he emphasised with amusement, “I’d like to get a sense of this side of the island. If you could come up with some ideas for possible trips we can take a look around. You have my number so perhaps you could let me know tonight?”
“That is assuming that I decide to take the work on, and after we have discussed terms et cetera,” she came back.
He held her challenging look. “Let me know if you are free tomorrow and we will discuss terms.”
“Fine, I’ll do that,” she confirmed.
He knows that I’ll say yes. Damn!
“Okay, I’ll wait to hear from you,” he said, rising out of his seat.
She stood up and they shook hands again before she left. His eyes followed her until she had exited the building and disappeared down the street. He laughed.
Well she’s got spirit; I’ll give her that!
Chapter 4
The doorbell rang early the next morning and Fay grabbed her bag to leave. She had known even before leaving the office the previous evening that she would accept the work, and she was sure that he had known it too which had annoyed her. Opening the door, she looked up to see him with the grin on his face that she had come to recognise.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
She gave him a polite smile. “Yep.”
They descended the steps of her apartment block together and headed for his car which was parked outside. He opened the car door for her and glanced down at the clothes she was wearing.
“Aren’t you going to be hot in that?”
She looked down at her soft, blue, polo necked jumper with a frown. “It’s still winter here you know, it can get cold.” He looked up at the sky doubtfully, shrugged and got into the car.
“So, where to first?” he asked.
“Well, I thought we could head towards Sisi, it’s a lovely little sea port in itself but there’s also a cave in the area with some history and great views around.”
He nodded. “Sounds good. Which way?”
“Get onto the highway and head towards Heraklion, I’ll tell you when to turn off,” she assured him.
They set off and she glanced out of the window at the familiar scenery which she loved so much.
His eyes turned briefly to watch her. “You know a lot about this place don’t you? How long have you been here?”
She continued to gaze out of the window. “Nine years now, off and on.”
“What made you come?” he asked with curiosity.
She wasn’t in the mood for this kind of conversation, particularly with him, and so she kept her response brief. “I just visited it and fell in love with the place.”
He studied her averted face. “Yes, I could tell that from your writing.”
“How about you? You don’t seem to know much about the place at all,” she observed.
“I’ve visited it a few times, and I’ve done my research. Do I pass the test?”
She turned to him then, frowning. “The test?”
He continued to stare out of the window with a smile, ignoring her comment.
How am I ever going to work with this man for any length of time?
After about a twenty-minute drive, they reached the turning for Sisi and she directed him down a winding road, which would have eventually led to the sea.
“If we continue down this road we will reach Sisi, but we need to turn off again if you want to see the cave first.”
“We’ll do that, just let me know when.” The turning came up abruptly and she had to concentrate so that they didn’t miss it at the speed he was driving.
“Okay, it’s the next turning on your right, up here somewhere. There is a sign to Milatos, if you just keep following the signs we will reach the cave.”
He found the turning and they continued to drive down a series of small roads, many of which contained seriously difficult bends and twists. They passed tiny villages on the way; the traditional stone houses lined the roads with the odd couple of people sat outside, chatting and enjoying the obligatory cup of strong black coffee. Soon they left the villages behind and the road opened up and rose to offer a stunning view of the sea.
“Now that’s what I call a view!” he exclaimed.
She nodded in agreement. “Lovely isn’t it.” He continued along the road which wound around a rocky mountain and Fay looked out of the window, trying to get her bearings. She had an uneasy feeling then that they had taken a wrong turning somewhere as she couldn’t seem to recognise any landmarks.
“You know, I don’t think we are on the right road. I could be wrong but this doesn’t look familiar to me,” she informed him.
He looked at her and sighed. “I thought you were directing me.”
“Hey, I did direct you! You were supposed to follow the signs to Milatos, remember?” she said defensively.
“I did follow the signs!” he replied, raising his voice.
She glared at him in angry frustration. “Well, if you’ve followed the signs we will get there then, won’t we?” He rolled his eyes at her and continued driving.
The road got steeper and narrower as it climbed up the mountain and Fay glanced nervously out of the window at the immense drop. She was now certain that they had got lost but she was waiting to see when he would acknowledge the fact. Her eyes kept darting to his face but when the road became almost impossible to navigate she gave up and turned to him.
“Don’t you think we should go back now, since you have obviously taken the wrong turning?” she emphasised.
“No, no, I followed the signs, like you said,” he replied stubbornly.
He’s impossible!
She was determined not to let him get the better of her so she sat back in her seat with her arms crossed. The road was extremely steep at that point and he struggled with the car’s gears as they turned the corners. For one moment they seemed to be rolling backwards and she jumped in her seat, grabbing the side of the car in anxiety. She sighed with relief when they eventually turned the corner and continued. Suddenly she felt extremely hot, more with nervousness than with the heat of the sun, and she rolled up her sleeves in an attempt to cool down.
He looked across at her, raising an eyebrow. “Getting hot are we?”
She turned to him then, her anger rising. “If I am it’s because of your inability to drive properly!”
“It would be an easier drive if you had directed me properly Miss Thompson,” he countered. She growled in anger and tapped her fingers on the side of the car.
Finally, to her relief the road became wider and evened out, and after a further fifteen or so minutes Fay realised where they were. They had driven back on themselves, on a road parallel to the highway, and were now on the way back to where they had come from! She pondered breaking the news to him.
“I guess we can forget the cave today, we are on our way back the other way now. I have another idea of somewhere else we could go to though, if you want to continue.”
“Are you sure you can get us there?” he asked with a sigh.
“Yes, I’m sure,” she said under gritted teeth.
“Follow this road, it will lead us back, but keep on it until we get to the crossroads. I’ll direct you from there, okay?” she asked. He gave her a curt nod.
The journey continued in a tense silence which left Fay wondering if taking this new job was a big mistake. She hated the awkwardness of the situation and she hated this silence! The atmosphere suddenly became too tense for her to bear so she turned to him and attempted to begin a conversation.
“At the other side of Agios Nikolaos, on the coast road out of the town, there is an ancient archaeological site. In case you wanted to know, that’s where we are going.” She looked across at him and waited for a response.
“That sounds fine… as long as this archaeological site doesn’t mysteriously disappear,” he replied.
There’s that grin again. Okay so he’s making fun of me but at least the atmosphere has improved.
She laughed sarcastically and wound down the window slightly to get some more air in the car. The windows were now beginning to act like a greenhouse and the sun was shining directly onto her.
His eyes moved over her flushed face. “Is there a shop we can stop at along the way?”
“I should think so, yes actually there is one, why?” she asked.
“I’d like to get some water.”
They pulled up outside a small tourist shop and she waited in the car while he disappeared into the building. Minutes later he reappeared carrying a bottle of water in one hand and a t-shirt in the other. He got back into the car and threw the t-shirt onto her lap.
“Here, put this on,” he ordered.
She picked it up and looked at it with a frown. “What am I supposed to do with this?”
“Wear it! That’s what people usually do with them,” he replied sarcastically.
She tutted. “Oh, very funny, but why would I want to wear this?”
“Come on Fay, you’re sweltering in that jumper, and if you are uncomfortable then you aren’t going to be able to work properly,” he paused. “I would actually like to see some places today.”
She sighed, “Okay fine, we’ll stop somewhere and I’ll put it on.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, we aren’t stopping again, just put it on now.”
Her head swung around then and her eyes narrowed at him. “Oh, very good. You’d love that wouldn’t you but I’m not getting undressed in here!”
“Fay, I’m not asking you to take all your clothes off,” he mocked. She felt her cheeks becoming even redder and his eyes darted to her, noting her reaction.
He laughed, watching her wryly. “You’re so uptight you know, just put the damn t- shirt on!” She looked down at it considering her next move. “Good God, if it makes you feel any better, I promise not to look!” he exclaimed.
She growled. “Okay, I’ll put it on…Sir,” she added to emphasise his highhanded attitude.
She placed the t-shirt face down on her lap ready to slip it on as quickly as she could, and then she began to take her arms out of the sleeves. Just as she had started to lift the jumper up however she glanced sideways to see that he was watching her.
“I thought you said that you weren’t going to bloody well look!” she said incredulously. He grinned and laughed aloud. “Keep your eyes on the bloody road!”
He turned his head back and she waited a couple of moments. Then she lifted the jumper to pull it off, tugging fiercely at it when the neck got caught over her head. His eyes flicked back to her then, watching her struggle with amusement and taking in her lacy, black bra and the generous cleavage it revealed.
Hmm, very sexy! Good choice of underwear too!
His eyes returned to the road as she slipped the t-shirt on and the rest of the journey to the archaeological site was spent with her wondering what he had seen, and him contemplating the contents of her underwear drawer.
Welcome to Crete
Newcomers
Chapter 1
Adam stood at the edge of intense darkness, took a deep breath and ducked before edging himself into the lowest part of the cave leading to the exit. He had to disagree with Fay at that point for it was just as difficult getting back out of the cave as it was entering it, perhaps even worse considering that she had rushed on ahead and left him without a steadying hand. He hoped to God that she had managed on her own without further incident. It must have been the earlier blow to her head that had prompted her to disappear without him as no one in their right mind would want to face this eerie darkness on their own! The ground under his feet was extremely uneven and as he moved forward his feet were constantly slipping or twisting on the grooves in the weathered rock.
What was that? Bats?
He could make out nothing. Had Fay reached the exit yet? How much further? He pressed on, his eyes straining to find light. It was only moments later when the sudden sound of a scream shattered the silence. Adam froze. It wasn’t just a scream; it was the sound of utter terror. Panic prompted him to move then and in his urgency to reach light he gave up trying to inch forward and got down on his hands and knees, ignoring the way that the rocks bruised his legs as he scrambled out of the cave.
“Fay!” he bellowed, struggling to focus his eyes as the brilliant sunlight hit them. With his vision returned he frantically scanned the area for evidence of her.
“Fay!” he called again. “Where are you?” Still there was silence. He ran a little further down the mountain path but she was nowhere to be seen.
Oh hell! What’s happened?
A whole number of theories as to what might have happened to her raced through his head. He wasn’t willing to accept any of them but faced with her ambiguous absence he had no choice but to assume the worst. Anxiously holding his breath, he went to the wooden barrier at the edge of the mountain and looked over. He let out a sigh of relief and with it another anguished shout.
“Fay!”
For heaven sake just answer me damn it!
“Fay!”
His anxiety soon turned into angry frustration and he bolted down the path then, determined to find her. He stopped when the road came back into sight, turning his head towards the cave again with uncertainty.
Damn it, if she didn’t come this way then I should go back. But she’s not there either. It makes no sense!
He stood there on the side of the mountain, willing her to reappear and running his hands through his hair, unable to think of what to do next.
The previous day
What on earth is she doing?
Fay watched as her friend emerged from the Arrivals door of Heraklion airport, trying to juggle a huge suitcase, backpack, sports bag and a rug! Sally’s long, auburn hair fell over face and the small frame of her body began to buckle with the weight of her load. Fay cringed as the rug began to slip from under Sal’s arm, after which she attempted to catch it on her knee but failed miserably. It skidded down her leg, landed on the floor with a thud and rolled towards Fay, who caught it under her foot.
“Welcome to Crete!” Fay said with a grin as Sal gave up and let all of her luggage drop to the floor in a twist of straps, zips and buckles. She jumped over the luggage enthusiastically and ran to Fay, throwing her arms around her friend and jumping up and down like an excited puppy.
“I made it, I’m here!” she cheered.
“Yes, I can see that,” Fay laughed, peeling Sal’s arms from around her neck. “Don’t you think you should move some of that luggage out of the way though so that people can get past?” Sal looked behind her to see a family of people trying to steer an airport trolley around her luggage which was strewn across the floor.
“Ah yes, good idea,” she said, returning to her bags and giving the family an apologetic smile.
Between them they managed to haul the luggage, and the rug, out of the Arrivals building and across the car park to Fay’s car where they squeezed it into the boot. The airport, which was situated in the island’s capital city, was located roughly in the middle of the long, thin island and their journey would take them along the north east coast some sixty-five kilometres to Fay’s hometown of Agios Nikolaos. As Fay drove she laughed at the catalogue of events that had characterised Sal’s four-hour flight from London. She loved Sal dearly but wherever Sal went disaster invariably ensued, and she wasn’t sure how long she wanted to house ‘disaster’ in her perfectly organised apartment. Although Sal had asked Fay to help her find a place to move into, Fay knew how hard it often was to find somewhere to live in the town and it was likely to be some time before she found anywhere suitable.
Before long they began to pass through the tourist resorts of Hersonnissos, Stalis and Malia, which over the years had lost their authenticity and become playgrounds for the British youth market. Although these resorts had the advantage of being placed near to the sea, there was little charm about the rows of bars and nightclubs, flashing neon lights and garish buildings. After passing through Malia however the surroundings became considerably more rural with fields, orchards and olive groves stretching out to the right of the road and a pale, rocky coastline to the left. Such scenery was pleasing to the eye of travellers in the region however it was the magnificence of the rocky mountains ranging across most of the island’s centre which left the biggest impression. The road laboured around the mountains, or cut through them at times under the odd tunnel which had been built to reduce journey time to the more easterly towns and villages.
On nearing Agios Nikolaos, Fay made her way through the one-way system of roads into the centre of the town past the harbour and picturesque lake. She continued along the sea front where she eventually turned and drove up a road which cut in between the buildings and lead to the residential areas on the streets above. Unfortunately however, when she neared her apartment she realized that her favourite parking spot had been commandeered and she was forced to park two roads away from the building. Fay and Sal tugged the luggage out of the boot and began the uphill walk to her home. To make matters worse it was that time of year, about a month before the tourists began arriving, when the local council decided to utterly demolish a number of roads throughout the town in an attempt at improvement. This road was no exception, making it extremely hard to walk over the bumps and rubble but even harder to pull a weighty suitcase. Eventually they rounded the corner of the road on which Fay lived; however at this point Sal suddenly stumbled on a pothole and staggered out alarmingly into the road. Fay looked on in horror as a car turned the corner and hit the break, stopping inches from her friend.
“What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing? Do you have a death wish or something?” the driver shouted out of the window. Sal looked taken aback as the man parked the car at the side of the road, got out and strode towards her.
“Oh, sorry about that, it’s these roads…”
He cut into her sentence, “Haven’t you ever heard of using the pavement?”
Towering over her, he crossed his arms and fixed her with a steely look. The bag on her shoulder began to slip and he rolled his eyes, catching it before it fell.
“Hey, wait just a minute,” Fay came to her friend’s defence, “she’s already apologised Mister and…”
The man turned his attention to Fay, running his eyes over her as she stormed towards them.
“God help us, there are two of them,” he interrupted her. His condescending remark incensed her further so she moved in between them, snatching the bag out of his hands and glaring up into his face.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” she asked angrily. He looked startled for a moment, and then a smile tugged at his mouth as his eyes scanned her furious, flushed face. At closer range the man was surprised to see that despite the harshness of her words the woman had an element of softness about her face and figure. The tumble of soft, blonde curls and pale, turquoise eyes almost gave her an air of vulnerability regardless of the scowl on her face.
“Perhaps you should inform your friend about the dangers of walking out into the middle of the road,” he said with polite sarcasm. His voice was firm but had lost most of its edge now. Sal placed a hand on the man’s arm to get his attention and he broke eye contact with Fay to look sideways at her in surprise.
“I don’t suppose you could help us? We do have rather a lot of luggage and we just need to get to that apartment down there,” she said, pointing down the road. Fay turned to her with an incredulous look and then swung her head back to the man with a sarcastic smile.
“You know, we can manage just fine,” she assured him, glaring back at Sal. “My friend here seems to be suffering from a bad case of jet lag, must have affected her judgement.” Suddenly Fay felt the bag in her hands move and she turned back to see the man prising it away from her.
“Listen, if we’d have wanted your help…” she began.
“You’d have what? Asked for it? She already has,” he said, following Sal down the road and leaving Fay behind with an astounded look on her face.
“Okay, but we would have been just fine without your help Mister!” she shouted after him, reluctantly tagging behind.
Fay was irritated to see both Sal and the stranger finally disappear into her apartment block and she sped up suddenly, racing up the stairs and squeezing past them to unlock the front door.
“Thank you, we can manage now,” she said politely, turning to the man and blocking the entrance to her apartment at the same time. He grinned at her reluctant expression of gratitude.
“Hey, would you like a coffee now that you’re here?” Sal said, pushing past Fay and dragging her bags into the lounge. Fay’s eyes widened at her friend’s invitation and the man laughed out loud, seeming to enjoy Fay’s discomfort as he moved around her to enter the apartment.
“I think I could manage a coffee,” he chuckled.
The man strode around the room; taking in its contents and making Fay feel uncomfortable with his presence in her lounge. He had the kind of disturbingly inquisitive eyes which seemed to be constantly assessing everything and coming to, what she could only assume would be, the wrong conclusions.
Bloody hell! Does anyone actually live in this place?
He searched the room for any evidence of imperfections; a stray coffee cup left on a table, a misplaced cushion on the sofa, an ornament that wasn’t strategically placed, but he found none. The immaculate, cream cushions were lined up on the black leather sofa, the glass coasters were placed perfectly on the coffee table, the ornamental candles and glass vases were set down in lines on the shelving units and the white tiled floor showed no signs of ever being trodden on. He had this sudden urge to mess everything up just to see what her reaction would be, but instead he contented himself with discretely nudging one ornament out of place and turning to see if she had noticed. Fay’s attention was however fixed on Sal at that moment and she watched with annoyance as Sal flicked the switch on her kettle and took out three mugs from her cupboard. Feeling surplus to requirements in her own home Fay moved to turn the computer on in the corner of the room, muttering to herself,
“I just wanted a peaceful day and what do I get? A friend who picks up complete strangers off the street, and an arrogant, male chauvinist invading my apartment!” Sal and the stranger exchanged looks and tried not to laugh.
Fay checked her e-mail and attempted to ignore the fact that there was a strange man sitting on her sofa chatting with her best friend. Nevertheless, as she read her messages her eyes unconsciously moved from the screen from time to time as curiosity got the better of her. The man had fallen into easy conversation with Sal and he exuded charm as he listened politely to Sal’s lively chatter, laughing at the appropriate times and drawing her in with the warmth of his chocolate coloured eyes and seductive smile. She suddenly became irritated by the fact Sal was so obviously enjoying his company and had conveniently forgotten that the man had almost run her over less than an hour ago!
“Sal, I said that we would meet Pat in the bar at four o clock,” she hinted, glancing at her watch, turning off the computer and standing up.
“Okay,” Sal replied, returning to her conversation. Fay sighed and leant against a shelf with one elbow, staring at the man in an attempt to make him feel uncomfortable enough to leave. The man’s eyes flicked towards her and then to her right where the ornament had been repositioned. She followed the movement of his gaze and instinctively lifted her hand to straighten the object but stopped abruptly and narrowed her eyes at him with suspicion. A slow smile spread across his face and she dropped her hand, growling with annoyance.
“Err, sorry to interrupt but I could do with getting a shower,” she said with barely concealed anger, giving the man a purposeful glare.
He laughed. “Go ahead; I wasn’t planning on getting in there with you.” She looked taken aback and felt her face begin to redden.
Why am I blushing? I never blush. This is ridiculous!
“Not unless I’m invited to anyway,” he added with a grin. Sal giggled.
“Right, I’ve had enough!” she exclaimed, charging over to the sofa, taking the mug out of the man’s hand, placing it onto the coffee table and dragging him up from the sofa by the arm. “Thank you very much for your help, but goodbye.” She pushed him towards the door and he looked down at her hands on his chest with a raised eyebrow.
“Is she always this physical?” he said over her shoulder to Sal.
Sal laughed. “Not usually, thanks for the help,” she called out as the door was closed behind him.
As soon as the sound of his footsteps on the stairs faded Fay turned to Sal with a frown.
“Did you have to invite him in?” she asked, striding over to the coffee table, collecting up the coffee cups and straightening the coasters.
“Hey, I thought he was nice. Good looking too, don’t you think?”
Fay tutted. “He was arrogant in the extreme and very assuming!”
Oops, perhaps I shouldn’t have told him where the bar was.
“And very good looking.” Sal added, grinning at Fay.
“Well he’s gone now and we’re going to be late for Pat,” she replied.
“Look I’ll make do with a quick wash and a change of clothes, then you can get showered and meet us down there.”
Fay sighed. “Okay, fine. Just don’t go picking up any more strange men along the way,” she said, ushering Sal into the bathroom.
Chapter 2
Fay entered The Wheelhouse and scanned the people in the room for Sal and Pat. The bar was housed in an old building where the paintwork and furniture had seen better days. The darkness of the woodwork and navy blue walls didn’t add much to the decor either and gave the impression that the bar was narrower than it actually was. Despite this though the place had a homely feel about it with the pictures and soft furnishings that had been dotted around the room; and many of the British workers in the town frequented the establishment for the warm welcome they received from Ruth, the bar owner, who always offered a sympathetic ear and friendly conversation. Expats could often be seen sitting at the bar reading one of the paperback books that lined the shelves running down the length of the room, or watching a DVD of classic British television whilst enjoying a beer.
Fay eventually spotted Sal sitting at the far end of the bar with an assortment of take away boxes in front of her. As she made her way across the room a number of people looked up and smiled or waved at Fay.
“Hi you two, I see you’ve introduced Sal to the local take away then Pat,” Fay said as she approached them. A woman with wild curly hair and a bright smile looked up.
“Well, it would be rude not to,” Pat said with a wink. Fay sat next to them at the bar and peered into the takeaway box.
“What is this anyway?” she asked with curiosity, looking down at the remains of some kind of meat in sauce.
“Mmm it was lovely, Chef Chicken and potatoes in the oven, not to mention an excellent glass of local wine. Good place is this Fay. Can’t believe they let you eat takeaways in here too.” Sal replied.
“Yep, as long as you order drinks and don’t cause too much chaos the rules are pretty much that there are none.”
Pat laughed and looked at Sal dubiously. “Well I’m sure that Sal can manage to order the drinks but do you really think she’s capable of not causing any chaos?” Fay shook her head and they both chuckled as Sal stuck out her tongue.
The bar owner overheard the tail end of their conversation and appeared in front of them, folding her arms on the bar and leaning over it to talk.
“Who’s causing chaos in my bar?” Ruth asked with a grin.
“No chaos as of yet Ruth but watch this space.” Pat said looking across at Sal.
Sal abruptly put her wine glass down on the bar and glared at them. “Hey, I’m being picked on here and I’ve only just arrived!”
“Don’t worry Sal; I’ve seen these two cause enough chaos in their time. Glass of wine Fay?” Ruth asked.
“Go on then Ruth but I can’t stay long, I’ve got a review to finish I’m afraid.”
Sal turned to Fay with a frown. “You can’t work tonight; it’s my first night here!”
“Sorry Sal but if I get it done tonight then we’ll have the whole day tomorrow free. And besides it looks as though it’s the last one I’ll be doing for a while so I’ll have lots of spare time then,” she said trying to appease Sal and thanking Ruth as she placed a glass of wine on the bar for her and cleared away the empty takeaway boxes.
Sal sulked for a while and then turned to Pat. “But you’ll stay out for a bit won’t you?”
“Sure, someone has to keep an eye on you!” Pat exclaimed.
“Yes, she’s already invited a complete stranger back to my apartment,” Fay added.
Pat smiled knowingly at Fay. “Ah yes, so I heard. A tall, dark stranger who wanted to get you into the shower eh Fay.”
“That wouldn’t happen to be the same tall, dark stranger who is sitting over there would it?” Ruth interjected, pointing across the room.
“Oh wonderful!” Fay said, looking nervously down the bar. “And by the way, he didn’t want to get me into the shower so you can stop that rumour right now!” Ruth, Pat and Sal looked at Fay with wide eyes at the sudden harshness in her voice.
“You seem very touchy on the subject Fay,” Ruth teased, “are you sure you aren’t harbouring any lustful thoughts for this man?”
Fay rolled her eyes. “You are all being completely ridiculous! I have to go soon anyway so I’ll leave you to your outrageous gossiping… and come to think of it, out of all the bars in town how come he ended up in this one Sal?”
Sal glanced down sheepishly. “Err, I might have told him where we were going.”
“Hmm, thought so.”
“Let’s take a look at him then.” Pat said, leaning past Fay and straining to catch a glimpse of the newcomer.
“Don’t look now, he’s coming over,” Ruth warned.
Fay looked up in shock to see the man approaching them. “You embarrass me now and you can find yourself somewhere else to live!” she whispered to Sal. The man stopped behind Fay and leant forward to order a drink.
“Can I get a beer please? And whatever the ladies would like,” he said grinning down at Fay who was trying her best to ignore his presence. Pat and Sal looked delighted and ordered more wine.
“None for me I’m afraid, I have to go,” Fay said emptying the contents of her glass and standing up. She turned to the man with a false smile. “Thanks anyway,” she said. He shrugged. “I’ll see you later Sal. Bye everyone,” Fay called out, turning abruptly and striding out of the bar.
The man watched her leave before turning to look at Ruth. “Bit uptight that one isn’t she?”
Ruth laughed and leant across the bar to speak in a hushed voice, “Not usually, maybe it’s just you.” He grinned.
“Perhaps you would like to join us for a drink then, err…” The man began, waiting for an introduction.
“Ruth. And this is Pat and Sal,” she said gesturing to them.
“Adam,” he supplied, shaking hands with all three. “Where has she disappeared to so quickly then?” he asked, glancing at the door through which Fay had just exited.
“She has some work to finish off. She writes reviews for holiday companies,” Sal explained. Adam looked up suddenly in shock and began to laugh, putting a hand over his face and shaking his head. The women looked puzzled by his reaction.
“Don’t tell me, her name is Fay Thompson.”
“How did you know?” Sal said with surprise.
“She was recommended to me, I was going to offer her some work,” he informed them, glancing again towards the doorway.
“Oh, she has just told us that she was going home to finish her last review for a while so she would probably be glad of some more work, hold on,” Ruth said, moving down the bar and reappearing with a card in her hand. “Here, this is her contact number.” He took the card and looked at it with a smile. “This should be interesting,’ he said to himself as he slipped the card into his pocket.
Chapter 3
Fay decided to take the long route back to her apartment, which gave her a chance to walk along the sea front. She wasn’t particularly in the mood to work and wouldn’t have minded staying to enjoy another drink or two with her friends.
On second thoughts though, the way the conversation was going some innuendo about what had happened earlier was bound to have slipped out. I bet he’d be thrilled to know that we were talking about him. Thinks he can buy us all drinks and have us falling at his feet!
She sighed and turned to look at the view as she passed the marina. The rows of sailing boats swayed with the movement of the water and she noticed the mountains in the distance beginning to turn their usual smoky pink colour, veiled by the haze from the day’s heat. She never tired of looking at the views there, they seemed to have a calming effect on her and they were often a source of inspiration for her writing.
On arriving home she made herself a mug of tea and sat at her computer to finish the review. She had written most of it and only had the last few paragraphs to finish. However, just as she began the next paragraph the phone on her desk beeped. She looked at it in surprise and picked it up to read the message.
Hi, I believe that you write reviews here in Agios Nikolaos and you were recommended to me. I may have some work for you if you are interested. My name is Adam Ford and my office is on the sea front, next to The Sunrise hotel. Pass by at 7 o clock and I’ll explain more.
Wow! Couldn’t have come at a better time, I could do with some more work.
She looked at her watch, 6 o clock.
Not much notice though!
Glancing back at the screen, she calculated how long it would take her to finish the review and get changed to be there in time. She decided to work on the review for another half an hour and then stop, be it finished or not. This new work could be a godsend and she wanted to make the right impression, turning up late would not be a good start.
As she had suspected after half an hour she still hadn’t finished the review. She decided to finish it when she got back so she tidied her desk and headed for the bedroom to change her clothes. Opening the wardrobe, she pulled out the only suitable top that didn’t need ironing. It was a thin, airy white blouse and she coupled it with a black, knee length skirt. She moved to the mirror to survey the results and inspect the transparency of the blouse.
Well, it looks quite conservative. What can he expect with such short notice anyway?
Then as an after thought she decided to scrape her hair back off her face; she had always thought that it gave her a more efficient look. She twisted the loose blonde curls at the back of her head and secured them with a clip. Vaguely satisfied with her appearance, she grabbed her phone, bag and keys and left the apartment.
She arrived at the office with minutes to spare, curious as to what exactly the job would entail but nonetheless excited about its prospects. The door was closed so she peered into the office but saw no evidence of life. Strange, she had expected somebody to be there. Looking at her watch, she wondered if she had got the time right so she searched in her bag for her phone to check the message again.
“Hi, you lost something?” came a voice from behind her. She spun around but frowned when she saw who it was.
“What are you doing here?” she asked frostily. Icy, blue eyes met amused brown ones.
“Not pleased to see me then?” he grinned. A sudden uneasy feeling came over her then.
“Why are you here?” she repeated.
He ignored her question again and glanced down at her clothes. “You’ve changed your clothes, very efficient looking.”
She folded her arms. “Well, if there’s nothing in particular you wanted…” He went into his pocket and took out a key.
“Excuse me,” he said, his eyes gesturing towards the door she was blocking. She moved aside anxiously and watched with apprehension as she began to fear the worst.
Damn, don’t tell me it’s him! Please not him! Oh well, I’ll probably not get the job now anyway with the way I’ve been talking to him.
He unlocked the door and turned to her. “Are you coming in then or are you just going to stand there staring?”
More to the point can I work with this man anyway?
She gave him a small smile and walked past him into the office, hovering around the front desk.
He held out his hand to her. “Adam Ford.”
She shook his hand. “Fay Thompson.”
“So I’ve heard. I wanted to talk to you earlier but you seemed in a rush to leave the bar.”
“Err, yes. I had an appointment.” She lied, biting her lip. He watched her thoughtfully and then moved around the desk to take a seat, motioning for her to do the same.
“I hear that you write reviews for brochures et cetera and I am looking for someone to help me with an advertising campaign, and perhaps to help put together some trips for tourists. Would you be interested?” he asked.
Yes, I’d be interested! Sounds like regular work.
She took time to look as if she was considering the proposition. “Perhaps.”
He crossed his arms on the desk and grinned at her, his eyes scrutinizing her face.
“I’ve read some of your reviews and I’m impressed but I’d like to pay you extra if you would work on these tours with me as well,” he added, trying to tempt her further.
“What kind of tours are we talking about?” she questioned, remaining non-committal. “That would be left up to you, although I would want to oversee them of course.”
“Of course,” she smiled.
Hmm, he obviously likes to stay in control.
“Are you free tomorrow?” he queried.
He doesn’t beat about the bush either!
“I think so. I’ll check my diary,” she replied snootily. He broke into laughter then and she looked at him in confusion.
“What?” she frowned. He was beginning to annoy her.
“Well if you find that you are free, once you have checked your diary,” he emphasised with amusement, “I’d like to get a sense of this side of the island. If you could come up with some ideas for possible trips we can take a look around. You have my number so perhaps you could let me know tonight?”
“That is assuming that I decide to take the work on, and after we have discussed terms et cetera,” she came back.
He held her challenging look. “Let me know if you are free tomorrow and we will discuss terms.”
“Fine, I’ll do that,” she confirmed.
He knows that I’ll say yes. Damn!
“Okay, I’ll wait to hear from you,” he said, rising out of his seat.
She stood up and they shook hands again before she left. His eyes followed her until she had exited the building and disappeared down the street. He laughed.
Well she’s got spirit; I’ll give her that!
Chapter 4
The doorbell rang early the next morning and Fay grabbed her bag to leave. She had known even before leaving the office the previous evening that she would accept the work, and she was sure that he had known it too which had annoyed her. Opening the door, she looked up to see him with the grin on his face that she had come to recognise.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
She gave him a polite smile. “Yep.”
They descended the steps of her apartment block together and headed for his car which was parked outside. He opened the car door for her and glanced down at the clothes she was wearing.
“Aren’t you going to be hot in that?”
She looked down at her soft, blue, polo necked jumper with a frown. “It’s still winter here you know, it can get cold.” He looked up at the sky doubtfully, shrugged and got into the car.
“So, where to first?” he asked.
“Well, I thought we could head towards Sisi, it’s a lovely little sea port in itself but there’s also a cave in the area with some history and great views around.”
He nodded. “Sounds good. Which way?”
“Get onto the highway and head towards Heraklion, I’ll tell you when to turn off,” she assured him.
They set off and she glanced out of the window at the familiar scenery which she loved so much.
His eyes turned briefly to watch her. “You know a lot about this place don’t you? How long have you been here?”
She continued to gaze out of the window. “Nine years now, off and on.”
“What made you come?” he asked with curiosity.
She wasn’t in the mood for this kind of conversation, particularly with him, and so she kept her response brief. “I just visited it and fell in love with the place.”
He studied her averted face. “Yes, I could tell that from your writing.”
“How about you? You don’t seem to know much about the place at all,” she observed.
“I’ve visited it a few times, and I’ve done my research. Do I pass the test?”
She turned to him then, frowning. “The test?”
He continued to stare out of the window with a smile, ignoring her comment.
How am I ever going to work with this man for any length of time?
After about a twenty-minute drive, they reached the turning for Sisi and she directed him down a winding road, which would have eventually led to the sea.
“If we continue down this road we will reach Sisi, but we need to turn off again if you want to see the cave first.”
“We’ll do that, just let me know when.” The turning came up abruptly and she had to concentrate so that they didn’t miss it at the speed he was driving.
“Okay, it’s the next turning on your right, up here somewhere. There is a sign to Milatos, if you just keep following the signs we will reach the cave.”
He found the turning and they continued to drive down a series of small roads, many of which contained seriously difficult bends and twists. They passed tiny villages on the way; the traditional stone houses lined the roads with the odd couple of people sat outside, chatting and enjoying the obligatory cup of strong black coffee. Soon they left the villages behind and the road opened up and rose to offer a stunning view of the sea.
“Now that’s what I call a view!” he exclaimed.
She nodded in agreement. “Lovely isn’t it.” He continued along the road which wound around a rocky mountain and Fay looked out of the window, trying to get her bearings. She had an uneasy feeling then that they had taken a wrong turning somewhere as she couldn’t seem to recognise any landmarks.
“You know, I don’t think we are on the right road. I could be wrong but this doesn’t look familiar to me,” she informed him.
He looked at her and sighed. “I thought you were directing me.”
“Hey, I did direct you! You were supposed to follow the signs to Milatos, remember?” she said defensively.
“I did follow the signs!” he replied, raising his voice.
She glared at him in angry frustration. “Well, if you’ve followed the signs we will get there then, won’t we?” He rolled his eyes at her and continued driving.
The road got steeper and narrower as it climbed up the mountain and Fay glanced nervously out of the window at the immense drop. She was now certain that they had got lost but she was waiting to see when he would acknowledge the fact. Her eyes kept darting to his face but when the road became almost impossible to navigate she gave up and turned to him.
“Don’t you think we should go back now, since you have obviously taken the wrong turning?” she emphasised.
“No, no, I followed the signs, like you said,” he replied stubbornly.
He’s impossible!
She was determined not to let him get the better of her so she sat back in her seat with her arms crossed. The road was extremely steep at that point and he struggled with the car’s gears as they turned the corners. For one moment they seemed to be rolling backwards and she jumped in her seat, grabbing the side of the car in anxiety. She sighed with relief when they eventually turned the corner and continued. Suddenly she felt extremely hot, more with nervousness than with the heat of the sun, and she rolled up her sleeves in an attempt to cool down.
He looked across at her, raising an eyebrow. “Getting hot are we?”
She turned to him then, her anger rising. “If I am it’s because of your inability to drive properly!”
“It would be an easier drive if you had directed me properly Miss Thompson,” he countered. She growled in anger and tapped her fingers on the side of the car.
Finally, to her relief the road became wider and evened out, and after a further fifteen or so minutes Fay realised where they were. They had driven back on themselves, on a road parallel to the highway, and were now on the way back to where they had come from! She pondered breaking the news to him.
“I guess we can forget the cave today, we are on our way back the other way now. I have another idea of somewhere else we could go to though, if you want to continue.”
“Are you sure you can get us there?” he asked with a sigh.
“Yes, I’m sure,” she said under gritted teeth.
“Follow this road, it will lead us back, but keep on it until we get to the crossroads. I’ll direct you from there, okay?” she asked. He gave her a curt nod.
The journey continued in a tense silence which left Fay wondering if taking this new job was a big mistake. She hated the awkwardness of the situation and she hated this silence! The atmosphere suddenly became too tense for her to bear so she turned to him and attempted to begin a conversation.
“At the other side of Agios Nikolaos, on the coast road out of the town, there is an ancient archaeological site. In case you wanted to know, that’s where we are going.” She looked across at him and waited for a response.
“That sounds fine… as long as this archaeological site doesn’t mysteriously disappear,” he replied.
There’s that grin again. Okay so he’s making fun of me but at least the atmosphere has improved.
She laughed sarcastically and wound down the window slightly to get some more air in the car. The windows were now beginning to act like a greenhouse and the sun was shining directly onto her.
His eyes moved over her flushed face. “Is there a shop we can stop at along the way?”
“I should think so, yes actually there is one, why?” she asked.
“I’d like to get some water.”
They pulled up outside a small tourist shop and she waited in the car while he disappeared into the building. Minutes later he reappeared carrying a bottle of water in one hand and a t-shirt in the other. He got back into the car and threw the t-shirt onto her lap.
“Here, put this on,” he ordered.
She picked it up and looked at it with a frown. “What am I supposed to do with this?”
“Wear it! That’s what people usually do with them,” he replied sarcastically.
She tutted. “Oh, very funny, but why would I want to wear this?”
“Come on Fay, you’re sweltering in that jumper, and if you are uncomfortable then you aren’t going to be able to work properly,” he paused. “I would actually like to see some places today.”
She sighed, “Okay fine, we’ll stop somewhere and I’ll put it on.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, we aren’t stopping again, just put it on now.”
Her head swung around then and her eyes narrowed at him. “Oh, very good. You’d love that wouldn’t you but I’m not getting undressed in here!”
“Fay, I’m not asking you to take all your clothes off,” he mocked. She felt her cheeks becoming even redder and his eyes darted to her, noting her reaction.
He laughed, watching her wryly. “You’re so uptight you know, just put the damn t- shirt on!” She looked down at it considering her next move. “Good God, if it makes you feel any better, I promise not to look!” he exclaimed.
She growled. “Okay, I’ll put it on…Sir,” she added to emphasise his highhanded attitude.
She placed the t-shirt face down on her lap ready to slip it on as quickly as she could, and then she began to take her arms out of the sleeves. Just as she had started to lift the jumper up however she glanced sideways to see that he was watching her.
“I thought you said that you weren’t going to bloody well look!” she said incredulously. He grinned and laughed aloud. “Keep your eyes on the bloody road!”
He turned his head back and she waited a couple of moments. Then she lifted the jumper to pull it off, tugging fiercely at it when the neck got caught over her head. His eyes flicked back to her then, watching her struggle with amusement and taking in her lacy, black bra and the generous cleavage it revealed.
Hmm, very sexy! Good choice of underwear too!
His eyes returned to the road as she slipped the t-shirt on and the rest of the journey to the archaeological site was spent with her wondering what he had seen, and him contemplating the contents of her underwear drawer.