Game Of Scones: a feel-good summer romance for 2018!. Samantha Tonge

and the little girl laughed and ran after them.

      Niko turned to me and took a step closer, fiddling with his leather bracelet. I doubted that a baby’s dirty nappies would faze him. The sky was pitch black now, without the intrusive amber glow of city lights I was used to in London.

      ‘Pippa – I am glad we are alone. We have something to discuss.’

      I stared at the ground. ‘Do we?’

      ‘Yes.’ He put a hand on my shoulder. ‘The desire of Niko Sotiropoulos to make fuck with you.’

Chapter Six

      ‘What did you say?’ I almost dropped my basket and shook off his hand as I looked up.

      ‘That film. I watched it. You compared me to the Greek waiter. He said something like that to Shirley, about making f–’

      ‘You watched Shirley Valentine?’ I gasped. ‘How… I mean… so quickly…’

      ‘A shop in Kos Town stocks DVDs for tourists. It’s not funny, that you think me like him. Pippa…’ He threw his hands in the air. ‘I have no agenda. Am serious. Unlike the waiter in film who was just looking for lightweight adventures.’

      ‘At least he wasn’t hiding a fiancée,’ I muttered.

      ‘Let me explain.’

      His mocha eyes gazed earnestly into my face and tingles in all sorts of places pricked my skin.

      ‘No! Let’s just leave it – Henrik and I, we… are happy. Look, I kind of get it – life in dusty Taxos, especially after the recession, must be… well, I can’t blame you for having a bit of fun with visiting tourists. Mind you, it stinks that you flirt with everyone behind Leila’s back.’ I started walking again. ‘But don’t badmouth Henrik to me.’

      ‘And don’t you badmouth Taxos – life here is as special as ever.’

      My cheeks burned. He was right. For me – old-fashioned, unsullied Taxos was still idyllic, with its ramshackle character contrasting Kos Town’s glossy glitz.

      ‘As for Leila…’ he continued. ‘You really think so little of me?’

      ‘What does my opinion matter?’

      He swallowed. ‘Everything.’

      ‘Of course it does,’ I said and pursed my lips, still cringing as I thought about Saturday’s butterfly kisses.

      ‘Look, about Henrik…’

      ‘Niko, please…’ My voice wavered. ‘Can’t we leave it? I don’t know why you dislike him but he’s a good man.’

      Niko stared at me for a moment and took a step back. ‘Sorry Pippa… I… I no mean to hurt your feelings. It’s just…’

      I raised an eyebrow. He sighed and nodded. Then with as wide strides as possible, I headed towards the shouts of Theo and Henrik, in the distance. With relief, I reached them and stood by Leila whilst the men enjoyed a ten minute kick-around. Then we hurried to the taverna and wow! What a greeting awaited us with string music, laughter, flickering candles and savoury smells.

      As we walked in, Mr Dellis, his wife and mother came over to give us tight hugs. I caught sight of a table at the back of the room, laden with… Wow again. Niko’s family had prepared bowls of shiny olives, green and beige dips, fried calamari, souvlaki chicken kebabs and stuffed red peppers. Plus colourful salads dressed with glistening oil and lumps of squishy feta cheese.

      I spied Sophia’s famous spinach pie – in other words, comfort food at its best. My last holiday there, I’d been fretting about whether I’d chosen the right options for GCSE. Niko had fetched me a slice of this Spanakopita and sat with me, next to our favourite rock in Caretta Cove, whilst I’d relished every mouthful. A lump rose in my throat as I recalled him declaring the wrong choices would be just a small blip that would never hold back a girl like Pippa Pattinson.

      Niko circled the room, kissing several women, family and friends…What had happened over the years to make him value an engagement so little – and to spurt out spiteful suspicions about people he hardly knew?

      ‘Demetrios!’ I said as the handsome potter came over and kissed me on either cheek. He stood back and grinned. I’d forgotten how he always wore a colourful cravat.

      ‘Ya sou, Pippa. So, where are your muddy jeans and bare feet now?’

      I grinned. ‘Remember that vase I made? The hole at the top was so small all I could do was push in one stalk.’

      Demetrios chuckled. ‘Happy memories – you must come over before you leave. I make you a special vase to take back.’

      ‘Ya sou, Pippa!’ Pandora the baker came over and warmth radiated through me at the sight of her in catwalk tailored white trousers and a terracotta blouse. She hadn’t changed a jot, apart from a few grey hairs in her stylish short cut and deep shadows under those ebony eyes. Plus now she wore black-rimmed glasses. I glanced at her perfectly varnished nails and… wedding finger. So she hadn’t remarried. Pandora had lost her husband about ten years ago – flames had cornered him whilst he helped control a forest fire, in a neighbouring village.

      We hugged. ‘I’ve brought cake tonight, Pippa, and trust you still like it as much?’

      I patted my stomach. ‘All these years, I’ve never eaten a sponge cake as good as yours, back in England.’

      Pandora’s skin flushed and she gave me another hug. Then she stood back. ‘You’ve grown into a lovely young woman – and have important job in London, no?’

      ‘It’s no more important than baking heavenly food to earn a living – I can’t wait to fill my plate from the buffet table.’

      Pandora’s cheeks flushed darker as Mr Dellis clapped his hands and a hush fell.

      ‘Now that Niko and Miss Pat– I mean Pippa, are here…’ he lifted up Theo, ‘… My sons talk of superheroes – Spiderman, Captain America. But they are fiction. In this room we have two real heroes, both bigger than The Hulk…’

      Er. Okay. I think that was meant as a compliment.

      ‘… who saved my boys from…’ His voice trembled. ‘Please, with your hands, thank them.’

      As the room shook with claps and cheers, I glanced across the room at Niko and swallowed. Those deep mocha eyes met mine, a crease between the brows. It was as if time had rewound about ten years, to the day we alerted the neighbouring village to the forest fire that claimed Pandora’s husband. After unsuccessfully trying to extinguish it with buckets of sand, we’d got back on our bikes and raised the alarm. Like many inhabitants of a small island, Taxos villagers were at the mercy of the elements. Some had called us heroes back then but we never felt it, because the fire’s consequences had still been tragic, with the one death and several injured.