The Gap Year

Chapter 34

The Rainbow Taverna sat hidden, secluded within the upper curl of the tired mountain road which connected the northern holiday resorts to the commercial hub of Kerkyra city. From transit it could easily be missed by the passer by, something which I had done frequently during tbe multiple hours spent on that vomit inducing coach travelling to and from the airport; but the restaurants reputation for the best kleftiko and baklava within the district ensured that under occupancy was never a worry. Although enclosed to public view by the thriving bougainvillea, a wall of perfectly crafted magenta climbing eagerly around the frame of the veranda, the view from the roof terrace, as the steaming hills swept down steeply at first before plateauing out and capturing mile upon mile of the northern coastline from the stretching beaches of Roda across to the sweet harbour of Kassiopi, was stunning. Everything about the place was picture postcard Greece; a holiday makers dream, from the blue and white checked table cloths and the tall glass pots of olive oil plonked in their middle, to the zooming ball of scrapping kittens with no regard to restaurant hygiene, but most of all the scent of Greece; the forever present smell of thyme from the land, the perfume of the bougainvilleas romantic hues and the rosemary infused lamb of the kitchen.

'You should really try the kleftiko, the Corfiots travel miles to come eat it here.' Liam beamed at his hidden find, his bronzed hands grasping at the edge of the table trying to control his giddiness.

'I think I'll just stick with the calamari, thanks. I'm not really that brave when it comes to trying new food, plus I don't really care for lamb.'

'Not that brave? Have you seen the calamari they serve out here? Those tentacles are not like the frozen bags of rings you get from Iceland, we're talking full-on Alien movie scary.' He was obviously trying to underline how impressed he was with my choice of dish.

'The tentacles are my favourite bit, mmm, crispy,' we both laughed, 'although I wouldn't have you down as the sort of man to shop at Iceland?'

'I'm not!' He was embarrassed, 'but even as a medical student you've got to make those supermarket finances stretch. Plus they do a mean bag of calamari rings or crabs sticks or any frozen seafood item of your choice really.'

'Crab sticks?' My shock continued.

'I used to eat them with my grandpa when I was little,' he defended, 'so they remind me of him, okay?' The conversation was easy and we both smiled softly, picturing the image of Liam as a boy perched on his grandpa's knee and peeling down a strand of crab stick.

This was genuinely nice. As much as I can't deny the obvious connection between Harry and I, I would be kidding myself to believe that it's anything other than a fleeting physical impulse based primarily on the fact that he has a markedly handsome face and body; just a trick of evolution to allow him to impregnate me. So I need to forget any day dreams of his alluring symmetry and remember that he is merely a wandering barman on a journey to who knows where, whilst I need stability, a plan to work towards, not something which is going to distract me from giving one hundred percent concentration during my first weeks of academia by pining over some lost summer romance. Because that's all that Harry can ever offer me, a transient heartbeat, a memory, but certainly nothing which will help me work towards my primary goal of achievement.

'So are you looking forward to starting your fifth year?' I steered the conversation towards business, if only to underline to myself what a distraction indulging in fantasies of Harry's body parts is.

'Yes and no.' His response lacked the lustre I had expected, 'yes because I've worked so hard to get to this point, and it really has been a long slog, let me tell you,' he slumped down and blew out a faux tiredness from his lips, 'but I kind of get this feeling of sadness each time I think about leaving the island, especially now...' his voice trailed.

'Well it's a good thing you're not leaving for weeks,' I needed to distract him from the emerging melancholy and any fancies he might be having about missing this summer.

'I know, I just had to return some paper work to Uni and it got me dwelling that our time here will have to end at some point.'

'And all I've ever done is wish for it to pass, or at the very least for the God's to throw down a rock from the heaven's and have it land on Dave's big fat mellon head,' I laughed trying to convince us both that there was no way that I shared his feelings, 'but now...' but my voice betrayed my bravado, its inflection mimicking the end of his own earlier sentence.

'But now...?' His voice was hopeful.

'I don't know,' I shook my head, 'I guess I'm just letting myself get carried away with this place too. It's like Gerald Durrell wrote in 'My Family and Other Animals', that if you fall asleep under a cypress tree then its roots will steal your brain. So I guess that's what's happened to us; we must have fallen asleep under a cypress tree and it's robbed us of all judgement, allowing us to fall in love with the place.'

'That's a very strange analogy.' He looked at me confused, obviously struggling to interpret the metaphor.

'You wanna pick your dinner, Miss?' The waiter interrupted the awkward moment of mis-aligned wavelengths occuring between Liam and I.

'Oh, I already ordered the calamari.' I smiled politely.

'I know, that's why I'm asking you to choose it.' He pointed proudly to a washing line which crossed the corner of the room adjacent to the kitchen, 'the customer gets to pick which squid they want, a bit like with lobster, except this time it's dead already.' He chuckled proudly to himself exuding the same innate charisma which oozes from Adonis.

'Erm do you want me to help you?' Liam grimaced at the splayed calamari pegged along the washing line, something certain not to help earn a reputation of finery back home in the UK.

'It really does look like a Face Hugger.' Liam whispered, holding the palm of his hand up to cover my face and making a squelching sucking sound.

'Fortunately I never saw that movie.' I mubbled from behind his hand before sticking my tongue out and licking the centre of its palm.

'Eww, that's gross.' He wiped his wet palm across his t-shirt.

'The oldest trick in the book.' I grinned.

'Great to see that you two are getting on so well together.' An angry voice interrupted our giggles, an event which I was getting used to by now.

'Harry...' My voice was strained, confused at why he would be here.

'No its fine, I get it, I always knew you were destined for each other.'