Welcome To Crete

Welcome To Crete Chapter 26

They walked back towards the town in companionable silence until they reached the square, where Fay suggested that they go to find a friend of hers in a local taverna.

"His name is Nikos, I've known him for years and he has taken my friends and I out into the bay on his boat many times. I thought that he might take us out today and you could get a closer look at Spinalonga. We won't be able to get onto the island as it is still out of season but it would give you an idea of the place. You may even like to use his services for small exclusive trips. He often catches fish from the boat and cooks them there and then, you couldn't get any fresher, and the tourists tend to like that kind of thing."

"Sounds great," Adam replied.

She directed him across the square and around the church to a second row of tavernas behind it. He threw his arm around her shoulder.

"You know Fay, I think fate was on my side the day I almost ran your best friend over. You're an inexhaustible source of information aren't you?"

"Well in truth, I was already recommended to you so we could have spared risking Sal's life in the process," she said.

"A fair point," he nodded, "still, I would've hated to have missed the sight of a feisty, blonde lady storming up to me and giving me hell, an unexpected treat that was!" he grinned down at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit Adam Ford."

He frowned, "Who's being sarcastic? You should have seen the look on your face when Sal invited me into your apartment too!"

"Hmm, she tends to be a bit impetuous like that," she replied.

"Even better when you turned up at the office that evening and saw me there," he laughed, "classic!" "I knew it was you," she lied, trying not to smile.

"Oh really," he replied, "that's almost as believable as you having to check your diary to see if you were free the following day."

She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment and then walked away, heading for the last taverna in the row and entering it without a backward glance. He followed.

She was always doing that, and he was always chasing after her. Why did he get the feeling that it wouldn't be the last time either?

Once inside the taverna she thought for a moment that it was closed as it seemed completely empty but then a well built, bearded man in his late fifties appeared from a back room and welcomed her enthusiastically, grabbing her by the shoulders and kissing her on alternate cheeks.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome Fay. I have not seen you for many months now, where have you been all this time?" he bellowed in a deep voice, gesturing for her to sit.

She laughed, "Hi Nikos, I've been busy working."

He noticed Adam and she introduced them, "Oh, this is Adam, Adam Nikos."

They shook hands and Nikos gave Fay a cheeky look. "Now Fay I am angry with you," he frowned, "you promised that I would be your boyfriend and now here you are with another boy."

Shaking her head, she put him right. "Actually Adam isn't my boyfriend, he is my boss. He is interested in organizing trips around Elounda and naturally I thought of you. We were just saying that it's a shame we can't get a closer look at Spinalonga until the season starts," she hinted.

He put his hands on either side of her face and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I will take you out. Sit here, drink and wait a bit and then we will go. Olla Kala?"

She smiled, "Ne, efaristo para poli Niko."

Adam and Fay sat at one of the small, wooden tables in the narrow taverna and Nikos brought over a carafe of wine for Fay and a small carafe of Raki for himself and Adam.