‘Galen’s smiling,’ she said.
‘No.’ Kupia denied it. ‘He put soap in his eyes once, pretending to cry...he has no feelings.’
‘Kupia Florakis...’ Roula stopped herself. Oh, it must be so hard for Galen to hear this. ‘Your daughter was very beautiful.’
‘Yes.’ And then she pointed to Galen and smiled. ‘Cheeky boy. Talk, talk talk...’
‘Did he?’
‘Why? Why? Why?Every minute...’
They chatted a while, but after that it was mainly nonsensical, although Kupia was smiling when Roula left. And, no, there was no need to disturb Galen with the staff’s sedation request.
Roula found herself outside a boutique so exclusive it had only one item in the window. It was a pale blue linen shift dress with a red flower on one hip, and this was the first time Roula’s gaze had lingered so.
Her clothes, her hair, her absolute desire to be invisible had worked in Anapliró. It had been expected of her, even. But here Roula did not blend in. She ventured inside, but before an assistant could even approach Roula turned and walked out.
Then there was a hair salon that caught her eye—though not like the one at home, where her mother went...where everyone went.
Of course she could not afford the one at the retreat. But here she wanted to be brave, and walk in, find how to tame her thick curls and...
Stop hiding.
Be seen.
She felt seen by Galen.
‘I was wondering...’ She looked at the hairdresser, a woman about the same age as she. ‘My hair is so curly...’
‘We’ll cut it dry and then wash it.’
‘Just cut it a little,’ Roula warned.
She took loads off, and she sat there in silent horror as her hair fell to the floor. And then she lay head back and closed her eyes at the sink, wishing she’d never set foot in the place.
‘Better?’ The hairdresser smiled as Roula returned from having her hair washed.
No, it wasn’t.
In fact the day got worse. Because her phone buzzed then—or ratherhisphone.
I need a break
Roula frowned as she read it, and then a follow-up message came in.
Do you?
It would seem that someone called Pandora would like to ‘catch up’ and was wondering if Galen would like to do the same.
God, she wanted to text Galen and tell him that he was supposed to be working! Actually, she wanted to message him about hisyaya. But she swallowed it down and was a dutiful PA and messaged Pandora back.
PA
Roula even got a reply.
Whoops, sorry!
Pandora had even added a little crying/laughing face!