‘Can I ask you something?’ Roula said. ‘Your honest, unfiltered opinion...?’
‘Are you sure you want it?’
‘Yes,’ Roula said. ‘Am I making the most dreadful mistake?’
‘Career-wise?’ he checked.
She felt as if they were sitting under that tree sharing lunch, back to where he’d helped her with the bits she didn’t understand.
‘No.’ He sounded honest. ‘I think it’s a great move. For all Yolanda’s talk of semi-retiring, she’ll never hand over the reins...’
‘What about friendship-wise? Yaya, I mean.’
‘Roula, I wouldn’t ask Costa or Leo to cancel a lunch over Yaya. I hope they’ll come to the funeral, but only if they’re in Athens... So, no, you don’t owe me anything friendship-wise.’
‘Us-wise?’
‘Us?’ Galen checked. ‘We had sex once... Had ouzo been involved it could have been twice...’
‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘For being honest.’
‘I haven’t finished being honest yet,’ Galen said. ‘Why now, Roula? Seriously?’ he said. ‘Why, when we were getting good, would you choose to go now?’
‘You said you didn’t want a relationship.’
‘So did you,’ Galen fired back. ‘That was the deal we made. But then things changed. You told me some things that I don’t believe you would drop into any casual conversation. You brought me right up close to here...’ he jabbed at his chest. ‘...and then you told me you were on the next flight out.’
‘It wasn’t like that...’
‘Pretty close.’
‘I told you so that you’d open up too.’
‘You’re not that magnanimous,’ Galen said, and Roula swallowed at his confrontational words. ‘Deny it all you like, but we were getting close—and now you’ve decided to run.’
‘Some things are just too big and too sordid to come back from.’
‘Says who?’ he challenged. ‘Are you still reading from theBook of Drakos?’
‘That’s mean.’
‘Yes,’ Galen said. ‘I can be. But so can you. Like it or not, I know you—or I did once. And before you tell me you can’t make it to the ball, know this: I don’t thinkI’mgoing to be able to make it. Believe it or not, it’s work. I would like some notes made now Kristina cannot be there... And Leo has got quite a bit hanging on this bloody gown getting photographed, so just know that too, before you run off.’
‘I’m not running off,’ Roula said. ‘I’m here, aren’t I?’
‘You haven’t been here since you got out of my bed, Roula,’ he accused. ‘Now, will you be there tomorrow?’
Caught, she nodded.
‘Good,’ he said. ‘I suggest you bring your Dictaphone. It says “no recording” on the invitation, but if you do it will be easier for you to write up your notes.’
‘Anything else?’
‘Not that I can think of,’ Galen said. ‘How about you?’
Roula shook her head, too petrified to share her unconfirmed fears. ‘No.’