No thanks, I'm in Greece.The note had been sent a few hours ago and it had been ominously quiet since. Had she been back in London, she wouldn't have thought twice about accepting his offer to "come over" but she was on holiday.
It had been another gorgeous scorching hot day on the island. It was late evening and the sun was just about to set, painting the sky in soft hues of pink and purple and the breeze that ruffled her hair was warm. Perdita had taken some time off before she started her new job and her family's sprawling
villa was just the ticket. Her family used this hideaway more but she preferred the home in Italy. She couldn't remember the last time she'd visited. Either way, working for two years in an office was making her drowsy and her skin was looking rather peaky. In this part of the world, wearing any other clothing apart from swimwear was sacrilegious.
With a yawn, Perdita stretched, flexing her fingers and rolling her shoulders because a day poolside was
so tiring. Her bare feet padded across the still-warm flagging as she turned her head, adjusting the straps of her
suit and giving a thoughtful frown as she saw the beginnings of a tan. It was about time, she'd been here two days already. The villa was a little piece of paradise. The traditional building was nestled on a clifftop, overlooking the sea and the rest of the island across crystal clear waters. Days were long and sunshine filled and time was relative in these parts. It was quiet up here and seemingly miles away from the hustle and bustle of the vibrant metropolis below.
More than that, the people were friendly. Perdita was so used to London that it had taken her a bit of time to get used to the smile of a stranger rather than a scowl. She was here all week and she'd finally managed to wrangle Mary into taking some time off work so after Greece, they were both going back to Italy. It was a tough life but someone had to live it.
She pottered about, taking time to water the colourful hedges around the entrance and double check on the plants before a soft tinkling caught her attention - the wards had been activated and someone was here.
Her full lips downturned into a frown as she placed the watering can down and retraced her steps quietly. The only people who could access the place were her parents and maybe a couple of local people who were dropping off groceries but that was about it. Down the winding outside steps she went, hugging close to the villa as she rounded the corner towards the pool, her slender fingers trailing on the rocks before she stopped suddenly.
Raising an eyebrow, she slid her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose to peer at him. Her big blue eyes gave him a once over before pushing her glasses back up and idling closer, her arms folded across her chest. For once, he wasn't wearing black. Was that a
linen shirt? Good heavens.
"The note wasn't an invitation," she told Torrence quickly with a smile, taking off her hat as she brushed by him and casually tossed it onto one of the white sofas under the cover that protected them from the winds. "Nice shirt." It was out before she could stop it, purely because she was in mild shock that he wasn't wearing those horrid beaten up boots. Ruffling her hair, she pushed her sunglasses up once again to rest on the top of her head as she sat down, wondering how he consistently managed to keep finding her all across Europe. Creeper.
She crossed her legs and glanced at the clock hanging on the wall before back at his frame. "Two hours," she mused. "You're losing your touch. What took you so long?"
@Torrence Regan
