The Greek Escape by Karen Swan

Author:Karen Swan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Chapter Seventeen

‘Xan, it’s me,’ she whispered, sitting up in bed, her elbows on her knees. It was still dark outside, the jet lag keeping her on New York hours; 5 a.m. here, but only ten there. She knew he’d still be up.

‘Chlo! Where the hell are you?’ His voice was almost a shriek and she was forced to hold the phone away from her ear for a moment.

‘I’m in Greece.’

‘Greece?’ Another screech. ‘What the hell are you doing there?’

‘I’m with that client, Joe Lincoln.’

There was a pause. ‘The hot one?’

She rolled her eyes; why did everyone call him that? ‘Yes. Him. He wanted me to come and see the houses I found for him.’

‘Did he now? And there was no one else who could do that for him? Someone like, oh, I don’t know – a realtor?’

‘This is work, Xan.’

‘Yeah, right – come away to a Greek island with me, beautiful lady, and we shall tell no one.’

She couldn’t help but laugh. ‘It’s not like that.’

‘Isn’t it?’

‘No. Look, he came to the Basquiat show and cornered me there – and yes, I’d had a few drinks so it seemed . . . not such a crazy idea at the time. But I’ll be back soon, I promise.’

‘Well you’d better, because management’s going bat-shit. Jack’s been tearing round the place like he’s Zeus, shooting bolts of thunder from his eyes, I goddam swear. I haven’t ever seen him like that before.’

‘Why?’

‘Search me. Seems he’s always flipping his lid about one thing or another at the moment.’

She closed her eyes, hating herself for what she was about to ask. ‘And Tom? How’s he being?’

‘Well, you know Tom – always the good cop, but he’s been off too. I swear to God he spent the entire day standing at the window whilst the rest of us were working for a living.’

‘Oh God, I’m sorry.’

‘What are you sorry for? It’s not your fault they keep fighting. Sandy in accounts was coming back from doing a matcha run earlier and she overheard them arguing in the elevators. She said that when the doors opened they were all smiles and floppy hair and “pass the tea, vicar”, you can imagine; but in the moments before the doors opened, she thought they were almost going to come to blows. Everyone in the lobby heard them. It was totally awkward.’

Chloe frowned. ‘But why are they fighting? They’re such old friends.’

‘Agh, the size of their dividends? Who cares?’ he tutted. ‘Listen, much more importantly – did you hear the good news?’

‘Poppy? Yes, that’s the reason I’m calling – she woke up? It’s actually true?’

‘Yeah! Isn’t it great? A chink of sunshine amidst the chaos and gloom.’

‘Have you been to see her?’

‘No, they’re still saying family only, although Jack got in somehow; he said she looks really bad – weighs practically nothing; vampire white – I mean completely bloodless, he said; she’s got black eyes; a fractured cheekbone; broken jaw that’s had to be wired shut, a broken arm, broken leg .

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