If you’ve read My Big Greek Island Ex-scape, here’s a little something for you – a bonus scene that happens long before the book begins…
I almost didn’t go out the night my life changed forever.
But with my best mate, Duncan, standing in my doorway giving me shit about studying on a Friday night – going on and on for at least five minutes – I finally relented. If only to shut him up.
Turf Tavern was stuffed to the gills that night, but Duncan pushed through the crowd to the bar to get us each a pint while I did my best to stake my claim a square foot of floor near the back.
A Britney Spears song came on – ‘Womaniser’ – and that’s when I saw her. A gorgeous girl about my age – long dark-blonde hair, heart-shaped face, enormous blue eyes, and her body… she was tiny in stature but curvy and I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
Neither could anyone else – unsurprising considering she was standing on table belting out the song. Badly. She couldn’t sing to save her life, and she only knew half the words, filling in the gaps with made up lyrics and gibberish. But none of that stopped and she performed the hell out of that song.
When it ended, the crowd erupted with hoots, whistles, and cheers, she took a bow, and I rushed over to offer my hand to help her off the table.
She locked eyes with mine and I swear to god my heart stopped for at least five seconds. Then she took my hand and carefully stepped onto a chair then the floor. I towered over her, even though she was wearing these super high heels.
‘That was amazing,’ I said, stooping to talk in her ear.
‘I know,’ she replied, and I burst out laughing.
‘Can I buy you a drink?’
She was about to answer when Duncan found me, shoving a pint at me and sending a tiny wave of lager onto the floor.
‘Sorry, mate,’ he said, then he noticed her – the girl I’d already fallen in love with – and a sly grin spread across his face. ‘Hi, I’m Duncan.’
He stuck out his hand and she shook it.
‘I’m Ally, and your friend just asked if he could buy me a drink.’
Duncan’s gaze swung in my direction, then he looked between me and her – twice.
‘Ah. Well, then all yours, mate,’ he said before patting me on the arm and disappearing into the crowd.
When I turned back to the girl – Ally – she was watching me with an amused look on her face. I shook my head quickly to clear it.
‘Sorry, uh… let’s get you one of these, eh?’ I asked, holding up the pint.
She broke into a smile that lit her from within, and the entire Turf Tavern – the people, the music, the bar – receded into the background. There was just Ally and me. I was a goner.
‘Lead the way.’
I didn’t want to lose her in the throng – or ever – so I reached for her hand. Her tiny hand fitted into mine perfectly and I led her towards the bar where I asked her what she wanted.
‘A pint’s good,’ she replied – not a white wine, not a vodka soda – a pint. If I hadn’t already been falling hard for this girl, that might’ve sealed the deal.
While we waited to get served, I spent every second trying to think of something clever and interesting to say and failing miserably.
When we each had a drink, she signalled for us to move to end of the bar and I followed.
‘Cheers,’ she said, tapping her pint glass against mine.
‘Cheers.’
I watched in awe as she drank deeply, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. I took a sip, sensing I’d need to keep my wits about me.
‘So where did you learn to do that?’ I asked.
‘Drink from a glass? I’ve been doing that since I was about two.’
I sniggered, taking the jibe good-naturedly. ‘I meant the performance,’ I said.
‘Ahh, my sister, Claude. She’s been sneaking me into pubs and clubs since I was sixteen. My first time was a duet.’
‘She sounds a bit wild.’
‘Oh, she’s a lot wild. You have no idea.’ And that was coming from the girl who’d just performed to the entire bar.
‘So, you’re studying here?’ I asked. It was a fair assumption but not everyone in Oxford who was my age was a student.
‘Yep – English Lit and PPE.’
‘PPE?’ I asked.
‘Philosophy, Politics, and Economics,’ she replied, giving me a funny look. I probably should have known that. ‘What about you?’ she asked, eyeing me up as if my appearance alone would reveal the answer.
‘Engineering,’ we said at the exact same time.
She nodded at me knowingly – some might call smugly.
‘How did you…?’ I asked with a laugh.
‘Engineering students have a certain way about them.’
My brows shot up. ‘Is that so? Should I be insulted by that?’
‘Absolutely not. Without engineers, the world would literally fall apart.’
She took another drink of her pint, her eyes fixed on mine, and I basked in the glow of her compliment.
I knew right then that I never wanted the night to end.
Sandy Barker | Author 