‘Do you only work with artists whose work you like, or are you able to step back and say, “This isn’t to my taste, but the art world will embrace it”?’

‘Great question. It’s both, actually. Sometimes I pursue an artist – or I take them on – purely because they’re someone I want to collect personally. Other times, I can appreciate the work, even if it doesn’t move me.’

‘I can see how both perspectives could work for you. You must have an extensive collection by now.’

‘I’ll say this, it’s a carefully curated collection.’

‘So, huge and worth a lot of money?’ I was being cheeky. I must have felt more comfortable with him. He smiled. Maybe cheeky was his thing.

‘When you put me on the spot like that, what can I say?’ I looked at him expectantly. ‘Okay, yes, huge and worth a lot of money.’

We both broke into laughter, enjoying the joke between us. ‘So where is it all?’

‘I have quite a few pieces shared amongst my homes, some on the yacht, a few pieces on loan to galleries in New York and in Europe, and the rest is in storage.’

I was stuck on the first part of what he said. ‘Homes?’

He nodded, but didn’t say more. Was he embarrassed? Humble? I liked that he didn’t want to brag about having homes – plural – but I’d want to know more at some point. We walked in silence for a while, and I mulled over what I knew about him. It would be an exciting life if I ended up attached to the silver fox.

And if I did end up with him, the rest of the evening was a great start to our life together. We went to his friend’s house, which was a steep uphill walk from the bar, but well worth the climb. It was one of those homes that only the truly rich have, a modern take on the traditional whitewashed boxes that are ubiquitous in Greece.

The house had sharp edges and clean lines, which contrasted starkly with the craggy rock it clung to. It was long and narrow, with vast windows that overlooked the town and marina below. The living room opened onto a patio with a lone olive tree planted in the middle of it, and a lap pool ran the length of the house. Inside, we sat on low-slung white leather couches, and sipped Metaxa Private Reserve from ornate brandy glasses.