Page 20 of Arrogant Arrival

Standing next to the door that leads outside the airport are Bianca, her husband whom I believe Jim said was Dex, their daughter Georgina, an older woman, and an elderly woman.

“Ma and Yia-Yia, your hunt for me to be with someone can end. Everyone, this is Jo! We met a couple of months ago, and now we’re official. I’m bringing her to meet the family.”

His mother’s eyes go wide as she looks me up and down. She tilts her head and asks Bianca. “Joe? Did he say Joe?”

The grandmother pinches her pointer and middle fingers together to her thumb and makes the motion of a cross three times touching her forehead, shoulders, and chest. She begins mumbling some words in Greek.

Bianca shakes her head and rolls her eyes as the other woman studies me. She stops the elderly woman and I hear her whisper, “She’s a woman, Yia-Yia.”

“Jo-lene. Jo is a nickname,” Jim emphasizes. He turns to me and gives me a sheepish smile. “Yia-Yia can’t see very well and she thought I was calling you Joe, as in with an ‘e.’ And, anyway, let’s get going.” Jim lets out a nervous chuckle and I force a smile.Well, this is already off to a great start.

Jim clears his throat, “Jolene, you’ve sort of met my cousin Bianca, her husband Dex, and their daughter Georgina, whom you’ve already met. This stunning goddess here is my mother Martha and my grandmother Patty. Everyone Jolene Tannerelos.”

I shake everyone’s hand. I think I’m in the clear until Martha asks, “So…you’re Greek?”

I nod, but before I can clarify I’ve never spoke Greek or knowanythingabout Greece other than what I learned in a high school history class, Martha jumps into speaking Greek.

“Um, Ma, she doesn’t speak Greek. She never learned the language. Like Bianca!”

Yia-Yia Patty begins mumbling in Greek again. I want to tell Jim that this idea of his may be hopeless and backfire because I don’t think I’m scoring him any points. They’ll be ready to replace me and work even harder now on finding him an honest-to-God Greek girl.

We walk over to the rental car service. Jim whispers to me, “Dex has already booked us two rental cars and a condo in Lefkada.”

“That’s where your family is from?”

“Sort of. My family is from a nearby village in Lefkada but we prefer to stay more in town. Butwedon’t have to stay there the whole time. We could even go to a different island, just the two of us for a day or two.”

“That would be amazing. But really, I’m excited just to explore any area of Greece.”

“Believe me, after a couple of days with mywholefamily, you’ll be ready to go exploring. You may even be ready to jump in the ocean and swim to another island.”

“You know I hear you, adrouli mou. And I don’t appreciate what you’re telling this young woman. We are not that bad.”

“Yes, notthatbad.” Jim mouths, “Theyare.”

Dex hands Jim a set of keys. “Bianca, Georgina, and I will follow you.”

I lean toward Jim and whisper, “I thought you said we’re going to an island? Are we taking the cars with us and riding a ferry boat?”

“No. We’re driving the whole way.”

“I can’t tell if you’re being a smart ass or not.”

“Lefkada is an island, but it’s connected by a bridge so we can drive there, sweetheart. Get ready for the vacation of your life. Trust me.”

Easier said than done since he’s already lied to me once.

Jimmy

I’m driving the winding roads around the mountains of Greece with my Ma, Yia-Yia, andJolene—my fake Greek girlfriend.It’s not the strangest situation I’ve been in, if I’m being honest.Yia-Yia sits in the front passenger seat dressed in all black. She’s worn only black since my Pappou passed away eight years earlier.

“Jimmy, agapi mou,”Jimmy, my love.

“Nai, Yia-Yia,”Yes, Grandma.

My Yia-Yia asks me questions on where I found ‘this Jo’, and what do I know about her and her family. In Greek, I tell her.

“Yia-Yia, she’s a good girl. No, that’s not a boy’s name. You’ll like her once you give her a chance. I’ve not met her family yet. Let’s just enjoy our vacation.”

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