Page 32 of Arrogant Arrival

“I doubt you helped matters any by repeating it twice. Mustard…is that even a thing in Greece?” I start laughing again.

He shrugs likewhat’s a guy to doand brings his lips back to mine.

“I’m really glad to hear you call me Jimmy.” He gives me a sweet kiss on the lips. When he pulls away, he leads me toward the condo. I look up to find Yia-Yia watching us. I give a little wave, but she continues to just watch me. They said her eyesight is really bad, that she certainly couldn’t see anything at a distance, but something tells me she does…and that, like Martha, she sees everything.

Martha walks in the living room all excited. “We are going to have family over tonight. Maria is coming and she’s bringing a few other friends we haven’t seen in years. Along with her goddaughter, Pamela”

Pamela.I really don’t want to deal with her again. The nerve. We just announced we were engaged. I’m going to have to up my game to help Jimmy, or they’ll try to have those two married by the end of this trip. There’s a buzz from the doorbell and Martha claps. “That’s them!”

I hear a round of “Yia sas” and “Yia.” At least eight Greek people walk in the room. Counting us, with Bianca, Georgina, and Dex, the room is full. Martha offers drinks while everyone chats. Everyone is very friendly and sweet. Jimmy translates for most, but a few know English. After a while, Dex offers to order gyros and souvlaki for everyone. There’s a buzz again at the door a little later, and I’m excited, expecting food. Instead, my stomach turns sour when in walks Pamela with the same two women from church. Her olive skin practically glows from kisses from the sun. Her wavy, chestnut-colored hair hangs down past her shoulders, her eyebrows are a perfect thick curve, the smoky eye shadow and long black eyelashes accents her honey-colored eyes, and her lips are fire engine red. But…I am not intimated by this ridiculously gorgeous woman. Nope. So what if everyone in this room would rather Jimmy be with her instead of me? So what if she’s a Greek goddess come to life who’s so gorgeous I almost want to date her? I don’t care. Jimmy choseme.

She doesn’t even hesitate when she goes to sit on the other side of Jimmy. Despite knowing English, she speaks only in Greek to him. It’s her way of deliberately excluding me from the conversation.Would it be wrong to teach Georgina to say Greek bitch and have her go tell Pamela her new word?

The food arrives and Martha sets up a little buffet for everyone to fix a plate and then sit wherever they can find a spot. Everyone laughs and speaks animatedly. Despite Pamela’s presence, the entire evening so far has been really nice.

Wait. I’m not going to let her ruin my vacation, especially when I’m here on false pretenses.

I stand to go throw away my paper plate. When I enter the kitchen, Bianca is there. She beams at me with flushed cheeks and holds up a bottle of wine. “Would you like a glass?”

“Yes, please!”

She laughs at my enthusiasm and begins to pour a glass. She hands it to me, and I take a sip. “This is delicious. You know, I always thought the best wine I’ve ever had was from Italy but this,” I examine my glass, “is pretty darn good.”

“Thanks. It’s from Theo Vasili’s vineyard.”

“Oh, have I met him?”

“Maybe. Not sure if I’ve met him.” We both giggle. “I don’t know who anyone is. He could be out there for all I know. Jimmy could tell you.”

“He does seem to know everyone.”Especially all the women.“Is Greece everything you were hoping for?”

“And more. We’re hoping to do more of the touristy stuff the next couple of days. Then back to work.”

“Yeah, you work at a magazine. That must be fun. I majored in journalism in college.” Bianca’s eyes widen in surprise, so I continue. “True story. I worked at a newspaper but hated it. I got restless. I was still so young and wanted to see the world. I still write some, just in my journal. I love to write about all my trips.” I sigh and take another sip of wine. “I love to travel. You know that’s the best part about my job, but I hate that it’s always go-go-go. That doesn’t make sense. I love to go, but I wish I had a little more freedom and not such a chaotic schedule. Like now, I’m so grateful that I’m able to just enjoy Greece instead of just a quick layover.”

“You should start a travel blog or work for a magazine. Some places will pay for your travel experiences in exchange for promotion and reviews.”

“I wouldn’t even know the first thing about starting something like that.”

Bianca tilts her head to study me a moment. “I could see about getting you a job at the magazine I work for.”

“Wh-what?”

“Yeah. You could even write some articles for our website.”

“That would be amazing but, Bianca,” I take a deep breath. “What if Jim and I break up? You’re doing this now while I’m his girlfriend and you’re drinking wine…I mean, let’s say we’re no longer a couple.”And you’re sober.“Then what?”

Bianca slides down the counter closer to me and whispers. “You mean break up like next week? As soon as you board the plane, this little fake relationship is over?”

“You know?”

Bianca gives me an are-you-kidding-me look, “Jolene, you were our flight attendant and he never once said you were his girlfriend until baggage claim. You two barely spoke on the plane, and when you did, there were death glares coming from you. There’s definitely sexual tension, but Jimmy freaked out when I mentioned Thea Martha trying to set him up. Then, all of a sudden—oh look! His girlfriend arrives. But wait—now you’re engaged.” She snickers and pats my shoulder as she steps away. “The job offer is there regardless of whether or not you and Jimmy are together.”

Bianca takes the wine and a few glasses to the living room. Jimmy enters the kitchen and his face lights up when his eyes land on me. “Hey, I wondered where you wandered off to.”

When we go back to the living room, everyone is laughing and drinking wine. Jimmy groans and I nudge him. “What’s up?”

“One of my cousins knows a couple of tsigganos. He called them to come over and play music.”

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