Page 71 of Love on the Rocks
“It has medicinal purposes. I figured Jake could use some.”
“Yes, I know how you love to drug your patients,” I mumbled. “Look, here’s one now.”
“Nick, glad you could make it.” Jake greeted Nikos, tapping him on the back with his unbandaged hand.
“Nick? Are you buddies now?” I handed the bottle of moonshine to Jake. “This is for you since you’re handling drinks.”
“Tsipouro. It’s an apéritif, I think you call it in France,” Nikos explained, and I sighed in relief as the two of them moved to the kitchen to talk alcohol with the other guys. Just when I thought I was off the hook, Panos said something that made Nikos look my way with such obvious longing, it knocked the breath out of me.
Teresa sidled up to me and whispered, “I do not know what you did to that man, but I think you have scrambled his brains. I have never seen him look at someone the way he does you.”
He must have known we were talking about him because he ambled over with a shot glass of his moonshine. “Drink up. Doctor’s orders.”
“You should know by now that I don’t follow anyone’s orders.” Yet, I took the glass from him. It did smell medicinal—herby and spicy. I gulped it down in one shot and let it burn down my throat, warming my chest. It reminded me of grappa—slightly sweet, clinging to the tongue, full of that wonderful anise flavor that ouzo had. It felt like it went straight to my veins, and I was warm all over. Or maybe that was because Nikos was looking at me as if he wanted to devour me.
“Nice,” I said finally. “And powerful. How’s it made?”
“It’s distilled from the residue of Stamatis’s wine press.”
“So his bare feet have been all over this?” I couldn’t get the image out of my mind.
“Maybe?” Nikos laughed. “The alcohol burns out any germs.”
“Good to know.”
I don’t know if it was the alcohol, the laid-back music that Panos was strumming on his guitar, or just the company, but soon all the tension I’d been feeling ebbed away. I was able to enjoy the presence of my friends—old and new—and it was the first time that I felt at home, like really at home, here.
Nikos insisted on helping Olivia out in the kitchen and Jake brought out his bottles of wine. When I saw them all lined up, I laughed. “No wonder that suitcase was so heavy! Did you think I was going to be holed up in my place drinking every night?”
“No way, I know you too well now. Olivia was worried about you at first, but I told her if there was anyone who knew how to make friends in a war zone, it’s Callie. And looks like I was right.” He put his arm around me and I gave him a peck on the cheek.
Conversation and wine flowed freely over dinner. Nikos served as translator for Panos, and I was amazed by how easygoing he was in social situations. Olivia made sure to seat him across from me and he was very well behaved, except for the occasional hot glances he threw my way. I, on the other hand, couldn’t stop staring at him and thinking about how his mouth had been all over me. Was it awful that I wanted it on me now?
Teresa leaned and whispered, “If you keep staring like that, he’s going to kick the rest of us out so he can have you to himself.”
“I wasn’t staring,” I whispered back but felt the blood rush to my cheeks.
She raised an eyebrow and smiled, turning her attention back to the glass of rosé. “Jake, this wine is amazing. Do you ship?”
“For the moment, no. My partner is ninety years old and very set in his ways. He still thinks customers should come to us, and if he doesn’t think you’ll fully appreciate the wine, he won’t sellit to you,” he explained, and I smiled at the image of Monsieur Reynaud that came to mind. He was a charmer, and Jake and Olivia were like the grandchildren he’d never had.
“Actually, while we’re here I’d like to visit some vineyards on the Peloponnese. And I saw that you have a winemaker on the island,” said Jake between bites of Olivia’s shortbreads. For someone who said he couldn’t stand to eat anymore, he sure was doing a good job of polishing off his meal.
“We do,” confirmed Nikos. “In fact, if you’d like I can take you to the vineyards tomorrow.”
“Oh, that would be wonderful!” Olivia smiled. I kicked her under the table.
“You’ll join us too, won’t you, Calista? You’ll want to serve local wine at your restaurant, right?” he teased.
“Yes, of course. I’ve already tasted it, but I would like to know how it’s made.”
After dinner, Panos brought out his bouzouki and lent Nikos his guitar. They got everyone dancing with some Greek classics while I cleared the table. When I came back into the room, Nikos started strumming another familiar tune. “A special dedication to our hostess.”
When the first strains of “Hard Headed Woman” filled the air, my breath caught and my cheeks warmed. What was happening to me? I never blushed. I crossed my arms and shook my head at him, unable to look away. It was like there were only the two of us in the room.
Chapter 28
When she finished painting, they went for a swim in the sea. She clung to him laughing when a sea turtle tickled her feet. He felt drunk with joy in her presence. Whoever would have believed that the heartless tycoon, Angelos Mavromatis, was capable of feeling joy? Certainly not he.
