Page 3 of A Grecian Getaway

The woman laughed nervously and shook her head no. “Oh, I’m here with my best friends. I’m not married or even have a boyfriend.” She laughed nervously again and looked away from him.

“Ah, well, there are lots of men in Greece; good luck to you. I am sure you will meet a nice man.” Demetri wasn’t sure why he said that.Shit, you would think I was the nervous one.

“I… um… we’re just on vacation. Here to have fun!” she replied, flustered.

“Of course.”I should leave her. But she is intriguing. So different from what I am used to.“Very good. I will leave you. Enjoy your ride and the rest of your vacation.” He nodded and hurriedly left to walk back to meet Yannis. Demetri heard her call out, “Wait, I didn’t catch your name?” He didn’t turn around to answer.

When he got back to his friend, Yannis joked, “That was fast. Did she shut you down?”

“Ugh. Of course not. But I didn’t need to talk long to know I was right. The woman, while beautiful, was afraid of me. She could barely look me in the eye, though I believe she was attracted to me. But she is not my type. No need to stay and confuse her.” He raked his hand through his hair, frustrated with the interaction. He felt the attraction to her as well, a lot more than he wanted to admit.

“Demetri, one of these days you will be ready to meet someone for more than just a good time. Don’t let what happened to your parents stop you from experiencing something real.” Yannis squeezed Demetri’s shoulder.

Demetri shook his head. “I am fine. And I don’t see you finding a wife. How about we get this boat to the island and save the talk for never?”He speaks oflove. But he knows how I feel about love. I don’t need more of it in my life. It’s enough that I worry about losing my sister and her family and Yannis. I don’t need to worry about losing a wife and children as well. He doesn’t understand. Fun is fine. Fun is easy. With fun, no one gets hurt or experiences loss. Because if you don’t have it to begin with, you can’t lose it.

Chapter 3

A-I-R… Air. AIR! ~Noelle~

“You didn’t even get his name?” Caroline asked as the girls pulled their luggage along the rocky streets. The sun was shining, and they couldn’t wait to get settled and start exploring the island.

“No, I told you. He said he was the captain and asking passengers how they were enjoying the ride. It wasn’t anything.” Noelle wiped her brow.That man. That... stranger of a man was a veritable Greek god, with his wavy chocolate brown hair that fell around his face and on the nape of his neck, the light stubble that grew along his firm jaw, his hazel eyes that looked like the sea and lashes that were so long they should have been a crime, and his strong muscular physique that was something to behold.Even though she’d seen him for only a few moments, she felt like she could draw a picture of his likeness from the memory of him engraved in her mind. It wouldn’t do him justice, but it would be a close rendering.And his voice and accent… Mmmm, so sexy, just like his scent. Delicious!She remembered how a soft breath had escaped from her lips when she’d turned around to face him.How stupid! And why did I have to announce I didn’t have a boyfriend? Why do I have to be so weird? I can’t even talk to a man without sounding like an idiot. How am I ever going to meet someone? Every date I go on, I never feel comfortable. I’m always nervous. Is my hair too wild? Will he think my noseis too big? Are my hips too wide? Will I say something stupid? Without a doubt. Today is a perfect case and point. And it wasn’t even a date! What is wrong with me? I really need to learn to relax. My mom always says I’ll meet someone when the time is right, and everything will be natural. But if I’m always a nervous wreck around men, how will that ever happen?

“Well, he didn’t ask us if we were enjoying the ride. Just saying.” Caroline fanned herself.

Claire stopped and wiped her brow. “I cannot wait to lie on the beach and relax!”

Noelle snapped out of her thoughts. “Me, too. I loved seeing my extended family and touring all of those amazing places, but I am ready to veg.”

“I’m ready to meet a sexy Greek man and have a little fun! All of your cousins were hot. Bummer they were all either married or taken. But here, surely there are some single men! It’s been too long.” Caroline sighed. She had ended a relationship a while ago and was apparently ready for some fun.

“You know, you’ve been single for a while now. And Niko isn’t in a relationship. Maybe now’s the time to make another move?” Claire asked.

Caroline rolled her eyes. “I’ve made moves and then he moves away. A girl can only handle so much rejection. I’ll probably always be a kid in his eyes. Now, no more Niko talk!”

As Noelle and her friends continued to make their way to a hotel, Caroline pulled her blouse away from her body. “This heat is sweltering. I’m sweating in places that should be wet for only one reason.”

“Oh my gosh, Caroline! You’re horrible,” laughed Claire.

“Ew, you’re so gross!” Noelle held out her hands facing the sun. “I love the heat! I could soak this all in forever. Though I don’t even want to know what the humidity is doing to my hair. I imagine I look like I stuck my finger in a socket,” she said as she tried to smooth it down with her free hand.

Caroline swatted at Noelle’s hand. “Leave it, it’s fine, goofball. I know you hate your hair. But I’ve always loved it. It actually doesn’t look bad. You look like a wild tigress!”

“Yeah, you know me. I’m so wild!” Noelle pumped her arm in the air. Her mom had always called hershateela, which was an Arabic term that loosely translated to “messy hair” in English. “I’ll just be living the shateela life while we’re here.”

Claire grinned. “Your wild hair definitely contradicts your shy personality.” Claire smiled at Noelle. “But like your inner personality, it’s gorgeous. We have known each other practically since birth. I’ll never get over how you can blow dry your hair straight, and then if it gets wet or hit by humidity, it looks like you got a perm. So crazy! But cool!”

“You say that like it’s a good thing.” Noelle tried to smooth down her hair.

“It is!” Claire pointed ahead. “Hey, I think this is one hotel your family suggested would give us a good deal. Let’s see if they have a nice room available. Something that will cool down Caroline’s lady bits.”

“As long as it has air conditioning, it’s good enough for me. I need to air out the girls too,” said Caroline, as she pointed to her breasts.

They hadn’t gotten used to life without air conditioning. They stayed at Noelle’s great aunt’s home in Athens, and she didn’t have any air conditioning. In fact, only two families had window units they used to cool off one room in their homes.

When the girls arrived at the hotel, the owner greeted them.

Claire was the first to speak. “Hello. Do you speak English? We would like a room. Noelle’s aunt recommended your place.”

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