“It was fun. There are so many interesting people here. We met some people from Italy and some who were visiting from the States! And one guy seemed interested in Caroline.” Claire winked.
“Yeah...no. There was a guy from here. He was nice and all. Honestly, he reminded me a little of your brother. Not nearly as cute, of course. But his personality wasn’t anything like Nik0. I found him kind of annoying once wegot to talking. Not annoying like I find your brother. Nikolas is annoying for the reasons we have discussed. This guy was annoying for other reasons.”
“I think you will find something wrong with every guy who isn't Niko.” Claire looked at Caroline.
“I just need to get Niko out of my system,” said Caroline thoughtfully. “It would’ve been nice to have him in my system first. But whatever. He’ll always look at me like the nine-year-old he babysat,” she pouted.
“Oh, Caroline. Hopefully, one of these days, my brother will wake up and see what he’s missing!” Noelle didn’t want to encourage her. But she really felt like Caroline and Niko were meant to be together.
“I won’t hold my breath,” grumbled Caroline.
***
The girls planned for a leisurely day at the beach after all the exploring they had been doing since they came to Greece. Noelle wanted to enjoy her day to the fullest and put Demetri out of her mind. After all, he was grumpy and bossy, and his overwhelming handsomeness was ridiculous.He’s way out of my league.
“Um, Claire Bear, why are our toiletries sorted by size?” Noelle asked as she walked out of the bathroom holding a travel sized shampoo.
“She sorted our clothes by color and the snacks are in alphabetical order.” Caroline pointed to their things. “Clearly, the barista didn’t know what decaf meant when we ordered her coffee yesterday.”
“There is no way that coffee was decaf. I was up all night.” Claire threw her arms in the air. “What else was I supposed to do?”
“Gee Claire, I don’t know. Surf your phone? Read? Take a bath? Something normal people might do?” Caroline offered.
“I can’t help it. Caffeine affects me. I seriously think I’m allergic or something. It makes me crazy.” Claire slumped back onto the bed. “I’m so tired today. I’m glad we’re going to the beach.”
“It’s okay, Claire. I like your organization. Now my undies can match my outfit.” Noelle laughed.
The girls got their things together and headed to the beach.
Some beaches on this Greek island were clothing optional, including the one nearest to their hotel. Noelle couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable from the views and tried to keep her head down.Everyone’s so at ease. Just letting it all hang out, like it’s no big deal.She focused on her friends and didn’t glance around at the few naked bodies in the sand. On the other hand, Caroline and Claire enjoyed the scenery. They didn't have a care in the world.
“What are you doing?” Noelle gasped as Caroline unclasped her bikini top.
Caroline was lying on her stomach and slid her top out from under her body. “When in Rome, right? Or should I say Greece?”
“Caroline!” Claire giggled and shook her head.
“I think I am going to take a walk and look for shells. If I come back and your bottoms are off, I’m leaving you here.” Noelle slapped Caroline’s butt and walked towards the shoreline.
Noelle loved looking for seashells. Though it was a warm day, the cool water kissed her skin as she walked aimlessly, picking up a few beautiful shells on her way. The colors appeared so much brighter after she rinsed them in the sea. She admired their beauty and their freedom.What kind of adventures have you been on, little shell? We haven’t been on the island for very long, and already a lot has occurred.Should I be worried about what will happen next? The weather is perfect, but I feel like a storm is brewing.
Chapter 7
LITTLE LAMB ~Demetri~
“Yassas,” Demetri said to his friend Georgos when he answered his cell phone. He took a sip of coffee as he relaxed in his chair. He wouldn’t be able to protect Noelle all the time, so he’d enlisted the help of a few friends to monitor Noelle and Giannis, making sure their paths didn’t cross. “Have you seen my little American friend today? Any trouble with Giannis?”
“Hey boss, when I was heading to work, I saw her and her friends walking towards the beach. No sign of Giannis. I think he got your message,” Georgos reassured Demetri.
“Excellent. I told you, stop calling me boss.”
“You and Yannis are my bosses at your club,” replied Georgos.
“You are also my friend. So, did they go to the beach near their hotel?” Demetri got up and rinsed out his cup before he put it in his dishwasher.It won’t hurt if I drive by and make sure all is well. For her safety, of course. I would do this for any woman.
Before long, Demetri was lounging on the beach a safe distance away from Noelle and her friends. His good friend Yannis met him there.
He watched Noelle in the distance. As she walked, she kept her head down, looking for shells. Every once in a while she would glance up, her eyes would dartaround, and she’d look back to the sand. There was no doubt in his mind that the naked bodies strewn around the beach embarrassed her. He couldn’t help but laugh at himself. Had she ever seen a naked man before? Surely she had. But from the looks of her reactions, it didn’t seem likely. She picked up a shell and turned it over in her hands. He smiled. She was so captivated by her finds.