“Kalimera, Kassia. Kalimera, everyone.” I dropped a kiss on Naani’s cheek. “I’m headed to the island if anyone wants to join me.”
“Poh,” said George. “Nothing but bees and mule tracks out there. Wait until we get to Hydra, where I was born. Then you will see what arealisland looks like.”
I laughed. “I look forward to it.” Thomas’s parents had an opinion about everything.
“I would love to join you, Moti,” said Fia. “I’ll go grab my camera.”
Dolly harrumphed from her corner, still pissed she had to share the same planet as her. Fia shot her a venomous parting look. The air hissed between them.
“This is wrong.” George threw his playing cards on the table. “We’re ruined.”
It took me a minute to realize he was referring to the game he was playing with Joseph Uncle, and not what had gone wrong between Dolly and Fia in a galaxy far, far away.
“We’re missing a card.” Joseph Uncle spread out his cards, and the two men peered over them.
“The Three of Spades,” George said.
Oh shit.
“Hannah, where is the Three of Spades?” He turned to one of the crew hands, who was definitely not Hannah.
“I’ll get you a new pack.” She darted out of the salon.
“Can you believe this?” George moaned to Kassia.
“Ti na kanoume tora?” She shrugged. “What are we going to do now?”
Not satisfied by her level of sympathy, George turned to Joseph Uncle. “Thousands and thousands of Euros, and this is what we get. A used pack of cards.”
“I’ll see you all later,” I said. A trail of guilt followed as I left the room. Swiping a card from that deck had been one of the impulses I often got. I took random, insignificant things—stuff I thought no one would miss. I’d miscalculated this time, and the crew was being blamed for it.
I turned the corner, looking dejectedly at my toes, and ran smack into Alex.
“Whoa, easy.” He steadied me, then rubbed his chest where I’d head-butted him. “I thought we made up.” He was referring to the stupor-inducing midnight snack he’d left for me. I flushed as I recalled licking dribbles of honey off my fingers.
“Yeah, that was pretty…good. Thanks.” I hid my hands behind my back, as if he’d be able to replay the scene if he saw them.
“The Captain said you’re joining me ashore.”
“Yes. And Fia is coming too.”
“She’s already on the boat. I was coming to get you.”
Our boat wasn’t as fancy as the one Nikos had taken, but a rigid inflatable dinghy that wobbled when I got on. I clutched my seat, cursing my short-sightedness. I’d pictured floating on a beautiful castle for two weeks, completely ignoring that I’d have to get on and off it. Now the only thing between me and the bottomless pit of the sea was a piece of puffed-up plastic.
“Here.” Alex handed me a life vest. He seemed to remember things I told him in passing, like the fact that I couldn’t swim. On the other hand, it could just be a standard safety protocol.
No. Fia isn’t wearing one. Maybe I just look like the one most likely to tip over.
“Let’s go, Eddie.” Alex gave the guy at the wheel a thumbs-up. His dark hair whipped wildly as we took off. No man-bun today. No chef’s coat either. He wore a T-shirt, shorts, and leather sandals—nothing that screamed for attention, but when you threw in his coarse stubble and unruly locks…
I put on my sunglasses, because that’s the polite way to ogle hot people. You have to look casual and a bit bored. I angled my face away when he settled next to Fia, dropping a tote full of net shopping bags by his feet.
It didn’t take us long to get to the sandy beach lining the bay. Windmills and churches dotted the hills around us. Alex helped Fia out first, grabbing her camera and lenses. Then he held his hand out for me. My heart leaped the same time I did. I’m pretty sure it had to do with the fear of falling into the water and not from the way he grabbed me—warm and strong—as he pulled me on to the pier.
“I have to get back to the yacht in time to make lunch,” he said. “Eddie’s needed onboard, so he’ll be back in two hours. If you’d like to stay longer, he can swing by again later.” Both men looked at me and Fia for confirmation.
“That’s more than enough time for me,“ Fia said. “I just want to take in the sights and shoot a couple of frames. Unless you want to stay longer, Moti?”
