It took a moment for his statement to sink in. The bastard played me. He not only let me think he was talking abouttheCIA, he ran with it, spinning a wild, crazy story that I’d fallen for like an idiot.
Slowly, I lifted my head.
“Uh-oh. It’s pissed.” He stood and backed away. “Perhaps it would like somespanakopita?” Piling some pies on a plate, he sat it at the edge of the counter and slid it toward me with a pair of tongs. Granted, I might have been foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog, but what kind of person pulls a prank like that on someone in the throes of a major hangover?
I bit into the pie instead of murdering him. Revenge is a dish best served with zero alcohol in your system. My time would come. For now, I was relieved Isabelle wasn’t marrying into the Greek Mafia.
“Where is everyone?” I asked after I finished my tea. Alex made a mean cup of masala chai. It rivaled Naani’s, but I wasn’t about to tell him that.
“We’re anchored off Naxos. The captain found a nice spot this morning. Perfect for a beach picnic. Everyone’s out there.” He paused and looked up from his chopping board. “Everyone except Nikos.”
“He’s sleeping in?” Probably recovering from Olympia Aravani.
“Nikos had to sort out some stuff with the authorities after the brawl at the nightclub last night. We had to leave Mykonos without him.”
“The brawl at the nightclub…”Oh God. The one I started. I was the reason Nikos wasn’t back on the yacht. “How bad was it?”
“Pretty bad. It snow-balled after we left. Things got damaged. People were hurt. Someone informed the media Olympia Aravani was there, then all hell broke loose. The police came. Nikos has a pretty big mess on his hands.”
It was worse than I thought. I should never have agreed to dance with Kostas. “Will Nikos be back in time for the wedding?”
“Captain Bailey said he’ll probably be joining us in a couple of days. He’s waiting on a loan from his crime lords to get the repairs going.”
“Wiseass.” I flung a shark mitt at him. Then picked up the other one and threw that too. Alex laughed as they bounced off his chest.
I should’ve been more upset over Nikos’s absence, but I found myself smiling. I liked the sound of Alex’s laughter.
As he turned back to the stove, I realized how much stress I’d put myself under. Ever since Isabelle’s engagement, I’d been chasing a goal. The stakes were high, because winning Nikos over also meant winning Dolly over. But now, with Nikos temporarily out of the picture, I could kick back and enjoy the cruise—no pressure, no agenda and hopefully, no Nikos-induced choking.
“Moti.”
Ugh.I burrowed deeper into the covers, ignoring the annoying, persistent call.
Afternoon naps were a luxury, and even more precious when you were trying to sleep away a hangover.
“Moti.” This time, Isabelle shook me awake.
“What?!” I squinted at her.
“I have a fabulous idea. Are you listening?” My eyes closed. She shook me again. “I’m sleeping with Thomas tonight.”
“Congratulations. I thought you’d already been there and done that.”
“I don’t mean it like that, silly. I mean, with Nikos gone, I can spend the night in Thomas’s room, and you can take my spot in the cabin upstairs.”
I blinked and rolled over to face her. “Thatdoessound like a good idea. There’s just one thing.”
“Naani,” we both said in unison. No way was she going to let Isabelle and Thomas spend the night together before the wedding.
“She’s always had a soft spot for you, Moti,” Isabelle said. “If anyone can convince her not to tell Mom and Dad, it’s you. You’ve got to help me. You’vegotto.”
In the absence of siblings, Isabelle and I always turned to each other. It wasn’t always a fair arrangement because she was always the one who needed an alibi or scapegoat or someone to pin the tail on. But I intended to collect one day. Maybe when I was a grizzled old lady who got evicted for having too many feline friends.
We approached Naani with our proposition and were immediately shut down.
“No.”
“But—”
