“Not sure.”
It was Violet’s turn to grill me. “What are you going to do with all your stuff? I don’t understand where this is all coming from.”
“I need a change of scenery.”
Violet pursed her lips. “I don’t buy it. What are you hiding?”
“Nothing. I just want to try something new for a bit.”
“Yeah, because youhateyour job, Miss Workaholic.” Violet scoffed. “Remember who you’re talking to. Now, seriously… What’s driving all this?”
“Doctors take sabbaticals all the time. It helps with longevity. Look it up if you don’t believe me,” I stated.
Before Violet could continue questioning me, Sienna chimed in.
“Okay, fine, but are you going to explain all these Greek appetizers?” She plucked up a piece of spanakopita, the flaky crust scattering crumbs as she bit into it. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“Yeah, I’m curious about the theme too,” Violet added dryly, one perfectly groomed eyebrow lifting as she followed her line of sight. “Planning on landing a dart in Greece?”
Her words hovered in the air for half a second, long enough for the faint hum of the refrigerator and the clink of cutlery against ceramic to fill the silence.
I knew where her mind had drifted to. Violet’s one-night-stand-with-consequences involving an infuriatingly handsome Greek god (her words) still haunted her, though she rarely spoke of it. Some secrets were better left buried, although I worried this particular one would find a way to break free.
I smiled, but there was no warmth in it.
“Actually, I cornered the owner of this building and tried to convince him to install a charging station and amend the HOA agreement that would allow me to keep my energy-efficient vehicle.” I shrugged, reaching for a napkin and a plate as the citrusy scent of taramosalata drifted through the air. “He happened to be in a Greek restaurant, so I figured I’d be efficient and take care of the catering at the same time. You girls know that the kitchen is just for show.”
“Did he agree? Because if not, we could find a way to… I don’t know… have him killed or robbed,” Sienna suggested, tone sweet as sugar as she grabbed another appetizer. Then realizing what she said, she quickly added, “Yes, yes, I learned my lesson the last time, and this time I wouldn’t get caught.”
Violet’s expression threatened to switch to therapist mode. Thankfully, it didn’t.
Instead, she chose to talk sense.
“I don’t get it. Why would you buy a car without having all your ducks in a row, especially knowing you live in an HOA building? Yes, you tend to do chaotic things, but this…” She gestured around vaguely, crumbs clinging to her fingers. “You’ve had this condo since college. Rookie mistake.”
“She wanted to be environmentally friendly,” Sienna chimed in.
“And save money,” I interjected. “It doesn’t matter, because the owner told me to take it up with his employee. You’d think the owner would have more power than his manager, but whatever.”
Sienna nodded, then added, “That asshole—whoever he is—should jump when we say jump, not give you a hard time.”
That asshole was none other than Lykos Costello, a Greek real estate tycoon worth typhoon levels of money. The man was scary, although I couldn’t exactly pinpoint why.
“Judging by your expression, you didn’t succeed in convincing his manager,” Violet said, her voice calm and collected.
“Your assumption is correct.” I sighed.
She shook her head. “You know there’s nobody else to blame for rushing into a vehicle purchase without doing your research. You should have let Kristoff’s driver chauffeur you around for a bit rather than rush from the hospital to buy a car.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Why did I invite you?”
She flashed me a grin. “Because you love me and I love you.”
“You’re right, dammit,” I muttered.
And then there was the fact that she wasn’t wrong. Everyone dealt with shit in their own way, and I was no different. I insisted on shopping and ended up with a new vehicle as well as a boatload of useless stuff.
Someone’s phone buzzed, and the sound set us all off at once, hands diving into pockets and screens lighting all our faces in a brief wash of blue.
