“My apologies,” said Markos, looking straight at her. “I’m nervous to be around you because my job is to treat you like a normal person and you are…extraordinary.”
To be honest, Lee heard this a lot. But it was nice, coming from this man in his rumpled clothes. Weird, badly timed…but nice. “Thank you for helping find Regan,” she said softly, being kind but also distant. She had one goal in Greece and it was to make sure her sister was safe. “Please let me know as soon as you have any news. Anything,” she said. Markos nodded.
Lee stepped from the car and walked to Regan’s locked door, pressed the bell. Flora let her inside and Lee practically collapsed once she was in the apartment. “I need to sleep,” she moaned.
“Why did you cry and stuff on TV?” said Flora.
“I thought it would make people talk,” said Lee.
“Smart,” said Flora. “Do you want some tea, Auntie Lee?”
“You know, calling me ‘Auntie’ makes me feel old,” said Lee.
“I mean, you kind of are old,” said Flora, turning on the kettle.
Lee laughed. While Flora made tea, Lee looked through her phone at the coverage of the press conference. In every image, she was positioned for the camera, her despair artful. “I always know where the cameras are,” Lee mused.
“What?”
“I did the press conference to help find your mom. But look at me. Look at my face.” Lee enlarged her own anguished visage on her phone screen.
Flora came to her aunt’s side and studied the photo. “You look sad.”
“I look like an actressplayingsad.”
Flora was quiet for a moment. “Mom does that too. Performs, I mean. Even when she’s alone.”
“Yeah?”
“She takes selfies constantly. Like she’s trying to prove she exists.”
“Ugh, that sounds about right,” said Lee. “I wish I knew how to just…be here.”
Flora was silent, then said, “I wish someone would see me.”
Flora’s words were sudden, and out of left field. It took Lee a moment to process them. She turned to look, really look, at her niece. Flora’s hair was thin and stringy. She needed to see a dermatologist: Her skin was a mess of pimples across her nose andalong her chin. Depression, quiet for days, stirred:You can’t save her. You can’t even save yourself.
“I…like your shirt,” said Lee lamely.
Flora looked down at her faded pink top. “Thanks,” she said. Lee could almost hear the words left unspoken:Thanks for nothing.
31
Cord
“Wait—I thought we just neededto put the phone in the lockboxduring the day!” protested Cord, using his plastic wristband to open the door to Kiss Me Kottage #12. Inside, a fire was blazing and a buffet of aphrodisiacs had been set out: oysters, avocados, figs, watermelon, and honey. A warm teapot had a printed sign inviting them to sip “Maca Root Tea, a known adaptogen that enhances stamina and libido.” On the bed, Cord saw a cat toy with a feather and silk handcuffs.
“I did the tantric workshop,” argued Cord. “I did the ‘Swipe Right into My Arms’ ballroom dancing class! I thought I’d at least get my phone after dinner.”
“Ballroom dancingwasawkward,” admitted Giovanni. “And the nutrient-dense loaf at dinner…” He winced, then went to the bed and picked up the cat toy. “Meow,” purred Gio. “Come here, kitten.”
“Look, Gio. I just need my phone for a few minutes. What if something’s happened to my mom? Or your mom? I just want to scroll the news…just for twenty minutes? I should check in with the Sweethearts team about the IPO….”
“You are not,” pronounced Giovanni, using the feather toy topunctuate his statement, “as important as you think you are, Cord!”
“That’s not very nice,” Cord responded, stung. “I’m just going to go check in with humanity and then I’ll lock up the phone again and come back.”
“Cord! This—Thisis humanity!” Gio gestured to the bed, the tea, and the sexy snacks with the feathered cat toy. “Here I am!”
