Chapter 1
The streets of Athens pulsed with life beneath the late afternoon light. Scooters wove between cars, laughter spilling onto the sidewalks from crowded cafés. The scent of gyros drifted through the air, blending with the exhaust fumes. In the distance, the Acropolis stood golden as the sun faded.
Inside a small Japanese restaurant tucked between two apartment buildings, Odysseus sat at a corner table, picking at his sushi across from his girlfriend.
“Careful!” he said, reaching out as the sushi slipped from her chopsticks.
She groaned in frustration and leaned back in her chair, defeated.
He laughed and brushed his fingers along her cheek, guiding her grip on the chopsticks.
A few streets away, Mano lay on the bench, pushing the bar up, each rep pulling a sharp breath from him. The bar was stacked with plates, the metal cool against his palms. Bodies blurred between machines at the edges of his vision.
He racked it and took a sip of water.
He sat forward, elbows on his knees, headphones in, focus narrowing to the beat in his ears.
They didn’t know the other existed.
And yet, if the city could speak, it would whisper that their worlds were about to collide.
His phone buzzed in his hand and he glanced down.
Stefania: You’re with some girl aren’t you? That’s why you’re ignoring me
He exhaled, already annoyed.Don’t start
Three dots appeared instantly.So pretending you didn’t even know me yesterday wasn’t enough after what we did?
He scoffed under his breath. His thumb hovered for a second, then moved.What did we do?
Stefania: Are you serious right now?
His expression didn’t change.You mean the sex? So what.He hit send without hesitation, already done with the conversation before it could drag.
Seen
A second later, the screen refreshed.
This user has blocked you. You can no longer send Direct Messages to this person
He let out a short, dry laugh, shaking his head as he lowered the phone to the floor. He lay back on the bench and pushed the bar off the rack, starting another set.
After his workout, he grabbed his bag and motorcycle helmet and headed out. Later, freshly showered, he rang the bell outside an apartment. A blonde girl opened the door and stepped aside to let him in.
He barely made it inside before they ended up in bed. It wasn’t the first time. When they were done, Mano got up and headed for the bathroom.
“How would you feel about going out with my friends sometime?” she asked.
He paused near the bedroom door. He turned to look at her, standing there naked, the tattoos on his body fully visible, his muscles carved like they had been shaped by a sculptor. “Terrible.”
“We’ve been seeing each other for days, and you haven’t met a single one of my friends,” she complained.
“It’s been ten days.” His gaze sharpened.
She didn’t back down. “Fine. I just want us to go out with other people. Should I invite my friend tomorrow?”
He sighed. “What am I supposed to talk about with your friend, Katerina?”
