His thick black hair was neatly styled, soft volume at the top, the front falling slightly to either side of his forehead. What caught Ody’s attention most was the large tattoo on his right arm, partially hidden under the sleeve and stopping just before the elbow. Another tattoo stretched from his left elbow down to his wrist.
Katerina greeted them first, full of enthusiasm. She and Anna exchanged two kisses on the cheeks while Ody’s attention remained fixed on the dark-haired man’s tattoos. The one beneath his right sleeve looked like angel wings, the other like a dark forest.
When the man lifted his head, Ody finally got a proper look at his face, a sharp jawline and full lips.
Mano shifted his gaze from the girls to the guy standing in front of him.
Their eyes met, and the first thing he saw was the bright green, sharp and annoyingly clear in the sunlight.
He also looked overdressed, at least by his standards. White T-shirt, neat gray pants, black Vans.
The guy was a bit taller than him, with broad shoulders that stretched the fabric of his shirt just enough to suggest he worked out as well. His short brown hair fell in soft layers, the front slightly pushed up while a few strands slipped onto his forehead, catching the sunlight and turning almost golden.
Where does this loser think he’s going, the opera?He gave him a slow, dismissive once-over.
“I’m Anna, and this is my boyfriend.”
She looked at Mano as Ody extended his hand.
“Odysseus. But you can call me Ody for short,” he said, looking into the dark-haired man’s eyes, honey-colored in the sunlight.
The other man didn’t take his hand.
He slipped both into his cargo pockets. “Mano.”
They held eye contact for a brief second before Ody slowly withdrew his hand.
“Do you guys want to go?” Katerina smiled awkwardly.
“Yeah. Where to? Boys, what do you say?” Anna asked.
“How about that new place that just opened? Mano?” Ody asked as they started walking.
“I don’t care,” he replied, hands still in his pockets, falling a few steps ahead of them thanks to his long stride.
Ody and Anna exchanged silent glances.
At the café, they sat side by side, the other couple across from them. Mano pulled out his phone. Ody noticed the small silverhoops hanging from both of Mano’s ears. Just beneath the right one, behind his ear, he spotted a smaller tattoo, a cross. What stood out without effort was the silver cross necklace resting over his shirt.
When the waiter came, they realized they both ordered the same coffee.
“So, Mano, are you in college?” Anna asked, trying to break the ice when she noticed him scrolling through social media.
“Yeah,” he answered, still scrolling.
Ody’s gaze drifted to his hands. Several silver rings caught the light as his thumb moved across the screen. A thick silver chain bracelet rested loosely around his wrist. That was when he noticed another small tattoo on his right thumb. An ankh, the symbol of life.
“And where do you study?” Anna continued.
“NKUA.”
“At the National Kapodistrian? I study there too,” Ody said, surprised by the coincidence.
Mano briefly lifted his gaze from his screen to look at him, then returned to it.
“And what department?” Anna asked.
“Music Studies.”
