But he just laughed and moved right alongside me. “So, how was Paraportiani?” he asked.
“Even better than the postcards,” I said, barely glancing at him. No way would I fall for this kamaki crap. It was pathetic the way he lurked around town, preying on tourists.
“And how was the Caprice Bar? Did you enjoy the sunset?”
When I glanced at him, I saw he was giving me an amused look. And I have to admit, it really bugged me. “The sunset was great. And how was your date? Over already?” I asked, smirking as I moved up in line and closer to escape.
But he just laughed. “Did I do something to offend you?” he asked.
“Nope,” I said, staring straight ahead. I had just two people in front of me now, and I was hoping they were together.
“Then let me buy you a drink.”
I rolled my eyes and turned to face him. “Adonis, I—” And just as I was about to say no, we were joined by his friends from the Caprice Bar. Only the girl whom I’d thought was his date was now unmistakably with someone else.
“We’re heading over to Nine Muses. You guys want to come?” They looked at us, waiting.
“I don’t know. Do we?” Adonis asked as a vacant cab pulled up.
All around me the bars and restaurants were full, the music was blaring, people were laughing, and with no makeup and still reeking of suntan lotion I wasn’t dressed for any of it. But when I looked at Adonis—taking in his tanned skin, green eyes, dark hair, perfect lips, and strong Greco/Roman nose—I thought, Oh, what the hell. Sometimes you just have to say yes. Besides, he’s already been fully vetted by Yanni and Kat, so how bad can it be?
“I need to call Kat,” I said, smiling and stepping out of line.
“How do you think I found you?” he said, grabbing my hand as we joined his friends.
“Are you going out with Adonis again?” Kat asked as she loaded up the dishwasher, pausing long enough to give me a look that said I couldn’t just brush this off.
“Yup.” I closed the fridge and leaned against the door.
We’d just finished a leisurely dinner on the patio, and it was one of the first nights Adonis hadn’t joined us. Though he’d be arriving any minute to pick me up for another late night on the town. And the truth was, I couldn’t wait to see him. I’d been in Mykonos for a full five days now, which was one day longer than I’d originally planned, and I just couldn’t bear the thought of leaving.
I mean, with long afternoons on the beach, delicious lunches, lazy siestas, cocktail hour, and dinner parties that turned into late nights in town, the idea of going back to Manhattan where all I had to look forward to was a stack of rejection letters and a furlough notice was something I didn’t want to dwell on.
And as long as I stayed put, I wouldn’t have to. Because Mykonos was like the ultimate safe haven, offering nothing but sunny days, zero crime, and a laid-back, life-affirming attitude I’d quickly gotten used to. And as long as I carefully avoided CNN and USA Today, I’d never have to think outside the hubble.
Besides, I had it all worked out. I only had two more trips to work near the end of the month. So I figured I’d just call Clay, have him post them on the trip drop/swap board, and keep feeding the kitties until I returned.
Though I knew I couldn’t keep staying with Yanni and Kat; they’d put up with me long enough. And I already had a lead on a cheap room in town.
“So, is this getting serious?” she asked, closing the dishwasher and wiping her hands on a towel.
I tried to shrug casually, but I could feel my face turn every shade of red. Adonis was great. He was sweet, smart, lun to be with . . .
“Have you met his family?”
I looked at her. “We’ve known each other less than a week! He hasn’t even tried to kiss me yet!” I said, shaking my head.
“Well, then he is serious.” She smiled. “So meeting his family would be the logical next step. Relationships tend to move a little quicker here, Hailey.”
I just shrugged and poured myself a glass of water. I had no idea if Adonis was serious, or if I even wanted him to be. I was only looking for fun, and a nice little escape from reality. But dinner with his parents? Not so much. “To be honest, I don’t really want to meet them,” I said. “His mom sounds kind of scary.”
Kat laughed. “All Greek mothers are scary. Especially when it comes to their sons.”
“Did you have problems with Yanni’s mother?” I asked, taking a sip of water and looking at her, wondering if she’d been holding out on me. as she’d never mentioned it before.
But she just shook her head and laughed. “Yanni is sixty-three; his mother passed away years ago. And from what I’ve seen, that’s the best kind of Greek mother-in-law to have.”
We were having a drink at the Caprice Bar, which had become our favorite hangout even after sunset, as it was one of the few places in the nightlife-intensive town where you could actually have a conversation. Usually we were joined by several of Adonis’ friends, but tonight I was glad it was just us, as I was hoping to get to know him a little better.
I had all the basics covered. Like I knew he’d grown up in Athens, had gone to the London School of Economics, where he’d gotten his master’s in business, and that he was preparing to take over his father’s company, as his dad, in poor health and spending most of his time on the mainland, could no longer manage his properties in Athens, Thessaloniki, and Mykonos. I knew Adonis spent his summers on the island and his winters in Athens—except for the one coming up, where he planned to stick around as they broke ground on their latest hotel.
But even knowing all that, I still had a lot of unanswered questions. Like why he was still single at thirty-one when he lived in a place where most people married before their twenty-first birthday. And even more important, why hadn’t he tried to kiss me?
“So,” he said, taking a sip of his wine and gazing at me. “I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner tomorrow?”
“Sure.” I shrugged, wondering why he was acting so formal. I mean, we’d had dinner together every night, except tonight.
“I meant, at my home. With my family. My mother will cook.”
Oh, great, I thought, remembering my conversation with Kat and wondering what the heck I was getting myself into. Then I looked at Adonis, nervously awaiting my response. And he was so sweet and kind, and if he wanted to bring me home so his mother could cook for me, then how could I possibly say no?
“Sounds good,” I said, smiling faintly and hoping my voice didn’t betray how I really felt.
And then he closed his eyes, leaned in, and kissed me.
“What took you so long?” I whispered, breaking away.
“I wanted you to want it as much as I did,” he said, leaning in to kiss me again.
“You’ve got to tell me everything you know about her,” I said to Kat as I dabbed on some shiny peach lip gloss.
“We’ve never met.” She shrugged, helping me fasten my necklace.
“But what’ve you heard? What’s she like? What am I up against?” I begged. Adonis would arrive any second, and I was desperate for all the heads-up I could get.
“Well, they’re quite wealthy, as you know. And even though we’ve never formally met, I’ve seen her from a distance, and she seems very . . . well . . . traditional.”
“You mean she dresses in black and rides a donkey?”
“No. More like she is the true head of the family, the matriarch, and they all do as she says.”
I collapsed onto the bed and looked at her. “That does not sound good.”
But Kat just shrugged. “Hailey, I’m no expert on Greek culture, and my situation is a far cry from yours. I’m fifty-six years old! No one’s going to mess with me. But I doubt anyone will mess with you either. Adonis is wonderful. And il he wants to bring you home to dinner, then they’ll just have to trust his judgment. Besides, you look beautiful.” She smiled.
I looked in the mirror, and not that I thought she was
right about the “beautiful” part, but I had to admit I didn’t look half bad. The long afternoons on the beach had turned my skin a nice golden brown, while the hot, arid climate worked wonders in keeping my frizzy hair tamed and under control. I may have even lost a few pounds, which seemed pretty unbelievable with all the big meals we indulged in.
Then I looked at Kat standing beside me. And even though she was smiling, I knew she was worried about me.
“Kat, I’ve decided to drop my trips and stay till the end of the month. But I’ve imposed on you and Yanni long enough, so I’m moving to a room in town.”
“Nonsense. I won’t hear of it,” she said, shaking her head in dismissal.
“But I insist. You guys have been more than generous, and this friend of mine, Chloe, that I met through Adonis, she found a room that’s available, starting tomorrow.”
“Yanni will never allow it,” Kat said, shaking her head. “We have plenty of room, and you’re not an imposition. And just in case you haven’t noticed, hospitality is like a religion here; it’s taken very seriously.”
“But you and Yanni are leaving soon, and—”
“I’m afraid I can’t consent,” she said, her voice sounding final.
And just as I’d started to craft a defense, Adonis pulled into the driveway. “Have fun,” Kat said, smiling as she placed her hand on my shoulder. “And don’t worry. Everything’s going to be fine.”
Adonis drove along narrow, winding roads to a part of the island I’d never seen before. But with the absence of streetlights, and the moon still in its crescent stage, it’s not like I was seeing it right then either.
He made a sharp turn onto a long, unmarked drive, and we headed toward a huge, sprawling house at the end. And the way the headlights shone, lighting it from below, it loomed large in a way that seemed almost eerie.
“This is your house?” I asked, trying not to sound amazed. But jeez, it. was even bigger than Yanni’s.
“I know, it’s huge,” he said, parking the Jeep and killing the engine. “But it’s actually three houses. My sister, her husband, and their twin boys live in one; my grandmother is in the other; and the rest of the family stay in the main house.”
“And what about your house? You don’t get your own?” I joked.
“Afraid not.” He shook his head. “I’m not married, so I live with my parents.”
I stared at him, cringing. Oh my God! He lives with his parents? I mean, I couldn’t imagine going out with someone like that back home.
“I know it’s a weird concept,” he said, noticing my reaction. “It’s just how we do things. But don’t worry. I keep my own apartment in Athens, so it’s not like I’m a complete mama’s boy. Besides, nobody lives here year-round; they usually only come for the occasional summer weekend. So most of the time I have the place to myself.”
I nodded weakly, feeling embarrassed forjudging him.
“And by the way,” he said, opening the door, “there are going to be a few extra people joining us tonight.”
“Oh?” I glanced at the big scary house that was getting more intimidating by the second. “Who’s all coming?”
“About twenty of my closest relatives.” He laughed. “But don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”
“If you say so,” I mumbled, opening the door and preparing for the worst.
“And one more thing.”
Oh God, what now? I thought. I mean, why did I even come here?
“I have something for you.”
I turned to see a small gray box resting in the palm of his hand. “What’s this?” I asked, not entirely sure I should accept it.
“Just open it,” he urged.
I glanced at him and then down at the box, hoping things couldn’t possibly move that fast here. And when I lifted the small, hinged lid, I found the most beautiful pair of gold earrings—far nicer than the ones I’d tried in the store that day.
“Oh, they’re beautiful,” I said, tracing the intricate design with the tip of my finger. “But I can’t accept them.” I snapped the case shut and handed it back.
“But you have to! In our culture it is very rude to return a gift,” he said, pushing the box toward me.
‘That’s not true.” I laughed.
“Okay, tell you what. You put them on, and if they’re hideous I’ll take them back, and we’ll never mention it again.”
“And if they’re not?”
“Then you have to wear them to dinner.” He smiled.
I removed the earrings I was already wearing and replaced them with the ones in the box. And when I looked in the rearview mirror, there was no denying they were completely stunning.
“So you’re keeping them?” he asked.
“Well, they’re not exactly hideous.” I shrugged.
And then he leaned in and kissed me. And as I kissed him back, I was thinking maybe we could forget about this whole scary dinner thing and just head downtown.
But then he pulled away, looked into my eyes, and said, “Ready to meet my family?”
Upon entering your hotel
room check under the bed,
behind the curtains, and inside
the closet. And don’t forget
the peephole.
Adonis’ mother was named Irene, which oddly enough meant “peace.” Because even though she was gracious, and pleasant, and welcomed me into her home, shaking my hand warmly while giving me the triple cheek-kiss, I knew immediately that Kat was right—she ruled that house with an iron fist, and her eyes didn’t miss a thing.
And unfortunately, for most of the time, her eyes were focused on me.
We were sitting at the large, food-laden table with Adonis on my left, and a cousin who was named either Christos, Georgos, or Tassos on my right when someone asked me to pass the kotopoulo.
Kotofoulo. Kotopoulo. I gazed at the three platters nearest my plate, wondering which one contained the kotopoulo. Was it that lamb dish on the blue-and-white platter? Or the baked fish with his head still attached, cloudy eyes gazing up at the ceiling? Or maybe it was the one that looked like chicken?
Knowing I had only a one-in-three shot of getting this right, and feeling Irene’s eyes blazing into me even though she was talking to her sister-in-law, I blindly reached out and grabbed the plate directly in iront of me.
Gripping the heavy ceramic platter by its edge, I was struggling to lift it without dumping the contents when Adonis leaned over and quietly whispered, “He means the other kotoponlo.” And then he picked up the chicken dish and passed it to one of his two hundred cousins whose name I couldn’t remember.
Oh jeez, of course! KotoPOULO. Like polio. Like el Polio Loco. And I was about to give him the lamb, which is called “ami.” Duh!
I looked down at my plate and cut into my own kotopoulo as Adonis gave me a brief squeeze on the knee. “Um, this kotapoulo is really good, er, Mrs. Vrissi,” I said, still not comfortable with calling her by her first name.
“Ejharisto,” she said, giving me a crisp little nod. “Do you enjoy cooking, Hailey?”
“Well.” I took a sip of my wine. “Not really.” I looked up to see her staring at me, her face irozen, expressionless, and I knew I had about thirty seconds to find a way out of this, or at least offer some plausible explanation for my lack of domesticity. “I mean, I’m on the road a lot, you know, for work, so most of my meals come from airports and vending machines,” I said, unintentionally tacking a nervous laugh onto the end of that.
“I see.” She pressed her lips together in a thin line that bore no resemblance to a smile. “And this ‘on the road’ bit. Adonis tells me you are an air hostess?” She peered at me from the head of the table.
“Um, I’m a flight attendant, yes,” I said, noticing that everyone was now staring at me, which made me so nervous my hands started to sweat.
“Well, I can imagine how that must be very amusing for a year or two while you are still quite young,” she said, lifting her wine and looking at me. “And
how long have you been flying?”
“Six years,” I said, knowing immediately after it was out that I’d just blown the interview.
“Well, I can’t imagine you’ll be doing it loo much longer if you want to start a family.”
And to that I said nothing. Which was the best move I’d made the entire evening. Obviously we were experiencing a bit of a culture clash, as Id always thought flying was a great job for moms, since it allowed generous amounts of time off, along with the opportunity for occasional escape. But really, it was a moot point. I mean, I wasn’t so sure I was ever going to have a family. And if I did stop flying, well, most likely it wouldn’t be by choice.
And even though Adonis had his hand on my knee, squeezing it in a private proclamation of solidarity, I couldn’t help reaching up and fondling my new earrings, reminding myself how at least one person at this table liked me.
“Those are beautiful earrings,” Adonis’ sister Anna said. “Did you get them here?”
She was smiling at me, and I knew she was just trying to smooth the tension by saying something nice. But I also knew it’d be a lot better if I didn’t mention that they were a gift from her mother’s most cherished son. “I got them . . . a few days ago,” I said, cringing at how suspicious that sounded.
“Oh really, where?” asked the ever-alert Irene, slipping on the glasses that dangled from a gold chain around her neck and peering at me from across the table.
“Oh, well, um, I don’t exactly remember the name,” I stammered. “But it was one of those little shops? You know? In town?” I was sinking, drowning, failing miserably.
“She bought them at Lalaounis,” Adonis said suddenly, squeezing my knee even harder. “We ran into each other on her way out.”
He bought these at Lalaounis? jeez, even I’ve heard of them. They’re like the Cartier of Greece!
I looked at Adonis and smiled, feeling myself relax as I sliced a dolma in half. “That’s it,” I said. “Lalaounis, that’s where I got them.”