Page 10 of Accidental Getaway

My canvas tote bag is practically overflowing as I lug it down to the lobby the next morning.

I wasn’t sure what I needed, so I packed a towel from the hotel bathroom, a change of clothes, my water bottle, plenty of euros, sunscreen, granola bars, and dried fruit.

After my unplanned nap, sleep was elusive, so I spent the night repeatedly going over the materials from Amber until I could recite every single word.

I thought about canceling on Ana so I could continue working this morning and then remembered I didn’t have her number.

But maybe that’s a good thing, because she could tell me more about Niko, for my meeting.

I’m fidgeting with the rope belt on my cream slip-on dress when she breezes down the stairs and into the lobby.

“Jenni! It’s wonderful to see you!” Her voice, full of radiance and optimism, fills the white room as she air-kisses my cheeks. “Did you get some rest? Are you ready to go?”

Ana looks amazing in another flowing floor-length dress, with a Christian Dior straw hat, gold bangles up both her arms, and a touch of heavenly perfume.

Suddenly my thrift store find feels more like a flour sack. I am clearly underdressed and must have misunderstood what we would be doing. I thought she said we were going to the beach, not to wherever the dress code calls for gowns and gold jewelry.

I glance over at Alexander for help, but he’s blushing and obviously hoping to get Ana’s attention without outright asking for it. He’s puffing up his chest, like a bird looking for a mate. I bite back a laugh.

“I—I think so,” I reply. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure what you had planned or what I needed. But I can go change if I need to.” I gesture toward my outfit and wince in apology.

“No, no, you’re perfect. As long as you’re wearing a bathing suit, you’ll find everything else you need where we’re going.”

She winks at me, and I give my best attempt at a casual laugh. It comes out strangled. I glance down at my overstuffed bag. I need to dump this thing. I pull out my water bottle and the small cross-body bag that holds my phone and wallet and then call to Alexander.

“I’m so sorry, but can you hold this for me? I don’t think I need it after all. I’ll pick it up first thing when I get back.”

“Of course, Miss Jenni! Anything for you. I’ll personally take it back to your room.” He smiles and then turns his attention to Ana. “Good morning, Miss Ana. Is there anything I can get for you? Coffee? Tea?”

Ana air-kisses Alexander, causing his cheeks to flush.

“You’re a gem, Alexander, but no. I’m dying to show Jenni a good time at the beach, and Niko already has us on a time crunch. We must be off!”

I smile sheepishly and give a little wave as Ana grabs my elbow and sweeps me to the front door and out onto the road.

The walk to the beach seems shorter now that I know where the little path I found last night is.

“Is your family from Mykonos?” I ask Ana .

“No, I’m just here visiting Niko for a few weeks. I grew up in Athens mostly. Though my family does own property on most of the islands, so I’ve spent a lot of time here.”

Ah, Ana must be another wealthy heiress, kind of like Niko and his family. That must be how they met. I imagine a long-distance relationship is challenging, though. “That’s great that you can take time off to be here with Niko. What do you do for work?”

“Oh, I’m in the family business, but that is boring!”

She says “boring” in a way that makes me think it’s anything but.

Her nonchalance does make me wonder, though, if I’ll get any answers out of her about Niko.

I’m still terrified about our meeting this afternoon.

It might not be the boardroom, and we’re supposed to be on the same team, but my stomach somersaults anytime I think about it.

That’s why I’ve combed over the material backward and forward.

I won’t say anything other than what is written in Amber’s material. I can’t get myself in trouble that way.

Instead of turning right toward the restaurants like I did last night, we turn left and make our way toward a fleet of cabanas.

We approach an attendant, who is dressed in all white aside from the black sunglasses reflecting the morning light. He stands at a podium in front of a pile of beach chairs and a rack of towels. This confirms my earlier worries: I absolutely do not fit in here.

“Good morning, Ms. Psomas. Would you like a cabana today or just some lounge chairs?”

Ms. Psomas? Are Ana and Niko married? I glance at her hand but don’t see a ring. So what’s the deal?

“We’ll take the cabana at the front. Only the best for my guest. Can you send some food and drinks?”

The attendant nods, and Ana says something in Greek, which I obviously don’t understand.

I think I hear my name, though. Did she say something about me that she didn’t want me to hear?

My cheeks prickle with embarrassment. I knew this was a bad idea.

I don’t belong here with these people. I should be back at the hotel working on my presentation.

Before I can think through what to do or introduce myself, Ana turns, and pulls me toward the navy cabana closest to the water.

Its canvas sides sway in the gentle breeze.

Two lounge chairs draped in plush white towels rest inside.

There’s an empty ice bucket and a small cart with sunscreens, oils, and lotions in a basket. A towel is even folded into a swan.

“Oh, my gosh!” I squeal as I point to it. “It’s adorable!”

Ana looks at me, amused. “Do they not do these in America?”

I immediately realize my mistake. Of course I shouldn’t have been surprised, pleasantly or not, that there was a cutely folded towel.

This is a five-star resort. It’s probably the most normal thing here.

The last thing I want to do is give away that I’ve never actually been to a five-star resort.

She’ll tell Niko and he’ll never trust me to market his hotel.

“Of course! I just meant that I usually see frogs or monkeys. I’ve never actually seen a swan. I thought no one did them anymore.”

Ana looks at me with one perfectly manicured eyebrow lifted above her sunglasses, but a server arrives with a fresh ice bucket holding champagne and a tray of fruit and pastries.

I try to thank him, but he vanishes just as quickly as he appeared.

When I turn my attention to the goodies, I notice there’s a small, folded card nestled among the fruits.

Welcome, Jenni! is handwritten in beautiful calligraphy. Who did this? Is that what Ana had been arranging with the attendant? A broad smile spreads across my cheeks. It’s a thoughtful, if unnecessary, gesture.

“Thank you for this,” I say, waving the card at her. I set it back on the tray, not knowing whether I should put it in my bag as a keepsake or throw it away. It feels too special for the trash, but surely someone in Ana’s stratosphere wouldn’t feel that way.

Not wanting to draw any more attention to the card or my lack of social sense, I pick up a triangle-shaped pastry and ask, “What’s this one?”

“Spanakopita. It’s filled with feta and greens. Not sure what it is called in America. Basil?”

The pastry is warm, and when I take a bite, the flaky dough crumbles in my mouth. Sure enough, feta and spinach light up my taste buds.

“Spinach!” I tell Ana. “It’s delightful. Also, I’d be happy to pay for this. Just let me know what I owe you because I have cash.”

“Don’t worry about that! They will put it all on my family’s account. We can get whatever you want!”

She pops the champagne and pours each of us a glass. I start to remind her that it’s before noon and I have work meetings later, but she lifts her glass in a toast, and I stop myself from interrupting.

“To Jenni, may your time in Greece bring you everything you hope! And maybe a little bit more!” She winks as she clinks her glass with mine. The cold drink feels nice under the hot sun. Drops of moisture speckle the glasses, and my face glistens with sweat.

We both recline on the lounge chairs while we finish our bubbly and enjoy the views.

“Niko must have some great plans for the hotel. What are you most excited about?” I ask, hoping she’ll divulge some insight into his vision. But she doesn’t take the bait.

“You’re not on the clock yet. You shouldn’t be talking about work,” she says, taking a sip. With her arm lifted, I notice a bracelet on her wrist with two interlocking hearts. The charms glisten in the sunlight. “I’m not involved with any of the planning anyway. I’m just a glorified guest.”

I catch her smile drop, just slightly, before she plasters on a look of excitement.

“Okay, I need the warmth of the sun on my skin!” Ana declares and strips off her dress, hanging it on a hook near the cabana’s entrance. “Let’s test out the water.”

I stand as well and turn around to remove my dress to lay it on my chair.

For some reason, it hadn’t really crossed my mind that we would actually get in the water.

I thought we would mostly sunbathe. I lay the dress on my chair.

My bathing suit is a pale-pink bikini with wide crisscross bands, and ruched, high-waisted bottoms. This bathing suit always gives me a decent boost of confidence. So, why not? Let’s swim.

I take a deep breath and turn around. Ana is already walking toward the water.

Topless.

I freeze. That was not what I was expecting, at all. But while she struts down the beach, her black string bikini lies haphazardly across her lounge chair.

After a moment, she turns, realizing I’m not following her. “Are you coming?”

My hands instinctively cover my chest. I completely forgot that most European beaches are topless.

I don’t even know how I feel about it. In high school, we used to skinny-dip in the lake all the time.

So it’s not like I’ve never been swimming topless.

Right now, though, I don’t know how I feel about it.

I feel a need to maintain professionalism.

I am here for work, after all. On the other hand, what if Ana ends up thinking I’m a prude, or that I don’t understand the Greek way of life?

She might tell Niko, and he’d hold that against me.

I need to prove that I understand the lifestyle we’re selling.

This is what a Greek island vacation brings with it—the ability to let go. What’s the worst that could happen ?

Before I can second-guess myself, I strip off my bikini top, drop it on the chair, and catch up with Ana.

“Sorry, just needed a sip of water!”

My heart races as we jog to the water’s edge. When my feet hit the shoreline, the cool water sends a tingle up my spine. We wade in up to our chest. The cool water feels divine. I take a deep breath and cock my head back into the waves with an exhale.

I can’t remember the last time I felt so free. I have spent so long in the dark shadow of Chicago that being out here, with the sun sizzling on my skin, feels like a new beginning.

Ana wades over. “Nice, isn’t it?”

I nod and spin around with my arms stretched out. I start to laugh, a rush of emotion bursting to the surface. Ana starts laughing with me, and we both lay back in the water to take in the sun.

“I’m sorry!” I call out. “I don’t know why I’m laughing.”

Ana says something in response, but I’m distracted by the music from a passing yacht.

I turn to ask her to repeat herself, but before I can, a sharp pain in my left calf stops me in my tracks. A white-hot sensation travels up my leg in seconds, making me forget everything and everyone around me.