Page 27 of Before Broken Vows

I laughed. "Wow, you already know me so well." I smile and motion my head to my left. "Come on."

She followed.

The office was quiet. She stepped inside, glancing around at the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the private beach.

"You bring all your wet tourists here?"

I grabbed a towel and held it out. "Normally they get wet in here," I say, laughing.

She took the towel I offered and started blotting her dress. "Smooth guy, I see. Well, don't get any ideas."

I tried not to stare at her, but I couldn't look away.

I sat on the corner of my desk and told myself to relax. That was a first.

"So, you sound like you're from the States."

"Yeah. Chicago. You?"

You're kidding me. My pulse speeds up a bit.

"Same."

She stopped and looked at me, her brow arched. "You serious? How do you run a club here and live there?"

"It's complicated and boring, but I do. I'm more interested in why you're here."

She paused. "My mom was from here. She passed last spring."

I stiffened up. "Oh, shit. Sorry, I?—"

"No, no. It's fine. I'm managing," she said and went back to blotting her dress. "She always wanted to bring me to Greece. You know, where my family came from and all. Cancer had other plans."

I didn't ask anything else. Didn't have to. The silence between us thickened. And she changed the subject.

"You really saved me out there," she said. "And no offense, but your napkins suck. I just assumed I'd be walking around in a wet dress all night."

"Well," I said and stood, "we wouldn't want that."

I pulled out my phone and dialed, my eyes never leaving her.

"Johnny. I want you to upgrade the napkins in the club and have them here by tomorrow."

I hung up, and she took a step toward me, smiling curiously and handing back the towel. "Thank you. You didn't have to do that. Anyway, I owe you."

I looked at her with a smile as I took the towel. "Careful."

"Why?"

"Because I might hold you to it."

She smiled.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"What's your name?" she repeated the question.

"Theo."