CHAPTER 3

Chapter 3

It was easy to slip away. This morning I got up at dawn and managed to avoid Electre and her questions.

I know I was wrong in locking her out of the room again and not letting her in even though she threatened to unhinge the door several times. I wasn't myself and I’m still not.

I preferred to leave the house and walk alone to the port. It took me forever, but it gave me time to think and to look for a pharmacy to buy a pregnancy test. As soon as I arrived at Enea’ I decided to eat something. Well, he demanded it actually.

Luckily for me I managed to keep my mind focused on work, completely forgetting what was happening to me. Or at least I managed to do so until a little while ago, when I sat at the counter drinking a lemon and lime juice with lots of ice.

I look over at Enea as he arranges the glasses.

I was surprised to see how he has changed since yesterday. I thought he would be upset about my behaviour, but he was really friendly. He told me how to place orders, which glass should go with each drink, how to arrange the cutlery and that, if any customer has any special request, to always tell them I need to ask the chef.

Overall, I think I didn't do too badly considering the tips they handed out.

Now that the place is empty, I can have a chat with him as we haven't done that yet. I want to clarify, explain that I'm not looking for anything.

"You're making me waste away with all that staring." His voice brings me back down to earth. I look up finding his eyes on me. We're alone and only now do I get to contemplate him the way he deserves. His brown hair is very neat, without a single wisp out of place. His eyes are still bright, but his face is tired.

I smile at his words; the first ones addressed exclusively to me and not work.

"How did I do?" I ask. I had to look away to do so. It seems like the old Giade doesn't exist anymore, because she wouldn't have minded. I grab the glass with both hands and take a sip, as if it were liquid courage. "Be honest. I don't want any favouritism just because I'm friends with Electre."

"Better than I thought. Honestly, as soon as I saw you, I thought you were a snot-nosed brat, unwilling to get your hands dirty. But I quickly changed my mind. Customers even complimented me on my new employee." He smiles, puts down the cloth and approaches me. "You did well. Even the tips say so." He points to the bag in front of me. A normal person would have divided them up, but instead he emptied the entire contents of the jar into a plastic food bag, tied a knot in it and handed it to me. I smile with satisfaction, not so much for the money, but for exceeding expectations. But that's not all, there's one more thing I want to make clear.

"Enea, I wanted to apologize for yesterday," I begin, trying to sustain his gaze. He has magnificent amber eyes, almost hypnotic. "I didn't mean to..."

"What are you talking about?" Now his brow furrows, making me question my perception towards his gesture. "Oh, wait. You mean the hug yesterday?" He smiles in amusement as I bite my lip. "Maybe you misunderstood."

"Electre did, too," I lie, clutching my shoulders.

"She misunderstood too" he chuckles quietly. His friendly tone is comforting. At least he's not angry with me.

"To be honest, she's already thought about the degree of kinship" I mutter looking away from him, seeing how pathetic my words were. Enea doesn't answer right away rather he takes several puffs of air before expressing himself.

"But... aren't you and her... yeah, well, that is... lovers?"

I could call myself shocked, but somehow, we were, even if only for one night. Enea bursts out laughing since I didn't answer his question.

"She'll never change. That brat always makes a fool out of me." He shakes his head and goes back to what he was doing prior to our conversation. "I swear you misunderstood. I could see you were tense, and I just wanted to put you at ease with a brotherly hug. Well, maybe sniffing your hair wasn't such a good idea," he concludes as a victorious smirk draws on my face. I knew it wasn't just a sigh. "Your scent though... it had a familiar feel to it, and I took advantage of it. That's all."

"So… that's all cleared up?" I'm not quite sure if he's taking it in stride or pretending to.

"If you're okay with the explanation I gave, it is to me." Enea turns around again, leans against the counter in front of me pointing his eyes into mine. He's stretched so far that he's inches from my face.

"Jade, not everyone is a pervert who only thinks about sleeping around. There are people who might even like you as a friend," he whispers with all the calm in the world, continuing to watch me. "If my behaviour has destabilised you, I promise it won't happen again."

He couldn't have used clearer words and I really hope he doesn't change.

"Okay." I stand up and make to pull away, but he stops me by placing his warm hand on mine.

"Really?" I nod and give him one of my most sincere smiles.

"Of course; I'm glad we could talk about it so freely." I try to pull my hand away, however his grip is firmer than I thought.

"So, we're done talking about this?" I nod again, slightly frightened by his behaviour. I didn't think he'd taken it so hardly, after all, he was the one who made the mistake.

"Do you have plans for lunch tomorrow?" I wrinkle my forehead and shake my head slightly. "Perfect, then I'll see you at the same time as today. Two ships are scheduled." That's one thing I don't understand: his strange attitude. He finally loosens his grip letting me go. "Do you need a ride?"

"No, thanks. I'll walk." Without waiting for his permission, I turn towards the storage room to grab my backpack. When I grab it, the first thing I do is rummage through my front pocket looking for my phone. As soon as I unlock it, I find a flood of calls from Electre. Surely, she must have been worried, as well as incredibly pissed off.

"No way. Wait ten minutes and I'll give you a ride on my bike to... where do you live?" he shouts from the other room. Enea pops into the storage room just as I bring my phone to my ear to listen to one of Ele's messages.

"I know you're at Enea’ and I hope you're okay. I just wanted to tell you to call me back and that I'm not too cross to stop worrying about you."

Without meaning to, I frown at him. From his expression I think he understands why.

"She made me promise not to tell you. She called me to ask if you had arrived," he explains, raising his hands in surrender. "Did something happen between you two?"

I don't answer and let the second message play.

"I'm at the beach below. Join me and I'll introduce you..." An annoying rustle doesn't allow me to hear anything else. The message stops and I'm stunned.

"Sure you don't want a ride?" he asks, glossing over the previous question. I take a deep breath and bite my lip. "You don't want to, do you?" I shake my head and inhale, more fed up with his stubbornness than Electre's. "Then I won't insist anymore, I do want to lend you one of my bikes though. At least to ride to the beach and back tomorrow. Or at least long enough for you to settle in. What do you say?"

"I must look pretty desperate." He continues to make himself available without being asked.

"No. It's just that if I can help you out, I'd be happy to. You're friends with my cousin, I don't see why I shouldn't." As well as being handsome he is also wise, two qualities I really like.

"Alright, but I'll bring it back tomorrow. I promise." I can't and won't live on other people's shoulders. Even if it is just a loan.

"You have come back to work after all," he smiles. "Come on, I'll give you the bike and then you can speed home." He takes a few steps to the left, out of the restaurant, and towards a door that he opens smoothly. It's a huge room with brick stairs on the right-hand side leading to the upper floor. A French window occupies the entire wall and overlooks a tiny, neglected garden, while the wall facing the sea has another huge French window that he has obscured with sheets of newspaper.

He could have a beautiful flat with a view of the sea, but instead the room is full of weights, benches and various equipment that would make any gym envious. Too bad they're dusty and thus give off an air of neglect.

"Here it is." His voice booms through the walls. "I hope it’s the right size." In his hands he holds the handlebars of a women's mountain bike. "I've got a couple in case any customers want to take a ride around the island instead of using polluting vehicles." He rolls his eyes and gives an amused smirk letting me know that this brilliant statement is not his. "It would be better to have scooters, but for those you have to spend a little bit more and right now business isn’t in its prime."

"What about your partner? You told me yesterday that you are the co-owner. Can't he help you?" Enea turns serious again and his eyes go blank as if caught in a memory. "Usually partners split the costs unless there's some special deal that..."

"Yes, that's right," he interrupts me. Maybe I've hit a nerve and, without realising it, reopened an old wound.

He pushes the bike towards me and with his head signals me to leave. His face is serious, which makes me even more curious.

"Thank you very much," I whisper. He sighs and, with a fake smile, urges me to leave.

I hope I can make it in time even though I won't be able to bathe since I don't have a swimming costume.

Ele is going to kill me, I know, but I have to rely on the navigator on my mobile phone, hoping that there are no last-minute detours.

With great effort I ride up the slope that connects the port to the first village and, as soon as I get to the main road, I pull over to catch my breath.

I take advantage of the stop to click on the geolocation that my friend sent me via WhatsApp and wait for the route to load.

"Fifteen minutes," I sigh, looking around. I lock the screen and slip my phone into my pocket letting the voice guide navigate me. I turn left and as the robotic voice makes itself heard, an annoying sound overpowers it. A screeching of wheels, a strange sense of release and a pain in my side draw me to a single conclusion. An accident.

I close my eyes and try to process what just happened to me. The sound of a man shouting prevents me from doing so. I don't understand what he's yelling about since he does it so fast, but I can safely assume it’s addressed to me.

My goodness, I'm laying on the ground and this man is doing nothing but screaming at me.

"Slower. I don't speak Greek very well," I bark, hoping he understands me. I couldn’t be more grateful for my choice to sign up for Greek class and consequently making Electre's acquaintance.

"How are you?" he asks in a calmer and, finally, understandable way. He walks over and kneels at my side, covering the sun shining in the sky. My blurred vision prevents me from getting a good look at his face, but I can tell he's... huge. His hand brushes my cheek to move my hair from my face.

"Hey, are you alive? Are you okay? My goodness, you flew! Didn't you see the stop sign?" I move my neck slightly and a twinge hits my back. I try to settle down better but now it's the hip's turn to make itself heard.

"I'm talking to you, of course I'm alive," I murmur through the pain. "Though I have my doubts about being whole." I try to shrug him off to get up, hoping that once I'm on my feet the pain will go away, but he brings his hands to my shoulders and stops me. As an excruciating pain arises in my lower abdomen, he hisses something about having to call an ambulance and the police for proper findings, given the damage to his car and my possible head injury.

"No." I try to sit up again, but he keeps stopping me. "Get your hands off me," I blurt out, irritated by his overbearing gesture. I look up at him, and only now do I notice his shapely features. Powerful muscles constrained by a white shirt, perhaps a size too small.

Either that or his posture leads to his biceps swelling to that point.

His dark hair is short at the sides and slightly long in the front. Neatly trimmed eyebrows and a barely-there beard contour his slightly elongated face. Staring at me, brown eyes, so full of passion and....

Fuck, where the hell did he come from? Surely the cover of some fashion magazine, otherwise I can't explain it.

This man is more attractive than Enea, that's for sure.

"Take it easy, I don't want to hurt you. I just want to see if you hit your head by any chance." He massages my skin so gently it almost sends me into ecstasy.

"I'm fine," I whisper, enjoying the caress. He manages to tame me, lower my defences, calm the pain I feel, both physical and mental with a simple touch. His closeness numbs my reactivity.

"Can you stand up or is your head spinning? Can you feel pain anywhere?" His voice goes straight to my heart, filling it and making me believe that someone actually cares about me. I shake my head slowly letting it rub against his hand. I ache all over, but I don't want him to stop touching me. Then I get my feet back on the ground, remembering my appointment with Electre. I'm late, he's going to make me late. I break free from his grip. I have to run or my friend won't forgive me.

I stand up with an atrocious spinning in my head and a pain in my lower abdomen that makes my legs give way. Luckily, he manages to catch me just in time. I lay down with my hands on my stomach and clutch the fabric of my shirt hoping for some relief. I gasp.

"Come on, I'll take you to the hospital."

"No." I bring my hands to his arms to remove them from my body. I look around, trying to wrap my head around what happened. He doesn't resist or chase after me when I take a few steps away from him. Man, what the hell just happened?

"I have to... go..." I stutter messing up my hair. I scratch my scalp right where I hit my head and a twinge forces me to squint in pain.

"Are you kidding?" He raises his voice startling me. "Did you see the damage to the bodywork?"

I open my eyes and turn in his direction. Goodness, why can’t he just let me go? The one with the most damage is me and not his stupid car.

"I'll pay you back, it's no big deal." What does he want a slight dent on a stupid hatchback to be? "Even if it takes forever," I whisper to myself.

"And how do you expect to do that without involving the authorities? Do you know what it's worth?"

I swear, squaring up to the luxurious German supercar. I can't figure out where to look for the damage. Whether the impact was frontal, sideways or... the only thing buzzing around my head is the cost of that specific model.

What about my bike? Where is Enea’ bike? If the car has suffered any damage, I can't imagine what happened to the bike. I look for it hoping that the unpleasant feeling that hit me is just a vain fear and that it hadn’t been damaged, but when I find it, the panic rises into my throat.

"Jesus Christ," I curse, hoping he didn't hear me.

My head continues to ache, my vision blurs every time I move, and a feeling of panic assails me. I can't stay here; I have to leave quickly. I shake my head and, trying not to fall, I walk towards my bike, but he grabs my wrist, blocking me in my tracks. I stumble, but he manages to catch me and turn me around, trapping me in his tight embrace.

I thank God that his wonderful eyes are stopping me from slapping him by making my brain go crazy as the pain keeps surging through my head. He's invading my space, taking liberties that I haven't given him. And yet, I feel good in his strong arms. His warmth manages to calm my heart and the throbbing of my temples. I could compare it to a painkiller, so powerful that it erases everything in a single instant.

This man has an intoxicating perfume that tickles my nostrils and incites me to calm down. Around his neck he wears a thin gold chain with a wedding ring as a pendant, flanked by a small crown studded with Swarovski crystals and a letter, K. As if it couldn’t get any better, he’s sporting a tan that would make anyone envious.

Who the hell are you?

I look up at his face finding his gaze slipping into mine. So magnetic, so hypnotic that it could ravish me and make me forget even my name. His lashes flicker as his chest rises and falls in the same rhythm as mine.

A Greek god, that's what you are. One of those who came down to Earth to bewitch an earthling and procreate.

Our faces are so close that I can feel his breath tickling my lips. He smells good, I'm sweaty as hell, yet he doesn't seem to want to leave me.

"Give me your details," he says sensually. My senses are in turmoil. I've never had anything like this happen to me, I've never craved to breathe the same air as a stranger.

I bite my lips nodding, aware that once he has what he wants, he will let me go. He loosens his embrace and I feel myself missing him. He slides his hand up my arm and countless shivers take over my body.

"If you don't want me to call the police."

I blink, feeling revulsion at what he said. He practically threatened me.

He backs away a few steps and then drags me with him towards the car.

His overbearing gesture disgusts me. I hate people who impose themselves in this way.

He leans over to rummage in the glove compartment and my eye falls there, on his firm bottom squeezed into his jeans. What is wrong with me?

I squint and lift my head. I'm a basket case. I need to fight back, get him as far away from me as possible and run away. I have to stand up for myself, show him who he's up against. But when he gets back up and turns to face me, the air stops in my throat. His eyes scan me, and he manages to block my every gesture, my every thought. He intoxicates me, removes my inhibitions, messes with my brain.

Without looking away, he hands me a notepad and a pen, which he shakes to encourage me to comply.

Damn it.

I hesitate, still dumbfounded by the man in front of me. I close my eyes and furrow my brow at the pain in my head, but he misinterprets my gesture and tugs on my arm.

"Choose, it's either this or I call the police."

Is it possible that no one drives along this street? Was I that unlucky to have an accident with the only car on the road?

I hold my breath and try to free myself from his grip, but he prevents me from doing so by increasing his grip further. He waves the pad under my nose. I sigh and as I grab the pen, he brings the pad to his chest for support. With his help I manage to scribble something that could be mistaken for my address, first and last name. But this is not the case. I can't tell him who I am. Besides, I don't even know the street where Electre's house is.

"Your phone number too" he adds authoritatively making his chest vibrate under my hand. I snort shaking my head at his insistence.

I comply to his demands. I want him to go away, to leave me alone. Let all the emotions he's causing me fade away as soon as he gets in the damn car. The rest will work itself out somehow.

When he leaves my wrist, I feel lost. His grip keeps my feet on the ground, making his presence all the more real. From the pocket of his skinny jeans, he pulls out his mobile phone and dials a number.

"W-what are you doing? You said you wouldn't call the police if I gave you my details," I stammer with terror in my eyes and voice. I don't know whether to sigh when my phone rings and a mischievous smirk appears on the man's face or kick myself for looking like a fool.

He mumbles a few words that I don't understand and puts the phone back in the pocket of his jeans. He pats my bottom, right where I’m keeping mine.

"Well, Eleni..." He pronounces the name I wrote on his slip of paper in such a sensual way that he seems to be mocking me. "Did you think you were going to fool me? I know exactly who you are." He smiles, proud to have discovered a truth that only he knows.

Fool him? Maybe he knows who I am, knows my real name, and wants to take me home. Oh, Jesus Christ. What if he's a private investigator hired by my parents to find me?

Wide-eyed, I flinch, but he comes back and grabs my wrist. A nightmare, that's what this is, a monstrous nightmare from which I can't wake up. Maybe I'm still lying on the ground unconscious.

"Get off me, you're hurting me." I can't go back to my family, and I wouldn’t go back for anything in the world.

"You purposely cut me off, but I fooled you instead," he says in a victorious tone, convinced he's right. "Go, now you're free to run anywhere you want, you little scammer. Expect a letter from my insurance company, maybe even my lawyer, or why not, a nice lawsuit. Depends on the outcome of the missed appointment you caused me," he growls as he pushes my arm away.

What? Why?

Dazed by what has just happened, I turn back to my bike. I try to reach it, but the roar of the car engine makes me turn around. It's so fast that, in the blink of an eye, he's already far away.

If he thought I was a scammer, why didn't he call the police instead of making such a fuss?

I try to retrace every single moment, every single word we exchanged as I watch the road ahead. Not because I was dazzled by him, but because I don't understand his attitude, how we came to collide, him going away and leaving me here alone after running me over. Yet, he seemed concerned about my wellbeing. The phone rings, bringing me back down to earth. My heart is pounding at the thought that it could be that weird man. I don't want to and don't have the strength to hear him again.

When I see Electre's name I breathe a sigh of relief, even though I already know she’s about to scold me. As soon as I answer she does, in fact, scold me for being late and asks for an explanation, seeing that Enea told her that I left half an hour ago with one of his bikes. I apologise and promise her to get a move on and that I will be there in a short time even if I am not at my full strength.

"Never mind. I wanted to tell you that he just called me. He can't come," she blurts out in a sad tone. I think about it for a moment, and I assume she's probably talking about the landlord. Maybe, in the message she left me earlier, she wanted to tell me that I would be meeting him. I run my hand over my forehead trying to collect my thoughts.

"Let's hear it, what did he come up with this time?" I don't know what to say to her since I still can't construct a cohesive thought. Maybe he doesn't want anything from her and she's too stubborn to realise it, or maybe he's just as crazy as the guy who just ran me over.

"A mishap with the car. Or something."

Oh, shit!

I instinctively turn towards the direction where the man from the accident disappeared, drawn by something I'm not sure how to define.

"Well, who cares. The important thing is that you and I spend time together," she states trying not to come across as sad, but I can totally sense that she needs company. I shake my head, realizing I’ve been acting like an idiot. And a bitch, given my behaviour.

"I'm coming," I say with a surge of pain piercing my chest. I don't deserve her as a friend, that's for sure.

As soon as I grab the handlebars of the bike, unfortunately, I notice that both the frame and the wheel are completely twisted.

What have I done wrong?

I drop the bike in a fit of rage. I'll be very late and now I'll have to pay for this too.

***

"The damage exceeds the value of the bike. The only thing I can suggest is to buy a new one. If you let me have this one, I can give you a good discount on that one."

Markus, the owner of the petrol station who also fixes bikes, continues to talk to me about things that matter very little.

"I can't accept it. It's not mine and I can't go to the owner with another one, can I?"

"Well, it would have been better if you hadn't done that to it, don't you think?" He smiles as if making an amusing remark. "The important thing is that you weren’t injured." He peers at me in hopes I refute his words and, perhaps, to deflect from the boorish joke he just made. Thankfully, the pain was gone after a few minutes, or maybe it subsided thanks to the trek I took to get up here. "Did the driver even stop to help?"

Why do you want to know?

He leans over to look for something, maybe a form he'll have me sign. Of course, if he was slightly tidier...

"I ask because the damage could, and indeed should, be paid for by him," he explains as he continues his search of the archive behind him. He grabs a binder and places it on the table, opening it. He flips through it and then closes it and puts it back in its place.

"He escaped,” I lie. What should I tell him? Why should he even care? I don't have the man's details; on the other hand, he has my mobile number.

The mobile phone... I have his number; I could give it to him.

“Bastard,” he mutters, shaking his head. Even though his back is turned, I can easily imagine the grimace on his face. "Hell, if only I knew where I put the forms" he huffs placing his hands on his sides.

"Delivery forms?"

"Yes. Can you see them anywhere?"

"Here, on the counter" I point them out to him, finding this whole situation really absurd. Markus turns around and spots the binder. "Oh, thank God. I hired an intern and in one week she moved everything around..."

"She tidied the place up."

"Not in my eyes," he chuckles. He pulls out the form from the folder and hands it to me. "Do you happen to have the receipt for the hire?" I wrinkle my forehead trying to figure out what he's talking about. "The bike. Either you rented it, or you stole it. But since I don't consider you a thief..."

"The co-owner of the restaurant where I work lent it to me." This time I'm telling the truth. Being thought of as a thief doesn't sit well with me.

"All right. Now, about the payment..."

"I can only leave you a deposit for now." I say in order to set the record straight right away.

"No problem, but it'll be six days before the parts arrive and then another two for the job. Is that okay?" I nod. In eight days I'll be able to find the money to pay him. I have to. "After eight days, if you don't come by to pay, I'll contact the rental company and they'll take care of the balance."

"That won't be necessary." I pull out my mobile phone and find the number of the man who reduced my bike to that state. I’ll make him pay for the damage and give it back to Enea, explaining how he ran off instead of providing further assistance. I sign and give him the paper.

Most of it is finally behind me, now I just have to go back home and figure out how not to be discovered by Enea.

Damn that man.

The walk home was really hard. If before the pain had vanished, now it seemed to demand attention. I thought I would find Electre in the throes of some nervous breakdown because of the missed appointment or because I left the house without telling her, but instead I'm alone. She didn't even reply to my messages. I'm incredibly tired and hungry, but I absolutely have to take a shower to remove any sign of the accident. I head to my room to get a change of clothes, but I make the biggest mistake in these scenarios: I sit on the bed. A few seconds go by, then darkness.