European Style
When our plane finally touched down in Greece, I was more than a little crabby.
Between the initial delay for our flight, half the bathrooms going out of order thanks to some rowdy kids, and Reece’s antics with one of the flight attendants, I was just about out of patience.
Luckily, glancing out the window and drinking in the gorgeous sight of all that azure water kept me sane.
“Oh, are we here?” said Reece, a goofy grin on his face as he unfastened his seatbelt.
“Yeah, we are,” I growled.
He was the most irritating person I’d ever met, and yet sometimes, he could be so adorable. It was all just so frustrating.
But I didn’t let that faze me, not when I was about to embark on an adventure of a lifetime! After all the hassle of getting our passports and convincing Mom and Dad to let us go work at a luxury island resort, we had finally arrived.
Ahead of us lay long days of clear blue skies and meeting interesting and fabulous guests from around the world. There was a whole world out there of new sights and sounds to explore. All my research on the internet said Greek food was simply amazing, and I really couldn’t wait to try it out.
Plus, I could feel in my bones that I was bound to meet some real hotties this summer. Would it be a local Greek guy, with soulful eyes and dark, wavy hair?
Or maybe a romantic Italian stud who’d call me signorina as he fed me pasta underneath the moon? There were just so many possibilities, and I was excited to get swept off my feet, European style.
After all the shenanigans Reece and I had been through, we’d agreed that this summer would be one where we could each explore love the best way we saw fit.
I preferred to think of it as our “A Summer of Romance” agreement but Reece kept calling it our “Sluts for the Summer” pact.
Either way, we’d agreed to leave all the foolishness between us behind and concentrate on enjoying an unforgettable summer.
Reece had promised to keep his mouth shut about any guys I might meet, and I’d promised to keep my nose out of his business with the ladies even if I already knew they were going to be air-headed bimbos.
Having done my homework ahead of time, I had dressed in a cute pair of shorts and a bandeau top. Sure enough, once we’d collected our suitcases and stepped out of the airport, the weather was balmy and warm, and all of my resentment from the flight instantly evaporated.
“Nice,” said Reece with a chuckle, putting on his sunglasses.
Looking around, I saw exactly zero other people wearing flip-flops, which I’d warned him would make him stand out as a stupid American, but I kept my mouth shut. It just felt too damn good to finally be in Greece.
Checking the notes on my phone, we changed some money and then took the number 11 bus. After we got away from the airport, we were following a road that ran right along the coast.
My jaw dropped as I took in all that breathtaking beauty, but when I went to say something to Reece, I saw he was distracted by staring at a brunette in a sundress that clearly revealed she wasn’t wearing a bra.
Once again, I kept my mouth shut, and soon enough, we got to the rickety little bus stop located a short walk from the resort. The pavement was so hot it nearly burned the soles of my feet, but I hoisted my bag over my shoulder and said nothing as we hiked our way down the long driveway.
Frankly, the pictures on the internet couldn’t do justice to how beautiful the resort was. Rising above us like a gleaming white castle, it was the very epitome of luxury, the kind of place I’d never be able to afford to stay in.
I felt like a queen as the uniformed guy stationed out front gave us a little bow and then held the door open for us to enter.
“Wow, check it out, Chelsea,” said Reece, taking off his sunglasses. “The lobby’s bigger than our entire house.”
“Yeah, this place is amazing,” I said as I steered us to the front desk.
“Hello, and welcome to The Villas at Lysi,” said the clerk, a stunningly attractive young woman with entrancing green eyes and long, dark hair.
“Hi there,” I said, pleased that she spoke English. I’d been practicing my Greek, but I was pretty nervous about using it. “We’re here to see, um, a Mister Nikos?”
“I’m sorry?” said the young woman, tilting her head.
“We’re gonna be working here this summer,” said Reece, giving her a big smile. “The name’s Reece, by the way.”
“And I’m Chelsea,” I added, not wanting to be left out.
“Oh, you are summer staff?” said the young woman, a scowl briefly flitting across her face as she typed something into her computer. “Orientation for new employees was at six o’clock.”
“Well, our flight just arrived,” I said with a friendly chuckle. “But we’re here now!”
“Six o’clock in the morning? Wow,” said Reece with a low whistle. “That’s pretty early.”
“Once you get your badge, please use the staff entrance,” said the young woman, her face neutral. “The lobby is reserved exclusively for our guests.”
“Right,” I said, feeling my cheeks go warm.
The young woman picked up a phone and engaged in a short, intense phone conversation in Greek. I tried to pick out a few words, but she was talking way too fast.
“Okay, Mister Nikos will see you in his office,” said the young woman, stepping out from behind the counter. “Follow me, please.”
I was huffing and puffing as I struggled to keep up with the woman as she led us down a long hallway, stopping to knock on a door with a golden faceplate.
Someone inside said something, and then the clerk opened the door, shutting it behind us after we were inside.
