by Pilar Lepe
Nick gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. He felt capable of being there with her like this, just hugging her protecting her sleep. He felt he loved her.
Chapter 30
A delicious coffee smell woke Evelyn up in the morning. She stood up and noticed she was still dressed.
“Hello!” Nick said smiling. Already showered and he had a tray with breakfast for two.
“Hello.” She said. She felt a little embarrassed. He looked so cute with his shirt matching his green eyes and she was all messed up with the clothes from the night before.
“Let’s have breakfast and then you’ll shower because we have a lot to do today.”
“Where are you taking me?” She asked biting her toast.
“We’ll go around the city.”
“Fine, I’ll accept it.” She said putting her breakfast aside. “I’ll go take a shower, I didn’t even wash my hair yesterday.”
“Hurry or I’ll leave without you.” Nick’s smile was charming, but Evelyn didn’t smile back.
Nick sat on the couch to read the paper while waiting for Evelyn to take a shower. But her screams from the shower scared him and went quickly to see what was wrong.
“Sweetie! Eve! What’s wrong?”
“I forgot the conditioner on my bag, could you get it for me?”
“Of course” Nick answered and went to look for it. While looking for it, he saw her underwear, very feminine, lace. “Here it is.” He said behind the transparent door.
“Thank you.” She said barely opening the door.
“Would you let me put it on you? Please?”
Evelyn remembered that Sam never had those gestures with her.
“Umm....OK. Put a little on your hands and...”
“Turn around.” Nick already had opened the door and he was in the shower with her, he had only taken his shoes off.
“What are you doing? You are crazy!” Evelyn said but deep down she was delighted with his craziness.
“Stay still or I won’t be able to do it. Stop laughing!”
Evelyn calmed down but understood when Nick’s fingers ran through her head making soft movements. Without thinking about it she started moaning because the gentle touch was exhilarating.
She raised her hands to stop Nick, but he prisoned them and hugged her murmuring
“S’agapo.”*
What?”
“S’agapo.”
Nick pressed her against him and she could feel his erection, she wanted to move but he was holding her so tightly she couldn’t escape. She tried to turn around to face him, but he didn’t let her. He continued rubbing her breasts, her lower abdomen until reaching her pubic area. Evelyn started to feel pleasure and felt her legs were about to give in, but he held them tight preventing her from falling. She reached her hands back to untighten his belt but the wet fabric made it really hard. Nick continued rubbing her with one hand and with the other he took off his pants and Evelyn could feel how his erection was making its way between her legs.
Nick leaned a little to be at her height, he took her by the hips while we leaned on the wall, and when their bodies were finally united, a pleasure dance started between them; at first the movements were slow, but movements became faster and more violent because neither of them could control themselves. When Nick felt Evelyn’s wild orgasm, he gave in with a triumph groan.
Nick later kissed her passionately and Evelyn hung onto his arms to prevent her from falling. Then she helped him with the rest of his clothes and they showered together.
They were holding hands walking on the streets. Evelyn was so happy with her tour guide, she couldn’t ask for anything better.
“I love these houses. They’re all white with blue doors and flowers everywhere.”
“But it’s not by accident or because everyone agreed on it. Years ago, the only thing on this island was stone. The squared shape of the houses is to protect them from the wind. They were white because they were covered in plaster.”
Nick was delighted with Evelyn’s enthusiasm. The way she observed everything, she couldn’t waste the opportunity to take pictures of everything, and he continually took the camera away from her so he could take pictures of her”
They went to the Archeological Museum and the National Museum because Eve wasn’t interested in ships, so there was no point on going to other museums.
They continued walking going through handcraft shops where they sold a great variety of necklaces. They sold things made out of wood, ceramic, and necklaces called komoloi. When Nick wanted to buy her something, she accepted some type of cookies because she was hungry.
They were heading downtown until they reached Mattogianni street. It had a lot of fashion stores, jewelry and art. Evelyn could notice it was a street for tourists by the high prices in the stores.
“Could we go somewhere else? This is just like Rodeo Drive.”
“I thought you’d like it.”
“I’m not very fond of ornaments.” She said laughing.
“It’s past noon, we should have lunch. Let’s go to Little Venice.”
“Little Venice?”
“That’s what is called because it was constructed on top of water, the houses are colored, something different from the rest of the island, and the name of the neighborhood is actually called Alefkandra. You’ll like it, you’ll see.”
Before getting there, they past the Cathedral of Ceotokos Virgin. Evelyn was amazed by its wonder. In a moment that she was distracted, Nick took her behind a column to kiss her.
“I haven’t kissed you in a while.”
“A while?”
“To me, yes.”
“Oh!”
After Evelyn took a lot of pictures, he had to make pull her to keep walking towards Little Venice.
When she saw the houses practically submerged under water, Evelyn asked if they use gondolas for transportation, but Nick explained that inside the neighborhood was normal, with streets and everything. She looked disappointed, but didn’t say anything.
Nick saw a little pub where they served typical dishes. Evelyn was so happy with that man who would care about those little details. She thought how hard it will be to let him go after.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing important. Where are we going next?”
“If it was my choice I would take you to bed, what do you say?”
“First I want to see mills.”
“You said first, then second...”
“We’ll see.” She said mischievously as she tried her first dish.
After lunch, it was time to see the big windmills that offered an amazing view of the bay and of a town called Hora. Evelyn was amazed of the rustic rooftop made out of straw. She wished to keep visiting places, but she was tired and he let Nick know.
When they got back to the hotel, Nick asked what her plans for the night were.
“I must be getting old, but I don’t want to go out, I just want to sit on the terrace and look at the sunset.”
“Let’s do that then.”
“I’ll go change first.”
Nick wondered how to declare his love for her. Knowing her background, he was scared she would refuse him.
“Nick?”
“What?”
“Didn’t you hear me? I asked if you wanted coffee.”
“I don’t want coffee. What I want is something else.” He said taking her by the arms to kiss her.
They were tender kisses, but they became more intense every minute. Evelyn took him to bed.
* S’agapo: In Greek: I love you.
Chapter 31
Next morning the smell of coffee woke her up once again.
“Wake up sleepy head. We have a big day ahead of us.”
“Oh yeah?” She asked a little sleepy.
“We have to hurry because this time it will take us a little longer to get there.”
Evelyn drank her coffee and then headed to the bathroom. She looked at him seductively
from the door.
“I’m really tempted sweetheart, but if I give in, the plan will be ruined.”
She was intrigued and started to look for something, she didn’t know what, in her bag
“Where are we going? What should I wear?”
“Something comfortable, bring sunblock and your sun glasses, and if you have a bandanna too.
Since she saw it was useless to find out more, she wore white pants and a blouse similar to a color beige. She had seen Nick wear out door shoes and a t-shirt, which was uncommon in him.
When they passed by the reception, Nick stopped to get a cooler. If curiosity was lethal, she would’ve been dead by now.
To get there faster, they took a cab, according to Nick. When he asked the driver to take them to the port, she started to understand. They were probably going to take the ferry. But to her huge surprise, when they got there he took her to a beautiful sailboat called Athena.
“We’re going to take that? Who will sail?”
“You don’t trust me?”
She looked at him for an instant.
“Do you know what you’re doing?”
“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. I learned in California. At university I had a friend who was obsessed. Well, are you coming?”
Still hesitating, she took his hand to help her on board.
After three hours, they arrived at an island.
“Which island is this?”
“Paros, it is really beautiful and it still reserves a lot of its ruins, but we’re not here for that.”
“No?”
“Not today. By coincidence, yeas ago, sailing I discovered a beach that you can only access to it boat.”
“I didn’t bring my bathing suit!” Evelyn protested.
“You won’t need it.”
They were closed to shore and Nick dropped the anchor. Then he took an inflatable boat to get to the beach. He jumped first with the cooler and reached his hands to catch Evelyn. She got down hesitating, but she soon forgot about her fears when she saw how clear the water was.
She didn’t even know where an umbrella came from and a blanket.
“I didn’t know it you like to get some sun or not.”
“I like it, but apparently no more than you do.”
She admired everything around her and she suddenly felt free to do whatever she wanted to do. She stood up and began taking her clothes off. Nick looked at her and understood. They were both naked and running towards the beach. They played like little kids splashing each other with the water, escaping one another trying to catch each other.
When they got tired of running, they went further into the beach where the water covered them completely and they stayed there, loving each other.
By the afternoon, they were laying down under the umbrella, holding each other as if time suddenly stopped before them.
“I would stay here with you forever.” Nick said.
“Maybe we won’t be able to stand each other in a week.”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“Nick, should we go back?”
“It’s still early, let’s stay here for a while longer.”
“I don’t know, I feel strange. I want to go back, please.”
Nick gave her a long kiss and gathered everything around to return to the Athena.
The sun was still out when they got to the hotel. By habit, Evelyn checked her phone, she had twenty missed calls, they were all from Mark. Alarmed, she called her son thinking there was something wrong.
“Mom, I’m in Michigan, grandpa had a heart attack, they’re stabilizing him, but I think you should come home.”
Mark had given her the news without a previous preparation and she thought she was going to faint.
When Nick saw her, he held her against him and took the cellphone away from her hands. After talking to Mark, he hung up and looked for his cellphone.
Evelyn was sitting on the couch feeling lost.
After a while, he came to sit beside her and took her hands.
“Eve.”
“I haven’t seen him in twenty years.”
“Eve, my love. I got us plane tickets for tonight. We’ll have to fly to Athens, The flight leaves at eleven. We’ll go to New York and to Michigan from there.”
“A whole day Nick...if he dies.”
“Don’t say that. I’ll help you gather everything.”
Evelyn put herself together and started getting everything ready to return. He vacations had been interrupted but she didn’t care, she wanted to see her father.
Nick took the initiative of taking care of everything and she didn’t even questioned him, the only thing she could think of was her father and called her son often to check on his condition.
At eight at night the next day, Evelyn had arrived at St. John’s Hospital in Michigan with Nick.
Chapter 32
Evelyn walked down the hospital hall with her puffy eyes from not sleeping and dark circles under her eyes.
She had not slept in either three of the flight she took to get here. Nick had taken care of everything and had been a fundamental pillar to lean on in the past twenty-four hours because she thought that at any moment, they would call her to tell her, her dad had stopped breathing.
Now during these fatal moments she realized how much she loved her parents, she never stopped loving them. They were just covered under resentment which she had forgotten about.
When they got out of the elevator in the seventh floor, she ran to look for his room at intensive care. She recognized it when she saw a group of people that looked familiar to her. Her brother David was there, she thought she’d forgotten his face, but she recognized him immediately.
When her brother saw her running down the hall, he went to greet her and she threw herself into his arms crying like a little girl.
“David!”
He just hugged her excitedly; he took her face into his hands to look at her better
“Finally I can see you little sis.” He said trying to joke.
“Where is he?” Evelyn asked desperately.
“In the room. Mom is the only one allowed to be with him. But we talked to the doctors and they’ll let you see him, we explained you haven’t seen each other in a while.”
“Is he really sick?”
“Yes, they don’t think he can make it through the night, his heart had suffered three attacks since yesterday.”
Evelyn had not realized Deb, Mark and another lady were there. The other lady was blonde, around her age and very attractive.
Meanwhile Nick greeted the guys and he was introducing himself, explaining briefly how he ended up being here too. Evelyn went into the room slowly.
When she saw her father in bed like that, she couldn’t help to cry. She had remembered how big he was, so handsome. Seeing him connected to a machine was very hard on her. He looked a lot smaller and helpless.
Judith went with her.
“Sweetie!” The woman hugged her. “I thought you wouldn’t get here in time.”
Judith Thomas looked calm, she had accepted the inevitable. She knew crying wouldn’t do anything for her husband. It would only make his transition to the other like harder.
Evelyn got closer slowly and took his father’s rough hand.
“Dad.” She murmured.
“Sometimes he opens his eyes, but he can’t talk anymore.”
The old man opened his eyes slowly when he felt the touch of his daughter’s hand. A tear rolled down from his left eye. She looked at those eyes that looked so much like hers with tenderness.
“I’m sorry dad.”
With effort, her dad shook his head.
“Sweetheart, he hold no grudge, on the contrary, he wants you to forgive him.”
“I have nothing to forgive daddy, it was also my fault to let my resentment empower me all these years.”
There as tenderness in Gus’ eyes. Evelyn gave him a kiss on the forehead and kept that position for a couple of minutes. An
d the old man’s eyes closed forever.
The steady sound of the monitor confirmed his father’s death. When the doctor reaffirmed this, he let the while family in to say their goodbyes.
Next day after the services, a lot of people got together at the Thomas’ household, but Evelyn felt out of place with all of them. She didn’t remember anyone and a lot of people would ask her what she had done all these years. Some even dared to say she had abandoned her parents and how much they needed her.
She talked with her brother for a bit. She met his wife and kids, but felt no special bond with them. Besides the talk was centered about their mother who refused to leave her house.
Mark proposed Evelyn to stay there for a while until they figure something out.
“Mark, my life is in California.”
“I think you’re being selfish mom, grandma is old and she needs you. What will she do on her own? You’ve seen your brother doesn’t want to take her with him.”
“I know and I haven’t stopped thinking about that.”
“Or is it because of Nick?” Mark asked looking at the man who was talking to an old lady.
“We’re just friends.”
“If it’s because of me you have nothing to worry about.”
“I know, Deb and you are stuck together all the time.” She said with a smile.
“So then?”
“I don’t like anything about here, not even the weather.”
“Please, just think about it.”
After a while, Evelyn took her mothing to the bedroom to have a private conversation.
“Mother, do you want to come with me to California?”
“My house is here, my home and your father’s.”
“Mom, he is inside of an amphora, you can take him with you.”
“Have you seen your room yet? You have everything there, I even put your novels back. I never threw them out, I just hid them. They’re entertaining, I have been reading them for a while.”
“Mom! Don’t change the subject.”
“I like Nick for you, I think he loves you. Do you love him?”
