by Kim Baldwin
Those who preferred to sit outside and marvel at the spectacular sea views were accommodated on two enormous terraces. Patrons at the lively high-walled courtyard lounge, with its own bar and dance floor, could relax on comfy couches shaded by palm trees, while the wide terrace one floor above provided table and banquette seating for clientele who liked a quieter, more upscale experience.
Switch had arranged their reservation on the upper terrace the day before, after she received a call from Jo with specifics. During their earlier island-hopping vacation, the four women had spent a good deal of time checking out the current status of the nightclubs on the island and decided The Koo Club was their favorite. Celebrity sightings were commonplace and the clientele was usually well dressed, the men in trendy T-shirts and jeans, the women in sexy dresses.
The women requested lounge couch seating with a low table overlooking the sea, close enough to the dance floor for body checks, as Jo put it, but far enough to hear themselves over the music. The bodyguard that Lykourgos sent ashore with his daughter kept a discreet distance from the women but never took his eyes off Ariadne. Manos had also ridden over with them on the Zodiac, because he had the night off for shore leave.
So far, Ariadne’s friends hadn’t let on that they knew anything, and for some reason Switch couldn’t understand, she trusted Ariadne to keep her secret.
She’d never had a problem convincing anyone she was a guy on the occasional mission that called for it, so she’d expected Ariadne to react a lot stronger, be more shocked or upset than she had. Her remark at the end about how she “half expected it” was what troubled Switch the most. Was she losing her touch? Was Ariadne a lot more perceptive than most, or was Switch simply different around her?
She stood at the balcony’s bar where she could see the girls, who were chatting away at the table. Ariadne was stunning tonight, which made it almost impossible to avoid looking at her.
She’d taken her glass of soda and settled in a quiet corner to observe, when Manos stepped up to her.
“Boy, was I wrong,” he said.
“About what?” Switch asked, never taking her eyes off Ariadne.
“You being gay.”
Switch smiled. “I never said I was.”
“I know.”
“What gave it away?” Switch asked.
“The way you look at the boss’s daughter.”
Switch straightened and glanced casually around. “Just doing my job. Making sure she has what she needs.”
“I don’t think she needs what you want to give her.” Manos winked.
“It’s not like that,” Switch lied. She could think of little else since she’d showed up at Ariadne’s door to pick them up. “Besides, she’s not interested.”
“You’d think so.” Manos checked himself in the big mirror behind the bar. “But she seems to be ogling you just as much, practically from the beginning.”
“Well, I doubt it’s because she wants to—”
“And let the games begin.” Manos gestured toward the girls.
Three guys stood over the women’s table with drinks in their hands. The tallest one said something that made them all laugh, and soon the men were cozied up next to the four women, the tall one struggling to squeeze himself next to Ariadne.
“It’s always that way,” Manos said. “Guys flock around them.”
“Don’t blame them.” Switch turned her back to them.
“Tall Guy just put his arm around your girl.”
“Don’t call her that.” Switch fumed. She felt like picking Manos up and throwing him across the room.
“So anyhoo, since you’re going to sulk all night and I’m not going to have the entertainment I expected with you…” He fixed his hair. “I’m off to funner and gayer times.” And with that, he walked up to an equally searching twink.
Switch went down the stairs and walked around, pushing through countless bodies while the club music’s heavy bass beat pounded through her body. She avoided looking up at the table where the girls sat and instead struck up a conversation with a cute brunette who came to stand beside her at the edge of the dance floor.
“First time here,” Switch was saying, when suddenly someone was shoving her from behind onto the dance floor.
“Dance with me,” Melina said loudly over the music, then turned her back to Switch and started to gyrate against her.
Switch danced to avoid looking stupid and uncomfortable, and soon enough Natasa and Jo were on the floor with two of the guys she’d seen earlier. She instinctively turned to look up at the balcony for Ariadne, who was still at the table and seemingly absorbed in whatever Tall Guy was saying.
“The guy is wasting his time,” she blurted out.
As if Melina knew immediately what Switch was referring to, she said, “He’s trying to fix her up with his sister.”
Just then Ariadne stood to greet an attractive blond woman with short hair, about her age. They remained standing while they talked, and a few moments later, Tall Guy left.
Switch turned her back so she didn’t have to look at them and checked her watch. Her appointment should be there soon, and frankly, she couldn’t wait to have a reason to leave this scene for a while and talk about something, anything, that didn’t include Ariadne.
“Let’s go get a drink.” Melina pulled her away from the dance floor and back up the few stairs to the balcony.
“I don’t—”
“It’s a euphemism.” Melina dragged her to a quieter spot not far from their table. “So, here we are, finally alone,” she said in Switch’s ear, then licked her neck.
Ariadne stood a few feet away in discussion, and although Switch didn’t want to see what she was up to, she couldn’t help herself.
Ariadne was looking over her company’s shoulder as well. Right at her. Eyes locked on each other, Switch was incapable of breaking the fragile contact.
Melina grabbed her face. “I love the way you dance. The way you move is so sexy.” She rubbed herself against Switch. “I love a man who knows how to move.”
When Melina placed her hip against Switch’s crotch, Switch tried to pull away. “I—” she started to say, when someone wrapped their arms around her from behind.
“Naughty boy,” said a familiar voice in English. “I can’t leave you alone, can I?”
Switch turned to find Allegro and sighed in relief. “It serves you right for being late,” she replied in English under her breath. Allegro was dressed in tight black jeans and a yellow polo.
“Who is this?” Melina kept to English as well. “And where did you pick up an American accent?” she asked Switch.
Allegro put her arm around Switch’s waist. “We went to college together in Boston.”
“And who are you?” Melina eyed her suspiciously.
“Angie.” Allegro frowned. “And who are you?”
“Melina, and you’re interrupting.”
“Seriously?” Allegro feigned irritation and turned to Switch. “Something I need to know, darling?”
“Darling?” Melina repeated incredulously.
Allegro wrapped herself around Switch. “I usually call him Monkey, but I reserve that for sexier moments. You know, when I have him hang from the chandelier.”
Switch was glad Allegro had gotten her away from Melina’s clutches, but what the hell was she doing? It was a well-known fact to everyone in the EOO that Allegro was a pain in the butt. Switch had worked with the unpredictable nut before, since they were both stationed in Europe, and every single time they got into trouble that could’ve been avoided.
“Oh?” Melina stepped back and gazed at Switch. “You never said…”
“You never asked.” Switch smiled, trying to keep it light.
Melina frowned. “I’ll leave you two alone, then.” She disappeared inside the club.
Ariadne had apparently noticed something was wrong with her friend, because she leaned into her blond companion to say something and went after Melina.
&nb
sp; “I did you a favor, right?” Allegro asked. “It was obvious you didn’t want what she was selling.”
“Of course not, but…do you always have to push it? I mean, Monkey? Chandelier?”
“Nothing wrong with a healthy sex life, and don’t tell me you’ve never hung from one.”
“What…? No, I haven’t.”
“Why is everyone so boring?” Allegro sighed.
“Poor Kris,” Switch said. “I don’t even want to know what you make that woman do.”
“Well, there was that time on the trapeze—”
“Don’t want to know.”
“And I thought Greeks were uninhibited.”
“No comment.”
“So how’ve you been?” Allegro glanced down. “Still stuffing your pants, I see.”
“Don’t start.”
Allegro always kidded her about that. “You know me. Can’t resist a cock tease.”
“Let’s go inside. I should be keeping an eye on them.”
“I saw Lykourgos’s daughter go in a minute ago.”
“Never miss a thing, do you?”
“Not when it’s blond and beautiful.”
“I’m sure Kris appreciates that,” Switch said as they moved inside.
“Bite your tongue.”
Switch laughed. “Whipped, much?”
“You have no idea. She won’t even let me look at magazine-cover girls too long.”
The club was pumping with music and bodies, and they had to push their way through. “It’s an estrogen and testosterone bowl of hormones in here,” Allegro said. It was past midnight and the clubgoers were revved and ready for action. The warm summer breeze, the lowly lit bar and its sensual décor meant that bodies were all up against each other, and couples were making out in every corner.
“Hey, there’s the woman who was groping you earlier,” Allegro said when she spotted Melina, “and she’s talking with Lykourgos.”
“They’re friends. Good friends.”
“That’s complicated.”
“You bet.”
“Sucks to be you,” Allegro said. “You couldn’t do her even if you wanted to, not without revealing your silicone valley.”
“It’s not her I’m interested in.”
“So there is…” Allegro stopped. “Oh, shit. You’re into the Greek’s daughter.”
“She’s amazing.”
“Jeez, stop staring like a love-struck idiot.”
Switch looked away from the two friends talking so fast her neck hurt. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Well, you’ve got taste.”
“And she knows I’m a woman. She walked in on me last night. I told her I really wanted the job.”
“Holy crap,” Allegro said. “How did that go down?”
“She wasn’t surprised, she said.”
“What if she—”
“She won’t. She promised not to, and I trust her, even though she wasn’t happy with having to lie to everyone and probably hates me for asking her to.”
“I met Kris on a job.”
“You’ve mentioned.”
“But your deal is a lot more complicated. Her friends think you’re a guy, so does her father, she’s a public figure, and she thinks you’re a filth bucket of a liar.” Allegro exhaled theatrically. “Not to mention she has more money than God.”
“What’s that got to do with it?”
“Look at her. She’s a different breed, and you’re…”
“I’m what?”
“Don’t get me wrong. You’re cool and all that, and kinda cute for either sex, but…where do you even start to impress a woman like that after the sex gets normal? Women like her are used to getting what they want. It’s all about money and luxury, and they probably have caviar before breakfast. How do you keep a woman like that happy unless you let her pay for…practically everything? That’s gonna get old really fast, knowing you, and eventually get on her nerves.”
“Thanks for sketching out such a pretty picture.” Switch really felt depressed now.
“Just sayin’.”
“Say it inside your head.”
“And she’s gay, you know,” Allegro added.
“Really? ’Cause it’s only all over the rags and public knowledge. Gee, no flies on you.”
“Cool it, stud, before I break up with you in public. And I’m not afraid to make a scene.”
Switch cleared her throat. “Let’s talk shop.” She briefed Allegro on her search of Lykourgos’s suite, detailing all she remembered about his safe. They then made plans to get Allegro on board to crack the vault the very next night; Switch had seen on the schedule that Lykourgos and all his guests would be ashore for a big dinner he’d booked at a pricey restaurant.
“I’ll get a steward’s uniform for you, and—”
“Hey, don’t look now,” Allegro said, “but Ariadne, or however you pronounce that, is coming this way.”
Switch’s heart rate accelerated as she turned to see. “And she doesn’t look happy.”
“Melina’s really upset, you know,” Ariadne said as soon as she reached them.
Allegro grinned. “Hi, I’m Angie.”
Ariadne checked Allegro out from top to bottom. “Good for you,” Ariadne replied in her British-inflected English and turned to Switch. “Does she know?” Ariadne pointed to Allegro.
“Yes.”
“Know what?” Allegro was clearly puzzled.
“That I’m a woman,” Switch replied without looking at Allegro.
“Oh, that little thing.” Allegro waved it away. “I’m versatile that way.”
“You could’ve had the decency to at least tell Melina you were involved.” Ariadne was fuming. “Now I have to spend the evening picking up her pieces.”
“I tried to make it clear I wasn’t interested.”
“She can be a flirt at times.” Allegro tried to help. “But never on the job.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Ariadne shot back. “I think he loves to fool people into wanting him, to see how far he can take it.”
“She,” Allegro said. “Trust me, she’s all woman.”
Ariadne looked like she might blow a fuse. “How refreshing that you have to stand up for her,” she said to Allegro, “while she just stands there tongue-tied.” She turned to Switch. “She doesn’t even have the figurative balls to do that herself.”
She’d had enough. Ariadne had just taken it too far. “I never led anyone on,” Switch replied, louder than normal. “And definitely not your friend. Besides, you should be happy she’s angry with me. Maybe you can finally make your move.”
“On who?” Ariadne glared at her, obviously pissed. “You?” She sounded almost disgusted.
“Of course not,” Switch snapped. “Your bestie Melina, whom you’ve been drooling over.”
“This is all too Greek for me.” Allegro took a few steps back.
“Are you insane?” Ariadne almost choked. “She’s like a sister.”
“Her flirting with me wouldn’t have bothered you if that were true.”
“What bothered me…” Ariadne stopped and looked at Allegro. “Forget it. I’m over it.” She looked back toward the dance floor. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have someone a lot less dense waiting for me.” She walked to the dance floor and grabbed the blonde with the short hair by the hand.
“Mind if I point out the obvious?” Allegro said from behind her.
“Yes.”
“I’m glad you asked.” Allegro came to stand next to Switch. “I didn’t understand a word, but one thing is clear.”
“I don’t want to know.”
“She likes you. A lot.”
Switch almost laughed out loud. “Were you in another club just now?”
“I’m serious. She’s hot for you.”
“So hot she’s kissing another woman?”
Ariadne was leaning against the bar. Her blond companion wrapped her arms around her and kissed her throat, then
took her by the hand and led her toward the exit.
“She’s angry and jealous,” Allegro said.
Switch wanted to rip the blonde’s face off. “I don’t care what she is. Let’s get out of here. We need to finish planning for tomorrow night.”
“I need to hit the can first,” Allegro said.
“It’s on our way out.”
Allegro entered the ladies’ room just as Ariadne came out.
“I can’t catch a break,” Ariadne mumbled when she saw the two of them.
“Don’t let me stop you,” Switch replied sarcastically. “Don’t want to keep your date waiting, especially since she seems the impatient type.” What the hell? she thought as her words registered. She seemed to suddenly have no control over what was coming out of her mouth.
“At least she’s my type,” Ariadne replied with equal vitriol.
“Meaning?” Switch crossed her arms over her chest.
“A woman who doesn’t want to be a guy.”
“I never said that binding my breasts and sticking silicone junk down my pants was a thrill. It’s just something I have to do.”
“Have to? You don’t have to. You choose to.”
Switch wanted to pull her hair in frustration. “You just don’t understand.”
“How you prefer to live a lie? No, I get it. The majority of people around me do that for a living. They hide behind pretty fake things, like their fixed faces. They surround themselves with beautiful, meaningless stuff and lead perfectly bogus and superficial lives. Trust me, I get it. I just thought you were different, but as it turns out everything about you is as sincere as all the Botoxed lips in here.”
“You…you don’t under—” How she wished she could explain, but that would compromise her mission. “I’m not fake and I’m not a poser. I wish I could’ve been honest with you, but—”
“You’ve lied about everything, even stuff you didn’t have to lie about. You could’ve told me you were involved, and you could’ve mentioned that you’ve…” Ariadne flapped her hands in exasperation. “Are you even Greek? Because you sure didn’t sound like it back there.”
“I’m was born in Greece, but…” Switch wanted to tell her everything but instead looked away.
