by HC Michaels
She turned to her back and floated, staring up at the blue of the sky. This was paradise and she was going to soak up every ounce of its gloriousness while she could. She could never afford a holiday like this on her own.
Her parents had paid for her flight to Mykonos as an incentive for her to attend Darcy’s wedding and she’d poured her life savings into the accommodation. It was time to start saving again.
She hauled herself out of the water and returned to her bag, reaching for her towel, and wrapping herself in it as she suppressed a shiver. Maybe she was wrong about the weather. The temperature seemed to have dropped.
As she dried off, she realised it was still as warm as it was before her swim.
Her phone buzzed in her bag, and she shuffled around for it, hoping it was her mother. She’d love to tell her about this place.
But it was Elvira.
I need you to take Amelia. Come to the apartment immediately.
No please. No apology for the interruption. The message was as much devoid of manners as it was full of Elvira. She had to remind herself that Elvira meant no offence. It was her way. She typed her reply.
Will need to walk back from resort pool. Will be there as soon as I can.
Maybe Elvira would offer to pick her up in the buggy. She didn’t fancy the walk back.
Please hurry.
At least she said please, even if she hadn’t offered her a lift. That was some kind of progress.
Tessa slung her bag over her shoulder and began the walk. At least it was downhill on the way back. Well, most of it. There was just one steep section near the zoo. Maybe she could bring Millie back here this afternoon. She loved animals.
Plus, it would be great to get some photos with a koala for Tessa’s friends back home. They already thought there was a koala in every backyard. Either that or a thousand giant spiders.
She kept up a brisk pace and reached the apartment, feeling as warm as she had when she’d arrived at the pool earlier. Her back was damp, and her hair had dried into knotty clumps. She must look a sight.
The apartment was empty, which was strange. She hadn’t taken that long to get here.
She found her phone and called Elvira, annoyed she’d hurried for nothing.
“Where are you?” snapped Elvira, by way of a greeting.
“I’m at the apartment. I couldn’t get here any faster.” Tessa frowned. “Where are you?”
There was a pause.
“Not our apartment. My father’s apartment.”
Tessa could hear the eye-roll down the phone. How was she supposed to know that?
“I’m not sure where your father’s apartment is,” she said, trying not to sound defensive.
Elvira gave her directions and once again asked her to hurry.
“Is everything all right?” asked Tessa, but the call had already been disconnected.
She wondered if she should change her clothes or at least comb her hair before she went over, but Elvira had sounded like she needed her there urgently. What if there was something wrong with Millie?
Better to head straight over and avoid any more of Elvira’s famous eye-rolling. Besides, she doubted Elvira’s father would care if she was wearing a crumpled sundress.
When Elvira answered the door to the apartment, she was glad she hadn’t delayed. She looked terrible. Her eye make-up had smudged down her cheeks like she’d been crying, and her mouth was stretched into the worst kind of scowl Tessa had seen on her face yet.
“Is Millie okay?” Tessa asked, a tight knot winding its way around her stomach.
Elvira looked confused. “She’s fine. It’s just that…I need you to get her out of here. I wouldn’t have brought her with me if I knew…he would come.”
“He? Who? Is Paul here?” Tessa tried to peer around Elvira to see into the apartment.
“Not Paul. Tino.” Elvira sighed. “My brother’s here.”
“Oh.” That didn’t seem like such an emergency, whether or not he got along with Elvira. But, then again, if he was anything like his sister there was probably a lot of arguing and Millie could be sensitive sometimes. Plus, Elvira had said something about not wanting Millie to be anywhere near her brother. Maybe he was an axe murderer?
“Just get Amelia out of here,” Elvira hissed. “As fast as you can.”
“I thought I might take her to the zoo,” Tessa said brightly, trying to lighten Elvira’s mood.
Elvira looked confused again. “Okay. Yes, the zoo. That’s fine. I don’t care where you take her. Just get her out of here.”
“Right.” Tessa took a step forward, but Elvira didn’t budge. “Okay, well should I come in?”
“Of course.” Elvira stepped aside and allowed her to pass. “She’s on the balcony.”
Tessa was glad for the opportunity to look inside this luxury apartment. Maybe she’d even get a peek at the infamous staircase.
It was a shame she hadn’t met Elvira’s parents before. It was going to be awkward meeting her father at such an emotional time.
Millie spotted Tessa approaching and flew into the living room, landing in her arms. She really did know how to make a person feel loved. Once again, the urge to have a child of her own nipped at her. She pushed the feeling away. She was only young. There was plenty of time for that.
A man followed behind Millie, who Tessa assumed was Elvira’s father. She looked a lot like him with the same stern dark features and long nose.
He had dark circles under his eyes, betraying his grief.
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” said Tessa, trying to prise Millie from her leg so she could go to him.
“Thank you.” He nodded.
What was she supposed to do? Shake his hand? Kiss his cheek? She was never very good at this kind of thing.
“I’m Tessa, Millie’s nanny.” She stayed where she was, her arms dangling by her side, ready to hug, shake or do absolutely nothing, depending on his next move.
“Millie?” he said as if testing out the word as he remained perfectly still.
“Oh, sorry. Amelia,” she corrected, folding her arms. “Just a nickname.”
“Me Millie.” Millie pointed proudly at her chest.
Tessa patted her on the head. “That’s right, sweetheart.”
Elvira walked in behind Tessa.
“Dad, this is Tessa,” she said.
“We already meet.” He nodded briskly at Tessa. “You call me Roberto.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said, wondering how long these horribly awkward pleasantries would need to continue before she could take Millie and get out of here.
A movement from the balcony caught her eye. She turned her head, preparing to meet the brother Elvira so clearly hated. The reason she’d been called back from the pool so urgently. Hopefully, he had two heads with horns growing out of each of his foreheads. That would keep things interesting.
But it was far worse than that.
Elvira had already had enough shocks recently without having to witness Tessa practically faint at the sight of Tino.
Girls had always swooned over him, but Tessa’s reaction took things to a whole new level. She was aware of her eyes rolling in the way Paul had told her was quite unbecoming.
“Kosta,” Tessa shrieked. “What are you doing here?”
Kosta? What the hell?
Her brother’s impeccable olive complexion turned to green. Well, olives could be green, she supposed.
“Tessa,” he said. “What are you doing here?”
“Kosta,” Tessa said again, not seeming to be able to say much more. She was running her fingers through her tangled hair, looking more self-conscious than Elvira had ever seen her. It was then she remembered Tessa telling her about her holiday romance with a man named Kosta. That would be right. Her rat of a brother hadn’t even bothered to give Tessa his real name. He probably told her he was Greek, too.
“It’s Tino, actually,” he said, looking amused.
“I don’t understand.”
Tessa pulled Amelia in front of her like a security blanket.
“I’m Elvira’s brother.” His gaze swept Tessa up and down. “Believe me, I’m just as surprised as you are.”
“Well, what are the chances of that?” said Elvira, trying to rescue Tessa. The poor girl looked like she was going to collapse. This apartment had seen enough death already. Besides, she’d called Tessa here to remove Amelia from the drama, not to contribute to it.
“My full name is Costantino,” said Tino, looking a little unsure of himself. “Shortened to Tino in Italy, but Kosta in Greece.”
“Nobody’s ever called you Kosta in your life,” snapped Elvira, not bothering to keep the venom out of her voice.
“My boss started it,” said Tino, not taking his eyes from Tessa. “He thought it would be better for business. It just stuck. I kinda liked it. Being someone else…”
Elvira huffed. So, Tino had been working in Mykonos. He wasn’t in America like he’d told their parents. Another lie to add to what she was certain would be a growing list. The thought of him working on a Greek island, starting fresh with a new name, while she was at home drowning in her tears, made her stomach contract.
“What’s happening?” Her father shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
“Your joy of a son has been living in Greece,” said Elvira. “Not America. Going by the name of Kosta and fooling around with my nanny while he was there.”
Her father looked at Tino, who shrugged.
“You lucky your mother is dead. Or she kill you.” He pointed his finger at his son and walked away, climbing the stairs to the upper floor.
“Look what you’ve done to Dad,” said Elvira. “I don’t know why you came here. You bring nothing but misery. You always have and you always will.”
She thought she detected a look of shame cross his face, but he quickly wiped it away. He was never one to take responsibility for his actions. She didn’t know why she expected him to start now.
“Tessa, please take Amelia away.” Elvira nodded at her. “I need to smooth things over. You can talk to this piece of shit later.”
She took great delight in swearing. The word shit wasn’t normally in her vocabulary, especially when Amelia was around. But if swearing ever had its place, it was definitely right here. No doubt in the conversation that was about to follow there’d be plenty more expletives to add to the list. She might even drop the f-bomb if Tino was lucky—which the bastard always was.
“It’s okay,” said Tessa. “I have nothing to say to him.”
She lifted Amelia from the ground. Amelia had been silent through this entire exchange, looking from adult to adult while clinging to Tessa’s leg.
“Take her to the zoo,” said Elvira, wanting Amelia to be as distracted from all of this as possible. She wouldn’t understand what was going on. She’d probably be traumatised.
Tessa nodded. “I’ll see you back at the apartment later.”
“Thank you.” Elvira smiled at her, knowing she didn’t thank her nearly enough for all she did for her. It looked like her brother hadn’t helped her out on that account either. Or maybe he had.
As soon as Tessa closed the door behind her, she turned on Tino.
“You absolute snake,” she said. “You did this on purpose.”
“On purpose?” He threw out his hands. “How the fuck was I to know she was your nanny?”
Great, he’d dropped the f-bomb before she even had the chance. It was going to lose all impact now if she did it.
“Come on, Tino. What are the chances?” She jammed her hands on her hips. “You’re asking me to believe that you’re over the other side of this bloody planet and out of all the millions of women who pass through Mykonos, the one you happen to have an affair with is my nanny.”
“Ac—”
“Seriously?” she cut him off. “I know you’ve never thought much of me, but I’m not that bloody stupid.”
“Can I speak?” He crossed his arms.
She nodded as she waited to hear whatever lie he came up with.
“Firstly, I’ve never thought you’re stupid.” There was warmth in his voice, and she tried not to let it get anywhere near her heart. “Secondly, I’m not asking you to believe anything. Believe what you like. But it’s the truth. I had no idea she was your nanny. And it’s not like she’s the only girl I was with over there.”
She tutted. “Well, you’d have to be with an awful lot for the probability to come anywhere near close to being believable.”
He raised his eyebrows.
“You make me sick,” she said. “So, did you actually talk to Tessa? Surely, she mentioned Amelia. Are you that stupid you couldn’t figure out who she was?”
“For the record here, it’s you calling me stupid,” he pointed out.
“Well?” she asked, ignoring his barb.
“No, I didn’t know. Yes, she talked about Amelia, but she called her Millie. I’ve never heard you call her that.” He sighed. “How was I supposed to know that’s who she was talking about?”
“And she never mentioned me?”
Tino shook his head. “She just called you her boss. Look, we didn’t talk that much, okay?”
She waved her hands in front of her face. “Enough. I don’t want to hear that. That’s the woman who’s responsible for my daughter.”
Maybe she’d misjudged Tessa. She’d thought she was different to all those irresponsible nannies she heard about out there. But if Tessa would stoop as low as Tino, then who knew what she was really like. It was going to be hard to look at her properly again.
If only Paul was here. He was never bloody here when she needed him, always leaving her alone to fight her battles.
“If you go near Tessa again.” She pointed her finger inches from his face. “I am going to chop off your nuts. Understand?”
He nodded and for a moment she saw his face as a little boy. He’d been such a charming kid. Everyone was in love with him, even then. He got away with so much more than she’d been able to. She was the only person back then who’d seen through him. Maybe not much had changed.
“Go and see Dad, would you?” She took a few steps away. “He’s really upset.”
He nodded again and went up the stairs to find their father, who he’d no doubt sweet talk into thinking he was the perfect son once more. That was his special talent.
Elvira went out the balcony and leant on the rails. An enormous yacht was setting out from its dock, filled with tourists with wide smiles plastered to their faces. That was how it should be in a place like this. Was she the only person here who was completely miserable? Apart from her father, of course. It didn’t seem right to feel like that in a place as beautiful as this.
Tessa was probably miserable, too. This thought gave her some comfort. It was nice not to be the only person in the world who hated Tino. Perhaps she hadn’t misjudged Tessa after all.
Still, the coincidence of their meeting didn’t sit right with her, no matter how many women Tino had slept with. Had he looked her up? Had he been watching Tessa’s movements somehow?
He was up to something, that much was clear. If only she could think with a clear head, maybe she could work it out.
He was a fucking bastard. She smiled at having used the word in her mind, if not having the courage to say it out loud.
“Fucking bastard,” she said softly, then gathering her courage she tipped her head back and yelled as loudly as she was able. “Fucking bastard!”
That felt better. It was kind of like that laughter therapy people did, only the complete opposite.
She started to giggle. Maybe it wasn’t so opposite after all.
She took in a deep breath and wiped the smile from her face. It was very possible that at long last she’d completely lost her mind.
Tessa had only just emerged from the apartment building with Millie when she became convinced she’d just heard Elvira shout the words fucking bastard.
She wondered if she should tu
rn around and see if she was all right but decided she must have imagined it. For a start, Elvira didn’t shout. She chose her words carefully, not needing volume to give them the power to punch you in the chest.
Secondly, Elvira never swore. Although she had just said the sh-word, but most likely that was a one off. Not swearing was a badge of honour for Elvira.
So, it couldn’t have been her. It was either someone else, or she’d imagined it.
Lord knows Tessa wasn’t thinking straight after seeing Kosta. Or Tino, she should say. Or Costantino. What a laugh that was! He was a man by many names. She could think of a few more to add to the list…
How had she not noticed he was Italian? Although, admittedly she hadn’t grown up with many Italians or Greeks. They all looked the same to her. Was there a way to tell the difference?
Millie tugged on her hand. “Not this way!”
“The apartment’s this way,” Tessa said, leading her gently.
“Zoo.” Millie planted her feet and pointed.
Clever little thing. She knew which way the zoo was.
“Yes, sweetness, but first we need to go back to the apartment so I can get changed.” Tessa ran her hand through her tangled hair, unable to believe she’d just seen Kosta looking like this. If she’d known he was going to be there she would have made some kind of effort to show him what he was missing.
“Zoo!” Millie was still pointing towards the steep hill that Tessa was not looking forward to climbing again.
She crouched down to level her eyes with Millie, silently willing her not to have a meltdown. She couldn’t cope with it right now, not with everything else going on. She needed a cold shower, some fresh clothes, and a few moments to process the fact that Kosta was Elvira’s brother.
“Listen, Millie Pilly.” She took her little hands in hers and squeezed gently. “We’re going to go back to the apartment very quickly so we can have some lunch and watch some cartoons. Then we’ll go to the zoo for the whole afternoon. How does that sound?”
