Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Greece
The warm sea breeze brushes over my skin as I unpack my suitcase. George's family is amazing—they are sweet and welcoming. His aunt speaks English, which is great. I haven't told any of them yet that I speak Greek. It's been fun listening to Tommy tease George about us, even some of the comments he makes about my body. How Anna puts up with him is beyond me.
Overpacking is an understatement. I have a week’s worth of cotton sundresses, some club wear just in case, jeans, blouses. The only thing I am missing is heels, because I can't wear any. He specifically asked me not to wear any when we go out.
Their homes are right on the beach, surrounded by trees. White houses with blue roofs. I am on the second floor; my window is open. I can die here—it’s beautiful. I grab a dress and put it on. Braiding my hair, I slip my sandals on. The sun is setting, and we are going next door for dinner. Athena has been bragging about me to his aunt and grandma; I have to go show off.
"Elena, are you ready?" his cousin's thick accent sounds from the other side of the door.
I open the door, and Kostas is leaning in the doorway. His blue eyes see through me. He is tan, tall, with black hair. He curses under his breath and asks what I am doing with his dumb cousin.
"What wouldn't I do to you!" he says in Greek.
I smile at him, and damn it, I can't help it—I am such a flirt. "What would you do to me?" I ask in Greek.
Kostas leans on the wall, holding his hand to his chest. "You speak Greek?" he asks in English.
I lean toward him. "I speak eight languages! Don't tell—it’s supposed to be a surprise for later!" I hold my finger to my lips.
He crosses his chest and swears to secrecy.
His grandmother's house is warm and cozy, the kitchen massive. Her name is Eleni. Athena, Anna, Eleni, and Daphne—his aunt—are already cooking up a storm. I smile at them as Kostas shows me into the kitchen. Their grandmother tells Kostas he looks so handsome; he has a white linen shirt on and light blue jeans. Daphne says we look good together. He blushes as Athena scolds her—I am here with her son.
"Sorry, Elena!" Athena says. "Come and show them what you can do!"
"It's ok, I will get the hang of the language by the end of the week, I am sure!" I say, and Kostas laughs as he grabs a beer from the fridge.
He opens the sliding glass door and sits outside with the rest of the men. The door stays open, and George walks in, giving me a kiss on the cheek and grabbing my ass. I push him—his whole family can see us, and I just met these people. He just smiles. His breath smells of beer; he must be tipsy.
Outside, George sits with Tommy, their dad, Kostas and his dad, and their grandfather. Kostas has another brother, Alex, but he is in Germany for the summer. They are just drinking and talking, catching up. The conversation turns inappropriate quickly. It doesn't really bother me—my father and his friends do the same thing. I learned quickly not to bring my friends around when they drink. Their generation is lost to misogyny.
They are discussing my body as they watch me move in the kitchen. They say it's nice that I have no tattoos. George tells them I have one, and they can see it tomorrow when I put on my tiny bikini. Athena and Daphne are talking loudly between themselves and are not hearing what the men are saying. Anna looks over at me with pity. Kostas tells them to stop because they are being rude. I wonder if he would say that if I didn’t tell him I speak Greek. George says I have a tight body and nice tits, but it’s too bad I am not blonde. I scoff, and Anna looks at me, surprised. Then she shakes her head.
"Oh, you are naughty! You can understand!"
I smile as Kostas comes in next to me, grabs a grape leaf, and starts rolling. The men call him weak and soft. He shakes his head. Anna looks at him and laughs.
"You know too?" she asks, not really asking.
"He talks a lot of game for losing his virginity to me!" I say in Russian.
Anna starts to laugh so hard she folds over, smacking the kitchen counter.
"Your Russian pronunciation is great," says Kostas.
"Thank you! I spent a little over a month practicing with my ex. I learned it when I was younger, but listening to him and his brother helped me improve." We continue to speak in Russian.
"The Fedorov twins! I envy you. Please, I beg you, tell me how they are!!!"
I hesitate through a smile, taking a deep breath. The breakup is so fresh; the pain of him moving on lingers in my heart. Anna sits on a stool, drinking a mixed drink. Kostas looks over at me as he takes a sip of his beer. I compose myself.
"Sergey is sweet and gentle. I dated him for a little over a month. Alek… he is a monster." Anna chokes on her drink. "He likes it rough—really rough. I am nobody’s little angel, but he left bite marks all over my body. Sergey was so mad, they got into a fight." I laugh. "It was actually kind of funny. He apologized for being too rough. I slapped him hard and called him a pussy!"
"Ok, wait… you were dating one of them but slept with both! Explain!"
We start to serve food to everyone. George pulls me down to kiss me. "Practicing your Russian with Anna?" I nod at him, and Kostas laughs.
"It was a game my friends and I play. He ended up with one of my friends, and I was with his brother."
"Game? Are you taking him to these games? His head will only get bigger!" she laughs.
"When we get home, I will—and his damn head is already too big for my mouth!" we giggle together.
Kostas turns bright red as he takes a seat next to George. "I did not need to know that!" His Russian is not great, but we get it either way.