Running on Empty #2
“You looked funny, all fat in that jumpsuit… those glasses, though. Wow. You were great. You acted like you really were afraid. I see why you are in Hollywood. Have you ever thought about act…”
“No.” Simo cut her off, smiling. “Never happen.” He stared into the depths of her beautiful eyes. “Are you ok?”
She nodded. She began gathering her clothes as he watched her.
“Oh, uh… wait here.” She patted his chest, got up, went to the kitchen, and ran the tap water.
When it was warm, she ran a dishcloth under it and, with a wistful look at Simo, wrung it out and returned to his side.
“Here.” She smiled and began cleaning him up from their lovemaking.
Simo remained silent as he watched her gently clean him up.
Without a word, she reluctantly dressed, then went to the kitchen and rinsed the cloth out.
She took her time as if she didn’t want to leave.
Putting the dishcloth in the laundry room, she returned to Simo, who had put his pants back on and was sitting in his chair watching her.
She came close, kneeled down next to him, and for a moment placed her head on his lap and sighed.
“I never want this to end, Simo. I don’t think I can let go of you… if I had one wish, just one wish… I wish that you could find a way to let me into that big heart of yours.” She tenderly patted his muscular, bare chest. “I’ll stop by the club still… if that’s ok?”
Simo began stroking her long hair with his hand. He knew heartache. He knew loss and how deeply it hurt. “Yes, of course.”
She got up, and Simo followed her to the door. He opened it for her and, wordlessly, she turned to leave. He reached out and touched her shoulder. Hesitantly, she turned to him, and Simo spoke as he cupped her cheek in his hand. “I wish that wish of yours was true...”
With tears welling in her eyes, she nodded, quickly leaned in, and kissed him hard. She abruptly stopped, her fingers trailing across her lips as she looked into his dark eyes. “See you,” she muttered, turned, and hurried away with her hand covering her mouth.
Simo put away the urge to call after her as she got into her car and left. He knew the heart-wrenching pain all too well.
“Aren’t you going to go after her?” asked a familiar female voice.
Simo jerked his head up to see Eleni coming up his walkway. “Eleni?”
“Theo was showing me the pool…” She jerked her thumb behind her. Theo was standing on the driveway with an apologetic look on his face. He nodded to him, and Theo motioned that he was leaving. “She’s beautiful, and in love with you, Simo. You can still catch her if you hurry.”
“Fuck.”
“Apparently you just did that.” Eleni smiled ruefully. “You going to make me stand out here?”
“Fine. Come in.” Simo stepped away from the door, and Eleni swept inside.
“Ouzo?” Simo offered.
“I’ll have some with you,” Eleni replied as she saw the remains of Simo’s clothes on the floor. She turned to Simo with her dark eyebrow arched and smiling. “Was it good?”
“Eleni…”
“That bad?”
“Fuck! It was ok.”
“Good.” She nodded her thanks as Simo handed her a shot of Ouzo. She downed it and set the shot glass down on the table and waited for Simo to down his. “You still look like shit.”
“I need sleep.”
“Yes, you do.”
“Then why are you still here?”
“I did not say you need sleep now. What is with blondie? Why did you make her cry?”
Simo knew he wasn’t going to get out of this quickly. With a grunt, he sat down hard on his kitchen chair, poured himself another Ouzo, then slid the bottle toward Eleni. He held up his glass at her and smirked. “Lilly says you want me.”
Eleni raised her eyebrows and bounced her head back and forth. “Sure. But not how she wants you.”
“You women…”
“Hey! Hey! I’m just saying that, sure, I’d fuck you. Call it curiosity. We are close to being the same people… except for…” Eleni paused, smiling.
“Except for what?”
“You have a big-assed bleeding heart. I don’t. So sure, I’d fuck you. Would now be a good time?”
“What?” Simo asked incredulously. “I just did it with Lilly!”
“Can’t get it up yet? I can help that.” Eleni laughed.
“You can’t be serious!”
“I’m willing if you are.”
“No… that’s not right.” Simo sat, looking perplexed at Eleni smiling at him.
“See, you have a heart. For argument’s sake, what difference does it make now or later?”
“She… Lilly says she loves me. It would hurt her if she found out.”
“You going to tell her?”
“No!”
“It would take care of your problem…” Eleni’s dark eyes glinted at Simo.
“How? And what problem?”
“You don’t love her like she loves you. You can put distance there… or have you replaced that other person who really owns your heart?”
“My ex-wife? HA! No.”
“We both know that’s not who I meant.”
Simo shook his head, grabbed the bottle of Ouzo, and poured himself another. “I can’t… with her either.”
“Oh, so you can lead on a beautiful young woman who loves you to tears…” Eleni glanced at the displaced furniture, “and fuck her silly, but you can’t with Jessie?”
Simo slammed down his shot glass as Eleni looked at him. “Why are you doing this?” Simo grumbled.
“To put that big head of yours back on straight!”
Simo shook his head as Eleni’s logic was making his mind spin.
Eleni’s voice edged louder. “What else is bothering you?”
“What?”
“You heard me.” Eleni crossed her arms at Simo and waited.
“Jesus Christ. You are worse than my own mother…”
“She has your back, so do I. What else is the matter with you?”
Simo poured another shot of Ouzo, downed it, and then another. “I had to kill a woman…”
“So?”
Simo’s eyes shot wide. He burst out of his chair and got into Eleni’s face. “SO? What do you mean SO?” he bellowed.
Eleni was nonplussed with Simo’s big nose inches away from hers, and she stared him down as she answered. “So what? If you had to kill a child, sure that would even fuck me up. Knowing you, you had no choice. So? That is what we do. Did you have a choice?”
Simo closed his eyes and once more sat down hard on the chair. “No.”
“And the problem is?”
“I broke a promise to myself…”
“This is the business we are in. You had to have known it was going to happen at some point… nea?”
Simo quietly nodded his head. “It felt all wrong… Eleni. It felt horrible. My… my guts churn when I think of it…”
“Good.”
“What? Good? What the fuck?”
“You are a man. A good man. You are supposed to feel that way. So, now that you know, get over it.”
Simo stared, open-mouthed at Eleni. Her logic was all backward, but she spoke the truth. “I’ll try.”
“Good. So now… what about Lilly?”
“I want her to be happy. I like her and care about her… I don’t want to see her hurt.”
“You can’t love her because your heart belongs to another.”
“I don’t love Marina…”
“Stop the deflection! You have been in love with Jessie since Athens. I saw it. I saw you with her dancing. I have never, ever seen the look of serenity before on your face. You were relaxed… human again.”
Simo grumbled, “She loves me because I saved her. Besides, I’m not in the right business for love or relationships…”
“Simo… fine.” Eleni sighed. “Do you want me to meet with you in Virginia at Jessie’s so-called graduation?”
“How… ah, Theo.” Simo sighed. “No… maybe. I don’t know.” Simo shook his head.
“Fine. I’ll see you later. Get some sleep before Lilly decides to come back.”
“Why would she come back?”
“She’s thinking she made a mistake leaving you alone… with me here.”
“God, I hope you are wrong this time.”
“I didn’t say she would come back. I just know that’s what she’s thinking… you really know how to pick them.”
“Fuck, she picked me,” Simo chuckled.
“So did Jessie. Ok, ok, I’m out.” With a wave, Eleni left Simo staring at her.