10. Harrison
TEN
Harrison
“This is better. Way better, actually.” Lila waved her arms in a frenzy as she led us back up the cliffside. “Who needs to stay in one of those fancy hotels? They’re total tourist traps. Real travelers don’t stay in those over-the-top luxury rooms.”
“You were fine with the luxury room when you thought Nathan’s endless pockets were paying for it,” I said, hurrying to keep pace with her. For someone with such short legs, Lila could really move.
“That was before I knew how much it cost,” she said, cheeks flushed. “That’s basically robbery.”
As soon as we’d heard the price, Lila had zipped her bag shut and laughed awkwardly before telling the front desk agent that we wouldn’t be needing the room after all.
I had suggested we call Charlie to sort it out, but Lila wouldn’t even consider it. It had been hours since we’d spoken, and it was already the middle of the night in Fiji. Lila had refused to be a burden on her friend, insisting she would find a solution.
I’d gratefully let her take charge. Being in an unfamiliar city in a different country with nowhere to stay should have sent me spiraling, but watching Lila handle everything was both fascinating and oddly calming. For all the things I had given her crap about, her competency in a crisis certainly wasn’t one of them.
After we left the other hotel, Lila undertook a rather impressive mission of problem solving while I stood there, holding the bags. I wished I could say that I was good for more in this situation, but honestly, I was already in way over my head. I hardly traveled and had only been out of the country once, when I was fourteen and my parents had saved up for a road trip. My mom had insisted on going to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls—said it was more exotic, or something like that. The memory made me smile. I had already promised Mom I’d video-call them so she could see some of the views in Greece. She couldn’t even fathom I was here when I’d shot her a text from the airport.
Money wasn’t something I had an abundance of—either growing up or now. My dad had been working construction my whole life and my mom had a hard time keeping a job because she suffered from chronic migraines. Thankfully, she’d finally found a medication that worked for her. It was expensive, but I’d figured out how to get them on a better insurance plan—after hours of arguing with them about it, of course.
I worried about my parents. They hated accepting help from me, but despite that, I tried to push every spare dollar I made from the shop in their direction. In response, they’d started sending money back. So instead of sending it directly to them, I’d opened a retirement account in their name. My dad was getting older, and he wouldn’t be able to work a manual labor job for much longer. It meant that between my meager savings account and trying to make sure my parents were covered, I didn’t have a lot for extras. Like, say, a fancy hotel in Santorini.
While Lila was researching a place to stay, I was stressing out about how to broach the subject of money. I had thought this would be an all-expenses paid trip. While I wasn’t broke, I didn’t have thousands just lying around for fun.
To my immense relief, Lila seemed to be on the same page as me. After a few minutes of searching, she found a modest hotel nearby and presented it for my approval, saving me the awkwardness of admitting I couldn’t afford anything nicer. It wasn’t luxurious by any means, but it would do the job. And, most importantly, it wouldn’t break the bank.
“Those stairs are killer,” Lila said when we arrived at the top of the cliff, back at a main road. “I’m glad we aren’t staying down there. It’d be, like, a thousand steps anytime you wanted to leave the hotel.”
“I think you’re exaggerating.” I set down her suitcase and adjusted my duffel so the strap wasn’t digging into my shoulder blade. At that point, those bags might as well have been my permanent accessories.
Lila’s cheeks were flushed as she pulled up her phone again and held it a few inches away from her face to examine the map. The dim glow from the screen cast a soft light over her features in the dark.
“This way.” She didn’t even wait for me. She glanced up and spotted a gap in traffic, then bolted across the street.
“Hey!” I protested, looking both ways and darting after her. “You can’t keep doing that.”
“Doing what?” The way she blinked up at me innocently told me she knew exactly what I meant.
“Taking off without warning.”
“Maybe you just have to be better at keeping up.” She smiled, and instead of being irritated, I found myself biting hard on the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.
The other side of the street wasn’t the view that was pictured on postcards. I could still make out the dark abyss of the ocean in the distance, but instead of endless white buildings, there was a lot of construction, and no businesses. Lila led us down one of the alleys, checking her phone every few seconds.
“You sure this is the right way?” I asked when we passed another abandoned building.
“Yes,” she said confidently, not the least bit fazed. She turned abruptly when we got to a tall copper gate and pushed it open.
Once inside the fence, it was like we were in a different area entirely. A quaint, dimly lit path wound its way between several small white buildings, each with a gated outdoor space and a single chair. In the middle of it all was a modest pool, reflecting the soft glow of the surrounding lights. It might not have been the peak of luxury, but it was a hell of a lot more charming.
An orange cat waltzed right up to us and Lila cooed before dropping to her knees and scratching under its chin. The cat moved on to rubbing against my leg, and I stepped away instinctively.
Lila stood up, looking appalled. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of cats,” she accused.
“Afraid?” I balked. “I’m not afraid. I’m allergic.”
She sighed heavily as if this was some terrible character trait I had just revealed.
“What? I am,” I insisted as Lila led us to the only building with an open door. Inside was a small desk, an old computer, and one of those wooden racks that held a bunch of tourist brochures. Stairs at the back of the room, behind the desk, led upstairs and out of sight.
“Hello?” Lila called.
“Ahh, hello. I’ll be right down.” A friendly voice boomed from above.
A few seconds later a woman, her graying hair swept up into a bun, descended the steps. She wore what looked like a permanent smile, as demonstrated by the faint lines by her eyes and lips.
“I’m Maria,” she said in a thick accent, offering her delicate hand to Lila.
Lila shook it. “Lila. And this is Harrison.”
“Hello,” I said.
“I just made a reservation online.” Lila waved her phone. “I hope it went through alright. We’re in a bit of a bind. We just got here, and we don’t have anywhere to stay.”
“I saw it,” Maria said, gesturing for us to sit in the chairs on the other side of the desk. “Just in time. I stop reservations at ten so I can go to bed.”
“I’m sorry we’re keeping you up.” Lila sat in one of the seats and I plopped down next to her, relieved that we were about to finally have a bed for the night. This had been the longest day in recent memory.
“Oh, it’s no trouble at all. My husband used to stay up and take the later check-ins, but now it’s just me.” Maria plugged away on the computer as I looked around the modest room. I reached for one of the travel brochures and thumbed it open.
“Where’s your husband?” Lila asked in a gentle voice.
“He passed away.”
I snapped the brochure shut and bumped Lila’s knee with mine so that she could see my dirty look. This woman didn’t want to talk about her life to two strangers.
Lila’s eyes narrowed when she met my gaze, but she kept her voice soft when she said, “I’m so sorry to hear that.”
Maria was still focused on her computer screen and didn’t notice our exchange. “That’s life. It was a few years ago; I’m just happy to still have this place.”
“Your hotel is beautiful,” Lila gushed as I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. Small talk with strangers wasn’t my strength.
“Thank you.” Maria looked up from the computer to smile at the both of us. “We bought the place thirty years ago.”
“Wow,” Lila breathed. “It’s great. You should be proud.”
Maria nodded, her eyes glassy as she looked around herself. “I am. This area wasn’t a big one for tourists, but now all the big companies are coming in and building hotels around us. So much construction.”
“And your hotel will stand out because it’s long-established and family owned,” Lila said.
Maria sighed. “I hope so.”
“It will,” Lila insisted.
Lila spoke to Maria like she knew something I didn’t. We hadn’t even seen the inside of our room yet and Lila was already singing this hotel’s praises. Her desire to convince a total stranger that they had something special baffled me. It struck me that, if I had been here alone, I likely would have taken the room key from Maria without exchanging more than three words.
“Once I get you set up, I’ll give you some ideas for things to do. Do you have any plans for your trip?” Maria asked as Lila took the brochure from my hands and opened it up.
“I guess not,” she said. “We had this whole itinerary with friends—it’s a long story—but we’re on our own now.”
It struck me again how odd it was that we were here. I had hardly ever been alone with Lila, and now we were on this trip together, checking into a room and figuring out travel plans. I was almost convinced that, when I finally went to bed after being awake for nearly twenty-four hours, I’d wake up to find that this was all an exhaustion-induced hallucination.
“Oh,” Maria looked surprised when she saw our booking. “I have you two in the shared room. Usually, couples prefer a private room. Are you sure I can’t move you?”
“We aren’t a couple,” Lila said at the same time I said, “We’re not together.”
We looked at each other quickly before looking back at Maria. “We also don’t have a giant budget for this trip,” Lila added, before leaning into me and whispering. “The shared room was a third of the price.”
“I don’t mind sharing,” I chimed in. I had never stayed in a hostel myself, but Oliver had stayed in a bunch during snowboarding trips. They were probably livelier than my usual antisocial preferences, but I had earplugs.
“If you’re sure.” Maria eyed us both, not looking convinced. “Alright, then. Passports please.” We handed them over while she continued the rest of the check-in process. Once she explained that our room would be a right turn out of the office and down at the end of the property, she handed each of us a key before spreading out a map on her desk. She uncapped a pen and circled the hotel.
“Here’s where we are. Just across the main road is the heart of Santorini. I imagine you’ll want to explore that area quite a bit.” She circled a second spot on the map. “You must eat here. There will be a line but it’s worth it.” She drew another line. “These steps will take you to the water. There’s also a gondola you can take back up, or donkeys. But that’s a little stinky,” she laughed and continued. “I highly recommend the hike to Oia. Time it for sunset, it’s perfect over there. Are you planning on renting an ATV?”
Lila bit her lip and tilted her head. “We weren’t planning on it. Is that safe?”
Maria shrugged. “Up to you. You’ll see a lot of people driving them around. There are a lot of accidents, but if you have any sense, you should be okay. If you do rent one, it’s a good way to see the island and some of the beaches.”
Lila’s eyes lit up at that suggestion, but she still looked uneasy.
“Where should we rent one?” I asked. Maria leaned over the map and circled another spot.
Lila turned to look at me. “ You want to rent an ATV?”
I shrugged. “How else are we going to see the beaches? I can drive us. I used to have one of those things in high school.” That was a partial lie. Oliver and I had a part time job one summer, bailing hay at a farm. The owner had let us drive his around.
Lila still looked uncertain, but ultimately smiled at me gratefully. “If you think it’s alright...”
Seeing her relief tugged at my chest a little. My taking the reins on this one thing had put her at ease. It really shouldn’t have. What had I ever done to earn even the tiniest grain of her trust? Yet I somehow had, and that fact made me sit up a little straighter.
“Breakfast is served from seven to nine in the room next to this one. Please let me know if you have any questions and I’ll be happy to answer them.”
“Thank you so much, Maria,” Lila beamed. “We’re so happy to be here.”
“I’m happy to have you.” Maria chuckled. “Get some sleep. Hopefully you’re tired enough that the jet lag won’t be a problem.”
“It definitely won’t be,” I said, already knowing I’d pass out as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Lila went to grab her bag, but I snatched it before she could get it. I let her lead the way, following the dim lights illuminating the walkway.
When we arrived at the room, Lila used her old-school key to unlock the doorknob. It wasn’t terribly late, so it wasn’t likely that anyone we were sharing the room with would be sleeping, but she entered cautiously anyway.
The door opened to a wide, short hallway, with a small table and hooks to the right. On the left was a bathroom. I poked my head in to see a few toiletry bags cluttering the counter, but other than that it was thankfully quite clean. It was also large and covered in white tiles, with two stalls for showers and two stalls for toilets.
“This looks cozy ,” I said under my breath as Lila scurried into the room, a giant smile on her face.
“It’s huge,” she breathed as we both stepped into the main room. A bunk bed was set against each wall and there was a sofa and chair in the middle of the room. I had never stayed in a shared room like this, but it was much bigger than I had pictured it. I couldn’t help but notice the men’s shoes that were lined up next to two of the bottom beds as we walked to the only empty bunk.
“I’ll take the bottom,” I said, slinging my bag onto the lower bunk, one that would barely fit my six-foot-two frame.
Lila folded her arms. “Why do you automatically get dibs?”
“Are you serious?”
“What if I wanted it?” she continued.
“We aren’t five years old, arguing about which bunk we want to sleep in,” I said.
She snorted, a soft laugh escaping her rosy lips. “Aren’t we? And I’ve never had a sibling before. This fight is one I’ve always dreamed about having.”
“If you had a sibling, or watched any movie ever, you’d know that the top bunk is the one people argue over. No one wants the bottom.”
“Then why do you want it?”
I groaned. My severe lack of sleep was getting to me. It was almost as if she knew I was at my wit’s end, and just wanted to mess with me.
“I don’t give a fuck which bed I’m sleeping on, okay? But see that?” I pointed to the men’s shoes by the other beds. “We’re sharing this room with other guys. I’m sure it’s fine, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. The top is less exposed. I’m taking the bottom bunk, got it?”
Her smile faltered just a little as she took in my serious expression. “Wow.” She bit her lip before nodding and placing her small shoulder bag on the top bunk. “That’s actually kind of sweet.”
“Don’t go reading anything into it.” The last thing I needed was Lila giving me those green puppy-dog eyes.
“Relax, Harrison.” She sighed. “I would never be stupid enough to think that you were actually going soft on me.”
I tensed at the double-entendre in her words. She obviously heard it at the same time, because she immediately burst out laughing.
“Actually, I guess you’re technically always soft around me.” She snorted. “In fact, I think there’s probably no one in the world who makes you softer than I do.”
She continued her giggle-fit as I glared, taking a deep breath through my nose.
“Are you done?” I asked. Apparently, a long travel day and lack of sleep resulted in a punch drunk, slap-happy Lila.
Maybe I should find her adorable. Objectively, she was. She literally gave cartoon character energy. But I just couldn’t handle it. I needed to change, brush my teeth, and crash as soon as humanly possible.
“You’re never any fun,” she said, pouting. Thankfully, she unzipped her suitcase and started rummaging through it. I took that as my cue to grab a change of clothes and my toiletry bag out of my duffel and head to the bathroom. While the small twin-size bed was calling my name, the control-freak germaphobe in me absolutely needed to shower the airplane smell off of me first.
This day felt like an entire week.
The shower pressure was weak, but the water was hot. I let it run over me, allowing my shoulders to deflate for the first time since I’d left for the Denver airport an eternity ago. It was now Wednesday night, and we would leave for home Monday morning. That meant this accidental solo trip with Lila would only last four days.
Four whole days.
While that amount of time seemed so short in theory, something told me those days would drag on just like today had. Not even in a bad way, necessarily; it was just the truth.
I’d told Lila I’d be more open-minded on this trip, and while it wouldn’t be easy for me, I had meant it. I didn’t want to be the asshole who ruined this experience for her. She was a nice girl, and it was time I started treating her with a hell of a lot more respect and decency. I didn’t know how to enjoy a vacation, and I certainly didn’t know how to enjoy one with a girl I hardly knew, much less one who was also my total opposite. But damnit, I was going to try.
Before I could get too lost in my thoughts, the shower in the stall next to mine turned on. Soft humming filled my ears, and I jerked my attention to the divider that was just barely high enough to block the sight from next door.
“Lila? What the hell are you doing?”
“Um, showering?” she said it a tone that implied I was being an idiot.
“You couldn’t wait until I was finished?” I bit out.
Her laugh was melodic, mixing with the sound of the steady stream of her shower. “There are two showers, Harrison, and I wanted to refresh myself just as badly as you did. Why should I have to wait?”
The subtle scent of her floral shampoo wafted over to my side and made my nostrils flare. I could hear her next to me as she lathered her hair—or was it her body?
Suddenly I was all too aware that a very naked Lila was just a few feet away from me, separated only by a flimsy plastic divider. I bit down on my lip and closed my eyes, trying to get a clear head.
As blood rushed to my dick, I looked down and realized that she had been wrong earlier. I was definitely not always soft around her.
Shit . I’d have to chalk this up to exhaustion. I wasn’t thinking straight.
I avoided biting out a groan as she continued to shower obliviously next to me.
“Not a shower singer, huh?” she asked in that sing-song voice I was so used to by this point I could pick it out in any crowd.
“Nope,” I grunted, trying everything to hide my internal battle from her. If she knew she had affected me this way, I’d never live it down. Suddenly I was eternally grateful that we wouldn’t be living out the one-bed trope. Earlier today I would have sworn up and down that I could share a bed with this woman without batting an eye. But now... now I wasn’t so sure.
But I couldn’t allow there to be confusion. I quickly switched off the shower and toweled dry. I needed to get the hell out of there and back into the room, where I could breathe and think more clearly. Lila was a beautiful woman, there was no question about that. My body had just been thrown off because she was literally naked right next to me. It didn’t mean more than that.
Because one thing was for sure: Lila was undoubtedly, indisputably, not my type.