3. Chapter Three
Chapter Three
But I digress.
Sighing inwardly, I urge myself not to think about how Nikos’s hands would feel on my naked body. How he would look in the throes of passion, stripped naked and bared to my ravenous eyes. What kind of sounds he'd make as I devoured his cock and swallowed his—
“Hey, Lisa, the bus is here,” Nikos’s deep voice comes in from behind the reception desk, jolting me out of my reverie. I shoot up and look out the window to the bus full of travelers.
A soft breeze is coming in from the west, the warm summer air smelling of freshly cut grass and flowers. I sigh, counting my blessings as a flock of seagulls squawks in the distance, then descends across the water following a large trawler heading into the small harbor.
Nikos and I have been working together for about a year now. He was kind enough to let me apprentice as a receptionist at his hotel two miles away from Molyvos after I got canned from the coffee shop I worked at when we first moved here. The hotel is understaffed and in need of a serious revamp but I am grateful that I have a job I like and a boss who’s approachable and considerate and not so bad on the eyes if I’m being completely honest.
“Make sure you get their names right, okay? Those Dutch surnames can be quite tricky if you don’t pay enough attention.”
A moment later, he is standing right beside me at the already tight-spaced reception desk waiting to welcome our guests and my gaze lingers a little too long on his mouth as he takes a sip of his morning coffee. God, how I wish I was that mug.
I swallow hard, averting my gaze, and trying as hard as I can not to stare at his luscious lips or those beautiful, corded arms. Or the way his black shirt accentuates his tanned chest. “Everything is checked and ready, boss. I have them scheduled for a week’s stay and one night of dining in. Is that still so?”
He glances at me, nodding. “No changes so far, Lisa.”
“That’s great.”
A few seconds later, a skinny blonde with a too-tight pink blouse appears, cradling a bunch of documents. Her overly sweet perfume hits my nose even before she approaches, an overcompensation maybe for her frigid face.
“Welcome to Panselinos Hotel,” Nikos greets her, smiling. “I hope you’ll enjoy your stay here. We are at your disposal if you need anything at all.”
I force a smile, taking the documents from her outstretched hand, noticing her perfectly manicured red nails while she plays with her hair, her gaze fixed on Nikos.
“I’ve heard a lot about Greek hospitality. I have a feeling we’re going to enjoy ourselves tremendously.”
That shrill voice of hers is just as annoying as her sickly perfume.
The rest of the group floods the reception hall a few seconds later, hauling their too-big suitcases and fanning themselves, huffing and puffing and anxious to get their bearings.
When everyone is accounted for, Nikos hands me the keys and gets back into his office.
“So, if you guys are all set, let me guide you to your rooms,” I say flatly, looking her in the eye.
“Yes, I think we are,” she says, turning to look at the front desk one last time.
When I return to my seat a few minutes later, Nikos is still there, waiting. “Talk about being subtle, huh?”
I smile out of nervousness, glad to know it wasn’t just me. “You picked that up, too? I mean, show some class, right?”
I start punching in the guest’s names and dates of arrival and departure when I feel him standing behind me.
“I’ve always been partial to brunettes if you ask me,” he says, his voice low and seductive. When I feel his hand on my left shoulder, I turn around and look up at him. “You had a little spider crawling on your arm.”
“Oh, thanks,” I mumble, that gentle brush of his fingers on my bare skin unsettling me.
“I’ll be in Mytilene for the trial hearing the following week. If you need anything, just call or text me, okay? I’m not sure if I can get back sooner, but I’ll try.”
“Sure, boss. How are you holding up?”
“I just wish I had figured it all out, sooner, you know? The signs were all there, I just didn’t realize it until it was too late.” He walks toward the front door, fumbling with his car keys. “Oh, I almost forgot. The laundry van will arrive around seven. Keep an eye out and take inventory, will you? Last time we handed over twenty pillows for dry cleaning and only got back fifteen.”
I nod, smiling.
“Maybe it’s all for the best, Nikos,” I offer. “You know, the divorce. It's her loss, not yours. Once it’s over, the world will truly be your oyster.”
“I’m not so sure how the dating world works these days, Lisa. The last time I dated someone, I was in my thirties.”
“Well, you know what they say; you’re never too old for a new start.”
“You’re a gem, you know that? Tom is one lucky man.”