Chapter Eight #2
“I mean, I’d like the opportunity to woo you a bit first.”
“That’s sweet, but in this case really unnecessary.”
“It’s not unnecessary to me,” he countered.
“Look, don’t misunderstand me. I’m not the kind of girl who sleeps around, but I’m also not the kind of girl who’s naively expecting any more to come out of something we both know is temporary. So you don’t have to worry about the woo? Let’s just enjoy the night for what it is.”
“I’ve told you a bit about who I am. Now I want to get to know you better. And I’d rather not have a relentless bass line competing for my attention. C’mon, let’s get out of here. I know the perfect spot.”
The words let’s get out of here, at least in New York singles lingo, had always been a euphemism for “Your place or mine?” But Leo seemed to genuinely mean it in its most literal sense. He wanted to leave the chaos of the party behind and go somewhere we could have an actual conversation.
I didn’t know if it was the earnest look in his expression or the fact that, out of the corner of my eye, I could see the DJ getting ready to spray the entire crowd with a tsunami of neon foam, but I found myself nodding and taking his strong hand as he led me through the crowd and into a taxi that had just dropped off a group of partygoers.
“Little Venice,” Leo called out to the driver, holding the door open as I slid into the back seat. He followed, pulling it shut behind him. The driver nodded and set off down the dark, winding roads of Mykonos.
About fifteen minutes later, the cab dropped us at a narrow maze of whitewashed streets, where couples strolled hand in hand through charming little boutiques and tavernas under scalloped fairy lights.
I glanced down at my outfit, slightly mortified by my Day-Glo tangerine crochet dress and matching bikini.
“Leo, I don’t think I can walk around like this.”
He gave me a knowing grin, as if he found the situation more endearing than anything else, and pointed to a shop a little farther down the way, its bright-blue doors framing an array of delicately embroidered clothes on display outside.
I riffled through the racks, loading Leo’s arms up with flowy white skirts, dresses, and blouses, before heading inside. Leo made himself comfortable on a small bench covered with dainty pillows while I tried on the different outfits, making a game of coming out to model each one for him.
He held up his fingers like a scoreboard, finally flashing both hands in the air when I emerged in a one-shoulder maxi dress that hugged me in all the right places yet flowed with the effortless ease of a classic toga.
I spun around, letting the fabric skim and drape just right, then turned to the salesgirl. “Can I wear it out of the store?”
She nodded and I followed her up to the counter. Before I could even fish my credit card out of my wallet, Leo was already signing the receipt.
“Thank you. But you really didn’t have to do that,” I said, tucking my card back in my bag.
“I know. But remember how I mentioned I’m trying to woo you?” he said as we stepped out of the store and back onto the bustling street. It was almost 10:00 p.m., but the alleyways and shops were as busy as if it were midday.
“I get it, but I wasn’t expecting a scene straight out of Pretty Woman,” I said with a teasing smile.
Though I’d made it pretty clear that he didn’t need to roll out the red carpet for me to be on board with a little summer fling, he stopped walking and turned to me, his gaze searching.
“I know we only just met, but there was something between us right from the start. And I think you felt it too. So tell me why you seem so hell bent on pushing me away?”
His comment stopped me cold. “I . . . I’m not. I just don’t know what exactly you want from me. I mean, we’re both thousands of miles from home. We don’t have to pretend this is going to be anything more than it is.”
“Why do you keep saying that?”
I narrowed my eyes at him, a challenge to the man who for some reason could see me without really even knowing me.
And regardless of the butterflies turning my stomach into soup, his intuition was more than a little unnerving.
“Okay, well, what if I told you I don’t believe in love.
Like categorically don’t believe in it.”
“I’d say that some men would interpret that as some sort of challenge.”
“But not you?”
“No. In my experience, love isn’t a puzzle to solve or a prize to win.”
I swallowed, caught off guard by his certainty. “Then what is it?”
“It’s a risk. A chance.” His voice was quiet but firm. “One you’re either willing to take, or you’re not.”
“And you’d be willing to take that kind of chance on someone you barely even know? Someone you just met a few days ago?”
He tilted his head slightly. “I think I already have.”
The memory of his words that night in Mykonos hung in the air, but just as quickly as it’d come, the vibrant neon lights of Studio 54 snapped me back to the present.
New York City’s familiar soundtrack of taxis honking and the chatter of dozens of people conversing all at once filled my ears, and above me, the marquee flashed in bold, glittering letters: Mamma Mia! The Immersive Experience!
“You’ve got to be joking!” An involuntary squeal burst out of my lungs, half in disbelief, half in delight.
Leo grinned, stepping beside me. “A theatrical dining experience that transports guests to the Greek island of Skopelos for a night of dancing and debauchery.” He nudged me playfully. “I remembered how you mentioned once that you wanted to go. And Greece is kind of our thing.”
I turned to him, my pulse still unsteady, though now for an entirely different reason. “You actually listened?”
His smile deepened. “Of course I did. Now, are you ready to embrace your inner dancing queen or what?”
I swallowed a laugh, staring up at the doors, then back at him. “Are you?” I challenged.
Leo didn’t hesitate. Instead, he tightened his grip on my hand and said, “Oh, I’m ready. I just don’t know if the rest of the audience is quite ready for me hittin’ those high notes.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t fight the smile tugging at my lips as I followed him into the theater, the familiar beat of “Waterloo” blasting through the lobby speakers as we were swept inside with the crowd.