Willa

Chapter Twenty Five: Catfished

It took two weeks, fifty phone calls, numerous texts, nightly video calls, and one plane ticket to get Morgan to Oregon, for a date. I mean, that wasn't me begging her, it was us being ridiculously obsessed with each other, to the point we could not stop, the calls, the messages, the video chats.... We were a little, no a lot, obsessed. Once we had returned to our own states it became a little urgent to arrange the date and have us reconnect, physically, sooner than later. Morgan booked the ticket, and as we were both off work for the summer, was the perfect excuse for her to fly out here. I wanted her to experience my current home town, and experience me, vertically, and less horizontally, having conversations and not sex constantly, although I wouldn't say no.

***
"So, what is she like?" Callie asked, as I stood at the bar in the restaurant out back by the kitchen.

"Out of my league" I state, picking at a slice of Greek honey cake.

Callie makes a round of drinks for a table of diners and concentrates on pouring a pint, her tongue caught under her teeth in concentration. "Well... I'm sure that's not true" she returns.

I take my cell out of my pocket and flick to a picture of Morgan on her social media, she is sat in a park, her face lit up mid laugh, sitting casually leaning back on her arms  on a picnic blanket, her deep blue eyes creased up humoured by the person taking it. I look it over again and smile, her blonde hair is straight and glossy down her shoulder, her long tanned legs are stretched out in front of her from beneath the white summer dress she is wearing. I hold the picture up in front of Callies face.

Calliope glances up from what she is doing and her eyes widen "oh my god... Willa" she squeals, chucking down the drink which spills out over the tray. Her father, Christos, peeks out from the kitchen at the sound of the glass slamming down and he tuts as he shakes his head. He shouts something Greek at Callie, who waves her hand limply at him as if to says yeah yeah... this is important "Signómi" she calls back. "Willa she is not just out of your league... she's out of this fucking world... who is she? She's got to be a supermodel or an actress or something... surely" she asks breathless and giddy... her eyes still searching the picture with great detail.

Maria comes from the back, and swipes a cloth against her legs as she passes "Calliope Nomikos ... work" she calls back in a sing song voice.

"Who is this" Demitra asks leaning over Calliope with intrigue.

"Willa's girl" Callie replies, saying it as more of a question. She hands the phone to Demi and looks at me a little shocked "honestly Wills... if you hadn't actually met her yet I would have paid good money on you being catfished"

I laugh and agree "I know" and I reach for the cell but Demitra is now showing the picture to Thea who is now seventeen and has a lot of opinions on my love life, mostly that I didn't have one and it was a fate worse than death for her. Thea had two boys on the go at the moment, one more serious, and one as a back up.

"She's been in something on TV. I have most definitely seen her before..." Demi says, finger poised on her chin.

"Guys she is just a baseball coach from Arizona" i correct.

Both Demi and Thea turn, and give me a disbelieving stare... "this girl... isn't just anything... I want to meet her" Demi states.

Thea agrees "Willa if she is real, then bring her to Sunday dinner. I honestly think you just googled hottest blondes alive and took this photo from that... there is no way" she states, handing me back the phone.

"You know girls" I say, standing from my leaning position on the bar "you really know how to destroy a girls self esteem"

I whistle out of my nose, before I smile affectionately at the picture still on the screen, and run my finger over her cute face. "Eew she's in love" Thea announces.