With Love, Greece.

Chapter 12

"I'm sorry, what?"

'T-MINUS FIVE MINUTES TO BREAKDOWN.' Sophie's voice echoes in my mind. It was something she use to shout when we were growing up, when I was nearing a mental breakdown and was about to let off as much steam as a nuclear bomb. Back then it was over who got the TV for the night, who stole my wedding magazines, who told my school crush I had hand, foot and mouth disease a day after my first kiss with said crush. Sophie. Sophie would launch the nuclear bomb and push all the little buttons until it finally detonated.

In today's case. Nuclear-bomb-launching-slash-button-pressing person was my client. Plural. Clients. Both of them.

"We're going ahead with the wedding Lana, it's what we want," Matt replies.

I can't believe this. I look to Matt, "firstly, don't call me Lana, it's Alana to you. Secondly," I look to Mia. "You want to go ahead and marry him after he lied to you, and you found out he was with another woman when you got together? Me," I point to myself. "That other woman, the one you want to plan your wedding for you."

Mia smiles, "yes, I've decided to forgive and forget."

"Oh, well I'm glad someone can," I reply, sarcasm dripping from my words. "How lovely, you two are the true mascots for forgiving and forgetting that's for sure."

"Lana." An evil glare on my behalf. "Alana," Matt clears his throat. "You didn't say anything when we first got to the island, you didn't question or judge any of this and I know it's because you want this to work. We're giving you that opportunity to make this work, and not have both yours and our time and money wasted. I understand your reservations to this situation, but I'm trying to help you here as well as making it work for us."

"Oh how thoughtful of you Matt," I drawl.

"Alana, please," Mia pleads.

I close my eyes and rub my temples. I got a text from Mia while me and Demetri were cuddled up in his bed for a second night in a row and watching more endless reruns of my favourite movies, we had spent such a lovely day together and I couldn't pull myself away from him.

When she messaged me asking to meet up the next morning (which was happening right now), I expected her to be a heartbroken, puffy eyed, storm cloud. I was wrong. Seems the Little Miss Sunshine façade doesn't budge. That was what pissed me off to start with, I'd hoped we could bond over an Iced Latte and Ouzo and I could share my breakup songs playlist with her and then we could burn photos of Matt but that soon went out the window. Hence, we are T-MINUS THREE MINUTES TO BREAKDOWN.

Because apparently this was happening, and apparently, I was doing this.

I was planning this wedding.

"Okay," I sighed. Life sucked. And I was even more pissed at myself for continuing to put myself in this situation. "Well, we need to get the papers filled in for the area permits. And then, I'll get the order in for the décor."

Matt and Mia smiled, and I really, really wanted to pick up the plate of baklava sitting in the middle of the table and throw it in their faces.

I, however, was a professional businesswoman, and that was impolite etiquette.

"So," I smiled. We were channelling Harley. "The décor, I really need to get the order in by the end of the week so please email me some ideas or if you have any now that would be great, a great way is to start a pinboard on Pinterest, you can get some great ideas just for general aesthetic and..." I paused when Matts hand raised.

"We'd really like the ideas to come from you," he said.

T-MINUS 1 MINUTE TO BREAKDOWN.

I gritted my teeth, "it's not my wedding."

"We know that," Mia pipes up. "But we just don't really know what we want, and like Matty came to make me realise, we don't mind what it's like, whatever will be perfect as long as I get to marry him at the end of the day. So, as our wedding planner, I think you should take over the plans."

For the second time today, I repeated, "I'm sorry, what?"

"That is your job at the end of the day, you know," Mia giggles, "plan the wedding."

T-MINUS FIVE SECONDS TO BREAKDOWN.

"Right."

FOUR.

"Of course."

THREE.

"I'm the wedding planner."

TWO.

"Makes perfect sense."

ON...

"Alana." Demetri. "Would you like anything to eat or drink?" We had drinks, and food on the table. The thought that he was there, his hands a firm presence on my shoulders, just to calm me, as though he knew we were closing in on a breakdown, did something to my heart.

It was like that moment in The Grinch, the animated version because I was a sucker for an animation, when his heart grows two sizes.

I was The Grinch and Demetri was Cindy Lou Who...hmm maybe I'll keep that to myself, I doubt he'd like to be compared to an innocent little girl. Still, the thought thawed my frozen heart. Oh dammit, now Olaf was involved.

"Alana?" The tip of my pen cracked, and I quickly bought it out of my mouth before I snapped it in two with my teeth. I was distracted.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Get the décor ordered, we'll come by at some point this week and get the permit hashed out and then we're good to go, right? Can you do that?" Matt asked, he spoke as though he was speaking to a four-year-old.

T-MINUS – fuck off Sophie. Demetris hands were firmly still in place. No breakdown necessary.

"Yes, no problem at all," I nodded.

Mia and Matt left us in a quick flash. I threw my pen to the table and got up. Demetri stepped back, it was like he knew I needed to walk away and let me. He didn't suffocate me, and that was something I was extremely grateful for.

I walked towards the church and stood at the end of the taverna. "I've turned into The Grinch of weddings. This is all your fault," I spoke. "You're making my life a living hell even when you're not here to make my life a living hell, how is that possible?"

'Pushing your buttons is fun,' I hear her reply in my mind.

I scoff, "grow up Soph, we're adults now."

'Yeah, adults who need to let off steam. Calm down biatch, why don't you go and find someone to fuck the frustration out with...I know you know just the personnnn.' Her voice sings in my mind, after seven years I could never forget the way she would talk, mock me, love me. I could never let a single thing of her go.

"Piss off Soph," I cracked a smile, a real smile.

After a minute I spoke again. "I never did look for an adult shop on the island. I guess I still have time."

"Not sure that was on my tour itinerary," Demetris voice came from behind me, it was full of the lightness I was craving in my ever-darkening life.

"Just pretend you didn't hear me say that," I replied, keeping my gaze firmly on the church, my eyes wide, my mind horrified.

I heard a soft chuckle before I felt Demetri close in behind me until his front was against my back. His voice was low, throaty and oh so seductive when he whispered, "It's something I can help with, just so you know."

He walked away so quickly for a moment I was sure I had just imagined it, but the wet patch in my knickers definitely didn't come from that meeting I just had.

I stayed staring at the church for a while, a good while, until I felt no residence of unexploded bombs threatening to explode and no more uncontrollable lower organs. I turned and made a beeline for the Andreas women. I needed a stiff drink tonight, then I would think about Demetri and his, help when I was tucked up in my bed with no big distractions.

Like Demetri, Demetri was definitely, I glanced to where he was serving a couple of tourists, his arms flexing as he placed drinks onto the table, a big...a smirk in my direction...hot...a wink...distraction. Shit.