I arrive at the pier where the meeting was established and see Claire, Lionel, Birdie, Peg, and someone else I can't quite recognize at the moment.
"Daph! Daphne! Over here!" Birdie's loud voice rings out over the sound of my taxi's engine and the waves. I give a simple wave and when we stop, I pull out my large suitcase and other personal items.
"Hey guys!" I give a smaller wave as I walk up to everyone.
"Come give me a hug! Awww, I've missed you, my little mini-me!"
Birdie seems to think that since we both do modeling, that automatically makes me want to be exactly like her—despite the fact that we look nothing alike. Don't get me wrong—her career is successful and she's basically a household name—but she's not who I look up to. No one in this group is someone I look up to. Not even my Dad was one of the good ones.
"I-I don't think we should hug—okay, sure bring it in, I guess." Birdie cuts me off my wrapping her arms around me as I send desperate looks to Peg.
"Birdie—Birdie get off her, she can't breathe." Peg pulls her arms off of me and I take a step back to take a breath.
"Hi Peg," I send her a thankful smile and she sends a gentle one back.
"Lionel, Claire, hello." I bump elbows with them and pull up my mask after the whole "Birdie fiasco."
Birdie walks past us and towards the unrecognizable person standing on their lonesome.
"Hello, stranger danger." She pulls down her sunglasses to get a better look. I hear one of the men helping Peg yell in our direction.
"Mr. Blanc! You are stranger danger?" Mr. Blanc replies quickly.
"No, that's fine, Nikos. I don't even know what that means." He wags his finger as he speaks and Lionel walks up with a bag in hand.
"Wait a second. Benoit Blanc?" He, too, takes off his sunglasses to get a better look.
"Oh, my, God—Are you Benoit Blanc, the detective?" Claire steps forward with a sense of recognition in her eyes. She continues on, now getting everyone to take a step forward.
"Did you solve the murder of... Ah, what's her name? That... The ballet dancer with the thing and the thing. That's you?"
Benoit chuckles. "It is, in the flesh," Claire scoffs with disbelief and briefly looks behind her to send her surprise.
"I'm obviously familiar with you all as well. Governor, Dr. Toussaint, and Miss Birdie Jay. What an extraordinary gathering." He takes a small step back to observe the group.
"And my, what a spitting image you are to your father, miss Ledger." I try to convey a polite smile with a mask on.
I don't mind being remembered as my father's daughter—he managed to do some good in the world despite all the bad.
Just then, a gun shot rings out, scaring everybody and causing Birdie to jump. The loud noise of a motorcycle could be heard as everyone looks down the pier to see Whiskey and Duke riding up recklessly. They both whoop and holler before coming to a stop.
Whiskey slides off the back of the motorcycle as Duke announces their arrival, but I can't tear my eyes away from Whiskey.
Birdie runs up to him as Peg declines his offer of a hug with distaste.
The rest of the crew reluctantly greet Duke as he reintroduces Whiskey.
"Hey Daph, good seeing you." Whiskey turns to her left to talk to me as Duke has his arm around her.
"Whiskey, hello. I-good seeing you too." I give a tight smile under my mask, but regret it because she can't even see it.
"Who's that?" Duke's voice catches my attention, but not Whiskey. She continues looking at me until Claire asks Benoit a question as well.
"Why are you in Greece, Mr. Blanc?"
"I was invited by Miles Bron."
Everyone feels a wave of confusion as Duke voices one of our questions.
"Tight with Miles?"
"No," He chuckles a bit, "Never met."
It's silent for a moment as everyone looks around, the wind blowing helps disguise our questionable gazes.
"Oh, I get it," Lionel speaks up. "The, uh... The murder mystery thing. Benoit Blanc is going to help solve the mystery of Miles' murder—this should be fun."
Claire exaggerates her movements as she agrees with Lionel and laughs slightly.
"Well, we'll see."
The horn of the boat makes everybody turn, effectively stopping the previous conversation. Then, a car horn makes everyone turn the other way, keeping us all on our toes. Out of the car pops Miles' assistant I spoke with not too long ago.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Greece. This fine craft will take you to Mr. Bron's Island. It is a two-hour journey." He continues on explaining everything to us as he walks down past us to administer a device with some sort of medicine into our mouths.
He makes his way down the line of people, causing it to make everyone, including myself, gag. Well, except for the mysterious Mr. Blanc.
He slaps a band onto our wrists and they make a small noise of confirmation.
As we all make our way onto the landing for the boat, another car honks as it pulls up, grabbing our attention for the final time. Out steps Andi and shock envelops all of us.
"Andi! Hi!" Birdie waves once before lowering her voice. "Holy shit."
Benoit observes us as we all stare at Andi and load onto the boat.
About an hour or so later when everyone is settled, I'm laying with Whiskey on the cushion while we take pictures together. I know publicity was a main point of my brand, and I was positive to get some insta-worthy shots of Whiskey and I together. Whether I post them or just stare at them is going to be determined later.
"Place your arm over the top of my shorts, like this." Whiskey grabs my arm that was previously resting on my stomach, and pulls it over the top of her shorts, leaving a sliver of skin to be shown between her white top and shorts.
She snaps a couple selfies before she brings her arm down so we can review them. After taking a glance and making sure you can't see my blush, I begin to pick at my long skirt.
"Looks good to me. You?" She turns her head over to me. We both make eye contact while I (no so subtly) look down at her full lips. When I look back up at her eyes, she smiles knowingly and I know then that my blush can be seen.
Duke whistles, causing me to sit up and look behind myself at him, worried he might have caught the interaction. He leans against the cushion we're laying on, looking up at Andi. I look down at Whiskey to see her continuing to take selfies in the sun.
I hear Birdie's voice over the loud waves and realize she's talking to Andi.
"You shouldn't be here."
I can see Andi turn around to seemingly look at Birdie. No more words were exchanged but the tense atmosphere makes me turn away.
I look back at Whiskey to see her gazing at her phone in her hand, no longer posing.
This is going to be a long weekend.
YOU ARE READING
Glass Half Full
FanfictionWHERE the daughter of a dead corrupt politician is forced onto an island, trying to avoid a marriage proposal with a man twice her age, an insightful detective who knows way too much, and the one person she loves but can never have. ...
