Greece and Roses

Chapter Eleven

"Fuck those alley kids!" Anastasios had said, as he stood up quickly, before dashing back inside. After another twenty minutes of talking, he explained to me how the kids who lived down to the west of Nafplio made fun by destroying the east property. He seemed quite enraged about it, I now thought in the warmth of my bedroom as I prepared for our date.

I slipped on something a bit more formal- a black dress with a yellow belt, and some bright yellow heels, my eyes flashing a bright green.

Just as I finished pulling my hair into a sleek high ponytail, and finishing the look by tying a bright yellow ribbon around my hair, Tasio honked the horn to his car, pulling up to the road behind my house.

"Get in loser, we're going shopping!"

I rolled my eyes back in my head, before marching down the stairs.

"Your boyfriend is very classy eh?" My mom remarked, not looking up from her knitting project.

"Ay Mama, he's not my boyfriend"

"Not yet." She said, with a smirk.

I scooched out the door, before she could make any more comments on my date. As I approached the car, Tasios blasted the volume to our favourite song, "Lemon Boy."

"So Lemon Boy and me, we just gotta get along together" He sang, unlocking the car doors, just as I hopped over the convertible into the velvet seat.

"You know this is a creepy car right?" I remarked, turning to look at him. "Like if a sexual predator owned a car, it would be this one. Velvet seats?!" I faked a shudder, as I clacked my seatbelt into place.

"Hey, no hate when i'm buying"

"Oh excuse me, Mr. Macho, who says I didn't bring any cash?"

I flipped my wallet open, pretending to count my money. "Twenty five cents, fifty... Im pretty loaded"

"Haha, very funny."

"You think I'm kidding? Of course you're buying. I'm broke remember?"

My heels clicked against the concrete stairs, as I climbed up to the restaurant. With the Calamar Encantador built right by the ocean, its owners had done a great deal of work to make sure that you could smell the salty air, and see the waves crashing, all while seated at the top of a restaurant.

Anastasios pulled my chair out, motioning for me to sit, as our waiter brought over two velvety menus.

"Boró na sas xekiníso dýo me típota gia na pínete?"

"Oh, nai parakaló." I said, pausing to look over the menu. "I'll have a coffee."

"I'll just have a lemon water, sas parakaloúme"

"Coming right up." Our waiter turned away to get our drinks as Tasio smirked at me.

"What?" I said, with a giggle.

"Oh nothing." He paused, "Just thinking about how into you that waiter was."

I blushed, and looked down at my hands, as he giggled and we began on a long discussion on how annoying our siblings were.

Within thirty minutes, our food was placed gently on our table, my trout sprinkled with parsley.

"Apó polý"

"Mm this is so good." I said, taking a bite of my food. "How's yours Tas?"

"Delicious." He answered,through a mouthful of water, accidently spilling it out from his mouth, as he choked on a lemon.

"Ewww!" I said, playfully smacking him and schooching my chair away from the mess. "You're such a pig."

As we ate, we discussed dozens of topics, from politics to our favourite TV shows, Tasio and I agreeing on almost everything.

"No see, that's where you're wrong." I said, through a bite of salad. "Even though the plot line is good, the acting in Friends is absolute shit. Like c'mon. You have to have some type of cut off point where it just becomes unwatchable. I don't understand how you love that show so much."

"Hey, even though the acting in Friends slowly gets worse and worse, it's still entertaining." He said, waving the waiter over for the bill.

"Fair, I'll give you that."

I slipped out of my seat, as Anastasios paid, quickly following after me.

"Hey, thanks for dinner by the way."

"Are you kidding? It's no problem." He responded, pausing to grab the handrail of the staircase. "Where do you want to go now?"

I checked my watch before answering, noticing it was only nine forty five.

"The beach?"

"Sure."

We wandered down towards the shore, wind whipping in my hair, as we launched into another fierce debate.

"Harry Styles is not hot." I said, laughing out loud. "He was once, but his style sucks, not to mention his hair, oh my god what a rats nest."

"Hey, he's cute alright?" He giggled, sweeping his hand through his hair.

"Ya but that's different, the question is 'Is he hot'."

"Same thing! I mean c'mo-"

"They are not the same thing. Cute is like 'Oh my god, their smile is so cute, and oh my god look at their freckles.' Hot is so different! It's like 'Damn, they're hot like what'"

"Uh no I tot-"

"Uh yes! I mean c'mon, be realistic for a second."

"I am, and so fa-"

"You are so not. Just look at the facts, he's ugly! You can't possibly belie-"

Tasio cut me off abruptly, swooping down to peck me on the lips, a smile spreading across his face. Then he pulled away and continued walking as if nothing had ever happened.

"Uhm, what the heck?" I giggled, punching him in the arm.

"You talk a lot"

"Hey!" I playfully punched him in the arm again, as we continued talking, his hand eventually lacing through mine.

We giggled together, playing around like little kids until early into the morning, the moon shining bright. That night, as we walked side by side, and the waves crashed upon the shore, I felt something. Something small, yes, but warm and fuzzy from the tips of my toes to the hair on my head. 

Something sweet.

NOTES: Hey y'all :) hope you're enjoying the book so far, I've been trying to make some longer chapters, at least nine hundred and fifty words each. Also friendly reminder, stay inside, stay smart and stay safe! You're doing the right thing, this is all gonna be over soon :)

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