part. Every branch and every twig was overflowing with small strips of tissue or cloth that had been tied around them. It reminded me of rolling a tree with toilet paper, although I was positive that was not the case here.
“What are they?” I asked curiously. I refrained from touching even one branch, for fear of experiencing the visual onslaught of every person ever to stand in that spot.
“Wishes,” Finn explained nostalgically. “If you make a wish and then tie a piece of cloth onto the bush it will come true.”
“Like a wishing well,” I pondered.
“Except these are only wishes about love,” he said with a tenderness in his eyes. He reached into his pocket and produced two strips of white cloth and handed one to me. “Make a wish, Pasha.”
I closed my eyes.
Okay, so that was two. Maybe Aphrodite wouldn’t mind. I chose an empty inch of branch and tied the cloth to the tree; careful not to come into contact with any branches or leaves.
“Your turn,” I instructed him as he stared down at his piece of cloth and smiled. Then he too tied it to the tree, right beside mine. I couldn’t help but wonder what he had wished for as we strolled back toward the waves. Not that I had the courage to ask. Finn, however didn’t have that problem.
“What did you wish for?” he questioned me with a devilish gleam in his eye.
“Wishes don’t come true if you tell people what they were!” I scolded him.
“If that’s the case....” He pretended to lock his lips and throw away the key. “Mine will stay locked away forever.” His voice took on a serious tone as he continued. “Some wishes are too important to waste.”
Chapter 17
“Seventeen!?”
“Seventeen,” Tina repeated for the second time with a little tone of annoyance.
“Seventeen,” Phoebe confirmed, still skeptical of Tina’s claim. She was hardly convinced that the legal drinking age in Cyprus was four years less than in the U.S.
“Except for people named Phoebe,” Carmen teased her. “They’re only allowed sippy cups full of chocolate milk.”
“Hey, I like chocolate milk,” Phoebe shrugged her shoulders with a twinkle in her eye.
“Especially with Bailey’s in it.”
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that…” Natasha muttered as she perused the menu. The oceanfront Sienna restaurant had made a table for us next to the windows, overlooking the pristine and currently dark waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The serene blanket of night seemed farther away than just a pane of glass, amongst the bustling sounds of the restaurant. Tina had suggested Sienna for its relaxed, but upscale atmosphere. White tablecloths covered the tables, while small candles on each created a romantic, but cozy ambience.
Not until after our very tall waitress with a slight mustache took our orders and provided us with bread did I realize how hungry I was. I supposed that swimming twenty miles up the coast and back will do that to a girl. The celebratory mood at the table eased my nerves and put a smile on my face, as I began to relax and have a good time. Or it could have been the Tequila Sunrise that I was drinking. Either way, I was ecstatic by the time an overflowing bowl of chicken and mushroom cannelloni pasta was presented to me.
In the chair next to me, Finn barely took the time to breathe before inhaling his Lamb and Leek Soutzoukakia (Tina had to pronounce that last word for us). Across from me, Phoebe was already on her third mojito and was becoming more and more flushed as the minutes passed. Beside her, Carmen and Ricker had barely touched their entrees. They were more concerned with each other and the details of their hushed conversation. My heart warmed at how obvious it was that their love/hate relationship had transcended to a new level.
Dessert consisted of Greek coffee, which Phoebe completely ignored in favor of her fourth cocktail. I saw Elina raise an eyebrow at Natasha, before clinking her fork against her glass to gain everyone’s attention.
“Who among us has heard of Kafemandia?” Elina asked with heavy dignity.
“Kathemannia?” Phoebe proceeded to butcher the beautiful Greek language.
“Almost,” Natasha inserted with a smile. “Kafemandia is Greek for Tasseography.” After several blank stares Elina continued; un-phased by our lack of culture.
“Kafemandia is the art of reading one’s future in the grounds of coffee or leaves of tea. It originated from the Chinese monks of old. The residual coffee grounds left within the demitasse, or small cup, can be interpreted to explain your past and present, as well as to predict your future,” she explained mysteriously.
“I’m pretty sure mine are saying I need another round of Jack Daniels,” Ricker eyed his tea cup with a sneer. He jumped as Finn kicked him under the table, making sure that Finn saw the middle finger he was dramatically scratching his eyebrow with. Thankfully, Elina ignored him with unabated grace.
“Kafemandia has been passed down for generations in my family. If you would like, I’d be happy to read your grounds once you finish,” Elina said with a twinkle in her eye.
“I think I’ve had enough supernatural shows for one day,” Carmen muttered stubbornly. I could see the tiny wheels turning in Willow’s head as she drank hers in one long sip. I downed my small tea cup of foamy, rich liquid in a matter of minutes and saw the leftover coffee grounds settling around the bottom. No wonder it was so potent! I wondered why they even bothered creating a drink.
A person could chew on the coffee beans and achieve the same result. With everything weighing on my mind, I decided that the chances of me allowing Elina to read my future were slim to none. I knew all too well what my future held, and I didn’t want to be reminded. Tina gleefully finished her cup and handed it to Elina dutifully.
Elina silently took the cup, tilted it on its side and twisted it clockwise three times, allowing some sludge to drip out onto her empty plate. I was trying to pay attention, but the realization that I had just drunk something that resembled a mud pie made my stomach churn. Elina proceeded to set the cup down and placed her hand over the top. She closed her eyes for a split second, and then peeked inside. Tina leaned over as far as she possibly could, as Elina inspected the contents.
“The grounds on the bottom of the cup represent your past. The middle or sides of the cup represent your present, and the top rim of the cup represents your future. The grounds will form certain symbols, which is what I will use to discern the meaning.” We watched on eagerly (and skeptically) as she continued to decipher Tina’s coffee grounds.
“It would appear someone has been slacking on their studies…” she began with a telling frown. Tina’s face shaded bright red as Elina continued. “You’re extremely happy and feel much gratitude for being in your present company.” Tina’s smile widened, but her face turned an even deeper shade of red. “It would appear that a new love interest will soon come under a revelation that will alter their path in your direction.” The white of Tina’s eyes became visible as they grew larger.
“Do mine! Do mine!” Phoebe waved her cup at Elina, taking the attention off of a relieved Tina. Elina somehow snagged Phoebe’s waving tea cup and repeated the motions of spreading out the coffee grounds.
“At the bottom of your cup I see a tree on fire.” Phoebe gasped, but Elina continued steadily.
“This means that you have gone through a period of change and growth…a renewal of sorts.” Phoebe let out her breath and squeezed Carmen’s arm. “I clearly see a waterfall on the side, which means you’ve had enough to drink.” She raised an eyebrow at Phoebe. I had a feeling that whatever symbol she had found on the sides of the cup represented Phoebe needing to be cut off. “And in your future I see one continuous ring, which means much happiness in friendships and love.”
“Wow!” Phoebe delicately took her cup from Elina and peered inside. “Can I keep my cup as a souvenir?”
“I think petty theft is frowned upon in most countries,” Ricker snickered.
“Do Stasia’s next!” Willow exclaimed, stealing my cup and handing it to Elina. Unable to snatch it away from her, I could only await the inevitable. My stomach gurgled again as she went through the motions and inspected the remaining contents.
“You have experienced so many traumas at the hands of others.” She furrowed her brow as she continued,
