‘Don’t worry about it.’ He patted her bare knee. ‘He’s just a poseur and not a very good one at that. “I’m meeting someone and can’t stay.” I just bet he is, some fuck-me-for-a-drink mindless little tourist slut. Now he’s just one less nobody looking to waste my time.’
Vladimir gestured for a bodyguard to pour them more champagne, then raised his glass and stared into Katerina’s eyes.
Her face lit up in a smile.
He leaned over and whispered in her ear, ‘To no more urgent meetings. Ever.’
Katerina’s smile vanished.
Lila called a dozen people before she found one who knew where to find Barbara: she was sitting across from him, naked in a hot tub. Lila thought, thank God he’s gay, because no straight man in that position would ever have answered the phone. Staring at arguably the world’s most perfect set of tits would be far too much of a distraction.
‘Christo, let me speak to her.’ Christo was the most sought-after and prominent hairdresser in Athens.
‘Not sure she’s in any condition to talk, kukla. Thank God I was there to save her.’
‘ Christo, let me speak to her.’ It was a non-negotiable tone.
Lila heard a muffled few words followed by ‘Hellllo.’
‘Barbara, what the hell are you doing?’
‘Lila, darling, I’m here with the most gorgeous, blond-haired, blue-eyed, naked man… are you here? I mean I miss you. I-’
‘Barbara, get out of that hot tub, get yourself dressed and get into town. You’re supposed to be meeting Andreas.’
‘But it’s still early.’
‘It’s almost three o’clock in the morning.’
‘Oh. I lost track of time. There were so many people, we were having such fun, Christo said, “why leave,” and you know how convincing he can be, and-’
‘Let me speak to Christo.’
She heard the phone drop.
‘Hi, kukla, thank God she missed the water.’
‘Listen carefully. I want you to get her dressed, made up to look perfect, and into town, now.’
‘But-’
‘ No buts! No buts at all. Do you hear me? Barbara was supposed to meet Andreas over an hour ago. I’m hours away from giving birth, and you do not want to imagine how crazy I can be if you don’t do me this simple favor and get her ass in town in the next twenty minutes!’
As independent and important as Christo liked to think he was, they both knew his business depended upon staying in the good graces of powerful Athenian women, and Lila was at the very top of that list. She hoped her tone would sober him up enough to do the same for Barbara.
‘Will do. Sorry. Didn’t know how important this was.’
‘Twenty minutes. Call me when she’s on her way.’
Lila hung up. She kept shaking her head. I can’t believe Barbara did this to me. What can I tell Andreas? I wish I could have a drink. She let out a deep breath. I’ll just tell him she’ll be in town in a half hour and ask where should she meet him. No reason to tell him the rest. It only would upset him. Besides a tipsy beauty might be more appealing to the Russian. Na zdarovye.
Andreas kept looking at his watch. It was nearly four and still no Barbara. Lila said she’d be here by now. What a rat-fuck this was turning out to be. Come Sunday morning, when Zacharias finds out what happened to his three boys, either he vanishes to another part of the planet or presses the right political buttons and shuts us down cold. Either way, he gets away with murder, and all because some airhead doesn’t know how to stop partying long enough to do what she promised. The devil must be laughing.
‘So, what do you think the Chief’s doing?’
Tassos shrugged. ‘Same thing we are, killing time.’
‘At least he doesn’t have to do it in a garbage truck.’
‘You really don’t get it, do you? He isn’t meeting any Russian, we’re not waiting for some hot woman to show up, this all was set up as an opportunity for you to receive life lessons from a master.’
Kouros looked at his watch. ‘I feel more like I’m cooped up in a phone booth with a parrot who can’t keep its beak shut for thirty seconds.’
Tassos shook his head. ‘Gratitude is the rarest gem to find.’
Kouros watched two young girls walk by, stare at the two men squeezed together in the front seat of a garbage truck on a dark Mykonos back street, and giggle. God knows what they must be thinking, he thought.
‘What you need to straighten out your life is the right girl,’ said Tassos.
‘Whoa, now you’re cutting in on my mother’s turf. Only she gets to nag me on that subject.’
‘Sorry. I always respect union rules.’
‘And, besides, what’s with you? You hook up with Maggie after a zillion years of bachelorhood and now you want all of us to go down with you? Power to the unattached, let freedom ring.’
‘Bolshevik.’
‘Royalist.’
Tassos stared out the window. ‘If we sit here much longer we’ll be playing rock, paper, scissors.’
Kouros let out a breath. ‘Not much else to do until that lightweight Barbara shows up. Chief’s been holed up in that piano bar in Little Venice for over an hour. If I have to listen in on this earpiece to one more bartender story from the two guys who own that place I’ll scream.’
‘It’s one of the few place he’s not likely to bump into the Russian before we’re ready for him. Guys like that avoid gay crowds, afraid it might cast doubts on their manhood.’
‘Besides, the chief likes the singer.’
‘The sexy broad?’ said Tassos.
‘We don’t call them “broads” these days.’
‘Whatever, she turns me on.’
Kouros grinned.
‘Screw you, I saw what turns you on.’
Kouros smiled. ‘Now, now, you’re getting back into my mother’s bailiwick.’
Tassos sighed. ‘I’m so bored.’
Kouros grabbed his arm. ‘Not for long.’ He pointed out the window. Two men had stopped the girls who’d just passed the garbage truck. Two other men were coming up on the girls from behind. What bothered Kouros was that the men behind the girls were gesturing to the two men in front and pointing to a building. ‘That building is empty, it’s under construction.’
‘Honk the horn, scare them off, they’re drunk,’ said Tassos.
‘But they’ll just go after someone else.’
‘Just deal with the problem at hand.’
The men now surrounded the girls. ‘I’m getting out,’ said Kouros.
‘We’re on a stakeout.’
‘They need help.’
Tassos leaned over and pressed the horn. The men jumped. He hit the horn again and flashed the lights. The men left. ‘Now they don’t.’
Kouros stared at Tassos. ‘A life lesson?’
‘Lesson number one. Beat evil when you must, but only when you must. There’s an inexhaustible supply in this world to keep you busy every second of your life. Put differently, there’s too much crap in this world to shovel it all. If we try, we end up buried in it. Lesson two. Protect and treasure all the good that comes your way, whenever and wherever you’re lucky enough find it.’ He smiled. ‘Especially if it’s the right girl.’
Kouros pressed his hand against his earpiece. ‘Sounds like the chief found his. Hot chick number one is now in town and on the move. It’s a go.’
‘Let the games begin.’
Starz was Vladimir’s hangout on the island. Only two hundred yards down the busy lane leading from
