An Aegean Prophecy - Jeffrey Siger [78]
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,