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Lauren growled. “It’s their animal selves. Too bad Willow’s parents aren’t allowing drinking.” Lauren’s parents were way more lenient on the topic.
“I’ve seen it at the lake,” Maddie said. “A guy has a beer and he changes into moody or life of the party or total toad. That’s his true self.”
Lauren shook her head. “Some guys are only like that when they drink, not all the time.”
“That’s when you should run, I’m telling you. That’s their inner, animal self, and it’s not pretty.”
One shot of tequilla and she’d been licking Alexi’s neck. What did that say about her?
Wire mesh jabbed into her shoulder. Willow’s fairy wings. “What are we talking about? And is it wrong that I think Kristnaldo looks hot in that Nero costume?”
“Yes,” the three of them said.
Mia didn’t want Willow in on her inner musings. Willow had been on the tetchy side lately and she didn’t want to share and have her thoughts poked at. “We’re talking new uniforms.”
The party went on from there. It was fun, like last year’s parties: who was seeing who, dancing, games. But without Alexi’s unique take on it all, it was slightly flatter, slightly less. They slid into the limo for the trip home, and he didn’t offer her his lap. She wanted to tackle
what he’d said, but she didn’t want to make things worse. The trip home was long and silent.
***
Mia stood in her bedroom doorway rubbing at a bit of green paint on her thumbnail. This stuff had been a pain to get off. Nail polish wouldn’t stay on and this stuff wouldn’t come off. Formulation scientists should talk more.
Greek voices were coming from the recreation room, so she didn’t barge in. It was Alexi. He was alone, and he had his cellphone on speaker. He was talking with his dad.
She should let him know she was there or stop listening. She couldn’t make herself do either, not after what Alexi had said last night. What was his dad saying to him?
His dad’s deep voice came from the phone. “An artist. I never saw that coming. An American. Don’t you go messing about. Keep your head straight, you’re needed at home. I won’t have both my sons gone.” That was followed with a spew of Greek she couldn’t understand.
Alexi had his back to her, but she could read the tension in his shoulders. “I’m not obsessive, I’m not in anyone’s thrall, and I will not be controlled.” He hung up on his father and left the room.
Mia waited a respectable amount of time and went downstairs. Knowing Alexi, he’d be in the breakfast room, so that’s where she went. He was there. Hope and Niko were there too.
Alexi sat slumped in his usual chair with no signs of his usual straight posture. He grabbed the carafe of apple juice and stared at her in the doorway. “Niko, you really aren’t going to let Mia out of the house in what she’s wearing, are you? Aren’t you supposed to protect her?”
He was not taking out his pissy mood on her. She wasn’t having it.
Niko looked up from his paperwork.
At his expression, she groaned.
“No,” Niko said. “You can’t wear that.”
Niko was worse than Dad. The top was not even that low. He’d said nothing last time she wore it. It must be the addition of the water bra; those things were well worth their weight. She grabbed an apple from the side table and a sweater from her backpack. She held it up.
“Niko, it’s still too hot for a sweater,” Hope said. It wasn’t a problem. She’d do what all her friends did, change when they were out of sight of the parents or, in her case, slip off the sweater. Gotta pick your battles. “See y’all tonight.” She went to Alexi and nudged him with the apple. “Ready?”
He rose without saying anything. He went out to the car in the same silent sulk. And when they got in, he stared out the passenger window and paid no attention to her.
She didn’t like it. She’d become rather spoiled by his attention and missed it. And she wanted to shake him out of the mood. He needed a distraction. She slipped off her sweater and adjusted the hem of her cheer top. “This top isn’t even that bad. And if Niko’s like this with me, I can’t imagine how he’ll be with his own kids.”
He stiffened.
How odd. She needed to stop hypothesizing about being an aunt. It was a fun pastime for her, but clearly she was making Alexi worry. He shouldn’t worry so much. Hope would be a great mom. Well, a great mom if one didn’t mind having paint smears on his baby and a ridiculous number of portraits. “Can you imagine Hope trying to get the baby to hold still for a pose?” She chuckled. She could hear Hope now, lecturing her baby about the importance of continuity. Mia was going to love the wiggly little beast.
Alexi’s smile was small, but it was a smile.
His smiles. Oooh. “Lucky kid, he’ll probably get to visit Greece with you guys.”
