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ChapterTwenty-Seven
On Sunday, the students and staff were given the opportunity to spend their free day on a six-hour tour of the Akamas Peninsula. Olivia declined since she wanted to visit Sofia, who’d just arrived in Cyprus. She’d invited Olivia to join her at the Aphrodite Gardens Resort and told her to bring “Mr. Hottie,” along with anyone else who wanted to come. Since Grant was on the tour with the students, Rick had no trouble snagging one of the rental cars. Stuart, Dusty, and TJ joined them. The resort was a ten-minute drive up the coastal road, then another mile inland.
As they passed through the security gate, TJ let out his breath. “Holy shit. Your sister must be loaded.”
Stuart gaped as they drove by a gigantic pool. “No kidding. This place is wicked.”
“Sofia isn’t paying for it,” Olivia said. “It’s part of a deal she made with the tour company. She’ll be promoting the resort on all her social media platforms.”
“Must be nice,” Dusty said. “I wish my life were that easy.”
Thanks to the image Sofia presented, everyone thought she glided through life with little effort. Olivia was one of the few people who knew how relentlessly her little sister hustled. She pursued every angle, reached out to sponsors, created nonstop content, and worked her charm whenever possible.
Aphrodite Gardens was the size of a small town, with winding streets, sumptuous villas, huge swimming pools, a golf course, and a faux-village square with shops and restaurants. Sofia’s rental unit was located inside a three-story building made of cream-colored stone with spacious balconies. Potted plants and bougainvillea livened up the front of the property. Behind the villa was a large pool shared by the complex.
When they went up to Sofia’s apartment on the second floor, she greeted them at the door, engulfing Olivia in a giant hug. “Liv! It’s been too long!”
Olivia hugged her tightly. Though she rarely went a week without talking to her sister, seeing her in person kindled a rush of euphoria.
After Sofia finally released her, Olivia introduced the others. “You already met Rick on FaceTime. These are my fellow archaeologists—Dusty, Stu, and TJ.”
“Nice to meet you! And so nice to see you in person, Mr. Hottie.”
Dusty raised her eyebrows at Rick. “Did she just call you Mr. Hottie?”
He flashed her a shit-eating grin. “Suits me, doesn’t it?”
Olivia cringed. “Sofia, remember what I said about Rick’s nickname?”
Her sister beckoned them inside. “Sorry. I’ll behave. At least Mr. Grumptastic isn’t here to ruin the party. I hope you brought your suits because the water’s perfect. We can hit the pool first and eat after. I’ve got beer, wine, and hard seltzer, and I ordered appetizers from the taverna in the village square.”
“Thanks,” Olivia said. “This is great.”
Sofia squeezed her arm. “Anything for my big sis. We have to take some pics together for the fam. When I called Mom last night, she was so jealous she couldn’t be here.”
Olivia followed the others inside. The apartment was light and open, with floor-to-ceiling windows that looked onto the golf course. A blast of air-conditioning made goose bumps rise on her arms. She’d been living without central air for so long it felt unnaturally chilly. Though the kitchen was small, she caught sight of a Nespresso on the counter and a compact washing machine tucked into one corner. She was more envious of the coffee maker than anything else in the apartment. Except the washing machine. For weeks, she’d been washing her clothes by hand in a pottery bucket.
Once they got down to the pool, Olivia dove in right away, relishing the feel of cool water on her skin. Sofia grabbed a couple of bright pink pool floats and tossed her one. They drifted across the water together, catching up on family gossip while the others engaged in a fierce game of volleyball. Whenever Olivia got too warm, she slipped off her float and dunked herself in the water again.
Cocooned in her state of sun-warmed bliss, she had no sense of time passing until her sister’s phone buzzed. Sofia hopped out of the pool and grabbed it from a chaise lounge. “The food’s here. I’ll go get it. You all can stay in a while longer.”
Olivia paddled her float to the edge of the pool. “I’ll come help you.”
After changing in Sofia’s bedroom—and drooling over the enormous king bed—Olivia met her sister in the kitchen. Sofia was opening containers of appetizers and setting them on colorful ceramic platters. The savory smells made Olivia’s mouth water.
“There’s wine in the fridge if you want to get started,” Sofia said. “Glasses are in the right-hand cupboard.”
“Perfect.” Olivia opened a bottle of rosé and poured them each a glass. Crisp and delicious, tasting slightly of raspberries, the first sip made her sigh in contentment. “This is unbelievable. I’d give anything to stay in a place like this.”
“No, you wouldn’t. You’re perfectly happy right where you are.”
“Seriously? You know I’m not the outdoorsy type.” Olivia grabbed a green olive and ate it in one bite. The sour taste made her mouth pucker.
“You used to be. Remember? When we went on those camping trips with our cousins, you always got so into it, with your star charts and hiking maps.”
Olivia thought for a minute, recalling how she’d pore over the maps to find the best hiking trails. Even back then, she’d been a sucker for maps. “I forgot about that. I guess I changed after I messed up at Clear Lake.”
“But now you’ve fully embraced it?”
