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Chapter Thirty
The barbecue was held on Corinne’s sprawling property about twenty kilometers outside the city. Sophia arrived just as the others were setting up the tables in the garden. Many people milled around in groups, catching up with friends, while an even bigger cluster of kids played in the olive grove with the dogs. Bird sounds echoed through the air letting everyone know theirfeathered-friendswere upset with the unusual disturbance.
It was a lovely family scene that at any other time Sophia would enjoy, but the undercurrents were too crucial for her to really relax. First, she was greeted by Corinne, who tried picking her brain about Sam.
“Tell me more about thehunksteryou were with when I ran into you on Wednesday. What a specimen of malehunkiness!”
“Hunkster,hunkiness? What are you, a teenager? You’re a married woman, my friend. For shame. What would your Eric say if he heard you rhapsodize about some guy in the marketplace?”
“He wasn’t just some guy, Sophia. And you know it. You had smitten plastered all over your face.”
“Plastered, yes. Because of him? I beg to differ. I was ahh… smitten by the ouzo.”
Laughing, enjoying the repartee, Corinne pushed, “Sure, sure. You can fool yourself, but I saw the look on his face, and my name isn’t Genius if he hasn’t contacted you again by now.” She laughed when Sophia couldn’t hide the truth from her expression. A little humored, somewhat floored, but a whole lot pissed, she grudgingly admitted, “So what? He’s an American military guy on leave. We spent some time together. No biggie!”
Before Corinne had a chance to tease her more, Ellie, Barney and the kids arrived in bulk. The noise level ascended shockingly when all four little females saw Sophia. Giggling screeches highlighted their excitement. They tried getting to her, but their spoiled family charmer, little Bruce, hit her open arms first, and then it was a free for all.
It was almost an hour before she broke loose from the kids, but not before she made them introduce her to the twins who were quietly standing on the outskirts of the gang involved in a fun game of soccer.
“Jack, don’t you want to play ball with the other boys? They’ll let you if you want.” She felt sorry for the small five-year-old who lookeddejected.
Before Jack could answer, another boy stepped out of the game and broke into their conversation. “Baby’s scared to get hurt. He never wants to do nothing.”
This kid had an attitude of insolence that annoyed Sophia, so she turned with a straight face and a warning tone, “It’s not nice to call someone names.”
“I can. He’s my brother… my half-brother, and he’s a baby.”
“How old are you?”
“I’m nine.” The skinny braggart stuck out his chest, and his disrespectful tone had her bile rising. Little shit!
Then she pointed at Jack and asked, “And how old is he?”
His twin sister, Casey, stepped forward and yelled, “He’s only five. Like me. I’m five, and those kids are mean. They play rough, and we don’t want to play with them anyway.”
Sophia saw that Barney’s bunch had come to see what all the hoopla was about. She caught Bruce’s eye and waved him over. “Here’s a little gentlemanyou’reage who will play with you. Him and his sisters like to play tag, so maybe it’s best if you go with them.” She watched as Jack and Casey ran away happily with Barney’s gang and turned to see a sneering grin on the rougher kid’s face.
She had to ask, “Who’s your papa?”
A man stepped into view just then. “I am. Go play, Alexandro.” Manos Savas held out his hand while his handsome face broke into a smile that would normally have attracted. But knowing what she did about the creep, it just made her wish there were wide steel bars in front of his overly large white smile.
“I’m Manos Savas. Alexandro is my oldest son. Also, the twins you were so kind to, Jack and Casey, are my children. I’ve brought them to Rodos to live with me after their mama left us.”
You prick!That’s the story you’re telling everyone so you can gain sympathy and get accepted?
Deciding to play along, Sophia accepted his handshake and added, “She must be a fool.”
Once they’d introduced themselves, Manos followed her around like a hound dog for the rest of the day. Every time she looked at the tall, dark-haired man with his coiffured waves that must take time every morning to arrange just so, and the insolent swagger that showed his self-love, she’d swallow her distaste. Knowing what she knew about him, she had a hard time not shoving his overly large smiling whitegleamersdown his throat.
All the while she visited with her Yaya’s older friends and caught up with Ellie and the cousins, he wouldn’t leave her side. When Barney reminded her of the dinner party the next night, Manos lit up and said he’d had some friends show up in Rhodes, staying at Barney’s place, and had thought to cancel, but now nothing would force him to miss an evening in her company.
“I’ll look forward to it then.” She smiled her fakest smile and grinned when Barney made a gagging face only she could see.
Corinne broke into their conversation saying they were ready for the shooting contest and most of the guests headed in the direction she pointed. Theywent toward the back where the property overlooked the gorgeous distant views of the old town, and then the ocean behind. This is where they’d set up a few activities for their guests, but the one that garnered the most attention was the shooting contest that Sophia would normally have entered.
Not wanting to stay longer than necessary, she decided not to take the first prize away from the second-best marksman in her family, Barney. Seeing as how most of the guests were over at the shooting grounds, she decided to make her goodbyes to the elders on the porch when Ellie approached with a serious look on her pretty face. A look that meant business.
“Barney sent me to get you.”
