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“I just moved to Bayview Village, but Ruby has lived in Milltown all her life.”
The hostess turned to Ruby. “I have friends in Milltown. You know Elisavet? She owns Shop the Parthenon.”
“I do,” Ruby smiled, answering in Greek. “Her store is next to mine.”
“Bravo! What is your store?”
“Spuds.”
“Ah, yes. Sorry about your grandfather, koritzi mou. A good man. How is your grandmother?”
And so it went, the way it always did. Both comforting and exasperating, there was no anonymity in the Greek community. Everyone was family. Or mortal enemies. I wondered if our shared heritage would help me this time as it had in our beginning.
Finally, the hostess led us to a table then brought shot glasses of ouzo. “To Pappou,” she said seriously and knocked back a shot of ouzo.
We lifted our glasses. “To Pappou.”
Ruby choked, and the hostess smacked her back sharply. Ruby’s eyes watered as she sputtered and choked and laughed.
The hostess went on smacking Ruby’s back as if nothing was amiss. “What you want? Meze? More Ouzo?”
“Can you give us a minute with the menu? Ruby will take a water for now and then we’ll order.”
“Kala.” She nodded and left.
Ruby swiped two fingers under her eyes to sweep away the tears. “Oh my gosh, Vander! Freaking Greek people!” She chortled.
My smile stretched my cheeks. I hadn’t felt this happy in years. “It never gets old, Ruby-mine.”
“I love our people, I do, but I need a chiropractor now!”
I laughed out loud and grabbed the menu. “Meze? Or dessert?”
Her dark eyes twinkled. “Both!”
We ordered, and the music picked up again. I nursed an ouzo with ice and ordered Ruby the same. The bouzouki band enthusiastically played all the old favourites. By the time Ruby was halfway through her third ouzo, it was obvious it was time to cut her off.
“Oh, Vander! I haven’t had fun like this in years! Remember karaoke?” She leaned towards me and popped an olive into my mouth. “Eat, poulaki mou.” Her inner Greek woman was emerging. I couldn’t say I minded her feeding me.
“How could I forget, Ruby-mine?”
Her eyes twinkled. “You really are a terrible singer.”
I grinned. She picked up the last dolmadakia and bit it in half. She chewed slowly. “Mmm, this is so good.”
She looked at the remaining half in her fingers and then looked at my mouth. A fire lit in my gut, but I grinned. I couldn’t help it. She never could hide her feelings.
She leaned forward, her face mere inches from mine. “Let this be a testament to the depth of my love for you.” She popped the remaining half into my mouth but didn’t back away.
I chewed slowly, my eyes on hers as she watched my mouth. I licked the juice from my bottom lip. Her eyes went half mast and her sweet lips parted.
“Ruby,” I growled.
“Yes,” she breathed, still not retreating.
I leaned in, pressed my mouth to the outside corner of hers, and held it there. She inhaled deeply, pressing her face closer to mine as she exhaled. “I love you too much, Vander.”
My heart picked up its pace. The jolt of desire made me want to claim her. I dragged my lips to her cheek, grasped her around the back of her neck and pressed her forehead to my shoulder. I nuzzled the side of her face and softly, reverently, kissed the shell of her ear. “I love you, too, Ruby-mine.”
