The following night finds Emily and me at the airport, eagerly anticipating our friend’s arrival. Karlie may not be the most fun person in the world, but we had been planning this trip together with her, and her initial inability to join us had hurt both Emily and me. I knew I would miss her witty remarks the moment I set foot in Crete, but that is not the only reason why I wanted her on this vacation. Karlie broke up with her fiancé, Tom, back in January. They had been together since long before Emily and I met her. She is still hung up on him, and I don’t expect her to get over him anytime soon. Amazingly enough she still believes that he will walk through her door, and ask her for a second chance. I’d like to help her put the past behind her, and what is better than having some good, old-fashioned fun? Hopefully, that fun won’t be limited to girls’ nights out. The poor thing is going through a dry spell that’s almost as bad as mine was. I’m pretty sure she won’t appreciate what I’ve been doing. In any case, I’m going to be honest with her, and hope she realizes that clinging to a long-gone fiancée is bad for her.

“There she is!” Emily says, pointing at Karlie in the bustling terminal. “Red!” she shouts, waving her arms in the air as an elderly couple passes by us. Our friend emerges from behind a tall, skinny man, but her usual, serious expression is even stiffer. Her eyes are only half open, and her long, red hair is neatly gathered in a ponytail. With her brown suitcase in her hand, she strides out of the terminal, her gaze settled on Emily.

“I have a name, you know,” she complains, her tone strict.

“It’s great to see you again, too, Ms. Grumpy,” Emily cheers, wrapping her arms around Karlie’s back.

“Whatever,” Karlie mutters as we exchange a cordial hug.

“Sweetheart, what’s the matter?” I ask, easing back out of her hold. “You look like you’ve been through hell.”

“I have, sort of,” she protests, her eyes widening. “The flight was horrendous. We were caught in a thunderstorm over the Atlantic. The pilots said it would be bumpy for ten to fifteen minutes, but it lasted more than an hour. People were throwing up everywhere.”

“Let’s go, ladies,” Emily suggests, snatching Karlie’s suitcase out from her grasp. “We can talk about it in the car.”

“I don’t wish to discuss the flight from Satan’s abode, Emily,” Karlie states as the entrance doors slide open sideways. “I would like to hear about your vacation. How’s it been so far? Do you like it here?”

“Oh, yeah,” Emily gives a quick chuckle, glancing up at me over her shoulder. “We both love it here, especially blondie over there.”

“Stacy, what does she mean?” Karlie asks as our mutual friend pops open the trunk of her blue Honda.

“Please, get in the car, honey,” I request, my gaze following Emily. I pull the passenger door open, anger beginning to fester in my heart.

Jesus Christ, Em. Karlie just got off the plane. Give her a chance to catch her breath for crying out loud.

“Crete is wonderful,” I declare, belting myself in. “The locals are friendly; most of them can speak decent English. There are tons of things to try, too.”

“And plenty of guys to do,” Emily says, entering her car.

“I’m not surprised,” Karlie responds as I toss a fierce glare over at our friend. “Crete is massive. It’s why we chose it in the first place. Have you visited any museums yet?”

“I went to Knossos yesterday,” Emily replies, driving off. “Our girl here was preoccupied with other si…”

“Okay, knock it off,” I grumble. “I’ve met a couple of men and seduced them,” I announce, turning my head to face Karlie. “You can judge me all you like, but the way I see it, I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Two men in a week?” Karlie poses a question, her brows shooting up.

“That’s right,” I confirm with a nod. “Is that so bad? Look, I’m on vacation for God’s sake. What should I do? Sunbathe all day?”

“Girl, no one’s calling you a slut or anything,” Emily makes her voice sound sweeter. “It’s just that you could have done this a lot differently. You didn’t sleep with them per se. You just fucked them and took off.”

“Language!” Karlie cries, slapping Emily’s headrest.

“She’s right about that,” I agree. “It happened quite fast in both cases.”

“Your personal life is your own, Stacy,” Karlie utters, keeping her tone mellow. “No one can tell you what to do. It’s your business, not ours.”

“Why do I feel a ‘but’ coming?” I wonder out loud, my voice coming out slower and more drawn out than usual.

“Because there is,” Karlie’s words confirm my suspicion. “I’m assuming you haven’t been spending much time with Emily, am I correct?”

“Yeah, we’ve only been out twice,” Emily says, glancing up in the rearview mirror. “She even stood me up the second time because she was having sex.”

“Well, there you have it,” Karlie shrugs her shoulders, leaning her back against the backseat. “You can have all the fun you like with men, but don’t neglect your friends. I certainly hope you don’t neglect me, now that I’m here.”

“I won’t,” I assure her, offering a small smile in her direction. “So, what’s new with you? Did anything happen back home since we left?”

“If you’re referring to Tom, then no,” she says, suddenly speaking a little too fast, as is the case every time we discuss her issue with her ex fiancée. “No phone calls, no messages, no e-mails, nothing.”

“Get a good night’s sleep,” I suggest, winking at her. “We’re going clubbing tomorrow night. I need you to look your best.”

“Don’t you mean ‘hunting’?” Emily asks, averting her gaze from the road to look at me.

“No,” I retort, keeping my eyes on Karlie. “It’s going to be a girls’ night out. No men allowed.”

“I’m finding that a little hard to believe,” My anger comes back with a vengeance upon Emily’s insistence. I keep my mouth shut, tearing my gaze away from Karlie as we drive back into Ammoudara.

“Pull over,” I growl, wrapping my fingers around the door handle.

“Stacy…”

“I said ‘pull over,’ damn it!” I shout, unable to keep my voice down anymore. “I’ve had enough of this crap.”

Emily steps hard on the brakes, causing the tires to screech as she brings her car to an abrupt halt. I push the passenger door open, looking away from her. I slam it shut, tears welling up in my eyes. One of my two, closest friends has clearly forgotten what being a friend means. I need her to be supportive, but instead of that, she’s being a judgmental, self-righteous bitch who won’t stop criticizing me. Okay, I have been bold lately, but like Karlie said, this is my life, and I’m going to live it as I damn well please.

Minutes afterwards, I stumble upon a sign that says “Beach,” I don’t think twice. Roaming around the streets of this scenic little town crying my eyes out is much too embarrassing. At least the empty beach is going to provide some privacy. I start down the narrow road in front of me, in the hope that sooner or later, Emily will call me and apologize.

A gentle breeze brings the scent of salt back to my nostrils. In a matter of seconds, my shoes start to sink into the sand. With my gaze roaming over the calm water, I am wishing that either Michael or Ray could be here with me. This time, I wouldn’t attempt to seduce either one. I don’t need a lover. I need someone to listen to me; someone to hold me while I cry. I have no idea which one of them is a good listener, maybe neither of them is, but that’s not the point. I’m dying to share this burden with someone. Of course, I wouldn’t tell them the exact reasons behind my sorrow. Doing so would cause another argument and more tears. I just need a hug, a kiss on the cheek and a lot of silence.

Gazing out over the calm water, I cross my arms across my chest. The sheer length of the beach is perfect for what I have in mind. I don’t have to go to the city or anywhere else to take a long, slow walk. With more than two miles at my disposal, I can stay right here. Soon enough, I spot red and blue sun chairs under beach umbrellas, placed next to one another. For some reason I can’t fathom, Michael’s beautiful, melodic voice fills my ears. And, before I know it, the image of him holding his guitar springs to life on one of the chairs to my left. In a mere instant, Ray is sitting beside him, staring into the void, looking exactly as he did on the night we met. I stare at them, tears rolling off my face. Yet, there is a major difference: neither of them is paying any attention to me.

All right, what is this? My own mind is playing games with me? Why am I…?

Two, unexpected sounds prevent me from completing my thought: the rustle of jeans, and heavy footsteps on the sand. I whip my head around, only to discover a stocky man closing the distance between him and me. The sinister smile on his face sends waves of terror into my heart.

“Hey, beautiful,” ke speaks in a heavy, Greek accent. “What are you doing out here alone?”

I don’t respond to him. I start forward without looking back at him. Strolling on the beach was a bad idea. I need to get back to the main road – fast. I quicken my pace, but as I do I realize that both of those unwanted sounds are getting louder. Shivers of fear slice through me, the moment I see the stranger’s large shadow on the sand. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I catch another, much taller men stepping out of a bar to the left. He’s decked out in black leather, and he’s looking in my direction.

“Help!” I scream at the top of my lungs, lengthening my strides. I don’t take my eyes off of him. And, much to my satisfaction, my call doesn’t go unnoticed. He bursts into a run toward me, his large boots picking up grains of sand as he sprints across the beach. I whirl my head around, my heart thumping against my chest. My stalker is less than ten feet away and gaining on me. The evil smile he had on earlier has disappeared altogether. The tension on his face and his gritting teeth spur me on. By now, shot after shot of adrenaline is rushing through my veins. The man in leather lunges towards my stalker, knocking him off his feet. A grunt leaves the stalker’s mouth when his body tumbles down to the ground. Grabbing the troublemaker by the throat, the biker jerks his arm back. He rotates it in midair and lands a tremendous blow to the stalker’s jaw. Another jab in the eye forces a groan of agony from him. I’m still breathing in gasps, watching my savior pound on this jerk over and over again. Uppercuts and hooks stun my aspiring assailant. He doesn’t even have the strength to raise his arms and protect himself. Blood is dripping down both of his cheeks. The guy in leather punches him one last time in the middle of his face, his chest heaving.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” he asks, loosening his grip around his victim’s throat.

“No,” I shake my head sideways, swallowing hard. “Th-Th…” I stutter. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” he pants, raising up to his imposing, 6’4” stature. “Don’t walk around alone, alright? Take care.”

“Wait!” I shout, leaning over towards him. “What’s your name?”

“Dean,” he croaks, wiping tiny drops of sweat from his brow.

“Can I buy you a drink?” I ask him, my heartbeat slowing.

“Sorry, girl; I can’t tonight. My friends are waiting for me in the bar across the street,” Dean replies, throwing a quick glance left.

“Bring them, too,” I insist, a big smile spreading across my face. “Come on. I’d really love to buy my savior and his friends a drink.”

He parts his lips getting ready for a rebuttal, but before he can address me again his cell phone buzzes with an incoming call. Pulling it out of his jacket, he lets out a sigh of frustration.

“Damn it, Michael…”

Those three little words hit me like a wrecking ball as I recall Michael’s short statement:

“Ray just likes to drink on occasion. Dean doesn’t drink much, either.”

Massive shockwaves course through my system. I feel like I’ve been stabbed in the back and I’m still recovering. I stare up at the biker who had just saved me, my face twisting in an expression half disbelief, half guilt. I can’t force another word out of my throat. It’s as if some magical creature has stolen my ability to speak. What are the odds? How is this even possible? I can’t answer either of these questions. All I can do is walk away from him, and pray to God that his friends never find out that a blonde from Miami has seduced them both.

“Are you still with me over there?” Dean waves his large hand in front of my face, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah,” I breathe, shifting my gaze away from him. “Look, thanks a lot for saving my skin. Have a good night.”

“Just like that?” he wonders, the skin on his face falling with surprise. “I mean, a minute ago, you wanted to buy me a drink. And you still haven’t given me your name.”

“I just remembered I have to meet someone in the city.” Tension fills my voice more and more by the second. “Thanks again. Take care.”

Finishing my blatant lie, I turn around and rush off along the beach, my insane heartbeat escalating even further. By no means do I wish for him to say anything more or follow me. And, to my relief, I no longer hear his footsteps or his voice behind me. If sorrow had been dominating my emotions up until I walked onto the sand, more dreadful emotions are now gnawing away at me. Regret and guilt pour into my heart, tearing it into little pieces, while images of my sexual encounters with Michael and Ray flash before my eyes.