Lies, lies and more lies: that’s what I have had to resort to in order to avoid Dean. He does remind me of my ex, but I’m well over that cheating bastard. I’ve already made the mistake of having sex with his “brothers” as he likes to call them. I won’t try and seduce him, too. Staying away from him isn’t easy. He’s a tall, hunky stud that reeks of masculinity. The short ride to the resort he takes me to gives me a sense of freedom I haven’t experienced in quite some time. I was holding on to his firm hips, the wind blowing into my face as his hair whipped against my cheeks. At the same time, taking in his manly scent was giving me all sorts of dirty thoughts. Yet, I had to put them aside, otherwise I would have been in far bigger trouble than I already was.

Dean drops me off at my hotel and mumbles a “goodnight,” He doesn’t wait for me to speak. Instead, he turns his Harley around and rides off. No surprises there. I’ve flat-out rejected him. Why should he linger any longer? So that he can hear my excuses? He didn’t want to do that back at the bar. As I watch his bike fade into the darkness however, it dawns on me that I have to deal with even bigger problems. After I told Emily and Karlie about the events of last night, they finally acted like true friends. They hugged me, comforted me, and were very impressed with Dean. I was too upset to tell them anything about his connection to Michael and Ray. Now, however, I have to. Why? Because they loved when I told them that Dean had asked me out on a date. In their opinion, he was well worth it. Emily had even wished me “good humping.” I can only hope that she won’t start judging me again. My pulse is rising as I near the door to our suite. Unlocking it, I find them both in the kitchen to the right, laughing out loud. Still, when our eyes meet across the room, Emily’s smile freezes.

“This can’t be good,” she remarks, glancing up at the clock on the wall over her shoulder. It read 10:15. “Let me guess: another quickie?”

“No,” I sigh, making my way towards the balcony. “Guys, I need some air. Follow me outside, will you?”

I stop my gaze at the surf and put my hands on the railing, wishing I was paying more attention to Ray when he introduced himself to me. A simple question about whom he was here with would have prevented me from going out on a date with him.

“You must have a good reason for coming back from your date so quickly,” Karlie presumes, stepping beside me.

“I do,” I admit with a nod. “You’re not going to believe this, but…” I draw in a sharp breath. “They all know each other. Michael, Ray, and Dean are friends. They’re here on vacation together. And, judging by what Dean said to me earlier, they’re very tight.”

“What?!” squeals Emily, her eyes widening with shock, whereas Karlie lifts her hands up to her temples. “Are you sure?”

“I’m positive,” I heave a long sigh of frustration, tossing a glance over at her. “I couldn’t do anything with Dean knowing all this.”

“When did you find out?” Karlie asks me, her voice wobblier than usual.

“Last night, right after Dean had knocked out that prick that had been chasing me,” I tell them, the image of him looking at the screen of his cell phone flashing back into my mind. “He got a call from someone named ‘Michael.’ Michael mentioned Ray’s and Dean’s names on the night we met.”

“My God, what a mess…” whispers Karlie, averting her gaze from me to look down at the water.

“I know it’s not much consolation, but you did the right thing tonight,” Emily comments, placing her hand on my shoulder.

“Well, that doesn’t make me feel any better,” I whisper, tears beginning to blur my vision. “God, what have I done…?” I sigh once more, hanging my head in shame. “What if I run into them? I can’t even imagine what they’re going to say to me.”

“Don’t think like that, honey,” Karlie advises, snaking her arm around my neck. “You couldn’t have known.”

“No, do think like that,” Emily counters, lowering her tone. “You’ve been lucky you haven’t bumped into them yet, but we need to make sure it doesn’t happen.”

“That’s right,” Karlie agrees. “I’m going to start looking for hotels right now.”

“Please, don’t do that yet,” I request, raising my head to face her, a tear toppling over the edge of my eye. “Do we have any alcohol?”

“I bought a couple of bottles of champagne yesterday,” Emily replies, rubbing my shoulder, “you know, to celebrate Karlie’s arrival.”

“Go get it,” Karlie urges, removing her arm from my body. “Don’t worry, dear. It’s all going to be all right. Come,” she suggests, strolling towards the table on her right. “If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to know more about those three.”

“Why?” I give a snort of frustration. “It’s not like I’m going to see them again.”

“Because; two of them had my good friend acting out of character, and the third got very close.” Her short explanation convinces me in a heartbeat. I sit beside her as Emily joins us again on the balcony, holding a bucket with champagne on ice and three, tall glasses. “What’s so special about them? What got you so excited that you couldn’t keep your hands off of them?”

“They all look fantastic, but it’s my dry spell that threw me into their arms,” I claim, maintaining a low tone of voice. “I haven’t been with a man since Johnnie, remember?”

“I haven’t been with anyone in seven months, but you don’t see me chasing guys, do you?” Karlie rebuts as our friend pours champagne into the glasses. “Come on. There must be more to them than just looks.”

“And it’s not like you didn’t have any opportunities before they showed up,” Emily says, speaking her mind, and handing a glass over to me. “Two locals flirted with her. They looked pretty good if you ask me. And I liked their accent, too.”

“Well, Michael is very romantic,” I start, recalling his melodic voice once again. “I was taking a night swim, when I heard him playing the guitar. We were kissing in minutes. I met Ray at the harbor. Em was with me; she even came up with a handle for him. She called him a ‘puppy.’”

“Actually, now that I think about it, ‘beaten dog’ would be more appropriate,” Emily states. “The guy was in serious pain.”

“I got to change all that when we went out, and I mean fast,” I continue, my tone becoming more emphatic. “He seemed to relax, like being with me helped him take his mind off his problems. Plus, he must be the most laid back guy I’ve ever met.”

“There you go,” Karlie smiles. “That wasn’t very hard, was it? Here’s to a wonderful vacation,” She proposes a toast. Glasses clink under the starry sky, and my guilt is starting to vaporize. I agree with her earlier statement. Had I known about those three, I would have stuck with Michael. I wouldn’t even consider coming between them.

“Boy, I’ve got to tell you…” Emily giggles, wetting her lips. “When we saw Dean, I thought ‘Ms. Horny’ here would devour him tonight. I know I would. Strong jaw? Check. Sexy beard? Check. Long arms? Check. And did you see the guy’s chest? It’s broad enough to fit two Emily’s, not just one.”

Champagne shoots out of my nose at the end of her last sentence.

“Thanks, Em,” I chuckle, wiping the bubbly off my chin. “I needed that.”

“Girls, I could use some advice on locations,” Karlie requests, glancing at me first and then Emily. “Is there any particular place you wish to go?”

“As far away from here as possible,” I assume a serious tone. “The best beaches are out to the west, so, I suggest Chania or even further.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Karlie salutes me, flashing me a warm look. She’s a godsend. Not only is she not judging me, but also her cool approach doesn’t allow me to panic. Most importantly, it appears to affect Emily as well. It’s been a while since I broke the news to them, and she’s being supportive. At last, she remembers what it’s like to be a friend, not a judge. Now, I can’t wait to get out of here and go somewhere that I don’t have to hide.