“Falasarna.”

I have been trying to pronounce this word since yesterday afternoon, and I still haven’t been able to do it. Locating it on the map is a lot easier. It’s the westernmost tip of the island, more than a hundred-and-twenty miles away from Heraklion. However, as our car rolls down the twisty road at dusk, I realize that we were in for a huge surprise. One of the two beaches is just massive, even longer than the one in Ammoudara. The other is a sight for sore eyes. Turquoise waters stretch out on the horizon, making my eyes go wide with amazement. It is as if someone has stolen a gigantic patch of the Caribbean shoreline, and brought it to this remote spot of Crete.

Our hotel isn’t anything fancy, but our accommodations are the last thing I’m worried about at the moment. I am far away from Michael, Ray, and Dean. I’m more than a hundred miles away from trouble and embarrassment, surrounded by crystal-clear waters. For the first time in almost ten days, I am the carefree person that set out with Emily from Miami. I can’t put a price on that feeling.

The morning finds Emily, Karlie, and me basking in the sun after our first swim on the turquoise beach. A mild breeze is blowing through the wicker umbrellas, bringing a feeling of relaxation into my heart. And I was in dire need of that relaxation. Regardless of my encounter with Dean, the past few days have been much too stressful.

“I’m officially the most relaxed person in Crete,” I say, my eyes shut, my voice coming out lazier than usual.

“I don’t know about ‘relaxed,’ but you must be the luckiest,” Emily voices her opinion. “I mean, doing it with three studs who know each other and getting away with it? You should buy some lottery tickets when we get home.”

I heave a sigh of disappointment. “Did they have to? Don’t get me wrong, I agree with you, I did get lucky, but I wish I didn’t have to ditch them like that.”

“You sound like you miss them,” Karlie remarks, lowering her sunglasses to look over at me.

“I miss the sex I had with them,” I confess, recalling the lust in Michael, Ray, and Dean’s eyes. “Frankly? I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t miss that kind of passion.”

“Save the descriptions, girl,” Emily requests. “The B.H.T. is coming.”

“The B.H.T.?” squiniting, I turn my head to the right to face her.

“The Brick House Trio,” she explains, her gaze settling on something beyond and to the left of my sun chair, her hand over her eyes to shield them from the glare of the sun. “Damn, I’m so jealous. Look at them; they’re huge.”

“They?” questioning, I hear my voice rising, riddled with panic and fear as I whirl my head left. Sadly for me, Emily is not kidding. Michael, Ray, and Dean are alongside each other, strolling through the umbrellas, sending my heart into a flurry of wild beats. There’s nothing I want more than to disappear off the face of the earth. I have no idea how, but they’ve found me. Waves of cold sweat are pouring off me, paralyzing my limbs. My initial thought is to jump up and make a run for the water. It’s more than twenty yards away from the umbrellas and the majority of the people. Still, when Michael’s eyes land on me, I realize that I can’t go anywhere. Tearing my gaze away from them, I sit up. I bring my legs to my chest and wrap my arms around my knees. The few seconds it takes them to reach me feel like an eternity.

“Oh, my God…” I whisper, tucking my head between my knees.

“Good morning,” Michael’s gentle voice fills my ears, causing my heart to skip a beat.

“Girls, can we have some privacy?” Ray requests, his calm tone not surprising me. “We’d like to talk to your friend here.”

“Fine,” Emily gives a reluctant nod. “But, just a ‘heads up’; I don’t care how big you are. If you try to hurt her in any way, I’m going to pounce on you like a lion on a gazelle.”

The time it takes her and Karlie to walk off to the sea adds to my torment. The sound of their footsteps on the sand is fading, when I hear Ray’s voice once more.

“Stacy, look at me, will you? I like your hair, but I can’t have a conversation with it,” he utters, a hint of annoyance in his tone.

“Guys, you have every right to be mad at me,” I finally part my lips, my own voice weak. “There are a few more private places around the beach where you can yell at me. Can we please, please go to one of them?”

“I’m not going to ask nicely again,” he says, using a much stiffer tone.

“Okay,” I swallow hard, raising my gaze up to meet his as I move my legs apart. The three of them are standing just inches away from the sun chair, blocking my view of the sea. “Lay it on me.”

“First of all, you’ve done nothing to be ashamed of,” Ray assures me, his voice becoming mellower. “People do all sorts of things, while on vacation, that they wouldn’t normally do back home.”

“Nothing?” I gasp out, my mouth falling open in utter disbelief.

“That’s right,” he insists, sitting down on the sun chair, his side turned to me.

“Wait a minute,” I speak too fast, shaking my head sideways. “How did you even find me?”

“Actually…” Ray snorts in amusement. “That was a lot easier than we expected. Dean knew where you had been staying. We went to your old hotel, looking for you. The receptionist couldn’t say where you went exactly, but she overheard one of your friends talking about Falasarna.”

“I’m confused,” I sigh, stealing a glance up at Michael and Dean. “You guys drove all the way here from Heraklion to tell me we’re good?”

“No,” he firmly replies, tightening his jaw. “Do you remember the night we met?”

“Yeah,” I affirm. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“It’s got everything to do with what I’m about to say,” Ray answeres, leaning closer to me. “I looked like hell because of a woman. That woman is my ex. I, um…” he pauses. “I ran into her at a beach down south.”

“Excuse me?” My surprise sends my voice two octaves up, my mouth staying partially open.

“It’s true,” he assures me, pressing his lips together. “So I need a favor.”

“What favor?” I wonder, my heart beating faster and faster.

“She wants to get back together, and she won’t get off my back,” Ray mutters, his voice fading. “Seeing me with someone else might do the trick. I’m going back south tomorrow night. The place is called ‘Plateia Per, Per…”

“Peramata,” Michael saves him the trouble of having to pronounce the word.

“Right,” Ray gives an emphatic nod. “The beach is called ‘Psili Ammos’; that’s Greek for ‘thin sand.’ It’s a long drive, but I can come pick you…”

“How far is it?” I interrupt, remembering the sadness on his face.

“If you follow the county road, it can’t be more than eighty, eighty-five miles,” he estimates. “But like I said, I can come pick you up.”

“I’ll do it,” I state, a smile of hesitation forming on my face. “You don’t have to drive over here again. I’ll take my friend’s car.”

“That is great!” He cheers with a grin, gazing deep down into my eyes. “Just be careful. The county road is a lot narrower than the freeway.”

“I will be,” I nod in agreement. “What time should I be there?”

“Eight o’clock should be fine,” Ray winks at me. “Oh, I almost forgot. After this, we need to discuss something. You take care.”

“Bye,” I tell him, watching him rise back up to his feet. His words trigger my curiosity, but I don’t dare ask. A massive sense of relief engulfs me, making me focus on the immediate. The immediate is the trio’s reaction. And boy, it’s a surprise I would never have imagined. I had used them, toyed with them, and not one of them had been willing even to raise their voice at me. Along with my relief, comes a sense of regret. If I had known how well they would take this, I would have stayed put. I wouldn’t have moved to a place I couldn’t even pronounce.