I check the time on the dashboard as I draw near my hotel. The time it reads fills my heart with hope. It’s 10:40pm. Michael and Dean surely must have gone out. I’m going to have the suite all to myself, without having to disclose the events of that morning. All the same, when I walk through the door, my hope is shattered into a million pieces. They are both sitting out on the balcony at the table. Six, empty beer bottles litter the table, and there’s also a portable refrigerator between their chairs.

“Hey!” Michael exclaims, turning his head to me. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d come back tomorrow morning.”

“Yeah, that was the plan,” I say with a slow nod, making my way towards them. “Things didn’t work out as I expected. You won’t believe who I ran into.”

“Rihanna?” Dean teases, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

“I wish,” I sigh, pulling a chair out from the table: “Laura and Natalie.”

“Get the fuck out of here!” Dean snorts with amusement, pushing me to the side.

“You’re kidding, right?” Michael cocks an eyebrow as I seat myself.

“No, I’m not,” I shake my head sideways, clenching my jaw. “I went to this nice, beautiful beach down south, and there they were. Laura even called it a ‘sign.’ Damn…” I whisper on an exhale. “Of all the goddamn people…”

“That’s bullshit,” Dean interjects and speaks his mind, his sarcastic smile vanishing. “It can’t be coincidence, man. She planned this; there’s no other explanation for it.”

“I don’t know,” I shrug my shoulders, leaning my elbows on the table.

“I’m with Dean on this one,” Michael declares, reaching down to fish into the refrigerator. “Here,” he goes on, setting a beer bottle down in front of me. “Think about it. She’s rich; connected. It would be easy for her to find out where we were going.”

“She had two years to reconnect with me in New York,” I tell him, staring into the void. “Why didn’t she?”

“Because she knew she didn’t stand a chance of getting back together with you,” Michael retorts, lifting his beer up to his mouth. “There’s just too much memory in New York. So, she found out where we were going, and followed us here. She must have thought something like: ‘We’ll be in a foreign country, where nothing reminds him of the past. Plus, he’ll be more relaxed. It’ll be easier for him to give us chance.’”

“Nice theory,” I comment, a touch of irony in my tone.

“It makes perfect sense if you ask me,” Dean interjects, his voice stiff. “So, what did you do?”

“I hugged her, kissed her, and then I fucked her brains out in her hotel room,” I respond with sarcasm dripping off my tongue. “What do you think I did? Thank God we were in a public place. I don’t know what I would have done if were anywhere more private.”

“Well, one thing hasn’t changed since you guys were dating,” Michael points out, holding his index finger in the air.

“What’s that?”

“She’s still the only person in the world who can piss you off,” he explains, bringing a bitter smile to my face.

“Forget about her, man,” Dean advises, patting me on the back. “You’re a lot better off without her.”

“That’s easier said than done,” I remark. “I don’t even want to go back to that beach. I’m afraid I’m going to run into her again. Anyway, I thought the suite would be empty. Why did you guys stay in tonight?”

“Actually, we came back twenty minutes ago,” Michael claims, shifting his gaze to Dean. “Our boy here insisted we go on a road trip to Chania: on bikes.”

“And you were surprised?” I wonder, flashing him a sardonic smile.

“Not really,” he returns the smile. “It’s just that he cost me a date with a girl I met last night.”

“You mean ‘fucked’ last night,” Dean corrects him. “Guitar man hooked up. He told me all about it this morning.”

“You dog!” I cheer with a grin. “You didn’t waste any time, did you? How was she? Does she have big knockers?”

“Oh, she sure does,” Michael winks at me. “She’s tall and blonde. She’s got this amazing, smoky voice. Everything happened pretty fast.”

“Well, it’s nice to hear one of us got laid,” I groan, bringing my gaze back to the sea. “I’m not even going to try and find anyone. I need a couple of days to clear my head.”

“What if Laura comes through the door?” For a moment, I believe that Dean is joking again. Yet, when I turn to him, the stiff look on his face doesn’t allow me any room for doubt. “It’s going to take another two days to clear your head?”

“What makes you think she’ll try to pull such a stunt?” I address him in a calm tone.

“Dude, she followed you here all the way from the States!” Dean continues, slamming his hand onto the table. “How far away is that beach where you guys met today? Sixty miles?”

“Fifty,” I say on an exhale, squeezing my eyes shut.

“Exactly!” Dean gives an emphatic nod. “She knows where we live. All she’s got to do is get here.”

“Then let’s book another hotel,” I suggest, glancing at him first and then Michael.

“That’s not going to happen,” Michael says, tapping his fingers on the railing. “First of all, we’ll lose the advance we’ve put up on this one. Secondly, I like this place a little too much. Finding something that’s just as good is going to take time. And thirdly? Come on, Ray. Do you really want to go somewhere else because you’re afraid she’ll come over? Where’s your heart?”

“And your balls?” adds Dean, before I get a chance to respond to my other friend’s rant.

“All right, we’re staying right here,” I announce, folding my arms behind my head. “Laura’s done enough damage for one day. I’m not going to give her the satisfaction of moving us out. If she does drop by, I’ll just confront her.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” Michael nods in appraisal.

“Yeah, that’s the spirit,” smiles Dean, curling his fingers into a fist. I wish I could insist, but I doubt that trying to change their minds will lead to anything good. It wasn’t just that neither of them was willing to start searching for other accommodations. Both Michael and Dean wanted me to be brave about this. Going somewhere else wasn’t brave. It was cowardly. I just hope that Laura gives up this insane pursuit. Otherwise, we’re going to draw some serious attention to ourselves, for all the wrong reasons. I was able to force some restraint this morning, but I have no idea if I can control my temper, should we cross paths again.