Page 44 of Love Among the Ruins
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
ELENI
“My boobs are free again.” Phoebe came out of the bathroom smiling and with a wet breast pump in one hand.
“Ewww. That’s disgusting.” Stefanos made a face as she set the plastic bottle on the side table.
“Don’t you care about hygiene?” Eleni asked, shocked.
“I poured it down the toilet.” Phoebe made a face as if she was devastated by the wastage. “Good quality milk. Wasted.”
A chorus of ‘Ewww’s went around the room.
“You,” Phoebe pointed a long talon at them all. “…have no idea. I was leaking in bed. It’s all over my nightshirt.”
Everyone’s eyes locked on Phoebe’s chest. Eleni visibly gagged.
“I borrowed one of your T-shirts,” Phoebe told her. “I pulled it out of your drawer while you were sleeping.”
“Keep it.” She no longer wanted it, and she’d have to get housekeeping to change all the sheets. Phoebe yawned and climbed back into the bed where Angeliki lay, scrolling through her cell phone.
“Are you going back to bed?” Eleni glanced at the clock. It was past midday. “We don’t have long left.” Her friends were going back in a few hours’ time. “Why don’t we have a nice breakfast somewhere?”
“Food is the last thing I want. I’ve slept three hours each night. I might as well have had my baby with me.” She snuggled underneath the sheet.
Angeliki jumped out of bed. “I have a date.”
“A date?” asked Eleni.
“Maybe two dates.” Angeliki grabbed her clothes and headed for the bathroom.
“Two?”
“From last night.”
“And, what? You’re going to do them both?” Stefanos asked, stretching out on the sofa bed which Eleni had shared with him.
“Disgusting! I’m not going todoanyone.”
“You want a longer relationship?” suggested Phoebe.
Stefanos laughed. “One that lasts from lunch until dinnertime.”
Angeliki stood in the doorway. “You’re horrible. All of you.”
“Just be careful,” Eleni cautioned.
“I’ll have lunch with one, and dinner with the other one. I’m going to get a later ferry back, so you two go on without me.”
Stefanos chortled. “Did you mean you’ll have oneforlunch and onefordinner?”
Angeliki threw him a steely look. “You’re evil. I’m a changed woman. I’m looking for a quality relationship.”
“Aren’t we all,” muttered Stefanos.
Listening to their banter, Eleni couldn’t help but think of last night and the absolute fool she’d made of herself. She’d woken up in the early hours thinking about how she could go back to work and face Dominic again. Or ever.
Stefanos nudged her. “It’s just you and me, Leni. Let’s go.”
