Page 80 of Forever Fascinating

“You could meet mine…again…” she breathed, feeling tears sting her eyes as she looked at him, realizing what he was saying in not so many words. He wanted this between them, taking things to the next level.

“Just tell me if you let your family know,” he smiled ruefully. “So, I can prep myself… and my nose.”

She nodded, feeling like those tears were going to spill over at any second, and immediately leaned towards him. Her free hand moved to the back of his neck as she kissed him tenderly, before leaning back a bit to look at him.

His eyes held hers, his eyes almost liquid and full of emotion as he stared at her, unabashedly.

“Tell them if you want… because I’m in this for the long run.”

“Me too.”

“I hope you never get sick of me,” he breathed softly. “I’m an extremely annoying guy sometimes.”

She chuckled, circling her thumb on the shell of his ear, before touching his cheekbone, as he leaned forward to kiss her again. She smiled against his lips and spoke.

“Then you’re perfect for me.”

* * *

Hours later,they’d showered, changed, and were walking the streets of Athens together, hand in hand, after eating a gyro.

Matthew was afraid to order seafood again because of the ‘eyes’still being on the shellfish, which made her crack up laughing. Her big guy was a wimp when it came to removing them, which made him just a little more special in her book.

Maybe he wasn’t perfect, but he certainly was hers.

She felt a tug at her hand as they darted inside one of the little private shops along the busy street. It was so strange seeing how open the stores were to the road.

Back home, you had to enter a front door, go through sensors, or even walk past a guard… depending on where you shopped. She’d had that experience once when she visited a Tiffany’s in Las Vegas just to look around. Here, however, it was designed so abundantly, just for the shopper.

Coffee shops had big bars that faced the street so you could order and didn’t have to come inside. Clubs had no bouncers, you simply walked right in, going up to the bar or dancing. Some of the stores she did recognize, like NYX, H&M, or MAC cosmetics… the front facia of the entrances, the doors, were wide open to all the pedestrian traffic.

Looking around, wondering briefly if Matthew had spotted a gift or souvenir that he wanted to purchase, and hesitated.

There were all sorts of strange items lining the walls and glass cases, looking like it belonged in a jewelry store. The shelves were covered in objects, scattered and crowded, from glass bongs, to painted plates, with rows and rows of cigars, lighters of every shape imaginable, scarves, and even stickers.

“What are we doing here?” she hissed under her breath, remembering he’d asked her to keep him away from tobacco stores. “We need to get out of this place.”

“I’m fine,” he said distractedly, pointing at the cases as the man spoke in broken English.

“You see?”

“Do you have one of these?” Matthew asked, pointing at her necklace that her penny still hung on. “I need one of these.”

“I make for you… yes?” the vendor agreed immediately, beaming. “You like?”

“I would like very much,” he replied, smiling at her, before kissing her forehead tenderly and hugging her. “I’ve got to get your penny from Greece while I can.”

Nodding, touched, they stood there together, her arm around his waist as his rested on her shoulders, watching the man work as he used some large machine in the back to press a tiny hole in the top of a coin. He waved her forward, silently, asking to see her necklace, and clucked his tongue.

“Bad new hook…” he uttered, pointing at the necklace. “Give”

“What?” Jana started nervously, confused. “He wants my necklace?”

“It’s okay, darling,” Matthew began, watching the man and looking in the cases. “Look at the workmanship on some of this. I think he’s going to adjust the clasp or replace it, darling.”

The man stuck out his hand towards Jana again, and she nervously took off the simple chain, before holding it out to him. As he turned away, she watched carefully as Matthew perused the store, looking around. Hearing a horrifying crunch, both looked up in alarm, before glancing at each other in shock.

“Bad new hook…” the man uttered again, laying the tiny clasp that had once been on her penny on the glass counter, before clucking his tongue again. She stared at the broken fragments in shock, feeling alarmed, as the man turned back around, smiling at her.

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