Greek for Beginners Read Free Page A

bed and trying to force the cobwebs from her head. “Is everything okay?”
    Darcie scuffed the toe of one shoe against the pavement. “Sort of.”
    â€œWhat does that mean?”
    â€œWell, my flight arrived on time, but I’m missing half of my luggage. The good half.”
    Becky had helped her pack, so she commiserated. “That stinks. On the bright side, now you have a valid excuse to buy more clothes.”
    â€œYeah.” Like Darcie could afford to do that. She coughed and continued. “Oh, and there’s been one other small glitch. No one from the tour company was at the airport to meet me.”
    â€œWhat? That’s ridiculous. You need to report them to the Better Business Bureau or something.”
    â€œI know. Apparently, the owner of the company is a lush.” She forced out a laugh. “Figures, right? I mean, Tad got such a good deal on this vacation there was bound to be a catch.”
    Becky muttered something obscene about Tad. It wasn’t anything Darcie hadn’t heard before. Her friend had been quite vocal in her dislike of him. That had been a source of contention between the two women in the past, but no longer. She found herself wondering what Becky would make of Nick.
    â€œI hope the rest of the trip goes smoothly,” her friend said.
    Unfortunately, based on what Nick had told Darcie, she had her doubts. She told Becky as much.
    â€œWhat are you going to do? Can you get a refund and hook up with a different company?”
    â€œI don’t know.” The fine print on the package said the price was nonrefundable, but Darcie planned to try anyway. She figured she had nothing to lose. “In the meantime, I have a ride to the first hotel on the itinerary. The tour group is supposed to stay there for a couple of nights. That should give me time to see if the company is going to be able to deliver on any of its promises and, if not, make other arrangements.” At least she hoped it would.
    â€œGood. Darcie, if you need money — ”
    â€œNo. I don’t. But thanks.” Not only could Becky not afford it, but she’d also been generous enough already, letting Darcie crash at her apartment until she found a place of her own. That certainly beat moving back in with her parents, even temporarily. What thirty-year-old woman wanted to do that?
    Darcie took a deep breath then and, keeping her tone nonchalant, said, “You’re going to love this. The person who agreed to drive me is this insanely gorgeous man with an accent that is to die for.”
    There was a slight pause before Becky asked, “You’re taking a cab, right?”
    â€œNo. Actually, I met this man in the airport and he...offered to drive. He showed me identification,” she hastened to add. “His name is Nick Costas. He lives in Manhattan, but he’s from Athens originally.”
    â€œDarcie, I don’t know,” Becky began, worry evident in her tone.
    â€œWhat happened to, ‘Have a fling and get ur sexy back?’ Hmm?”
    â€œWell, I didn’t actually expect you to take my advice! When do you ever listen to me? I mean, if you listened to me, you never would have given Tad the time of day, much less wasted six years of your life engaged to him.”
    Point taken. Becky had told Darcie from the start that Tad was a first-class mama’s boy and would stay that way.
    â€œRelax. I’m not having a fling. It’s only a ride to a hotel. Nothing more.” Except maybe in her fantasies.
    â€œOkay, but call me when you get there.”
    â€œI will.”
    â€œPromise me, Darcie. I’m not going to be able to go back to sleep until you do.”
    â€œI promise. I’ll call.”
    She hung up just as Nick’s car pulled to the curb. Unlike the other boxy subcompacts parked nearby, it was a sleek, low-slung convertible.
    â€œNice car.” She tapped a finger to her lips as she studied its