Dreamboat by Judith Gould

not having a clue what the menu offered, since it was in Greek.
    â€œThis is old-fashioned Greek cooking with a very modern twist,” Adonis said when their food arrived, “but it is very good, I think.”
    He asked them questions about the trip they were going to be taking, and they talked about Greek food while they ate. Crissy thought it was one of the best meals she’d ever had. An artfully arranged Greek salad of feta, Santorini tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and peppers was followed by a delicious grilled sole. It was accompanied by a tatziki-topped bread that melted in her mouth. For dessert, they each had a thin slice of honeyed chocolate-walnut cake with homemade pistachio ice cream. They washed it down with an excellent Santorini wine.
    â€œNow,” Adonis said as he signed the credit card slip for the waitress, “would you like to go to a dance club?”
    â€œWe have to get up early to get to the ship,” Crissy said, “and I—”
    â€œOh, come on,” Jenny broke in, “what’s a few hours of missed sleep? We’ve got nearly a month to relax on the ship.”
    Adonis looked at Crissy to see her response.
    â€œI’d love to,” she said, “but I’m really exhausted.” She was suddenly aware of her body’s demand for recuperating sleep, and while she enjoyed Adonis’ company and appreciated his interest in her, she didn’t feel that there was a special chemistry between them, not the kind that would carry her through a night of dancing with a big day on the horizon.
    â€œCrissy!” Jenny cried. “Think about it. This is the only night we have in Athens, and you may never come back again.”
    â€œOh, I don’t think that’s remotely possible,” Adonis said. “I definitely think she’ll be back.”
    â€œWell . . . I don’t know. . . .” Crissy hesitated.
    â€œWe certainly don’t want to go unless you do,” Adonis said, “but I think you would enjoy it. Most visitors never get to see a place like this.”
    She saw that he was serious, and she hated to disappoint either Adonis or Jenny. Finally she nodded. “Okay,” she said, “but let’s not stay too late.”
    After a nerve-racking race through city streets, they arrived at a dance club overlooking the Saronic Gulf. It was a multilevel, expensively decorated place with a crowd of twenty-to fifty-somethings that looked exceedingly attractive and well-heeled, danced wildly, and drank a lot. Adonis was greeted by many of the crowd, and he introduced Crissy and Jenny to everyone. Crissy was surprised to discover that nearly everyone spoke excellent English. They drank champagne and danced for a long time. Crissy, however, enjoyed breaks on the balconies that overlooked the sea. Although it was dark, the lights of tankers, ships, andvarious—size yachts winked at her from the distance, and the salty tang in the air was refreshing after the smoke and noise of the club.
    â€œAre you enjoying yourself?” Adonis asked.
    â€œOh, yes,” she said. “It was awfully nice of you to ask us out. I really appreciate it.”
    â€œIt’s been my pleasure,” he replied, “and I’m glad you’ve liked it.” He edged closer to her and put an arm across her shoulders. “I wish you weren’t leaving tomorrow.”
    Crissy was slightly unnerved by his proximity, and she didn’t know how to respond. “I . . . well . . . we have to,” she finally said. “We’ve been planning this for a long time.”
    He gently hugged her with his arm. “I know,” he said, “but it’s too bad. I think we could have a very good time together.”
    Crissy could swear that her heart was beating faster. She wasn’t prepared for his attraction to her, and wasn’t sure what to make of it. “I’ve recently had a