Ariana

by Emma Nichols

  ‘Hey Nikki,’ Soph said, a broad grin on her face, rubbing at her hair with a towel, her presence instantly defusing the tension between the two women.

  ‘Hi,’ Nikki responded, more curtly than she intended.

  ‘Mum, this is Nikki from fishing.’

  ‘Yes.’ Ariana said, trying to smile with her daughter, heat flushing her cheeks. She had known who Soph was referring to when she arrived home wet from her walk babbling about being bitten by a fish, but she hadn’t expected Nikki to turn up on their doorstep tonight and neither was she willing to engage in a conversation with her about the sale of the house in front of Soph.

  ‘Did you catch any more fish?’ Soph asked, enthusiastically.

  Nikki smiled weakly. ‘No, I think you shocked them more than they shocked you,’ she teased. She started to chuckle as the image of Soph sliding into the water and her response to being up close and personal with nature softened the atmosphere. Ariana was smiling, and the soft lines accentuating the almond shape of her dark-brown eyes caused Nikki’s breath to hitch.

  ‘Would you like to come in?’ Ariana asked, against her better judgement.

  ‘Umm, no. It’s late. I umm, shouldn’t have come,’ she added, starting to babble again. The conversation they needed to have could wait.

  ‘Maybe we can catch up tomorrow?’ Ariana offered, politely.

  ‘I’ve got the ferry run,’ Nikki said.

  ‘Ah, right.’

  With Ariana’s intense gaze on her, Nikki was feeling exposed. The years of absence between them hadn’t changed a thing; her feelings for the woman she now faced were it seemed as strong as ever. She cleared her throat. ‘Do you need anything from Ithaka?’ she asked.

  ‘No, I think we’re fine, thanks. Maria…’

  ‘Ah, yes, of course.’ Her brain had stopped working. Of course, Maria would make sure they were well stocked; she always had done. What would happen when Ariana sold the place? The whole Papadopoulos family and the other casual staff would all be out of work, and work on the island wasn’t that easy to find. Nikki turned towards the dusty track and started to walk.

  ‘Nikki!’ Ariana called.

  Nikki stopped, turned, and locked onto Ariana’s eyes. ‘Yes.’

  Ariana faltered. ‘You look well,’ she said, her broken voice betraying her inner thoughts.

  Nikki nodded, her lips pursed. ‘You’ve caught the sun already,’ she replied, pointing at Ariana’s red face. ‘You need to get some cream on that,’ she added, turned, and continued down the path.

  4.

  Soph leaned back in the wicker chair on the kitchen-balcony, her hand resting lightly on the strings of her guitar. ‘Have you always lived here?’ she asked.

  Gianna nodded, her eyes fixed on the sparkling diamond in Soph’s nose, shifting in colour with the sunlight as she moved her head. She placed a bowl of chopped fresh-fruit on the table, next to the yoghurt. ‘Is that real?’ she asked, pointing.

  Soph grinned. ‘Diamond, yeah.’ Soph studied Gianna’s dark-brown eyes, her tanned skin and short curly hair, darker than her own. She had the most amazing eyelashes that had the effect of painted eyeliner, highlighting her eyes. She was pretty. Hot even. She smiled, eliciting a grin from Gianna that revealed perfectly white teeth. ‘You’re pretty,’ she said, her eyes never leaving Gianna’s, enjoying the impact of her compliment in the darkening of Gianna’s skin.

  Gianna’s smile broadened, the heat in her cheeks and the tingling down her spine challenging her concentration, and her mouth. Something was intriguing about Ariana’s daughter, something wild, and exciting. She exuded calm confidence that was alluring.

  ‘Gianna!’ shouted her mother.

  Gianna pointed her finger over her shoulder towards the voice and smirked. ‘I have to go,’ she said.

  ‘Sure.’ Soph’s eyes dropped to the guitar, and her fingers started to pluck at the strings.

  Gianna’s grin spanned her face, as she approached the kitchen, excited by the rise in adrenalin that had caused her to feel weirdly self-conscious in Soph’s presence. She picked up the coffee pot and a jug of milk and headed hastily out to the table. She stopped, suddenly deflated by the empty chair. Soph had gone. She gazed down the steps leading to the garden below. Nothing.

  ‘Gianna!’ her mum called again, jolting her out of her trance. She turned slowly and meandered back into the kitchen, feeling both subdued and warm inside at the same time. She huffed to herself. She couldn’t see the point of laying out a load of food for two people anyway, and now the interesting one had disappeared. She had an overwhelming desire to run, track down Soph, and spend the rest of the day talking to her. Soph was fascinating.

  ‘Morning Maria, Gianna.’ Ariana said, entering the kitchen in a hurry.

  ‘Morning,’ Maria responded, her tone detached, formal and with a hint of residual anger from the unfinished conversation of the previous afternoon. How could she drop a bombshell like that and then leave them without any information? They needed answers. The uncertainty they now faced had kept both her and Nikos awake for most of the night. Neither had wanted to come into work today, and they had only done so out of loyalty to Sophia’s memory. She missed Sophia deeply, but now, she was also confused and angry.

  Gianna mumbled, ‘Morning,’ slipped out the door and headed out to the garden. She would see if her Papa wanted any help in the olive grove. Her parents had only briefly mentioned the house sale, and it didn’t mean that much to her, but they were both peeved as hell. She liked Ariana though; she had a kind smile. And, she wanted to spend time with Soph. She grinned at the thought.

  Ariana walked through the kitchen to the balcony table and filled a cup with coffee, added a large quantity of milk and sipped the drink. ‘I’m sorry I threw the sale at you yesterday,’ she said, softly. She too had spent a sleepless night, tossing and turning. Seeing Nikki had been like a shot across the bow; it had hit her harder than she could have anticipated and the damage had been more devastating. It was as if her heart had awoken instantly and yet it lay in pieces, each crying out to be reconnected to the other, to become whole again.

  ‘Is there a plan?’ Maria asked, sternly.

  ‘I have a few things I need to do,’ Ariana responded, sipping at her drink, eyeing Maria’s reaction over the top of the cup. ‘The place needs renovating,’ she said tentatively, not wishing to assert that they hadn't looked after the property.

  Maria nodded. Her eyes were watering, and her hands were beginning to toy with the cloth in her hand.

  ‘I’m planning to be here for a few weeks,’ Ariana added, hoping that her presence might provide some reassurance, though about what she couldn’t articulate because the proposition was so feeble.

  Maria didn’t so much as flinch at Ariana’s words. ‘Do you want anything cooked for breakfast?’ she asked.

  ‘No, fruit is fine, thank you.’ She placed her cup on the table and stepped towards Maria with open arms. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. She moved in and hugged the unresponsive body for a few seconds before letting go.

  Maria stood stiffly. ‘It’s been a big shock,’ she said, unsure of how to respond to Ariana’s physical contact. Did she care, or was it guilt?

  Ariana nodded, her face tense, her lips pursed. ‘I know, I am truly sorry,’ she said, her eyes pleading for Maria to believe her.

  Maria nodded, turned towards the sink and rinsed her hands under the cold tap.

  ‘Maria?’ Ariana said, quietly.

  Maria turned to face her, holding her gaze, curious as to what bombshell was going to be dropped next and fighting the insecurity that pounded in her chest and had her stomach turning.

  Ariana held the worried gaze. ‘I want you to take time off, while I’m here,’ she said eventually, the words hanging in the painful silence that lingered between them.

  Maria’s mouth fell open, and she lost all sense of balance. She slumped against the sink, her hands clamping the sides of her head.

  ‘You’ll be paid
in advance, of course,’ Ariana said quickly. ‘I just need some time, together, with Soph,’ she added. It was partly the truth.

  Maria’s back tensed. She couldn’t imagine having guests at the house and not cooking for them. She had cooked for Sophia until the day she died. What was she going to do with time off? This was the start of the end. She shook her head, trying to process the last few hours, willing it all to be a dream; a nightmare from which she would wake up. She was unable to speak. Old Sophia would be turning in her grave.

  ‘I’m going to take the ferry today,’ Ariana said, changing the subject. ‘Do we need anything?’ she asked.

  Maria tightened the grip around her head, fighting the tears that pressed at the back of her eyes, pride keeping her head in her hands. She wouldn’t let Ariana see her cry. She shook her head.

  Ariana stood for a moment in the discomfort before turning away. She breathed deeply as she stepped out of the house and into the early morning sun. She wanted to scream, what about me? What about my life? But that wasn’t Maria’s concern and now wasn’t the time or place. She needed to speak to Nikki, and sooner rather than later.

  *

  ‘Hello Ariana,’ Manos greeted with a warm smile, the dimples on his stubbly cheeks deepening and curling the short hairs on his face. He held out his hand to help her onto the ferry.

  ‘Hello Manos, you look well,’ she responded. He still had a sparkle in his dark eyes, even though the years, and the sea-air, had aged his naturally rugged skin and the stubble on his face had turned whiter than snow. She glanced around the small foot-ferry. Two men, looking like locals with their dark hair and bronzed faces, were leaning against the starboard bow railings, their heads shifting back and forth, the cigarette smoke drifting with their words.

  He closed the gate behind her and released the rope holding the boat tightly to the jetty. ‘I didn’t know you were coming today,’ he said, with a wry smile.

  ‘No…’ she replied, distractedly.

  ‘Well, it’s good to see you. It’s been a long time,’ he added, his heart glowing with warmth, his eyes studying her skittish behaviour with curiosity. She had turned into a pretty woman, a little skinnier than he might have deemed healthy, and overly consumed by whatever seemed to be troubling her. Her hurried nature reminded him of Teresa though, even if her looks didn’t. Teresa’s features were sharper, finer, and she was noticeably taller than Ariana. He’d always thought of Teresa as a beautiful woman, but Ariana had a softness to her that had been absent in Teresa. Ariana was far more like her grandmother than she was her mother. He hoped the same was true for Ariana’s character too, but from what he was seeing in her edgy behaviours and the way she had heartlessly announced that she was selling the house, he had good reason for concern. He sucked through his teeth, averted his gaze and wandered to the cabin.

  Ariana wandered around the boat, feeling flustered. She couldn’t see Nikki anywhere and didn’t have time for chitchat with Manos. Maybe Nikki was below deck? The whirring sound increased and water gushed out the back of the ferry. They were moving. Where is Nikki? She wandered around the deck again, felt the breeze through her hair and the light-spray from the sea tickle her face. She peered into the cabin as she passed. Manos smiled. Nikki must be in the hold.

  *

  Gianna ambled down the dirt path to the boundary by the cliff, seduced by the gentle strumming of a guitar. Her stomach was doing something strangely fuzzy, her pulse increasing with every pace closer to the source of the music. She stopped, crouched down, and watched.

  Soph was sat facing out to sea, her feet hanging over the edge of the rocks, her body swaying with the rhythm of the haunting music she was creating with her fingers.

  Entranced, Gianna closed her eyes. She’d never heard such sounds from an instrument before. She could feel the music caressing her, and her mind drifted to the hands that were having that effect on the strings. She had already noted the short nails, well groomed, on long, strong fingers, and then there was the way Soph looked at her, smiled at her, and teased her. She hadn’t needed to wonder; Soph was definitely into her. She opened her eyes abruptly at the impact her thoughts were having on her body. It was kind of cool, a warm feeling, exciting too! Biting down on her lip, another sound hit her ears, and the music stopped suddenly.

  ‘Hey!’ Soph’s voice called out.

  Had she really groaned out loud? She had two choices: hide, or stand up and fess up. She stood. ‘Hi.’

  Soph smiled. Cute! Gianna was rubbing her hands together in front of her body, looking decidedly uncomfortable. Adorable. ‘You like music?’ she asked, resuming her playing.

  Gianna cleared her throat. ‘Umm, yes.’

  ‘Me too,’ Soph said, facing out to sea again. ‘Do you play?’ she asked, continuing to sway as she strummed.

  Gianna giggled. ‘No,’ she said, shrinking with embarrassment at her nervous response to Soph’s genuine interest. ‘How long have you played?’

  Soph’s head rose as she considered the question, her hands continuing to make the strings dance. ‘About five years,’ she said.

  ‘Wow! You’re brilliant,’ Gianna said.

  Soph stopped playing and put down the guitar, ignoring the compliment. ‘Do you like it here?’ she asked.

  Gianna twitched. She hadn’t expected the question, and the sudden shift in the energy between them, without the music, confused her. ‘Umm,’ she stuttered. ‘I have plans,’ she said.

  Soph turned to face her. She looked serious. ‘Yeah!’ she said, her tone probing for more information.

  ‘I want to do something with my life,’ Gianna responded, tilting her head to the side as she spoke, her gaze fixed on a point over Soph’s shoulder, to where her vision of ‘that life’ existed.

  Soph nodded and turned back to the sea. ‘Good for you,’ she said. She didn’t know why she had asked the question. She didn’t know what she would do with her life, or whether she had ambition anymore, but having had it drilled into her she should have, she valued ambition in others, sometimes.

  ‘What about you?’ Gianna asked, tentatively.

  ‘I like it here,’ she said.

  ‘What do you want to do with your life?’ Gianna asked again.

  Soph tensed. It was an involuntary response, but one that she had developed. Her ideas about what she wanted to do with her life being repeatedly quashed over the years. ‘Dunno,’ she said, curtly.

  Gianna turned towards the path.

  ‘Wait.’ Soph said, standing quickly and stepping towards Gianna, her eyes flitting towards the olive trees to avoid direct contact. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to…’

  ‘It’s okay,’ Gianna interrupted, bruised by the sadness in Soph’s gaze. She smiled at Soph’s ruffled appearance, easing the tension. ‘You want to do something?’ she asked, her eyes drawn to the glistening diamond, the tingling down her spine causing her to shudder.

  Soph held Gianna’s gaze, a warm feeling infusing her chest, a smile forming slowly. ‘Want to see my other piercings?’ she teased.

  Gianna gulped, and her cheeks flushed. ‘Maybe,’ she said, her lips curling seductively.

  Soph chuckled.

  ‘Want me to show you around a bit?’

  Soph tilted her head, her eyebrows rising suggestively. ‘Okay,’ she said, picking up her guitar. ‘Lead on.’

  ‘I’ll need to let Papa know,’ Gianna said.

  ‘I’ll dump this,’ Soph said, holding up the guitar. ‘Meet you out front,’ she suggested.

  ‘Okay.’ Gianna grinned.

  Soph smiled. She was enjoying the light-headed feeling that came with talking to Gianna, and the subtle, aching sensation in her groin at the sight of the dark, alluring eyes. Definitely cute, and hot!

  *

  Nikki looked up from the pole she was ramming into the sand, at the front of the taverna. She studied the two young women approaching and smiled.

  ‘Need a hand?’ Soph asked.

  Nikki stood and stretched. ‘Su
re. Can you hook the net over the other pole and hold onto it, while I sort this end out?’

  Soph shrugged matter-of-factly and reached for the roped end of the net. Looping it over the top of the pole, she stood watching Nikki attach the guide rope to a weight on the sand. ‘Want me to attach this one?’ she asked, pointing to the weight at her side of the net.

  ‘I’ll help,’ Gianna offered, pulling the string taut while Soph attached it to the weight. ‘Do you play volleyball?’ she asked, smiling at Soph.

  ‘At school, yeah, not on a beach though.’

  ‘We have a tournament tomorrow, and a BBQ party in the evening, if you fancy it?’ Nikki said, her eyes directed towards Soph.

  ‘You have to come, it will be fun,’ Gianna added, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

  Soph sucked through her teeth and tilted her head, ‘Maybe,’ she replied.

  ‘Your mum’s invited too,’ Nikki added.

  Soph rolled her eyes. ‘Right,’ she mumbled.

  Nikki tilted her head and her smile held compassion. ‘Everything okay?’ she asked.

  Soph shrugged. ‘She’s…’ Soph stopped. This wasn’t the right time to articulate her irritations with her mother. She was on holiday, and that meant having fun.

  ‘Where is Ariana?’ Nikki asked. ‘Pull on the rope when I do,’ she instructed.

  ‘Dunno, she went on the ferry this morning,’ Soph said, pulling on the guide rope to create tension in the net.

  Nikki’s eyes widened and her lips pursed. ‘Oh!’

  ‘Do you want to practise?’ Gianna asked Soph.

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘Do you girls want a drink, soda, beer?’ Nikki asked, heading into the bar. ‘I’ll get a ball,’ she added, distracted by curiosity and mild amusement that Ariana had taken the ferry when she hadn’t wanted anything from Ithaka.

  ‘Beer,’ both girls responded enthusiastically. Their eyes locked onto each other briefly, smiling, drawing them closer.

  ‘She’s cool,’ Soph said, watching Nikki’s back as it disappeared inside the taverna.