I cradled the recently stuffed Chrysanthemum in my arms.
Shane did good work. She was curled in a tight ball, peacefully sleeping.
Tuxedo-monster was too close for me to reveal my plan. I would just have to hope that Shane trusted me enough to go along. I rested my free hand on his arm, and we turned to approach the podium.
After a few brief words about the preservation of antiquities, a man with a clipboard took the microphone and asked the curator to stay for a brief presentation. He nodded toward us and disappeared into the hallway.
Acid churned in my middle, and I couldn’t quite make myself swallow.
What would they do after I gave him the cat?
Mr. Absyrtus Lasko had promised us safety if we delivered his furry bomb.
But I was not choosing safety tonight, and Shane didn’t even know the danger I’d put him in.
I scanned the grand old mansion as we walked toward the curator, cat in hand.
A handsome man with black hair and a startlingly white smile turned my head. It was my dental surgeon. I recognized him from the business card my lawyer had given me.
I looked up at Shane and gripped his arm a little tighter. He was not the man I had dreamed of, not even close. But my hand fit perfectly against his arm, and he stood tall and strong beside me walking this road with me, even though he didn’t know the plan.
Is that what You want of me, Lord? To trust that You are there. To trust Your love even when I don’t see Your plan?
Did Shane really trust me this much, or was it something more?
His eyes slid shut, and his lips moved in silent petition.
Of course, Shane would know how to trust. With his quiet, confident smirk and easy way of walking forward, just because it must be done. Shane could trust me, because he trusted Him. He must think that even I could not mess up God’s workings in our lives.
I hoped it was true.
Finally, as I stood in front of the British curator listening to the voice of the emcee explaining the gift of the man’s own precious cat, preserved forever by his museum friends in Greece, I spotted a police officer.
He stared at me with the startled expression of one seeing something he doesn’t dare believe.
I raised my eyebrows at him, glanced down at the cat, and stared back at the man so hard I expected to see burn marks appear on his forehead.
He blinked twice, raised his radio to his lips, and listened to the crackling reply.
The emcee grew silent and an expectant tension held the room.
I walked forward, shooting the officer one last desperate glance. Then, I held out the cat.
The British curator took the animal with tender care; his eyes misted with unshed tears. The obese feline must have meant a great deal to him.
The man with the clipboard and the tuxedo-monster turned and melted into the crowd.
As I turned to watch them go, something hit me hard between the shoulder blades. I found myself flat upon the marble floor gasping for breath as an unseen assailant jammed his knee in the middle of my back.
Men in dark uniforms rushed past us and clapped a transparent dome over the cat.
Officer Rota must have decided I wasn’t crazy after all.
22
The Exploding Cat
The bomb squad stared down at Chrysanthemum in a study of scowls.
I turned my head and caught a glimpse of the tuxedo-monster mashing a small remote control over and over. Ha! I smiled his way and pushed myself into a sitting position. “It won’t blow up.”
The glares turned my way.
“So, you lied.” Officer Rota stepped around the bomb squad and pulled me to my feet.
Shane pushed his way to my side. “No, there was a bomb. I saw them put it in the cat myself. I was the one who stuffed the animal.” He picked up my hand and grinned down at me. “I’d hazard a guess that Miss Jack here has simply hatched some plan and forgotten to enlighten the rest of us mere mortals.”
“Then by all means, enlighten us.” The scowls were darkening as everyone stared at the dome-shrouded cat.
I knelt by the dome and pointed to Chrysanthemum’s furry nose.
Shane leaned close and then started to laugh. “Is that felt-tipped marker? What did you use on the other cat?”
“White shoe polish.” I gave Shane a quick smile.
He practically beamed.
Officer Rota tapped his fingers against his radio. He did not appear amused.
“It won’t blow up, because this is my cat. The one you kindly did not confiscate.”
“And the exploding cat, exactly which stuffed cat would that be?”
Although my hands felt a little shaky from pent up adrenaline and shock, I smiled. “That cat is in the cave of Aglauros, and I certainly hope it has blown up. The cat-nappers’ secret hideaway will be much easier to find with a bit of smoke and rubble and a stream of fleeing minions.”
“Minions?” Officer Rota shook his head and barked into his radio. After a brief pause, the radio crackled back, and a slow smile spread over his face.
I guess he had believed me long before they spotted the cat at the gala.
The officer had indeed sent his ten men to the caves, just as he’d promised. He saw my grateful look and shook his head. “Don’t thank me; thank your taxidermist here. He managed to give me a call after he stuffed their cat. With two crazy people in one night waxing eloquent about an exploding feline, I thought a bit of an investigation was in order.”
I shivered and looked up at Shane.
He pulled his threadbare flannel out of nowhere and slid it gallantly around my shoulders. How had he gotten it away from the limo driver? It did not match the verdant satin of my glorious gown.
But I pulled the flannel tighter around me and settled my head against his shoulder.
He pulled me close and pressed the softest of kisses against my hair.
23
The Tandem Bicycle
Chrysanthemum had adorned my mantle for six long months, and it was time to say goodbye.
Shane and I were scheduled to present her to Officer Rota at the station later that afternoon.
Yes, Shane was in Athens again. He had come off and on, whenever he could, over the last few months.
Enough to keep me hoping, which was not enough at all.
He was late again.
I nibbled my gyro and smiled at Evzen as he slipped a note under my plate. “Not another proposal, I hope.”
He smiled back. Evzen had recently married, and his longing glances were a thing of the past. “I am afraid that it is, but not from me.”
I opened the folded paper.
Walk five steps down the street toward the Acropolis.
Will you be brave when the time comes?
Come on, Jack.
Trust me with your heart.
I left my gyro and walked down the street toward the Acropolis.
Shane leaned against a low white-washed wall. He wore jeans, boots, and a blue, plaid flannel. A rusted tandem bicycle was propped up beside him.
I stopped and soaked in the sight of him. It had been two months since his last visit. I crossed the street and looked up into his eyes.
“Hey, Jack.” His voice was strangely husky, as though he had waited all these months to speak, waited until he was back here with me. But instead of pulling me into his arms, Shane stepped back and swept one arm toward the bike. “Your chariot awaits, my lady.”
I eyed the dangerous-looking contraption, eyed the man who stood before me, and hopped up onto the second seat. OK, so I had learned to take a risk or two in these months in Athens. Being responsible for an exploding cat will do that for one. Compared with that night at the gala, a tandem bike was tame.
Shane grinned at me teetering on the bicycle and then sank to one knee on the sidewalk. “Before we go, I wanted to ask you something.” He pulled a tiny stuffed animal from the breast pocket of his flannel. It was a little white cat, and around its
neck was a silver ribbon. Tied to the ribbon was a diamond ring. “Jacqueline Mallory Gianakos, I am not a dental surgeon.”
“I noticed that.”
He shushed me and continued. “I am not a handsome Greek businessman with grand political schemes. I am not knowledgeable in the area of fashion design and am not likely to improve a whole lot with age.” He met my gaze and said nothing for a long string of heartbeats.
Electricity danced along my nerves as the pause lengthened. How was my heart even functioning as I waited for what he might say? I wasn’t breathing.
“But I love you.” He held up the stuffed cat. “Would you condescend to become my bride? We will probably fight to the end of our days, and you would have to endure more flannel. But I can promise you this. I will love you, and care for you, and admire you, and cherish you, and drive you insane every day for the rest of my life.”
Instead of taking the little stuffed animal, I held out my left hand.
Shane kissed my fingertips, undid the ribbon, and slid the ring onto my finger. He stood and gazed down at me, his hands on my shoulders.
I looked up at his crooked grin and saw tears in his eyes. “I will take you Shane, just as you are…but you can keep the cat.”
He tossed the tiny stuffed animal over his shoulder and pulled me into his arms.
I slid my hands around his neck and stood on my tip toes waiting for his kiss. He pressed his forehead against mine, and we just stood there for a moment soaking in the silence and the enormity of the decision to love.
I twined my fingers around the curls at the base of his neck, and he cupped my jaw in his hand brushing the arch of my cheek with his thumb, holding me with his eyes. Then he bent and kissed me.
I felt his vow in that kiss. A vow to give me moments, and days, and years of himself until all his love was spent and his Lord called him home forever.
I returned Shane’s kiss with a vow of my own. A promise to trust. Life cannot be planned until it is perfect. It must be lived. And that day I vowed that I would let go and live it. I would not snatch my life from God again. I could trust Him and I would. I could trust God, and I could trust Shane. Neither of them was like me. But they loved me, and that was enough.
Epilogue
So where did we ride on the rusty and treacherous tandem bicycle?
Well, first I picked up the tiny stuffed cat and tossed it into the garbage. I did not want a wanton act of littering to mar our beautiful day.
Then we rode to Athena and Aphrodite: A Grecian Boutique.
Shane parked the bike and helped me down with a gallant bow.
We walked into my workplace arm in arm.
I hid a smile as Agathi Papalia, my boss, paled a shade at our entrance.
She had not seen Shane since the day we’d brought a deceased feline into her boutique.
I was not surprised that the memory was not a fond one for her. It had taken some fast talking and a month of probation to get my position back as her new bridal designer.
I held out my ring, and the shop girls squealed and attacked me in a rush of hugs.
Ms. Papalia fanned herself with one manicured hand.
I showed Shane my favorite gowns, and he barely took his eyes off me to give them a glance. But he nodded and squeezed my hand, and I figured that having him in love with me rather than a heap of satin was perfectly acceptable.
We were separated when he excused himself to use the bathroom. Then, he came back around the corner looking for me.
My boss pounced. Uh oh.
I had seen this lecture before. In fact, I had given this lecture before, and I wouldn’t stand for it.
“Mr. Elliott. You claim to love our Jacqueline, correct?”
“Yes, Ma’am. I love her more than the mountains, and the sea, and everything that lies between. I love her with all that I am.”
“Yes, yes. But that is not nearly enough. If you love this girl then you must sacrifice. I could tell from across the room that you do not love her enough. Do you love her enough to wear a black tuxedo with tails and a top hat?”
Shane grimaced.
“I thought not! Now is the time to prove your affections; you must—”
My feet had rushed me across the room before I realized I had taken a step. I slid my arm around Shane’s and pulled him toward me.” “I love him, Ms. Papalia, exactly how he is.”
My boss gasped and raked her eyes over Shane’s jeans and vintage video game t-shirt. She paused on the frayed flannel, and then gave me “the look.”
I returned it with a look of my own. “Absolutely not,” I said. “Not him. You leave my guy alone.”
Shane kissed my hair and grinned at Ms. Papalia. “Don’t you fret, Ma’am. I’ll freshen up before the big day. Lead me to the suits, and I’ll see what I can stomach.”
She marched away.
Shane leaned close and whispered against my ear. “Do you want tails and a top hat? I will wear any atrocity that you demand, Miss Jack. You know that, don’t you?” He gently kissed the crest of my ear and then pulled me against his chest.
I listened to the deep beat of his heart and slid my arms around his back. I closed my eyes and let the world slip away. “I know.” I whispered. “But I don’t need the top hat. The day will be perfect, even if the cake falls over, no one eats my hand-pressed mints, and the bridesmaids’ dresses are constructed of mounds of horrible, itchy lace that makes them look like rampaging birds’ nests.”
“Why?” He whispered against my hair, so soft I could barely hear.
“Because it is our wedding, and you are perfect for me.”
Shane straightened suddenly and grabbed my hand. “Good. Let’s go see if your boss has any tie and cummerbund sets in red flannel.” As he dragged me into the back, where Agathi Papalia was indeed pulling out tie and cummerbund sets for his perusal, I shot up a quick prayer.
“Thank You, God. Thank You for loving me, even though I am not perfect. Thank You for Your gifts of beauty in the middle of all the hurt. Your way has been better. Control is nice, Lord, but love is from You. Thank You for all that it took to show me that. Thank You for being bold enough to risk my hatred in order to show me how to love.”
Ya-Yá’s Favorite Recipes
Gemista—Stuffed and Roasted Greek Tomatoes and Peppers
Ingredients
8 large ripe tomatoes
6 large green peppers
4 potatoes cut into wedges
1 red onion finely chopped
2 clove garlic finely chopped
1 sweet red pepper
1 carrot grated
1 can chopped tomatoes
A small bunch of parsley chopped
A small bunch of fresh mint chopped
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Thyme
Salt
Pepper (preferably freshly ground)
Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup Rice
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
½ chub sausage (optional)
Food prep
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Rinse tomatoes and peppers
Cut off tops and scoop out flesh and seeds leaving the outer layer of flesh and skin in a nice round bowl shape.
Save the tops. Put the tomato flesh and seeds into a blender. Throw the pepper seeds away.
Blend the tomato innards into a puree, add ¼ cup olive oil and sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Line up the tomato bowls and corresponding lids in a greased baking pan. Line up the pepper bowls in a greased baking pan. Place a small piece of butter into the bottom of each tomato and pepper.
In large sauce pan—heat 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil. In the oil, sauté onion. Then add garlic cloves, red pepper, and carrot, add sausage (if desired). Cook 3-4 minutes. Add can of diced tomatoes, tomato paste, rice, chopped parsley, chopped mint, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp.
thyme, a pinch of sugar, salt & pepper to taste. Allow mixture to come to a boil. Add up to 1 cup of water if the mixture lacks moisture. Cook on low with lid for 15 minutes until the rice is just shy of being cooked.
Fill tomatoes and peppers ¾ of the way with the mixture.
Place a small handful of shredded parmesan cheese into each tomato bowl and top with lids.
Toss potato wedges and 2 Tbsp olive oil, add oregano, salt, and pepper to taste.
Place potato wedges in the baking pans between the tomatoes and peppers.
Sprinkle each tomato with a bit of sugar.
Pour tomato puree overtop and drizzle the whole thing with extra virgin olive oil that has been mixed with oregano, salt, and freshly ground pepper.
Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of each pan and cover in foil (make sure the foil has the shiny side down and the matte side up).
Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour
Remove the foil and bake 15 to 30 minutes more until nicely browned.
Serve with fresh bread and feta cheese.
Summer Frappé
Ingredients
1 quart jar
1 tall glass
Instant coffee
Sugar
Ice cubes
Milk
Water
Food prep
In jar add 2 tsp. instant coffee, 2 tsp. sugar, and 1/4th cup of cold water.
Place lid on jar and shake until it is solid foam.
Pour into a tall glass.
Add ice cubes, about 1 cup of additional water, and milk to taste.
Kourabiedes or Greek Butter Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup butter softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla
1tsp. brandy or almond extract
1 tsp. grated orange zest
1/4th tsp. baking powder
½ cup almonds toasted and chopped fine
2 ½ cups flour
¼ cup additional powdered sugar for dusting
Food prep
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix butter and powdered sugar until fluffy.
Athens Ambuscade Page 10