Lena picked up the phone and dialed the number on her phone card. She did the instructions on the card, and then called Tibby.
"Hello?"
"Hey Tibs."
"Hey! How's Greece?"
"Good," Lena said smugly. She was blushing, but Tibby couldn't see that.
"Bee's going to be up there is a couple weeks. Soccer stuff in Athens."
"When's that?"
"She arrives the 27th. They practice the 28th, the 29th is a sight-seeing day, and they play on the 30th."
"Maybe I'll go up. I can't afford it, but I don't really care right now. I haven't talked her or seen her in ages. She's always moving around, I can never reach her."
"Yeah, I know."
"I saw him!" Lena sang.
"You did?!?!" said Tibby in shock, "Be careful, and don't do anything stupid!" she warned.
"Oh come on, I'm not even divorced yet. He is divorced though," Lena squealed at her last sentence.
"Don't act like a giddy school girl."
"I can't help it!"
"Well try. I have to go. Bye."
"See you Tibs."
Lena went to sleep thinking of Kostos and what people would say if they got together.
Kostos came for her in the mid-morning because he didn't have to work (it was a Saturday). Lena began to walk as he walked. For the first few yards, there was no hand holding. Gradually, they went back to the position they were in before Andrea interupted them.
"Where are we going?" Lena broke the silence.
"I don't know," Kostos said frankly, "I was just walking."
"Oh," Lena paused, "So what did you do to Andrea last night?"
"I did nothing. The situation scared me, but there was not anything wrong with her kissing a boy. She is only a year and a half younger than I was when she was concieved. I just do not want her to make the same mistakes I did."
Lena nodded, but did not respond with words. After about another minute of silence, Lena spoke, "I'm going to Athens the 26th to the 31st. My friend Bee is playing soccer there, and I'm hoping to get to hang out with her. Should I take you or the children?" her last sentence had comedy in her voice.
"You are asking me to go to Athens with you?"
"Yes silly. Do you think Andrea could watch my children?"
"I would need to talk to both Andrea and my boss, but I would love to go with you."
Lena smiled at him, "Cool."
They began walking in the other direction.
"Why don't I check in with Andrea and my boss and get back with you this afternoon?"
"I need to talk to Bee too. She doesn't actually know I'm here," Lena blushed, "She should probably know that."
Kostos nodded and gave a small chuckle, "That might be a good idea. I'll walk you home."
They walked silently along a blustling street without a care in the world. At the doorstep, they stepped in for an awkard hug. 'Hey, its a start' Lena thought. They smiled and parted. Kostos promised to pick the family up for church the next day and they could walk together.
Lena fumbled around in her drawers. She had to have Bee's cell phone number somewhere. She found it after five minutes of digging and almost having a melt down. First, she dialed her phone card, then Bee's number. Lena did not know where Bee was or what time it was there. She hoped it was a decent time.
"Hello?" Bee answered. Good, she was wide awake.
"Hey where are you?"
"Austrailia!" I just got back to the hotel after practice.
"I hear you'll be in Athens in about 12 days."
"Yeah. Want to teach me a few key Greek phrases?"
"You know I wish I could Beezus."
Bee laughed.
"What would you say if I said I could get to Athens to hang out and watch you play?"
"I'd say: 'Great! I haven't seen you in ages! Why can you afford to go to Athens?'"
"I'm living in my grandparents' old house in Greece. So it isn't that far away."
"Why are you in Greece?"
"I want a divorce. I separated from Sam."
"and the kids?"
"They are here for the time being, but to be totally frank with you, I don't know if I'm going to be able to keep them. I was the one who left him and fled an ocean away from him. It sounds ridiculous to have them go to school here."
"mmmhmmm," replied Bridget, "I can see that."
"I'm planning on being in Athens from the 26th to the 31st. Do you get much free time?"
"Yeah. On the 29th especially, but it isn't like we can practice all day and night. We have a banquet the 28th. We get in in the 27th around noon. Thats a free day too. I'll be jet-lagged then. Just to warn you."
"I've seen you cranky before."
"Very funny Lena," Bee said dryly, "You know," she changed her tone of voice, "I don't think I'll be playing professionally much longer. I'm the second oldest on the team. The oldest starter. I have enough money to retire on, but I just love the game."
"Are the young ones out running you?"
"They are Lena!" Bee said pathetically.
"Well its about time someone did," Lena replied unsympathetically.
"So I'll see you there?"
"Yeah. I'll e-mail you with more information on where I'm staying and stuff later. It was great to hear your voice."
"Bye Lenny."
"Love Ya Bee," they hung up.
Lena couldn't wait to hear what Kostos had to say, so she walked past his house a few times pretending not to be looking for him. At about the fourth time, she decided to knock.
"Hi, is your father home?" she asked Andrea.
"Yes, one moment," Andrea left her at the doorway.
"Lena!" Kostos said happily, "You've come so soon."
"I finished talking to Bee, and was bored."
"Well, Andrea agreed to baby sit, but I am paying her. I have not yet talked to my boss, but I haven't used my sick leave yet. I'm hoping I can just bump my vacation up a week."
"Good," Lena said as she nodded and smiled.
"I was about to go talk to him in person," Kostos explained.
"Oh! That would mean I need to move," Lena laughed at herself.
"Yes. You can walk with me if you want to. You just can't go in with me. It is weird enough that I'm asking for leave, but with another woman," Kostos chuckled, "I've only been on four vacations since I saw you last."
"Hello?"
"Hey Tibs."
"Hey! How's Greece?"
"Good," Lena said smugly. She was blushing, but Tibby couldn't see that.
"Bee's going to be up there is a couple weeks. Soccer stuff in Athens."
"When's that?"
"She arrives the 27th. They practice the 28th, the 29th is a sight-seeing day, and they play on the 30th."
"Maybe I'll go up. I can't afford it, but I don't really care right now. I haven't talked her or seen her in ages. She's always moving around, I can never reach her."
"Yeah, I know."
"I saw him!" Lena sang.
"You did?!?!" said Tibby in shock, "Be careful, and don't do anything stupid!" she warned.
"Oh come on, I'm not even divorced yet. He is divorced though," Lena squealed at her last sentence.
"Don't act like a giddy school girl."
"I can't help it!"
"Well try. I have to go. Bye."
"See you Tibs."
Lena went to sleep thinking of Kostos and what people would say if they got together.
Kostos came for her in the mid-morning because he didn't have to work (it was a Saturday). Lena began to walk as he walked. For the first few yards, there was no hand holding. Gradually, they went back to the position they were in before Andrea interupted them.
"Where are we going?" Lena broke the silence.
"I don't know," Kostos said frankly, "I was just walking."
"Oh," Lena paused, "So what did you do to Andrea last night?"
"I did nothing. The situation scared me, but there was not anything wrong with her kissing a boy. She is only a year and a half younger than I was when she was concieved. I just do not want her to make the same mistakes I did."
Lena nodded, but did not respond with words. After about another minute of silence, Lena spoke, "I'm going to Athens the 26th to the 31st. My friend Bee is playing soccer there, and I'm hoping to get to hang out with her. Should I take you or the children?" her last sentence had comedy in her voice.
"You are asking me to go to Athens with you?"
"Yes silly. Do you think Andrea could watch my children?"
"I would need to talk to both Andrea and my boss, but I would love to go with you."
Lena smiled at him, "Cool."
They began walking in the other direction.
"Why don't I check in with Andrea and my boss and get back with you this afternoon?"
"I need to talk to Bee too. She doesn't actually know I'm here," Lena blushed, "She should probably know that."
Kostos nodded and gave a small chuckle, "That might be a good idea. I'll walk you home."
They walked silently along a blustling street without a care in the world. At the doorstep, they stepped in for an awkard hug. 'Hey, its a start' Lena thought. They smiled and parted. Kostos promised to pick the family up for church the next day and they could walk together.
Lena fumbled around in her drawers. She had to have Bee's cell phone number somewhere. She found it after five minutes of digging and almost having a melt down. First, she dialed her phone card, then Bee's number. Lena did not know where Bee was or what time it was there. She hoped it was a decent time.
"Hello?" Bee answered. Good, she was wide awake.
"Hey where are you?"
"Austrailia!" I just got back to the hotel after practice.
"I hear you'll be in Athens in about 12 days."
"Yeah. Want to teach me a few key Greek phrases?"
"You know I wish I could Beezus."
Bee laughed.
"What would you say if I said I could get to Athens to hang out and watch you play?"
"I'd say: 'Great! I haven't seen you in ages! Why can you afford to go to Athens?'"
"I'm living in my grandparents' old house in Greece. So it isn't that far away."
"Why are you in Greece?"
"I want a divorce. I separated from Sam."
"and the kids?"
"They are here for the time being, but to be totally frank with you, I don't know if I'm going to be able to keep them. I was the one who left him and fled an ocean away from him. It sounds ridiculous to have them go to school here."
"mmmhmmm," replied Bridget, "I can see that."
"I'm planning on being in Athens from the 26th to the 31st. Do you get much free time?"
"Yeah. On the 29th especially, but it isn't like we can practice all day and night. We have a banquet the 28th. We get in in the 27th around noon. Thats a free day too. I'll be jet-lagged then. Just to warn you."
"I've seen you cranky before."
"Very funny Lena," Bee said dryly, "You know," she changed her tone of voice, "I don't think I'll be playing professionally much longer. I'm the second oldest on the team. The oldest starter. I have enough money to retire on, but I just love the game."
"Are the young ones out running you?"
"They are Lena!" Bee said pathetically.
"Well its about time someone did," Lena replied unsympathetically.
"So I'll see you there?"
"Yeah. I'll e-mail you with more information on where I'm staying and stuff later. It was great to hear your voice."
"Bye Lenny."
"Love Ya Bee," they hung up.
Lena couldn't wait to hear what Kostos had to say, so she walked past his house a few times pretending not to be looking for him. At about the fourth time, she decided to knock.
"Hi, is your father home?" she asked Andrea.
"Yes, one moment," Andrea left her at the doorway.
"Lena!" Kostos said happily, "You've come so soon."
"I finished talking to Bee, and was bored."
"Well, Andrea agreed to baby sit, but I am paying her. I have not yet talked to my boss, but I haven't used my sick leave yet. I'm hoping I can just bump my vacation up a week."
"Good," Lena said as she nodded and smiled.
"I was about to go talk to him in person," Kostos explained.
"Oh! That would mean I need to move," Lena laughed at herself.
"Yes. You can walk with me if you want to. You just can't go in with me. It is weird enough that I'm asking for leave, but with another woman," Kostos chuckled, "I've only been on four vacations since I saw you last."