Halfway to You(23)

“Working on your novel?”

Still high on the rush of writing freely, I wasn’t embarrassed to admit, “I liked what you said last night, about fear.”

“You took my advice?” He seemed pleased.

I nodded. A breeze flicked through the pages of my notebook, and I closed the front cover. “Want to sit?”

“I should get back to my friend,” he said. “I just wanted to say hello.”

“I’m glad you spotted me.” For the first time all morning, I thought of Todd. Perhaps Keith could help me find him? “Before you go, I have to say: I wasn’t entirely truthful last night, when you asked why I was here.”

“Oh?”

“I’m looking for someone. I’m wondering if—”

Keith raised a finger, signaling for me to wait. “I know just the guy. Come to my table.” He thought I was looking for a relationship, not a specific person.

I stood. “No, that’s not what I—”

But Keith kept walking.

I tucked my notebook under my arm and followed him down the walkway, passing three tables until we got to his. A man was seated with his back to us, facing the windmills. Keith tapped him on the shoulder, and a flush came to my face as I grew flustered by Keith’s misunderstanding . . . but before I could clarify, the words halted in the back of my throat. The man who turned and looked up at me was Todd.

Todd was the friend Keith had mentioned last night.

Maggie, I was gobsmacked. A part of me had assumed I’d never find him. But of course, he was your uncle Keith’s best friend.

“Oh . . . hello.” Todd set down his coffee cup and pushed up from the table as if he might hug me, but he didn’t. Instead, he ran a hand through his unruly hair, front to back.

“Hi,” I squeaked. I had the sudden urge to cry—a hot, itchy stinging in the corners of my eyes.

It was relief.

And overwhelming embarrassment.

I hadn’t mentally prepared for this moment, the moment I’d have to fess up to stalking Todd after spending just one afternoon together. I clutched my notebook until the spiral binding cut into my palm. He looked good—really good. He wore a linen shirt that made him appear relaxed and breezy, and he’d already tanned from the intense Greek sun. He didn’t look as weary as he had in Venice. In fact, he was squinting now, and thin little smile lines creased the sides of his face. If he was unhappy to see me, he hid it well.

“Did you follow me to Mykonos?”

“I . . . well . . . I, um,” I stammered. Here it comes, I thought. This is when he tells me that I’m a freak and he never wants to see me again.

Keith cut in: “You know her?”

I considered throwing myself off the sidewalk and into the sea.

“Copper,” he said softly, pointing at me.

The reference rendered me still.

“This is Venice?” Keith clarified. His face—pinched and creased with confusion—transformed into a big, unbelieving grin. “I can’t believe it. Todd, this is the girl I told you about from last night.”

“You told him about me?” I managed. It was gradually occurring to me just how creepy this could seem, my being there. How was Todd not startled, or angry?

“I can’t believe I didn’t realize the connection.” Todd laughed in amusement. “Do you have plans today? We were going to check out the windmills and maybe go to the beach. Want to come?”

“That . . . sounds fun,” I said. “Are you sure?”

“Of course! I’m going to pay for our drinks, I’ll be right back.” He disappeared inside the café and I watched him go, dumbfounded.

Gone was the melancholy man I’d met in Venice; in Greece, Todd’s whole demeanor was heightened. Had he simply been tired when I met him? No, he’d full-on rejected me. Leave it at that, he’d said.

“You look perplexed,” Keith commented. He was seated at the table, his legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles.

I sank into Todd’s chair. “He has to be lying.”

“About?”

“In Venice, he rejected me. How can he be glad to see me now?”

“He had a great time with you,” Keith said.

“Then why . . .” I shook my head, burying my face in my palms. I had spent so many days expecting Todd to be furious or bothered or standoffish at the sight of me here—though I had hoped he’d be glad, I hadn’t actually prepared myself for that outcome.

“He liked you. I know that because he told me.”

“He did?”

“Yeah.” Keith sat forward. “But Ann, there’s something you need to know—” Keith broke off as Todd walked up.

“Ready to go?” he asked.

My heart skittered. “Absolutely.”

The three of us stood and started down the pathway, Todd in the lead. I felt giddy. I had found him, and he was glad! I couldn’t believe that I was about to spend another day with Todd, another day like the one I’d been thinking about for over a week. Whatever Keith had been about to say, I didn’t care. It didn’t matter. I was thrilled to be welcomed.





ANN


Mykonos, Greece

September 1984