The Arrangement: It Led Me To Love

Chapter 30 - Laurene's POV

When I go home, which will be soon now, I will really miss Greece. I am going to make sure that I come here for holidays in the future though. I especially love the scenery and the food. This morning the cook has prepared me fried bread with poached egg and avocado, along with homemade yogurt and honey. My taste buds tingle in excitement and anticipation for the burst of foreign flavour soon to be revealed. Looking up I notice Ellison sauntering into the kitchen, in all his morning glory. His hair is messy and tousled, looking naturally sexy, and his baggy sweats ride low on his hips, making my cheeks burn in embarrassment. His white shirt is taut around his muscles, showing off his toned stomach making me internally drawl. I snap my eyes away to save any embarrassment of being caught in the not-so-subtle act of checking him out.

"Morning." He says in a gravelly voice, sending vibrations through my responsive body.

"Morning, how did you sleep?" I ask, trying to keep my eyes trained on his face.

"Better now that the storms have died down." He replies, and I nod in response, going back to my breakfast.

I am just leaving the kitchen when Femke rushes in, calling my name. I turn around and hug her, as it has been a long time since I had a proper conversation with her.

"Laurene! How are you?"

"I am better thanks. Starting to come to terms with what happened."

"I see. Well I heard you are going back to the states soon..." She begins, looking at me with hesitancy in her deep brown orbs.

"Yes, I am going to really miss you." I say with a small, sad smile.

"I shall miss you too! But I was wondering if you are busy this afternoon? If not then I have booked the afternoon off of work, and I would love to take you to my village, to meet my children and see the real Greece before you go." She says, looking unsure of my response.

"Wow I'd love too!" I respond enthusiastically.

"Great, we can get the bus at one? Unless you want to take the car?" She asks, looking very jovial.

"Hmm. Maybe we could take the bus? It would be a good experience for me." I shrug, as well as thinking that it would be low profile so hopefully I would not be tracked.

"Sure! Although I warn you, they aren't as nice or as modern as American ones." Femke clarifies.

"That's fine. Although I will bring a body guard, as I will be more exposed in this environment." I hastily add, not wanting to be completely defenceless.

"Whatever you would like miss." Femke answers.

Running upstairs to tell Ellison about my engagement with Femke, he encourages me to go and literally pushes me out of his room to go and get ready. Laughing I make my way to my room to construct the perfect outfit. I do not want to stand out or look like I am over dressed, so I decide to go for a look that is laidback and casual, with a pinch of class. I tug on midnight - black matchstick jeans and pearly white ballet flats. I then put on a simple white sleeveless crop top, with a holly-blue silk scarf with dainty pink flowers hand-sewn onto it, wrap it tightly around my waist, up over my torso, and then tie the ends behind my neck to fashion a halter-style blouse. I pull my hair up into a messy bun, and pat some concealer under my eyes and swipe some mascara onto my eyelashes. I have a feeling that I will not be judged by my looks where I am going.

When Femke is ready to go, we both head out with a body guard discreetly trailing behind us, and walk to a bus stop at the very end of Ellison's road. It sounds silly, but I have never been in a bus before. I guess it is because I have lived a life where I have always had someone driving me around, or a variety of cars to drive myself everywhere. To be honest I am quite nervous. What should I expect? When I see the bus pull in, an old model with worse suspension than a homemade pram, my heart sinks. Once the temperature spikes the tin can is going to stink worse than a half-time locker room.