Of Sinners & Saints

MARI

It had just gone half eight when Dim looked at his sterling watch. Mari noted he didn't look at ease but thought nothing of it, after all, if she had been the one to blow close to ten thousand Kroaling in a night she wouldn't have been at ease either.

"Bedtime," Mari sternly said to Ezra whose bubbly persona subsided somewhat. She yawned a couple of times, it was rather contagious as both Dim and Mari yawned as well.

"Why?" Ezra responded drearily, saliva escaping her lips, her eyes now looking blearily.

"So, you can wake up in good form tomorrow," Mari pointed out. "We have an early flight back to Komotini. You want to go home, right?"

"But I wanna stay up," Ezra moaned looking at her father for an answer. Again, she yawned. Dim was always too soft with her, but this time he was wisely going to side with his darling wife, he had to. Mari stared daggers at him for good measure, sharp daggers laced with poison.

"Listen to your mother," Dim sternly told his daughter. With that, Ezra huffed down the corridor to her room which was at the end of the hall on the left. Ezra's room was directly opposite the master bedroom.

The room was rather plain, just like the rest of the apartment - cream walls and a cream carpet with two single beds parallel to one another. One bed in blue and the other in pink. Ezra slept in the bed closest to the door.

"I go bed bye," Ezra said, but she was not going to drift off to sleep without being read a story. Mari knew that all too well. Ezra had read the same story for the past week, a take on Beauty and the Beast. - a favourite of hers, she professed.

Mari began reading the pop-up picture book. She didn't even turn the first page when Ezra started snoring. Her precious was out for the count. "Aww," Mari gloated with pride as she tucked Ezra in and kissed her forehead. "Will she be alright?" she turned to ask at Dim in a hushed voice.

"She'll be fine," Dim assured her. "Just fine." The couple left Ezra's room leaving the door slightly ajar. "Come on, let's go down to the restaurant," he thoughtfully suggested.

Mari grabbed her leather jacket that was far too big for her and turned around to confront Dim. "No booze," she instructed him as the couple went out the front door.

"No booze," Dim repeated offering her an assured nod.

But would he be truthful?

Mari and Dimitris made the short walk to the restaurant. On the way they passed a very handsome man; the most handsome man Mari had ever seen. He was the epitome of perfection, sunken dark eyes, strong jowl and longish black hair. He had caught her eye earlier at the beach when she was catching a tan with Gia. This man was taking photos of the scenic ocean or so she presumed. He had an unbuttoned shirt and Mari gazed at his six-pack, unlike Dim's big beer belly. Mari cocked her head around and noticed he had tight buns as well. A girl can dream.

The resort, like the restaurant, was run by the Fernandez brothers. Both brothers were practical jokers and approaching middle-age. One tall, the other small, the Chuckle Brothers she called them. The restaurant was an over-sized gazebo with a green and white roof. There was an open kitchen, a stage for performers, and ample room for guests to be seated. There were already many people enjoying their meals. It was popular with the locals of Luz.

Mari pondered what to have today, she had stuck to a salad all week. She watched her figure you see, but seeing as it was her last day, she fancied something a bit different, maybe a traditional Luz delicacy, perhaps?

Dim and Mari patiently waited to be seated and thankfully the couple did not wait too long when an attentive perp waitress came to greet them. "Table for four?" the kind waitress asked the pair with a winsome smile. She remembered them from the night before.