Reckless - II

03 - Mind Your Own Beeswax

"My name is Apollo. It is nice to meet you." His accent is thick and not French.

On reflex, I nod my head and put my hand out for him to shake. He scrunches his eyebrows and looks down at my hand. I realize my mistake. Was I being too formal? But before I can pull it back, he firmly shakes my hand.

Then he leans forward and kisses me on the cheek and then the other. I shouldn't be caught off guard by his lips on my skin, this has happened several times over since we'd arrived in France. But never by a guy this attractive. I think I'm blushing, and I hate myself for it.

This guy was the worst.

"It is okay. I am a Greek." I think he notices my awkwardness but smiles reassuringly. "We hug too."

I pull my hand from his and take a step back. He is not hugging me. My eyes flicker to his perfectly chiseled chest. He's not wearing a shirt and his trunks were too short.

"A Greek?" I frown at him. "Named Apollo. Hubris much?"

Ari flashes me a surprised look and then nudges me softly. Okay, I was being a little rude, but this guy is ...terrible. I don't understand why we are even talking to him. He should mind his own business.

"Hubris?" He repeats and scrunches his brows in concentration.

"Oh...you are a smart girl." He says. And he flashes me another one of his killer smiles. "Hubris."

He says it funny, like Ha-Breese. And I realized he's saying it the correct way, in Greek.

"Non, no Hubris..." He raises his eyebrows. He's even expressive like Ari too.

"My name is Apollonius. Son of Apollo." He pauses in thought again. "Apollo is easier. It is...how do you say this... le sobriquet?" He looks at Ari.

"Nickname," Ari says.

"Ah, exactement!" He doesn't take his eye off Ari instead he continues to stare into her eyes.

I look over at her, she is staring as intensely. I try to brush it off. This was Ari being Ari. She looked like she was flirting with everyone. She probably wasn't even interested. Maybe he was the same?

Apollo says something in French to which Ari replies. Then he starts to back away, but she stops him. She reaches into one of the bags hanging on my shoulder and pulls out her cellphone. It's a new one with a touch screen and apps. Dechlan had bought it for her after he'd melted her last one in a frying pan.

He takes it from her hand. He's putting his number into it. I have a strong urge to smack the phone from his hand and throw it into the Atlantic Ocean.

Beat that Dechlan.

Of course, I don't. I watch silently as this sexy boy puts his number into my girl...my girl...what? She wasn't my girlfriend. Were we dating? She was my best friend, but we hadn't said anything about what we were past that. I'm deep in thought and I don't notice him walk away.

Ari tugs at my arm and smiles at me.

"You ready to go?" She asks.

Next words I blurt out I regret instantly.

"He's hot," I say. I'm overcompensating, but I can't seem to make the words stop. "Like so sexy. I'd like...totally...like hit that."

I honestly don't know what's wrong with me or what possessed me to say it? It's not even how I speak. I've never said that many likes all together in a week. And hit that? Really?

"Yeah, I guess." Ari stares at me blankly and blinks.

"You know what?" She scowls and pulls her arm from mine. "It's not always about looks. He's actually an intellectual individual. He is fluent in four different languages and a mathematics and engineering student."