In Blue Water

Chapter 7

Filippos pov

It’s been two months since I started the process of moving to Chicago. Today I take all the papers that I need to travel. I have already found a place, the people at the university help. In a few days, it will be ready. For now, I have only communicated with Ashley, she promised to keep it secret about my arrival, and she is happy that I will try with Phoebe. I booked a flight tomorrow; the sooner I leave, is better. I will stay at a hotel if Phoebe feels awkward to let me stay at her place until my apartment is ready. For now, I will travel only in a suitcase, and my brother will send the rest when I am at my apartment.

“So you are ready?” Elpida asks as I finish the stuff that they will send me

“Yes, I don’t have anything else. These are what you will send me. And this I will take it with me now,” I say, and I show the suitcase

“I’m so proud of you,” Mario said, and he hugged me

“We are going to miss you, but we are so happy for you,” Elpida said, crying

“Phoebe is so lucky. Who knew that you needed a girl to make you decide to leave” she says, and Mario hugs him

“I will be the lucky one if she accepts me.”

“Why won’t she? Everything will be ok,” Mario says, and we leave for the airport. I will land in Athens, and from there, I will take the flight tomorrow morning to Chicago.

I arrived in Chicago a little late. I texted Ashley to surprise Phoebe, but she told me she was staying with her parents tonight. I sigh; I want to see her, but if I go to her parent's house, she will feel uncomfortable, and I don’t want that. So I decided to go to a hotel close to the university so tomorrow morning I will go to meet my colleagues and the president and complete my recruitment.

The following day I woke up and got ready for the university. As I walked in, I saw a lot of students looking at me, and I remembered what Phoebe had said to me. It would be hard for her if she had a teacher or professor like me; I’m a walking temptation, as she said. I smile, shaking my head, and I knock on the president's office door. We talk about the classes that I will take and when they will start. I have two weeks free to prepare and get to know the city. I texted Phoebe, and she said she would be at work and then she would go for lunch with Ashley.

Ashley texted me the address of the restaurant so I would surprise Phoebe. I have a few hours to kill, so I walk around and stop to drink a coffee. It was time to leave, so I walked since the restaurant was close to the cafe. I researched the address that Ashley gave and through the phone map. On the way there, I see an older lady around her fifties trying to put some groceries in her car. I offer to help, and I catch her bag before they fall

“Oh, thank you so much, young man.”

“No problem, ma'am. Are you ok?” I ask, and she opens her car’s door. She put the bags in

“Yes, thank you so much,” she says, and she looks at me. Something is familiar

“As I say, no problem,” I say

“You are so kind. I pass three people till I get here, and only you help just in time,” she says, and she walks around to get in her car

“I’m glad that I helped. I must go now they wait for me.”

“I’m Clair, by the way. Do you want to take me somewhere”

“You don’t have to. I’m going to the restaurant in the corner, I think.” I say, and I tell her the name of the restaurant

“Yes is not far,” she says with a smile. Something is familiar with that woman

“Sorry. I’m Filippos; nice to meet you,” I say, and we shake hands. She looks suprised

“Are you ok?” She blinked her eyes

“You said Filippos. You’re Greek?”

“Is that obvious?”

“Yeah. You said Filippos, not Philip or anything else. I know because I have visited Greece” maybe I have seen her at the hotel, that’s why it is so familiar. I haven’t the time to ask my phone to ring and there is a text from Ashley that Phoebe is on the way to the restaurant.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go. They wait for me. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Clair,” I say

“Nice to meet you too,” she says as I turn around to leave. I walk a little faster to reach the restaurant. I find it, and I enter, is a cozy, warm no to big restaurant. Very friendly and family restaurant. I look around, and I see Phoebe on her phone maybe she is texting Ashley. I walk there, and I see the waiter approaching, I guess for her order, but he leaves away when Phoebe tells her something. She sits at a table next to the wall, and she chooses the couch that touches the wall. I sit opposite her, and I am just looking at her. God, I missed her so much. She wears a red blouse with sleeves and black pants.

“Phoebe,” I say, and she freezes, she stops typing, and I see her swallow before slowly lifting her head. I take a breath; she was so beautiful before. Or I had to see her for a long time. She has light makeup; she had mentioned that she doesn’t do much makeup at her work. I look at her, and she doesn’t take her eyes off me.

“You here? Or I’m dreaming again?” She asks, full of hope. Did she dream of me? What a coincidence.

“I’m here,” she breaths out, relieved, and she smiles. She put her phone down, and I took the opportunity to touch her hand. God, she is shaking; I take her hand with both hands. I stand up, and I sit next to her. The table next to us is empty, so I don’t bother anyone. I take her two hands, and I kiss them

“Relax, baby; I’m right here.”

“How?” she says, still shaking

“Try to relax, and I will explain everything, ok?” I say, and she nods. I hug her passing my hands around her shoulders. She hugs me too, and she rests her head on my chest

“Your heart is pounding,” she says, and I smile

“Is because I’m happy that you are again in my arms,” I say, and she giggles. She pulls me closer, and I sigh. The waiter came for an order, and we started talking. I ask her how her dad is, how his work is, and of course, the article. She did an excellent job; we already had much more tourists.

“So I told you my news. You turn.” She says, and she takes the last bite from her food.

“Ok. You remember that I told you that I want to teach” She nods, waiting to continue

“Well, for a few years now, I had to give resumes to a lot of universities and also here in the USA. And I was accepted to one here.”

“Here, you mean here in Chicago?”

“Yes. I never accepted it before because I thought Mario needed me back in Greece. But the day you left, something changed in me. I make a big conversation with Mario and Elpida, and they agree that I have to move on,” I say, and she swallows

“I have and few other jobs to go, but I choose to come here. Except for the fact that the opportunity here was better, you are here. The only reason that I accept is you.”

“Me?”

“Phoebe, I don’t know if you move on, but I didn’t. Two months away from you was torture. I never felt so addicted to any other woman before” I lean and take her hand

“Move on? How could you move on? One month with you, and you ruined me for every other man,” she says, and I laugh

“Good,” I say, and I caress her hand

“So?” I say, and she looks at me, biting her lower lip

“We continue from there; we leave it?” I ask, and I wait for you to answer me. First time in my life, I felt so nervous.

Q