Page 118 of Once in a Lifetime, Part 2

A second later, Ody’s phone buzzed. He glanced down. Mano: I’M GONNA KILL YOU

A grin broke across his face. Odysseus: I love you too. A red heart followed. He looked up, waiting.

Mano read it, then slowly lifted his gaze, eyes narrowing. Ody didn’t even try to hide his smile.

From the front of the cabin, a flight attendant’s voice cut through the noise. “Please take your seats. We’re ready for takeoff.”

Chapter 25

The plane landed at Mykonos airport early in the afternoon. The six of them split into two taxis and headed to the hotel. They grabbed their suitcases and continued on foot up the hill. Ody kept stopping to take pictures, while Elias complained about the heat.

By the time they reached the front desk, everyone looked drained.

“Hello, how can I help you?” the receptionist asked.

“Hi, we booked three rooms. One under the name Peterson,” Steve said, giving Chris’s last name.

She typed, then nodded. “Right. A double room.”

“Yeah, I asked for two single beds.”

“Of course.”

“Great. The other two are under Nicola,” Steve continued.

She glanced back at the screen. “Two double rooms. One with twin beds, the other with a queen.”

“No—”

“Can we go in?” Mano cut in.

“They’re ready. One moment.” She reached for the keys.

“Sorry, wait,” Steve said. “We asked for separate beds in every room.”

The receptionist checked again, scrolling through the details. Then her eyes paused on something in the notes. [Guest requested a queen bed in room 17. Do not disclose.] She looked back at them. “You’re right. Unfortunately, we don’t have any more twin beds available. Room seventeen has a queen.”

“It’s fine,” Mano said. “We’ll take that one.”

Ody frowned, glancing at him.

“Perfect. Here are your keys. Enjoy your stay.”

They thanked her and turned to leave.

Mano lingered. He pulled a fifty-euro note from his wallet and slid it across the counter. The receptionist blinked, then caught on. She slipped it into her pocket with a small smile.

Ody pushed the door open and stepped inside. “Whoa.” His gaze went straight to the oversized bed in the center of the room, then to the mirror facing it.

The balcony doors stood open, the sea stretching out beyond.

“What happened with the rooms?” he asked. “How did they mess that up? Steve booked twins.”

A quiet laugh came from behind him. Ody turned.

“You didn’t get it?” Mano grinned.

“Get what?”