Chapter Two

Whitlock Investments, San Francisco

The surprise going away party? Not so much of a surprise. As Lu organized papers for the Greek project in their San Francisco office, the activities in the conference room were hard to miss. Delivery of a balloon bouquet had started her thinking. A catering crew came onto site. Bubbly arrived from their beverage distributor. Lu checked the office calendar. Nope. Nothing. No one had it booked. Yet it was blocked out. There it was. A big indelible black ink X.

When her roommates arrived, something clicked. Now she knew for sure. It was for her. They covered her eyes, led her toward raucous Greek music, and into the room. Gone was the quiet respectable office atmosphere. Their staid conference room had been transformed into a party zone. Greek travel posters were tacked up along each wall. An Aphrodite statue carved in white faux marble sat in the middle of the long table. It was surrounded by platters of moussaka, pastitsio, skewered kebabs, souvlaki, and beautiful Greek salads with huge slabs of feta. Bowls of tzatziki sauce and hummus were on the side. Golden honied loukoumades for dessert. The room smelled just as heaven should. Male voices called out “Kalimera!” In a rush entered barely clad Greek dancers, Chippendale style. She greeted them individually then sat down for the show. After the finale lap dance Lu was smothered with their hugs. Kisses. It was a bittersweet time for her. Eased with shots of ouzo. Many of her friends were in tears.

“Just think what a cool place you will have to visit,” Lu kept reminding them. Several had come over to the Hawaiian islands when she was there. One had remained. Hopefully they will do the same when she is in Greece, she kept telling herself.

Her roommates here in town were a jolly group. They all lived together in a huge apartment over a bar in the Mission District. The things they had seen, coming and going. The Top Hat gentlemen’s club was down the street. Haight-Ashbury just around the corner. Lu could walk to work and run daily in Golden Gate Park. A couple of her friends had spent time in Greece already and coached her, “You will love it!