Alex - Dirty Blonde hair, 6’2” 195 pounds, hazel eyes.
Nico - Light brown/chestnut hair, 6’1” 210 pounds, green eyes.
There I was sitting at the airport, holding my passport and ticket in one hand, and my phone in the other with my carryon at my feet. I had just hung up the call and was speechless. My divorce was final. I was single again after seventeen years. I was about to be 40 and never had I done anything for myself my entire life. It was always dictated for me by everyone else around me.
My dream was to go to Greece for my 40th birthday. I have always loved the culture and the history. And always wanted to go back and connect with the culture I heard so much about growing up but never got to experience first hand being as I grew up in the states.
I should introduce myself to everyone reading this. My name is Alexander Drakos, Alex, for short. I’m 39 about to turn 40 and I’m about 6’2” and 195 pounds of lean trim muscle and tanned. Even though my last name screams Greek and I am of Greek heritage, I never had been to Greece, and it was always my dream to visit the homeland and see where my family originated from and not to mention the sheer beauty of the country itself. I was married for the past 17 years to my ex-wife Katie and together for almost 20. It was the stereotypical Greek wedding like you would see in the movies. I was pressured into the entire “find a girl, settle down, and make babies to continue the family name….blah blah blah thing.” And of course I did because back then I was fooling myself when I would say I didn’t find other guys attractive and wanted to feel their bodies and taste them. I was also afraid of coming out and what my family would say, as I am the oldest of me and my siblings, all 3 of us and also the only boy in the family. So I did what was expected of me, I met Katie in college and while we hit it off and I did genuinely find her attractive, she was blonde headed like me and very attractive to the male eye, well you know what I mean…. But anyways, we married and 2 years later ended up having 2 kids of our own. Twins, both boys, and they are both blonde haired spitting images of myself. I’m pretty proud of them and love them to death.
The years weren’t kind to me in the sense as I was living a bit fat lie. While I genuinely loved my wife and of course my kids. There was always something eating at me in the back of my mind. Those urges to explore, the urges that I knew I wasn’t “normal” in the sense that I just liked women. My sex life married wasn’t the best. I can’t tell you how many times I had to picture the hot guy I saw at the gym or on the street while having sex to keep myself going and while it sounds horrible…. I did what I thought I had to.
That was, until about 2 years ago, on my birthday, Katie drops the bombshell on me that blew up my “perfect” life I had cultivated so desperately to hide my true identity.
I came home from work one day early and saw her car in the drive, ok no big deal sometimes she was home a lot because she worked part time and being that I had a decently paid job in finance that we were good on one income. Well big surprise to me to find her in bed with our neighbor and my “best friend” when I walked in. The mix of emotions I was feeling at that moment watching his ass go up and down thrusting into her while she was moaning and both oblivious to me standing there.
I made a noise so they would know I was there and they stopped and scrambled. The whole oh my god Alex what are you doing home? And this isn’t what it looks like… All excuses she was telling me. My best friend Charlie covered up. Couldn’t even look at me. I knew I was questioning my sexuality my entire life but fuck…. I never did anything, not once to deserve this. I never strayed never cheated, no matter how my mind worked and wanted to, I did the right thing. Now for what? The last 17 years of my life literally just started swirling the toilet walking into this.
I just turned around without saying a word. I could hear them scrambling trying to get their clothes back on but I didn’t care. I usually had a suitcase packed in the hall closet for business trips I took often for work. How long were they doing this for? I asked myself. Probably a long time especially since I was gone a lot lately.
I grabbed the suitcase my keys and walked back into the garage. Threw everything in the car and backed up and started to drive away when Katie come running outside. “Alex!! Wait! Babe! Come back let me explain!” I was never an angry man unlike my father, I was able to control myself, but now watching my life just snap like a twig in front of me I snapped… I threw the car back into park and got out and walked towards her. By now, Charlie had made his way outside and they both were trying to explain and I saw red and hauled off and punched him square in the nose and knocked his ass backwards to the ground. “Alex!! What the actual fuck man!?” Charlie replied. Katie just looked at me. She had never seen me hurt a fly let alone punch someone. “What the fuck man?? That’s all you can say after I find you in bed fucking my wife!? You’ve know me for years. How long has this been going on!?” I yelled. Both of them looked at me then glanced at one another and back to me. “Oh that long huh? You two can’t even remember how long you’ve been fucking behind my back that you can’t even answer me? Some best friend and some spouse you are Katie. Fuck! I’m leaving. I can’t be around you two right now!” I said to them. “Alex bud…” I turned around. “Don’t Alex bud me Charlie! I’ve been nothing but nice and supportive to you since I met you and helped you all the time and this is how you repay me!? By fucking my wife and from the looks of it for a long time now…. Leave me alone.” I turned and walked back to the car and ignoring Katie and Charlie’s calls for me to come back and talk about this. Fuck that I had to get out of there.
Now here I sit 2 years later, after a bitter divorce and custody battle over my boys, my entire world those two, and I’m free. For the first time in 39 years. I am actually free. In the middle of the divorce I had booked myself my trip to Greece. I was like hopefully by my birthday I would be done and could get away and enjoy two weeks alone learning about the homeland.
“Flight 257 to Athens is now boarding..” I heard call over the intercom. Finally I was getting away. I needed this trip more so now than ever. I planned to take these two weeks and dive into the Greek culture of my heritage and also have fun. Let loose. Maybe even let myself indulge in thoughts I’ve had all these years finally. See if indeed I am gay after all. I feel it and you know at this point I’m ready to find out.
As I was boarding this very attractive male flight attendant was standing helping passengers boarding the plane with their carryons. I made eye contact with him and it literally took my breath away. Fuck he was gorgeous. He had light chestnut colored hair must’ve been about my height 6’1” - 6’2” and looked a bit beefier than me but fit beefy. As I was walking up I saw a slight smile spread across his lips. I read his name tag and it said Nico. Fuck this man was so hot I thought to myself. Well at least I thought I said “so hot” to myself until he answers me back, in a sexy Greek accent, “thanks and so are you” and winks at me. Oh shit. I said that out loud holy fuck I’m embarrassed. I hadn’t even gotten seated on the plane and I was already bright red. Cool it down Alex. Keep calm and sit down and relax. This is a long flight ahead of you. 13 - 14 hour flight from Houston to Athens to be exact and he’s going to be on this flight.
We took off and I didn’t see Mr. Hunky flight attendant until we were about halfway over the Atlantic Ocean when dinner was beginning to be served. I put my stuff up out of my way and then look up to see him walking my way. Fuck this man was gorgeous. He walks up to me “how are you doing sir? Everything ok on the flight so far?” He’s smiling a bit and I can’t help but get drawn into his handsome face and smile. I stopped staring long enough to answer him back. “Yes. So far so good. Thanks for asking.” He handed me my dinner and I feel a paper under the tray of food and winked at me, then continued on his way down the aisle.
I look around and open the paper and read what he wrote. “Thanks for the compliment earlier when you were boarding. It was nice to hear. You’re not bad yourself. My name is Nico. I may be a bit forward but are you maybe interest in…you know….” The note ended there. I looked up and around and he was behind me a few rows back and saw me looking at him. He motioned for me to come join him back there. Oh shit did he want to…oh fuck was I about to join the mile high club? Wait what if he just wants to talk. What if he doesn’t? I’ve never done anything. I was feeling myself spiral. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder and it was him. “Hey sorry to assume and umm sorry for the note…” he began. “I just figured you’d…” I stopped him right there. “It’s all good. I’m sorry also…I’m Alex Darkos, nice to meet you…Nico.” He smiled when I said my last name. “Darkos…huh? You Greek? I can’t tell by your voice…” he asked. “Yes sir but born and raised in Houston. But very much Greek but no accent.” I replied. He looked at me. “This your first time ever going to Greece?” He asked me. “Yes sir. Almost 40 and never been. Finally decided now was the time. I’m presuming you’re from Greece with the accent?” I asked him. He shook his head yes. “Yes, I was born and raised there but moved to The States for college but came back when I was done. Missed home too much.” “Makes sense.” I said. The way I said it made Nico look at me funny. “You sure you’re ok? You seem…preoccupied…in your thoughts.” By this time he had kneeled down next to me talking to me as we were at a good altitude and cruising speed and we were free to move about the cabin. “Yes. I think so. I just got divorced after 17 years of marriage and here I am at 39 about to start all over. So what better way than to go to Greece like I’ve always wanted to.” He smiled. “Sorry to hear that…” he said, I’m guessing trying to figure out without actually asking me if I was married to a woman or another man. I looked at him and answered his question without him asking me. “She cheated on me with my best friend and tried to take everything away from me.” He looked at me. He grabbed my hand and I felt sparks shoot through my hand and up my arm, into my chest. Like fireworks were set off. We both pulled back at the same time. I wonder if he felt it too. “I’m sorry to hear that man.” He was quiet for a minute and then asked me “where are you staying at? Maybe I could show you around a bit? I’m off the next 3 days. If you’d like?” I was shocked this handsome man was asking me if he could show me around.
“If you don’t mind that is? I wouldn’t want to impose on your days off being that we just met…” I told him. “Nonsense… I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t serious.” I thought about it for a bit.
“What the hell? Why not?” I said.
“Great…I’ll meet you after we land and can we can go from there? Yes?” He asked.
“Yeah sounds good to me.” I replied.
He got up and went back to work but not before he grabbed my shoulder again and left a lingering squeeze on my shoulder.
“See you when we land.” And he smiled.
Fuck… how did I get this hot guy to be my tour guide for the next 3 days?
To say I couldn’t wait to land in Greece… was an understatement…
