Charlie and Stephanie were your average American couple. Except, of course, for the 2.5 kids and the white picket fence part. They decided long ago in their relationship that they wanted a different life from the typical families they grew up around in Midwest America. There was nothing wrong with that path, they just felt like life had too many opportunities to explore, too many places to see, too many people to meet to be held down by kids, endless familial obligations, and boring flat terrain. That's why when they got married in 2005, they packed their bags and moved to New York City. Everyone in their hometown of Topeka, Kansas said they'd be back home in no time because the Big Apple would eat them alive. Little did they all know that this is the exact life they had always dreamed about and turns out, was a perfect fit.
Charlie worked his way up from mailroom staff at Simon and Shuster Literary House and was now Chief Operating Officer for the Manhattan branch, right in the hustle and bustle of NYC. Stephanie split her time between a freelance marketing manager for local realtors and her lifelong dream of becoming a published author. Charlie and Steph loved the variety of the big city, they ate at new restaurants every weekend, went to art houses, met interesting people from all over the world, showed hometown friends and family around NYC on a regular basis, and loved their life in the Big Apple.
Their ties to the literary world were great, but the industry is competitive and NY is always on like they say, it's a city that never sleeps. Charlie told Steph that he wanted to take an exotic vacation once he wrapped his latest project and as things were coming to an end, he surprised her with a little gift as a clue to just where they would be headed. It was wrapped in white paper with a bright blue ribbon. Steph was taken aback as it wasn't a birthday or anniversary, so what's with the gift. Charlie reminded her that he was in charge of planning their getaway and he wanted her to start prepping for this adventure. She unwrapped the gift suspiciously but excited at the same time. She popped open the box and there was what looked like a clay dollhouse of some sort. It was painted white and had a bright blue rounded dome top, painted bright blue. She inspected it and said it reminded her of the pictures she's seen online of places in Greece. They had mentioned Greece as a long-term bucket list, but she thought it was much too soon to go there since they talked about that being their 10-year plan.
She said in a coy way, "must be someplace kinda like Greece."
He smiled and said, "You're warm, very very warm. Well, actually you're hot."
She laughed it off thinking he was just being silly. She asked for another clue and he said for her to guess again. She racked her brain for things blue and white but couldn't think of another place with such iconic strong colors. She paused and asked confused, "Greece?"
Charlie's eyes got wide and his face lit up with delight. Steph dropped the painted house onto the sofa and ran around the apartment like a delighted puppy. "Are you serious? We are going to Greece? Really?" she yelled from across the room.
Steph ran back towards Charlie and he wrapped her in his arms and said, "You deserve the trip of a lifetime, let's do it. YOLO!" They laughed out loud together and started talking about all the things they wanted to see and do while they are there.
6 months later.
The flight from NYC to Greece is about 9 hours long and since Charlie had exceeded expectations on his latest project, he left for vacation with a nice little bonus. First class upgrades for this flight would be the tip of the iceberg to their incredible trip.
They landed in Athens and had a driver take them to their 5-star resort nestled in the side of the mountain on the island of Mykonos. It was infinitely more beautiful than any of the pictures online or what they had imagined it would be. The water was crystal clear and the way the sun was setting on the white villas gave the whole city a warm golden glow. Steph looked and Charlie and let out a little "Eeeekk!" He was focused on getting to the right resort, being in an unknown country, Charlie always had his eye on safety. What made him so great at his job was his ability to manage and control things, so being in a new place made him slightly uncomfortable. He flashed back a quick grin, squeezed Steph's leg, and double checked his GPS to make sure the driver was still headed in the right direction.
They pulled up to the resort and it was like driving up to some rich person's house in the movies. From the street, it looked like a residence, but once they drove in past the entrance gate, the view of the ocean took their breath away. The driver rounded the corner and two gentlemen stepped out from behind a door, nodded a friendly nod with a warm smile. The car slowed to a stop and the driver gave the men their last name and the men opened the doors to greet them. "Welcome to the enchanted land of Mykonos." Just as they held out their white-gloved hands, two beautiful Greecian women walked up and offered Charlie and Steph champagne with fresh strawberries nestled atop the glass.
Charlie decided to pull out all the stops for this vacation, knowing how much Steph had sacrificed for his late nights and excessive work schedule the last year. She really was the rock to their relationship and he wanted her to know how much he loved and appreciated everything she did to keep their home in order, dinner on the table each night, coordinating social events, and everything else she did to make his life so wonderful. When they checked in, the concierge at the front desk said, "I see you have reserved the Presidential Suite, are you celebrating anything special?"
Steph whipped her head around with a surprised look on her face and mouthed, "The Presidential Suite? What?"
Charlie just grinned and answered the Concierge that any time away with his girl was special.
The doorman whisked away their luggage and a VIP team member gave them a little tour of the village. He told them how exclusive the resort was and all of the interesting features and amenities they could anticipate during their stay. He led them down a white paved path, lined on both sides with a garden full of beautiful pink roses. As they ascended the stairs, they could see the Ocean in their view, pristine, calm, stunning. They were distracted by the incredible view when they heard the VIP doorman clear his throat and waved his hand to invite them into their Presidential Suite Villa. As they walked into the entrance, they looked across the living area and there were three huge floor to ceiling windows that framed the ocean in a way that looked completely fake.
Steph's eyes opened wide as she said "Oh wow!"
Charlie was eager to explore so he gave the team member a tip and told him they were good to go now. He shut the door behind him and Steph ran up to Charlie, jumping into his arms and exclaimed, "Oh my goooooodness, babe!! What in the world?!"
The excitement of the trip coupled with the extra glass of champagne had Steph feeling frisky. She ripped off Charlie's shirt and started kissing his neck. He pushed her onto the plush sofa, lifted her little sundress and began massaging her body.
