Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Waverly’s text to Nicole was short, but oh-so sweet:

Her next text was equally short on details:

Two things struck Nicole as she read the second message. The date for this wedding fell on Waverly’s 21st birthday. The second thing to strike her was the absence of an address. As in, no hotel, no town, nothing to suggest where this wedding would take place, other than on Kalokairi, one island out of hundreds of Greek islands.

It took a phone call to Wynonna for her bestie to explain Kalokairi was Perry’s idea of a joke. That was another piece of information missing from the invite, whoever this Perry was. Kalokairi it turns out was not a real island but a fictional one, supposedly something to do with the filming of Mamma Mia!. Wynonna wasn't entirely sure on the details. The detail she was sure on was Waverly and this Perry were definitely tying the knot on the Greek Island of Naxos, where Perry’s family owned a collection of villas. Nicole already disliked the new guy in Waverly's life, even before she had met him.

The official wedding invitation arrived in the mail two weeks later. A thick piece of white card, edged in vibrant blue like a traditional Greek window. On one side were Waverly and Perry’s names, written in swirly gold lettering. Details of the venue were included, which on Googling looked gorgeous, and romantic, and quite frankly somewhere Nicole would have chosen to get married, if she were the marrying kind. Except, such commitments went against her idea of love, Shae of the same mindset when it came to putting a ring on it, the couple having been together long enough for it not to be a problem if neither said ‘I do’.

In the weeks leading up to the big wedding, golden sand beaches and azure blue waters filled Nicole’s thoughts. That, and the opportunity to eat good food in the company of good people. Thirty two wedding guests were to stay at The Crofters, a resort of luxury villas run by Perry’s older brother Christian. The resort’s website enthused about all things Naxos. The cuisine, the culture, the captivating beauty of the island’s green interior set against an unspoilt coastline, adding to the whole romantic wedding vibe.

The opportunity to rest and relax for a week appealed. What with her own work commitments, and Shae’s ongoing quest to be the best goddamn lawyer in London, vacations had somehow slipped off their 'To Do' list since they first danced the night away under Mediterranean stars. Shae too seemed thrilled to be getting away from it all, going so far as to admit her envy of Waverly for having chosen somewhere so perfect.

It wasn’t envy Nicole felt about Waverly’s most recent life choice. A better word would be shock. The decision to get married so soon after meeting this Perry the reason why she had such an uneasy feeling. It wasn’t that long ago Waverly had been dating James (Champ) Hardy. What a loser he turned out to be. Early on, Waverly had let slip about wanting to get married, and about wanting lots and lots of babies with this James. To which she distinctly remembered making loud gagging sounds, to get the message across to Waverly she wasn’t a big fan of either. Marriage or kids. Or a fan of someone who thought it cool to be called Champ.

“You must want kids eventually,” Waverly had said to her. “Everyone wants kids.”

“Nope. I’m good without a mini-me, which would be unlucky enough to get my stick legs and this hair.”

“They might get Shae’s,” Waverly had suggested. “Don’t you want to see them in adorably cute costumes for their nativity play?

“Snotty angels forgetting their lines,” she'd thrown back at her best friend's sister, in an effort to wake Waverly up to how it really would be with kids.

“Oh, oh, birthdays with jelly and ice cream and those party bags with mini pinball games. And a cake, which I’ll make.”

“I'll come as a clown and scare them,” she had teased, Waverly gracious enough to have laughed at her feeble stab at humour. “I can see them now, puking on the lawn after too much cake. No thanks.”

“You’ll change your mind when you see my adorable five,” Waverly had replied.

“I’ll make you your own party bag. I’ll even find one of these tiny pinball games you’re fixated on. How about that?”

It turned out James Hardy was of a similar opinion as her when it came to marriage and snotty kids. Which led to long phone calls, Waverly crying the other end, their heart-to-heart conversations about why that relationship had run aground.

To get over the devastation of splitting up with him, Waverly had taken herself off to Greece for a spot of rest and re-evaluation of life goals. She had sent precisely one text, at the start of her island hopping adventure, to say she might have rushed things with Champ. Yet here they were, on their way to Athens, where they would catch a ferry to Naxos, to watch Waverly get married to a guy she had known for less time than she had dated charmless Champ Hardy.

“He better be better than that Chimp,” she had warned Wynonna over drinks, a week before they were due to depart.

“Family’s loaded,” Wynonna had informed. “Like, fuck off wealthy, with money to spare.”

“So?”

“Waverly deserves the best. And, Perry Crofte has the best.”

“Four months though.”

“Three,” Wynonna had corrected. The short amount of time Waverly had known Perry before getting hitched seemed not to be a problem. “Tell me again how long you waited before moving in with Shae.”

“That’s different.”

“Twenty seven days from memory.”

Nicole had waved a hand at her bestie. “No rings.”

“Ring or no ring you’re still together, proving my point.”

“What point?”

Wynonna had clicked her fingers at the bartender. “If you know you know.”

“You haven’t even met him.”

“I’ve seen photos of him outside one of his villas.” Wynonna had made a gesture with both hands to suggest the size of said villa. “Muchos biggos.”

Like all best friends, they didn’t always agree on everything, Nicole fully aware some of her mother’s hippie ideals had been absorbed into the marrow without question. Which meant she found herself struggling to reconcile Wynonna’s materialistic take on life and love with her own less needy take on existence. Equally, she was struggling to understand Waverly’s urgent need to marry this Perry (with the big villas) Crofte after only knowing him three months.

To be clear, she wasn’t against making money per se. Christ, she understood you couldn’t live on air alone. What she resented was extreme wealth. Maybe she simply resented Perry for having enough money to woo Waverly. Make that wow Waverly. Or, maybe Waverly really did love this Perry guy, regardless of his money.

A week later, on a particularly wet and windy September morning, they boarded a flight from London to Athens. On arrival Nicole and Shae followed an excited Wynonna out of an airconditioned airport, where she proceeded to lecture them on how to jump the long queue for a taxi. To Nicole it seemed straightforward. You didn’t. You waited in line for the next empty vehicle to roll up and insert all the bulky luggage in the trunk. Wynonna returned five minutes later, cursing under her breath at the slow pace of Greece.

If Wynonna had listened to her, right about now they would be boarding a shuttle flight from Athens to the Island of Naxos. The island’s airport was a short distance from where they would be staying, which to Nicole made sense. But no, Wynonna had other ideas, convincing them the ferry would be much more scenic, and a much better introduction to the island. Half an hour in, Wynonna was to be found in the restroom puking up her airline lunch.

Their ferry docked three hours later in Naxos Town. They waited with the other visitors for the bow door to lower, and for the vehicles which had travelled with them on the ferry to disembark first. At the far end of the pier Waverly could be seen waving, a sudden and inexplicable urge by Nicole to rush ahead and give the first hug. Which is what Wynonna did, abandoning her bags as she ran along the jetty to sweep her baby sister up in her arms.

“You made it,” Waverly said when they finally caught up with the sisters.

Shae stepped forward to offer their congratulations. She held back, pretending to keep a watchful eye on their luggage as a new shyness overtook any desire to hug her bestie's little sister. Somehow Waverly had grown, not in size but in presence, with a tan so rich it left her faltering for words. The oversized, Jackie O sunglasses on Waverly’s sun-kissed nose, the blue cut-off jeans which hugged slender thighs. A white t-shirt, tied in such a way as to expose a similarly tanned stomach, the word ‘Crofters’ in vibrant orange across her chest. Holy fuck..!

“Hi,” Waverly said, as she smiled in Nicole’s direction. “Glad you came.”

She returned the smile as her body was embraced by a goddess.

“Perry’s given me the company car,” Waverly informed as she directed them to where she had parked. She pointed to a grey minivan, with ‘Crofters Luxury Villas’ on the side. “Plenty of room for everyone.”

Sat in the back with Shae, a firm grip on her wheeled suitcase, Nicole soaked in the scenery as they set off for Perry’s place. On their right she spotted cafes and restaurants overlooking the harbour. Many of the outside seats were taken, while other tourists strolled along the stone path separating the fronts of buildings from their outdoor dining area. It was on her mind to ask whether they would be visiting Naxos Town during their stay, letting it go as the two sisters gossiped in the front.

“What do you think?” Shae asked, laying a hand over Nicole’s.

“Not bad,” she replied, when in truth she meant amazing.

The minivan continued along a street of whitewashed buildings. Past Fun Car & Rides, past Rent A Car & Moto, the air entering the minivan a pungent mix of fried fish and car fumes. The sudden buzz of a moped had her focusing on the tanned young guy riding it. Wearing shorts and a vest top, flip flops on his feet, he slowed and shouted something in Greek at Waverly, to which he received a wave back.

“That’s Theo, one of our waiters,” she said as she chased the moped up the narrow street. “Where we’re staying has its own restaurant.”

Nicole already knew that from having researched the resort. In her mind she had dined out on the images of their seafood risotto, followed by a perfectly grilled fish, caught locally. She had even pushed the boat out and imagined trying their rabbit with figs and prunes, although the rooster in a red wine sauce made her mouth water just looking at it. Shae would probably tut and remind her of the diet she was meant to be on, but photos of the banoffee pie and the fluffy chocolate mousse had her salivating in anticipation.

At the junction overlooked by the Aktaion coffee boutique Waverly took a right. They left behind the whitewashed fronts of houses, replaced by orange dirt and unfinished building projects. The road was empty of vehicles, the sides of the street empty of people, nothing more than a barren afterthought to Naxos Town. Soon they were back amongst civilisation, Waverly telling them she was heading toward ‘Andrea Papandreou’ which would take them all the way to their resort.

Waverly had picked up a slight accent since being here. Noticeable in the way she pronounced the street name they were to take. Nicole fixed her focus on the view beyond the van, instead of the strange flutter inside. Stunted palm trees and sand dunes, open expanses of water as they crossed the very end of the airport’s runway. Clear blue skies and distant beige hills, the occasional white box house with blue window frames.

At a sign for Crofters Luxury Villas they turned off the main road and onto a dirt track. From there the going became bumpy as Waverly navigated the potholes and ruts to get them to their destination. Seclusion was one thing, but this part of their route felt abandoned as they bounced along.

“I’ll show you your rooms,” Waverly said as she drove between metal gates and stopped outside a low building, with the word ‘Reception’ above the door. “I’ve planned a drinks party later so you can meet Perry, and his family. We’re eating in the restaurant at nine.”

Nicole’s stomach rumbled.

Waverly had put them in a junior suite. Rustic furniture, which to Nicole looked like it had been made from driftwood, offset an absence of colour in the rest of their accommodation. Two lamps caught her attention, their bases made from grey stones, each stone stacked in descending size to form a tower. Shae was the first to flop on the bed, stretching out her long limbs.

“Isn’t this perfect,” she said, adding a yawn. “Waverly’s a very lucky girl.”

“I’m the lucky one,” Nicole replied, joining her.

Shae smiled, keeping her eyes closed.

Nicole kissed her lover’s soft lips and left the bed. On the terrace adjoining their bedroom she gazed out over a golden sand beach, and beyond to azure blue water, and wondered why her heart was not at peace with this whole wedding thing.