When the four arrived at the opulent hotel, Golden Trident for the night, Doc was already worried his presence with Maera was an imposition on Jim and Diane. Once they passed through its lobby with its pastel colors and low, indirect lighting, they were led by their hosts to the large suite they had been in for a week. While passing through the main room Doc asked Jim once again if the two would rather spend their last night alone and with privacy.

"Look, Dr. Roussos," Jim said, taking him by the arm. "Let me show you two something. He led them down a short hall beyond the master bedroom to another room. When the door was opened, and the light switched on, both Maera and Doc peered into a quaint room with a queen-sized bed in the center of the space. There was an adjoining bathroom and a large curtain, which when pulled back by Jim, revealed the bright lights of Lefkada's Old Town below and the sea beyond.

"That's so beautiful!" Maera exclaimed under her breath.

"And look there," Doc whispered to her. "Across the sea. You see that dark mountain rising out of the water? That's our home. That's Kalamos."

"It's so small from here," she said. "So dark."

"No people there," Doc answered back. "On that side of the island there lives just a crazy professor and . . ."

"A Nymph," she said boldly, loud enough for Jim to hear.

"Yes, a Nymph," Doc replied

Jim just laughed.

At that point Diane showed up in the small room with them.

"Now you two make yourselves comfortable here. You'll probably want to take showers." She quickly went into the bathroom and surveyed the toiletries and existence of towels and robes.

"All set," she said.

"Now after you're all cleaned up and ready for bed," Jim added, "drop over to the main room for some fresh fruit we're having brought up. Some Champaign, possibly a movie, and . . . what other indulgences have you got planed as a night cap, Diane?"

"Well, you'll all just have to come and see," she said in a devilish voice.

Doc was uncertain what meaning was dangling in the air of the comment, while Maera just innocently smiled at the festive sound of it all.

As their hosts left them in the room, Maera instantly went into the bathroom and began exploring the soaps and creams on the sink. Doc followed her in and saw that she was fascinated by the glass doors of the shower stall.

"What is in there," she asked excitedly.

"It's a shower. Where you go in and wash yourself . . . under the water."

"Under the water?"

Doc smiled, never tiring of being mystified by what Maera did not know.

"Here, look." He opened the opaque glass door and reached in to turn on the showerhead by its large glass ball.

"Oh! I see! And you get under the water?"

"Yes. And you wash your body with these. He handed her a colorful wash cloth and the small bottles of perfumed soap.

"Oh, Doc I've missed the water on my body . . . all day!

"Well, now you just get in there and live it up."

"No clothes?"

He laughed to himself.

"Nope. No clothes, Maera. Just your body and the water. And soap, of course."

"Who will go first?" she asked, with excitement in her voice.

"You will. I'll leave you now. So just enjoy your shower. Leave your clothes on that hook, use this towel for drying off . . . and just wear . . . one of these white robes hanging there when you finish."

"Oh, I will," she laughed back, excitedly, and closed the door.

After a minute or two Doc heard the water surge on. He called through the door.

"You turn the glass ball one way for hot water . . . and the other way for cold," he gave as a precaution.

"I like the cold!" she shouted back, assuredly.

"Alright then."

He went over and sat on the bed. It was hard for him to believe where he was—there on the large adjacent island to Kalamos. And with Maera as his companion. The whole issue of how they would sleep together---or apart, in this beautiful setting was not something he wanted to begin considering just then. For it was enough only to take in how the day had gone and how much his young, unique friend seemed to be enjoying it all.

He sat pensively, considering Maera's unexpected place in his life. There was the emotional attachment he could not now deny. And of course, the physical attraction, which was endemic to him, simply by him being a man. But how would the next hours play out, he wondered, knowing also that Maera's Nymph qualities and mythological DNA would eventually show itself, as all too often it would in legend—first as a blessing, and later as a curse.

He suddenly heard the water shut off and after several minutes, the bathroom door opened with the wet-haired beauty, looking more her mythological self, now wearing the white terrycloth robe which the hotel had provided.

"I feel so wonderful, Doc. The water was amazing. And I'm much cleaner than being in the Sea. Clean like you always are."

"Well, right now I don't feel so clean," he said, smiling. "But a shower sounds tremendous."

He got up and stood next to her as she looked in the mirror, trying to untangle her blond and honey-colored strands with her fingers. For a brief moment Doc stood close by. He reached over and ran his own fingers through her wet hair gently. He saw her smile at this gesture in the mirror.

"I think you are always the most beautiful coming out of water, Maera," he said.

"Of course, I am," she said, matter-of-factly, turning and smiling up at him. "I live in it, remember?"

"That's just it. I'm beginning to forget that."

"No. Never forget that, Doc. Who and what I am. You love me for that, don't you?"

She was looking at him earnestly now, waiting for his response.

"Yes, I do love you, Maera," he said quietly. "I'm only realizing now, how much."

She reached over and put her hand to his face.

"It makes me happy when you say that Doc."

At that moment he envisioned opening her robe and pulling her soft body next to him. But just then, Diane's voice was heard outside the bedroom door.

"Hey, you two . . . Before you settle in for the night, come in and join us for a movie . . . and some special treats. Hotel robes are OK on the premises."

Once again, some distant alarm bell went off in Doc's mind about the situation. He stepped over to the door and opened it partially. As soon as Diane saw him, she smiled. She was already in a white robe like Maera.

"We've got some strawberries, grapes and yoghurt waiting in the next room for you two. Jim says he's found a great movie for us. Something foreign. It will top off a great day with you wonderful friends if you join us."

Doc felt the pressure to comply. "Alright, Diane. I think Maera's finished with her bath. I'll just be a second and well see you there."

"Excellent," she said smiling back, and closed the door.

Doc passed by Maera quickly and headed into the bathroom. "I'll be quick about bathing. Just wait and we'll see Jim and Diane for a little while before we sleep. It's polite that we do this."

He brought out the portable hairdryer and showed Maera how to use it, which she found amusing. Once back out of the shower and forced to wear one of the white robes, as he had not planned for other clothing on the brief trip, he came out and found Maera sitting, waiting on the bed.

"What do you think they'll want to talk about?" she asked nervously.

"It's not about talking. They just want to spend some time with us before they leave tomorrow. On their boat."

"But where will they go?"

I really don't know. We can ask them . . . maybe some other islands. Maybe back to the States."

"States?"

"You know . . . America. Where they both live. Where I used to live."

"America?

"Look. I'll tell you all about it someday."

"Promise you will?"

"Yes, I promise. Now let's go out and be cordial to these people."

As the two walked out barefoot and in their robes, down the hall to the main room of the suite, they found Diane and Jim were also in their bathrobes and sitting on a large, comfortable divan adjacent to an almost wall-sized TV screen. A series of travel clips were playing of exotic and remote places, looking to be dramatically filmed by drone cameras, sweeping across green and wild landscapes.

Placed on the table in front of the divan were four Champaign glasses, an ice-bucket with a bottle in it, and four bowls of a yogurt and fruit salad.

"Good evening, neighbors," Jim said to them as they took seats on the divan net to them.

Maera's attention was immediately drawn to the large screen TV and she was totally mesmerized. Doc realized the virtual reality of it being seen for the first time would have to be overwhelming, either to human or Nymph.

"This is a travel video on the Hawaiian Islands," Jim said, noticing the hypnotic, and stunned look on Maera's face."

"So, have you two been to the islands," Doc asked awkwardly, as he tried not to focus on Maera's paralyzed state. Diane was busy pouring the Champaign.

"Oh, yes," she said, in a gleeful voice. "Just last summer we were on the big island . . . for two weeks, right Jim? Then we went to Baja to visit some friends at their amazing place in La Paz."

"Great," Doc said mindlessly, nudging Maera surreptitiously to come back to the group. After everyone had a glass in their hand, Jim held his up and made a simple toast to their friendship. All drank except Maera, who just held her glass awkwardly and smiled back at the hosts.

"Young lady, I don't believe I've seen you eat or drink anything since we met earlier today . . . Doc, is she always so frugal with food and drink?"

"Oh yes. That sort of freaked me out too, when I first met Maera." He smiled sensitively at her. "You see, she'll go a day or so not eating anything . . . like today, and then binge like a male athlete . . . the very next day. Personally, I don't know how she does that, but it's her habit and I've accepted it."

"Everyone to themselves," Jim said, tipping his glass to her and downing his remaining Champaign.

"Well then, Diane said," changing the subject. "Now for a little surprise. She took from a decorative beaded bag she produced, a carved wooded pipe and a bag of what appeared immediately to Doc to be marijuana.

"Oh, yes!" Jim said animatedly, putting down his glass. "I hope you two will join us in a little dream stuff before we turn in."

Doc was speechless. He knew the process well of getting high on pot. As a young man of the seventies and eighties, even the nineties, when he had smoked on occasion with his university colleagues, the whole act and its effects were not completely foreign to him. But it had been many years since he had indulged in the substance, which was only taken recreationally during those times, and never habitually.

"You know . . . marijuana has been in the news a lot lately, Stateside," Diane said, going to the task of loading the pipe with several pinches of the dried herb and packing it carefully.

"Yeah?" Doc said, nervously. "So, what's the current, latest zeitgeist on the stuff back home? Are we back to . . . it's only recreational and medicinal . . . and should be legalized?"

"It's been legalized, Doc." Jim said, smiling once again at his former colleague's isolation. "Diane has a medical card to buy the stuff in the City. It's totally cool, now, Doc. Taxable, and brining in tons to the government."

"Amazing," he said. "Remember the old days, guys? In college? When you could get arrested just for a few joints?"

Jim laughed and nodded.

Diane had already lit the pipe and inhaled the smoke. She waited a long moment before exhaling, then passed it over to Jim, who did the same.

Maera watched this small ritual with interest and nervously waited to see if Doc would do the same. When Jim passed the glowing pipe over to him, he took it in his hand and was obviously conflicted as to whether he would indulge or not. He finally shook his head as a negative message and instead looked at the pipe admiringly for several moments, taking in its ornamental carving.

"Where did you get this beautiful thing?" he asked, obviously deciding to divert his reluctance to participate.

"In Hawaii. Last year," Jim said, still holding his breath and honoring Doc's choice to not indulge. "Orestes . . . you can't believe the whole industry going on now around pot. It's become high-tech."

"Corporate America is in the biz bigtime. And it's growing," Diane added."

"Times change," Jim continued, taking the pipe back and then doubtfully holding it out toward Maera. She put down her full glass of Champaign and waved her hand negatively.

"Are you sure, Hon? " Diane asked. "It's really pretty mellow stuff."

"No. But thank you," she answered cordially.

After several more hits of the pipe, Jim and Diane became quieter, obviously taking in the exotic images from the large screen and the musical sound track, which Jim turned up. For half an hour the four sat in the comfort of the divan traveling over volcanoes in Hawaii on a helicopter and then plunging down to sea level where it raced over large waves and brave surfers riding them with grace.

Without warning, Jim suddenly changed the channel on the TV and the programming radically altered. It now featured an attractive couple walking along a beach. They kissed several times at sunset and soon the program revealed them in a gorgeous bedroom where, once again they were shown kissing and hugging passionately. Soon they began to undress each other and the camera zoomed in on their attractive bodies.

Maera sat motionless watching the scenario as it became more erotic in high definition. The couple was now eagerly caressing each other. Their heavy breathing could be heard instead of music. Doc quickly knew where the high-quality video production was going and anticipated how and when he would graciously back out of the evening's future festivities.

As the male character began to kiss the neck and full breasts of the female actress, moving his face down her torso, Doc noticed Diane, sitting closest to Maera, had reached over and was caressing her bare leg under her robe. Maera was frozen. Too surprised to move. Doc felt his heart beating faster as he could see his companion was too stunned to react. As Diane leaned over slowly, ostensibly to kiss her, Doc stood up and feigned an embarrassing yawn. This action stopped Diane's subtle sexual advances. He then reached for Maera's hand to stand up with him.

"Well, look you two," he said graciously. "You've been the best hosts to us. All day and night on this island. But I really think Maera and I are totally wiped out from this wonderful experience. Sleep is what I know I need."

Diane was quick to interject. "Maera, is that right? Are you ready to call it a day? Or do you want to stay in here with us for a while?"

Maera, looked at Doc's blank expression, but seemed innately to understand the consequences of remaining in the room.

"I am tired too," she said meekly.

"Very well," Jim said, and gentlemanly stood up to see his guests off to bed.

"It was a great day and sail over from Mytikas with you two," he said, obviously trying to cover over any awkwardness he and Diane may have caused them.

"It truly was, my friend," Doc said, shaking his hand in a harmonious gesture of 'good night.'

As he and Maera entered the bedroom and closed the door, she instantly threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"You are so good to me," she said in a whisper.

"Look. I just didn't want you to . . ."

"No. Not with them, Doc.

"Good, Because . . ."

"But tonight . . . I want you to do those things to me. . . the things you told me a man can do to a woman. What we were watching in there."

He felt her body push tighter against his and her warm breath on his neck.

"I want you to show me, Doc. How and where a woman wants to be kissed."

At that moment he felt her face come close to his in the dim light. And with it came the sensation of her soft lips pressing against his. This led to a more passionate embrace and a longer more heartfelt kiss, initiated by him.

Whether it was the two glasses of Champaign, or the sincere coaxing of the Nymph to show her a bit of human magic that night, Doc complied—both to the creature he could say he now loved, and the young man inside him who had never truly gone away.

* * *