Addison, on the edge of sixty and exhausted by his demanding clients, took her up on her offer. The good people of Montecito would come to trust Alexa with their travel as they trusted Addison. They were used to someone else doing most tedious tasks for them. Booking travel was no exception, even when booking travel switched to this new online nonsense. They wanted to have a few conversations in a proper office with a real person where they could toss out phrases like “cruise through the Mediterranean” or “cooking school in Provence” or “family Christmas in London,” and someone with a certain taste level, insider knowledge, and computer skills could simply make that happen. This clientele wanted full service and no surprises. And Alexa Diamandis knew how to provide both.

Eventually, she would buy out her friend and mentor and Kent Travel would become Odyssey Vacations with Alexa as sole proprietor. The offices were redecorated in the blues of Greece. A concierge position was added to provide beverages and quarters for the parking meters during client meetings. And well-designed itinerary folders became standard issue for every trip. Her people were paper people.

On the personal side, she added a lovely historic 1920s condo at the end of a cul-de-sac in what locals called the Lower Village to her portfolio, a real estate decision she never regretted. She was settled, successful, and she was ready for that baby.

And now that baby was getting married to a New Yorker! Someone who might take her precious Penny away forever. While it was grand to be a citizen of the world and hold those two passports—Greek and American—she couldn’t quite grasp that Penny had chosen New York over California. She’d worked so hard to create a perfect childhood in a perfect town for Penny. Maybe, just maybe, she’d have to succumb to plan and pay for the perfect Montecito wedding. Then her Penny would see the light and return to California.

As Alexa walked through the door of Lucky’s Steakhouse, she spotted the crew who could make her plan a reality: the Merry Widows. And they were already through their first round of vodka sodas.

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