The Greek Rule (The Greek Series) Page 11
“No, it would set my plans off if I had to pay interest on them in advance.” Athena calculated numbers as she spoke and didn’t understand the purpose of such a move.
“Personally, I would be very happy if you were here in Greece. I want to help you and be able to work together. If you desire, you could set the schedule to pay back Strintzaris. It isn’t an issue.”
Alexandros skimmed his thumb over her knuckles when it became clear to her. He was talking on a personal, not professional, level and her pride wouldn’t allow such a deal. If she’d wanted to secure her goals in such a matter, she would have accepted her brothers’ offer to back the deal. No, she needed to stay with the original plan.
“It isn’t a good idea to mix business with pleasure.” She looked away from his eyes. “Besides, I can’t do that to Giardetti, I cannot abandon them and walk away. They’re counting on me specifically for the Crete Hotel.”
“Don’t just walk away. Give Luca proper notice, we’ll pay for any inconvenience, and then you’ll be free. I want you to stay. We’re professionals, and we can separate business and pleasure.”
Knowing Greek men, she knew he didn’t see any need to make that separation, but he would if it convinced her to stay. If she weren’t familiar with the way Greek men thought, she would have been angry. However, she knew he didn’t want to demean her abilities. He simply wanted to keep things ‘in the family’—for lack of a better term.
“Just promise me you will consider it, and that we’ll discuss it again at a later time.”
“No, Alexandros. There is a reason I didn’t ask my brothers to finance the deal, and for the same reason, I won’t consider this either. I want to do this myself, with my own merits and strengths.”
“But you have nothing to prove.”
“I do.” She raised a hand and insisted they finish the discussion. “And I ask that you respect my professional decisions. They are my choices, as respecting them is yours.”
Nodding in agreement, Alexandros settled the bill and they began to roam the cobblestone streets where the ancient people once walked. They strolled through the t-shirt shops, dallied by the windows of the traditional jewelry displays, and lingered in the antique stores. Sitting on the steps of a Byzantine church in the area’s main square, they shared an ice cream and watched people fill the square. It was a fun afternoon allowing them to explore their pasts and their dreams for the future.
Alexandros pointed to a little gypsy boy dancing with a tambourine in his hands.
“When I was little, I used to tell my father that I wanted to live like the gypsies and play music on the street for a living. I hated wearing shoes, and I thought that would be the way to avoid them.”
“I bet that went over well with your father.” She laughed at the image of Spiro Strintzaris playing the guitar with the case open at his feet, the way the little boy’s father was.
“It only lasted until I was four, then I wanted to be a garbage man and ride on the back of the big trucks.” He laughed again, and asked, “What did you want to be when you grew up?”
“I wanted to be a belly dancer. I loved the outfits they wear and the way everything jingles when they move.”
“You would be a very enchanting belly dancer, maybe even dangerous. Hey, I could accompany you with my tambourine.” He ran his hand down her back and sent shivers up her spine. Bending his head, he placed slightly open lips on the side of her nape in a lingering kiss. “See, you and I can be a very profitable team.”
“Well, then puberty hit, and I became aware of my body and physically shy. I focused on my mental attributes and decided I wanted to be a great missionary and save the world. Eventually my nature led me to individual projects of the day that would provide a comfortable living of my choice. By high school, my main requirement was to work in Greece and get paid in dollars.” She raised her shoulders in that innately Greek shrug again.
“Smart girl! You can do anything your heart desires, you definitely have the ability.” His admiration was obvious as he stood and held a hand out to help her up. “Pame, it’s almost time to meet with Demosthenis.”
Chapter Sixteen
Athena wrapped her arm around Alexandros’s back, and his hand gently caressed her bare shoulder as they walked through the gardens. When they approached the cafe, which was their meeting point with her brother, Demo stood and waved at her. He smiled, opening his arms.
She motioned toward him and Alexandros let her go so that she could run into her brother’s awaiting embrace. Throwing her arms around his neck, she burrowed into her big brother, and he lifted her in an elaborate bear hug.
“Demo. What a fantastic surprise. I haven’t seen you in almost a month. I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Has it only been a month? It feels more like two years to me. I see a lot of things change in a month.” He put her feet back on the ground and kissed her forehead. Then turning, he extended a hand to Alexandros. “Demosthenis Lakis.”
Alexandros took the hand, shook it firmly, and in a friendly gesture, covered it with his left hand before speaking. “Alexandros Strintzaris. Very pleased to meet you, Demo.”
“What a good coincidence that you should be in Athens today.” Demo said, looking from Alexandros to her. “Are you two staying long?”
Demo’s eyes focused on Alexandros in a knowing look. Athena could read the mental messages her brother was sending Alexandros.
This is my sister, not a plaything. She is special to me, and you’ll do well to honor that.
There was nothing like two macho Greeks meeting for the first time.
“We came in this morning.” Alexandros spoke with ease. “We needed to pick up a gift for Heather and take care of some business matters. We thought while we are here, we could not pass up the opportunity for lunch at Thanassi’s. The family is expecting us back on the island for dinner late tonight, but I am happy we have the opportunity to get together, if only for this short time.”
Alexandros’s manner and eyes communicated that he did not intend to play with Athena. Demo smiled casually, inviting them to sit as he ordered some frappes from the waiter.
The merger Demo was working on in Zurich had closed early. It’d been a long month, and he’d decided to come ahead of the family to Greece. He explained he wanted some time to refuel before “having Mom parade every potential and suitable Greek wife on Long Island through the house for dinner”.
The group laughed and Alexandros added, “Greek mothers, they cannot wait for those grandchildren. Are you the eldest, Demo?”
“Yes, Tony is a year younger, and Athena is our baby.” He pinched her with affection. “A big baby now, but still our baby. Eh, koukla?”
“How could I ever argue with such a domineering, handsome, and intelligent set of Cretan genes?” Athena rolled her eyes and winked.
“Good, finally someone acknowledges the truth,” Demo said, puffing out his chest like a papa penguin and twisting a pretend mustache. “All those tapes I played for her while she was sleeping are finally paying off… Demo is always right, Demo is fantastic, do as Demo says, Demo is always right, Demo is fantastic et cetera…”
Holding her abdomen and wiping tears from her eyes, she begged him to stop. Athena took in a breath and let Alexandros in on their private joke. “It was just before second grade when I woke up to such a tape in the middle of night. I laughed so hard I barely made it to the bathroom. He spent an hour repeating the three phrases into a microphone just so I would make his bed for him.”
Alexandros raised an amused eyebrow and asked if it had worked.
“Yes, she made my bed everyday for the next four years,” Demo said, and laughed.
“That’s because you paid me a quarter for each time I did it. Remember?” She rubbed her fingers together for emphasis.
“Do I? You raised it to five dollars a week in fourth grade, and by sixth grade I couldn’t afford you anymore.” He raised his glass to her.
“Good job, agape
mou.” Alexandros rubbed her shoulder. “I couldn’t even get Costa to let me shower in the morning before he did. All I could do was wake up earlier. When it got to be six o’clock, I gave up and took showers at night.” The threesome laughed.
“It’s only you and Costa?” Demo asked, and Alexandros nodded. “You’ll work together now that Costa is back in Greece?” It was more of a statement than a question.
Demo had warned her about Alexandros’s professional reputation. He was a smart and effective businessperson. He was feared, but well respected by the international community. When he set his sight on something, he was sure to acquire it. He dotted every ‘i’ and crossed each ‘t’ without ever resorting to deceitful tactics. Athena knew Demo admired that in a businessperson.
“Yes, I’m looking forward to sharing some of the responsibility. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy what I do, but to have someone I trust implicitly with me is a great advantage.”
Demo agreed and told him how he glad he was when Tony had agreed to join him in starting their own international consulting firm.
“It’s been only three years, and Lakis Consulting is already a powerhouse in the Greek-American community,” Athena added, proud of her brothers. “Simultaneously, they’re establishing a very good reputation internationally. Some of the initial investments my brothers made were very fruitful and have increased their net worth into the multi-million dollar category. Joining their energies was very favorable—”
Demo covered her mouth with his palm. “Cut it out. You sound like a walking billboard.”
“Well, I look forward to seeing you in the boardroom as well,” Alexandros said. Then the conversation left the business world. “Now what about the wedding? You’ll be attending, no?”
“I wouldn’t miss it. I’ll get settled in Crete, and fly out Sunday morning at nine. That gives me enough time to check into a room and come to the church. The wedding is at six if I remember correctly.”
“When have you ever been wrong?” Athena wrapped a loving arm through her brother’s crooked elbow. “I’ll be happy to have more time with you. Can you come earlier?”
“Not really, koukla. I have some other things to set up first. I might extend my stay here and work out of Crete this summer. So you’ll see me plenty if things work out.”
“As for Santorini, there’s no need for a hotel. You’ll stay with us.” Alexandros insisted. “There’s plenty of room at Kalithea, and it will be a chance for you and I to get better acquainted.”
“Done, thank you for the invitation.”
They exchanged phone numbers and began to make their way through the gardens.
The sun was low on the horizon and Demo claimed he needed to get to the port—he didn’t want traffic to cause him to miss the ferry.
“Do we need anything from the office?” Alexandros asked Athena.
“Just the present and my personal things.”
“They’re already on the helicopter. It could meet us in Piraeus, that way we could drop Demo at the port since he refuses a ride to Crete with the helicopter.”
“Thank you, but that isn’t necessary,” Demo rejected the suggestion. “I’m meeting Zoe at the garden’s entrance. Coincidently, she was heading to Crete for a couple of days and we decided to take the ferry together so we could catch up.”
“Zoe? Zoe Marcos?” Athena was surprised. “You two are back together?”
“We never had a falling out. We’ve known each other since kindergarten. Why don’t you like her?”
“Oh please, you two are ridiculous. There is no spark, no fire. You both are guarded and don’t want to take a real chance at love. I think you’re cowards and don’t want to risk being hurt. You’ve been gravitating towards each other, like people gravitate towards comfort food when they have a hard day. She is not the right woman for you.”
“Athena, stop. We’re simply taking the boat together, and if you must know, we have separate cabins.” Demo gave her a disappointed look. “You are being silly and dramatic. She’s a wonderful woman.”
“She is wonderful, and I do like her. I’ve known her all my life and I think of her as a sister. You do too. You’re cheating yourself and her by continuing this relationship. You both deserve so much more.”
“Since when did my little sister turn into an expert on relationships?” Demo moved closer and gathered her into his arms. “I promise, I will think about what you said. But only because you are the one who said it. You keep an open mind, and please be polite when you see her. She is really wonderful.”
“She is. So is a pair of fuzzy blue slippers.”
Demo warned her by raising his eyebrows and giving her a stern look as he spoke. “Don’t over do it. I said I would consider what you said. Don’t push it any further.”
“I’m sorry if I over stepped. I did it because I love you.” She snuggled into her brother and kissed him on his tightened jaw. “I just don’t want you to eliminate all your other options. I want you to lose your control over a woman who will do the same for you. Just ask yourself if you could live without her. If you can, and we both know you have, she is not the one. If you can lose control over Zoe, then both of you are very lucky people.”
Alexandros listened to the siblings intently. He hoped Athena couldn’t live without him; he knew he could not live without her.
They spotted Zoe waiting with the car. She did look very beautiful and collected. She walked to Demo and kissed his cheek in greeting. Athena hugged her and introduced her to Alexandros. Zoe seemed very pleasant and sincere in her affections for both siblings. However, he too noticed that there was no flame, no spark between Demo and Zoe. They chatted for a few minutes, asked about the families back in New York, and then bid each other farewell in an amicable fashion.
The Strintzaris building was a short walk away, but instead, Alexandros had a car meet them. He did not tell Athena where they were going, but the car headed in the opposite direction. Alexandros quietly settled her against him and didn’t talk.
He was intrigued by the conversation he had been privileged to hear. Her devotion and passion to her brother’s happiness had stirred him, and he sat in deep thought, not wanting to disturb her. He would listen when she was ready to talk.
“He really does deserve more you know,” she finally said. “I haven’t seen Zoe in five years, but I know her very well. She’s nice and a good person. We spent a lot of time in each other’s homes when we were younger. They were like our extended family.”
“Then why don’t you want her for your brother? If she is that nice, why is she not good enough for Demo?”
“She would be if he loved her the right way. He loves her the way I do, platonically. As you saw, she’s very attractive and I’m sure he has no problem appreciating her body. Who wouldn’t like a body like hers?” She looked at him pensively, as if gathering the courage to explain further.
“In college, Zoe was engaged to the love of her life. Patrick was everything to her and he was a great guy. They were together since senior year in high school. Her parents didn’t approve of the relationship because he wasn’t Greek and he was a catholic. He was one of Demo’s friends, so to avoid conflict, Zoe would tell them she was going out with Demo. It wasn’t a complete lie, and it worked in high school. In college, they couldn’t hide it anymore, and her parents had to accept it.
“Three months before they were to be married, Patrick died in a horrible car accident. We were all devastated. He’d become part of the family. Zoe and Demo took it the hardest. Demo blamed himself for not driving Patrick home after the party, but the truth is that Patrick was not drunk and the accident had nothing to do with his ability to drive himself. Zoe was so depressed she left school and lived in her bedroom for a whole year. She ended up graduating when I was in school, even though she had started with Demo, who was done with school before I was there.”
Alexandros listened patiently, rubbing her upper arm gently for support. He knew this was hard for her.
“I see.” He nodded his head and understood her objection.
“Do you think that is the right reason to get married? Do you think that is enough to base a future on and to build a life without love and passion?” She shook her head side to side answering the questions herself. “Guilt and heartbreak isn’t what a marriage needs to survive. Time has passed, and they’ve both made successes of themselves professionally. If they stop using one another as a shield from the world, they could find the love they deserve.”
How did she become so wise? He wanted to tell her it would all work out for her brother. Instead he said, “Demo promised he would think about what you said. And you did give him a lot to think about.”
“I know. I hope he isn’t angry with me.”
“I’m sure he isn’t. He can’t be angry because you love him and want the best for him. You said what you needed to say, and I’m proud of you for it.” He lifted her chin and kissed her. This complex woman stole his heart a piece at a time.
The car made its way up unfamiliar narrow streets for another few minutes. When it halted at what looked like a bus stop, Alexandros opened the door and stepped out.
“Anything else before we head home, agape mou?” he asked, offering his hand to help her out.
“The galaktoboureko! We nearly forgot.”
Alexandros gave the driver instructions to collect the dessert and meet them at the helicopter in forty-five minutes.
She followed him inside what looked like an old bus depot and saw the cable car waiting to carry them up Mount Lycavitos.
“I thought the teleferique was not working.” She smiled in anticipation.
“It was refurbished and has been operating since last year. Come on. The sun is setting as we speak.”