Chapter1
Tessa Baker glowed in the sun, illuminating the streets of Athens beneath her balcony. Her short brown curls created a halo around her head as the sun reflected from her golden radiance. She truly could have been a Greek goddess herself atop the balcony, overlooking the busy street connected to her apartment building. She wiped her brow and took a long hard drink from her cool glass of water. She was wearing a thin white blouse that stuck to her skin, unbuttoned slightly to reveal a pink bikini. The harsh bright colors perfectly complimented her rich brown complexion.
After spending a semester in the U.K. for her university’s art program, Tessa had been able to make a handful of friends across the country, allowing her to couch hop during a European vacation. As the summer came to an end and her funds were almost gone, Tessa thought about all the cities that she had traveled to so far.
Her favorite of all was Athens, Greece. She saw herself endlessly staying in the warm city. That always seemed to be how vacations felt, but soon enough she would have to return to her home in the States.
Despite her obsession with Greece, Tessa loved that she was born and raised in New York City. It was where her friends and family lived, and the city treated her well most of the time. New York can be just as mystical as Greece, but not in the same way. The constant rays of sun and celebration of art and culture truly made this place a heaven for Tessa. Although there wasn’t much nature in the city, the streets still breathed life and inspired her profoundly. She felt that this city was the perfect place to fall in love, but she had not done that yet.
Tessa didn’t date often. She enjoyed companionship and feeling close to someone, but her independence could sometimes get in the way of her ability to cohabitate. Growing up as an African American woman in New York wasn’t easy for Tessa, especially with just a working single mother and older sister as guidance. She certainly appreciated the challenges in her life, as they only made her stronger, but she couldn’t help but wish she had been born into an abundance of money, able to sleep her days away on a Greek balcony.
All these thoughts electrified Tessa’s mind as she raced to figure out her next move after vacationing. She craved adventure, but she knew, like most of her classmates, it was time to find an internship and apply to graduate school. She had wanted to teach since she was a little girl, and pursuing her master’s was the next step.
Even though she was supposed to be soaking up the last few bits of sun and relaxing after a long day of window shopping, Tessa couldn’t help but worry about what was next. Luckily, she didn’t have to stew in her own thoughts any longer when Maria, her roommate, opened the balcony door.
“Whatchya up to?” she said, sounding excited. Maria thrived in Greece. Though she was from New York City, her family was from Greece and she spent a good portion of her time in Athens. Tessa had been able to take up the guest bedroom in her apartment for the past week. Maria’s long black hair floated over her creamy bare shoulders. Tessa loved how everyone in Greece always dressed like it was summer.
“Just waiting for the sun to set so I can pop a bottle of wine.” Tessa kept sipping on her water, but her real thirst was for some Savatiano.
“Don’t do that just yet. You interested in making a couple hundred bucks tonight?” Tessa beamed with enthusiasm.
“Always, what’s up?” Tessa had spent her day longing for the beautiful pieces she saw in the windows of her favorite Greek shops. She wanted to take a few more things home with her, but her funds were rapidly depleting.
“One of the girls who was supposed to work an event for the gallery tonight called in sick. It’s just a job to help clean up plates and make sure water glasses stay full. If I bring some good help it’ll make me look even better! And you’ll make quick cash. What do you think?” Maria had been working at one of the largest galleries in Athens. They often held charity events to ask for donations from the wealthy. It wasn’t exactly Tessa’s scene, but she longed to be working inside a gallery. Tessa was passionate about surrounding herself with all things art.
“I’m in!”
*****
Tessa had been to the gallery when she arrived in Greece, but it felt like the first time all over again when she stepped through the doors. She truly felt at home whenever she found herself in a gallery or an art museum. This time, the gallery was much different. It was an old warehouse that had been transformed to display some of the most talented artists of Athens. The second floor was open in the middle, looking down into a large empty space on the first floor.
On her first visit, it had held two different exhibits. This time, it was cleared out and lined with rows of round tables draped in black cloth. They were all sitting in front of a large stage with a podium and a temporary projector screen displayed right in the middle. Tessa loved art galleries but hated the networking and schmoozing that came along with keeping them open.
She followed Maria to the back of the gallery and into a large empty room where the caterers were setting up. Maria led her to a table filled with cold water pitchers and white napkins.
“So just like, put on this apron and go around and make sure all of the tables have water in their water glasses. Then come back, refill the bottles, and head back out there and refill cups! Just repeat that until people are done eating and then you can help clear plates.” Maria handed Tessa a black apron and seemed to disappear into a crowd of busy bodies. Tessa looked at the table, grabbed two bottles, and headed out of the door.
She felt like she had been in the back for seconds, but when she returned to the front of the gallery, people had begun flooding in. Ushers were leading people to tables and everyone was just settling in their seats. Tessa had worked in a restaurant before, but she still didn’t know where to start.
All around her were wealthy white people. Though she was in Greece, she still couldn’t help but feel like an outsider. She had worked several gallery events in the past, throughout Europe and in the U.S., but no matter where she was, they all had the same people. Affluent couples building each other up for how incredibly charitable they were.
Most would only give a few thousand dollars while hundreds of millions sat untouched in their bank account. Even $100 was a lot of money to Tessa, but that’s only because that was the majority of what she had. These people spent thousands of dollars on outfits for their dogs, so they didn’t really deserve a congratulation for emptying out their pocket change for people who were struggling to survive.
She looked down at what she was wearing. She had on black pants and shoes that had holes in them. Luckily, Greece was dry, but she remembered how often her feet would fill with cold water when walking around New York. She couldn’t even afford a decent pair of shoes and had to bust her back all night for people who bought $1,000 shoes for that one event. These kinds of thoughts always rapidly passed through Tessa’s mind.
She never seemed to stop picking further and further into each thought she had. It made her either full of rage or sadness, two fits she could never seem to manage. She thought about walking straight out the front door and never looking back.
Then, out of nowhere, she felt almost a magnetic pull towards the eyes of the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Even though people were rushing and buzzing around her, the only thing she could think about was how beautiful his icy blue eyes were. They were wide and round and filled his face like moons. His mouth was like a perfect heart on his chiseled chin, and even from across the room, she thought about how he was probably a great kisser.
She could tell right away that he wasn’t Greek and maybe even from the U.S. Tessa felt her stomach jump, as most cute boys she had seen thus far couldn’t communicate with her. For as much as she traveled, she wasn’t the best at learning new languages. She had run into a few boys who seemed to be attracted to her, but with the language barrier, she didn’t know the difference between someone trying to flirt and someone letting her know she has something in her teeth. Something about his crystal gaze pulled Tessa closer without her even realizing. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of him holding out her bottle of water.
“Water?” She felt frozen by his piercing stare.
“I’d love some.” Once he opened his mouth, Tessa melted at the sound of his voice. His smile stretched his smooth milky chin to reveal a set of pearly white teeth. She filled his glass and he took a sip, all the while Tessa staring at him. “Delicious, thanks.” Tessa still stood frozen by him. She could feel herself smiling, and realized she probably looked psychotic watching him drink water.
“Excuse me, miss.” Someone forced Tessa back to reality and she realized she was standing in the way of an older gentleman trying to sit down.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Tessa filled his glass and the rest at the table, this time, avoiding the gaze of the blue-eyed man. She could feel him staring though, making it more difficult to not look back. She walked to the next table and to the next, the entire time feeling him look at her. She finally looked back and they both smiled. They both immediately looked away as well, avoiding the awkward realization that they were both just gazing at one another.
As the night progressed, Tessa continued filling glass after glass, then eventually taking empty plate after empty plate. The charity dinner wasn’t very exciting and carried on like any other event catered to the wealthy, and Tessa grew more and more tired of cleaning up after everybody.
She enjoyed being able to look at the pieces while the water glasses stayed full, but before she knew it, she’d be back again, making her rounds with rude people demanding water. They probably would have accepted Tessa pouring the water directly into their mouths if she offered that service. Just as Tessa thought she would topple over, Maria came to the back with good news.
“Just clear out the wine glasses and you can head home! Everyone’s about done and the night’s almost over. I’ll bring your money home with me tonight!” Maria declared. “Thanks so much for helping me out tonight Tess. You’re seriously a lifesaver.”
“Anytime!” she responded with a half-hearted smile. Tessa was relieved she could finally leave and rushed to pick up leftover glasses. She decided to save one table for last.
When she finally got to his table again, she was frozen. She’d spent all night playing eye-hockey with this man and she felt like she could keep playing forever. Tessa felt like they were wild animals, circling each other, communicating only with their eyes. She felt like she had known him, or at least saw him somewhere before.
She grabbed his wine glass and the person’s next to him, and just as she was about to set it on her tray, he turned towards Tessa holding a few bills in his hand. He reached up with his hand towards Tessa, and in the process, knocked over the tray she was holding, sending his glass and another half-full glass of red wine down all over him.
“Oh my god! I’m so sorry!” Tessa was mortified and frozen with fear. She looked down at the wine spilled all over his white shirt, the floor, and even some in his golden hair.
“Oh no, that was my fault! I’m sorry!” He quickly stood up and started to wipe off the wine. Tessa collected the glasses and handed her tray to another server that had run over to help. “I feel terrible,” he said. “I just wanted to give you a little tip.”
Tessa smiled and looked at the wine sprayed all over him. “Here, I have something that will get that out!” Tessa grabbed the man’s arm and led him to the back where her purse was hanging. She sat him down on an extra chair and started digging through her bag. “It was a gift from one of my college friends and I think I still have some left!” She pulled out a bottle of red-wine remover spray. It was mostly a gag gift but came in handy more often than Tessa would have liked to admit. She sprayed some on his shirt and started dabbing the stains away. “You’ll still have to wash it as quick as possible, but it’ll help keep the stain from setting at least.” Tessa was concerned with getting the stain out but also couldn’t help but feel how tight and firm his chest was.
“You’re very handy! I’m Oscar by the way. I figured we should introduce ourselves since we’ve been staring into each other’s eyes all night.” He smiled and waited for her response.
“I’m Tessa Baker. I’m sorry for staring, I just haven’t seen someone from back home in a while. I’m assuming you’re from the States?” That wasn’t the only reason Tessa had been staring.
“I’m from New York. You?” His smile was radiant.
“Me too! I’ve just been traveling but I’m heading back home sometime next week. What brings you here?” Tessa couldn’t help but feel her heart break a little, thinking about her journey back home.
“Well that’s too bad. I’m here for the next several months to help my company open a new store. I also come to this charity every year. I always try to give back to the art community wherever our brand reaches.” Tessa was a little turned off. He spoke like a business man and his designer white shirt confirmed that. She still couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by his presence.
“I’m so sorry about this. I could not be more embarrassed! I’m also a little embarrassed that I have this stain remover with me. You probably think I have a problem or something.” Tessa was having trouble making eye contact again.
“The only one who has a problem is whoever didn’t finish their wine! If that glass had been empty, I’d still be dry.” Tessa smiled. If they had finished their wine, she might not have gotten a chance to talk to him.
“Whoa, is that a Cronus original?” Oscar walked over to a painting that was in a stack leaning against the wall. While his back was turned, she looked down at the “tip” Oscar was trying to hand to Tessa when he knocked the glasses over. It was a $5 bill with a phone number written on it. Tessa smiled at his cheeky attempt to win her over. This way was better. She walked over to the painting and stood next to Oscar.
“Oh wow, I didn’t even notice that there.” Tessa was a huge fan of Cronus, a nickname given to a Greek artist who remained anonymous and mostly created abstract scenes of Athens. His vision of scenery was unlike any other Tessa had ever seen. He somehow managed to create detailed images of familiar settings with short paint strokes and vibrant color. He had an assistant that did all of the dealings for him, as he liked to maintain his anonymity. There were always rumors about who he might be, but no one ever confirmed his real identity.
“Who would leave one of these pieces in the back like this? I have one of his originals at home and would never do something so blasphemous!” Oscar was pulled into the piece.
“Whoa, you have your very own Cronus?” Tessa knew that he was wealthy as most of the men at the event were, but she hadn’t met someone who spent their fortunes on such an inspiring piece. She thought about how if he was wealthy, why had he only given a $5 tip? She then thought of the alternative and would have known she was completely turned off by some rich guy shoving a big bill in her face. The small tip was a cuter attempt. “I’m a huge fan.”
“Would you like to see it?” Oscar gave a cheeky smile back to Tessa. They both knew what else he was asking.
“I’d love to. Just let me get changed out of these work clothes.”
Luckily, Tessa had kept a change of clothes in her purse along with her stain remover. Otherwise, she’d have to visit this man’s home wearing a white button up and work pants. Throughout her adventure across Europe, she quickly learned that you didn’t always know what was going to happen next when you were staying at a friend’s house.
All too often, a party would pop up or she’d spill something and not know how to get back to a change of clothes alone. It was best to keep some backup supplies in her purse at all times. She was definitely one of those girls who always had a secret hiding in her bag.
She slipped out of the basic uniform and into a shoulder-less black dress she had balled up in her bag, along with a pair of foldable flats. She gave herself a quick spray of perfume and just had to fluff her curls after letting them down from her ponytail. Tessa normally didn’t wear makeup often, but when she did, she usually went full glam.
As an artist, she felt like makeup was just another way to express herself. She dug around in her purse but realized she only had some rose-colored lip gloss. She decided to just use a bit on her cheeks and lips and decided that would be enough. She somehow managed to look like she had planned to go over to a stranger’s place all night.
She was supposed to meet Oscar in front of the gallery, but he was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, a black car with tinted windows pulled up and the back door opened. Oscar was sitting inside. “There you are!” Oscar replied.
She crawled into the car and they left the gallery. “Well this is a pretty nice setup, huh?” she asked, referring to the transportation situation. Tessa felt a little strange in a car with a personal driver. She was used to taking cabs and rideshares all over Europe and in the U.S., but never had she taken a journey with a personal driver.
“Yeah, I’m not the best at driving around this city. It’s best to have someone help me out,” Oscar explained. “Also, thank you for helping me out. If you hadn’t given me a reason to leave, I’d probably spend the rest of my night talking to a bunch of people I hate.”
Tessa laughed. “Happy to be of service,” she responded.
“Wait you’re not the press, are you?” Oscar said. Tessa couldn’t tell if he was kidding or not.
“The press? Nope. Just a girl helping out a gallery.” She laughed.
“You didn’t look the type.”
“The type? What type do I look like then?”
“The type that might get mad if I say the wrong thing, so I’m going to choose to not answer that question.” Oscar laughed.
“Good answer.” Tessa laughed too.
They didn’t have a long ride and eventually stopped in front of one of the most gorgeous apartment buildings Tessa had ever seen. Most of the ride was spent playing stare-hockey like they had been all night. Before Tessa could even reach for the handle, Oscar had run to the other side, opening the door for her. She certainly didn’t need anyone to open doors for her, but it never hurt to have a guy show that they cared.
She followed Oscar into the building and up an elevator all the way to the top floor. Oscar used a key to open the elevator, and Tessa quickly realized they were in the penthouse. When they got off the elevator, she immediately saw the Cronus. She didn’t even care that you could see almost all of Athens out of his apartment windows. She was only concerned with the beautiful painting that was hanging in front of her.
“It’s the most stunning one I’ve ever seen.” She was frozen by the beauty, just like she had been the first time her eyes met Oscar’s. The painting was similar to the view he had out of his apartment window, soaring high over the city of Athens. It was a day-scene, a stunning contrast to the view Tessa had from the apartment windows.
“I thought so too, which is why I had to buy it.” Oscar handed Tessa a glass of wine. She hadn’t even realized he had opened a bottle. She took a sip and turned towards Oscar, who was also staring at the piece. The way he glared at the painting made him even more attractive to Tessa. She could tell he was really interested in the piece and not just pretending.
As an art student, Tessa ran into a lot of phony people. There were always guys who would claim to be into an artist, only for Tessa to realize that they couldn’t even name one of their pieces. Too many times had she run into guys who threw out big names to try to impress the girls around them. Tessa could normally see right through that.
When it came to Oscar, she could tell he was the real deal. He turned and gave Tessa the same long and deep look. “You said you’re leaving soon, so I hope I can make one of your last nights here memorable.” Oscar set his wine glass down and grabbed Tessa’s face with both of his hands.
He kissed her deeper than any kiss she had ever felt. Although his kiss electrified her entire body, he had a softness to his touch that filled her with warmth. He moved his hands down her neck and towards her backside. He squeezed her body hard, pulling her close before moving his hands back up to her arms.
His hands flowed perfectly up and down her many curves. He grabbed the wine glass from her and set it down, freeing her grasp so she could return his embrace. His hair was like silk running through her fingers. She gave it a squeeze and pushed his head deeper into hers. They spent what felt like a combination of a millisecond and a year kissing in front of the beautiful painting before Oscar pulled back.
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be so forward. You’ve just looked so irresistible all night. I couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to kiss you.” Tessa couldn’t even say anything back as her breath was still gone from when they first kissed. She leaned back in for more, this time getting lifted all the way into his arms.
She wrapped her legs tight around his torso, freeing his hands so they could continue to move all over her body. He carried her to the bedroom and laid her down on what felt to Tessa like a cloud. She had so far only seen his foyer and bedroom, not realizing that she was probably in one of the most expensive apartments in all of Athens.
She remembered being nervous about the outfit she had quickly thrown together until he started to slowly peel it off her body. He treated the garment like it was made from delicate thread, slowly pulling it down her arms and then again over her hips. He kissed each new inch of skin that was revealed as he took her dress off, making sure to not miss any part of her velvet skin.
Tessa was paralyzed by his touch, trembling with anticipation as she watched him take his own shirt off. She sat up and helped remove his pants, wanting to kiss his torso as passionately as he’d just done to hers.
He crawled over Tessa and kissed her harder, unlatching her bra and spending twice as long kissing each breast as he had to the rest of her body. The entire time he was on top of her, he thrust his pelvis into hers, making her body throb with anticipation. She hadn’t been this ready for a man in a while.
He couldn’t get enough of her smooth skin and worked his way down to below Tessa’s waist, proving that he was the best kisser she’d ever been with. He kissed her thighs, slowly and carefully, as if they might crack if he kissed too hard. His hair tickled her legs, making her all the more excited for what he was going to do next.
She grabbed the blankets beneath her to help control some of the emotions she was feeling. No one ever made her feel this good. He lifted his head, and she knew she couldn’t take much more without bursting, motioning for him to kiss her again. He climbed back on top, putting pressure on her naked body underneath him.
He ran his fingers up and down her side, every so often grabbing and squeezing her breasts. She pushed him down onto the bed, pulling down his underwear to reveal what she had only felt through fabric before. She spent a good amount of time kissing him all over his body before climbing on top and taking every bit of him inside of her. They spent the rest of the night making love, barely coming up for breath.