Chapter 11
Nikos looked up as she walked into the kitchen with her backpack slung over one shoulder. His heart dropped. How could she leave after last night? After what they had shared this morning? He kept cutting fruit for their breakfast but resolved not to let her go without a fight.
He put the yogurt, fruit, granola, a wedge of cheese and the rest of the bread on a platter and carried it to the table.
“Do you want coffee,” he asked with his back to her.
“No. You know, I had better just get going. The longer I stay…” Emma trailed off. She had no idea what to say, and tears were dangerously close to the surface.
Nikos slowly turned to face her. His temper was simmering. He was beyond frustrated with her. “You are just going to leave? After that?” he said with a gesture toward the bedroom. His voice was hard with emotion he was trying to keep under control. He blew out a harsh sigh and pulled his hand through his hair.
For a heartbeat and then two, Nikos just stood looking at her. She looked like a scared rabbit ready to bolt for its hole. No way, he thought and closed the distance between them. He pulled her roughly toward him into a demanding kiss. His mouth was hot and insistent on hers. Despite her initial resistance, she melted against him and answered his passion. “After this? You are going to walk away from this?” He murmured the words against her mouth. He pulled her to his chest and held her there. “Stay, Emma.”
Emma’s eyes couldn’t hold the tears anymore, and they leaked out, clinging to her lashes and spilling onto her cheeks. She told her feet to move. She knew he wouldn’t hold her if she really wanted to go. But she couldn’t do it. Her body refused to obey her because her heart had already decided it was staying.
Nikos felt her surrender, as Emma let the backpack slide from her shoulders and threw her arms around his neck. He caught her up in his arms and held her tightly against him. After a few moments, she sucked in a few deep breaths and disengaged herself. She stepped away from him and sat down at the table, motioning for him to join her. He dropped into the chair opposite her and immediately pushed it back to rock on the rear legs. Emma shook her head. Every man in her family was over 6 foot tall, and they all did that the instant their ass hit a chair.
“What,” Nikos asked as he tore off a chunk of bread and popped it in his mouth.
“Nothing. It’s just that I recognized that chair thing you just did. My dad and all my uncles do the same thing. My grandmother snaps her dishtowel at them.” Emma could see her grandmother’s kitchen with its yellow walls and sunflower curtains. A painful lump settled in her chest, and she had to wait a moment before she could speak without worrying about bursting into tears. If she was going to stay, she had to make double sure not to share things about herself. He could never learn who she really was.
“Anyway,” she continued, brushing the memory aside, “You said something about a job last night?”
Nikos lounged a moment, rocking in his chair and tried to read her. She had just slammed the door on any personal inquiries he was about to make regarding her past. He decided to let it ride for the moment. However, one day, she would tell him everything.
“Yes. Gretchen’s mother is old and frail, and she needs help with a lot of things now. I offered to move Yaya here,” he said using the Greek address for grandmother. “But she is stubborn and wants to stay in her home. So Gretchen goes back and forth. Abigail goes with her happily. Yaya is the grandmother in her life, but it is an extra strain on Gretchen. I would like you to help with some of Gretchen’s duties here and keep Abigail a couple of days a week. Is that something you could do?”
Emma considered. She had no experience with children. She was an only child and never had been much into babysitting. Housekeeping was also something that she would not include on her resume as a strength. How hard could it be? She thought. I can mop floors and keep a 4 year old entertained. Besides, it is only temporary. A couple of weeks at the most.
With a smile and a slight shrug of her shoulder, Emma said “Sure. Why not? What do you pay?”
They discussed salary over breakfast and Emma could tell that Nikos was surprised by her ability to negotiate. She was happy with the final agreement and felt like she could hold up her end of the bargain. She cleaned the breakfast dishes after refusing his help and reminding him that he had just hired her to do the job. Afterward, he gave her a tour of the mansion.
Emma’s initial impression of luxury, comfort and the overall good taste was confirmed as they wandered floor to floor through room after room. The family mainly stayed on the west side of the house while the east side held a dozen or so guest rooms and a huge library. She had been very excited when he showed it to her. There were books in many languages and a computer that he said she was welcome to use. Emma knew she had just found her sanctuary.
As they concluded the tour, they heard the crunch of tires in the driveway. A few moments later, the door burst open, and a little girl in pigtails with a stuffed unicorn under one arm and a doll in the other came flying through the kitchen. Nikos scooped her up and swung her around as she spoke rapidly in Greek. A woman with a lovely face and dark black hair with a sprinkle of silver followed the little girl in. She paused in the doorway and smiled fondly at father and daughter before she noticed Emma standing a little ways off. She looked her up and down slowly before regarding Nikos with a frown.
In rapid, stern Greek, Gretchen issued orders, and Nikos put Abigail down so she could carry them out. The little girl left at a run, her apparent speed of choice, and disappeared presumably to put up her toys in her room. Gretchen then cocked a finger at Nikos and walked from the room past Emma without as much as a hello.
Nikos rolled his eyes and gave Emma a quick peck on the cheek as he walked by. “Just give me a few moments to get her filled in. She’s going to be thrilled to have some help.” He patted her ass as he walked off.
Emma shook her head at his naivety. Gretchen was most obviously unhappy at having her here, and she didn’t think anything Nikos could say would change that. This might be a shorter stay than I thought, Emma mused and was surprised just how sad the thought made her.