“I’ve got shit to do in the back,” I said, snatching the box off the table and stomping away. I walked into my office, tossed it on the floor, and took a seat behind my desk.
I stared at the box from across the room. I shouldn’t have been surprised by the suit. It was typical of him. He wanted to control everything about me, right down to what I wore.
I shook my head, still in some disbelief over the choice in suits. I couldn’t figure out if it was intentionally garish or it was just really poor taste. My dad was a black and white kind of man. His suits were always perfectly tailored and subdued. He exuded wealth all the time. It practically oozed from his pores.
He was demanding my presence at the event, and yet, he was dressing me like a clown. He’d warned me about embarrassing him, yet he wanted me to wear something that would certainly draw attention to me—and I didn’t think the right kind of attention.
The office door opened, and Kacia popped her head in. I could tell by the expression on her face she had a smartass comment. “I was thinking, maybe you should wear that suit on Saturday. You can hand out balloons and do face painting. Isn’t that what clowns do?”
“Leave me alone. I need to finish these termination papers.”
She frowned. “Termination? Whose?”
“Yours!” I bellowed. “Now get out of here and leave me alone!”
She burst into laughter and left the office, closing the door behind her. My eyes went back to the box. I closed my eyes, resigning myself to what had to happen. Picking a fight with my father was not at the top of my list of fun things to do.
My father and I had a shitty relationship, but I did love my mother. We weren’t overly close. She chose my father’s side in things, but all the same, I loved her. I talked with her at least once a month.
It would hurt my pride to put the damn suit on, but it was only for a couple of hours. No one I knew would see me. No one I knew ran in those circles.
I wasn’t trying to impress anyone. Hell, that would be futile anyway. I couldn’t possibly impress that crowd. Putting me in a suit that cost thousands wasn’t going to help. I would swallow my pride and suck it up. It would probably be the last time I saw him for several months or longer.
“It’s just clothes,” I told myself.
What you wore didn’t define you. What you looked like didn’t define you. It was the same thing I had been telling myself for years when I was weighed down by the excess pounds. My sense of humor carried me through then, and it would carry me through the event.
I would smile and nod and listen to the whispers about my suit and ignore the finger-pointing and snickers. I’d been laughed at before. It wouldn’t be the first time, and it sure as hell wouldn’t be the last.
Hell, I liked making people laugh. I generally preferred they not be laughing at me, but a guy couldn’t get too picky.
Chapter 6
Eliana
I walked into the meeting room in the back of the event center. The team was meeting before the gala for a pep talk. Our manager always held the talks before an important event. Important, as in lots of money being bandied about. The who’s who of Crete and other cities.
I had been a server at plenty of galas in the past. They were all the same. Rich, arrogant people who expected a lot of bootlicking. We were to be seen but not heard. Actually, they didn’t want to see us either. They wanted their glasses of champagne to float around the room without the inconvenience of having to look at the lower class.
I was not fond of the rich. They always looked at us with such disdain, like we were unworthy of being in their presence, breathing the same air. I was polite and kind and offered them friendly smiles, but in the back of my mind, I was counting down the minutes until I didn’t have to be around them.
“Psst,” I heard from my left.
I turned to see Lola sneaking in, taking a seat at the back. I scowled at her, silently lecturing her for being late. She made a weird face at me, silently apologizing.
I knew that look. It was the look that said she had been out with one of her men. I slowly shook my head, scolding her. She stuck out her tongue. I bit back my laughter. She could be such a child.
I looked away, focusing on our manager before he noticed I wasn’t paying attention. He went on to talk about the people expected at the party and how important it was to keep them happy. He droned on for another ten minutes before finally releasing us into the kitchen to get ready for the night.
“Hmm, lots of rich people tonight,” Lola teased, falling into step beside me. “Maybe we’ll find you a sugar daddy.”
“I don’t want a sugar daddy,” I said. “I don’t want any daddy. I’ve made it this far without a daddy, and I’m certainly not going to start looking for one now.”
“Come on. Imagine the perks. Daddy can buy you a new car, get you a bigger apartment, anything you need.”
I curled my lip, actually shuddering with disgust. “That is awful. I could never. Just gross. No.”
She laughed. “You’re too stiff. I’m not saying you have to sleep with the man. A few kisses, a few dinners, and just giving them the attention they want and need. They are willing to shower a beautiful, young woman with gifts just for being a friend.”
I shook my head. “It isn’t going to happen.”
She growled. “Fine. How about a wealthy younger man?”
“Lola, it isn’t the age. It’s the simple fact I am not going to hook up with some guy simply because he’s rich. I’m not interested in dating. I don’t want to have a relationship.” I paused. “But…”
She squealed, full of giddiness. “I knew it. But what?”
“But if I were going to think about hooking up with a man, he would be kind and humble and funny,” I told her.
She wrinkled her nose. “That is so boring.”
I shrugged. “It’s what I would look for.”
“How about handsome?”
“That wouldn’t be terrible, but I would never take anyone at face value. Looks are not everything. In fact, I think they are more of an issue than a benefit. I’ve dated good-looking guys, and they knew they were good looking. They walked around acting like I should be lucky to be on their arm.” I shook my head.
“Arrogance is definitely an unattractive quality,” she agreed.
“Exactly, which is why I don’t need it,” I said. “I’m good. I really am perfectly happy just being me.” It was mostly the truth.
“It’s time to step out of your comfort zone,” she encouraged. “Live on the wild side. Date the handsome guys. Flirt with the rich guys.”
“No thanks. I’m perfectly comfortable on the safe side.”
“Safe isn’t fun,” she said. “It’s boring, and you’ll never meet a man if you always play it safe. There’s a saying about kissing a lot of frogs. You have to go through the process until you find one worthy of your affection.”
“I don’t like frogs.”
“Which is exactly why you kiss them and move on,” she said it as if it were that obvious. “You don’t stay with the frogs.”
“Even if I were to walk on the wild side, as you say, I wouldn’t do it here tonight. I’m not interested in hooking up with any of the men that will be here tonight. You know I can’t stand the rich guys.”
“I’m not suggesting you marry the guy,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I’m only saying have a little fun. Take advantage of what they can offer you, if even for a little while. I’ve been on a yacht. I’ve been in a private jet. I’ve eaten at some of the best restaurants because I’ve chosen to live on the wild side.”
“Congratulations,” I said. “Do you want a medal?”
“Stop. You know I’m speaking the truth. I’m having fun, living life to the fullest. I don’t want to get to the age of forty and look back and think I missed out on a lot of good times because I was too afraid to take that walk on the wild side.”
“I’m not interested,” I said firmly.
She pout
ed. “Fine. But I’m keeping my eyes open for you. I feel guilty about having so much fun while you live a boring, single life.”
“Thanks, but you don’t need to feel guilty. We choose to live different lifestyles. I like mine.”
“Liar,” she snapped.
I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and headed out to the front of the event center to get started taking drink orders. I smiled and was polite, moving around my side of the room and taking orders for specialty drinks with the promise to be around with appetizers.
It wouldn’t be long before people started table hopping and expected us to track them down and bring them their ordered drinks. It was as if they had no clue they almost all looked alike, especially the men. Black suits and black shoes. The key was to try and remember something unique about each person, like the color of their tie, earrings, or whatever.
It was a packed party, every table full, and the mingling had begun. They were moving about the room, holding their drinks, laughing, and talking away. It was the time of night where we were supposed to be invisible floating trays around the room.
After nearly an hour of dashing around the room, it was time to go back and get ready to begin serving dinner. It was always the trickiest part of the night, especially at this kind of event. The snobs would have about a million requests and would send their meals back a dozen times, bitching about something.
“How’s it going?” Lola asked.
I let out a sigh. “Exhausting. You?”
“Boring,” she complained. “There is no one that I’m remotely interested in. They’re all buttoned up a little too tightly for me. No one wants to have any fun.”
I laughed. “You mean no one wants to flirt with you?”
“That, or their wives are close.”
“That sounds terrible,” I said with heavy sarcasm. “Do you mean you might be going home alone? I need my phone. I’m going to mark this on my calendar. This is a big day.”
“Do you think it’s possible I’ve run through all the rich men in Crete?” she asked with real concern.
“Lola,” I said, completely serious. “I think it’s possible you’ve run through all the men in Greece.”
Her mouth dropped open, a look of horror on her face. “You shut your mouth!”
I had to laugh. She could be so dramatic. “Lola, you’ve been on a bit of a ravenous feast as of late. You need to take a break. Let the poor men be. They need to replenish the stock.”
She pouted. “Fine, then I’m going to have to live vicariously through you. I’m going back out there, and I’m going to find you a man.”
“No, you’re not,” I said. “This business is going to get a reputation if you keep hooking up with all the clients.”
“I don’t hook up with all the clients,” she protested.
“I have to get this last tray of appetizers out, and then I’ll be back to grab dinner plates,” I said, rushing to grab the last tray.
I carried it out and was immediately inundated with drink orders. I couldn’t exactly tell them no. I had to fulfill their requests. As soon as I took care of one table, another table was waving me over.
I looked around for other servers, but they were all in the kitchen helping to get the dinners ready to serve. By the time I extracted myself from the suddenly very thirsty crowd and got back into the kitchen, I was actually sweating.
“Where have you been?” Lola asked, rushing past me with a tray of hot rolls.
“Giving those damn alcoholics another round—on my own!”
“Oh no, really?” she asked, tossing rolls into baskets. “Did you tell them dinner and wine were on the way out?”
I rolled my eyes. “Because that would have changed anything? You know how they get. They wanted their liquor, and they wanted it now. How do rich people drink so much and not get drunk? Have you ever thought about that?” I snatched a few napkins from a pile and dabbed my forehead.
She smiled. “Because they drink from the moment they wake up. I think they spend their lives slightly tipsy.”
“That explains a lot,” I said.
“I’ll cover you. Go outside, and take a few minutes. You’re looking a little dewy.”
“Dewy?” I snapped. “I’m sweating my ass off.”
“Go.” She pushed me towards the back exit.
“Thank you,” I told her, truly needing a break. The fresh air was going to be nice.
I pushed open the door and immediately felt the warm, humid air wash over me. I grabbed the doorstop we used to keep from being locked out and put it in place.
I knew there was a private deck area not too far away. There were a few benches for those who wanted to sit and smoke. I didn’t smoke, but I wanted to sit. My feet were throbbing.
I wouldn’t stay out long, just long enough to catch my breath. Then, I would have to get back in there and help out the servers. They’d be swamped without me. The customers were a special breed tonight. Very demanding and very particular. They were the worst kind of crowd.
I walked around the corner. Darkness had fallen. The pathway lights provided enough illumination to be safe. I was staring at some flowers along the path, looking especially pretty in the low light. I stepped up and finally looked to see where I was going when I saw a man leaning against one of the posts.
His back was to me, giving me a chance to study the suit. At first, I thought it was a play of light giving the suit a weird glow, but then I realized it was actually that blue.
My initial reaction was he was one of those flashy guys that liked everyone looking at him. It made me sick. I hated flashy people. I hated attention whores who wanted everyone looking at them.
I took a step back, thankful for the quiet soles of my shoes. My plan was to walk away before he noticed me and demanded I fetch him a drink.
Chapter 7
Cade
It had taken me about eight times of starting to walk out my front door and getting cold feet before I actually made it to the waiting cab. I had put on the suit, looked in the mirror, and had to laugh at my appearance.
It was ridiculous. I had known it was hideous, but in the back of my mind, I kept thinking once I got it on, it would be okay. I was hoping it would look less garish, but I had been wrong.
When I finally gathered the courage to actually walk outside of my house, I sprinted for the cab, dashing into the back seat to keep my neighbors from seeing me. When I finally got to the event, I was about five minutes late. There was nothing to be done about it.
I was hoping my dad wouldn’t notice. Hoping he’d be too busy shaking hands and kissing cheeks to notice my absence. It wasn’t like he would really have a lot to say to me. I’d be ordered to stand tall and behave.
As I approached the glass doors of the event center, I caught a glimpse of my reflection and cringed. I looked like I should be wearing clown shoes or was ready to perform magic. I was humiliated. I steeled myself against the looks I was sure to get when I walked into the crowd.
The moment I saw my dad sitting at the table, I knew I was in trouble. I made my way to the table, smiling as I took my seat. “Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad.”
“You’re late,” my father hissed under his breath.
“Sorry, there was a minor delay,” I offered as an excuse.
“You should have left earlier,” my mother snapped, surprising me a bit.
“I’m sorry. It doesn’t appear anyone has noticed my absence. It doesn’t look like everyone is here.” I noticed the many empty seats around the tables.
“That’s not the point,” my father growled. “It’s an embarrassment.”
I chuckled. “You’re embarrassed that I’m a few minutes late? You don’t think this suit is embarrassing?”
My mother’s face paled. “It’s a lovely suit.”
“It’s ridiculous,” I said. “I don’t see Dad wearing a suit like this.”
He glowered at me. “Enough. No more jokes. That suit is from a respected Italian designer.”
> I didn’t get the chance, not that I would have taken it, to say anything more about the choice in suits. His friend, David Blaine, appeared next to the table.
“Lorenzo,” he greeted.
My dad got to his feet, giving the man a hug. My mother also stood, getting the cursory kiss on the cheek.
I got up and shook his hand. “Good to see you again.”
“You’ve grown into a fine young man,” he said with a friendly smile.
“Thank you. It’s nice to see you, and thank you for your invite.”
“Sure, sure.” He took a seat at the table and waved a hand to one of the passing waiters. He ordered a round of drinks for all of us. “Do you see the party I had to throw to get your dad to come for a visit?”
My dad chuckled. Not a real chuckle. The kind of polite laughter that was synonymous with these kinds of things. “I was expecting something bigger,” my dad said, actually joking.
David turned to look at me. “You still live in Heraklion?”
I nodded. “I do.”
“What are you doing for work?” he asked. “I can put you in touch with some people if you are looking for a job.”
“Thank you, but I’m set,” I said with a friendly smile.
“Cade doesn’t need a job,” my father said. “He has a small business here in town. Small, not worth talking about.”
I held my smile, refusing to let the sting of his words show. He wasn’t going to get me down. I knew I had to be a lot tougher than that. The drinks were delivered, and I sipped the stiff cocktail, praying for strength.
“You own a business?” David asked with a great deal of enthusiasm.
“I do.”
“David, this is a lovely party,” my dad said, cutting him off before we could talk about my gelato shop.
“I’m going to step outside for a minute,” I said, leaving the drink on the table and walking away before I ended up saying something that truly embarrassed my dad.
He opened his mouth to say something, but my mother put her hand on his forearm, quieting whatever response he might have had. It was hard to hear my dad’s constant ridicule about my business. About everything I did. One kind word, would that really be so hard?
Pretending to be Rich Page 4