She turned to walk back to her office. She gave the hem of her blouse a firm tug, wishing it was a little larger. She’d placed an order from that online boutique that Popi had recommended and even with expedited shipping, it wouldn’t get to the island fast enough. Sometimes living remotely had its disadvantages—but thankfully not many.
As Xander fell in step next to her, she said, “The island needs more work than they are willing to invest at their age.”
“So they were planning to keep running the island as a wedding destination?”
Lea nodded. “That’s the only way I would even consider selling the island.”
“And so if I were to promise to keep the wedding business going just as you have it, you would sell to me?”
Lea stopped just outside her office and looked at him. “Do you even know what goes into running Infinity Island?”
“I guess not.”
“That’s what I figured.” She opened the door and stepped inside.
Xander was right behind her. She could see why he was so successful as a businessman. He never gave up when he wanted something. But this time he wasn’t going to get his way—no matter how much money he threw at her.
The breath hitched in her throat. Had she really thought that? Was she really that dedicated to her family’s tradition that she would pass up a fortune in order to keep this island?
And the answer was a resounding yes. She loved the island. She loved the people that worked here. And she loved bringing two hearts together for all of infinity. The fact that there was no record of a couple married on the island ever getting a divorce was the most amazing thing about the place.
With so much chaos and hate in this world, finding a place full of love was rare. There was something magical about this island. It was worth fighting for.
“What are you thinking?” Xander’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
“I was thinking how special this island is.”
“Tell me about it.”
She turned to him. “Like you want to learn about the wedding business.”
“I do.”
She shook her head. “You just want to figure out a way to level it and build your mansions.”
“Lea—” he stepped closer until they were just inches apart “—I’m being serious. I realize that you’re never going to allow me or anyone to develop this island. I’ve made peace with that. But I can’t just walk away without understanding what goes on here—what makes it so special.”
She studied him for a moment. “You’re being on the level?”
“I am.”
“You want to learn what? How I decide who gets married here? And how we have a hundred percent success rate of picking the couples that will make it through all of infinity?”
He shrugged. “Yes. You have to realize that it sounds totally impossible. Couples just don’t stay together for long these days. Divorce, well, it’s the norm.”
“Not in my world.” If she got married, it would be forever. “If a couple is married here on the island, they stay married.”
“Show me.”
Lea moved behind her desk. “Show you what?”
“How it all works? I want to see this in action.”
“But I can’t. I don’t have anyone right now applying to marry on the island. I’ve had to cut back on how many couples we can take.”
He dropped down in a chair. “How does it start?”
He really was curious. She couldn’t help but be a bit proud of her work on the island. And most people never bothered to find out more about what she actually did. What would it hurt to give him a little insight into the process? It wasn’t like he was going to start his own wedding venue. The thought made her smile.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“I was just thinking of you as a matchmaker.”
He gave a firm shake of his head. “It’s not going to happen. But that doesn’t mean I’m not curious about your work.”
“Come here.” And then she typed the island’s website address into her computer. “This is where everything begins.”
“A website? Interesting. But I’m guessing your grandparents didn’t have it so easy.”
“No, they didn’t. They would advertise in newspapers and magazines. Then they would send out questionnaires. It was a very long process. And it was still done that way until I took over.”
“Really?” He rubbed his palm over his jaw. “I take it you’ve done a lot to speed up the process.”
“I did...on my end. But it is still the same process for the prospective bride and groom. Digital or not, it still yields the same results.”
“Mind if I try this process?”
He was joking, right? Why would he be interested in a matchmaking program? But he was the first man to show a genuine interest in her work. And it felt good to be taken seriously. Her parents had told her coming to the island was a waste of her time—a waste of her education. The echo of their words still hurt.
And so Lea turned to her computer. “Here it is.”
“Do you mind?” Xander indicated that he’d like to sit in her chair for a closer look.
“Not at all.” She stood and moved aside, careful that they didn’t bump into each other. It wasn’t until now that she realized how little space there was behind her desk.
He took a seat and perused the home page. “I like the setup. For some reason, I was expecting a bunch of red and pink hearts everywhere and maybe a cupid or two.”
Lea gazed over his shoulder at the computer monitor that displayed a photo of the cove at sunset. She’d always thought it was so romantic. If she were ever to get married, she would love for it to be on the patio of the café that overlooked the cove. She couldn’t think of any better backdrop for a wedding. Surprisingly, none of her guests had requested such a wedding. Not that Lea was planning on getting married any time soon. She had other more pressing matters—like her baby. And saving her home.
“I don’t run a cheesy business.” And then realizing that she’d misspoken, she said, “Well, I do have a cheese business, thanks to the goats. What I mean is—”
“I know what you mean. I like what I’ve seen so far.” He flipped to the next page. “The website is well laid out and contains some stunning photos of the island.”
The web page also spoke of its history and how successful the marriages on the island had been. It also spoke of Lea’s grandparents who ran the island before her. She’d come across photo albums with black-and-white photos. She was able to digitize some of them and include them on the website.
The next page contained testimonials of happily married couples, from people who were married just a few years to others who had been married fifty or more years. Talking to those couples and reading their testimonials of what Infinity Island meant to them was what drove Lea to fight the good fight. This would work out somehow. Infinity Island would go on being the stepping stone to happily-ever-afters.
The following web page was where engaged couples began their journey. Many applied to be married on the island but only a few made it through the process and were chosen.
Xander studied the page. “So this is it? They just fill out this form and you know whether they are lifelong partners or not?”
“Something like that.” She wasn’t about to give away her family’s secret. There was a certain, some might call it, magic to it all.
“I don’t know.” Xander rubbed the back of his neck. “I just don’t see how this survey or whatever you call it can pick out true love. I’m not even sure there is such a thing.”
“Trust me, there is. I know. I’ve seen it.” And though she was still upset with her parents, she knew they had found true love—even if they hadn’t been married on the island.
“What’s the matter?” Xander’s voice drew her out of her th
oughts.
“What?”
“You were frowning. Was it something I said?”
She shook her head. “It wasn’t you.”
“Then what’s the matter? If it’s something I can help with, I will.”
Really? He wanted to help her? The thought of not being in this game called life all alone sounded nice. Sure, she had Popi, but right now her best friend was very distracted with the baby she was carrying for her sister and brother-in-law.
She shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
Xander sent her a look that said he didn’t believe her, but he thankfully let the subject drop. “Can I take one of your surveys?”
“Why would you want to do that?” She arched a brow. “Are you planning to get married soon?”
“I’d like to learn more about your process.”
She noticed how he ignored her question about him getting married soon. She wondered if she should read something into that...or not. Still, the thought of him being involved with someone sent a burning sensation in her stomach. She refused to let herself accept the reason for such a reaction.
“I don’t know—”
“I just can’t believe such innocent questions can predict a lifetime of happiness.” He turned the chair around to face her, causing her to jump back. “Have you ever taken the survey?”
She shook her head. “I’ve never had a reason to.”
“Not even out of curiosity to see how exactly it works?”
“Not even then.”
“Well then, I want to take the survey. I’m curious to see what sort of results this mysterious and accurate system produces.”
“But you can’t.” When frown lines bracketed his lips and eyes, she added, “I mean the system is geared for two people to take it. One person can’t do it alone.”
“Then you can take it with me.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Is that because you know all of the right answers?”
“There are no right answers. It’s a compatibility test.”
“Then take it with me.”
“But we already know that we’re not compatible.” And then her mind flashed back to that amazing weekend they’d spent together. For those few days, they’d been quite compatible.
“I’m not so sure about that. Why don’t we take the test and see?”
He knew as well as she did that their weekend together was just a fluke. A momentary suspension of reality. There was no way they would ever get along that amazingly in real life. It had been an illusion—a moment of deep infatuation.
“I don’t think so,” she said, turning to the pile of mail on the side of her desk. “I still have a lot of work to do.”
“I think you’re afraid to take the survey with me.” His eyes challenged her. “I think you’re afraid of what the results will say.”
She pressed her hands to her hips and stared at him. “I’m not afraid.” When he continued to stare at her with a look of disbelief in his eyes, she said, “I’m not.” And then with a dramatic sigh, for his sake, she said, “Fine. Let’s get this over with. I really do have work to do.”
A small smile of victory pulled at the corners of his mouth. Happiness was a good look on him. It eased his frown lines and made him look more handsome than any man had a right to.
She walked over to a cabinet where she kept some digital tablets that she used when working with the bride and groom as well as the wedding party. It was always so much easier to show people what she meant rather than explain everything.
She pulled up the website and then handed Xander one of the tablets. She kept the other one. She moved to one of the chairs opposite the desk. The added space between them made it easier for her to think clearly.
“I thought we were supposed to do this together,” he said.
“We are.” She stared at her tablet because every time she stared into his eyes, it felt like a swarm of butterflies was set loose in her stomach. “I have both tablets set up so that we are on the same survey. Just follow the questions.”
“Seriously?”
She glanced up to find him frowning at the tablet. “What’s wrong now?”
“It wants to know my favorite color.”
“And?”
“Well, that doesn’t seem like a very definitive question. How is it going to decide if we’re compatible by the color I choose?”
“That’s the mystery of the survey. Don’t think you’re the first to try to figure out the inner workings of the system.”
“Really? Others have tried to copy you?”
She nodded. “And not just since I took over the business but when my aunt was running it. I even found correspondence of people and companies trying to buy the information from my grandparents.”
“And they always turned them down?”
She nodded. “Some things are worth more than money. And it’s not just the survey. There’s something special about Infinity Island. A number of the couples married here come back year after year for their anniversary.”
“I must admit that I just don’t get it, but I can’t argue with the results you’ve been getting year after year, decade after decade.”
“So what is it?” He looked confused, so she clarified. “What is your favorite color?”
“Isn’t that cheating?”
“No. I don’t have that question.”
He shook his head as though he were utterly flummoxed. “It’s red.”
“Sounds about right.” Red was a color of power—something Xander exuded.
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing. Do your survey. Remember this is your idea.”
And so for the next half hour, they sat there in silence answering question after question about their likes, dislikes, personality and general topics. Lea had to admit that this was rather fun—even though she knew their results would turn out as incompatible.
“Finished,” Xander said as though this had been a race.
Lea had one more question to answer. And boy, was it a tough one.
What do you like most about your partner?
Since all of the answers were multiple choice, she started going down through the answers. Eyes? Smile? Sense of humor? Voice? Kindness? Thoughtfulness? And the list went on.
Well, she did like his eyes. In fact, she could stare into them all night long.
And as she recalled, he did have a good sense of humor. He could even laugh at himself.
And there was his voice—his voice was so rich, like a fine dark chocolate.
How in the world was she supposed to settle on just one thing?
“Is there a problem?” Xander’s voice cut through the debate in her head.
She clicked on the first option. His eyes. After all, weren’t they the mirrors to one’s soul? If so, there was a lot more to this man than she knew so far. And maybe it wasn’t the wisest thing, but she was curious to know more about him. She tried to tell herself it was for the baby. When their child grew up, if Xander backed out of their lives, she’d be able to tell their son or daughter about their father. But she had a hard time swallowing that excuse. Her need to know came from a much deeper place.
“Finished.” She looked up and found herself gazing into those eyes—the eyes that felt as though he could see through her thinly veiled excuses and the wall around her heart.
She glanced away. He couldn’t see that much. She wouldn’t let him.
* * *
Something was up.
Xander had noticed a difference in Lea since they started the survey. The questions of which he found unusual and sometimes quite probative. Like the one about what he liked best about Lea. That had been one of the easiest questions. He was drawn to her kindness.
Sure, she gave him a hard time, but t
hat was because she perceived him as a threat—to her home, her independence and her ancestry. But he remembered the weekend they’d spent together. Once the business portion had concluded, she’d been sweet, kind and totally irresistible.
And he’d seen her with her employees. She was compassionate. She never asked them to do anything that she wasn’t willing to do. He recalled her sopping up water in the honeymoon bungalow. She hadn’t hesitated, not for a moment. She’d dived right in and gotten the messy job done.
Now if only he could get her to see him as someone other than the enemy. As much as he wanted to back away from this complicated situation, he couldn’t. He believed her about the baby. Things had gotten a little out of hand that weekend and obviously mistakes had been made.
And now they had to come to an understanding that gave him peace of mind when he returned to Athens. He had no idea what the future would be like for any of them. It would help if Lea would tell him what she expected of him instead of being so stubbornly independent and insisting she could do everything on her own. They’d gotten into the awkward position together, and now they should both take part in an amicable solution.
“When will we get the results?” He had to admit he was rather curious to see what this survey would say about their prospects as a couple. He had a feeling it wouldn’t be good. But that wouldn’t stop him from attempting to keep his family together.
“Are you really that curious?” Lea asked.
He shrugged. He didn’t want to reveal the extent of his interest. “I’m a businessman. I like to know how everything works—from a bystander aspect.”
There was a part of him that wondered if Lea would accept it if this system—this reliable system—this age-old system—said that they were a good match. Would he?
Lea sighed as though in resignation. She got to her feet and moved around the desk, stopping next to him. “Do you mind?”
It took him a second, because he was so used to being the one behind the desk, to realize that he’d taken over her spot. He got to his feet and moved to the other side of the desk.
Lea took a seat and started typing on her keyboard. “Since I have automated the entire process, the results are basically instantaneous.” She hesitated. Then glancing at him, she asked, “Are you sure you want the results?”
Carrying the Greek Tycoon's Baby Page 6