“Under an hour.”
“So far. I hadn’t realised.” She pulled her phone out and texted her sister. “I’m an hour away. Sit tight.”
“Can’t wait to see you!!”
Sophie shook her head with a fond smile.
The road from Alex’s villa was so narrow that even the Alfa brushed the verge at times. It was right on the edge of a cliff, too, and beneath them, the ocean sparkled like diamonds dancing on liquid. Sophie was not nervous. Harry drove the car beautifully; he was confident and yet cautious, allowing her the freedom to simply enjoy the scenery. Much of the drive was through the less built up parts of the island. However, as they travelled further, eventually valleys and coves gave way to houses and shops. Before Sophie knew it, they were in downtown traffic, with the stunning laneways Olivia had referred to branching out in every direction.
“Oh!” She caught her breath as Harry turned a corner and the whole city opened up beneath them, like a blanket of terracotta rooves and sand-coloured walls. The buildings were straight-walled and flat-rooves, and they were built so close together that the car had to slow down to turn some corners. Shops with dark green awnings and gorgeous topiaried trees lined the sides of the road, and fountains cropped up as if from nowhere.
“This is stunning.”
“Yes. We think so. Alena and I live in the old-town.”
“Does it get older than this?” She queried with a tilt of her head.
He nodded. “The locals would call this the new part of town.” She sent him a disbelieving look and he laughed. “It’s only middle-aged. Where we live dates back to around twelve hundred BC. Not many of those buildings survive, of course, but the streets take a similar layout.”
“That’s absolutely mind-blowing.”
“Where is your sister?”
“Ummm…” She checked her phone and then placed it in the console. “The Farfalla bar?”
He lifted his brows. “She has expensive taste.”
Sophie laughed. “She has impeccable taste. More often than not, it tends to be expensive too, yes. Why? Is it a good place to go?”
“It is one of the premiere establishments on the island. Another favourite of your husband’s.”
Sophie nodded, but the little shards of jealousy were impossible to ignore. One didn’t go to bars solo, after all. No doubt Alex had frequented this ‘impeccable’ establishment with his past lovers.
She swallowed the unpalatable thought. She was about to see Liv for the first time in almost a year. That, and only that, required her attention.
“Oh.” She looked down at her dress with a grimace. “Will I be dressed … I mean …” her cheeks took on a becoming shade of pink and Harry found himself warming to his boss’s wife. “Is there a dress-code?” She finished her question, smiling apologetically at the man.
“Believe me, ma’am, no one will turn away Mrs Petrides. You could go in there wearing little more than a rag and you’d still get the best table in the place.”
Though he’d answered her question, his words were far from reassuring. Sophie caught her reflection in a tinted window as she moved towards the bar. Patrons were sitting at tables on the footpath in the very European al fresco style and there were little vases of bright purple flowers in the centre of each. Sophie moved past the other diners and towards the large glass and timber doors. They were opened inwards as she approached.
“Good afternoon,” the man greeted in Greek.
Sophie checked her wrist watch and was surprised to see it was almost one o’clock. She scanned the restaurant and almost immediately saw her. Olivia Henderson, with her shimmering white-blonde hair, dark golden tan and sparkling green eyes, stood out anywhere. Here, in the midst of this glamorous bar, she looked like she’d walked off a catwalk, rather than a long-haul flight. And, unsurprisingly, she’d gathered a small crowd of admirers in the short time she’d been left waiting.
Sophie shook her head with a sense of amusement, and cut through the crowds.
“Hey!” Liv cried, cutting off one of the young men who was mid-sentence. “There you are!” She was taller than Sophie, and curvier too – with the kind of cleavage that was so generous it was almost an impediment. Or so Liv had complained on numerous occasions, when she’d found her dates so transfixed by her breasts that they were incapable of looking anywhere else for the duration of the meal. “Oh, my, God. I have missed you!” She wrapped her arms around Sophie’s neck and held her tight.
Sophie sobbed into her sister’s shoulder and nodded. The words she wanted to say were heavy in her mouth.
Liv pulled away, tears sparkling in her own eyes, as she lifted a hand to Sophie’s cheek. “God, you look great. You look so polished!” She lifted Sophie’s hand and made a low-whistle as she inspected the engagement ring Alex had surprised her with.
“That’s got to be six or seven carats, right?”
Sophie nodded vaguely. Actually, it was nine carats, something which had seemed ludicrous and excessive but on which Alex had been insistent. The solitaire was so large that the platinum and diamond band that encircled it had needed to be weighted at the base, to stop it from constantly swirling around her slim finger.
“Wow. Okay. Drinks are on you,” Liv teased, ignoring the group who’d been chatting to her and shepherding Sophie to a more private table by the window.
“Aren’t you going to say goodbye to your new friends?”
She waved a hand impatiently through the air. “They were just fillers until you got here.”
Sophie laughed affectionately. Olivia had always been the social butterfly of every room she entered. She’d made friends effortlessly and won hearts with almost as little trouble. She was charming and interesting, and generally, people forgave her everything.
A waiter appeared the moment they sat down. “Good afternoon,” he greeted in slightly accented English. “Welcome to Farfalla. Have you been here before?”
No, but my husband has, Sophie swallowed the pithy remark and shook her head instead.
Olivia eyed her sister, and the worry that something was wrong was like a bullet in her chest. “We’d like to start a tab. And to be interrupted as little as possible.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a card but Sophie shook her head.
“You’ve come all this way. Allow me.” She hadn’t yet used one of the credit cards Alex had given her. She slipped one from her wallet and handed it over, a little self-conscious when she realised it was one of those ridiculous Centurion Amex cards.
The waiter took it, examined it, and handed it back. “That will not be necessary, Mrs Petrides. Mr Petrides maintains an account here. Are you celebrating? Would you like some champagne?”
Sophie’s cheeks were pink. She nodded helplessly and the waiter disappeared without pausing to confirm which label they’d prefer. When he returned, it was with the aid of another waiter, who ostentatiously held two champagne saucers while the first waiter peeled the top off the bottle. He popped it into a white-gloved hand and then handed the cork to Sophie. “It is to be kept. For luck and good memories.”
“Oh.” She slipped it into her bag with, perhaps, far less ceremony than was due, and then watched as the original waiter poured the champagne into first one glass and then the next.
“I shall keep the bottle in the fridge.”
“Leave the bottle,” Liv corrected. “We don’t want to be interrupted unless our bottle is empty. Thank you.”
Sophie shot her sister a warning glance, but the twitching of her lips spoiled the effect somewhat.
“What is this champagne?” Sophie whispered, once they’d left.
“Expensive, is what it is. At least two thousand dollars, I’d say.”
Sophie spat out the bubbles she’d been sipping and clasped a hand over her mouth. “Oh my God! Livvie! You’re not serious?”
Olivia shrugged. “A man bought one for me once, and that’s what he said. It was the same label. I remember, because I’d never heard of it before th
at.”
“Oh, Liv. We can’t drink this.”
Olivia’s smile was deliciously cheeky. “Nonsense. It’s been opened. Besides, they brought it over so naturally that one can only presume it’s what your husbands makes a habit of drinking.”
Sophie nodded. Olivia had a point. And again, she contemplated the unlikeliness of Alex drinking a bottle such as this on his own. No. It was what he shared with dates. Before he shared anything else with them. Like his home. And his body.
She flickered her gaze down to the table in a gesture designed to shield her thoughts from her sister, but Olivia knew Sophie far too well for that.
“How’s married life?” She queried with an intentionally bland tone to her voice.
Sophie nodded. “It’s good.” She smiled anxiously. “It’s just … an adjustment.”
Olivia nodded. That could be it. “In what way?” She prompted, sipping her champagne and eyeing her sister over the rim of the glass.
“You saw what just happened right?” She shook her head slowly. “I’ve gone from barely making ends meet on a dreadful salary in London to being brought two thousand dollar bottles of champagne and being told my Goddamned Amex card isn’t required here, at what my driver tells me is the most expensive bar in town.” She rolled her eyes. “You know how weird this is.”
Liv grinned. “I think I could get used to it pretty quickly.”
Sophie burst out laughing. “Yeah, you probably could.” She sobered. “You wait until you see his house. It’s like this stunning, architectural, perfect palace. And when I say perfect, I mean … magazine perfect. Like Vogue Living ready all the time. It’s … just … so much.”
“But honey, you knew when you married him that he had this kind of money. What’s the problem?”
“It’s not a problem,” she demurred quickly. “I love Alex.” And she really, really did. No matter what was going on between them, she had every faith it would be a temporary concern. “It’s just … I fell in love with him when I didn’t really have any concept of just how …”
“Nonsense! Everyone knows how wealthy Alessandros Petrides is.”
“Yes, yes. But you read a number in an article and that’s very different to living it. Look at my engagement ring.”
“I did, believe me,” Olivia teased.
“I mean, I can’t even imagine how much he spent on it. It’s like … all this is so normal to him. And I don’t want it! I certainly don’t need it.”
“Then don’t wear the ring. Buy yourself something simple and use that instead.”
“But this is special because he gave it to me,” Sophie pointed out with a shrug. “It’s fine. I’m being silly. It’s just an adjustment.”
“Mmmm. You said that.” Olivia pursed her lips in the style that was uniquely hers. “I like your hair like this.”
Sophie might have laughed at the lightning fast conversation change, but she was used to her sister. “It’s the same as always.”
“No, it’s longer, and blonder.”
“Oh.” Sophie shrugged. “The length is laziness, and the blonde must just be from the sun.”
“It suits you. You look good.”
Sophie’s smile felt almost completely natural. “Thanks. So, are you going to tell me what adventure you’re off on this time?”
Olivia leaned forward, her eyes glinting with excitement. “Vegas.”
“I know where you’re going, but not why.”
“Why?” She scrunched up her nose as though Sophie was asking the most ludicrously simple question in the world. “Because it’s Vegas.”
“But what’s in Vegas?”
“Bright lights. Action. Fun.”
“You only got back from Rome a few months ago. Aren’t you a little sick of all that?”
“Says the girl who married a hot, billionaire stallion about three seconds after meeting him. To say nothing of your decision to up and move to his palatial home in stunning Greece.”
“We haven’t moved here,” Sophie corrected quickly, her tone distracted. “We’re just … staying here for now.”
“You’re missing my point! Your life is all about adventure! You were the first one to leave Celli. You escaped to Sydney as soon as you could and look at what you’ve done since. You’ve travelled with the bloody prime minister of England!”
“I might have been the first to leave home, but you’re definitely making up for lost time.” Sophie crossed one leg over the other with unconscious elegance.
“I know.” Olivia shrugged. “You know me. I get itchy feet if I sit still for too long.”
“What will you do for work?”
“I’ll find something. Or something will find me.” She grinned. “I have a friend who said they’re looking for someone like me.”
“You’re so like mum sometimes, Liv,” Sophie said with a shake of her head.
They were quiet for a moment, thinking of Meredith Henderson, a woman they’d loved so dearly, and had lost so tragically.
“Can you believe Cristiano’s going to be back in the valley?”
“No,” Olivia responded with a steady shake of her head. Her lips tugged downwards in one corner.
“What is it?” Sophie prompted, sipping her champagne and trying not to wonder how much that tiny amount of alcohol would have cost.
“It’s just … I don’t think Ava’s seeing the whole picture here. Cristiano’s not the kind of guy to take news of a secret child lying down. He’s going to be livid.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Maybe he won’t even find out,” Sophie pointed out hopefully.
“They’re staying at the vineyard. Milly’s bound to make an impression on them.”
Sophie couldn’t help the smile that touched her expression. “Maybe. God, I miss that kid.”
“I know, tell me about it.” She ran a finger around the rim of her glass. “What are you worried about though? You know Cristiano’s got no interest in kids. He’s the proverbial bachelor. That was part of the problem.”
“Look who’s talking. You’ve gone and tamed one of those, so don’t take it for granted that leopards can’t change their spots.”
“I haven’t tamed Alessandro,” Sophie demurred.
“He’s a renowned … well … you know as much as I do, I presume. And you’ve got him stitched up and loved up.”
“But Alex is nothing like Cristiano.”
“Isn’t he?” Olivia pushed.
“No.” Sophie insisted. She drank her remaining champagne simply to break the conversation and Olivia topped their glasses up to stave off the reappearance of the over-attentive wait staff. “Cristiano’s a bastard. He broke Ava’s heart and left her pregnant and alone. Alex would never act like that. Ever. Family is hugely important to him.”
“Yes, but Cristiano doesn’t know he’s got family in Australia, remember.”
“That’s not Ava’s fault. She tried to tell him. He wouldn’t see her. You can’t possibly be defending him?”
“God, no.” Liv shook her head. “I went with her to Rio, remember. I’ll never forget the sight of our pregnant sister waddling away from his apartment building, having been turned away by his housekeeper.” Sophie’s eyes had a faraway expression. “And we both know what state she was in afterwards.”
They didn’t need to cover that in any more detail. The recollection of those dark days in Ava’s life haunted them all. Thankfully, the sisters were so close-knit that they’d been able to pull together and help her through the post-natal depression and other complications. Between their support and the proper medical attention, Ava had come through the other side and returned to her normal self.
And Helena? Would her brother be able to help her in that unique way siblings had? Sophie leaned back into the leather seat, and focussed on one of the ornate lamps in the corner. Was she denying him the opportunity to help Helena, in a way that he’d never be able to forgive?
“Would you have told him?” Olivia wondered thoughtfully, conjuring ou
t of nowhere an image of Cristiano’s handsome, dark face.
“Absolutely,” Sophie insisted. “He’s the father. He should, if nothing else, have had the chance to support his child.”
“Ava’s doing okay in that department,” Olivia pointed out.
“Yes, but Cristiano is a proud man. He would hate to know how she’s been struggling, and how hard she’s been working.”
“I don’t think he’d care.” Liv shook her head. “Bastard.”
“Yeah.” It was a concise ending to the conversation. However, it was not the last conversation they would have on the matter. For that afternoon though, they filed it away for later prodding, and turned to more pleasurable matters. Hours passed in the blink of an eye, and before Sophie knew it, she was pleasantly fuzzy around the edges from excellent champagne, and her sprits were high courtesy of her funny, spontaneous sister.
“Okay, Mrs Petrides, I think it’s time you took me to meet this sexy husband of yours.”
Sophie felt her heart pound sharply in her chest. Alex. And just like that, her state of relaxation evaporated, to be replaced by one of anxious uncertainty. But what could she do? Her sister was in Greece, and of course she must meet the man who had swept Sophie off her feet. Even if they were barely speaking.
Chapter 7
“Does he always work so much?” Olivia queried, stretching her legs to catch more of the sun.
“Yes,” Sophie murmured, not opening her eyes for fear of the expression she might see reflected back at her.
“I’ve been here four days and am yet to see him.”
“I’m aware of that,” Sophie’s words were sharper than she’d intended. She softened them with an apologetic smile. If she didn’t take care, Olivia would start to worry that something was wrong. “I’m sorry. I miss him. Our wedding caught him as much off guard as it did me. He can hardly put his projects aside just to wait on us hand and foot.”
“I’m not expecting him to. I only want to meet him before I go.”
“You will. You don’t have firm plans, I thought?”
“Itchy feet, remember?” She teased. “Besides, when he does get back, I don’t want to cramp your style. Having seen how little you two get to see of one another, I don’t want to be the annoying third wheel.”
Billionaire Brides: An Anthology Page 28