by Lacey London
If we thought Azure was impressive, The Haven has raised the bar astronomically high. Think laidback Ibiza vibes seamlessly blended with quintessential Greek charm and you’re halfway there. Glasses are being clinked together, smiles are escalating to laughter and the most delicious smells imaginable are drifting from the kitchen. A one-man band is singing on a driftwood platform, creating the ideal ambiance to the picture-perfect setting.
Despite my reservations about networking with Stelios’s contacts, each and every one of his associates was a pleasure to dine with. Their reserved nature meant that we barely knew they were there. The most I heard them speak was when they excused themselves to dash off to another meeting halfway through the meal. Not that anyone was fazed. Between listening to the live music and working our way through an incredible tasting menu, Stelios’s associates were the last thing on our minds.
Resting my handbag on my lap, I discreetly slip my hand inside and hold the huge ruby in my palm. The heavy gem feels cold to touch as I run my fingers across the smooth surface. Stelios’s excessive gifts seem a little forced and as much as I don’t want to be ungrateful, I don’t really know how I feel about them. I realise the guy is extremely wealthy, but to shower people you barely know with precious gemstones is extreme, to say the least.
Throughout the course of the meal, I’ve tried to convince myself this is just Stelios’s way of welcoming us to his home and perhaps I am putting a little too much thought into it, but my gut is telling me something is off. I haven’t managed to speak to any of the others about the grand gesture and being sandwiched between Oliver and Janie, I don’t think I’m going to.
Surprisingly, Oliver didn’t breathe a word about the medallion-inspired gift on the way over here, but I’m not sure whether his silence is a positive thing. Giving him a sideways glance, I watch him chatting with Marc and try to work out what he’s thinking. With the wind in his hair and his eyes crinkled into a smile, you would never believe his nemesis is sitting just a few feet away. Although, to be fair, Stelios has no idea of the depths of Oliver’s hatred for him. As far as he is concerned, Oliver is mildly irked at him for dating his mother. Stelios is completely oblivious to the fact Oliver would rather swim with alligators than give him his blessing to be with Janie.
‘How was your meal?’ Stelios asks, thanking the waiters as they subtly whip away our plates. ‘All good? Yes?’
‘It was beautiful.’ Leaning to the left as my empty dessert bowl is removed, I smile gratefully. ‘Everything was just perfect.’
‘I couldn’t fault a thing!’ Gina adds, reaching for the drinks menu. ‘The best meal I’ve had in ages.’
The rest of the group nod in agreement as Stelios looks on happily.
‘Fantastic! I am very pleased to hear it!’ Draping his arm around Janie’s shoulder, he slips a wad of notes to one of the waitresses. ‘The food here is the best in all of Mykonos.’
‘It’s certainly something special, that’s for sure.’ Vernon muses, yawning into the back of his hand. ‘It reminds me a little of The Hangout.’
Suddenly seeing the resemblance to Li and Vernon’s beloved Barbados bar, a lovely feeling washes over me as I remember the good times we shared there.
‘I miss running a bar.’ Looking around the restaurant wistfully, Lianna smiles and rests her elbows on the table. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I adore Suave, but nothing quite gets me going like the buzz of being the hostess. The energy of working with happy tourists and serving smiling faces for a living was so addictive. Do you know what I mean?’
‘I know exactly!’ Stelios replies, even though Lianna was clearly talking to Vernon. ‘My first venture was a café, so I know. I know well.’
‘You started in the hospitality industry?’ Marc asks, sounding genuinely intrigued. ‘How did you transition into the fashion world? What made you leave food and beverages behind?’
‘There was no leaving behind.’ Stelios coughs and leans forward in his seat, enjoying being the centre of attention. ‘I own six restaurants and two hotels.’
I raise my eyebrows and pull my glass towards me, a little bemused by his revelation. Not only does Stelios own one of the biggest handbag businesses in the world, he also has six restaurants and a couple of hotels under his belt. Not to mention his bulging property portfolio and abundance of yachts.
‘Ianthe takes my attention now, but my first love was hospitality.’ He continues, his voice casual as he speaks. ‘Working with people was what gave me life. Well, until I met my Janie. Now my Janie is what gives me life.’
Stelios stares lovingly at Janie and I kick Oliver beneath the table as he curses under his breath.
‘We’ll buy another bar one day.’ Vernon says thoughtfully, as Lianna rests her head on his chest. ‘We could even open a restaurant. I think we both know that’s ultimately what we want…’
‘If you want a restaurant, there is no better than this one.’ Stelios says firmly, waving his arms around. ‘This one… right here. The Haven. You should buy The Haven!’
Lianna and Vernon laugh gently and shake their heads.
‘If only…’ Li sighs. ‘Our money is tied up in Suave right now and even if it wasn’t, I’m going to guess this place is out of our price range.’
‘But never say never.’ Vernon adds, loosening the collar on his shirt. ‘Who knows what the future holds?’
The table falls into a comfortable silence as a waiter hands around a selection of polished coffee menus. Running my eyes over the many options available, I finger the page before closing the cover and pushing it away.
‘Then I buy it!’ Stelios exclaims, causing me to physically jump in my seat. ‘I buy The Haven for you, yes?’
A giggle travels around the group as we laugh at his joke. For someone who is a fierce businessman, Stelios Christopoulos is quite the comedian.
‘Very funny…’ Lianna replies, shuffling closer to Vernon as Marc snaps some photographs on his phone.
Signalling for us all to get in the frame, Marc stands up as Oliver and I wander over to where Gina and Janie are sitting. Positioning myself amongst my friends, I stick out my tongue and smile for the camera.
Too busy posing for pictures, I almost don’t notice Stelios talking to a suited man in the shadows of the trees. Stern expressions are fixed on their faces as they quietly engage in an in-depth conversation.
‘What’s he doing?’ Gina whispers to Janie, who looks just as clueless as the rest of us.
‘Don’t ask me!’ Holding her hands in the air, Janie adjusts her zebra print dress and shakes her head. ‘What that man does is his own business.’
Leaving the others to pose for pictures, I take a few steps back and shamefully try to eavesdrop on their conversation. Not being able to hear more than a few indecipherable murmurs, I turn my attention to Oliver and plant a soft kiss on his cheek.
‘Are you good?’ I ask, relieved to see he’s still smiling, despite Stelios’s many public displays of affection towards Janie. ‘Did you enjoy your meal?’
‘Yes and yes.’ He replies, reaching across the table for his beer. ‘Mykonos is pretty amazing.’
‘I just knew you’d love it here!’ Janie squeals, running over and throwing her arms around the pair of us. ‘Hearing you say that makes me so happy!’
Hugging her back, I notice Oliver’s eyes soften as we embrace one another warmly.
‘You haven’t seen anything yet!’ Janie continues, happiness ringing through her voice as the others retreat to their seats. ‘Stelios has so much more planned for you…’
‘Cool…’ Oliver smiles in response, but it doesn’t quite meet his eyes.
Knowing we have three days to fill before the Ice Party, I’m intrigued to know what activities are on the agenda, but before I can ask, Stelios returns to the table.
‘The deal is done!’ He declares, looking extremely pleased with himself. ‘The Haven, it is now yours.’
‘I’m sorry?’ I say in confusion, thinking I’ve m
isheard him. ‘Could you repeat that?’
Looking around the table grinning inanely, Stelios points at Lianna and Vernon. ‘The Haven is theirs.’
I stare at Stelios as I wait to hear the punchline, but something about his demeanour tells me he isn’t joking.
‘It’s yours.’ He repeats, his eyes sparkling as he studies their reaction. ‘The Haven is my gift to you.’
Lianna opens and closes her mouth repeatedly, before finally regaining the use of her tongue.
‘He’s kidding, right?’ She says to Janie, waiting for her to confirm that he is.
‘No kidding!’ Stelios laughs and holds his medallion to his lips. ‘I do not kid! I buy for you.’
‘Dude, you can’t just buy someone a restaurant!’ Vernon says in awe, shaking his head incredulously. ‘That’s insane.’
‘Why not?’ Stelios’s face crumples as he tries to comprehend what all the fuss is about. ‘You want, I buy.’
‘Excuse me, I need to get some air.’ Oliver says agitatedly, pushing out his chair and striding across the busy terrace with his drink in his hand.
Resisting the urge to go after him, I chew the inside of my cheek nervously and will the ground to swallow me up. If public displays of affection make me feel uncomfortable, public displays of extravagance make me even more so.
‘As incredible as that offer is…’ Lianna says carefully, pushing away her menu. ‘We simply cannot let you buy us a restaurant, but I appreciate the gesture immensely.’
‘You’re unbelievably generous, Stelios.’ Vernon stammers. ‘Too generous, but she’s right, we can’t accept it.’
Seemingly lost for words, Stelios stares back at them blankly.
‘Okay.’ He says eventually, shrugging his shoulders and forcing a thin smile. ‘It is no problem. No problem at all.’
Fidgeting with the clasp of my watch, I steal a glance over at Oliver and smile gratefully when Marc takes it upon himself to wander over to him.
‘Maybe we should buy The Haven.’ Draining her glass, Janie looks up at Stelios and bats her long eyelashes. ‘You’ve been looking for a new investment.’
Nodding slowly, Stelios runs a hand through his black hair and purses his lips. ‘Okay. We keep the restaurant.’
Clinking their glasses together, Janie and Stelios kiss briefly and toast their new venture, as though they’ve just purchased a pair of trainers and not a prestigious establishment.
Not quite believing what I’ve witnessed, I look down at the ruby in my handbag and try to process what the hell just happened here.
‘It would appear we have some celebrating to do!’ Gina babbles, reaching for her own drink and holding it in the air. ‘To you guys!’
One at a time, we lift up our drinks and exchange bewildered looks as Stelios brushes off our stunned reactions.
‘To you guys!’ We all repeat in unison.
Raising my glass to my lips, I drain the contents and sit back as the others bombard Stelios with a million excited questions about his spontaneous purchase. While Stelios explains his decision to acquire The Haven, I turn my focus to Janie’s delirious grin and wonder how she can possibly feel comfortable with such decadent purchases. With her coming from such a humble background, you’d think she would be a little more cautious.
I’ve always believed a fool and his money are easily parted, but when money is no object, do the same rules apply?
* * *
Strategically positioning myself beneath the air-conditioning, I bury my face in the pillow and allow my eyes to close. Despite Oliver being sprawled out next to me, he’s at least six feet away and as a result, I can starfish like I’m the only girl in the world.
‘It was so nice of Stelios to buy us such a lovely dinner.’ I whisper, marvelling at how soft the sheets are. ‘Wasn’t it?’
‘He didn’t just buy dinner.’ Oliver says scathingly, folding his arms behind his head. ‘He bought the whole damn restaurant.’
‘Wasn’t that crazy?’ I reply, intrigued to hear his opinion on the astonishing happenings at The Haven earlier.
‘I can think of other words for it.’ He scoffs. ‘Crazy isn’t one of them.’
‘He just bought it. Just like that.’ I mumble to myself, staring up at the ceiling. ‘Can you imagine if Li and Vernon would have accepted?’
‘Most people would have. Luckily, they have more pride than to be bought like that.’ Stuffing a pillow behind his head, he shuffles around on the bed to get comfortable. ‘The guy thinks he can just throw his money around and people will come running.’
Nodding along, my mind drifts back to the precious gemstone in my handbag. ‘The ruby thing was a little… strange. Don’t you think?’
‘Again, I can think of other words.’ Oliver grumbles, pulling the blanket up to his chin.
‘Do you think that’s just what billionaires do when they have guests over?’ I ask. ‘Like how Eve buys fresh flowers and cupcakes when we go for dinner?’
‘When I’m a billionaire, I’ll let you know.’
Taking that as a no, I listen to the sound of the waves gently crashing against the shore on the beach down below.
‘What did you do with your ruby?’ I ask, suddenly realising I haven’t seen him with it since we left the restaurant earlier.
Pointing to the bathroom, Oliver smiles wickedly and flicks off the bedside lamp. Following his gaze, I let out a gasp as I discover he’s used the expensive jewel to prop open the bathroom door.
‘Oliver!’ I hiss, diving out of bed and grabbing the ruby from the tiled floor. ‘You can’t do that!’
‘Why not?’ He replies between yawns. ‘The guy has doorstops made of gold in the main building.’
‘I don’t care if Stelios has unicorns holding the bloody doors open.’ Frantically dusting down the gem on my pyjamas, I place it in the safety of my handbag along with mine. ‘Don’t be so ungrateful. Those rubies must have cost thousands.’
‘It’s not ungrateful to be freaked out by such a weird gesture.’ Oliver retorts, rolling onto his side. ‘And it’s also not ungrateful to be freaked out by being referred to as family all the goddamn time.’
Not being able to argue with either of his very valid points, I decide to say nothing and slip under the sheets.
Kissing Oliver goodnight, I curl up into a ball and close my eyes once more. Maybe we’re mistaking Stelios’s kindness as being over the top and maybe that’s simply because we just don’t understand his lifestyle. After all, six rubies are a drop in the ocean for Stelios’s finances. In the grand scheme of things, lavishing your partner’s friends and family with outlandish gifts is hardly the worst crime in the world. In fact, it’s not a crime at all. Most people would be jumping for joy at Stelios’s lavish presents, so why aren’t I?
As I’m trying to persuade myself that Stelios’s behaviour is normal for someone of his social stature, my eyelids become extremely heavy and I finally give in to the lure of some much-needed sleep. Overthinking innocent situations has always been my downfall, but the older I get, I still can’t shake the habit.
My mother always warned me if you think too much, you’ll create a problem that was never there in the first place and as the sound of the waves soothes me to sleep, I’m leaning towards her being right…
Chapter 9
Waking up in the villa feels incredibly surreal and waking up to two beaming butlers presenting us with breakfast is even more so…
Quickly grabbing the blanket to protect my modesty, my cheeks flush pink as the men bearing trays of croissants and coffees tactfully avert their eyes. Once confident I’m not going to subject them to an unfortunate nip slip, I thank them for the breakfast and smile gratefully as they nod and discreetly slip out of the bedroom.
‘Well, that was rather strange.’ I say to Oliver, whose hair is standing on end like a startled rabbit. ‘Do you think Stelios wakes up like that every morning?’
‘Definitely.’ Yawning loudly, he takes a grape from the overflo
wing fruit bowl and throws back the sheets. ‘He probably has someone to wipe his…’
‘That’s enough!’ I interrupt, before the air turns blue. ‘I get the picture, thank you very much.’
Managing a tiny smile, Oliver takes the silver trays and carries them out onto the balcony. Following the smell of freshly-baked croissants, I stumble out of bed and trace Oliver’s footsteps to the sprawling veranda, which is flooded with light from the morning sun. The inviting warmth hits me the second my feet hit the hot tiles and I allow myself a few moments to revel in the lovely sensation.
‘Good morning!’ A chirpy voice sings behind me. ‘Sleep well?’
Forcing myself to spin around, I smile as I discover Lianna, Vernon, Marc and Gina on the adjacent balcony.
‘Like a baby!’ I reply, quickly grabbing my sunglasses from the dresser and hopping over the dividing wall. ‘Did you?’
‘Same.’ Draping her legs over Vernon’s lap, Lianna yawns and turns her face to the sun. ‘If it wasn’t for the heavies knocking on the door just now, I would have slept all day long.’
‘It was certainly a shock, wasn’t it?’ I whisper, reaching for the coffee pot. ‘But I don’t think they’ll come to our room again after I nearly flashed them.’
‘They’ll probably come twice…’ Smothering her legs with tanning oil, Gina steals a strawberry from Marc’s plate and chuckles.
The others join in with her laughter and I blow into my hot coffee, looking at her glistening legs dubiously.
‘I have some sun lotion in our room. Do you want me to get it for you?’ I offer, not wanting Gina to cook herself like a piece of streaky bacon.
‘No, thank you.’ Giving me a knowing look, Gina squirts more of the greasy oil into her hands. ‘I’m perfectly fine with this.’