by Lacey London
Reaching for his beer bottle, Oliver taps it against his leg and stares at the ocean. His brow furrows as he sits in complete silence, seemingly oblivious to the chaos in the swimming pool.
‘Clara, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but Stelios and I aren’t going to be buddies anytime soon.’ He says quietly, all bravado absent from his voice. ‘I’ve tried to get along with the guy, tonight especially, but I can’t buy into it. I can’t see past the money-man personality. I just don’t believe who he claims to be. I’m sorry, but I don’t.’
I hang my head in despair as I listen to Oliver’s words, all the while knowing how much this is going to devastate Janie.
‘Whatever my mom does and whoever she does it with is her decision, but I won’t be a part of it…’ He continues. ‘I know how much you wanted this to work out, but when I believe someone is making a mistake, I’m not going to stick around and watch it happen.’
Completely lost for ways of trying to make Oliver see sense, I finally resign myself to the fact his mind is made up.
‘I’m going to bed.’ I mumble, no longer in the mood to party.
‘Already?’ Looking down at his watch, Oliver frowns as I push myself up. ‘The night is still young!’
‘The party is over, Oliver.’ Locking eyes with him, I make no effort to hide how upset I am.
‘It’s time to call it a night.’
With a final frown, I turn on my heel and head back inside, taking my heavy heart with me…
Chapter 17
Tossing a black bikini into the suitcase, I blow a strand of hair out of my face and look around the room. Without my belongings scattered around the place, the spacious suite looks larger than ever, but bizarrely, it suddenly feels claustrophobic. The more I look at the empty magnolia walls, the more they appear to be closing in on me. For reasons I can’t quite explain, I can’t wait to get home to our apartment. To Noah, to Pumpkin and to my normal life. Who would’ve thought I would want to run away from a multi-million pound mansion on an idyllic Greek island? The blue skies and abundant sunshine just aren’t enough to keep me here. Mykonos might have stolen my heart, but Stelios’s life here leaves me cold, empty and with a longing for normality.
‘You’re packing already?’ Oliver asks, walking into the room with a steaming cup of coffee.
‘I am. We have to leave for the airport at nine o’clock tonight, so I might as well get the packing out of the way now.’ Bending down to retrieve a pair of Oliver’s shorts from under the bed, I toss them into the case. ‘What’s left of yours to pack?’
‘Can we at least have breakfast before we start all this?’ Heading over to the wardrobe, Oliver pulls a pair of chinos off a hanger and hands them to me. ‘I might not condone my mom’s choice of partner, but I sure as hell love his breakfasts.’
Not being ready to joke about Stelios just yet, I smile thinly and nod as he disappears out of the room in search of food.
I haven’t seen Janie since I left her last night and I’m not sure I want to. Half of me is hoping her threats to leave Stelios today were merely the result of her emotions running high and one too many glasses of wine, but something about the way she looked at me tells me otherwise.
Perching on the edge of the bed, I rub my temples and turn to face the sun, enjoying the sensation of warmth on my skin. I haven’t breathed a word about Janie’s ultimatum and I don’t intend to, just in case she has a miraculous change of heart. The idea of someone walking away from the man they love to keep another person happy is heartbreaking, but without Oliver, Janie really doesn’t have anyone.
Hearing footsteps enter the room once more, I look up to see Marc standing in the doorway.
‘Hi…’ He says quietly, shoving his hands into his shorts as he comes to a stop at the foot of the bed. ‘Packing already?’
‘What is it with men and leaving things to the last minute?’ I grumble, pulling open random drawers to check for anything I’ve missed.
‘You vanished from the party early last night.’ Gingerly sitting down, Marc hands me a bottle of sunscreen from the bedside table. ‘Oliver said you went to bed?’
‘I just needed to be alone for a little while.’ I reply, flipping the lid on the suitcase and shoving it across the bed to make some room. ‘Besides, you seemed pretty preoccupied with the tycoon brigade.’
‘That’s actually what I came in here to talk to you about.’ Marc says solemnly, rubbing his hands together as he always does when he’s nervous. ‘Dimitri Alafouzos, one of Stelios’s closest allies, made me an offer to work with him…’
Rolling my eyes, I turn my back to Marc as he speaks and scour the bed sheets for discarded clothing. He knows my feelings towards his greedy attitude to business and yet he’s persisted with it regardless.
‘I don’t want to hear it, Marc.’ I grumble, attempting to push myself up. ‘I really don’t…’
‘I turned him down.’
‘You did what?’ I reply, thinking I’ve misheard him.
‘I turned them down.’ Marc repeats seriously, a smile playing on his lips. ‘You were right. I was chasing a dream I already had. Suave is what I always wanted and Suave is what I have.’
A little stunned by his revelation, I beam back at him proudly.
‘My head was turned by the money and the lavish lifestyle that was on offer, but the truth is, I already have everything I could ever want. I own a share in the business that means so much to me, I have my best friends around me every day and I have more money than I ever dreamed of. Well, until Gina gets her hands on it.’ Letting out a laugh, Marc reaches over and tilts my chin up. ‘Are you… crying?’
‘No!’ I lie, quickly batting away my tears.
‘Yes, you are!’ Leaning across the bed, Marc ruffles my hair in an attempt to make me laugh. ‘I knew you would be happy, but I didn’t expect this…’
Not wanting to admit that my tears have more to do with Janie and less to do with his decision to walk away from more business deals, I shrug my shoulders and just go with it.
‘Like I said, I’m proud of you.’ Sniffing loudly, I wipe my cheeks on my arm and try to compose myself. ‘Really proud.’
Marc nods back at me and we share a look that fills the silence perfectly.
‘Anyway, that’s enough of the deep chat.’ He says happily, as laughter drifts into the room from outside. ‘We have eleven hours before we leave for the airport. Let’s go and enjoy them.’
Smiling in response, I wipe my face once more and allow him to drag me out of the suite. As we walk along the lobby more boisterous noise catches our attention, only this time, the shrieks of glee are accompanied by numerous splashing sounds.
‘Where’s that coming from?’ Marc asks, stopping and trying to pinpoint the noise.
A series of squeals erupt behind us and I motion towards the indoor pool. The noise becomes louder and louder with each step that we take, until we push open the door and walk inside. Just as when we first arrived in Mykonos, Janie is floating around the immense pool with what appears to be a cocktail in her hand. The others are splashing around her, laughing joyfully as they bat one another with a variety of floating devices.
Too busy giggling at Lianna and Vernon as they wrestle for a beach ball, it takes me a moment to realise that Stelios is also in there and most unbelievably of all, so is Oliver.
‘I thought you guys were having breakfast!’ I exclaim, sitting on the side of the pool and dangling my legs into the cool water.
‘Eating is cheating!’ Lianna cheers, adjusting her bikini and clambering onto an inflatable cupcake with the ball under her arm. ‘We can eat back home.’
‘Still, I wouldn’t say no to a bacon sandwich.’ Feeling my stomach growl, I debate leaving them to it and giving in to the lure of fried food.
‘Swim first, bacon later!’ Vernon replies, swimming to the edge of the pool. ‘When are we next gonna be able to do this before breakfast?’
‘Hopefully, not too long.’ Stelios answer
s on my behalf. ‘You, my family, are welcome here any time at all. You just say and I book the flights.’
My gaze automatically moves to Janie, who is hiding behind a giant pair of sunglasses.
‘You’re so kind, Stelios!’ Lianna gushes, kicking her legs to stay afloat. ‘We would love to come again. Wouldn’t we, guys?’
The others chime in agreement and I bite my lip anxiously. As far as I’m aware, the others don’t have a clue about Janie’s ultimatum and I’m still clueless as to whether she’s going to go through with it. As though reading my mind, Janie claps her hands together to get everyone’s attention.
‘Alright, while I’ve got all you gremlins together, I want to thank you for coming out here to visit us.’ Janie says appreciatively. ‘It’s been so good to see all of you, because regardless of what you might think, I have missed you. I’ve missed you very much. Some more than others…’
‘We’ve missed you, too!’ I reply, from my position by the side of the pool.
‘Yeah, it’s not the same without you scouring Owen’s drawers for Rémy Martin.’ Marc teases, swimming over to Janie’s inflatable flamingo. ‘All that cognac is really building up in the office, but don’t worry, it’ll be waiting for you when you come back.’
Joining in with the others as they laugh along with Marc, I can’t help thinking that the Rémy Martin might not have to wait for much longer.
‘Before we put all this soppy business behind us, there’s just one last thing I wanted to ask you.’ Pausing to remove her sunglasses, Janie looks at me briefly before speaking. ‘You’re all aware that you were invited here to attend the Ice Party, but I must confess to having an ulterior motive…’
My ears ring as the others fall into silence. This is it. This is the moment it all boils down to. Janie’s future in Mykonos hangs on the outcome of this conversation.
‘I think you’ll all agree that before you flew out here, Stelios was a business associate and nothing more. These past five days have given you a chance to get to know the man behind the name.’ Reaching for Stelios’s hand under the surface of the water, Janie takes a deep breath before continuing. ‘So, do Mr Christopoulos and I get your blessing?’
Not hesitating for a second, Marc, Gina, Li and Vernon immediately speak up.
‘Of course!’
‘Absolutely!’
‘We love Stelios!’
‘The guy is a legend!’
Listening to them throw a whole dictionary of compliments at Stelios, a sudden rage bubbles in the pit of my stomach. Their opinions of Stelios are based on nothing more than the money he has thrown at them. They have no idea how desperate Stelios is and how hard he has tried to prove himself to them. They haven’t devoted a mere five minutes to learning about Stelios and his life.
Despite my efforts to stop it, the fury shoots up my windpipe and explodes in my mouth like hot lava.
‘How can you say that?’ I blurt out, unable to stop the words from tumbling out. ‘None of you have taken the time to get to know Stelios.’
Looking at the shocked faces that are staring back at me I know I have opened a can of worms, but once I start I just can’t stop.
‘I bet you don’t know a single thing more about Stelios than you did before we arrived.’ I continue, not caring in the slightest that I may be speaking out of turn. ‘All you have done is sweep up his gifts and over-the-top gestures, which little do you know he gave out of sheer desperation.’
Adrenaline whooshes through my body as I switch my focus to Stelios.
‘The gifts aren’t needed, Stelios. You don’t need to buy people’s affection. If they like you, they like you. Your finances shouldn’t come into it. The people who like you purely for what you can offer them don’t really like you at all. Their love and their loyalty are false. Just like the rest of this place…’
Stelios blinks repeatedly and steadies himself on Janie’s shoulder, looking as though the wind has been well and truly knocked out of him.
‘On paper, you have the perfect life.’ I persist. ‘You have more money than most people could spend in a lifetime, yet you can’t enjoy it. You confine your personality and your real character to a single room, afraid of what your business contacts would think if they saw who you really are.’
A wave of sadness hits Stelios’s eyes and I know I have hit a nerve, but something inside me refuses to stop.
‘Why do you care what they think? You’ve made it. You made it a long time ago. You don’t need to vie for their approval. You don’t need their business. In fact, you don’t need any of this.’ Motioning around the pool, I point to Ioannis and Georgios, who are standing in the corner and doing their best to pretend this conversation isn’t happening. ‘You don’t need a hundred members of staff. You don’t the security guards, the fleets of limousines and to be woken by maids bearing breakfasts. You have the most incredible kitchen I have ever seen. Enjoy it! Cook in it, dine in it and discover what your wealth has truly brought you. I bet you don’t even know where your cutlery is kept, do you?’
Stelios hangs his head in shame and sighs deeply. ‘No. No, I do not.’
‘Then why have it?’ I ask, aware that I’m testing his limits. ‘Why have any of it if you can’t enjoy it?’
There’s a long pause where you could hear a pin drop, before Stelios finally speaks up.
‘I don’t know. I don’t know why I have it.’ He stammers, like I’ve asked him the most difficult question imaginable. ‘I just keep working. Keep working means I keep buying. The money doesn’t mean anything to me anymore. That’s why I give it away. Like I give to you. What is mine, is yours. I don’t care. I don’t care about money, but people care about me when I give them the money. You see?’
‘But you don’t need to do that, Stelios. That is what I am trying to explain.’ I say gently. ‘You’re a good man, we would have liked you without the gifts. Right, guys?’
Looking at the others, I’m pleased to see them all agreeing.
‘You’re a great person, Stelios. A fascinating person, in fact.’ Marc starts, holding his hands out in front of him. ‘I just didn’t bother to find that out and for that, I’m sorry. I think we all are. We allowed ourselves to get carried away with your lifestyle. I’m sure you can understand how easy it is to get sucked up into your frankly mind-blowing world.’
Embarrassed murmurs come from the rest of the gang as I look on, proud that my friends can admit when they’ve been wrong.
‘We didn’t mean to take advantage of your good nature.’ Lianna mumbles guiltily. ‘You have been so kind to us and I guess we just got lost in the moment, but I do think you’re a fabulous man and most definitely the right one for Janie.’
‘Me too.’ Gina adds. ‘With or without the money.’
‘Yeah, me too.’ Reaching out, Vernon shakes Stelios’s hand firmly.
The look of relief on Janie’s face causes the mood to instantly lift, but I am very aware there’s still one person yet to speak.
‘Oliver?’ Janie asks timidly, holding on to Stelios to stop herself from bobbing around in the water. ‘Do we get your blessing?’
The atmosphere suddenly becomes unbearably tense as Oliver runs a hand through his hair in silence. Seven pairs of eyes burn into him, waiting for him to make the next move.
‘I’m sorry, Mom, but he just isn’t right for you.’ He says confidently, fixing his stare on Janie. ‘I’ve tried to see the draw here, but I keep coming up with a blank. Apart from the ability to throw bags of money at his problems and hope they go away, what does he offer you?’
Janie attempts to speak, but Oliver doesn’t wait for her to respond.
‘I appreciate that you have given us your hospitality, Stelios, I really do. For that, I can’t fault you, but as far as being the man for my mom, I don’t think so. You’re so caught up in your cash and your materialistic lifestyle that you don’t have a clue how the world works. You’re so detached from reality and so sheltered from real life. You’re�
�� you’re a fake.’
Feeling my jaw fall open, I slowly turn around to look at Stelios and brace myself for his comeback.
‘Fake?’ Stelios repeats, as if he has never heard the word before in his entire life. ‘You think I am fake and… what are the other things you say?’
‘Detached, sheltered and don’t have a clue how the world works.’ Gina offers, rather unhelpfully.
Nodding slowly, Stelios smooths down his moustache. The vibe in the room, which was temporarily lifted by the positive response from the others, is now lower than ever. Not daring to look at Janie, the sadness inside me grows as I glance at Oliver. I can’t make him accept Stelios. No one can. He’s his own person and as such, he is entitled to his own opinion, but that doesn’t alter how immensely disappointed I feel inside.
‘You give me two hours.’ Stelios says intently, locking eyes with Oliver and holding up two fingers. ‘Two hours and if after that, you still think I am fake and detached and clueless, then I walk away. I walk away from my Janie.’
An inflatable pizza floats aimlessly around the pool as we all turn to look at Oliver. Gently nudging him under the surface of the water, I smile encouragingly and hope he gives Stelios the dignity of one last shot.
‘Fine.’ He grumbles, a scowl taking over his tanned face. ‘Two hours…’
Not hesitating, Stelios lets go of Janie’s float and shouts in Greek to Ioannis and Georgios, who swiftly jump into action and grab a handful of towels from the dressing room. Without saying a word, Stelios swims to the edge of the pool and pulls himself up the steps.
‘Please…’ Standing on the poolside dripping in water, he holds out a towel to a bemused Oliver before leading the way outside.
Watching the two of them disappear out of the room, leaving a trail of soggy footprints behind them, I scramble to my feet and run to the window with the others.
‘What’s going on?’ Lianna asks, leaning against me in her wet bikini. ‘They’re not going to get in the limo soaking wet, are they?’
Peering out of the glass, I look on as Ioannis ushers them into the vehicle and gives Calix the signal to drive.