“Your intentions were good,” Allie said gently.
“Yes, but I had no right. Even with the best investigators that money could buy, the information received indicated that you were a mystery woman. Someone who is brilliant, but hid herself away, or masqueraded as a boy. You captivated me in one glance. I could not conceive of how or why this could happen to such a lovely woman. I wanted to get inside your head to figure this out. I did the most horrible, invasive thing, Alexandria, more horrible than kidnapping and holding you against your will. I gave you a drug and asked you questions while you were under the influence in order to pry into your mind. That is unforgivable, and I am deeply ashamed that I went that far. You must know by now that sometimes I can be very arrogant.”
Allie smiled and put her hand on his cheek and spoke gently. “Yes, Nicholas, I know that you can be arrogant. You can also be dictatorial, and demanding. Who are they? Who are the bad ones? Why do you hide who you are? Why do you wear boy’s clothing? Why do you buy lingerie? Really, Nicholas, why would any woman buy lingerie?”
“How did you know?” Nicholas asked astounded.
Allie shrugged. “I remembered. Most the questions came back in my sleep or in odd moments, but I remembered them. I have vague memories, little snatches of conversations I must have heard at the hospital and here before I woke up. I didn’t know about the drugs. That was playing dirty. That’s going to cost you in the next renegotiations.”
“You are not angry?” Nicholas exclaimed amazed.
Allie laughed and then turned serious. “Nicholas, you kidnapped me, although I prefer abducted since it sounds sexier. You put me under lock and key, you walloped me every time I didn’t do exactly what you wanted me to do and you’re still doing it! A few questions asked is way down on the list of things you’ve done that were wrong. Those are the bad things you’ve done. Look at all good things you’ve done. You got inside me, and you understand me, and you love me. I can forgive the bad things you’ve done in exchange for all the good things you done.
“I’m healthy, probably for the first time in seven or eight years. Because food was never important to me, I’d just eat whatever was the most convenient. Although you drive me nuts being so overprotective, you see to it that I eat balanced meals. Even though I’d rather have a cupcake, I know you’re right. You made me feel good about myself and you make me feel pretty. I’ve almost gained control over the process… that’s major, major good stuff. I can’t hate you, Nicholas. I love you. However this started, it’s working out really good between us.”
Nicholas closed his eyes and just held her. “Alexandria, you have given me your heart and I can do nothing less in return. I was so afraid you would run away from me.”
“I only run away when I’m afraid,” Allie said. “I ran when I was twenty, and I don’t think I ever stopped running until you brought me here. I think I’m stronger person now, because of you.”
“When you left college,” Nicholas said remembering his dossier. “Why? I could not find out why?”
“God, you are obsessed and nosy! When I was twenty, I met up with a boy that I’d been in a foster home with; he was the real son of some foster parents that I’d lived with during the time social services had put me through all those tests when I was a kid. I thought we were friends, good friends and I let him in on some my secrets. We became close, not as close as he wanted but he was talking about marriage. I found out it was all a scam get control of my money. I was scared so I dropped out of school and ran.”
Nicholas pondered this new information. “Well, you know I’ve no need of your money. Of course, that doesn’t mean you don’t have the right to be angry at the way I’ve handled things. Do you truly, truly forgive me?”
“Almost,” Allie said deliberately, “except for the issue of the drugs. That was dirty.”
“What do you want,” Nicholas asked eying her suspiciously.
She gave him a calculating look. “I’d trade total absolute forgiveness, including the drug issue, for a promise of no more spanking.”
“No,” Nicholas said with a firm shake of his head but a smile on his lips. “I can live with a little bit of condemnation but I will never give up my right to take a firm hand to your bottom. We are still having much too big a problem with your unsuitable, vulgar language.”
* * * * *
“There! Read.” Nicholas pointed to the computer screen where he’d typed Dyonysus into the search engine.
There were 228 hits. On the Dyonysus shipping dynasty, Dyonysus international Acquisitions, Dyonysus Diamonds, it went on and on. The Dyonysus Dynasty, headed by Adras and Hélène Dyonysus and their nine sons.
Allie was more interested in the photographs than the dynamics of the corporations.
“Wow! You’ve got some seriously big and sexy brothers!” Allie exclaimed.
Nicholas looked a little annoyed and looked over her shoulder when she pointed and pulled up a chair beside her. “That is Dimity the eldest, and Eulalio, his wife, they have seven daughters. That is Aaron, second son, and his wife, Olympia, one son Piero.”
“No, no, start over. Tell me about them and their families,” Allie insisted.
“Okay, although we could be here all day. I have a very large family,” he got up and poured a cup of coffee before coming back and settling down in front of the computer. “Dimity, my oldest brother, he became the head of the entire Dyonysus enterprise, after my father stepped down. He is very smart, very detail oriented. He cracks the whip and we all jump. His wife, Eulalio, is earth mother. They have seven daughters. She has a chef in her kitchen but she still tosses him out to cook for her family. She has never allowed a full-time nanny in her house and even Dimity does not have the nerve to fight her on this matter. For her, her family is everything. Still, she is the head of the fund-raising for the Children’s Cancer Hospital in Nafplion. It is a nonprofit hospital where no child is ever turned away for lack of funds. Eulalio holds a special place in my heart, and in my respect.
“Aaron is number two son, first of two sets of twins. He works directly under Dimity, and is in charge of many lines of business. He is the world traveler among us. He loves to travel, not only for the business but in his personal life. His wife, Olympia, is a former Miss Greece. She works full-time in Eulalio’s foundation. They only have one child and can’t have more, but I have heard that they are working toward the goal of adopting a set of twins.
“Beneditto, number three, he was three minutes behind his twin, Aaron. He is in charge of the shipping line. He is a stern taskmaster in his job, a man no one challenges. At home, he is a pushover for his wife, Basha, and his two daughters. He thinks he is in charge, but the three women in his life have him wrapped around their little fingers. Basha was a teacher of music before they married. Now, she teaches her daughters and any of the cousins who are interested in music. She does not like to be involved in public things. She works quietly in the background of a foundation that has established scholarships for music students.
“Heracles and Galen, numbers four and five, again twins. They work together in International Acquisitions, which is also where I work, in a different subset of the company. They are like night and day in personalities but they have always been very close. They seem to balance each other.
“Heracles is fierce, aggressive and he can be vicious in his business dealings. Naida, his wife, is a very much into society, very upper crust. She’s into the contacts and social connections. She and my brother made a good match and they adore their daughter, she is very spoiled. Naida can be a snob, but the other daughters-in-laws will have none of it, and slap her down occasionally and keep her human and grounded in reality.
“Galen is the exact opposite of Heracles. He is gentle and compassionate. He balances out Heracles’ hardness. Galen met his wife, Cleo, when he was ten years old and they have been in love ever since. They ran off and got married when they were only eighteen, without permission from either family. It caused a great deal
of problems between the two families, but they were love and would not tolerate any interference. They are still madly in love and it is a beautiful thing to witness. They have had two sons who are funny and wild.
“Kephas, number six, we call him ‘the professor.’ He is probably the most intelligent of all the sons, with the exception of Dimity. But, he is not suited to business. He is the scholar of the family. He works closely with several foundations sponsored by the family. He keeps those things out of our hair so we can concentrate on business. He is a medical doctor by profession, so he understands the science of things the rest of us do not care to know about. His wife, Voletta, is very similar, except she is very disorganized and scattered. She is very smart and very focused but only in her field of expertise. She understands modules and atoms but sometimes runs around with mismatched shoes. They have two daughters and two sons and are very dedicated parents. They set timers to know when to stop work and go home and are very diligent about it. They do have a fulltime nanny, housekeeper, and cook, because Voletta has set their house on fire twice because she was not paying attention to what she was doing. She is funny, very much like my brother, and we accept them as they are and love them very much. All the family keeps a close eye on them because they both need keepers.
“I am next in line, number seven.
“Next is Markos. He is in charge of publicity and marketing for all of Dyonysus enterprises. He is brilliant at what he does, and has a large staff that is extremely loyal to him. He runs his part of the business like it an extension of his family. He is kindhearted and tends to be benevolent when his staff needs help in their personal lives. Rhea is his wife. She is a former Olympian in track and field. She is still very athletic and runs five miles each day. She is like Eulalio, in that her focus is her family. She spends most of her time running around taking their three daughters and one son to various activities in sports, ballet, and whatever. She is very flighty and energetic, which causes her to be in a lot trouble with Markos. The children are all like their mother so Markos has his hands full.
“Solon is number nine. He is very sharp, very astute in business. He runs the Diamond Consortium part of the business. His wife, Adara, is a jewelry designer and is complete in control of the Adara line of jewelry. She is very strong and opinionated but they work well together in between fights and arguments that have become legendary. They have three sons who are very much like their mother and seem to be in trouble all the time. Fortunately, Solon is a strong and wise man and a good disciplinarian.”
He paused a moment to point to a picture of the patriarchs. “That is Pateras, Adras, and Mitera, Hélène Dyonysus. That is the entire family, nine sons and twenty-four grandchildren so far. Dimity said Heracles’ wife, Naida, may be pregnant, if so there’s another grandchild on the way.”
“Wow, that’s a lot of brothers and a lot of babies. If family is such a big deal, why haven’t you married?” Allie asked.
“My Mitera has been trying to find me a wife for years,” Nicholas said with a grin. “I was not interested in her selections. Alexandria, would you come outside with me? This is not the setting I would have preferred, but the time is right. I can wait no longer.”
Allie followed Nicholas out onto the patio and they stood together as the sun began to set. She settled in his arms as they did this most evenings.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Nicholas turned Alexandria to face. “This is how I saw you that very first time, kardia mou. You hair turned to molten lava, and I was mesmerized. That was the beginning of my obsession with you. I love you, Alexandria, and I am asking you to marry me.”
Allie’s knees buckled and Nicholas caught her.
“You have not answered” Nicholas said looking worried.
“I can’t think,” Allie said looking a bit panicked.
“Do you have to think?”
“Actually, yes I do,” Allie said. “Nicholas, I love you. You know I do, but marriage. That’s big!”
Nicholas was looking at her with wounded disappointment in his eyes.
Allie couldn’t stand to see the pain in his eyes. “Yes, absolutely, yes!”
Nicholas grabbed her and kissed her senseless. “Thank God!”
“Does this mean we’re engaged?” Allie exclaimed.
“Most definitely. You may have any ring you desire,” Nicholas promised. “I did not want to pick it out. I wanted you to have what you want. So, until we can take care of that, I bought you this.”
Allie opened the box he handed her and looked at him through tears. “This is why I love you, Nicholas. You know me. You know how to touch my heart.” Inside the box was a necklace with a tiny spun glass unicorn.
* * * * *
“Alexandria, how would you like to announce our engagement and marriage plans on October 24th?” Nicholas asked coming into her room holding a printout of an e-mail.
“What does that date signify?”
“That is the date that my parents want to come to the island and celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. It’s a command performance, which means my parents expect everyone to drop any and all plans and do as they wish.” Nicholas explained.
“Do you?” Allie asked.
Nicholas nodded. “What can we do, it is our parents. If they wish to invade my home, it is out of my hands.”
“That’s six-weeks away,” Allie said looking at her computer calendar. “That works for me, but….”
“But?” Nicholas repeated.
Allie stood up and walked over and jumped up on the bed and sat down. “Nicholas I need to ask a really huge favor from you.”
He waited.
“I need to go off island. I need to return to the U.S. and complete some unfinished business before we can go forward with the next step for us.”
“I can do that.” Nicholas agreed.
“No, you can’t. This is something that I have to do. It can’t involve you,” Allie said firmly. “It’s not a bad thing. It’s not like I have a husband that I need to divorce quickly or anything nefarious like that, but it is something that is important to me. It’s something I need to do for personal reasons. This is something that I’ve let go and ignored for a very long time, and I need to do it myself. I’m strong enough to do it by myself now. It’s not something you can help with, or arrange, or control.
“Nicholas, I’m reversing our positions, at least for a short time. I need you to trust me. Trust me that I can do what I need to do. Trust me that I will come back. I need you to believe in me enough that you won’t sic the investigative dogs on me to find out what I’m doing, won’t try to undermine what I need to do. Can you do that?”
“I have a feeling that I don’t have a choice,” Nicholas said.
“If you can’t trust me, as much I trust you, do we have a relationship?” Allie asked.
“I trust you, Alexandria, as much as I love you. Why must you do whatever this is by yourself? Why can’t I help?”
“You probably could,” Allie said honestly. “You would probably also dismiss it as unnecessary, and is necessary for me. It is something I must do for myself.”
Nicholas looked hurt and frustrated. “It will be difficult for me to do this. You know how I hate not being in control. I need to protect you. Look at all the mischief you get into on your own.”
Allie laughed at his frustration. “Nicholas, I actually did manage to survive before I met you.”
He gave her a long and serious look of concern. “I do not know how, as I cannot imagine my life without you in it now. You are my life now.”
Allie could actually feel her heart melting at his words. It would be so much easier to simply give in. She was quiet for a moment as she fortified her determination to see this through.
“When you say things like that it becomes far more difficult. Of course, it would easier to let you handle the hard things for me, but I am a grown up woman and sometimes I need to do things for myself. Will you allow me to do this? Notice, Nichola
s, that I am asking you. I’m not, telling you or delivering an ultimatum to you.”
Nicholas gave a sigh. “How long will this mission take?
“If I can get everything setup quickly, maybe a month. I will be back here on October 24th.” Allie promised.
“What will you do if they come while you are gone?” Nicholas asked.
“I’ll be strong and I’ll tell to them get back in my head because I don’t have the time or support I need to go through the process by myself.”
Nicholas took her face in his hand. “Are you strong enough to do that?”
“I don’t know, but I think I am now,” Allie answered honestly.
Nicholas kissed her and patted her on the bottom. “I agree with you on most of your reasons, even if my instincts tell me to protect you and keep you in that cocoon. If you lose one pound while you are on this mission, you are going to be in so much trouble! Count on it.”
Chapter 14
Macland picked up glass of champagne, spoke into Regina’s ear, and meandered out of the party crowd and went to Nick’s office. This was Nicholas’ private office in the villa, the one on the first floor that he’d used before Allie had come into his life.
Nicholas was standing outside on the small patio just staring into the darkness.
“What’s going on Nick?” Macland asked. “You look like hell, tuxedo or not. Where’s Allie?”
“Gone,” Nicholas said.
“Where?”
Nicholas shook his head. “She left two days after you returned to Africa. She has been gone for thirty-five days. She said she had to do something and I couldn’t be a part of it. She promised to be back. She lied, and she is gone.”
The Awakening of Alexandria Page 12