Mrs. Leighton shot Carmen a disapproving look.
Carmen blushed and looked down. She immediately stood straight and still. “Maybe you can take me to your friend’s café and he can make me some hot chocolate?” She looked at Darcey with hopeful eyes.
Darcey gazed at Mrs. Leighton and the older lady smiled. “It’s fine, she can have treats. Don’t forget to keep the receipt.”
Carmen beamed and rushed to her mum’s side. “Oh mummy, her friend owns the café. And I think he likes her.”
Darcey rolled her eyes and laughed. “No, sweetie, he and I are just good friends. I have to go now. Do I need to tuck you in bed?”
Carmen shook her head. “Nope, mummy promised she would read me a book tonight.”
“Yes, I did.” Mrs. Leighton patted her little girl’s hair. “Off you go, Darcey.”
Darcey bid them both goodbye. A few minutes later she was walking to the train station when she decided to take a short trip to the grocery store before heading home.
She had an intense craving for errands to preoccupy her mind. Thinking about the recent events and Nick’s revelation hurt too much. She was purposely avoiding Nathan. He tried calling her a few times and not once did Darcey pick up. After what happened at his flat and then learning that Nathan was the man who stole Nick’s girl, Darcey didn’t know how to face him. She didn’t want to lie to Nathan either, didn’t want to come up with excuses as to why they couldn’t hang out anymore.
She got to the grocery store and pulled out a list from her purse. “Detergent, milk, eggs, bacon.” She was hunting for the aisle that carried detergent when someone called her name.
“Darcey.” The familiar voice made her turn around.
“Dimitri, hello!” She was surprised to see him. He looked just as good as ever and she noticed the eyes staring back at her showed appreciation as well.
Dimitri gave her a big hug and a kiss on each cheek. “How’ve you been? I came around your flat last time but you were out and I am so silly to have lost my phone. I don’t have your number.”
“Where did you fly to, Superman? Busy saving girls from aliens?”
He chuckled. “No, I was in Greece for some unavoidable business.”
“Ah, like saving the economy?”
“Come on, Darcey, I’m just Dimitri, your friendly neighbourhood superhero.”
It was her turn to laugh. “Fine, let’s go do some shopping. I need to buy some meat and other stuff.”
He placed an arm around her and gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze. Darcey didn’t feel uneasy anymore around him. She found him funny and easy to get along with, despite the fact that he was heir to a conglomerate. He exuded so much energy, it was contagious. Now that she didn’t have a crush on him anymore, she could appreciate his company and friendship more.
They found where the eggs were displayed and Darcey grabbed a carton and placed it in her cart. Dimitri led her to the meat section where he got lamb chops, organic beef and chicken.
“What made you become a gym instructor? If you don’t mind my asking.” She grabbed some bacon and steak. “I mean, really, it must have been difficult for you to convince your parents you weren’t working for the family business.”
Dimitri was looking at some Spanish ham. He stopped studying the package to cast a glance at her. “Well, to be really honest, having all the wealth in the world doesn’t amount to happiness. It’s hard to find real friends, too, and it’s even harder finding true love. I want someone to love me for me, and not for my parent’s money. No correction, my grandparent’s wealth.”
“Wow, you’re a romantic.” She poked his tummy and realized the man had hard abs and it made her giggle. “Well, I do believe that when you fall in love and that person loves you back, you’re already richer than everyone else.”
They got to the checkout counter and Dimitri offered to pay for Darcey’s stuff. “Let me.”
Before Darcey could protest, he took a card from his wallet and handed it to the store clerk.
“I’ll have to cook for you one more time now.” Darcey wagged a finger at him.
Dimitri grabbed her grocery bags and gave her a stern look when she was about to protest once more. They walked back to their apartment building, chatting like old friends along the way. As soon as they arrived in front of their building, her phone rang. She fished it out of her purse.
“Nick, what’s up? Oh right, I forgot. I bought some groceries but, no, I haven’t had dinner yet. You did? Really? That’s awesome. When am I gonna see it?”
She said goodbye to Nick and hung up. Dimitri looked at her curiously but didn’t say anything. They walked up the steps and just as Darcey was about to open the front door, they heard footsteps coming from behind them.
“Christmas tree delivery!” Nick arrived carrying a medium-sized tree. He seemed out of breath.
“Nicholas, this is Dimitri, my neighbour. He just moved here.” She gave Nick a warning look, fully knowing her old friend was apt to teasing her in the most inappropriate way at times. “Dimitri, this is a good friend of mine, Nicholas. He’s a chef and does Christmas tree delivery on the side.”
Dimitri smiled at Nick and shook his hand. “Do you mind holding the groceries, Darcey, while I help Nick carry the tree?” the Greek asked.
Darcey was only too glad to oblige. She walked into the building ahead of the two gentlemen who carried the beautiful fir tree with ease. They got to her flat and she opened the door.
“Please put the tree over here, Nick.” She pointed to a corner by the window with her foot and placed the groceries on the kitchen counter.
“Dimitri,” Nick said after the guys planted the tree down, “since you’re already here, maybe you’d like to join us for dinner? I made some shepherd’s pie that I could just pop in the oven for heating. It won’t take more than ten minutes. I’ll grab the pie from my car.”
Dimitri looked from Nick to Darcey, his face seemed unsure. Darcey cleared the air for him. “Nick was supposed to come for dinner and I completely forgot. Please, I insist you join us. You need to try Nick’s cooking.” She gave Dimitri an assuring smile.
As soon as Nick left the flat to get the meal, Dimitri asked, “He’s just a friend?”
“Yes, just a friend, a really close friend. Every year Nick goes to this Christmas tree shop by Kent and he gets a tree for me, too.”
She took off her coat and offered to take Dimitri’s as well. Darcey then played some music, selecting her favourite Christmas playlist. Frank Sinatra’s smooth voice came out of the speakers in the living room. Old Blue Eyes sang about the kind of Christmas he was dreaming about.
Dimitri followed Darcey as she went to grab a bottle of wine from a rack in the kitchen. He took the bottle from her. “Allow me.” Like a professional bartender at some five-star restaurant, Dimitri opened the bottle with ease and poured wine into the glasses she placed on the counter.
She got some matches and lit the candles on the dining table. Dimitri swirled the wine in his glass and took a sip like a sommelier. Despite not having any more romantic feelings for him, she couldn’t help but admire his handsome face like one would a master’s work of art. She figured he was probably so used to a fancy lifestyle and it wouldn’t surprise her if his family owned a vineyard on the gorgeous honeymoon island of Santorini.
The way Dimitri was savouring the wine kept Darcey’s gaze on him. Yet Dimitri’s suave nature, friendly manner and beautiful features weren’t enough to keep her thoughts away from the one person she didn’t want to think about. Her mind immediately went to Nathan and she felt the all too familiar painful pang in her chest. She took a sip of the wine and mentally promised herself to use all her energy to forget Nathan.
She forced herself to pay more attention to what Dimitri was doing. She was too focused on getting a hold of her emotions and observing Dimitri that she didn’t realize her hand laid directly on top of a candle flame.
“Ouch!” She looked at her finger and instinc
tively placed it in her mouth to soothe the pain.
Dimitri placed his wine glass down and grabbed her hand. He gently led her towards the kitchen. He remembered where she kept the first-aid kit from the last time he was at her apartment and took it out.
“Come on, it’s nothing, you’re overreacting, Dimitri.”
His warning eyes told her he wasn’t listening to any protests. He took a burn ointment from the medication kit and rubbed it on Darcey’s finger. Then he softly blew on the injured skin. “Does it still hurt?”
He held her eyes with his and the sweet care he was providing her made Darcey feel sad. Wasn’t this what she wanted? Wasn’t being close to Dimitri what she had been dreaming of just a few weeks earlier? Why didn’t she feel a tug in heart? Why did the face of another man, the man who stole the love of Nick’s life, continue to haunt her mind?
“No, thank you.” She smiled at Dimitri. “It was really nothing, you know. You didn’t have to do this.”
He didn’t let her hands go. Dimitri curled her fingers over his and brought her other hand to his lips for a kiss. The act was gentle and would otherwise be romantic had it happened weeks earlier. She would have been jumping for joy. Instead, she felt indifferent. It might as well have been a brother treating her pain and holding her hands. Melancholy tugged at her heartstrings, not romance.
“I had to, Darcey. I don’t like seeing you hurt.”
“Huh? Why?”
He flashed her a sexy smile. He declared in a clear and steady voice, “Because I like you.”
His statement shocked her to say the least. He grinned at her like a teenage boy who just told his first crush about the feelings he had.
“Am I interrupting something?” Nick coughed behind them. He carried in his hand what looked like pie. Without waiting for a reply, Nick walked over to the stove and turned his back towards Darcey and Dimitri. She could see Nick work the oven and pop the pie in.
“No, Darcey just accidentally burned her hand on the candle but it’s fine now,” Dimitri replied, his wistful eyes never leaving Darcey for a second. “Let me drop my grocery back at my flat. I’ll be back in five minutes.”
She nodded. As soon as Dimitri walked out the door, Nick turned around, a very serious look on his face. “Are you OK?”
“Yes, why wouldn’t I be?”
“Maybe because look like you’re about to cry.” Nicholas knew her only too well. “Your Prince Charming just told you he likes you so why do you look like you just received a death sentence?” Apparently her friend heard more than she thought, the sneaky bastard.
“It’s my finger.” She showed Nick her small burn and he gave it a look before studying her face with narrowed eyes.
“How long have you been inside?” She stared at him, narrowing her eyes back at him in an effort to mirror the look he gave her.
“Long enough to hear him declare his feelings for you.”
She signed and looked at the kitchen floor while trying to control the emotions swelling inside her. She felt so confused and didn’t know where to begin. “I should be happy, right?” She looked at Nick as if his eyes held answers she desperately needed.
“Darcey, you’re old enough to know what makes you happy and I trust your judgment. But remember that when you play with fire, you will get burned.” He looked at her injured finger as he said the words then he placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed gently.
Darcey burst out laughing at his corny joke. “Que sera, sera!” she said then softly punched Nick in his belly. For a brief moment she forgot about Nathan. A very brief moment.
Chapter 20
“I got an interview next week for this publishing company,” Darcey told the handsome men sitting at her dining table.
“That’s wonderful, what kind of magazine?” Nick asked, taking a generous forkful of his own dish.
“It’s a luxury lifestyle magazine, focuses on city guides, events and fashion.” She took a sip of her Bordeaux wine, feeling proud of her upcoming interview. “This is really going to be great, Nicholas.”
Dimitri took a mouthful of the shepherd’s pie and gave Nick a thumbs up sign.
“Thank you,” Nick replied. “Darcey can make a decent version of this. I taught her a few dishes. She can make it for you.” Nicholas gave Darcey a teasing smile.
“I would be looking forward to that.” Dimitri looked at Darcey, a big smile on his face.
Darcey gave him a small smile in return. Remembering how much of a health nut Dimitri was, she asked her guests if they wanted greens. They nodded so she grabbed a bowl of garden salad from the fridge and placed a big heap of greens on Dimitri’s plate. Next she took warm bread from the oven and placed a piece on each of her guests’ plate.
“Is she always this caring?” Dimitri asked Nick.
“Yes, she is. She’s the friend who’ll bring you soup whenever you’re ill.” Darcey immediately knew Nick was referring to Nathan. His wary eyes said it all.
Dimitri looked impressed “Really? I’m surprised she’s still single.”
“I share the same sentiments, mate,” Nicholas informed the Greek.
“My love life is not on the menu, thank you very much. I’m sitting right here, in case I suddenly have turned invisible to you jerks.” She had to laugh at her friends.
“Don’t worry, she wouldn’t be soon,” Dimitri said with a confident voice.
“Are you sure about that?” Nicholas teased.
Darcey shot them both an annoyed look. “Seriously, guys!”
“I’m surprised you didn’t fall for her yourself.” Dimitri sounded like he was challenging Nick.
Darcey stared at Nicholas who had a shocked expression on his face. The chef looked like someone poured cold water on his head. Nick made an attempt to avoid Darcey’s eyes and cleared his throat.
Nick took a deep breath. “Darcey is the kind of girl that would make you wonder if you had done something right to deserve someone like her around.”
She studied Nick’s face, feeling confused. If she hadn’t known any better, she would have bet he wasn’t kidding. Also, if she didn’t know him even better, she would have been flattered by such a compliment.
Darcey didn’t know what to think. She shared a long-running friendship with Nick and he had always readily given her compliments. Yet this time she couldn’t help but wonder at what he meant. They had been friends for so long that Darcey felt immune to his charms and flirty words.
An awkward silence floated in the air. Before she could wrap her mind around the odd dinner conversation, Dimitri made the situation even more uncomfortable.
“May the best man win.” The heir lifted his glass.
Nick raised his own wineglass and offered a toast. “To Darcey, the beautiful woman who is never aware of her own loveliness.”
There was sincerity in Nick’s eyes and he kept his gaze on her as he added, “To the girl who can break a lot of hearts.” Nick flashed her the smile Darcey had seen him use when he was flirting with other girls.
The sudden display of affection from Nicholas was making her angry. Was he purposely taunting Dimitri? She felt like she knew exactly what Nick was trying to do. He was trying to make Dimitri think that he was into her. Darcey was aware that men could be competitive but it was getting ridiculous. It wasn’t what Darcey wanted.
As she was about to say something sarcastic, her phone rang. She saw Nathan’s name flash on the screen and quickly set the phone’s volume on silent mode. The call eventually went to her voicemail.
Somehow the tension in the air dissipated and Dimitri and Nicholas started chatting about cooking and travelling. As the evening wore on, it was as if the awkward conversation never took place. Darcey found both men intelligent and refined. It was the first time she saw another side of Dimitri. He was eloquent, funny and was very good at annoying Nicholas when he wanted to.
More wine was poured as the hours and different conversations went by. Soon the two men started talking about
the European economy and politics. Things got heated once again.
“I wonder which university produces more idiots: Cambridge or Oxford,” she heard Dimitri say.
“Oh don’t be unfair. Just because neither one wanted you doesn’t mean both universities aren’t excellent. The last time I checked they’re two of the best in the world,” Nick retorted.
“Who said I didn’t get in? I’m glad I didn’t go to any of those universities. It seems to me they forgot to teach their students manners and chivalry,” Dimitri replied, his voice rising.
Be Mine This Christmas: A Lovers in London Book Page 16