Page 49 of Marriage Masquerade

“Nikos. How nice to see you again.”

A tall woman and a teenage girl, looking remarkably alike, smiled broadly as they moved to greet him.

Nikos straightened and, taking Gemma’s hand in his, walked forward to greet Megan and Norrie.

“You've grown another six inches, I am sure, since I last saw you,” Nikos said as he gave the girl a hug, then held her away from him to study her.

“Not true, but I’m losing some of that baby fat, so I look taller, don’t I, Daddy?” she asked her father.

Allessandros exchanged an amused glance with his wife and nodded.

“And this must be Gemma. I’m Megan. I’m so glad you came. We’ll have a great weekend. Come on in. Sam’s asleep, but he’ll be awake soon. How was your trip?”

“Fine.”

Gemma was swept along with their enthusiasm. Her nervousness vanished in the light of Megan's friendliness. Maybe the weekend would be fun, after all.

She glanced over her shoulder. Nikos and Allessandros stood by the car, their voices low as they talked.

Following Megan, Gemma was pleased that Norrie kept pace with her.

“Nikos said you lived right in Manhattan before you got married. I would love to visit New York. I think the stores there would offer a ton of cool things,” Norrie said excitedly. “We’ve been only once. Maybe you and Nikos would invite me up to visit.”

Megan laughed and chided her daughter.

“They don’t want company just yet. I already told you we would get up there at least once before the baby comes.”

“That’s weeks away,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “Nikos said you were pregnant—did you know my mom’s pregnant, too?” Norrie asked as they entered the house. “I’m hoping for a girl this time, but Mom says all she cares about is that it’s a healthy child. And she won’t find out ahead of time. Do you know what you’re having yet?”

Gemma shook her head. With a start, she realized she had thought little about the baby beyond being pregnant. Of course, the past week had been taken up with Nikos. But in only a few months, she’d be a mother with a baby totally dependent upon her.

Would she still be married to Nikos? Or would they have ended their marriage by then? Once he received his green card, the need to remain married would end.

How long would that take, she wondered.

She didn’t want to end it. Didn’t want to be on her own, coping with work and a baby and the loneliness. Susan wouldn't want a baby to share their small apartment.

During the past week, Gemma had found she loved sitting in the evenings talking, listening to music and relaxing in a living room that was so different from what she was used to.

She’d miss that when their arrangement ended.

“Hush, Norrie, let Gemma get her breath. Do you wish to freshen up after your flight? I’ll show you where you’ll be staying tonight.”

Megan led the way down a short hall.

“Allessandros agrees we need a larger place when the baby comes. This is only a three-bedroom house. Here, you and Nikos will have Norrie’s room for the night.”

Megan paused at the doorway of a light, airy room. An organdy spread that matched the curtains on the windows covered the bed.

It was a teenager’s room with all the things a young girl cherished—from a purple stuffed animal on one shelf to posters of movie stars pinned to the walls.

But Gemma didn’t notice the decorations—she focused on the bed.

The small double bed.

This was nothing like the king-size bed Nikos had in his bedroom. This one looked scarcely large enough for two people to squeeze in without falling to the floor.

Gemma felt a touch of panic. She'd barely made it through two nights with Nikos with acres of room between them. In this tiny bed she’d get no sleep, no rest.

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