Page 2 of Walking the Bird

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Eleni caressed the thick card stock between her fingers, the foil print glistening in the overhead light, announcing the upcoming nuptials of Aiden and Jordan. Tossing the invitation to the stack of papers on her desk, Eleni checked her calendar, the date of the wedding falling at a perfect time in her hectic schedule. Blocking out the dates, she paused as an errant thought crossed her mind. Searching her memory, Eleni failed to recall the last vacation she took. Opening a new browser, she entered the name of the resort the couple selected and clicked search.

Photos of white sand beaches and happy couples walking hand in hand along the waves filled her screen. However, it’s the photo of a couple standing under a decorative arch covered in flowers and flowing organza which stilled her clicking, a lump forming in the back of her throat. Shifting her eyes to the wedding photo on her desk, Eleni reached over, taking the frame in hand and running her index finger along Alex’s strong jaw.

She recalled the day as if it were yesterday, how nervous she’d been until her father placed her hand inside Alex’s, his reassuring smile had calmed her mind and his wink gave her the first of many promises he’d made to her that day. Some of them he kept, while the most important one he didn’t.

They’d agreed to start a family right away. Eleni had her IUD removed and they spent every waking moment wrapped around each other for the first year of their marriage. When she’d failed to become pregnant, they sought out the advice of a fertility specialist her gynecologist recommended, who gave them each a clean bill of health. After the second year and still no baby, they revisited the specialist who recommended hormone injections, ones her cardiologist agreed to with increased monitoring on his part. Alex diligently gave her the injections during the prescribed times in her cycle and then performed in every position suggested. Sadly, after another year and forty pounds added to her waistline, they stopped the injections, and Alex took more out of town jobs. Eleni’s cholesterol skyrocketed, and her desire to exercise decreased to nothing, forcing her cardiologist to place her on the medication she’d avoided for years. With Alex away so much and her lack of conception, rumors of his infidelity began to circulate. At first, she’d dismissed them, refusing to give them life until one rainy afternoon when she sat down to pay their household bills only to have her world shattered instead. She’d nearly ignored the unusually high credit card statement; Alex had been away for more than a month and she’d assumed he used their personal account to charge a business expense. She’d phoned the company when her eyes landed on a series of charges to places Alex wouldn’t normally visit, praying they’d been a victim of theft. She’d been too numb to cry when her eyes landed on Alex’s signature scrolled on each receipt.

Replacing the frame on the corner of her desk, Eleni opened the top drawer of her desk, a yellow envelope resting inside. Once she’d confirmed the charges were indeed made by Alex, she’d sought the advice of an attorney, one with no connection to the family and whose office was in the same building as her cardiologist. While she doubted Alex was keeping tabs on her of late, she’d refused to take chances. Divorce was unheard of in her close-knit family, the church she attended faithfully frowned heavily on the subject. Which is why the papers had remained in the drawer since their creation.

Ending her marriage would cost her more than a division of assets, she stood to lose the business her parents had worked hard to build. She was certain Stavros, Alex’s cousin and resident mob boss, would follow his family loyalty, taking the half a dozen other crime Families with him. She expected their friends, the ones she’d found since joining Alex’s circle, would side with him, and to her, that was the biggest loss of all.

The tone for an incoming video chat caused her to jump and slam the drawer closed. Laughing to herself, Eleni reached over, clicking on the face of Kennedy Michaels. Several seconds passed as the program engaged, revealing the smiling faces of Ellison, Harper, and Rayne.

“Hey, guys.” Eleni hoped she sounded upbeat and not as defeated as she felt.

Kennedy held back the gasp in her throat at the dark circles and drawn face of Eleni. “Hey, beautiful, did you get anything special in the mail lately?” Kennedy wanted to demand an explanation as to why Eleni was still at work, but she suspected her house guest of the past few weeks was listening to her conversation, despite the buzz of Zach’s tattoo gun painting a new piece of art on his arm.

“I did, and I was just looking at the resort. Jordan chose a beautiful location.” Eleni responded honestly, falling deeper in love with her idea of escaping by the minute.

“Yes, she did. Listen, Eleni, the girls, and I have been tossing around the idea of throwing a shower-slash-bachelorette party for Jordan when we arrive. Zach has scoped out a few spots where they are taking Aiden and…”

Eleni clenched her teeth as Kennedy’s words drifted off, the sting in her heart rendering her deaf to the remainder of the conversation. Of course, the guys would plan a party for Aiden, one filled with naked women and lack of inhibitions, another opportunity for her husband to drive them further apart.

“What have you guys come up with so far?” Unsure where she’d left off in the conversation, Eleni refused to allow Alex and his traveling pecker to ruin her friend’s joy, especially considering how long it’d taken Aiden to get a ring on her finger.

“Well, since Cade went through that horrible breakup, I offered for him to tag along as our official team nanny.”

Eleni forgot about her marital troubles as she thought of Cade Biggs. She’d met him at Elli and Ryan’s wedding, a strapping young man with a love for horses and the deep desire to start a family. He’d taken over the stables Kennedy had inherited in Colorado, where he met someone who, he’d thought at the time, was the woman he would spend the rest of his life with. Sadly, she’d betrayed him, leaving the big-hearted man broken and bruised.

“Which he’s graciously agreed to. I’ve also spoken with the event coordinator at the resort, and she was able to reserve the spa at the hotel next to ours for the afternoon. Jordan isn’t interested in going to any clubs, so we will honor her wishes and keep it to relaxation and pampering.”

Eleni couldn’t recall the last massage she’d received as it was sadly another thing Alex and his absence had taken from her. That wasn’t fair, she thought to herself. Blaming Alex for her immersion into work was the equivalent of blaming him for her aversion to exercise of late.

“And I’ve been given instructions to book everyone’s flight and accommodations courtesy of Trident Security,” Rayne spoke from her square. After she’d purchased the gun shop from her brother, Rayne found she still had a ton of time on her hands. The guys voted and hired her to work for the security company as their office manager.

“And I was thinking we could all stay for a few days after the ceremony and help you and Alex celebrate your wedding anniversary.”

Eleni’s eyes flashed to the calendar on her computer screen. In all the turmoil of her life as of late she’d completely forgotten her anniversary.

“That is unless you and Alex have other plans,” Rayne added, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Eleni studied the question heavily, the beginning of a plan formulating in her mind. “A few extra days sounds good. I do have something planned for Alex, but nothing I can't work around getting together with the group.”

“Perfect, I’ll book the hotel—”

“Hold on, Rayne,” Eleni interrupted, eyeing the interview she had with a prospective accountant on her calendar. “I can’t give you a firm answer on what date I can leave as my father is out of the country and I will need to ask him if he can sit in for me while I’m gone.”

Eleni refused to allow all the irons in her fire to burn of control. While she held little hope for her marriage, the business which kept her from going under both financially and emotionally was the one thing she had left to cling to.

“Of course, I can wait until tomorrow.”

“No, don’t wait for me,” Eleni argued. “Go ahead and book Alex’s flight and room. I will handle mine as soon as I can.”

Kennedy watched and listened as Eleni reasoned her way out of joining the group as they traveled to the Turks and Caicos Islands before bidding them all goodbye. Glancing over the edge of her computer, she took in Alex’s sorrowful face as he watched her husband finishing the tattoo on his chest. She couldn’t imagine what in the world could make one of the happiest couples she’d ever met look so miserable. Zach told her to stay out of it when Alex showed up at their front door asking for a place to crash and some new ink. However, suffering wasn’t something she was going to ignore, not when it came to the people she loved dearly.

Opening her email, Kennedy clicked on the correspondence she’d exchanged with Melinda Stuart, the event planner for the hotel. She quickly typed an email requesting she arrange an intimate dinner for Alex and Eleni. Satisfied, she clicked out of her computer and rose from her chair. Despite her husband's objections, it was high time she and Alex had a heart to heart.

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