Page 110 of Love Among the Ruins
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
ELENI
Things were back to normal. For her. Maybe for Dominic they were the same as they had always been.
Eleni doubted that she had ever been a blip on his radar, but for her, Dominic had been rooted in her mind for a long time.
But now there was no texting, no messaging, no meetings among the Greek ruins. There were no further interactions with Dominic and this was probably for the best.
“So many people,” Eleni gasped as they entered the large outdoor seating area of the restaurant.
“I told you it would be fun! You’ll get to meet other people from the company. Everyone knows Anna.”
I don’t. Eleni felt like an imposter attending the farewell party of a woman who had been at the company for forty years and was now retiring. It was someone she didn’t know, but Miranda had insisted that she come along. “It’s free food and drink. It will be fun.”
She needed fun, more than the food and drink. She needed something to take her mind off the intense rollercoaster ride she’d been on with Dominic. This was the only reason she’d come. As her eyes scanned around the place, she could see it was brimming full of people. The company was so much bigger than she had at first envisaged.
Sitting on the third floor and isolated, she had never set foot on any of the other floors and had no idea as to the number of employees who worked here. She only ever saw a handful of people. The same people, all the time.
At least Dominic wouldn’t be here. He hated parties, and an event like this was one of his worst nightmares. They had stayed out of one another’s way, and he’d had a few meetings with Galatis—she knew this because Miranda updated her on everything—and had learned that he’d taken Linus with him. She had been replaced, but she understood why.
It would have been awkward.
“Do they do this for everyone who leaves?” she asked. The place was packed.
Miranda laughed. “No. But Anna’s been here since the beginning. Management makes it a big deal when it’s someone important like that.” She waved to a group of people hanging around the bar. Eleni dutifully followed her friend around, noting that Miranda was more at ease here, and obviously in her element. It was a refreshing sight to see.
For the rest of the evening Eleni stayed by Miranda’s side, letting her friend introduce her to new people. She had fun, too. It made for a distraction, being out and meeting new people instead of suffering the pain of unrequited love and drowning in angst between the four walls of her hotel room.
But her ears pricked up when someone mentioned that Dominic would be making a speech. Something heavy dropped in Eleni’s stomach, her reaction to this snippet of news catching her unawares. She had tried to push Dominic to the back of her mind, but she seemed to be failing. Everywhere she went, he turned up.
From that moment on, she’d been on edge, unable to concentrate on any conversation, her stomach churning as her eyes and ears were on high alert for signs of Dominic.
As the evening wore on she grew impatient and nervous, and killed some time by having a few slices of pizza. She had half a mind to leave, and yet a part of her was curious to stay.
“There’s Dominic,” someone said. She was standing in a group with Miranda.
The hairs on the back of her neck straightened, and something tingled in the base of her belly. A silence descended on the crowd and everyone looked in one direction. She turned to find Dominic a few yards away, his eyes burning into her.
This man had an effect on her which she didn’t understand. Even when she had her back turned to him, her body could sense his presence.
“He’s with Helen again,” Miranda said in a voice low enough so that only she could hear.
“So he is,” Eleni remarked, trying to normalize her shaky voice.
Standing on the side a few meters out of sight was Helen. Eleni couldn’t avoid staring at the lawyer, couldn’t stop herself from making the comparison of that beautiful woman and herself.
But Dominic’s eyes were on her. His face tanned and golden, his eyes more intense than ever, sparkled under the shimmering light of restaurant lamps. He started to talk about Anna and the decades long contribution she’d made to the company, but every so often, his gaze would find its way to her.
And when that happened, it didn’t matter how many people were around, for her, it was just the two of them.
* * *
DOMINIC
He had managed to persuade Helen to join him for the farewell drinks of one of their longest standing employees who was finally retiring.
He hadn’t wanted to come. He hated social gatherings, but it was important for him to make an appearance. He had to deliver a speech, because Anna had worked here from the first day his father had set up this branch of the company.
