Page 31 of Love Among the Ruins
CHAPTERNINE
ELENI
She returned home to Spetses on Friday evening and the apartment felt even tinier than she remembered, as if she had somehow outgrown it.
But she had been looking forward to coming back, which surprised her. Even for the celebration which made her uneasy. Her mother had booked a restaurant for lunch tomorrow, the actual day of Eleni’s birthday. This was something else Eleni hadn’t expected, for her mother wasn’t one for celebrating birthdays, not even her own. She didn’t like the idea of growing older, or the reminder of another year passing.
“Is this still on?” she asked, pausing in the living room to see what had riveted her mother to the TV screen this time.
“Shush!” Her mother lifted a finger to her lips, then turned her attention to the TV again. It was a soap opera that had been running for years with no end in sight, and a gorgeous looking couple were about to kiss.
Eleni wanted to scream at her mom, that this stuff wasn’t real. That spending her time gazing longingly at soap operas with pretend characters having pretend romances wasn’t helping her.
But she didn’t want to sour the mood.
She’d hoped her mother might have shown an interest in Eleni’s first week at work, might have had a few questions and asked how she was doing, but nothing had changed. Her mother was as obsessed as ever with her soap operas. Office work couldn’t compare with TV love triangles.
“I’m meeting Stefanos. I’ll be back later,” she announced, and left. By the time she got to the taverna, Stefanos was waiting for her. Adamos and some of her friends there clustered around her, wanting to know about Eleni’s new job and life in Athens. At least they were interested.
Then she and Stefanos walked by the beach before sitting down at their favorite spot.
Stefanos had asked her some more about the job and how she was doing. Even in the telling of her news, Eleni didn’t feel enthusiastic. But it had only been a week. People were different. Did she expect fun and games with the two old women in the office? Linus seemed to hate her for a reason she couldn’t fathom. Dominic was as busy and as grumpy as ever, but strangely considerate towards her. And Miranda seemed to lose coherent speech and thought around her boss.
“You don’t sound excited.” Stefanos could see through her bullshit because he knew her better than anyone.
“I’m not sure why he gave me the job.” She plucked at a frayed thread in the hem of her yellow summer dress which she’d changed into quickly, getting out of her business clothes.
“Why?” A note of alarm sounded Stefanos’ voice. “Did something happen?”
She picked at another frayed thread, killing time before she answered. It was only now that she’d come home that she felt the disconnect and loneliness, and the disappointment in her new life for which she’d had high hopes. “Nobody talks to me. I feel all alone.” She told him about the people in the office.
“It’s only your first week.”
“My first week at the taverna was so much fun.”
“You didn’t take this job to have fun, Leni. You wanted to get away from here, and this is your chance. That you’re working for a hotshot boss, one who came looking for you, is a bonus.”
“He did not come looking for me.”
“He was here, in the taverna, the next day, waiting for you. I know that because I was doing my best to serve him. I would have gladly served that man in any way, shape or form but… the man is straight. Wasted on women.”
“Have you finished?”
“He came here to offer you a job. Be grateful.”
“I can’t complain.”
“And yet, here you are.”
“I don’t feel like I belong.” But that feeling had been with her for most of her teen life and beyond. Apart from the time she’d been with Jonas. He’d believed in her and loved her. He’d needed and wanted her. He’d made her feel she mattered. No one understood what it was like to not matter. She had no siblings, her mother lived for her soap operas, and she’d never known her father.
Stefanos laid a gentle hand on her arm. “You do belong, silly. You always have. But you’re getting old. Another year wiser. That’s enough to make anyone feel all over the place.”
“I’m notthatold. You’re four years older than me.”
He rolled his eyes. “We don’t need to talk about that.” She forced a smile and looked up at him. “You’re right. Maybe I am feeling out of sorts. I need to give it some time.”
A wicked grin settled on Stefanos’ lips. “Do you have much to do with Dominic?”
