Page 56 of Love Among the Ruins
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
ELENI
Miranda waved at her, beckoning her over from the water cooler.
“You get to go with him again.”
“Who? Where?”
“Dominic. He’s got another meeting with Galatis and Linus is off sick. His entire family has caught a bug.”
Go with Dominic, again? Eleni’s insides churned at the prospect of being in close proximity to Dominic again. Just him and her. It was the being stuck out in the heat, she told herself, and waiting on a grumpy Dominic to finish a meeting with the evasive Hector Galatis,that’swhat she was dreading the most. Nothing to do with the way her skin tingled because he was mere inches from her. Or the way his eyes sometimes locked on hers a little longer. “Lucky me.”
Miranda looked visibly shocked. “Don’t say that. Youarelucky. What I wouldn’t do to have that chance.”
Eleni felt sorry for Miranda, and briefly considered getting her to meet Angeliki who would most definitely get her thinking that there were other men available on the planet.
Who was she kidding? Miranda had to be protected from the likes of Angeliki at all times.
“Oh, Miranda. I wish I could do something for you.”
Miranda looked at her oddly. “Lunch would be good.”
“Sorry.” How long ago had they talked about it? Between the two of them they hadn’t yet been able to come up with a time and day to suit them both. Not that it mattered because Eleni often passed by Miranda’s desk and they managed to catch up many times during the day. So much so that Eleni was beginning to enjoy office life now that she wasn’t so alone. “Let’s go on Friday. I found this place that does the best dolmadakia.”
Dominic appeared just then, creeping out from behind the shadows of the corner, sheet of paper in hand, and the two of them stared at him. But Dominic’s gaze settled on Eleni. Miranda might as well have been invisible.
“Can you send these off?” He placed a pile of papers in front of Miranda, who promptly blushed. Without another word to Miranda, he marched off back to his office, leaving Eleni fuming at the manner in which he’d spoken to his PA. But since when had the view of his back caused goosebumps to spring up all over her skin?
He had such an awesome butt. Tight, hard, firm. She could tell just by looking. Her thoughts screeched to a halt when she turned to find Miranda’s eyes focused on the computer screen, concentration lining her brow as her fingers flew across the keyboard.
No more. This would have to stop. Eleni headed for Dominic’s office, and because his door was half open, she marched right in. He was sitting at his desk, not looking the slightest bit surprised to see her. He raised an eyebrow.
“Please.” She folded her arms.
“What?”
“Please.”
“Please what?” he growled.
“‘Please’, it’s a word and you might want to use it, occasionally.”
“What? Why?”
“Not ‘what’ or ‘why,’ but ‘Please.’ It would be nice for Miranda to hear that word from you when you ask her to do things for you.”
He sat back, steepling his hands then resting the index fingers on his chin as if he were thinking. “And you’re telling me this, because?”
“You don’t speak to her nicely.”
“I’m not rude to her.”
“You’re rude to everyone.”
“Am I rude to you?” he asked.
“No, maybe, you were at first.” She didn’t know why his question stopped her. She couldn’t let him derail her. “Miranda would walk on hot coals if you asked her to.”
