Page 35 of Slightly Married
I stepped into the shower, washing away the day’s stress along with my makeup. After patting myself dry, I applied my lotion to every inch of skin. The scent of cocoa and vanilla centered me as my hands moved.
As I twisted my braids and wrapped them in my silk bonnet, I watched my reflection in the vanity mirror. “What are you doing, Kayla?” I whispered, seeing the confusion in my own eyes.
Slipping into my silk pajamas, I made a decision. I needed clear, impenetrable walls between Konstantin and my heart. Wecould create a child together, but I couldn’t afford to create expectations that would shatter me when things ended.
“No more private conversations,” I said aloud, counting the rules on my fingers. “No being alone together unless in the doctor’s office. No lingering eye contact. And definitely no more kissing.”
I opened my calendar app and began plotting my escape. Styling Yiorgos would require just a few hours each week, leaving me free to visit my cousins in Santorini, see my friend Natasha in Madrid, and perhaps explore Rome simply because I could. I’d only return to Athens for the IUI procedures.
The boundaries were clear now. My only job was to remember not to cross them, no matter how much my heart ached to blur them all over again.
12
Isat at the hotel bar’s corner table, nursing my second whiskey as Dimitrios attempted to reason with our cousin. Matthaios’s eyes burned with the same vengeful fire they’d held two months ago in New York.
“Destroying Michail won’t change the past,” Dimitrios said.
“You don’t understand,” Matthaios hissed. At one point nine meters, he’d always been the tallest Christakis, towering even over me. “He took advantage of my mother, then left us for another woman. And you think he should walk away unscathed?”
“We don’t, and he won’t,” I reminded him, maintaining my composure despite the increasingly heated exchange. “Because your existence and his absence from your life alone would destroy him. When I spoke to him, he seemed desperate for a son.”
“I am not his son,” Matthaios said.
“Fine,” I replied evenly. “All I’m saying is you’ve built a profitable company. Why risk everything on revenge?”
“Think about your mother,” Dimitrios added urgently. “She wouldn’t want you to do this.”
“Don’t tell me what she would want,” Matthaios slammed his fist on the table, rattling our glasses. “That bastard deserves—”
Dimitrios subtly nudged my arm, eyes darting toward the entrance. “Santo’s here,” he murmured, effectively ending our discussion.
We all turned with smiles as my nephew approached. Matthaios rose to his feet and pulled Santo into a bear hug.
“Santo!” he exclaimed, clapping him on the shoulder.
Santo’s gaze shifted between us. “Did I interrupt something?” he asked.
“Nothing important,” Dimitrios replied smoothly, signaling for a waiter. “How was practice? Nikos said you were breaking records today.”
I relaxed as Santo settled into the conversation, describing the technical adjustments to his race car with enthusiasm. The boy had always possessed a natural talent for racing, reminiscent of Aristides at a younger age, though with none of my brother’s discipline.
“You’ll dominate at Spa,” I said. “Remember when you took Eau Rouge flat out last year? Even your father was impressed.”
“Though he’d never admit it,” Dimitrios added with a wink.
The earlier confrontation with Matthaios faded into the background as we discussed Santo’s upcoming race. When the waiter arrived with fresh drinks, Dimitrios raised his glass in a toast. “To Belgium, and to Santo, who makes us all look good by association.”
Matthaios and I joined. Whatever our disagreements, family remained paramount. Besides, Santo’s racing prowess was one of the few topics that could unite even the most disparate branches of our family tree.
“New girlfriend?” Matthaios teased when Santo smiled at whatever he saw on his phone.
“Our nephew here is enamored with our American architect,” Dimitrios announced.
“Architect?” Matthaios inquired, reaching for a bread roll.
Dimitrios proceeded to outline the entire situation with Tia. From her saving Santo’s life to her now being the lead architect for Thalassía.
“I still don’t understand why you’d agree to work for Olympus in exchange for her getting the contract,” I said to Santo, narrowing my eyes. “Who is this girl really?”
