Page 87 of Slightly Married
“These marble busts are in the wrong places,” I said, gesturing to the classical sculptures. “The Aristotle should be on the left.”
By the infinity pool, I clapped my hands at the landscapers. “The olive trees need to frame the sea view, not block it! When you’re floating here, you want to feel suspended between trees and endless blue.”
“You’ve thought of everything,” Domna said, watching me with something like pride.
“Almost everything,” I replied, checking my tablet. “The staff cottages still need finishing touches. I want the people who care for this place to love living here.”
After our tour, I made my way to the eastern terrace where Leni had set up for our final Lamaze class. Konstantin followed behind me.
When we finished our last breathing exercise, he helped me to my feet. “I’m relieved these classes are completed,” he said as we walked toward the helipad. “You shouldn’t return to Thalassía until after the baby arrives.”
“That’s ridiculous! I’m pregnant, not helpless,” I protested. “There’s still so much to do. The kitchen delivery is scheduled next week, and the dining room chandelier installation—”
“I know,” he interrupted. “And I know you’re perfectly capable. But the nearest hospital is forty minutes away byboat, and even by helicopter, it would take precious time in an emergency.”
His concern was logical. I rested my hand on my enormous belly, feeling our daughter’s movements.
“I hate when you’re right,” I grumbled.
“I know that too.” A smile tugged at his lips. “But I want our daughter born safely in a hospital rather than on a boat or helicopter.”
Our daughter.
The phrase contained so much meaning, yet left so much unsaid between us. As we boarded the helicopter, I wondered if we would ever find our way back to each other.
“I can’t argue with that.”
He regarded me with an unreadable look, and I thought he might reveal something more personal. Instead, he simply strapped me in, and we returned to the cordiality I both resented and feared would never change.
28
The financial projections filled my screen as I cross-referenced them with the quarterly reports. The Athens office was quiet this late in the afternoon, most employees having departed hours ago.
“The manufacturing cost increases are going to cut our margins by three percent,” Dimitrios said from across the conference table. “The board won’t be pleased.”
I studied the spreadsheet’s final row, already calculating adjustments. “We’ll offset it by delaying the facility expansion to Q1 next year. The tax benefits alone will recover nearly half the shortfall.”
“That just kicks the problem down the road,” Aris countered from the video screen. “We need structural solutions, not accounting maneuvers.”
“It’s not an accounting maneuver,” I replied, keeping my tone even. “It’s strategic timing. The market projections show better conditions for expansion in Q1.”
I reached for my coffee, but instead of focusing on the numbers before me, my mind suddenly filled with the image of Kayla at breakfast this morning. Her natural hair had finally been freed from the braids she often wore.
My fingers had itched to touch the wild curls framing her face. I’d watched her from across the table, mesmerized by the simple act of her tucking a strand behind her ear as she scrolled through her phone.
“Kos?” Dimitrios prompted.
I blinked, forcing my attention back to the screen. “We’ll renegotiate with suppliers,” I continued. “I’ve already drafted revised terms.”
As I outlined the specifics, I found myself checking my watch, calculating how soon I could leave. Kayla would be returning from visiting her sister soon, and the thought of another evening passing with things as they were was suddenly unbearable.
Tonight, I would speak to her before she retreated to her bedroom, before another day ended with us living as polite strangers under the same roof.
“Already suggested that,” Dimi interjected. “The operations team is claiming—”
“I don’t want excuses,” I interrupted. “The fiscal report is due next week, and I won’t present diminished profits to shareholders without a clear recovery plan.”
“Agree with Kostas on this one,” Aris said. “But we’ll need contingencies if material costs don’t stabilize.”
