One week later, I was in the loft of Full Disclosure, working on my designs. Jaz’s clothing boutique was my second home. Located in the business district, it was a high-end clothing store that people from all over frequented.
Debbie, the fashion designer intern she’d hired, sat on a throw pillow on a stool behind the register cashing people out. Jaz wanted her to learn every aspect of the fashion business, and it was nice to have the help as her business had grown. There was a burgundy microfiber sofa in the sitting area next to the dressing rooms with decorative pin-striped pillows and a matching loveseat filled with shoppers. Soft music played through the sound system, and the boutique smelled of lavender.
Jaz had a full cleaning crew, but I still secretly sanitized the furniture every chance I got. At least my loft studio was spotless, just the way I liked it, with a hand sanitizer stand at the top of the stairs just in case. No one was allowed up there. That was my only request when it came to my sanctuary, and Jaz had been gracious enough to give me that. Right now, more than ever, I needed a place to escape to so I could get out of my head and do what I loved best.
Living next door to the detective made it difficult to avoid him, but so far, I had managed to do just that. I’d seen Ariana’s car parked in his driveway nearly every day. During that fateful brunch, her ma had been the force to reckon with. According to the rumor mill, Ariana had gotten over her quiet awkwardness and had been pursuing Nik relentlessly this past week. It wouldn’t be long before she wore the man down. I couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for him. It had to be exhausting.
The bells on the front door of Jaz’s boutique chimed. I peeked over the new, fully reinforced railing of the loft. Jaz had spared no expense after my fall. Speaking of forces to be reckoned with. Ariana and her ma, Penelope, breezed through the door with confidence rolling off them in waves, which was something I was in short supply of these days. Jaz joined them with a smile, always the professional. They were studying Jaz’s hot summer finds. I couldn’t blame them. Jaz had a great eye.
Ariana wore a pretty pale pink sundress in the latest fashion, looking as if she’d just stepped off a runway. Her hair fell in thick, soft curls to the middle of her perfect back. Her skin glowed a perfect shade of tan, and her figure was one every woman would envy. The woman was literally flawless. I couldn’t help being a little jealous.
I sucked in a sharp breath when I saw her stop in front of my Kalli’s Originals display. Jaz gave her a beaming smile, talking animatedly for several minutes, then she pointed up toward me. With no time to duck, I locked eyes with Ariana. She smiled wide as she gave me a wave and motioned for me to come join them.
Just great. So much for escaping.
Pasting on my own practiced professional smile, I made my way down the stairs to the store below. I tucked a strand of hair back into my classic chignon then smoothed the front of my wrinkle free skirt before coming to a stop beside them.
“This is Kalli Ballas, the designer of these fabulous pieces.” Jaz swept her hand down over my lingerie display as if she were a model showcasing a prize on a game show. “Aren’t they delicious?” Jaz was my biggest supporter, and I loved her for it, but right now I wanted to disappear.
“They’re something.” Penelope studied me critically, as if looking for a weakness. I wasn’t the enemy, yet she was sizing me up as if I were. I couldn’t figure her out, but then it dawned on me. She’d probably heard about my very public kiss with a certain Detective Dreamy and viewed me as competition for her daughter. If she only knew I’d thrown in my white towel the second the word baby was mentioned.
“Thank you,” I replied, then turned my attention onto Ariana. “I hear congratulations are in order.”
She stared at me with a blank expression, looking confused for a moment, until her ma coughed. “Ah, yes.” She dropped her hands to her flat stomach and smiled all cat-that-ate-the-canary like. “Thank you. We’re very excited.”
I couldn’t help wonder who we were.
Move on, Kalli, I lectured myself. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Actually, yes,” Mrs. Drakos chimed in. “I guess you’re the right person for the job.” She looked me over in a calculated way, then straightened to her full height before adding, “Ariana needs a wedding trousseau.”
I swallowed my gum, horrified over what part of my insides it might stick to. It was a known fact that the human body couldn’t digest chewing gum. I gagged. “What was that?” I finally got out between coughs.
“Haven’t you heard?” Ariana’s eyes widened a little too innocently. “Nikos and I are engaged to be married.”
And there it was.
Jaz went into a choking fit this time. “Excuse me,” she wheezed. “A customer needs me.” She waved to Mrs. Flannigan, one of her regular customers who’d just walked in, and hurried off a little too hastily.
So much for my biggest supporter. My best friend had abandoned ship the second she realized it was sinking, leaving me to drown alone.
“Wow, that is—” fast “—wonderful news.” I rubbed my aching stomach, wishing I could jump ship and put myself out of my misery. Instead, I plastered on my best game face. “When would you need something by?”
“The sooner the better, I would say. You know, given the situation, and all,” her ma said, her face looking pinched. All Greek mamas wanted grandbabies, but none of them that I’d ever met enjoyed a scandal.
Ariana rolled her eyes. “Relax, Ma, you’re so dramatic. I’m not even showing.” She grinned at me devilishly. “It can take five or six months for a first-time mother to show. Let’s make it something vintage. Heirloom quality. I want to make sure it’s a night my Nikos will never forget.” She obviously enjoyed the effect her words had on me.
I never could hide my emotions very well.
A whiff of her strong perfume hit me in the face, and I felt sick. I looked at my watch, trying not to vomit up the acid churning in my stomach. “I’m sorry to cut you short, but I have an appointment. Why don’t you email me what you have in mind, and I’ll come up with some sketches for you to choose from. Will that work?”
“That sounds perfect.” Ariana held out her hand, and I had no choice but to shake hers if I didn’t want to appear rude. Oh, honey, did you really think you stood a chance against me? Nikos is mine and always has been. Little girl. You’ll never—
I yanked my hand away and tried not to fist my palm.
Both Ariana and her ma eyed me suspiciously.
“Sorry, cramp.” I shook my hand. “Gotta run. I’ll be in touch.” I hurried off, making a beeline for the front door as I scrubbed my palm with hand sanitizer, not caring a whit if they saw me or not. The nerve of that woman. She was the rude one. I couldn’t understand what on earth a man like Detective Stevens saw in a conniving woman like that, but it didn’t matter now anyway.
He was her Nikos and most definitely not my Nik.
Avoiding him was one thing. But how in the name of Zeus was I going to survive designing his fiancé’s lingerie when just over a week ago I’d designed one for myself with him in mind. Most of the time, my family drove me crazy, but one thing was certain. They were always there for me if I ever needed anything. Right now, I needed comfort and knew just where to find it.
Aphrodite’s.
“My poor baby.” My ma gave me a quick hug, knowing better than to linger, thank goodness.
I wasn’t so much worried about germs from her food splattered apron for once, as I was more worried about her thoughts. Right now, I just needed her comfort and familiar homey smells, not her lectures.
“Here. You eat. I made your favorites.” She slid a plate of Soutzoukakia, aka Greek meatballs and pastitsio, also known as Greek lasagna, in front of me, followed by melt-in-your-mouth Greek olive and onion bread.
For once, I didn’t argue. I ate.
Aphrodite’s was my parents’ other baby. The goddess of love, beauty, and all things Greek filled every inch of space, with plenty of marble statues scattered about just short of overkill. Everyone loved Aphrodite’s with her beautiful Greek culture on display and food prepared with skill and pride.
My cousin, Eleni, worked at my parents’ restaurant as a waitress, and her sister Frona was the dishwasher. When they could keep her in the back, that is. Eleni adjusted her long black ponytail then scrubbed her hands three times before picking out a pastry with a clean napkin, placing it on a sanitized plate, and then setting it on my table as she passed by. She blew me a kiss, and my heart squeezed tight.
She knew me so well.
Even Frona refrained from skipping about and playing with the salt and pepper shakers as if she sensed I wasn’t up for any more shenanigans. She only bounced once before slipping in the back like a good girl. I loved my family so much.
I sighed, frustrated with Nik. I’d been so excited to return from the city after a successful launch of my new lingerie line, thrilled to have a summer filled with more excitement and fun than I’d had in far too long. Why’d he have to go and ruin everything? I should have known taking a chance on a relationship hadn’t been a good idea.
Romance never worked out for me.
The door to the restaurant opened and in walked the object of my thoughts. My stomach filled with butterflies, ignoring my brain. He looked around the restaurant intensely, until he spotted me. Then his piercing blue gaze held mine captive as he took long, purposeful strides in my direction. I gathered my trash as quickly as I could and stood, ready to make my escape out the back. Before I could take a single step, he reached out and snagged my arms, sending a little thrill through me.
I scowled over my traitorous body.
“Oh, no, you don’t, Kalliope Ballas.” He gave me a frustrated look. “No more avoiding me. I need to talk to you.” He took a moment to just breathe. “I need to know you’re okay. This has to be affecting you.”
“I’m fine.” I started to pull away, but something in his face made me pause. Please, Kalli, just hear me out. Not knowing how you feel is killing me. I need you to hear my side. Hell, I just need you. Well, shoot, that was my undoing. Helpless to do otherwise, I sat back down, and his arms fell away.
The restaurant grew deathly quiet. All eyes were on us. Pop and Papou appeared from the kitchen, meeting my eyes in question. I signaled I was okay, and everyone resumed eating as if nothing had happened.
I focused on Nik. “I’m listening.”
Relief transformed his face, and for the first time, I noticed the little lines of stress at the corners of his eyes. He looked exhausted. He scrubbed a hand through his unruly curls then over his face in desperate need of a shave. “I don’t know where to start.”
My heart couldn’t help but melt. I actually had the urge to hug him. That was a first. “How about you start at the beginning?” I’d heard the rumors, but wanted to hear his side of the story.
“Okay, so I met Ariana years ago. She’s a realtor and helped me find an apartment. She was beautiful and feisty and fun. Ma was driving me crazy, trying to fix me up with woman after woman. I wasn’t ready to settle down, and certainly not with a woman of my ma’s choosing.” He grunted.
I nodded, smiling a little and listening patiently, totally relating to where he was coming from. “Go on.”
“Ariana was a little loud for my taste, but she was Greek. I thought that would be enough to keep my ma off my back.” He shrugged. “It was at first.”
I played with my napkin. “What happened to change that?”
“Ma kept catching Ariana in lies.” He took a long sip of the water Eleni had discreetly placed in front of him as if sensing he might need it. “As much as my ma wanted me to get married and give her grandbabies, she also wanted me to be happy. She’s very protective of me since I’m an only child.”
A small laugh slipped out. “I can definitely relate to that.”
“Right?” He shook his head. “Anyway, she wouldn’t stop pressuring me to break up with Ariana.”
“Why didn’t you if you weren’t serious about her?” I studied him, genuinely curious as to how he really felt about her.
“I don’t want you to think I stayed with Ariana because I was in love with her. I wasn’t, but I knew Ma would start trying to fix me up again. It’s exhausting fending off a Greek mama. You know that.”
I was already nodding. “Yes, I do.”
“Ari might not be marriage material, but she used to be fun at least.”
“Then why break up at all?”
“My job.” Sincerity filled his voice. “When I found out Ariana dated a man in the mob, I confronted her. She outright lied to my face, but I had proof. I knew I couldn’t be associated with her anymore. Let’s just say she doesn’t handle rejection well.”
“So I’ve heard.” He’d confirmed everything Jaz had told me. I could live with that, but I couldn’t understand how he could be so careless. He was a smart man. He had to know how A+B=C works. So, if he didn’t want a C, then he shouldn’t have combined A with B.
“You have the most expressive face. It’s one of the things I like best about you. You don’t play games, and I know exactly how you feel.” His soft gaze turned frustrated. “I’ve been beating myself up for over a week.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “I don’t get it. I always use protection and am extremely careful for this very reason. At the end, we weren’t even close. It’s been a couple months, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible for her to be pregnant.” He lifted his hands up. “I’m a man of honor. If it turns out the baby is mine, I will do the right thing by my child.”
“Wait,” I gaped at him, “if?”
“I don’t trust Ariana one bit.” He rubbed his neck as if trying to ease the tension. “I’m having a paternity test as soon as possible.”
His words weren’t making any sense. My head was swimming with confusion. “Then why on earth did you propose?”
Once more, the restaurant activity halted, forks raised halfway, and mouths as open as my Detective Dreamy’s was.
His blue eyes narrowed. “Say what?” he finally managed to get out.
A screech rang out. “Nikos Stevens, are you absolutely crazy?” Chloe entered the restaurant just in time to hear her the news and stormed over to our table. “That woman is out to ruin you. What were you thinking?”
Nik’s eyebrows shot sky high as he eyed us both as if we’d lost our minds. “I don’t know what either of you are talking about.”
“Ariana came into Full Disclosure this morning and asked me to make a wedding trousseau for her because you two are engaged,” I said carefully to be sure he understood. “Her ma confirmed it.”
The restaurant started buzzing with gossip.
Nik’s chiseled features hardened as his intense eyes blazed. “You will do no such thing, Kalli. I promise you, we are not engaged. Baby or no baby, I would never ask Ariana to marry me. I don’t love her.” His anger-filled gaze bore into mine and softened for a moment as he added, “My heart—”
“Well, you might want to inform the Drakos women of that,” I said, not ready to think about what the rest of his sentence might have been.
“Oh, you can bet I’ll inform those monsters that no way in Mount Olympus will Nikos Stevens ever marry Ariana Drakos.” Chloe raised her voice. “Over my dead body. I’ll kill her or die trying before I ever let that happen.”
She looked around the full restaurant that was suddenly all ears, staring at her as if they were statues in a wax museum. Flustered, she waved her hands in front of her and stormed out the front door. A sense of doom filled me as one thought rolled around in my brain like fifty-foot waves looking for a target….
What kind of damage was Hurricane Chloe about to unleash?