“I kind of got that idea.”
“Are you doing anything Friday night?” I asked her, hoping we had come to an understanding about our situation.
She shrugged a shoulder. “No, I don’t think so. Why?”
“I kind of agreed to a dinner with Adrian and Bella. He wanted to set me up with someone, but I told him I already had a date. I was hoping you would agree to be that date.”
She smiled. “I can’t imagine you have a hard time getting dates.”
“Not really, but I don’t want just any date,” I said, looking her straight in the eyes. “I want you.”
“Sure, I’d love to, but I’m afraid I’m not on the same level as you and your friends,” she said hesitantly.
“Same level?” I questioned, wondering what the hell that meant. There were times I felt like we were speaking different languages. My English was perfect, but she left me confused a lot.
“You guys are, uh, wealthy. I’m not. You’ve seen my one dress, and that was secondhand. I will be out of place unless the dinner you are talking about is something on the beach and very casual.” She looked away from me, and I could see the embarrassment on her face.
“We’ll go shopping,” I said.
“No.”
“Yes, we’ll go shopping and get you something that will make you feel comfortable. Although that dress you wore was absolutely stunning, and I wouldn’t mind seeing you in it again and again.” I smiled as my eyes roamed her body.
“I’m not letting you buy me a dress,” she said with exasperation.
“Please?” I asked, softening my approach. “I’d like to.”
“Rand,” she protested.
“I want you to go with me. I want you to meet my friends, and I think you’ll really like Bella. Well, you’ve already met her, technically, but not really. She didn’t come to Greece wealthy and would never judge you by what you wore.”
She closed her eyes before looking at me again. “Fine, but nothing too expensive, and I will pay you back.”
“I have a few ideas about how you could do that,” I said with a wink.
She burst into laughter. “I think you just called me a prostitute or offered to pimp me out.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “If I’m the one doing the purchasing of your body, I don’t think I can pimp you out. Thank you for agreeing to go with me. We can go shopping on Thursday. I have a light schedule and can leave the office early. Does that work for you?”
She nodded. “I should be done here by two or three.”
“Perfect. I’ll pick you up at your place.”
“Thank you, Rand, really,” she said with a smile.
“It’s me who is thanking you for saving me from what would most likely be a horrible setup. I’m excited for you to get to know Adrian and Bella.”
“Me too,” she replied.
“I’m going to go and check on some things, but I’ll be in the study,” I told her before leaving her alone.
I didn’t kiss her, but I had been dying to. I had noticed she’d kept her distance, and I didn’t want to push it. I didn’t want her to feel like I was coming on too strong. Hopefully on Thursday, we could grab dinner after shopping and get to know each other a little better.
I was very curious about her life before she showed up in Greece and hoped she would trust me enough to tell me.
Chapter 16
Nicole
I couldn’t explain why I did it, but I had just put fresh sheets on Alec’s bed. The sheets that had been on were the ones I put on the day I had found out he had passed away. It was routine. Part of what my life had been revolving around for two years. It was hard to up and quit.
I had spread the linens on, making sure there were no wrinkles before pulling the bedspread up and fluffing the pillows. Before Alec had been confined to the bed, he loved to see the pillows all piled up. It was another thing that reminded him of his wife. He had told me he used to always complain about the number of pillows she piled on the bed, only to have to take them all off before going to sleep and put them all back on in the morning.
I stood there smiling at the empty bed and thought about the many conversations we had with him lying propped up against the pillows and me sitting in the comfortable chair beside the bed. I had to fight back the tears that threatened to fall as I thought about that last day with him, replaying every single word we had spoken.
“Nicole,” Gretta called my name.
I used the heel of my hand to wipe away the moisture that had gathered on my cheeks before turning around.
“Yes?” I asked, my voice cracking.
She offered me a gentle smile. “He liked you the best, you know?”
I shrugged. “He took me under his wing. I think he pitied me.”
“He cared about you. He was a sweet man, and I think he kind of took all of us in, but you especially.”
“I cared about him more than I thought possible. He was the father I had never had.”
She shook her head, looking at me with confusion. “I’m surprised he didn’t leave something for you. I know he was fond of you, and I assumed he would have left you a nice bonus for being so kind to him.”
“It wasn’t like that,” I said. “We were friends. I would never expect to be rewarded for being a friend to someone I cared a great deal about.” I shrugged. “I was just his maid, his housekeeper, nothing more.”
“No, that isn’t true at all,” she scolded. “Never let anyone tell you you’re just anything.”
I smiled. It had to be one of the first truly nice things she had said to me. “Thank you. I really didn’t, nor do I want or expect anything from the family. I was doing my job, and I loved it.”
“I understand,” she said. “I wanted to talk to you about your future here.”
I felt the knot in my stomach twist. “Okay,” I said, trying to sound cool, but my voice cracked regardless.
“I don’t think there’s any reason for all of us to stay on staff any longer,” she said. “There’s been no indication anyone would be moving in, and we didn’t get paid last week. I don’t imagine we’ll be getting paid this week. I can’t afford to keep working without getting paid.”
I was confused. “I thought that was all taken care of. Rand—I mean, his grandson—told me there had been arrangements made to keep us all working.”
She shrugged a shoulder. “He might have been trying to ease the blow. I need to find work, and so do the others. Maybe you can stay on, and one of the family will pay you for the upkeep of the empty home. I’m not used to working in a vacant home. I want people to take care of.”
I let out a long sigh. “I’m sorry. I understand, though. I will talk to Rand and get the situation taken care of for last week. I assume it was an oversight with the funeral and the craziness.”
“I have children who can’t wait for food,” she said. “I have to work, and I have to get paid.”
“Absolutely. I get it. I do. I’ll talk to him and make sure things are taken care of right away.”
“You know him?” she asked skeptically.
“We’ve met and talked a few times,” I hedged.
“I see. I’m leaving for the day. I have an interview with another family. If I get the job, I will offer to start immediately.” She said it in a way that was meant to sound like a threat, not a bodily threat, but the kind that meant she wouldn’t be coming back tomorrow or anytime soon. I didn’t blame her.
“I guess I should finish up. Not much to do around here.” I sighed.
She slowly shook her head. “No, there isn’t. I expect the family to sell the property soon. They’ve all got their own homes and their own lives. They don’t need this place.”
I grimaced. “I hope not. He loved it here so much.”
“That’s the way it is these days,” she said with disgust. “People don’t keep family homes simply because they have sentimental value. They see the dollar signs.”
I hoped Rand was different. I
knew it didn’t matter, but I couldn’t help but feel like Alec’s spirit was still around. Once the house was gone and all of his treasures, he would be gone for real. I didn’t want to think about that day.
We left the upstairs together. I watched her leave before going on a small farewell tour, just in case I wouldn’t be coming back. I was the only one in the house. It felt eerie.
I had been downstairs before all alone, but Alec had always been around, even if it was upstairs sleeping. I felt his absence more than ever in that moment as the realization my time working at the estate was coming to an end. He’d been a saving grace to me, and I doubted he even knew it. Or if he did, he’d never let on because that was the kind of quiet, dignified man he was.
I went home, feeling down and out and wanting to do nothing more than crawl inside the bottle of wine I had stopped and picked up, along with a variety of fresh, locally made cheeses. It was a wine and cheese night.
Alena came home a little after my first glass of wine. She walked through the door, stopped, took in the sight of the cheese tray I had made myself and the open bottle of wine and winced. “What happened?”
I let out a long sigh. “I’m probably out of a job.”
“What? I thought you said he’d made arrangements for you to all stay on?”
I shrugged. “So did I. Apparently, his family isn’t going to follow through with his wishes. We didn’t get paid last week, and the other staff members don’t think we’ll get paid this week. They’re already looking for jobs.”
“Oh no. Are you going to be able to make rent?”
I nodded. “Yes, absolutely. I have some money saved. I guess with everything happening, I didn’t really think much about it. The others don’t have the luxury of skipping a payday and still being able to feed their families.”
“Can you talk to Rand about it?” she suggested.
“He would already know,” I said, taking another drink of wine. “I don’t want to stick my nose where it doesn’t belong. Maybe he doesn’t plan on keeping the estate. I don’t think I really have the right to ask him about that.”
“Sure, you do. You’re an employee, and you’re his friend. I think you have a duty to ask on behalf of the others. Rand is more likely to talk to you than them.”
I wrinkled my nose. “But is it rude?”
“No. Don’t get so caught up in what’s rude.”
I drank more wine, debating how I was going to broach the subject without coming off as a woman with her hand out. I didn’t want him to think whatever was happening between us was a way for me to keep getting paid. I had never asked for anything in my life, and I was not about to start doing so now.
“What if he thinks I’m using him?” I asked. “I know that a lot of the people I work with thought I was trying to get in close with Alec because I wanted his money. Rand even thought it. I know his brother thinks it. I have way too much pride to let myself be a mooch.”
“A what?” she asked.
I giggled. “A mooch. Someone who takes and takes and never gives back.”
“Nicole, you are not a mooch, not even close. You are a giver to a fault.”
“Thank you. That’s very sweet.”
“It’s the truth,” she said. “I’m getting a glass, and you’re sharing the wine with me.”
“Good or I’m going to drink the whole damn bottle and end up regretting it.”
“Is tomorrow your big shopping spree?” she asked, flopping down on the other end of the couch and pouring herself a glass.
“It isn’t going to be a spree. It’s one dress, and I’m going to be looking at the clearance racks. I hate that he is buying me a dress at all. I only agreed to let him do it because I don’t want to embarrass him by showing up in a burlap bag in front of his friends.”
She burst into laughter. “You could totally rock a burlap bag.”
“It would be very country chic.” I giggled.
“What are you going to get?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I kind of wish you could be there to help me pick something out.”
“I don’t think Pretty Woman got to bring along Kit on her shopping spree,” she said with a laugh. “This is the part where you get to try on lots of fancy clothes and tease him and entice him.”
“I am not going to do that,” I argued.
“You have to,” she said with a smile. “It’s part of the fun. You get to be a princess for a day. Take advantage of it. Have fun. You deserve a little pampering. I only wish I could be there to see it in person.”
I sipped my wine, staring at the wall and the pictures Alena had taken of the ocean that were nicely framed. “I don’t think anyone has ever bought me new clothes,” I whispered.
“What?” she asked.
I shook my head. “No. Someone was kind enough to put my name on a list every year for school clothes. It was a church group that collected donations, and then a week or two before school, a box would show up with my name on it, and I’d have a whole new but used wardrobe. When I was thirteen, I started babysitting, and I bought myself a couple new things for the school year.”
She shook her head. “I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine what that was like. My heart hurts for the little girl in you, but a part of me is happy that those experiences made you into the woman you are today. I know it had to have been very hard for you and extremely lonely. I’m so glad I met you when I did.”
“You and me both,” I said, shaking my head. “I sometimes wonder if I would be alive if you hadn’t come along when you did.”
“Don’t say that! How can you even think that?”
“Alena, my life wasn’t good,” I told her, my voice solemn. “I wasn’t in a good place. You saved me.”
“Oh god,” she groaned, leaning forward to top off her glass with more wine. “This conversation went downhill. Let’s go back to the shopping part.”
I giggled and nodded. “Please.”
Chapter 17
Rand
I had managed to get done with my last meeting even sooner than I had originally planned. I was looking forward to shopping with Nicole, which was abnormal. I wasn’t big on shopping. In fact, I hated shopping.
I actually had personal shoppers that made sure I had clothes that fit and looked good. My idea of shopping was sitting in bed with my laptop. This was different. I wasn’t the one that had to do the shopping. I got to sit back, sip champagne, and do the watching. At least, that was what I was hoping it would be like. It was what I had seen in the movies.
I rapped on the door, anxious to get shopping. No, I was anxious to see her. She pulled open the door. “Hi!”
She seemed overly perky.
“Are you ready?” I asked.
“I am.”
“Then let’s go.”
We headed out. I drove to the upscale shopping area. I went there because it was really the only place I knew. When I parked the car, Nicole made no move to get out. “Is everything okay?” I asked her.
She gave me a look. “Um, I wasn’t expecting to come here.”
“Do you not like these stores?” I asked.
“I’ve never been to these stores,” she said, looking pained. “These are, like, high-dollar stores. Like the celebrities and rich people come here. These are couture, and so not for me.”
“Nicole, there is no reason you can’t shop here,” I insisted. “This is my treat.”
She put a hand to her temple. “Rand, they don’t have clearance racks.”
“What?” I asked.
“The clearance racks!” she said with exasperation. “The clothes no one else wants!”
I wrinkled my nose. “Why would you want clothes no one else wants?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re rich and wouldn’t understand. Clearance racks are just clothes that are from the previous season.”
“Oh, well, I guess we could ask if they have something like that,” I offered.
“No!” she shrieked.
I shook my head. “Why not? Isn’t that just what you said you wanted?”
My head was spinning. I had no idea what the hell was happening. I had never really had to deal with a woman a little on the crazy side.
“No! I can’t ask one of those people for the clearance rack! They’ll treat me like Julia Roberts when she tried to buy a dress on Rodeo Drive and no one would help her. That’s what they are going to see when I walk in there!”
I had seen the movie, which was a huge help to understanding what the hell was happening inside my car. “Okay, so am I Richard Gere in this scenario?”
She got quiet for a second. “I guess you are.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. We were once again speaking the same language. “Then let’s go get you a dress.”
She got out of the car, much to my relief. I wasn’t sure what I would have done if she would have chosen another movie. I didn’t watch a lot of movies and would be stuck trying to translate whatever it was she was saying.
When we walked into the first shop, I felt her stiffen up beside me. “Relax,” I whispered close to her ear.
“I am.”
“You’re not. You belong here. You have every right to be here, browsing and even buying if you happen to find something you like. How about that one?” I pointed to a red dress that certainly made my heart race.
“I can’t wear that!” she hissed.
“Why not?”
“Because it’s way too low cut and way too much in general,” she murmured. “I was thinking something in blue, something low key and classy.”
I nodded, not sure exactly what she was looking for, but I had a feeling the woman heading our way could. I held up my hand, asking the woman to come our way.
“Good afternoon,” she said in a pleasant voice. “What can I help you two find?”
I looked at Nicole, waiting for her to answer the woman. When she didn’t, I spoke up. “She would like something in blue.”
The woman looked Nicole up and down. “Oh, I see. Something full coverage?”
My Favorite Mistake Page 10
