I smiled. “Thanks, Dad.”
“You’re going to be okay,” he said, sensing my nervousness.
I grimaced. “I’m a little freaked out that my first time in a plane involves going over the ocean.”
He grinned. “If the plane is going down, tuck your head between your legs, pray, and then kiss your ass goodbye while you’re down there.”
I burst into laughter. “Thanks. That is just what I needed to hear.”
“Hey, the death will be quick,” he said in an attempt to reassure me.
I frowned at him. “You’re not helping.”
I gave him another hug, picked up my backpack, and slung it over my shoulder before grabbing my laptop case. My dad had told me I should take a carry-on with the essentials in case my luggage was lost. It seemed like a good idea to me. I did not want to find myself stranded in a foreign country with no clothes, toiletries, and very little money.
I walked to the end of the line, taking off my shoes and getting ready to go through the security check. Just like the first day of school, my dad stood and watched me line up with a proud smile on his face. I was glad I could make him proud. I was going to work my ass off and prove I was worth hiring permanently. I wasn’t ready to move to Greece on a permanent basis, but maybe they’d give me my own office to run in Seattle. That wouldn’t be too far from home, and I could still visit my dad often.
With one person in front of me, I turned and waved to my dad. Going through the metal detectors was the point of no return. I was leaving home, and it terrified me—in a good way. I made my way into the main part of the airport. I bought myself a water and a bag of chips, knowing it was going to be a long flight.
When it was time to board, I once again found myself freaking out a little. I took my seat next to the window, not sure if I wanted to see the clouds or the plane crashing to the earth.
“Good morning,” an older woman said. “It looks like we’re going to be seat partners for the next few hours.”
I smiled at her, tucking my laptop between the wall of the plane and my leg. I was planning on doing a little work, or rather, a little light stalking about the company I was going to be working for. I would save it for later.
“Are you going to Greece?” I asked.
She nodded and smiled. “I am. Greece is home for me.”
“Really?” I asked with surprise.
“I bounce back and forth,” she said. “My husband and I moved to America when we were young. Our children are here. He passed away about five years ago, and I went home to Greece to be with my family. I’ve been here the last month, visiting my children and grandchildren. What about you? You’re American.”
I nodded. “I am. I’m going to work over there. It’s an internship.”
“How exciting,” she said. “Your first time?”
I grimaced. “My first time everything. I’ve never flown before. To say I’m a little nervous is an understatement.”
She patted my knee. “I’ll be right here. It will be just fine.”
“I hope so.”
The captain’s voice filled the cabin, announcing we were going to be taking off. Butterflies rumbled in my stomach as the plane began to taxi down the runway. I couldn’t focus on what the pretty flight attendant was saying. I was gripping the armrest, trying not to panic. There were about a million excuses running through my head about why I couldn’t go to Greece. None of them would make my dad proud. I wanted him to be proud.
“Here we go,” the woman to my left said in a soft voice.
I nodded, unable to turn my head or do anything except hold on as if that would do anything to save me should something go horribly wrong. Once the plane finally leveled out and we were in the air cruising along, I relaxed a little.
“That was intense,” I muttered.
“I’m Elena,” she said, extending her wrinkled hand.
I gently shook it. “I’m Bella. It’s nice to meet you. Maybe you can give me some inside tips for living in Greece.”
“What part are you going to be living in?” she asked.
“Heraklion,” I answered, hoping I was saying it right.
Her eyes lit up. “It is a beautiful city. It isn’t like the cities in the United States. There is so much history there. Granted, time is swallowing it up, but there are plenty of museums and other attractions for you to visit. You will stay very busy, I predict.”
“I hope I have time to see all the sites before I have to come home,” I told her. “I’m expecting to be very busy with the internship.”
“What kind of job will you be doing?”
“I’ll be working in the marketing department of a social media company,” I answered.
She giggled softly. “I have no idea what that is, but it sounds exciting.”
“It will be. Of that, I’m sure.”
“Do you leave a special young man behind?” she inquired.
I shook my head. “Nope. Just one old guy.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Oh,” she said, snapping her mouth closed.
“My dad,” I said with a laugh. “I’m leaving my dad behind.”
“Oh, I see. Are you and your father close?”
I nodded. “We are. My mom died a few days after I was born, some complications from the birth. It’s been just my dad and me for twenty-three years.”
Her face softened. “I see. Is this your first time away from home?”
“Yes.”
“I bet your father is very proud of you.”
I nodded. “He is. He tells me all the time.”
“Do you resemble your mom or your dad?” she asked.
“My mother,” I answered quickly. “At least, that’s what my dad always tells me. I’m the same age she was when she died. I cannot imagine dying tomorrow. I feel like I haven’t lived. Anyway, my mom had blonde hair and green eyes. I get my height from my dad, though. My mom was a petite woman.”
“How tall are you?”
“Five-six,” I answered.
She nodded as if I had given the right answer. “Greek men are tall. Maybe you’ll find yourself a handsome Greek.”
“I have no time for that kind of thing. I plan on doing my time at the company and either getting a permanent job offer or going back home to find another job. I have to start making some money. I don’t want my dad to work until he’s seventy. I want to get a job and make enough to support him.”
She smiled. “That is very kind. Your father must have done a very good job raising you. You sound like a very good person.”
“Thank you. He did his best, and I like to think I’m a good person.”
I leaned my head back on the headrest, thinking about my dad. He’d be getting ready to go to work at the part-time janitor job he did on the weekends. I told him to quit the second job. I was out of school, and he didn’t need to support me. He claimed he was saving up for a rainy day. I was convinced he didn’t know how to relax. I was going to make him figure it out.
A violent jerk of the plane had me sitting up straight, my eyes wide as I looked over at Elena. “What’s that?” I squeaked.
“Just a little turbulence, hon,” she said. “It will be just fine.”
My dad’s words kept running through my head. Kiss my ass goodbye. That was what he’d told me. He’d been joking, but it was hard to laugh when the tin can I was flying in was rattling and shaking like I was tossed in a washing machine.
Chapter 3
Adrian
I carried the cold soda into the living room and sat on the couch, glancing out the huge picture windows that ran from the floor to the ceiling and overlooked the expansive backyard of my property. I loved being outside. My job kept me inside most days. I had bought my home and had it completely renovated to give the illusion of being outdoors, with tons of windows that allowed plenty of natural light. My property was very private, meaning I didn’t have to worry about anyone peeking. When I wanted privacy, it was easy enough to close the electric shades wi
th the touch of a button.
I put down my drink and reached for my iPad, wanting to do a little internet surfing and see what was happening in the world. It was important I knew the latest trends and kept up on Hollywood. They tended to set the trends. Sometimes, they didn’t even realize they were setting a trend. It took someone like me to find something unique and creative and make it cool.
The buzzer at the front gate sounded, the video screen popping up in the corner of my screen. It was Rand. He had the code and was already driving through the gate. I put the tablet down and walked to the front door to greet him.
“What’s up?” I asked, surprised to see him on a Sunday evening.
“Let’s go out.”
I moved out of the way as he walked into the foyer. “It’s a Sunday night.”
“Wow, that sounded a lot like your mother,” he quipped.
“I’m only pointing out tomorrow is a busy day at work and neither of us can afford to go in, dragging ass and feeling like shit because we are hungover. It’s called adulting. I would think you’ve heard of this concept before. You are almost thirty,” I reminded him, something I did as often as I could. He was a year older than I was and was going to be hitting the big milestone birthday before me. I wanted to give him as much shit for as long as I could.
“Come on,” he said. “One drink. I promise you’ll be home by ten at the very latest.”
I groaned. “You say one drink, but what you really mean is four and a late night.”
“I’m serious,” he said, holding up a finger. “One drink.”
“We have those interns coming in the morning,” I argued. “I don’t want to be grumpy and off my game.”
He nodded. “Let’s go. I’ll drive.”
I shook my head. “No way,” I muttered, caving in to his request for a single drink. “I’ll call my driver.”
My driver lived in a small house on the property. I never knew when I was going to have to go to a business meeting or when I was going to need to dash to the airport. I had several cars, but I liked having a driver on staff—two actually—but the main driver lived on the premises. He was an older man, a friend of the family who had been out of work and nearly out on the streets. I offered him the guest cottage if he would be willing to be on-call for me. He eagerly accepted, and it had been working out well for the two of us.
Rand grinned, satisfied he’d won again. “Peer pressure is a marvelous thing.”
“You suck,” I grumbled, sending a quick text to Malachi and requesting his services.
I walked down the long hallway that led to my suite. The home was a single story. I didn’t want a staircase, and I didn’t necessarily need twenty bedrooms. The house had six rooms, plenty for me and a few family members if they decided to crash at my place. The outdoor pool and the grounds were what had sold me on the place.
I quickly changed into something other than my lounge pants. When I returned a few minutes later, Malachi and Rand were talking about the mild weather we were having.
“Ready?” Rand asked.
“Yes, let’s do this,” I said. “The sooner I have one drink with you, the sooner I can get back.”
He ignored my comment. We left the house, Malachi driving us to a local bar that Rand and I often went to after a long day at work. It was fairly mellow on the weekdays, but with summer upon us and the tourists around, the local singles flocked to the bar in search of a tourist looking for a good time. We found a table and each ordered a beer.
“Have you been home lately?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No. I’ve been busy.”
He grimaced. “Your mom is going to drag you home by your ear if you don’t go soon,” he warned.
I nodded. “I know. I haven’t gone home because every time I do, she has a friend who has a daughter who would be perfect for me. The woman must have at least a hundred friends. They seem to crawl out of the woodwork whenever I’m around.”
Rand laughed. “Rich, eligible bachelor tends to do that.”
“My mother thinks I’m too old to be single,” I complained. “She wants me settled down and married with a flock of children to call her grandmother. I don’t know why she doesn’t go after one of my brothers. They could just as easily get married.”
“Because you are her baby, and she knows your brothers are lost causes,” he replied easily.
I chuckled. “That’s probably true. Although Miles will probably be the first to marry. He’s the type.”
“You’re the type,” he said. “You already act like you’re an old man, wanting to stay in on a Sunday because you have work in the morning. That’s old.”
I shook my head. “Not old—responsible. One of us has to be.”
He grinned unapologetically. “Thanks for taking one for the team.”
“You can pay me back by going out on the next date my mother sets me up with,” I told him.
He wrinkled his nose. “I don’t know about that. Honestly, how bad can it be? Your mother has good taste.”
“It’s not my mother’s taste that’s the problem. It is her so-called friends that seem to be blind to their daughter’s looks. The last date I went out with had more facial hair than I did. I couldn’t imagine myself kissing her.” I shuddered at the memory.
He burst into laughter. “You’d have to hide your razors.”
My lip curled with disgust. “No thanks. I like my women feminine in every way.”
“What are you looking for?” he asked. “Maybe I can help you out.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know, pretty, but not just on the outside. I want someone who is kind, smart, and funny. I want a woman I can talk to, and she will have something to say worth listening to.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Gee, anything else? Big boobs? Big ass?”
I scowled at him. “They are women, not cattle. I don’t have a preference. I like legs. Long, shapely legs and a body that is in shape. I don’t much care how big the rest of her parts are.”
He nodded his head, his eyes scanning the bar as if he was going to find a woman for me. I wanted to remind him we weren’t at Girls R’ Us and I wasn’t shopping for a wife, but I didn’t. I knew he would only lecture me about needing to date more and blah, blah, blah.
I worked. I dated on occasion, but in my position, I struggled to believe the gorgeous women who threw themselves at me were interested in the man I was. I was probably jaded, but I had been burned a time or two already.
“What about—”
“No, don’t even,” I said, holding up my hand.
He sighed, taking a drink from his beer. “You’re right. I don’t see what you need here. We need to go to the club.” He was referring to the night club we would usually visit once or twice a month. We used to go far more often, but it felt like the people were getting younger and younger. I felt old in the club.
“I’m not going out to a club,” I said. “I’ve already told you that.”
“Come on. One hour isn’t going to kill you.”
“No way,” I said firmly. “You keep saying one drink, one hour, but I know you. I know that will turn into me getting into bed at three and the room will be spinning. I don’t want to get drunk.”
“You’re no fun.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “I suppose I’m not.”
“We’ll have a drink, we’ll dance and mingle, and then we will both go home and go to bed like good little boys,” he promised.
“Bullshit,” I said. “You know that’s bullshit. You never have one drink or dance one time. I can’t do it. Not tonight. I have to be sharp tomorrow.”
He growled. “I’m going out. I need to get as much living in before I turn thirty. A thirty-year-old man going to the club is weird. I’m still technically in my twenties, and I’m going to take advantage of that.”
“Have fun and be safe,” I told him. “I’m going to head out.”
He held up his beer and toasted me away. I weaved around people, trying no
t to bump into anyone. Directly in my path was a beautiful young woman, blonde hair, stunning green eyes, and a look of innocence. She offered me a small smile as she stepped to the side to let me pass.
I turned back, wanting one last look. She had a gorgeous body. She was tallish, but not overly so. Her skin was tanned—a real tan, not a spray-on one—and she looked like she might be a runner with her long, lean limbs. She turned, catching me staring at her. I smiled and turned back around.
Any other night, I would have gone after her. I really did have to go to work tomorrow. I had a busy day, and I wanted to make sure I made a good impression on the new interns. I wanted to use what I thought was damn good intuition when I first met a person. I almost always knew right away whether a person was right for the job and would fit well with the rest of my team.
I couldn’t have my senses dulled by a hangover. When I reached the door, I took one last look back, scanning the crowd and looking for the pretty blonde. I spotted her at the bar, ordering a drink. She looked nervous and a little scared. I pegged her for a tourist and immediately felt like I needed to warn her about coming to a bar alone. It was only then I realized there was a good chance she had a boyfriend and he was likely nearby. A woman like that wouldn’t be single for long.
Chapter 4
Bella
If I were someone like my best friend back home, Cara, I would have thought I had died and gone to heaven. There were gorgeous Greek men everywhere. Everywhere I looked, there was a hunk of a man. It was like being inside the pages of a Playgirl magazine. So much testosterone, muscles, and tall, dark, and handsome. I had to remind myself not to stare.
“Can I get a rum and Coke please?” I asked the bartender.
He winked at me before spinning around to make the drink. I turned my head, scanning the crowd. I was a little surprised to see it was so busy on a Sunday night. I was hoping to get a drink, unwind, and do a little people watching. The guy at the hotel’s front desk told me this was a nice bar without a lot of crazies—his word.
Fake It For Me Page 2
