“Do you want to dance?” a male voice asked at the same time a very large shoulder bumped up against mine.
I turned my head to find myself nose to nose with a man with big brown eyes. He was handsome and drunk, judging by the sweet scent of liquor assaulting my senses. “No thanks,” I said, doing my best to be polite.
“How about me?” another voice asked from my other side.
I turned to face yet another attractive young man with a very thick accent. “No thank you, I’m meeting someone,” I lied.
“A girl someone?” the guy on my right asked.
I smiled. “No, my boyfriend.”
He persisted. “He’s not here now.”
The bartender handed me my drink, and I handed him some money before walking away from the bar without saying another word. I was used to being hit on, but these guys were really persistent. I didn’t like it. I tried to blend in with the wall, standing out of the way and attempting to watch the crowd. I wasn’t quite as inconspicuous as I thought. I blamed my blonde hair. It seemed to stand out a bit in the sea of dark hair tones.
I had only managed to get half of my drink down before I finally gave in. I blamed it on the jet lag. I was cranky and not in the mood for the attention. I put my glass on a table and headed for the door, bumping my way past tall, hard bodies that were purposely going out of their way to push against me. It wasn’t my scene. I hadn’t cared for it in college, and I didn’t like it now.
I walked back to the hotel. The company was providing a steeply discounted room as part of the internship program. It was a nice hotel, and I felt safe in it. I was going to stay in the hotel for a couple of weeks and see how the job went. If I liked it and they liked me, I would look around for a cheap apartment.
When I got to my room, I checked the time. It was Sunday morning back home, my dad’s one day off from work. It would be just about seven. I knew he wouldn’t be sleeping in and decided to check in with him. I was homesick and needed to hear his voice.
“Hi, Dad,” I said when he answered the phone.
“Hey!” he said. “What are you doing? Didn’t I talk to you this morning, your time?”
“You did, but I thought I would call and tell you to have a nice day,” I said with a smile in my voice.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, knowing me too well.
“Nothing is wrong,” I told him.
“You sound upset. What happened?”
I let out a long sigh. “Nothing. I went to a local bar to get a drink and check out the area. The guys are a little more aggressive than they are back home.”
“I’ll be on the next flight,” he growled.
I laughed. “It’s fine. It’s not all that different than college, but I think it felt different because I either knew them or knew of them and I had girlfriends with me. You know, strength in numbers, just like you always told me.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked. “I will use that shiny new credit card I got and buy a ticket over there. I did not send you around the world to be accosted by a bunch of handsy boys.”
“It’s okay, Dad. I’m just tired. How about you? Did you get some good rest last night?”
“I did. Did you manage to sleep at all?” Concern colored his voice.
“Yep. I didn’t think I would, but the bed is super comfy. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out.”
“Good. Tomorrow is your first day?”
I felt the butterflies in my stomach that always arose just thinking about my first day on the job. “It is.”
“Don’t be nervous. You are going to kick ass. You’re smart, talented, and this job is perfect for you.”
I smiled, so happy to have him on my side. He was my consummate cheerleader, always there to give me a pep talk when I felt like giving up. He was my hero, and I couldn’t imagine my life without him in it. He was getting on in years, and I worried that a lifetime of hard work and not taking care of himself all that well was going to lead him to an early grave. I refused to let that happen. I needed him around until I was ready to leave this world at the ripe age of at least eighty. Yes, I knew it was a pipe dream, but it got me through the day.
“Thanks, Dad. So, what do you have planned for the day?”
“I’m going to get that lawn mowed and then talk with the fire department about what needs to be done before the big show,” he said, and I could hear the excitement in his voice.
“I hate that I’m going to miss it. I know someone will record it and post it. Maybe I can watch it live.” The idea bloomed in my mind. “It will be like I’m right there!”
He chuckled. “Honey, you’ve seen these things. Twenty-two of them to be exact. You’re not missing anything.”
“I’m missing the barbecue, and the dance, and the carnival in the park, and most importantly, the fireworks,” I complained.
“You’re in Greece,” he said with a laugh. “I think that trumps anything we’ve got going here.”
“I suppose, but I’m alone.”
“Make some friends—maybe not at the bar,” he said. “When you go to work tomorrow, smile. Use that friendly charm you have in spades and make a friend or two.”
“I feel like I’m going back to first grade,” I moaned.
“Bella, this is a trip of a lifetime. This very well might be the only time you ever get out of the country. Enjoy yourself. Have a good time. You are going to regret not spending more time exploring and walking those gorgeous beaches I saw on the internet. You love the beach. I bet it is real pretty out there right now.” His voice led me to draw my own conclusions.
“I can’t believe you’re telling me to walk the beach alone at night,” I chided.
He chuckled. “I’ve taught you how to defend yourself. I’m not worried about you. I’m worried about the other guy. Besides, it isn’t dark there yet, and I bet that hotel you’re in has beach access. Get your toes in the sand and get yourself right. You’ve got this.”
“I wish you were here with me,” I pouted.
“Bella Kamp, you are a grown woman. You cannot drag your old dad all around the world. It’s time to cut the apron strings. Live. I want you to have fun and enjoy all this life has to offer. I didn’t work my ass off for twenty years for you to want to come home. I’ve never coddled you, and I’m not going to start now. You can do anything you put your mind to, but if you keep looking for reasons to be miserable, I guarantee you’ll find them.”
I sighed, knowing he was right. It was just like him to snap me out of a funk before I could get in too deep. “All right, fine. I’m going to go walk the beach.”
“With your shoes off. You’ve got to get that sand between your toes,” he added. “Walk it off. Hell, I’m sure it’s warm enough for you to even dive in.”
“No! I’m not going swimming at night. There might be sharks out there.” I squealed.
He laughed. “I doubt that.”
“It’s not really a risk I want to take,” I said. “I don’t like sharks, and I don’t want to tempt my fate.”
“Your fate has led you there. Don’t worry yourself into making something bad happen. You have to put good vibes into the universe or some shit like that. At least that’s what some dude at work always says. Of course, I think he sits around and sings by the campfire while smoking a little Mary Jane.” He chuckled.
I had to laugh at my dad’s very old-fashioned way of talking. He was a salt of the earth guy, very old school. “I get it. I’ll do better. I’ll try and put out good vibes.”
“I’ll talk to you later. Call me after you get home.”
I laughed. “It’ll be like three in the morning. I’ll call you around six your time.”
“Okay,” he said. “I love you kid. You are making me proud. You have fun.”
“I love you too, Dad,” I said and ended the call.
I looked around the hotel room and realized he was right. I did not want to spend my time on what some would call a dream vacation sitting in my hote
l room. I got up and slid my phone into my back pocket, along with a credit card just in case I had some kind of emergency that required money. It was something my dad had insisted on. I walked out of the hotel, going out the back and following the signs indicating beach access wasn’t far.
I found the stairs and walked down in the twilight. It was stunning. I grabbed my phone from my back pocket and snapped a picture of the sea and the golden sand. It was amazing. I sent the picture to my dad, proving I had taken his advice.
He replied with a thumbs-up emoji. I giggled, happy he was getting the hang of texting after fifteen years of training. I walked down to the beach and took off my sandals. The warm sand squished between my toes. I smiled, immediately feeling happier. I could get used to living next to the beach. There were quite a few people taking advantage of the picturesque view, with plenty of them snapping pictures.
I smiled at a couple of little kids racing around the beach, their parents not far away. I liked how laid back it was. I’d been to the Oregon beach a few times, and it always felt like everyone was watching everyone. Here, it was live and let live and have a good time. I could literally feel my stress and anxiety rolling out with the tide.
Tomorrow was going to be a great day. I was going to make sure of it. I expected there to be some hiccups, but I’d roll with them. I promised myself I would come back to the beach tomorrow after work. I was going to have a drink with an umbrella in it and sit my ass in the sand. Nothing could be that bad when the view looked like this.
Chapter 5
Adrian
I reviewed emails quickly, marking those that I needed to reply to later with a little flag and deleting the others that were nothing more than spam. Even the best spam filters in the world couldn’t stop some of the sneakiest spammers. I heard what sounded like a thud against my door. A second later, it was pushed open, with Rand on the other side of it looking like death. His face was pale under the dark sunglasses shielding his eyes.
I shook my head. “Asshole.”
He grinned before wincing and touching the side of his head. “Ow.”
“I told you,” I grumbled. “Didn’t I fucking tell you not to go out? When are you going to fucking learn?” I was irritated by his state when we had new interns coming in. It was not the image I wanted getting out there.
“Relax. I’m fine.”
“Yeah, you look great,” I said sarcastically.
“I’m here,” he said. “I just need a little more coffee and I’ll be right as rain.”
“The dark sunglasses, pasty skin, and the mussed hair say otherwise,” I complained.
He shrugged a shoulder. “It’s fine. I’ll be fine.”
“You are not saying a damn word,” I said with disgust. “Do not open your mouth. Just stand there and look like an authority figure. They’re supposed to respect you.”
“They will,” he said nonchalantly. “They always do.”
“Liar. Come on. We’ve got interns waiting in the conference room. Pull yourself together.” I got to my feet and grabbed my iPad, making my disgust with his condition known.
I walked out of the office, doing my best to make as much noise as possible. I wanted to increase his suffering as much as I could. When I opened the door to the conference room, I noticed there were only three new faces instead of four. I would double check with HR to see if the other intern had backed out. I would make sure to never give the person another chance. My internship was highly sought after. I didn’t appreciate being stood up.
I greeted the three new faces. “Good morning.”
Rand was right behind me, his sunglasses still on. I shot him a glare. His phone started ringing. He looked at me as if I was the one calling him. I opened my eyes wide, growing more frustrated with his unprofessionalism.
“Oh, it’s me,” he said, fumbling in his pocket and grabbing the phone before stepping out of the room.
I rolled my eyes, turning back to face the three new fresh faces staring at me. “Sorry about that. You’ll meet him later. I’m Adrian Gabris. I’m the CEO, founder or whatever you want to call me. Rand Mattas will be the guy you will be reporting to.”
I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation just outside the conference room. Rand was talking to someone rather rudely. I stepped closer to the door and realized it was a female voice, and she was talking about being lost. The missing intern, I realized.
“Look, the directions you were given were very clear,” Rand grumbled. “The other three interns are here.”
I heard the female apologizing.
“You don’t need to bother coming in. We’ve got this. Why don’t—”
I scowled at him and snatched the phone from his hand. “I’m sorry about that,” I said, putting the phone to my ear. “No, no, he didn’t mean that. Tell me where you are, and I’ll tell you how to get here.”
The sweet, melodic voice came through the phone loud and clear. “There’s a coffee shop and a dress shop and what looks like a shoe repair place,” she explained.
I racked my brain, trying to figure out where she was. Truth be told, those three shops were all over the city. “What are the names of the shops?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” she whined. “I think one says Zeus. Does that make sense?”
I rolled my eyes. She was in Greece. Many business owners tried to capitalize on the famous Greek gods to sell their wares. “That makes sense, but I need to know the name.”
I heard her groan. “All these streets look the same. They’re all old buildings and cobblestone sidewalks and the same streetlights.”
“Can you tell me what street you are on?” I asked, trying to keep my cool.
I could hear the noise of people talking and car engines in the background. “Um, I don’t know.”
“Walk to the corner, and read the street sign,” I said dryly.
I was beginning to wonder if this was the type of person I wanted in my organization after all. She didn’t sound all that bright if she didn’t get how to read a street sign. Every smartphone in the world had GPS on it. Why couldn’t she pull up a map app and get her ass to the building?
“There’s a cobblestone alley or street off to my right,” she said. “And what looks like a restaurant across the street. There’s a bar or pub or whatever they are called a few doors down.”
I closed my eyes. “Look up. What is the name of the street?”
I heard her exhale a breath. “I don’t know because it’s in Greek,” she confessed with a great deal of frustration. “I know that’s bad, but I don’t know how to read or speak Greek. I didn’t think I needed to learn. When I researched the country, it said most of the people in Greece spoke English.”
“It’s okay, relax,” I said, sensing her frustration.
“This is so stupid. I’m such an idiot. I should have found the building yesterday.” She muttered under her breath.
I grinned, realizing that would certainly make it difficult. “Can you ask a local? Ask one of the people working in the coffee shop to tell you what street you are on.”
“Just a second,” she said, and I heard muffled sounds and the sound of her voice.
She came back on the phone and told me the street, and I knew exactly where she was. She wasn’t all that far from the building. “Sit tight and I will be right there to bring you back. There should be a little café on the corner with tables outside. Grab a seat. I’ll be in a black suit. My name is Adrian.”
“Are you sure?” she asked. “I’m so sorry to be such a bother.”
“It’s fine. What are you wearing?” I suddenly felt very strange about asking a woman what she was wearing. It was a little too cheesy for me.
I heard a noise and looked up to see Rand looking in my direction with the dark sunglasses on still. I glared at him and turned my back.
“I’m wearing a pair of black slacks, black heels, and a white short-sleeve shirt,” she said. “My name is Bella. I told the other guy, but I’m supposed to be th
ere right now. It’s my first day.” She groaned.
I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me, and put the rather vague description in my head to pull up when I got there. Bella. Her name bounced around my brain. I wondered if it was short for Isabella. Was she Italian, I mused. I dismissed the thought and focused on getting her to the office. It was the morning rush hour, and I imagined most of the people hanging out on the street would be tourists. The rest of the city would be at work. Not many tourists dressed in slacks and heels for a day of exploring.
“I’ll be there in about five minutes,” I said.
“Thank you so much,” she said, and I could hear the relief in her voice.
I ended the call and turned back to face Rand, who was slowly shaking his head. “Seriously? You’re going to go fetch your missing intern?”
I shrugged a shoulder. “Why not? She’s an American and new to the city. She got lost.”
“The other ones all made it,” he replied.
“The other ones are locals,” I reminded him.
“You’re a sucker for a woman,” he shot back.
“Here’s a suggestion. Take off those damn sunglasses and get in there and do your job. Try not to be too much of an asshole on the first day. I don’t want to get the reputation that we are a shitty company to work for. We are only as good as the people who run the daily operations. If they’re unhappy and feeling undervalued, they’re not going to do a good job. Pull yourself together and put on that charming smile you use to woo clients,” I ordered, handing him his phone back.
He pushed his sunglasses up on his head and looked at me with bleary eyes. “I can do my job, hungover or not. You know that. Hell, I do my best work when I’m hungover.”
“Bullshit. I’ve got to go. Don’t embarrass me and don’t make a fool out of yourself.” I slapped him on the shoulder before heading to my office to grab my wallet and phone.
She wasn’t far at all. I would walk to the café and meet her. Hell, it might be better to meet her one on one in a more relaxed setting anyway. I could hear the nerves in her voice and didn’t want to make the situation worse. I knew what it was like to have a bad day and wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. After all, I had screened every application that had come across my desk and picked the best of the best. If she flaked out, it wasn’t just a strike against her. I would have to rethink my entire hiring process.
Fake It For Me Page 3
