“What kind of show?”
“Fireworks,” she explained. “My dad is kind of the local pyro guy in our small town. He does a big show every year. Everyone from around the area comes out to the park to see it. It started out just us having a little thing in the park for the other kids in the area whose parents couldn’t afford to buy fireworks. It just kind of took off from there. Now, he works with the city council, and they budget money to pay for the fireworks. There’s always a really big potluck picnic in the park, and the last few years, a few vendors have set up booths. It’s just a lot of fun, and I’ve never missed a year.”
I could see the sadness in her eyes and felt bad for her. She had to be homesick. I knew I wasn’t strong enough to leave my family. She was a strong person, whether she realized it or not.
“Well, I’ll make sure you are somewhere where you can watch the show,” I assured her.
“It’s okay. I don’t want it to interfere with my work. He’s going to have someone record it. Every year, people record it actually. I’ll see it, and as he said, I’ve seen more than twenty. I’m just being a little melancholy. It’s really not a big deal.” She waved a hand.
“It is a big deal to you,” I said softly. “It’s a special day. I’m sorry you’re going to miss it, and I appreciate you sacrificing that special day to be here with us.”
“It’s me who is lucky to be here,” she said, chewing her bottom lip. “I should probably get back to work. I need to update Cassia on the project we’ve been working on. I hate that I’m going to be dumping it all in her lap.”
“You’re not dumping anything,” I assured her. “We’re a team. We’re all working towards the same goal. I’ll assign someone to pick up where you left off. Cassia will be just fine.”
“All right. Thanks again for the opportunity. I really hope I won’t let you down.” She got to her feet.
I stood up and watched her walk out of the office before taking a seat at my desk. I didn’t think she fully understood how gifted she was. She said she worked hard and studied hard, but she had a natural inclination for creative design. Her people skills were special and unique. It wasn’t often I came across someone who had the head for design and had the same kind of charm Bella did. She was a rare find.
I made the call to the pilot I regularly used and arranged for the next day’s trip. Then I booked a hotel room and arranged transportation. I could have had my assistant take care of the arrangements, but I had a few extra requests that I didn’t feel like relaying through a third party. With the travel plans made, I focused on my schedule. I needed to work extra hard to free up some time later in the week. I planned on making our trip to Athens fun. It didn’t have to be all work and no pleasure.
I felt like I was going to be indebted to her after the coming weekend with my family. If I could show her a good time in Athens and we got to know each other a little better, it was going to be that much easier to fool my mother into believing Bella and I were truly a couple. Plus, I didn’t think it would be all that bad to go through the motions, even if it wasn’t real. I was looking forward to the practice and then our performance. It would give me a good excuse to touch her. Hell, maybe I’d even be able to steal a kiss or two.
Chapter 18
Bella
Work had been a blur since I’d left Adrian’s office. I couldn’t believe I was getting a trip to Athens. I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to branch out a bit, and I hoped I had the “it factor” that Adrian was convinced I possessed.
I wanted to make him proud. I wanted to impress him and wow him with my ability to woo a company into investing their hard-earned money in Adrian’s business. I wasn’t sure why I wanted to impress him. I was chalking it up to my Type-A personality that drove me to be the best, no matter the work it took to get there.
It was close to quitting time when Cassia stopped by my cubicle. “So, are you ready for your big trip tomorrow?” she asked in a hushed voice.
“I don’t know if I am or not,” I muttered.
“You’re going to do great,” she assured me.
I groaned, pushing back a strand of hair that had fallen into my face. “I don’t know. I have to pack, and I have no idea what I should wear. I’m kind of stressed about all of this.”
“I’ll go to your place with you and help you get ready to go,” she offered.
“You will?”
“Sure. I don’t have anything going on after work.”
“Thank you!”
I was hoping I could talk with her as a friend once we were outside of the office. In the office, she was technically my boss. I didn’t want her to think I was taking advantage of our friendship at work, and I didn’t want to risk being overheard.
“Give me five minutes, and I’ll be ready to go,” she said before walking away and heading for her office.
I quickly finished up, looking around my desk to make sure everything was in place. It felt strange to be leaving my desk for days when I had only just started. If by some chance Adrian decided to fire me, I didn’t want to leave anything behind that I would need to come back for. Cassia came back, and we left the office together.
“This is a really big deal,” she commented as we rode the elevator up to my room.
“What’s a really big deal?”
“Adrian inviting you with him on this trip,” she said. “He’s never taken anyone with him before. Rand has gone along a few times, but usually, it’s only Adrian.”
“Oh,” I replied, not sure how to answer.
“I think you’ve impressed him—in more ways than one.” She giggled.
I dropped my purse on the small table in the entry and turned to face her. “It isn’t like that. He’s been kind.”
“There is chemistry between you. You cannot still be trying to deny that.”
I shrugged a shoulder. I wasn’t sure how much to tell her about my relationship with Adrian outside the office. I wasn’t sure he wanted anyone to know, and I didn’t feel like it was my place to say anything. I didn’t want to risk him firing me or not wanting to hang out with me anymore.
“I think there is chemistry, but neither of us has acted on it,” I said. “He’s just one of those people I feel like I click with.”
She grinned. “I click with you, but I have no intentions of whisking you away on a private jet for a romantic getaway.”
I rolled my eyes. “You know what I mean.”
“I do. He’s a pretty good guy, and if something were to happen between the two of you, I would be happy for both of you.”
That made me feel a little better, but I was certainly not going to admit my crush on my boss—not yet. I was going to stay focused on the work. That was what I was in Greece for, and that was where I was going to focus my energy.
“All right, so what do I wear to a meeting with a potential client?” I asked, walking into the single bedroom in the hotel suite.
She opened up the closet and stared at the very minimal clothing I had hung up. I grimaced, a little embarrassed by my lack of wardrobe. It had never made sense to me to spend a lot of money on clothes I might only wear a couple of times a month.
“For the meeting you’ll be attending with Adrian, you want to step it up a notch. Adrian, as you might have noticed, is a fantastic dresser. He really turns it up when he wants to impress someone. You’re going to want to complement his look.” She pulled out a two-piece business suit I had bought at the Goodwill last year. It had a skirt and blazer and always felt a little too fancy for school. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to wear it to the office.
“He does dress very well,” I agreed, thinking about what he’d been wearing today.
And I was still in awe of the way he had looked on the beach that day. He commanded the attention of all when he walked into a room wearing one of his tailored suits. There was an air about him that drew a person in, but when he was stripped down, that air was gone, and it was all him. I wasn’t sure what to call it—charisma?
Animal magnitude? Whatever it was, he had it in spades.
“We need to add a touch of femininity,” Cassia said as she laid the skirt suit on the bed. “Pink—do you have a pink top?”
I walked to the chest of drawers and pulled out the silk short-sleeved blouse in pale pink. “This?”
“Yes! Perfect. Now we need sexy, confident, and yet sensible shoes. Do you have a pair of black or nude pumps?” She looked around the room as if she had overlooked them.
I grimaced, standing on one foot and holding out my leg. “These,” I said, a little embarrassed I had only one pair of heels with me.
“Perfect! This is the outfit. Now, I suggest you put your hair up, a slick ponytail or maybe a messy bun.” She leaned back as she stared at my hair.
I turned my head to the side and lifted my hair into a ponytail, holding it with my fingers. “Like this?”
She studied my face as I turned from left to right, sucking in my cheeks playfully. “No, I don’t think that works. You look too stern. Adrian told me he likes you because you have that down-to-earth thing. The ponytail makes you look like a lawyer.”
“Messy bun?” I asked, twisting my hair up and letting some strands hang.
She shook her head. “Nope. I think loose and free works better for this situation. If it were a business meeting, I think up is the way to go, but for this meeting with this set of potential clients, relaxed is best.”
I agreed, and I had a feeling Adrian would as well. “Then it’s settled. I should probably take a backup outfit in case there is a second meeting.”
“I would go with another dress,” she said, turning back to my closet and pushing the hangers as she examined the articles of clothing.
I had only one other skirt, and I wasn’t overly fond of it. We spent some time mixing and matching until we had put together two outfits for business meetings, a dinner option, and a casual set for any exploring Adrian might decide to do.
“Thank you for your help,” I told her. “I can’t tell you how much this sets my mind at ease. I’m very nervous about the meeting and hope I don’t let him down.”
Cassia smiled, putting her hand on my upper arm. “You’re going to do great. Adrian won’t let you be anything but spectacular. Trust him.”
I walked her to the door. “I will. I’ll see you on Thursday or Friday. I’m not sure what his plans are.”
Once she was gone, I checked the time and decided to call my dad to tell him my big news. I hadn’t told him when I talked to him yesterday because I hadn’t been entirely sure Adrian had been serious about taking me along for the meeting. Now that I knew he was, I couldn’t wait to tell my dad.
“Hi!” I exclaimed when he answered the phone.
“Good morning, or evening, I guess,” he said with a chuckle.
“Guess what?”
“That sounds like a good guess what, so I guess you’re not fired,” he teased.
“No, not yet. My boss is taking me to Athens tomorrow! He wants me to go with him to talk with a company that is interested in our company’s services. He thinks I might be able to persuade them to sign on. He says my talent is wasted behind the scenes.” I smiled as I thought about Adrian speaking the words.
“That’s great. I knew you were a triple threat. You can do the computer stuff, use your charming personality to win over clients, and your brains to run your own company. I’m so proud of you.” His voice was full of emotion.
“Thanks, Dad. I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”
“Nope, this was all you,” he said firmly. “You put in the time, and you deserve all the credit for your success.”
“I’m hoping we get to spend some time looking around Athens before we have to come back.”
“You like it there.” He said it as a statement and not a question.
“I do. Of course, I do.”
There was a long pause. “Do you think you’ll stay?” he asked in a somber voice.
We had talked about the possibility of me getting hired on full time and staying in Greece for a while. I had never actually expected it to happen, but now that I was here and working with Adrian and the others, I believed there was a chance I could be given the opportunity to become a permanent employee.
“I don’t know, Dad. I haven’t really thought about it.”
His soft laugh filtered through the phone, making me miss him and home more than ever. “You’re thinking about it. I don’t want you to let me be the thing that holds you back. This is an opportunity that only comes around once in a lifetime. Don’t let it pass you by. I’ll be here. We can talk and visit if you want to give that job a real shot.”
“I’m not even sure it’s an option,” I told him.
“If it does become an option, don’t let me hold you back, got it?”
“Got it.” I steered the conversation back to a lighter topic. “Now, tell me how the firework show is coming along. Did you talk to George or Tammy about recording it and doing a live stream?”
“I did, and they will. I told George to text you what he was doing because I haven’t got a clue.” He laughed.
“Good. I can’t wait to see it, and I hate that I won’t be there to feast on Tammy’s potato salad.”
“You can have her salad anytime,” he said. “You live in the moment while you’re there. Don’t take any of it for granted.”
“I know, I know,” I told him before he could get started on the same old lecture.
We talked a bit longer before he had to go. I missed him. As much fun as I was having in Greece and as often as he told me to enjoy myself, I felt like I was abandoning him. He worked so hard and had devoted the last twenty-something years to me, and I up and left him. The guilt I had felt when I first applied had been pretty heavy. He had assured me all was okay, and I thought it was, but now that I was here, having a good time and getting to see the world, the guilt was back in full force.
I kept telling myself I was doing all of this for him, but I had to admit it was just as much for me. I had longed to get out of the small town back home and see the world. I had always wanted to know what it was like to experience new cultures. My dad had an old set of encyclopedias. We used to spend hours poring over the books, looking at pictures and talking about all the places we wanted to see. It wasn’t fair I was getting the chance while he stayed home, working every damn day.
I was going to change his fate. I was going to give him a chance to travel. A little more work, and I knew I could get there. All I needed to do was prove to Adrian I was too good to let go after the internship was over.
Chapter 19
Adrian
I strolled into the lobby of the hotel where Bella was staying as part of the internship package. My company got a discounted rate, which made it easier for us to attract interns, especially those from out of the area. It was a nice hotel, and I hoped Bella was enjoying her stay.
I looked around the seating area and didn’t see her. I checked my watch and realized I was a little early. I moved to take a seat in one of the chairs facing the elevators and waited.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” I heard Bella exclaim.
I looked up to find her rushing toward me, a small suitcase rolling along behind her, her purse over her shoulder, and her laptop bag in her free hand. She looked a little harried.
“It’s fine, I’m early,” I said, rising to my feet.
She shook her head. “My alarm didn’t go off. Usually, my internal clock is faultless, but this morning, it fails!”
I smiled, looking down at the casual jeans and tennis shoes she was wearing. “It’s really okay. It’s a private jet. We leave when we get there.”
She looked down at herself and then back up at me. “I’m wearing jeans because I didn’t want to get all wrinkled on the flight.”
I smiled, shaking my head. “It’s fine, Bella. The meeting isn’t until tomorrow. I scheduled us to go up a day early, hoping to take advantage of the free time to show you around a
bit.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Really?”
“Yes, really. You’re dressed perfectly for a day of sightseeing. It’s me who isn’t. I’ll change on the plane.” I would be happy to shuck the suit for a day.
I took the suitcase from her and pulled it along. The driver opened the back door of the limousine when he saw me coming.
“That’s your car?” she gasped.
“It’s a hired car,” I told her.
“Oh, I’ve never ridden in a limo before,” she murmured.
“Then this will be your first,” I said, handing the suitcase to the driver to be stowed.
She stood in front of the open door, not moving. I put my hand on the small of her back, giving her a gentle nudge. She looked at me, her innocent green eyes sparkling with excitement before she crawled inside. I got in and smiled, watching as she checked out the interior of the car.
“I would have never imagined I would be riding in a limo, in Greece, on my way to catch a flight on a private jet. This kind of stuff doesn’t happen to girls like me. This is the kind of thing that I couldn’t even dare to dream about, and yet, here I am.” Her smile was contagious.
“I’m happy to be a part of the dream.”
We arrived at the small landing strip where my jet was stored. We quickly boarded, taking our seats in the luxury chairs. We were given mimosas for our flight. I could see Bella was nervous. Her hand was gripping the armrest of the chair, and I feared she might tear it off.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She looked at me, a grimace on her face. “The first time I ever got on a plane was to come here. I don’t think I’m quite used to the idea of flying.”
“I’m sure this will be a smooth ride. It’s only an hour-long flight.”
She shook her head. “I told my dad I was afraid of the plane crashing. He told me to put my head between my legs and kiss my ass goodbye.”
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