A Scent of Greek

by Tina Folsom

  “I need some mustard, please.”

  Dio nodded and grabbed the mustard jar from the table next to him. “There you go.”

  “Excuse me, I needed that!” the guy seated at that table protested.

  Dio tossed him an annoyed glare. “Well, you should have helped yourself to it when you had a chance. I served you that burger twenty minutes ago.” He ignored the guy’s next protest.

  He hated this job. Nobody ever seemed to be happy with what he did. How had he ever survived a single day without a major bust-up? This couldn’t possibly be the job he’d chosen freely.

  By the time the last diner finally left, Dio was ready to strangle somebody. He tossed his apron on the counter. Nothing felt right. He couldn’t believe that this was his life. There had to be a mix-up or something, because he didn’t feel like a waiter.

  “Are you sure I’m a waiter?” he asked Natalie who was cleaning up the bar.

  She shrugged. “Hey, I didn’t say you were a good one.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Despite feeling exhausted and tired after his first day back at work, he took the long way home to walk past Ariadne’s shop. He was surprised to see light inside and stopped. Instantly alert, he peered inside. Had something happened to her after the wine tasting class? It should have ended over an hour ago.

  The shop appeared empty. Dio tried to open the door, but it was locked. Had Ariadne simply forgotten to turn off the lights? Concerned, he rapped his knuckles against the glass door and shifted his weight from one leg to the other. The warm night air suddenly felt chilly and unpleasant. What if something had happened to her?

  His mind raced, imagining the worst. A man taking her wine appreciation class could have stayed back after all other students had left. What if he’d made a pass at Ariadne and then gotten angry when she’d rejected him? Because she would have rejected him. Hell, she’d rejected any physical intimacy with Dio.

  Dio lifted his hand again to knock louder when the door to the storage room opened. The boulder on his heart lifted instantly the moment he saw Ari emerge. She gave him a startled look when she noticed him standing outside the door, but instantly caught herself and walked toward him.

  He waited impatiently for her to unlock the door and pushed it open as soon as the lock clicked.

  “What are you—”

  He cut her questions off with a kiss, pulling her into his embrace. His heart beat like a high-speed train, but feeling her body close to his calmed him.

  “Thank the gods you’re okay!”

  She pulled back from him slightly. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “It’s late. You shouldn’t be in the shop on your own that late. Somebody could get in …” He pulled her tighter again, not willing to let her leave the protection of his arms yet.

  “Somebody did get in.”

  Shock coursed through him as his body hardened to prepare for a fight. “Where’s the bastard?” He released her and scanned the store for the intruder.

  A chuckle from Ariadne made him snap his gaze back to her.

  “What’s so funny about that?”

  “You.”

  “Where’s the intruder?”

  Ariadne pointed her finger at his chest. “Right here. You’re the one who got in.”

  Dio unclenched his fists as his gaze locked with hers. “You have a strange sense of humor, you know that?”

  She nodded. “And you’re going all macho on me.”

  He shrugged. “That’s what men do to protect their women.” Then he pulled her against his chest again, sliding one arm around her waist. “Now, how about a little kiss for the fearless rescuer?”

  “You didn’t rescue me from anything.”

  “I could have.” If there had truly been an intruder or some student who’d gotten fresh with her, he’d beat the asshole to a pulp.

  “There was nothing to rescue.” She laughed, and the delightful sound echoed in the empty store.

  Dio couldn’t let her get away with laughing at him, so he did the only thing he knew how: he captured her quirking lips and drowned her laughter with a kiss.

  ***

  Darn, that man could kiss! Ari felt her knees weaken and leaned into him for support. Dio seemed to take it as encouragement to deepen his kiss, or maybe it was the fact that she angled her head to give him better access. No matter what it was, it was foolish to allow him to make her feel this way when she remembered all too well what his kisses led to.

  Before anything else could happen, she severed the kiss.

  His eyes were dark with desire when she looked at him. She cleared her throat, not sure she’d be able to get out a coherent word.

  “How was your evening?” he asked and combed his hand through her hair.

  The sweet gesture eased the uproar of emotions his kiss had produced and calmed her galloping heartbeat. “It was a good class. People seemed to enjoy it.”

  “Good. So you’re getting more customers.”

  “I think so.”

  “Did everybody behave?”

  “Behave?” She raised her eyebrows with curiosity. He couldn’t possibly be worried that any of the men in the class would have been too friendly?

  “Yes. I mean those guys, they drink wine, they make jokes, one thing leads to the next, and … maybe I should help you with those classes.”

  “Are you jealous?”

  His answer came so fast, it could have been shot from a canon. “Of course not.” The look in his eyes said otherwise.

  “You’re a terrible liar.”

  Dio snatched her arm and drew her against him. “I don’t lie.” There was anger in his voice, and Ari instinctively jerked back. She’d never seen him become violent, but who knew what the loss of memory could have done to him.

  “I’m sorry,” he quickly said and released her. “I would never hurt you.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I just … knowing that I’m not there when some guy might come onto you … it just kills me.”

  “Why would you even think that some guy was trying to make a pass at me?”

  His look was one of utter confusion. “You’re kidding me. Baby, you’re beautiful. I can see that, and so can everybody else. Why wouldn’t every man in this town want you? Hell, I don’t even know why you picked me. I’m only a waiter.”

  She put her finger onto his lips, stopping him from going any further. If she was courageous she would tell him right now that all this was a lie, that he wasn’t a waiter and that they weren’t engaged. But she wasn’t brave. It was easier to continue the lie and live in a dream world for a while, a world where Dio was hers.

  “You are you. And when I’m with you, I feel good.” And those were the first truthful words she’d spoken to him in a while. Because despite the things he’d done to her, she craved his company and his closeness.

  His hand came up to caress her cheek. “I feel the same.” Then he smiled. “Come, I’ll walk you home.” He winked good-naturedly. “Maybe I can rescue you from somebody on the way home so that you’ll finally see me as your knight in shining armor.”

  “Where’s your horse, my fair knight?” she joked and walked to the counter to pull her handbag from underneath it.

  “No horse, no chariot today. I can carry you, if you wish,” he answered gallantly.

  Ari turned back to him and caught him running his eyes up and down her body, his gaze admiring and affectionate. He’d looked at her the same way when they’d made love that night. She trembled at the thought.

  “I’m ready.” She flipped the light switch.

  As they walked down the sidewalk, Dio took her hand in his. “I’m afraid you’ll have to lead the way since I don’t remember where you live.”

  “Does it bother you?” She wondered how hard it was for him to deal with his memory loss. If she was in his situation, she would turn every stone to try and find an answer.

  “That I don’t know where you live? Sure. Because it means I can’t just stop by and surprise you.”


  “I mean the memory loss.”

  “Well, sure. But I don’t think you can force it to come back. It’ll happen.”

  “You’re surprisingly Zen about it. I would have gone to see a doctor already to see if they could do something.” Not that she wanted to give him any ideas, but she couldn’t constantly worry about him regaining his memory.

  “I don’t like doctors. I don’t know why, I just know that I don’t.”

  She was relieved that he wasn’t inclined to take her up on her idea. But she felt it wise to change the subject. “How was work?”

  He gave her a sideways glance. “I don’t think I’m a good waiter. I’m not sure why Natalie ever hired me.”

  “What happened?”

  “You don’t want to know. Besides, I think I’d be much better as a knight in shining armor anyway. Maybe I should change professions.”

  “There aren’t a lot of openings for knights.”

  “Rescuers of damsels in distress then,” he suggested and winked at her.

  “How many damsels do you want to rescue?”

  “Just one.”

  When she caught his eye, his gaze was full of mischief but also of warmth. “What if the damsel doesn’t need rescuing?”

  “Everybody needs to be rescued from something. Even you.”

  She cast him a quick glance, wondering if he guessed something about her past. But she dismissed it just as quickly. There was no way he could know about the mistake that she’d made with Jeff. Nobody had rescued her from him before it was too late, and she’d had to face utter humiliation.

  “So tell me, baby, what do you need rescuing from?”

  She jolted out of the memories of her past and answered with a dismissive wave. “I’m perfectly fine.”

  “Oh, I know you’re fine.” His eyes glided over her in a slow move that was more caress than gaze. “Very fine. But that’s on the outside. What about the inside?”

  He looked at her as if he had x-ray vision. Did he really want to know what was going on inside her, and if he did, was she prepared to tell him about her fears and hopes? Could she ever trust him with those?

  “You’re not going to answer my question, are you?” he probed.

  “No.”

  “Fair enough. I guess I’ll have to find out for myself then.”

  She lifted her head and suddenly realized that they had reached the small apartment building she lived in. “We’re here.”

  Dio stopped next to her and looked up at the three-story building. “Have I been here before?”

  “Many times,” she lied. The only time he’d been at her place was when they’d made love. “Thanks for walking me home.”

  He shook his head. “Let me come up for a moment.”

  “Uh.” This wasn’t good. If she let him inside her apartment, he’d only use the opportunity to kiss her again, and maybe even more. And what if she couldn’t stop him this time. Right, who was she kidding? What if she couldn’t stop herself? Dio was the most attractive man she’d ever met, and whenever he touched or kissed her, her resolve not to sleep with him grew weaker.

  “I promise you, I just want to have a look at your apartment and see if it triggers any memories. I know you don’t want me to stay.” His eyes had the most sincere look that only a man in love or a loyal dog could make.

  “Okay. But only a few minutes.”

  He nodded. “No problem. I’m dead on my feet anyway.”

  Ari unlocked the front door and entered, Dio on her heels. She walked up the stairs ahead of him, careful that her heels didn’t make too much noise on the wooden steps so she wouldn’t wake the neighbors.

  Her apartment was just as untidy as she’d left it in the morning. She’d been in too much of a rush to get to the shop to even put her clothes in the laundry hamper. When she spotted an errant bra and a camisole on the couch, she snatched them quickly.

  “Feel free to look around.” Ari headed for the bathroom, embarrassing underwear in hand, and closed the door behind her. She threw the items in the hamper and cursed herself. It shouldn’t matter that her place was untidy, but for some strange reason she wanted to make a good impression, even though she shouldn’t. He didn’t deserve that kind of consideration. Yet at the same time she had to acknowledge that the kind of person Dio had turned into since the accident was the kind of person she liked. He was considerate, polite, affectionate, and vulnerable.

  She was sure it was the vulnerability she saw in him that now attracted her. It was as if whatever wall he had up when they were dating wasn’t there anymore. His emotions seemed to lie on the surface, exposed for her to see. And all she saw was his desire and affection for her. Maybe she was too hard on him and it was time to give him another chance.

  Ari stared in the mirror and noticed how flushed her face was. She quickly splashed some cold water on her face when her eyes caught on the bottle of mouthwash on the counter. She shrugged and looked back in the mirror.

  “He’s behaved well,” she said to her mirror self, justifying her next action. She reached for the bottle, taking a small gulp and gargling quickly. A few kisses couldn’t be all bad. And she’d make sure not to let things get out of hand.

  Satisfied with her reasoning, she opened the door and stepped back into the living room, her eyes searching for Dio. She walked toward the bedroom and peeked inside, but it was empty. Slowly she turned. Had he left without a word?

  “Dio?” she called out and strode fully into the living room before rounding the couch. She stopped short. There, on her couch, Dio lay fully stretched out on his back, his eyes closed.

  “Dio?”

  He didn’t respond to her, so she put a hand on his shoulder and shook him slightly. “Are you sleeping?”

  He didn’t move, and another shaking of his shoulder didn’t rouse him from his sleep either. He was out for the count, and there was nothing she could do. So much for preparing for a make-out session.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Since falling asleep on Ariadne’s couch, Dio hadn’t seen her, and had spoken to her only briefly on the phone. Their schedules were clashing. Ariadne was tied to the shop, since it was Lisa’s day off, and Dio worked both the lunch and the evening shift at the restaurant. The next day hadn’t been any better.

  When Dio woke late on the third day, his eyes fell on the wedding invitation he’d left on his nightstand as a reminder. He only had to work the evening shift at the restaurant, and as much as he wanted to see Ariadne and take her to lunch, he knew it was more important to talk to Triton and Sophia and find out what they knew about him. He sure hoped he wasn’t only an acquaintance they barely knew.

  After a quick shower. Dio dressed in khakis and a polo shirt and headed out.

  The sun was already high up in the sky. He’d left the restaurant past eleven and fallen into bed the moment he’d returned home, utterly exhausted and wiped out. If this was his life, he had to change things. Working as a waiter would eventually kill him. There had to be something else he was good at and could find a job in. He knew he was smart and spoke several languages. So why work as a waiter?

  He was still contemplating his lot when he reached the Bed and Breakfast. He entered through the open door and walked upstairs, making his way to the reception area. When he heard steps behind him in the corridor, he swiveled.

  A pretty, dark-haired young woman in her late twenties came out of the kitchen, a huge smile on her face. “Dionysus! What a nice surprise! You’re just in time for lunch.”

  She gave him a bear hug and kissed him on the cheek.

  Relieved that the woman recognized him, he guessed, “You must be Sophia then.”

  She furrowed her forehead for a moment. Then her lips quirked with a smile. “Very funny. We weren’t gone for that long!” She turned toward the kitchen behind her. “Triton?”

  “What do you need, agapi mou?” a man’s voice replied.

  Dio didn’t recognize the voice, but he understood the endearment the
man used. And he knew what it meant: my love. The man had spoken Greek—Dio’s mother tongue. This was good news. He bet his crappy job that he was close friends with this man.

  “Dionysus is here.”

  A tall blond man with sun-kissed skin and a toned body emerged from the kitchen a second later. He was clad in shorts and a t-shirt. “Hey, Dio, good to see you! Wanna join us for lunch? I was just gonna toss some seafood on the grill.”

  Dio smiled. These were his friends, and close friends by the looks of it. “Love to.” Yet he still felt like a thief who’d infiltrated somewhere where he didn’t belong. He recognized neither Sophia nor Triton.

  “I’ll get an extra plate. Can you grab a bottle of wine for me, Dio?” Sophia asked as she followed Triton.

  Dio entered the large, industrial-size kitchen and perused it. If Sophia wanted him to get a bottle of wine, then clearly his friends weren’t concerned with his drinking the way Ariadne was. Frankly, that was a relief. He’d laid off wine for the last few days, ever since the AA meeting, but he missed it and knew it couldn’t be right for him to give up wine forever.

  “Dio, the wine,” Triton reminded him as he piled shrimp, calamari and pieces of fish onto a large plate, while Sophia pulled out a plate and cutlery. Dio scanned the kitchen in search of the bottles.

  “Something wrong?” Triton asked and gave him a curious look.

  Dio rubbed the back of his neck. Maybe he should come out with the truth immediately and get it over with. “Maybe you could tell me where you keep your wine. I don’t remember.”

  Triton raised an eyebrow, then he waved his hand toward a cabinet. The cabinet’s door sprung open, revealing a wine rack behind it. Dio jolted back, hitting his hip into the counter behind him.

  “Shit!” How had that door magically opened when nobody had touched the handle? What the fuck was going on here?

  Both Triton and Sophia stopped what they were doing and looked at him like he’d just gone off the deep end. Had he? Were the hallucinations he’d had a few days ago coming back? And, hell, he hadn’t even had any wine.