by Lacey London
Shaking his head, Marc drapes his arm around the back of his seat. ‘This isn’t a standard case of boy doesn’t like mummy’s new boyfriend though, is it? He has to look at the bigger picture here. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for all of us.’
‘For all of us?’ I repeat apprehensively, staring into the bottom of my glass.
‘Yes, all of us! Clara, we’ve been given rubies and limousines. I’ve played golf with some of the most powerful men in the business. Li and Vernon nearly had a damn restaurant bought for them.’ Reaching into his pocket, Marc places the sparkling ruby on the table between us. ‘What does it matter if Stelios has a sleazy past? Surely his extreme generosity buys him a little leeway on all that stuff?’
Picking up the ruby, I turn it over in my hands and study my reflection in the polished stone.
‘You do think Stelios is good for Janie though, don’t you, Marc?’ I ask, bringing my eyes up to meet his. ‘If we would have arrived to a shack and a few mattresses on the floor, you would still be telling me this?’
Marc gives me a look that answers my question perfectly and I hang my head. The idea of him liking Stelios purely for his money fills me with sadness. While Janie is desperate to get everyone’s approval of her relationship, the guys have been lapping up Stelios’s attempts at getting them on his side without a second thought to his intentions. It would appear that once the cash comes out to play, Stelios could reveal himself as a serial killer and they still wouldn’t care.
‘But what if he isn’t right for Janie?’ I whisper, keeping one eye on Aris as he clears away the empty glasses in the dining room. ‘What if Oliver is right and Stelios is bad news? What if Janie is risking her relationship with Oliver for a man who simply views her as a bit of fun? What if…’
‘What if nothing.’ Marc says with a laugh. ‘We could all say what if with our relationships. We could all say what if one hundred times a day, but we don’t. We simply trust our gut and go with it.’
Not knowing quite what I want to say, I turn to look at the water and take a deep breath.
‘Just think, Stelios could get bored of Janie at any moment. He might roll out of bed tomorrow and decide he’s had enough of her and move on to the next thing that catches his eye. Just as easily as Janie could get bored of him.’ Marc persists, tugging on my arm to get my attention. ‘There’s no guarantee with any relationship, so don’t try and pick it apart to find one. Just enjoy this while it lasts. Live for today and forget about what, why and how. None of that matters.’
Marc’s words whirl around my mind and a whole new wave of doubt hits me. I’m sure he’s trying to reassure me, but all he is doing is making me feel worse.
‘What if this is all just a game to Stelios?’ I think aloud, an awful sensation hitting my stomach.
‘Exactly! That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.’ Picking up the ruby from the centre of the table, Marc tosses it into the air and catches it effortlessly. ‘There’s every chance Stelios and Janie are the real deal, but this might just as easily be a flash in the pan romance.’
Knowing from my secret chats with Janie she is most certainly not viewing this relationship as temporary in any way, shape or form, I bite my lip nervously. Janie is laying her cards on the table, she has her skin in the game, but all that could mean nothing if Stelios is playing a different game entirely.
‘No offence, Andrews, but Stelios Christopoulos could have his pick of all the women in Greece. He has absolutely nothing to gain by choosing Janie. Don’t be too upset if this doesn’t work out as you hope.’ Marc says seriously, keeping his gaze fixed on mine. ‘Which brings me back to my initial point. Don’t think too hard about the dynamics of this relationship. Just enjoy it while it lasts.’
Nodding in response, I clutch my glass to my chest and stare at the deserted beach below.
I’ve been so consumed with not allowing Oliver to ruin this for Janie that I haven’t taken a moment to think about the possibility of this not being the happy ending she’s hoping for. I want to believe the only thing standing in her way is Oliver’s refusal to see her as her own woman, a woman who makes her own decisions, but what if Janie’s happily ever after is purely one-sided? When we first arrived here in Mykonos, I was confident this relationship was as permanent as the ouzo in Stelios’s cabinet, but now I am not so sure.
‘Sometimes, you have to see the good and ignore the bad.’ He continues calmly, motioning around the balcony once more. ‘Selective blindness isn’t always a bad thing.’
Trying to decipher his riddle, I manage a tiny smile as he ruffles my hair before pushing out his chair and heading back inside.
‘Goodnight, Andrews.’ He shouts over his shoulder, the sound of his footsteps fading into the distance.
‘Marc?’ I yell after him, wandering over to the open door.
Stopping in his tracks, Marc turns around and smiles. ‘Yes?’
Hesitating for a moment, I open my mouth to say something, but decide against it at the last second.
‘Nothing. Goodnight…’
Chapter 14
Studying the heap of discarded clothing on the bed, I rifle through my collection of dresses in search of the perfect outfit. The once immaculate suite is now littered with shoes, handbags and various clothes that have either been deemed inappropriate, unsuitable or more simply put – just not good enough.
Tapping my foot impatiently, I kick a pile of shorts in frustration and throw open the wardrobe. Stelios’s mother shall be here at any moment for brunch down on the beach, yet apart from a black thong and a slick of red lipstick, I am completely naked. Pretty confident she isn’t going to want to see me in all my glory, I pluck a blush-coloured sundress from the rack and slip it over my head.
After my late-night conversation with Marc yesterday, I didn’t sleep a wink. For hours on end I tossed and turned as I listened to the sound of the waves crashing against the beach outside the window. No matter how hard I tried to shake them off, Marc’s words rang in my ears all night long.
Sometimes, you have to see the good and ignore the bad.
They say ignorance is bliss, but where do you draw the line? Just how much should we choose to ignore? Where does ignorance stop and acceptance of what is wrong begin? The politics of relationships have always been somewhat of a mystery to me, but when they involve two people as eccentric as Janie and Stelios, they become even more complicated.
Grabbing a floppy hat from my suitcase, I brush my hair out of my face and reach for my sandals. The rest of the gang have been waiting on the beach for the past thirty minutes and if I waste a moment longer thinking about Marc’s words of warning, I will undoubtedly be rebuked when I eventually make an appearance. Refusing to look in the mirror in case I deem this outfit for the scrapheap too, I slip on my sunglasses and make my way down to the beach.
Despite the size of Stelios’s palatial mansion, I am finding my way around the place incredibly well and as a result, I make it to the others in five minutes flat.
‘Wow! This looks amazing!’ I gush, taking a seat at a beautifully-dressed table and admiring the display.
The long table is covered with a delicate white cloth, which is gently billowing in the sea breeze. Numerous pearlescent vases display beautiful bouquets of flowers, making the whole scene appear more fitting for an elaborate wedding than a simple morning brunch. Hoping this exorbitant display is a sign of how much Stelios wants this meeting to be a success, I smile at Janie and take a picture of the stunning presentation on my phone.
‘You look nice.’ Oliver whispers, reaching for my hand across the table and wrapping his fingers around mine. ‘You were worth the wait.’
Beaming back at him, I notice his smile reach his eyes for the first time on this holiday. His dark curls are effortlessly brushed back as he rhythmically rubs his thumb over my index finger. As I lose myself in his eyes, my conversation with Marc comes flooding back to me once more and I steal a glimpse at Janie’s unconventional cho
ice of partner.
Stelios is practically glowing and so is Janie. To any passer-by, they look the perfect image of togetherness, but what if Stelios’s grand gestures are nothing out of the ordinary? What if this is simply how Stelios treats every notch on his bedpost? What if Janie is preparing to commit her life to someone who is simply having some fun before moving onto the next? Half of me thinks it’s incredibly far-fetched to believe Stelios would go to such lengths for someone he didn’t have genuine feelings for, but when money is of no value to a person, how can you know if what they’re offering is real?
I don’t want to believe Marc is right. I, more than anyone, want this to be Janie’s fairy tale ending and until my chat with Marc last night, I genuinely did believe it was. In spite of Marc’s thoughts on their relationship, there’s a lot of evidence to suggest the contrary. After all, they’ve been together for almost a year now. If this was nothing more than a meaningless tryst to Stelios, surely the novelty would have worn off by now. Wouldn’t it?
Not knowing what to think anymore, I try to push it to the back of my mind and turn my focus to Lianna.
‘What have I missed?’ I ask, admiring her polka dot skirt and crop top combination.
‘Not much.’ Turning her back to the wind, Li takes a rose from one of the vases and holds it to her nose. ‘We took some photographs, Gina and I went for a stroll along the shore… oh, and Stelios bought everyone speedboats.’
‘You mean, he’s taking everyone speedboating?’ I reply, fidgeting with my watch.
‘Nope.’ Reaching for the breadbasket, Li pops a seeded baguette onto her plate. ‘He’s bought us all actual speedboats. Don’t worry, you have one, too.’
She points to a row of twinkling speedboats and I’m hit with a sense of immense frustration. Clearly my conversation with Janie regarding Stelios flashing the cash fell on deaf ears.
Before I can tell her I don’t want a bloody speedboat, I’m interrupted by a loud cheering from further along the shore. Looking past Lianna, I spot a tiny old lady, wearing far too many layers for the warm weather, waving her arms around in the air.
‘Ma!’ Stelios cries suddenly, diving out of his seat and racing across the hot sand.
Flanked by two enormous minders, Konstantina Christopoulos appears the height of a small child as she feebly holds onto Stelios’s arm and makes a beeline for Janie. Watching the two of them trudge along the shore, I remark at how much they look alike. If you ignore the huge pearls, floral headscarf and pink lipstick, Konstantina is Stelios’s doppelganger.
‘My Janie!’ Konstantina croons, wrapping her incredibly brown arms around Janie’s neck. ‘My beautiful Janie!’
Suddenly aware of where Stelios gets his extreme friendliness from, I rest my elbows on the table and watch as Konstantina cups her wrinkly hands around Janie’s face. Her eyes light up as she kisses both of Janie’s cheeks twice over, before pulling her in for yet another hug.
‘They certainly seem close!’ Li whispers, standing up as Janie leads Konstantina our way. ‘If I didn’t know any better, I would believe she was Janie’s mother, not Stelios’s.’
Nodding in agreement, I smooth down my hair and position myself next to Lianna.
‘Konni, this is my son, Oliver.’ Janie says proudly, coming to a stop next to Oliver’s seat and gently pushing Konstantina forward.
‘Oliver!’ Konstantina repeats, flashing him a toothless grin.
‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, Konstantina.’ Standing up to greet her, Oliver appears startled when she yanks him towards her and attacks his cheeks with pink kisses.
‘Konni. No Konstantina.’ She protests, straightening Oliver’s collar before turning back to Janie. ‘He big boy. Big and strong. No like mine.’
Oliver blushes and I let out a giggle as Stelios mutters something in Greek at his mother. I don’t know what’s more hilarious. Oliver being referred to as a big strong boy or Konni pointing out that Stelios is little more than four feet high.
‘He look like you.’ Konni chuckles, tapping Oliver’s stomach and adjusting her headscarf. ‘Panemorfi!’
‘That’s my boy!’ Janie says happily, giving Oliver’s arm a squeeze as Konni treats the others to sloppy kisses of their own.
Finally dragging herself away from admiring Lianna’s hair, Konni turns her attention to me.
‘And you! You must be Clara.’ Konni says softly, holding out her arms. ‘My Janie, she tell me so much about you!’
Giving Janie a sideways glance, I offer Konni my cheek as she studies my face closely. ‘You have good heart, Clara. Very good heart.’
‘Oh!’ I reply, a little taken aback. ‘Thank you.’
As Konni is led to her seat by Stelios, I take the opportunity to give her a quick once-over. With Stelios being at least seventy years old, it makes sense to assume that Konni would be around ninety, but even though it isn’t possible, she could be double that. Her olive skin is wrinkled beyond recognition and the three teeth she has left are holding on by a thread. Strangely, her brown eyes sparkle like those of a teenager, giving her the mischievous look that is usually reserved for sassy adolescents.
‘Very nice to see your people, my Janie.’ Looking up at Janie lovingly, Konni reaches for her hand. ‘Your people are my people.’
‘Our people.’ Janie corrects.
‘Yes, our people!’ Cheering loudly, Konni adjusts her headscarf and smiles at the rest of us. ‘You all our people.’
Smiling as I retreat to my seat, I watch Janie ensure Konni is comfortable before sitting down herself. Placing a napkin over Konni’s lap, Janie kisses her cheek as Stelios instructs his waiters to start service.
Waiting until the drinks have been poured and our plates have been dressed with an array of croissants, exotic fruits and pastries, I take a gulp of water and turn to Konni.
‘It’s so nice that you and Janie have built up such a strong bond.’ I say with a smile, jabbing a strawberry with my fork. ‘It’s really endearing.’
‘What she say?’ Konni mumbles to Stelios, holding a hand to her ear as Stelios promptly translates. ‘Oh, yes! My Janie is the daughter I never had.’
‘That’s so lovely!’ I reply, completely bowled over by Konni’s great love for Janie.
The rest of the group, minus Oliver, murmur in agreement as Janie beams brightly from her place next to Stelios.
‘So, I’m guessing Janie and Stelios get your blessing, Konni?’ Gina asks, tearing apart a croissant and winking at Janie across the table.
‘Many girlfriends, my Stelios had. Many, many, many…’ Konni says seriously, banging her fist on the table as she speaks. ‘No one compares to my Janie. My Janie is the best!’
‘The very best!’ Stelios adds, wrapping his arms around both of them. ‘I have the best girls in all of Greece.’
‘Awwh!’ Lianna gushes, popping a grape into her mouth. ‘I’m so very happy for you both. We all are. Right, guys?’
As Lianna and Gina fire a dozen questions at Konni about her feelings towards Janie, I can’t shake Konni’s words from my mind.
Many, many, many girlfriends.
Apart from a brief romance with a near-teenager in Florida and numerous one-night stands, this is Janie’s first relationship since her divorce from Randy. I really hope Stelios is in this for the long run, as you only need to look at Janie to see she’s put everything she has and more into this relationship. Peeking at Oliver out of the corner of my eye, I just know he’s thinking it, too.
‘So, Stelios has had a lot of women?’ Oliver asks boldly, causing me to almost choke on my melon balls.
‘Too many!’ Konni replies with a laugh, not flinching in the slightest. ‘I lose count after one hundred.’
Lianna gives me a subtle nudge and I look over at Stelios, who simply shrugs and reaches for his water.
‘What can I say? Women love me!’ He jokes teasingly, causing Vernon and Marc to erupt into hysterics.
‘He’s a man for the ladies, that’s for
sure!’ Vernon chuckles, tapping his glass against Stelios’s. ‘You’ve still got it, dude!’
‘He certainly has!’ Janie purrs. ‘I’m a very lucky lady.’
‘And I am a very lucky man.’ Taking Janie’s hand in his, Stelios stares into her eyes intently and slowly reaches into his pocket.
The table falls into a stunned silence as he fumbles around inside his jacket, before pulling out a napkin and dabbing his brow. Breathing a sigh of relief that there isn’t a diamond ring in there, I attack my food with my fork.
‘I thought I was onto a winner there.’ Gina whispers, causing Oliver to glare back at her. ‘But there’s still time yet…’
Shoving a piece of croissant into Oliver’s mouth before he can respond, I make a stab at changing the subject.
‘Have you ever been to England, Konni?’ I ask, pleased to see she seems oblivious to Oliver’s bad attitude.
‘Yes.’ Smiling sweetly, Konni places down her cutlery and rests her hands on the table. ‘My Stavros, he is in England.’
‘Is Stavros your boyfriend?’ Vernon jokes, already knowing Stavros is her other son.
‘No!’ Laughing rowdily, Konni shakes her head and bats Vernon’s arm. ‘My boyfriend is Andreas.’
We all join in with her laughter and return to our brunch, impressed at Konni’s ability to crack a joke.
‘Andreas is my mother’s third boyfriend.’ Stelios explains blankly, holding up three fingers. ‘She has many boyfriends, but Andreas is my personal favourite. He’s a good boy. Very good.’
Now, I am not ageist, but the idea of toothless, ninety-year-old Konni Christopoulos having three boyfriends is a little hard to believe.
