Athena's Secrets

by Donna Del Oro

  “It’s okay. When it first came on, yes, I had some hard times. Now I manage it. I keep it under control.” She shrugged and added, “I’ll be twenty, December first.” Now she wondered what else Chris had told him. Probably how she couldn’t get a boyfriend if her life depended on it. That she was a virgin desperate for love. God, no wonder Kas was put off.

  “Don’t believe everything my brother tells you about me,” was all she could think of to say.

  He said nothing as he entered the boathouse. Inside, he rummaged through a big plastic bin full of water ski paraphernalia, grabbed two wet suits, two pairs of goggles and booties.

  “You’re Leon’s size, I think. We only have men’s wet suits, so this might not fit exactly, but it’ll have to do.” He handed her the smaller of the two and began to strip off his clothes until he was down to a small, black Speedo. Unable to stop herself, she stared at his wide, muscular back, his narrow waist and tight, rounded butt. She tried not to look at the bulge filling out the front of the Speedo.

  When he looked back and saw that she hadn’t moved, he frowned. “What are you waiting for?”

  She scurried to shed her sneakers, sweat pants and top. Standing in the cool air in just a skimpy bikini, she took hold of her wet suit by its shoulders. The long zipper ran down the back, wouldn’t you know. She struggled with the legs and arms, pulled and yanked, tugged and twisted, while Kas sat on a plastic chair and watched her, an amused grin replacing his initial show of impatience. There was no gruffness in his voice when he said, “Here, let me help.”

  He tugged the top part of the wetsuit until it covered her almost naked breasts, then tackled her back.

  “You’ve got the body of a competitive swimmer.”

  “I used to compete in high school. Freestyle and backstroke were my specialties. Now I just paint.”

  He tucked the gold chain underneath the wetsuit before zipping her up the back. She felt his hands rest on her rubber-clad shoulders, began to pick up an image, but immediately quashed it and turned off her clairvoyant flow. Out of respect for his privacy, she told herself. In truth, she was afraid he’d find her severely lacking in feminine allure.

  For his sake, she said, “Don’t worry, I’ve turned it off. I’m not reading you.”

  “Good. Wouldn’t want to shock your nineteen-year-old sensibilities.”

  She blurted out, “I’m not easily shocked.” Oops, that sounded like an invitation. Embarrassed, she bent over and slipped on the rubber booties. Silently, he left her and went over to the far side of the boathouse, where a Jet Ski, and a large, three-person SeaDoo, hung on wide, nylon straps.

  “We thought we were finished with it for the winter.” Turning the crank manually, he winched down the Jet Ski until it sat in the water. He unlatched the straps, checked the fuel gauge, then pulled a key on a floater chain out of a side compartment. “C’mon, get on behind me. Ever ride one of these? If you don’t want to fall off, hold me tight around the waist but keep your weight centered. Move with me. If I lean left, you lean left. Got it?”

  “Got it.” She slowly mounted, excitement and fear surging through her. He counter-balanced her weight while she settled in back and clasped her arms around his waist.

  “What did you think of your portrait?” She’d given the painting to his parents the night before and they’d hung it over the fireplace mantel after much ado.

  He was silent as he backed up the Jet Ski and maneuvered a turnaround. He pointed the bow toward the open water. Before taking off across the lake, he worked the throttle a bit to juice up the engine. Then he turned his head to look at her. His guard was down. No stone wall this time.

  “I liked it. You captured a side of me that I forgot was even there. I looked young, idealistic. I’d forgotten I was like that once. You’ve got a lot of talent, Athena.”

  She’s a girl but looks like a woman. What would it be like to make love to her? She could even be the one Mom has foreseen in my future, or maybe not…don’t even go there, just Mom’s fantasy dream, wants me to settle down…Never mind, it’s all nonsense, even though it’s superstitious of me to refuse to ride in a car with Alex, my own brother…just bullshit the way Mom manipulates us…Might as well not tempt fate, she tells us…she’s right most of the time. Is this pretty girl my fate? Hell, if I know…this girl, Athena, she’s like a magnet, no doubt she has a powerful pull on me…I’ve got such a hard-on for her. Oh, well, the cold water will take care of that soon enough. I’m a big boy, I can resist her if I want to….

  Do I want to?

  His thoughts and feelings revealed so much more than what he said. Now she knew he liked her. Very much. As much as she liked him.

  She liked him very, very much.

  Athena inwardly sighed with pleasure and satisfaction as the wind whipped her face. The spray from the lake made them wet. She squealed with delight, and Kas laughed out loud.

  “Good, you’ve got good balance. Put on the goggles, we’re going to get wet. Let me know if you get too cold.”

  The way Athena was feeling at that moment, blood pounding in her veins and arteries, her face flushed and her insides warm and liquidy, she didn’t think she’d ever feel cold again. Immediately she changed her mind and decided to peek into his thoughts.

  “Hang on, I’m going full throttle.” He turned the Jet Ski toward the concrete dam wall. Her thighs pressed against his hips as she clung to him. His broad back buffered some of the cold spray, but wanting to look at the monolithic structure, she rested her chin against his shoulder. He turned his head and leaned it back so that the top of her head touched his temple. It was his first gesture of affection.

  He was telegraphing something to her. An invitation to visit his man cave, the apartment he kept above the mansion’s detached garage, later that night.

  Come and see me. Later tonight. We’ll have some fun.

  Had she read him correctly? He smiled and turned his head away as the dam loomed ahead. Then he smoothly veered away, leaning into the turn. She leaned also, not fighting the tilt of the Jet Ski. She trusted him and what his body could do. She trusted his mind, too, strange as that seemed. She barely knew him, and yet the man she’d captured on canvas was the real man all along. Maybe a little bruised and battered by life, but still there.

  When they straightened and sped away from the dam, Athena suddenly realized what she was going to do.

  Their mysterious attraction to each other wasn’t going to do them any good, she realized. No good at all. They had different mindsets, different paths, too much baggage. She was too naive, he was too cynical. Almost twenty and twenty-eight were a lifetime of experiences apart.

  That didn’t mean she wasn’t going to take him up on his invitation.

  She had to start learning some time.

  Chapter Twelve

  Thanksgiving dinner was typically American, with turkey, dressing, gravy, and cranberry sauce. But it seemed that Papa Skoros, or Papu—his sons’ and his grandchildren’s name for him—had insisted on a few Greek dishes, so Athena had her first taste of spanakopita, a flaky crust filled with a spinach and garlic mixture, and dolmas, grape leaves stuffed with ground lamb and rice. Very good, she thought. Every dish emitted a garlicky aroma. Garlic, basil, and cilantro, heady scents that stirred her appetite and made her think of golden islands in the Aegean Sea.

  Papa Skoros presided at the head of the table, which had all sixteen places taken, his elder sons, their wives and children filling the seats that hadn’t been occupied before. He held up a small glass of ouzo, a clear, potent, anisette-tasting liquid—that was, according to her table partner, Alex, ninety proof. The patriarch said a prayer in Greek, then toasted his family, their good health, his guests, and the general state of Skoros Enterprises. His sons indulged him with hearty smiles and their own toasts, one by one, each one stamped with the speaker’s own personality.

  Kas’s toast was the shortest: “To our guests from D.C. May they come again!”

  At whi
ch point, Lorena Skoros, resplendent in a high-necked, black velvet cocktail dress and dazzling white pearls, spoke up. “They will, I know it. I’ve dreamed it.”

  Alex turned to Athena and whispered, “If our Oracle of Delphi says so, it’s gotta be true.”

  “I hope so.” She snuck a look over at Kas, who sat across from her and down one seat. He was speaking mostly to Chris and Anna but, when he glanced up and caught her staring, he returned a grin. His dark eyes held hers for an instant before turning away.

  Thanks to Alex’s animated conversation and her second sampling of the ouzo, which heated her throat and spun her mind, Athena enjoyed his wit and charm even more than usual. She noted, also, the warmth and affection that appeared to be a hallmark of their family gatherings. Even the five children, three boys and two girls, behaved well, and listened to the adult chatter around them, taking part whenever they could. A pang of regret hit Athena as she recalled the somewhat reserved dinners with her father’s family in London. There was no hugging or kissing with the Butlers. She and Chris had no other family in D.C. and, although they spent an occasional summer vacation with her mother’s Italian family in Como, Athena missed the infrequent get-togethers.

  When dinner came to a close, the caterers bustled about as everyone scattered to various rooms. Her mother and Lorena disappeared into Papa Skoros’s study, Alex urged her and Chris to watch a movie recently released on DVD, the children and their parents settled into the large family room with Papa Skoros holding court and taking each child in turn on his lap. Kas vanished, Alex said, to feed Spartacus.

  After ten minutes of the high-octane action movie, Athena told Alex and Chris she was going outside for a short walk in the cool air to clear her head, then ran upstairs to grab her jacket.

  She wasn’t quite finished with Kas Skoros, whether he liked it or not.

  ****

  In Philip Skoros’s wood-paneled study, Anna sat on an overstuffed couch with her cousin Lorena. A lamp nearby cast a cone of light, but otherwise the room was dark. The two women clasped both hands in each other’s and gazed into each other’s dark eyes. They sat very still and quiet. Long minutes later, Lorena began to speak. Her voice was soft, calm and modulated.

  “Anna, I’ve seen in my dreams this week, much happiness and also much sorrow.”

  Anna Butler waited patiently, her gaze flickering now and then from Lorena’s face—there was so much she wanted to ask her. But she knew she had to wait and let Lorena tell her in her own way.

  “The danger and sorrow will come first, the happiness much later. Years later, but it will come. You know that your husband, Trevor, is in great danger. The entire staff of the British Embassy are targets, but mostly the higher ranked officials. His enemy is powerful and wealthy, the great wealth coming from the bottomless coffers of their Saudi supporters. This time, however, the enemy has enlisted Eastern Europeans—mercenaries for hire—and has bribed a few Americans as well. They intend to carry out a series of explosions in the capital while these dignitaries are dining. I couldn’t see the place, but an official banquet in honor of the Prime Minister might be one of them. Just know that the Prime Minister, his staff, the British Ambassador, and other Embassy officials are the main targets. That includes Trevor, of course. Payback, I suppose, for Britain helping American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

  Lorena sighed deeply as her shoulders sagged. “I wish I could see more. I’m sorry.”

  Anna brought one of Lorena’s warm hands up to her face and held it against her cheek. “You’ve confirmed what Trevor has already heard from their intelligence team.”

  Lorena nodded. “There’s something else. Athena knows one of the Americans involved in this heinous plot. I think she has been friendly with him. I saw her with a dark-haired young man on the blurry fringes of this dream, so I believe it’s related in some way.”

  Anna dropped the woman’s hands and covered her mouth in shock. “How can that be?”

  Lorena shrugged. “You’ll have to ask her. But after this is over, the enemy will want revenge. Perhaps you and Trevor should transfer to another Embassy or Consulate. Leave the D.C. area. Go to another country. I see your time in the U.S. is almost over.”

  It was Anna’s turn to nod, but she frowned as she did so. “We can’t leave now. Athena likes the Art Institute, and Chris loves his school. This will have to wait until after they graduate in two years.”

  “Don’t wait, Anna,” murmured her cousin. “The danger is real, a kind of revenge against certain Embassy officials.” She smiled tentatively. “There’s an Art Institute in San Francisco, if Athena should want to stay in this country and finish her education. There are many fine universities with good art departments. She is so talented. Chris said he could finish high school a year early, with all the Advanced Placement classes he’s been taking. Or he could finish up wherever your next post is.”

  Disheartened, Anna pondered her cousin’s warning. Her family faced being torn apart because of this threat against the PM and the entire Embassy staff.

  “Such a smart boy, that Chris. He wants to attend Stanford. My four sons went to UC schools. They have good business minds, but they weren’t smart enough for Stanford.” She smiled indulgently at Anna, sympathy clearly etched on the older woman’s expression. “If he comes to California, we’ll look after him. Athena, too.”

  “Your sons are fine men, Lorena, and they seem so dedicated to Philip and the family business.”

  “Yes,” Lorena said before her eyes glazed over. “They have their father’s head for such matters. Kas, not so much, but he stays involved for his father’s and brothers’ sakes. Speaking of him, Kas and Athena…it won’t happen for a long time. They have mistakes to make, problems to overcome. This is not the right time. You understand?”

  “Yes, I think so.” Anna looked down. A thought had crossed her mind.

  “Yes,” said Lorena, anticipating her cousin’s question. “The police work is good for both of you. It gives you a sense of purpose. Athena needs it, certainly. She’s a little lost and searching her way. Helping people, the law enforcement community in particular, is always a good thing.”

  “I agree it’s a good thing for me. Athena, I’m not so sure. She sees life differently. Kas is devoted to serving his country, his community. Wasn’t he in the military?”

  “Yes, for four years. Then he went to UCLA, got a degree in business like his brothers. But he needs a sense of purpose, too. Making money in itself was never his main goal in life. Unlike George and Leon and Alex.”

  “The two eldest, they seem to be such great family men. And Alex. What a character! We’ve enjoyed his company so much! He’s been very generous with his time.”

  A shadow fell over Lorena’s face, and she cast her gaze down.

  “Alex, dear fun-loving Alex.” But she said no more. She emitted a deep, ragged sigh and grabbed onto the much younger Anna, who helped her to her feet.

  “Lorena, you must be tired. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your having us this week. And for sharing your dreams with me.”

  They walked slowly to the door. “I pray that some of them will come true. Others, I pray that I’m wrong. So very wrong.”

  Anna understood completely.

  ****

  Already familiar with the mansion and surrounding acreage, Athena scurried down the terrace steps, skirted the pool and patio area, all lit by motion-sensored outdoor lamps, and wended her way toward the large garage building. A two-story structure, it housed four cars and two apartments upstairs. In the rear of the building, she found Kas and Spartacus, the dog wolfing down his meal from a giant bowl next to his doggie-igloo.

  When he heard her approach, Kas stood up from the bench where he’d been sitting. He was wearing a Navy pea coat and the air was so cold his breath steamed with each exhalation. Her sudden appearance seemed to make him uncomfortable.

  “Just wanted to say goodbye to Spartacus,” she said, feeling silly at telling such a b
latant lie. Like, he couldn’t see right through it.

  “Right, you’re leaving in the morning.” He looked at her and frowned before gesturing toward his dog. “Don’t disturb him while he eats. He doesn’t like it.”

  She smiled and squatted down, mindful of the dressy, gray velvet pants and ice-blue sequined top she wore under her jacket, but not really caring.

  “Spartacus,” she murmured softly. Immediately, the dog’s black ears twitched and he raised his pointy face. He was at her side in a flash, rubbing against her leg, her side, her arm, making mewling noises deep in his throat as if he were whimpering.

  “Well, sonuvabitch,” muttered Kas. He growled in imitation of his dog, but Spartacus ignored him. Humor leaked through Kas’s gruff voice.

  Athena chuckled and stroked the dog’s coat. “Ohh, don’t be jealous,” she scoffed. “He just likes me. Wish I had that same way with men.”

  Kas drew closer to her. “I think you’re one of those dangerous women all men fear. Y’know, the kind men fall hard for. And when that kind dumps you, you spend the rest of your life in a bottle, yearning for her.”

  She had to laugh at Kas’s hyperbole. “You’re telling me I’m a femme fatale? You’re the first man who’s said that. I’m more the freakish witch they run from.”

  He grabbed her ponytail and gave it a gentle yank as he stepped closer and leaned down. “You’re a witch, all right,” he breathed against her face. “You’ve bewitched me, Athena Butler. I didn’t think that was possible anymore.”

  “Should I be flattered?”

  “Oh, yeah. I’m as cynical as they come.” He paused and stared at her as she stood up. They exchanged stares under the glare of the outdoor floodlight. Athena didn’t know what to say. Apparently, Kas was lost for words, also.

  Satisfied, Spartacus gave her one last snuffle, then returned to his food bowl. The dog’s movements seemed to shake her and Kas out of their reverie.