“This is my favorite room,” he said. “Come here.” He patted the cushion beside him, but when she went to sit down, he swung his legs up on the sofa and dragged her close, until she lay sprawled with her back resting against his chest. “Much better.”
Reaching over, he picked up a mug of coffee and handed it to her. Lexi leaned back against him, feeling his chest fall and rise. His legs bracketed hers, and she admired their long, muscular length, unable to resist rubbing her foot against his ankle.
“I brought the paper in,” he said, and indicated the newspaper that lay on the table next to the pastries.
“Oh, good. There’s an article about the new Garden of the Gods at the botanic gardens.” Lexi reached for the paper. “I hope they took a picture of Poseidon.”
As she unfolded the arts section, Nikos rested his chin on her shoulder so that they could read the piece together. A color photograph of Poseidon took up nearly the entire page.
“You did this?” Nikos asked in astonishment as he studied the picture.
“I did.” Lexi felt absurdly pleased by his surprise. “Do you like it?”
Nikos slid an arm around her waist as he pressed a kiss against her neck. “I think it’s magnificent. I feel humbled to be in the presence of such a talented artist.”
Lexi pinched his thigh. “Now you’re teasing me.”
Laughing, he tilted her head so that he could kiss her mouth. “Maybe about the humble part,” he murmured against her lips, “but I am being sincere when I say that the sculpture is amazing. I can’t believe how real he looks. I think we need to visit the gardens so that I can see it up close.”
For Lexi, she could think of no greater compliment, and she felt a profound sense of pleasure that Nikos appreciated her work.
“Wait until you see the piece I’m working on right now,” she enthused. “I think this may be my best work yet.”
“When will it be finished?”
“Soon. As much as I complain about the long hours you spend working on your house, it’s forced me to spend an equal amount of time in my studio.” She smiled. “Not that it’s a hardship. I’ve never felt so inspired. At this rate, I’ll deliver the sculpture weeks ahead of schedule.”
“When can I see it?”
“When it’s delivered to the gardens and not a day sooner,” she said. Turning her face, she pressed a kiss against the corner of his mouth to take the sting out of her words. “I hope you don’t mind.”
Nikos shrugged. “Of course not. Every artist has their own process. You like to work in solitude. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just the way it is.”
Lexi looked at him, surprised by his perception. She did require solitude when she worked. She hated for anyone to see her work before it was completed, and even when she left each evening, she was careful to conceal her project beneath a dust cloth.
“What’s your process?” she asked, folding the newspaper and setting it on the floor. “When you’re restoring an old house? Do you prefer to work alone?”
“Just the opposite,” he remarked. “I like to have people around. I need to hear how the rooms absorb and project sound, see how traffic flows and determine where the heart of the house is located. I can’t do that if I’m by myself.”
Nikos didn’t talk much about his work, although Lexi had seen for herself the skill, craftsmanship and innate sense of style that he possessed. In the few weeks that they had known each other, he and his cousins had almost completely restored the downstairs of the house next door. As he had promised, he had stripped the paint from the existing woodwork and the results were stunning. Where the original built-in cabinetry had long ago been ripped out, Nikos had built new cabinetry, and that was where his skill was most evident, at least to Lexi.
The only room on the first floor that remained unfinished was the kitchen, and Nikos had been searching for appliances that would meet the demands of a modern family, while still preserving the authenticity of the original house. Meanwhile, his cousins had almost completely restored the exterior, and Nikos had brought in several subcontractors to landscape the yard and make repairs to the swimming pool. The house was quickly turning into a showpiece, and Lexi had no doubt that he would make a killing when it finally went on the market.
“How did you get involved in restoring older homes?” she asked as she sipped her coffee.
“As a boy, I worked with my father and uncles. They owned a construction business and did repairs and renovations on some of the older homes on Syros. I enjoyed the work, and I was happy to rediscover it when I came here.”
He grew silent, and Lexi knew he was remembering those days when he had lived on the island. She had never asked him about his childhood, sensing it wasn’t a topic he cared to discuss. But neither did he like to talk about the time he had spent in London, and Lexi realized that even after three weeks, she knew only a little more about Nikos than she had on the day she first met him.
“Does your father still live in Greece?” she asked cautiously.
“Yes. He’s retired now, but my brothers and cousins have kept the business going.”
“You have brothers?” Lexi asked in surprise, her imagination running riot.
“Three brothers and two sisters.”
Lexi digested this information, envisioning a family of almost surreal beauty. She hoped she never received an invitation to a family gathering, because if his siblings were as gorgeous as Nikos, she wouldn’t survive the introductions without making a slobbering fool of herself.
“Do they look anything like you?” she asked.
“There’s definitely a family resemblance,” he said, amused. “I have a picture of them in my wallet that I can show you.”
“Oh, yes, I want to see it. Where’s your wallet?”
“I think I left it on your bedside table.”
Lexi jumped up. “I’ll go get it.”
She ran lightly up the stairs, eager to see the photo. Nikos rarely talked about himself, so offering to show her a picture of his family was huge, and Lexi admitted that she was more than a little curious about his past. She wanted to know everything about him. Grabbing his wallet from the night table, she brought it back downstairs and handed it to him before climbing back onto the couch and leaning against him.
Offering an amused look, Nikos opened the wallet and withdrew a photo that was creased and dog-eared with age and handling. “This was taken just before I went to London. I was fourteen.”
Taking the photo from him, Lexi studied it. She had no trouble spotting Nikos among the six children, and her breath caught at how beautiful he’d been as a teenager. He was right about his siblings; they were all stunning. She could see the resemblance to his father, who looked like a slightly older, more rugged version of Nikos. His mother was tiny by comparison, but Nikos had her eyes.
“Do they all still live in Greece? I mean, do they ever come to California?”
“They still live on Syros, but everyone’s been to the States, except for my father. Why do you ask?”
“Because I can’t imagine why a modeling scout hasn’t found you before now,” she said, only half joking. “There’s this family of pig farmers in Nebraska, and the sons look like Viking gods. They were discovered years ago by a top modeling agent, and let’s just say that they now have the financial means to do just about anything they want.”
“And do they?”
Lexi gave him a wry smile. “No. They went back to pig farming.”
“Not everyone is looking for fame and fortune.”
“I guess not,” Lexi acknowledged. “Although fame and fortune would certainly make life a lot easier.”
“Or a lot more complicated.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think people with money always have to be on their guard.”
Lexi looked at him speculatively. “You sound as if you’re speaking from personal experience.”
Nikos was quiet for several long minutes. He stroked her
arm with the backs of his fingers, but Lexi could see his thoughts were elsewhere.
“Is your family wealthy?” she finally asked, because she could think of no other reason for his words. He’d grown up on Syros, had gone to school in London. Maybe his family had money.
Nikos gave a bark of laughter. “Good God, no. My family is definitely working class. My father was a builder with six children at home, and my mother didn’t work, at least not outside the house. Trust me, there was no extra money.”
“So how could you afford to go to school in England?”
He was silent for several long moments, and then blew out a resigned breath. “I didn’t actually go to school,” he finally said. “You joke about it, but when I was fourteen I was discovered by a modeling agent. My father sent me to London in the belief that I’d have a better life than the one he could give me.”
Lexi was shocked. There was no doubt that Nikos had striking good looks, but she couldn’t envision him posing in front of a camera. He seemed too private for that. “You were really a model?”
“I was.”
“Did someone go with you?”
“No. I went by myself.”
“Were you successful?” She’d never paid much attention to fashion, and if Nikos had been fourteen when he’d started, that would have been eighteen years ago.
Nikos laughed softly. “Not right away.”
Lexi tried to imagine what it must have been like for him, a teenage boy, with no family and no support system, trying to make a living in a foreign country. “Did you even speak English?”
“Yes, but not very well.”
“Where did you live? Who took care of you? Did you go to school?”
Nikos hugged her against his chest. “It was a long time ago. None of that matters anymore.”
Lexi twisted so she could see his face. “It matters to me. Please tell me you weren’t alone.”
He gave her a wry smile. “I lived in an apartment with seven other boys, all trying to break into the business. We spent our days going to casting calls, and if we were lucky enough to get selected, then we’d attend fittings, photo shoots and shows. It was hard work, and for those first few years I barely had enough money to pay the rent.”
Lexi stared at him, shocked. “The modeling agent who discovered you brought you all the way to London and then expected you to immediately support yourself?”
He shrugged. “That’s the way the business goes. I paid twelve hundred dollars a month for a metal bunk bed in a crappy apartment, and if I couldn’t find work then I was out on the street.”
“But you were only fourteen!”
“The other boys in the apartment were around the same age.” He laughed softly. “Christ, when I think back on those days…it’s amazing I survived that first year.”
“Did you find work right away?”
“The agency lined up casting calls every day, and I was usually selected for fittings or photo shoots, but even then it was tough.”
“How so?”
He gave a laugh. “In the beginning, I was paid next to nothing per shoot, or compensated with clothing. It’s a little hard to pay the rent with a retro peacoat or a pair of designer blue jeans.”
Lexi considered his words. “I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been. Did you go to school, or did you have a tutor?”
Nikos carefully disentangled himself from her and stood up, rolling his shoulders as he walked over to the windows and stared through them, although Lexi was sure he didn’t even see the magnificent view. Setting her coffee down, she went to stand beside him.
“I didn’t go to school while I was in England,” he said. “At first, I didn’t have time for studies, except for a tutor to help me improve my English. Later, I had no desire to go back to school. I was doing well financially, and I was too young and too arrogant to believe I could benefit from an education.” He glanced at her. “I eventually went back and passed my exams, but if I could do it over again, I’d make some better choices.”
“Is that why you never returned to Syros?” she asked quietly. “Because your modeling career was so successful?”
She saw the regret in his eyes. “No. In the beginning, I didn’t go back because I couldn’t afford the airfare. Even if I could have, I was too angry at my father for having sent me away. Later, I didn’t go back because I didn’t want my family to see what I’d become.”
Lexi frowned. “What do you mean? You’ve made a success of yourself. I’m sure your parents are very proud of you.”
Nikos gave her a wry smile. “I’ve been out of the modeling business for more than eight years, but I’m not sure that’s enough time for my father to forget some of the things I did. He came to London once, when I was sixteen. He showed up unexpectedly on the set of a shoot I was doing for an underwear campaign.” He scrubbed a hand across his face. “He was so outraged that he tried to drag me out of the studio and force me to come home with him.”
Lexi might not know much about fashion, but she had seen some of the full-page ad campaigns in magazines and knew they could be provocative. She was certain that even her overdeveloped imagination didn’t come close to what Nikos’s father must have seen that day on the set.
“What happened?”
Nikos grimaced in memory. “We had this huge argument, right there in the studio, and he ended up leaving without me.”
“I’m sorry. That must have been awful.”
“It was. I blamed him. You see, I’d had no interest in becoming a model. I’d wanted to stay on Syros, with my family and friends. But the agent made everything sound so wonderful, like a dream. In the end, my father insisted that I go with her and I never really forgave him for that. I told him that if he didn’t like what I was doing, he only had himself to blame.”
Lexi stared at him, comprehension beginning to dawn. “Are you telling me that you haven’t seen your father since you were sixteen?”
Nikos looked at her, his eyes troubled. “I’ve never been able to forget the disappointment on his face the last time I saw him. How could I ever face him again?”
“Nikos, you were just a kid! Surely he understood that what you were doing was part of a business? I doubt he holds that against you. But Nikos…to stay away for eighteen years?”
“There were other reasons, things I can’t talk about.”
Lexi heard the self-loathing in his voice and could only guess at what he referred to. She tried to imagine what it must have been like to be a young man with no parental supervision in a foreign country surrounded by so much temptation and opportunity. Her own stomach tensed at the thought of what he might have been exposed to, but she also recognized that those experiences, good and bad, had made him the man he was today. She found it hard to believe that his father wouldn’t be proud of who he had become.
“Nikos, he’s your father. Whatever you’ve done in your life, I’m sure he would forgive you.” Grasping his hands, she turned him to face her. “Listen to me. I lost my parents five years ago. They were killed in a pileup on Highway 99 south of Fresno. Don’t you think I would give anything to have them back?” She gestured to the view outside the windows. “I’d gladly give up all this to have them here. I’d live in a crappy one-room apartment in the worst part of town if it meant I could come back here and visit them. So to think that you’ve deliberately shut your parents out of your life is just…well, it’s incomprehensible to me.”
“Lexi, you don’t know the kind of person I was then.”
“That doesn’t matter now. Like I said, you were just a kid.”
“And what about later? When I was in my twenties? The kind of lifestyle I led…” He scrubbed his hands over his face.
“What made you finally give it up?” Lexi asked.
Nikos blew out a hard breath. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this. I’ve never talked about it with anyone.”
Lexi hugged him. The pain and vulnerability she saw on his face made her want to protect hi
m. At the same time, she realized that she’d been wrong to believe she could get involved with Nikos and keep her emotions separate. She was already in over her head. “You can tell me anything,” she said. “My feelings for you aren’t going to change.”
“By the time I was twenty-three, I had my own place that I shared with my friend Erik, another model. But where I had gained success, he was starting to lose work. He hadn’t been signed for anything in months and had almost no money left, but I was the only one who knew that. He had a beautiful girlfriend who seemed to be crazy about him. I think he would have married her, but she found out about his financial situation and left him. It seems she was only interested in models with lucrative campaigns.”
“That’s terrible.”
“It was. Eric was devastated. At the same time, both of us were under consideration to become the face of a leading men’s fragrance. I didn’t really need the work or the money, but Eric did. When they selected me, I should have done the right thing and declined the contract, but I didn’t.”
“That’s called business, Nikos. You can’t be blamed for the company choosing you over your roommate.”
Nikos’s lips twisted. “He didn’t see it that way. But when his girlfriend started to come around again, I thought she was interested in getting back together with him, but it seems she was interested in me, instead. Eric came home and found us alone together. I never touched her, and I swore to him that I wasn’t interested in her, but he didn’t believe me.”
“What happened?”
“A few days later, he took his own life.”
Lexi gasped and instinctively grasped his hand, trying to give him reassurance and comfort. “That wasn’t your fault, Nikos.”
“Maybe not, but it opened my eyes. I began to see people for who they really were and I realized that it wasn’t me they were interested in as much as what I could do for them. Erik’s death also put things into perspective for me. I wanted to do something meaningful with my life, not just look attractive.”
“That must have been tough.”
“It was a hard lesson. I wanted to complete the contracts I had, but I was so disillusioned that I knew I needed to get out. I thought I was the one being taken advantage of, but I realized that I wasn’t much better—to a certain extent, I used my looks and my success to take advantage of others. I didn’t like the person I’d become, so I left modeling and came to California.”
Blazing Bedtime Stories, Volume IX: The EqualizerGod's Gift to Women Page 16
