“So that’s why you wouldn’t model for me,” she said in understanding.
“I’m sorry about that. I made a promise to myself a long time ago that I would never model again, under any circumstances.”
Lexi thought about the statue of Apollo in her studio. She knew she should tell Nikos that she had already carved the sculpture in his image, but wondered how he would feel about that. What if he told her he didn’t want his face on the statue? She would have to start all over again. But since she’d met Nikos, she couldn’t envision the sculpture having any other face.
“Are any of your photos still used in advertising?” she asked cautiously.
His eyebrows drew together. “No. The rights ran out about three years ago. If anyone uses my image now, in any capacity, I think I’d have to sue them. My days of being a commodity for others to profit from are over.”
Lexi felt her heart drop into her stomach at his words. She should tell him about the sculpture; he would understand. When she’d created Apollo in his image, she hadn’t known about his past, or how he felt about modeling. But she was a coward. She crossed her arms over her middle and stared out the window, knowing that she wouldn’t say anything. But she also knew that when he finally did see the sculpture of Apollo, she might never see Nikos again.
9
“WHY ARE YOU LETTING ME SEE the sculpture now before it’s even finished?”
“Just keep your eyes closed, and don’t open them until I tell you to,” Lexi instructed. Keeping her hand over her friend’s eyes, she led Nelda through her studio to a chair and pushed her down onto it. “No peeking.”
Nelda gave an exaggerated sigh. “I promise.”
Drawing a deep breath, Lexi pulled the dust sheet off the statue. “Okay, you can look.”
Nelda opened her eyes, blinking a little at the bright sunlight pouring through the windows. Then her gaze fastened on the sculpture and her mouth opened. As if in a trance, she rose to her feet and walked over to stand before it.
“Oh, my God,” she breathed, staring up at the face. At Nikos’s face. “He’s the perfect man.”
Lexi stood a few feet away, hands clasped in front of her. “I still have some more work to do refining and polishing the details, but to all intents and purposes, it’s done. What do you think?” She gave her friend a timid but hopeful smile.
Nelda let out an exhale of breath and gave Lexi a disbelieving look. “Are you kidding? Lexi, this is—” She broke off in astonished laughter. “I thought Poseidon was freaking hot, but this guy is unbelievable!” She circled the sculpture, letting her fingers trail over muscle and sinew, lingering a little too long on the hard curve of a buttock.
“So…you like it?”
“Like it?” Nelda’s eyes devoured the figure of Apollo. “I want to take him home with me. I mean, look at this guy.” As if to emphasize her words, she put her hand over his crotch, playfully cupping his manly parts. “What I couldn’t do with this.” She slanted Lexi an amused glance. “Is this the reason I haven’t seen you for weeks and weeks? Because you’ve been too busy with your new boy toy here?”
Lexi thought guiltily of Nikos and how she’d spent every spare moment in his company. She’d had plenty of time to visit Nelda or take a drive into downtown Santa Barbara to stop by her gallery, but the truth was that she didn’t want to do anything that interfered with the time she spent with Nikos.
“Yes,” she said, only half fibbing. “I usually spend ten to twelve hours a day here, and when I get home I’m too beat to do much else.”
Except spend the night worshipping Nikos, her own personal Greek god. In the weeks since he’d told her about the falling-out he’d had with his father and the death of his friend, he had worked on the house renovations with a renewed intensity, as if he had something to prove. He’d hired additional workers, and now Lexi barely recognized the house next door. He’d turned it into a true showpiece. Even the yard had been transformed. He’d had the swimming pool custom tiled with Greek-key symbols around the edge, and at the bottom of the deep end was a mosaic of dolphins. A pergola had been raised on the spot where they had shared lunch that first day, and flowering shrubs and trees were planted strategically around the property.
Inside, the transformation was complete. Nikos had spared no expense. He’d even hired an event planner to assist him in hosting an open house to celebrate the completion of the restoration and to attract potential buyers. The house hadn’t gone on the market yet, and already he was receiving offers.
“How can you bear to give him up?” Nelda asked. “I swear, I want to hold a mirror under his nose to make sure he’s not breathing. He’s so realistic, it’s a little unnerving.”
“Do you think so?”
“Oh, yeah.” Tilting her head, Nelda surveyed the sculpture with a critical eye. “When are you turning it over to the botanic gardens?”
“Not for another couple of weeks. I’m ahead of schedule and they’re not expecting delivery until next month.”
Nelda eyed the sculpture with an expression of longing. “I’d love to display him before he gets shipped off to the gardens.”
Lexi didn’t say anything, but knew she could never put the sculpture in Nelda’s gallery. She wasn’t even sure she should turn the piece over to the art association. Averting her gaze, she murmured something noncommittal, hoping Nelda wouldn’t pursue the subject.
“Who did you use as your model?” Nelda asked. “I swear, he reminds me of someone, I just can’t think who.”
“I actually used Nikos.”
Nelda swung around, her expression one of astonishment. “The guy who took your camera? This is him? I mean, obviously you’ve embellished the details to make him seem more godly, but your scheme to have him model for you actually worked?”
“Um, as I recall, it was your scheme,” Lexi reminded her with a smile. “And no, it didn’t work. He refused to sit for me, so I had to do the entire piece from memory. And I didn’t embellish anything,” she added smugly. “Everything is true to the original and in perfect proportion.”
“Holy…” Nelda’s voice trailed off as she turned her attention back to the sculpture with renewed interest. “So you’re telling me that you and Nikos are—that you’re together? As in, together?”
Lexi nodded, unable to keep the silly grin off her face. Even after two months, he still had the ability to make her feel like a teenager with her first crush, and her knees still went a little wobbly whenever he walked into a room. And the way he made love to her…
“Okay, there’s no need to rub it in,” Nelda said, watching Lexi’s expression, but her smile said she was happy for her friend. “I can’t believe you’ve been seeing him all this time and never said a word to me about it!”
“Well, I’ve hardly seen you.”
“What did you say his last name was?” Nelda was looking at the statue with a thoughtful expression on her face. “Christakos? Is that it?”
Dread fisted itself in Lexi’s stomach. “Yes. That’s his last name. Why? Do you know him?”
“He’s a little hard to forget,” Nelda said drily. “He comes into the gallery sometimes. He purchased a couple of paintings for his house earlier this year. I remember him now…green eyes, right? Drop-dead gorgeous?”
Lexi nodded. “That’s him.”
“So what does he think about the sculpture you did of him? You have to admit it’s appropriate—Nikos Christakos as the sun god.” She sighed dramatically.
“He doesn’t know.”
Nelda frowned. “How can he not know? You haven’t told him?”
“No. I’m afraid of how he’ll react.”
Without going into too much detail about Nikos’s past, Lexi explained to Nelda his dislike of modeling, and how he’d sworn never to let anyone profit from using his image.
“So if he finds out that I’ve sculpted Apollo in his likeness, I’m not sure how he’ll react.” Lexi sat down in the chair that Nelda had vacated and buried her f
ace in her hands. “I should have told him earlier, and now it’s too late. I’ve ruined everything. He’s absolutely perfect, but when he finds out about this, he won’t want anything more to do with me.”
“Wait. Didn’t you say that you’d almost finished the sculpture by the time he told you how he felt?”
Raising her head, Lexi nodded miserably. “Yes. But it doesn’t matter. When I first asked him to model for me, he refused. It should have ended there.”
“But he didn’t model for you, and there’s no law that says you can’t use someone as a source of inspiration. Is there?”
Lexi gave her friend a tolerant look. “I think I went a little beyond inspiration, Nelda. Besides, I still have the photos I took of him that first day. I don’t understand why he didn’t just delete them from my camera when he had the chance.”
“Maybe, on some level, he wanted you to have them and he knew you would use them.” Nelda shrugged. “Either way, it doesn’t matter. He didn’t model for you and you’re not going to profit from using his image. I’m assuming you already negotiated your commission for this piece before you started working on it, am I right?”
“Yes, that’s true. I have a contract that was negotiated with the botanic gardens more than a year ago. Five years to sculpt five heroes for them.”
Nelda looked triumphant. “So there you go! I don’t see how he could be upset about the sculpture. It’s not like you deliberately deceived him.”
Lexi frowned, unconvinced. “Maybe not, but my moral meter is still flashing red.” She groaned. “How am I going to tell him the truth?”
“I think you’re worrying for no reason,” Nelda said. “The sculpture is fabulous, and I’m sure he’ll be flattered and thrilled to know you modeled it after him.”
Lexi wasn’t convinced. “I don’t know. I should probably negotiate a new delivery date with the art association and send them something else—a sculpture of Zeus or Hermes. I’m thinking I might just keep this piece here in the studio.”
Nelda looked horrified. “You would do that? Even if it means losing months of work and having to start all over again?”
Lexi looked at the sculpture and silently acknowledged that she might lose more than just the months of hard work she’d devoted to the project. She might very well lose Nikos.
Now she nodded. “Yes.”
Nelda was silent for several moments. “Well, I think it would be a shame to let such a magnificent piece sit here under a shroud, when so many people could enjoy its beauty.”
Silently, Lexi agreed. But she knew now that she couldn’t put the statue on display without Nikos’s permission. She just wished she knew how he would react.
Reading her thoughts, Nelda walked over and gave her a sympathetic hug. “I’m sure it will work out,” she said. “But if it doesn’t, try to look on the bright side.” She glanced meaningfully at the sculpture. “If all else fails, you’ll still have the world’s most perfect man.”
* * *
AS SOON AS THE HOUSE SOLD, Nikos determined that he would return to Syros. Lexi had been right about one thing—life was too short to waste on anger and regret. He missed his family home. He missed his parents. Whatever his father’s motives had been in sending him to London all those years ago, Nikos knew they had come from his heart and from a true desire to improve his son’s life. And Nikos had managed to do that.
He hadn’t told Lexi, but he already had a potential buyer for the house; a Hollywood director who was looking for a place to raise his young family. He’d made Nikos an exorbitant offer, but Nikos hadn’t yet accepted it. The property was listed in several exclusive magazines, and his real estate agent had convinced him to have an open house the following weekend to celebrate the completion of the renovations, and to attract even more interested buyers. It would be a gala event, and Nikos wanted Lexi there with him. Then later, when they were alone, he would ask her to come to Syros with him to meet his family.
When he thought about returning to his childhood home, he experienced both dread and anticipation. He’d seen his brothers and sisters during their trips to California, and his mother had come to visit him several times, both in England and in California. But he hadn’t seen his father in sixteen years.
Now he walked through the rooms of the finished house, surveying his handiwork with a critical eye. He’d hired a professional staging consultant to furnish the place and showcase its unique features. Overall, he was more than satisfied with the finished product, but now that the work was completed, he was eager to move on. He disliked spending too much time on one project, and he had more important things to focus on.
Like Lexi.
He glanced at his watch. She should be home anytime now. He’d told her about the open house, and although she’d been enthusiastic about the event, he’d sensed a change in her over the past week. She was as sweet and passionate as she’d always been, but he’d sensed something else in their lovemaking—a desperation of sorts. She seemed preoccupied and there were times when he’d caught her watching him with a troubled expression, which she quickly concealed behind a smile. Something was bothering her, and he suspected it was the sale of the house. She probably thought that once the house sold, she wouldn’t see him anymore.
She couldn’t be more wrong.
He’d fallen hard for her. He intended to show her just what she meant to him during their trip to Syros. He’d also arranged for them to spend several days on the island of Santorini, since that was something she’d always wanted to do. They’d have to make some decisions about their future, but that could wait until they returned.
As if on cue, the front door opened, and Lexi poked her head inside. “Nikos, are you here?”
“In the living room,” he called, and stepped into the hallway to meet her. “I was just wondering where you were.”
“Sorry.” She smiled, reaching up to press a kiss against his mouth. “I had a visitor at the studio this afternoon and ended up staying a little longer than I intended.”
Nikos leaned back to study her face. “You let someone into your studio? Does that mean what I think it means?”
To his surprise, Lexi withdrew from his arms and walked into the living room, looking around as if she hadn’t already seen the furniture that had been brought in for the open house.
“Yes,” she said over her shoulder. “Except for the final polishing, the sculpture is finished.”
Nikos welcomed the news, even as he wondered why she hadn’t said anything about it before now. He wanted to leave for Syros as soon as possible after the open house, and hopefully after he’d signed the deal. He’d been waiting for Lexi to complete her project so that they could both enjoy their time together without any deadlines hanging over their heads.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were so close to finishing it? I thought you still had a couple of weeks’ worth of work to do.” She turned to face him, and Nikos felt a swift stab of fear go through him. “Hey. What’s wrong?”
“Nikos, there’s something I need to tell you. Something you need to know—”
A knock at the front door startled them both. Nikos raised one finger to Lexi. “Hold that thought, okay?”
But when he opened the front door, he found his Realtor, Cora Parish, standing there with a stack of folders in her arms. She smiled brightly at him. “I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by to see how the staging went. I’d love to take a look at the room arrangements, if that’s okay. I also brought some paperwork that we need to go over before the open house. Is now a good time?”
Pushing down his frustration, Nikos glanced at Lexi, but she gave a small wave of her hand and smiled. “It’s okay, I’m pretty beat. I should probably go home and take a shower, and then make it an early night.”
Before Nikos could protest that he wanted her to stay, she pushed past him, pausing only long enough to press a swift kiss against his cheek before she nodded to Cora and made her way down the front steps.
“I’ll come by later,” Nikos called to her, wishing he could turn the Realtor away and go after Lexi. Something was up, and he had a sinking sense that it had nothing to do with his selling the house.
10
WHERE THE HELL WAS SHE? Nikos glanced at his watch for what seemed like the tenth time in less than an hour. Lexi knew the open house was tonight, so why wasn’t she here? Already, dozens of guests milled through the rooms, eating and drinking and admiring his work. Waitstaff passed trays of appetizers and cocktails, and a wine-and-beer bar had been set up outside near the swimming pool. The event had been under way for less than an hour, but he’d expected Lexi long before now. In fact, he hadn’t seen her at all since he’d left her bed that morning.
Stepping outside, he surveyed the backyard. The pergola and trees had been strung with twinkling lights. The underwater pool lights threw watery reflections over the patio, and in the distance, the city of Santa Barbara sparkled under the night sky. Nikos knew he should mingle with his guests and enjoy the fruits of his labor, but he found he couldn’t relax or appreciate the success of the evening without Lexi there beside him. Glancing over at her house, he saw her windows were still dark. She hadn’t returned home, and she wasn’t answering her cell phone. Frustrated, he accepted a drink from a server and turned back to the house to see Cora walking toward him. She gave him a wide smile and looked around with approval.
“What did I tell you?” she asked as she joined him, lifting her own glass of white wine. “I’d say your open house is an overwhelming success. I counted nearly fifty people inside, and before long, your backyard is going to be overflowing, as well.”
Nikos tapped his glass against hers. “I have you to thank. This was a great idea.”
“I think I saw your Hollywood director inside. I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes you an even better offer tonight.”
Blazing Bedtime Stories, Volume IX: The EqualizerGod's Gift to Women Page 17
