Ari grinned. “We all know how much she loves you already, so that’s not gonna be an issue.” He reached for her hand. “Ready?”
Grace’s knees went weak at the loving look he gave her. How had she gotten so lucky? “Yes,” she said, “but maybe it’d be better if I go first and then you follow.”
He sighed. “Okay, if it makes you more comfortable.”
A few minutes later, Grace was making the final touches to the tables for the dinner when there was a shriek behind her.
“Darling!” Pia Katsalos, like a pink-and-blue whirlwind, came sailing across the room and wrapped Grace in an enormous hug. She always smelled of cinnamon and spun sugar, and Grace hugged her tightly. “I can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done while I’ve been away.” She stood back and, after wiping tears from her cheeks, swept her arms wide. “And these gorgeous tables, and this incredible room! Between Yasmin and Lane, Nick and Erin, and you, you’ve all done an incredible job of making the Palace look amazing!”
“It’s been a fantastic team effort,” Grace said, her heart bursting with pride. “I’m so glad you like it.”
“Like it? I love it!” she said. “I know that Nicky has spent so much money on this, and Lane’s and Yasmin’s influence is obvious in so many of the decorations and the menu, but it’s you, you’re the one who’s been the constant here. If it weren’t for you, none of this would’ve happened.”
“Ari’s been a great help in the last week or two,” Grace said, aware that he hadn’t come in for any of Pia’s praise.
“Oh, really?” she said, raising an eyebrow. “He is certainly loyal, that boy, but his attitude toward weddings is so disappointing.”
There was a noise at the door, and they both turned to see Ari. It was clear he’d have heard his mother, but as he came close and kissed her on both cheeks, he didn’t show it.
“You look beautiful, Mom. It’s great to have you back here.”
Heat rush to her own cheeks, and she quickly moved away so Pia didn’t notice. “It’s warm in here,” she said quickly. “I’ll just open a window or two.”
“Hasn’t Grace done an amazing job with this place?” Ari said, looking over his mother’s head and throwing a wink at Grace.
“It’s beautiful,” Pia said. “If only Mano and I had been able to agree on making these sorts of changes a long time ago, things might have ended differently. Who could’ve imagined that this old place could turn out like this?”
“I could.” They all turned to see Mano walking in. He wore a suit, and his normally unruly hair was carefully brushed to one side. “We should be proud of all that we have done here, Pia. Most especially the wonderful children we have created—and the occasion of Nicky’s wedding is a good time for us to remember that.”
“Of course, it is,” Pia said, not looking at her husband. “When all my children are settled down with families of their own, then I can rest easy. Grace,” she said. “I hope you have brought a date.”
Her cheeks flamed hotter still. “I…ah…”
Mano spread his arms wide. “You are joining us tonight as a very important part of our family. Someone who has been loyal and helped us through one of our toughest times. Of course, I would prefer to have you stay on forever and ever, but it will be bringing me great joy to see you successful in a business of your own.” He came over and pulled her into a hug. Was he crying?
Grace looked over at Ari, but he was concentrating on his father, his eyebrows drawn together. “You’ve lost weight, Pop.”
“Bah,” Mano said, brushing his eyes. “It is because I am missing your mother’s food. Nothing tastes the way it should when it’s is not cooked by your mother.”
Pia gave a small smile. “Just as well you have lost weight. You fit into your old suit again.”
“And I had to have one made especially for the wedding,” Mano said. “Nicky insisted on buying one for me in Rome.”
“Are my ears burning?” Nick came in, hand in hand with Erin, each of them beaming.
“Ah, the guests of honor, you’re here!” Pia hurried to kiss them, closely followed by Mano. Ari hugged his brother, and then kissed his sister-in-law–to-be, and only moments later Yasmin and Lane arrived. Soon the room was buzzing as everyone caught up with each other.
Before the dinner was served, and while everyone was in deep conversation, Grace managed to catch Ari at the bar by himself.
“Having fun?” she said as she picked up a glass of champagne and handed it to him.
“I’d be having a whole lot more fun if it was just you and me sharing a glass of wine in my apartment,” he said, eyes twinkling.
“How long since you were all together in the one place?”
He shrugged. “You know, I can’t even remember.”
“You see,” she teased. “That’s why weddings are so important. They give families an excuse to come together unlike any other time.”
“And spend all the inheritance on dresses you’ll never wear again, and mix with people you’ll never talk to.”
She leaned a little closer. “If I really believed that, I wouldn’t be so good at my job,” she said. “I truly believe that weddings are an incredibly powerful time in human relationships.”
He nodded. “I know that’s true for that point in people’s lives,” he said. “It’s what happens after the wedding happens that I don’t believe in.”
She was quiet for a moment and kicked herself for bringing this up. They were never going to agree, and there was no point in her thinking she could convince him.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked.
He dropped his voice. “That I’d like to grab you by the hand and take you away somewhere. Anywhere. Just so we could be alone and shut out the world and pretend that we could live that way forever. How about you?”
She looked over to where his family were talking and laughing in small groups. Should she tell him the truth? That more and more she was wondering if she was wasting her time. Their time? That she couldn’t be with a guy who didn’t believe in marriage—it was, quite simply, a deal breaker.
If they had such a fundamental disagreement about commitment, then was there any real point in carrying on? But his touch, and his sweet kisses? She wasn’t ready to walk away from those—at least, not yet.
…
Ari gazed around the table at his family. His mom and Erin were chatting in one corner while his dad and Nick were laughing at a joke in the other. A number of aunts, uncles, and cousins were there, including Leo and his family, along with Erin’s parents and her sisters. Grace had asked Lane about his plans for a new restaurant in town, and they were deep in discussion. Yasmin had turned her chair deliberately and was now facing Ari.
“So, we have a plan to finally get Mom and Dad talking,” she said in a low voice. “Want to hear it?”
He shrugged and pulled his gaze from Grace. “I dunno. Is it wise to try to intervene again? You guys and Nick and Erin have obviously spent some time with them in Greece, and that hasn’t changed anything, and now that the focus is on the wedding, they’ll probably be too distracted.”
Yasmin leaned back a little in her chair and sighed. “I knew you’d think they were better off apart. Someone as unromantic as you wouldn’t see the depth of love they have for each other.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he said. “Of course, I want them to both be happy, but check out Mom. She looks ten years younger since she’s been in Greece. I don’t want to be responsible for making her think she has to come back here just because it makes us happy.”
“You’re right. She does seem happier, but I’d bet it’s because she hasn’t had to deal with this place—not because she necessarily wants to be away from Dad.”
Ari leaned his elbow on the table. “Okay, what’s the great plan to get them back together?”
“Talking Dad into selling the Palace. When he finally agrees to that, then maybe Mom will be able to see a future for them.”
<
br /> “But why should Dad have to do that? This place is part of him. He and Mom have worked at it together. Built it from nothing. Why should she be the one to decide their future?”
“Because compromise is what you do in a relationship,” Yasmin said.
“Change each other, you mean.” He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. Tonight was about Erin and Nick, and he didn’t need to share his beliefs on the drawbacks of marriage.
“You think that’s what Lane and I are doing? Changing each other?”
He should’ve stayed quiet. This was not the place to argue the negative side of marriage, but he had to make Yasmin see that maybe getting back together wasn’t the best thing for their parents.
“You’re not married, so it doesn’t count. But when you are, I guarantee it’ll change you both, and not for the better,” he said.
Yasmin sighed, and her tone became sharper. “That job has poisoned you.”
He shrugged. “If that’s the same as showing me the reality of marriage and confirming that it’ll never be something I do in my life, then I’ll take being poisoned over being disillusioned any day.”
There was a tinkling sound, and they turned their gaze toward Mano, who was standing at the head of the table and tapping a glass with his knife.
“I would like to make some toast,” Ari’s father said, and Ari’s gaze slid to his brother and sister, but their faces were straight. Mano’s English was usually pretty good, but he occasionally dropped a doozy.
“Firstly, I would like to thank my ancestors who made us Greek, a culture of which we are all so very proud.” Everyone chuckled, and Ari leaned in and whispered into Grace’s ear. “You think that’s bad? He’ll thank Monty for being the best wedding-hall bird ever before this speech is over.” She secretly dug him in the ribs with an elbow, but she was trying not to smile.
“Love is not always an easy thing,” Mano was saying. “Sometimes it takes all your effort and energy to love someone, but that in itself is an act of love.”
Ari reached for Grace’s hand under the table cloth and squeezed.
“But the thing that makes all the difference is marriage.” Mano took a breath and looked around the table. “When you make the vows on your wedding day, what you are really doing is making a promise that you will choose to love that person every day, no matter what.”
Ari groaned inwardly. This was not the time for his father to be talking about his own marriage. Mano should be speaking about Nick and Erin. He turned to where his mother was sitting, but she had a look of calm serenity on her face.
“The real fact is that when you wake up each morning next to your wife or your husband, you must choose love. You must always make the conscious decision to love her, and eventually she will see that and realize that she can choose to love you, too.”
There was silence in the room, and then Nick stood, moved toward his father, and embraced him. “Pop, you and Mom have made it so easy for us to learn how to love, and for that I am so very grateful.”
Mano brushed the back of his hands across his eyes and then said in a booming voice, “Then we must make some toast!”
Everyone around the table stood and lifted their glasses. “To love,” said Mano, and everyone responded, “To love. To toast!”
When everyone was seated again, the noise level rose, and Ari took the opportunity to lean close to Grace, but he spoke in a voice loud enough for those around him to hear. “We need to check the lighting behind the outdoor bar. Now’s as good a time as any.”
Her eyes rounded, then she put her napkin on the table. “Yes, I guess this is a good opportunity. We won’t have time in the next day or two.” She turned to Lane on her left and said, “I’ll be back in a moment. I just need to check some of the outdoor lighting.”
Ari held the door to the courtyard open and then stepped outside after her. As soon as he was beside her, he reached for her hand.
“What are you doing?” she said with a laugh in her voice. “Anyone could see us out here. Come away from the light.”
She pulled him into the shadows, and then he drew her close. “I don’t care who knows that we’re together,” he said. Her warm breath fanned across his face, and even in the half-light, he could see the shine in her eyes. “I want them to see how you make me feel.”
She put her hands against his chest and tilted her chin. “But I don’t want to tell everyone. While this is still a bit of fun between the two of us, then I don’t want other people knowing about it.”
“Who’s a pretty boy? Who’s a pretty boy?” Monty’s guttural voice only a few yards away made them both start to laugh.
“I keep forgetting how hard it is to get any privacy around this place,” Ari said. “I’d put money on Monty giving away our secret before anyone else finds out.” He pulled her close and pressed his lips against hers. “Have I told you how incredible you look tonight?”
“I think you mentioned it once in my apartment and then once when I passed you a tray of drinks.” She laughed. “And maybe I heard you mention it when you bent down to pick up a dropped serviette.” He laughed then kissed a line from her mouth to her ear. She smelled of shampoo and sunshine, and he wanted to bury himself in her. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had gotten under his skin like this. In fact, no one had ever filled his mind like she did. He felt wanted, he felt alive, and he wanted it to go on forever.
Chapter Seven
A few hours later, Ari lay in Grace’s bed with her snuggled close against him, her arm around his waist. The full moon through the window caused everything in her room to glow silver—a reflection of the light pulsing inside him right now at being here with her.
“Thanks for tonight,” he said in a quiet voice, unsure if she’d already fallen asleep.
“It was beautiful, wasn’t it?” she said sleepily. “Everyone got on so well, and I even saw your mom and dad talking to each other at the end of the night.”
She twisted around and rested her head on the pillow so she was now looking directly at him. “How did you feel with everyone back together again?” she asked as she stroked his chest. “Was it weird or good?”
“Surprisingly good,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady as the pads of her fingers trailed featherlight across his skin. “I can’t believe how much has changed in less than a year—it’s like we’ve all finally grown up.”
“I’ve been wondering something,” Grace said as she gently touched his arm. “Why do you have those words pinned to your walls?”
He smiled down at her. “Promise you won’t laugh?”
Her mouth turned down. “When have I ever laughed at you?”
“Never,” he conceded, “but it sounds kinda crazy when I say it out loud.”
She gave him one of her sparkling smiles. “Try me.”
“I never used to buy people birthday cards because I’d get the words wrong, but then when my sister got sick, I wanted to write her, so I needed a way to teach myself.”
“Oh, that’s beautiful,” Grace said. “But how did you do it?”
“I listened to songs and picked out the words I liked, then I found the lyrics online and copied the words. Crazy, right?”
Grace looked down for a moment, then back at him, her eyes glossy. “It sounds exactly like the sort of thing you’d do.”
“Yasmin likes that sort of thing,” he said, embarrassed. “Much easier to just phone.”
She must’ve sensed the way he felt because she changed the subject. “Have I told you how much I love these tattoos?” she said, before planting a gentle kiss on his shoulder. “Tell me the story behind them. They’re Greek gods, right?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I got my first one, Zeus, the big guy in the middle, when I first left home. He’s the father of the gods, so I guess it was kind of me carrying a father figure with me when I struck out on my own.”
“That’s so cool,” Grace breathed. “And who are these men and women around h
im?” She marked a circle around his heart, and his chest expanded. “His children?”
He held her hand and traced around each of the figures, etched deep into his skin. “On his right, there’s Herakles, for his strength, and on his left, Athena and her owl representing wisdom.”
“I’m glad you included a woman,” she said in a teasing voice.
“She’s also a warrior, and I liked the idea of coming from warrior stock.”
“And below them?” Her voice was lower, sexier.
“That’s Atlas.”
The warmth of her honey-breath against his skin was almost too much to bear. “Just like you.”
He chuckled. “You think I have some things in common with Atlas? My godlike looks perhaps?”
She laughed then spoke more quietly. “Carrying the world on your shoulders, maybe.”
He hugged her closer.
“I can see your strength in them. How you carry loyalty and duty around with you,” she said.
He nodded. “Yeah, but they didn’t stumble through life like I’ve done. They were worthy and strong.”
“You’re more than worthy,” she said as she moved her hand lower to stroke his arm.
“Hearing you say it makes me wish it was true.” He didn’t mean it to sound the way it did, but he wasn’t hiding anything from Grace anymore.
She propped up on her elbow, resting her head on her hand. “You know what I just realized?” she said, moonlight splashing across her face.
“What’s that?”
“Your gods are kind of like my star signs.”
“How do you mean?” he asked, linking his fingers through her free hand.
“Maybe we’re both looking for some guidance in how we should navigate our way in the world.”
He kissed her forehead. “You know, when I first heard you talking about star signs and character traits, I thought you liked to put people in boxes. But maybe you’re right. Maybe we’ve both been trying to find out more about ourselves.”
“Funny,” she said, as he kissed her ear. “That’s exactly what I thought about you when we first met. That you put people in boxes, wanted them all to be the same. But now that I know the real you, I can see that’s not true at all.” She moved closer and soon their bodies were intertwined again. “Who’d have thought,” she whispered in his ear, “that a guy who I imagined was my complete opposite would help me know myself better than I ever had before.”
Four Weddings and a Fling (Weddings in Westchester) Page 9
