by Brandy Blake
Chapter3
After her awkward encounter the night before, Imani had difficulty getting out of bed. They didn’t discuss what happened between them, as Stavros had gone straight to bed. Since Petra, Mateo, and Darius were all there watching when Imani and Stavros actually met each other face-to-face for the first time knowing each other’s names, they decided to play it cool and pretend like they didn’t know each other. Stavros locked himself in the master suite, its very own section of the house on the top floor, no one allowed up there.
Today was the first day of Darius’s homeschooling, and with most kids already in school for a couple weeks at this point, Imani had her work cut out for her. She knew that he was a smart boy and had a few lessons plans she could alter to adjust to his needs, so it was just about getting him into a routine that she would need to focus on. Working one-on-one with a child was going to be different in its own way now, because she would have to maintain his full attention all day as well as cater to his various moods, making sure to not push him too far if he wasn’t ready for that. As she made her way to the kitchen, she saw Darius sitting at the table eating pancakes again.
“Does he eat pancakes every morning?” Imani asked. She enjoyed her breakfast sweets just as much as the next person, but Darius only eating sweets for the majority of the time that she had been there worried her just a bit. What a person ate directly affected their mood, and Imani didn’t want to have to worry about him acting out because he wasn’t getting properly fed.
“It’s the only thing he’ll eat,” Petra responded. Imani knew that wasn’t true. Someone along the line just gave into him, never saying no because they didn’t have to.
“Well, we’ll probably have to change that. It’s important for Darius to start out the day right, and eating too many carbs right away can make him tired,” Imani explained to Petra.
“You don’t think I tried?” Petra asked.
“Pancakes! Pancakes! Pancakes!” Darius shouted with a mouth full.
“Darius, talking with your mouth full isn’t very nice,” Imani said to him. He threw a pancake right at her head, some of the syrup getting on her clean shirt. “Darius, that isn’t very nice. I wanted to have an easy morning with you, but if you’d prefer it to be bad, we can do it that way too.”
Imani had some worksheets that could help teach him better manners and would also serve as a little punishment for the unruly boy. He screamed and ran back into his playroom, Petra just smirking as she cooked more pancakes. Imani grabbed a banana and a cup of coffee and headed into the playroom with her binder.
Imani was starting to realize that the rumors about Darius were true. If a child was misbehaved a little, some adults would exaggerate, but then Imani would get to know the child herself and realize that they weren’t as bad as they were described. That might not be the case for Darius. She was told that he was misbehaved, and it was becoming fairly evident that what many had to say about him wasn’t an exaggeration.
“Where’s Stavros?” Imani asked Petra before she left the kitchen.
“Oh, he’s long gone,” Petra responded. “He’s usually out the door by 6.”
“When will he be back?” Imani asked. She wanted to talk to him about their relationship. Would they be able to still work together given what happened?
“No idea. Sometimes 8, sometimes later,” Petra told Imani. She understood now that he was likely going to be working all the time, making things at least a bit better between the two. She was already stressed about Darius’s behavior, and having hooked up with her boss seemed like another stress she didn’t need at that point.
Imani knew what she was getting into with Stavros and Darius. She just didn’t realize that Stavros was also the man she had slept with. He just looked so different.
Darius had been kicked out of five different schools, and since his father was resistant to move, he decided homeschooling was the option. There were plenty of schooling options for a regular child on the island of Mykonos, but that wasn’t the case for Darius. He needed extra attention, and acting out at a school was how he tried to achieve that. Not many schools could handle that, so they kicked him out. Stavros had sent him to a couple of boarding schools as well, only for him to get kicked out of those too. He decided that homeschooling was the only way that Darius wouldn’t get expelled. Imani was also the second teacher to move in with them, and they hoped that she would be the last.
Imani was certainly worried about the job she had ahead of her, but she was hopeful that she’d be able to do it. It was a challenge, but it would keep things interesting. There were so many other benefits as well that she’d get to enjoy by living in the Greek mansion. Having coffee made for her every morning was a luxury that Imani hadn’t had since living with a partner, and that was only done when he wanted something from Imani. She was excited to have others to live with and work with to help take care of some of the housework, making her homelife easier. She wouldn’t have the separation between work and pleasure, and that was starting to worry her just a bit.
She knew that Darius would have his good and his bad moments. Imani was getting set up in the playroom, a table set up for the two to work. She hoped they wouldn’t have to spend as much time at the desk and more time outside reading or playing different logic games. She still needed to make sure Darius was dedicated and committed to his education. He was going to inherit a fortune when he got older, and Imani felt that it was her duty to make sure that he would be a well-educated person and use his money wisely rather than another rich kid that crashes their car into storefronts while driving around bikini-clad women.
Petra seemed to certainly help spoil him. Darius watched from the corner by his toys as Imani put up a few posters in the room, a world map and a match chart for easy reference. She wanted to make the place feel warm but also a bit more studious than just a play room. Petra peeked in the room, and Imani caught her glare. She knew she’d probably have an audience, but that was fine. Hopefully, Darius wouldn’t notice, making it easier to work with him. Imani finally had the place set up and looked at Darius, like a nervous puppy that knows they’re about to get a bath.
“Do you want to learn about history today?” Imani asked with a smile.
*****
It was clear that when Stavros wasn’t around, Darius was much better behaved. Petra had brought them lunch, and Darius got a little moody at a few different points, but Imani implemented a rewards chart to keep him going. She didn’t want to be too strict on him the first day, but she was already managing to find a balance between the good cop and bad cop roles that she’d have to take over to make sure that Darius was getting work done. Most kids were better behaved when they were with strangers, so Imani wondered how long she’d have until he got comfortable enough around her to start acting out again.
When she got time alone with him, he knew how to be a respectful child. He would occasionally apologize for sassy comments or if he was being moody, at least showing recognition that he knew his behavior was bad. Imani was prepared for that, as her father told her that he knew she’d be good for the job because of her patience. Whenever someone told her that her patience was needed, Imani knew that it was because everyone else had gone crazy when they attempted the job.
Imani was pleased to see that he was so excited about learning the different things she had to talk about with him. She figured that every day, they’d touch on each subject a bit, having different days where they focused on important topics. She wasn’t sure what history she should be going over with him, as she was mostly familiar with world and U.S. history, realizing that she didn’t know if she should teach Darius about Greece the way that the U.S. was taught to her as a child. World history was certainly important, but knowing about where you came from was something that Imani felt was also important.
As she looked at Darius, she couldn’t help but wonder about his parents and what they were like to make him behave that way. His mother dying when he was just a child was cle
arly impactful on his life in a negative way, as was Stavros shutting off and pulling away. He was also clearly spoiled, and that behavior didn’t just start since his mother was gone. Spoiled children were taught how to act entitled when they were just kids, so it was clear he had been getting what he wanted for a while. Imani hoped her being there might help alter his humility just a bit, but she didn’t know how easy that task would be. She also hoped that she wouldn’t be there forever.
If she tried hard enough, she might be able to get him back to a respectable manner, so he could go to normal school once again. He was just a kid, so he deserved to have other friends his age and people with whom he could interact. Sitting inside that mansion alone all day didn’t seem like the greatest way for him to grow and learn as a little boy. By the time he got to high school, he would certainly want to have friends, possibly go on dates and to different school events. Imani wondered if he’d be like that forever or if he was just going through a difficult phase after losing his mother.
School hadn’t been the greatest place for Imani, but she was still grateful for her experience. She had made friends there and memories that would last forever. If she hadn’t gone to school, she wouldn’t have learned a lot of important things in her life, like how to interact with strangers, develop relationships, and all the other lessons that seemed hard at the time, but Imani was grateful now. She got teased a bit as a child as well. Her hair was too curly and kinky, her lips and nose too big. As she grew older, she started to realize that these were the very features that made her unique, and she stopped caring what anyone thought but herself. It hurt to hear others make comments, but it was true that it only made her stronger in the end.
Darius had everything he ever wanted, but it was clear he was getting to an age that it was important for him to socialize. Not having any siblings would affect him as well. It certainly did Imani. She was an only child, as her mother had died at an early age, making it just her and her dad. She didn’t have a sister to play with or a brother to tease her. She was certainly envious of those who did have siblings, wanting to have a built-in best friend. She felt sorry that Darius wouldn’t have this either and hoped that perhaps she could form a sisterly-like friendship as well, a couple decades older but still with the sense of humor as a child.
Imani took a break, while Darius worked on a worksheet, to walk around the house a bit. She was having him practice the spelling of different geographical locations. Darius was certainly advanced for where he was as a child, with reading levels that were well beyond his age. He had plenty of books, a trait that he probably got from his father. It was clear from the library that Stavros was passionate about collecting different texts. Imani loved reading as well, and she was excited to get a chance to explore what kind of literature Stavros had filling his shelves.
She stumbled into an extra room with a sitting area and a fireplace. Imani had tried to count how many couches there were in the home, but she’d lost track a few times, not sure if she should count sectionals and the benches that dotted the hallways. There were all sorts of different couches, but Imani imagined the slumber party Darius would be able to have, everyone probably getting their own room. The house could sleep more than most hotels, and Imani was overwhelmed. This room had been one of the few that actually had photographs rather than paintings or other art pieces.
There were pictures of his wife, and Imani got the chance to see into his life a bit. Above the fireplace sat a framed photograph of Iliana, Darius’s mother, holding him when he was a baby. There was another one of her pregnant and one of him on his first birthday, holding a piece of cake. There weren’t any pictures of the family all together and none of Darius and his father. Perhaps he didn’t like pictures, or maybe the photographs were only placed after she died. Imani still felt a little strange knowing that he didn’t show affection to his son through the room at all.
He must have worked a lot, as he wouldn’t have everything that was nice that surrounded them without a lot of hard work. Imani thought about her own father who worked a lot, only he didn’t have as much to show. They’d had a nice apartment as Imani grew up, and she certainly had what she needed. It would have been nice to have a personal chef and maids, however, as Imani hated to cook and clean. She wondered if her father would have felt bad to see how far his friend had come.
It was clear that Stavros had worked for everything he had, but he still needed to make time for family. Imani wondered what the point of him having all that wealth was if he wasn’t even spending time with his son. They had a nice home, and she was sure that it wasn’t the only one he owned, but what was the point of filling it with expensive art and luxurious furniture if it meant that he wasn’t going to be spending any time inside? Perhaps he used to not work as much, but his wife’s death had made him want to avoid his homelife even more, not wanting to think about what he had lost.
Imani wondered if he felt uncomfortable about their hookup or if the rumors were true. Her father mentioned that he was a bit of a party animal, stating that she should expect he might bring some girls home every once in a while. It wasn’t a good look for his son, but the only time he didn’t spend bringing different girls home were the few years that he was married. Sex was probably a little more serious to Imani than it was to Stavros, her figuring that the hook-up didn’t mean anything.
His reckless behavior might have a negative effect on the child, but Stavros was all Darius had. Imani didn’t know how long she was going to be working for the family, but she hoped that she would get to help Darius have a little better of a role model than just his party animal dad. She felt a little used knowing who she had actually slept with, but it wasn’t like she was looking for a husband when she invited a stranger in her bed. It was also a bit strange knowing that the man she had made love to was friends with her father at one point, but Stavros looked much younger than her own father did, making her feel a little less strange about the situation.
Would he still bring girls home even though him and Imani had already hooked up once? She didn’t have any feelings for Stavros, but she still would have felt a little strange seeing someone she had been with bring home different girls to take to bed. She figured that if he did that, she would at least have the chance to bring home her own dates, right? That might be unprofessional, but the house was so large that she was pretty sure she could get away with anything if she tried hard enough.
Imani looked at the art on the wall, wondering if Iliana had picked the pieces out or if they were all the choices of Stavros. If she had picked them out, did Stavros have difficulty looking at them every day? Did Darius struggle with seeing reminders of his mother around? Imani was like Darius in that both of them didn’t have mothers growing up. Imani’s father had different pictures of her mother dotted through the house, and she eventually grew to know her mother just as a face in a picture rather than just a regular person.
She was hopeful that he would become as independent as her. Having one parent meant that she would have to be her own mom or dad when she needed to be. If her dad couldn’t make it to different sporting games, she would just have to keep playing knowing that no one was there to watch. She would have to cook herself different meals, making extra for her father when he got home from work. Of course, Darius wouldn’t have to do these kinds of things, as he had Petra to do what his mother couldn’t, but the emotional independence that came along with having one parent seemed inescapable no matter how wealthy he might have been.
*****
Another dinner came and went, and Petra and Imani both helped each other get Darius showered and in bed. She hadn’t heard anyone come in and never saw Stavros. She was starting to feel a little less worried about them having any awkward encounters during her time there. She realized that she’d likely be fine and wouldn’t have to worry about any awkward social interaction. Imani snuck into the library to look around the books, figuring Stavros wasn’t around and everyone else in bed meant it was a good time to do s
o. She was excited to check out the books, hoping she could take one with her to keep in her room.
She didn’t know where to start and looked on the right. She only saw mostly law books, nothing she’d be interested in taking back with her. He had plenty of economics books as well, and Imani wondered if that was all she was going to find in his library. She heard a cough and realized that Stavros was on the balcony.
She decided to sneak away, not wanting to disrupt his private time. She also wasn’t looking to interact with him, hoping they could mostly avoid each other as much as possible. She quickly turned around without a book, hoping to get out unnoticed. Of course, that wasn’t going to be possible, and she ended up knocking a vase off a table, it thankfully not breaking but still making a loud enough noise for Stavros to peek his head inside from the open balcony.
“I’m sorry, I was just, um, I just wanted to get a book,” she told him, smiling. He didn’t smile back and instead took a puff of his cigarette.
“Want to join me?” he asked, holding up the cigarette.
“Sure,” she said, the puffs of the cigarette looking appetizing to her after a stressful first day of work. She walked onto the balcony and was blown away by the view. The library was on the back of the house, so the only view was the dark and clear water.
“Can’t beat this view, huh?” he said, handing her a cigarette. He lit it for her, watching the smoke pass from her thick lips to the crisply blue air.
“So, how much does a pack go for in Greece?” Imani asked, wanting to make conversation.
“No idea. I haven’t bought a pack in years,” Stavros said, and Imani realized that Mateo likely did all the purchasing for him. They stayed silent for a moment, and Imani wondered if he was just being nice when he offered for her to join and that he actually wanted to just be alone.
