Текст книги "Painless"

Автор книги: Devon Hartford

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Текущая страница: 31 (всего у книги 32 страниц)

“Funny thing is,” Hunter grinned, “I’m suing him.”

“Why? If you put him in the hospital?”

Hunter shook his head, “No, I almost put him in the hospital. It wasn’t that bad.” I could tell he was backpedaling and trying to shore up his lie before it fell apart.

“So, why are you suing him?” I asked innocently.

“Because he started it,” Hunter sneered snidely. I could tell the truth was seeping out around the edges. Hunter was in over his head. He continued, “The guy has a ton of money. He should’ve known better than to start shit with me he can’t finish. He’s lucky I didn’t really put him in the hospital.” Hunter nodded a superior nod.

“What a jerk,” I said ironically. Hunter didn’t suspect I meant he was the jerk. I was still sober enough to realize that I should’ve listened to my instincts about Hunter. He was a total tool. After what Christos had told me tonight, I should’ve told Hunter to walk away the moment he’d walked up to me at the bar. I excused myself on the grounds that I’d been lonely and it had been a moment of weakness. “I feel like going for a walk,” I said randomly.

“Okay,” he said. “You want company?”

“Sure.” I grabbed my purse from the hook under the bar and stood up.

Hunter followed me outside into the night air.

We walked down Cedros Avenue, past all the closed shops and parked cars, until I found an alley. I turned down it. It was dark, dingy, and cloying. Good enough.

I pulled Hunter into the darkness with both hands, grabbing him by the shirt. Once we were far enough from the streetlights on the sidewalk to be completely in shadows, I pulled Hunter into me.

He pushed up against me, grinding me against a rough stuccoed wall.

Perfect.

We kissed. I wasn’t really into it, but I had a reason to be here. We made out for awhile. It didn’t take long for me to get bored. Time to get down to business.

I unbuckled Hunter’s belt.

“Whoa, Tiff,” Hunter purred, “you don’t waste any time.”

I glared at him and fisted his T shirt in my hand. “Don’t call me Tiff. You don’t call me Tiff. Got it?”

“Whatever you say, darling,” he grinned.

I could deal with darling. Whatever. I unbuckled his belt. “You’re still clean?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Hunter said, “I told you that the last time we had sex. I get tested all the time.”

“But that was five months ago.”

Hunter stopped. “Tiffany, look. I get tested regularly and I don’t sleep with any old skank that comes along. I’ve only had sex with two girls since you, and I know them both. They’re clean. Trust me.”

“Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

“Over with? Do you even want to be here, Tiffany?”

“Yes, I most definitely do.”

Hunter’s amber eyes flashed. “You sure?”

“Yeah.”

He grinned and leaned forward. More wet fish kisses followed. Not that it mattered. We were doing this.

So what if we ended up having sex in a dank, dark alley? So what if I was dry when he stuck it in? So what if I told him to fuck me as hard as he could before I was even into it? So what if my back was raw from him grinding me against the stucco wall behind me? So what if he came inside me?

After everything Christos had told me, Hunter was a total scam artist. A hot and sexy scam artist. But there was no way I was letting him get away with swindling Christos out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Hunter wasn’t the only one who knew how to play games.

When we were finished, I said, “I have to go.”

“What? Where are you going? Let me buy you another drink inside. Or we could go back to my place.” He glanced around the dark alley, “Someplace nicer than this.”

I pushed my dress down over my thong, which Hunter had torn apart and was nothing but a waist belt now. Good. I looked over my shoulder at my butt and saw my dress was nice and dirty from rubbing up against the stuccoed wall. “I have to go to the emergency room,” I said, still looking over my shoulder at my dress.

“The emergency room?” he asked, confused. “For your dress?”

“Bye, Hunter.” I started working up some tears. I wanted my mascara running before I got to the hospital. I started toward the lighted sidewalk at the end of the alley.

“Hey,” he grabbed me by the arm and turned me around.

“Ow! Hunter!” I shouted, “That hurts! Let go of me!”

He released my arm, his eyes wide with uncertainty. “What’s wrong with you, Tiffany?”

“I’ve been raped. That’s what’s wrong with me.”

“What?” he gasped. “I didn’t rape you!”

“You didn’t? Because I could swear that’s your semen inside me right now. And when I go get swabbed out at the ER, they’re going to find it.” I turned around so he could see my dirty dress. “And would you look at that? My dress is soiled and scuffed from where you threw me against the wall. And my thong is torn to pieces. Sounds like rape to me. And, boy,” I winced, “was I dry when you put it in. I’m sure they’ll find plenty of abrasions.”

“What?” Fear pulled his face in twenty directions at once. “You’re insane, Tiffany.”

“Am I?”

“You totally wanted it,” he scoffed.

“That’s what the rapists always say.”

“Fuck you, Tiffany.”

“It wasn’t fucking. It was rape.”

He grabbed my arm again.

“Oh!” I jeered, “Are you going to beat me up now? Give me a black eye? Go ahead, Hunter.”

He let go of my arm and scowled at me. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because, Hunter, you’re an asshole. And because you’re trying to sue Christos Manos when all he hurt was your pride.”

His brows curled. “You know Christos?”

“Of course I know Christos, dumbass. And I know he doesn’t start fights. He told me what happened.”

Hunter scowled, “You bitch.” Now he was figuring it out. Not that it made any difference.

“You just want his money because you’re a leech, Hunter.”

“That’s bullshit!”

“Is it?” I asked thoughtfully. “Then why are you still suing him?”

Hunter smirked and looked away. He looked guilty as hell.

I smiled, “I’ll make you a deal, Hunter. In exchange for me not pressing charges and sending you to prison for three years, you drop your suit against Christos. Deal?”

“Fuck you,” he spat.

“You already did, Hunter. I have the evidence to prove it. All I need to do now is run my face into the side of a door and give myself a black eye.”

“You wouldn’t do that,” he scoffed.

“I wouldn’t? Like I wouldn’t let you fuck me while I was still dry so I could frame you?”

He opened his mouth to say something, then the light went out of his eyes and his shoulders sagged. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“One hundred percent. Take your pick, you can try to rip off Christos and his family, and end up in prison, or you can forget about it and I will too.”

“How do I know you won’t press charges?”

“You don’t. You’re going to have to trust me.”

“Trust you?” He laughed. “After tonight, I’ll never trust you.”

“Hey, I took you at your word that you haven’t slept with any skanks since the last time we had sex.”

“I haven’t,” he frowned. “Honest.”

“See?” I smiled. “Look how good trust works.”

“Fuck, Tiffany, you’re terrible.”

“That’s how I felt about you when I found out you’re basically blackmailing Christos.”

“Now you’re blackmailing me?”

“Yup.”

“Fine. What are you going to do?” He sounded scared. Good.

“Well,” I said, “I’m going to the ER, like I said. They’ll use a rape kit to collect evidence. Then I tell them I don’t know who it was. It was dark, I didn’t get a good look at your face, it all happened so fast and you ran off afterward. If you don’t drop your suit against Christos, I suddenly remember who you are. It’s that simple.”

“You’ve thought this all through, haven’t you?”

“And you didn’t? Did Christos tell you his family was rich, or did your lawyer figure it out for you? I know how lawyers think, Hunter. Lawyers like yours have been trying to rip off my family for decades. Like I said, Hunter. You’re a leech, and you want what isn’t yours. This is your last chance. Deal or no deal?”

Hunter clenched his jaw and glared at me like he wanted to kill me.

So what.

Chapter 29

CHRISTOS

I lounged on the double chaise under the San Diego sun the next morning. Samantha lounged beside me. We were catching rays on the deck by our pool.

We’d been out so late, we crashed when we got home. Neither of us had any energy for sex before bed. I think we’d both used up all our adrenalin during the excitement of my solo show and afterward at the Belly Up. We’d just fallen asleep in each other’s arms. As long as Samantha was by my side, I never cared what we did.

After breakfast this morning, all we wanted to do was rest. It had been a long year.

“Do you want anything to drink?” Samantha asked. “Your lemonade is empty.” She was laying on her back, her bikini top unknotted. She had no idea how incredibly hot she looked, all tan and brown.

“I’m good,” I muttered. Luckily, we were both tan enough to lay out for a long time without getting fried.

“Good, because I’m too tired to stand up,” she giggled, resting her cheek on my shoulder and her arm on my back.

“I’m going to have a Samantha tan line,” I joked. “It’ll be a silhouette in white of where you curl up on top of me.”

“It’ll look stylish. We’ll invent couples tanning. It’ll be all the rage by the end of the summer. Make your own fancy pattern on your lover. Unlike a tattoo, it’s easily removed.”

“That’s genius. Why hadn’t we thought of that before,” I chuckled.

My cell phone rang on the glass table next to me.

“You don’t have to answer that now, do you?” Samantha asked.

I picked up the phone. “It’s Russell.”

“More bad news?” Samantha sighed.

“I hope not. I should answer.” I put it on speaker phone. Samantha may as well know. “What’s up, man?”

“Christos! You’re never going to believe this,” Russell said enthusiastically.

“If it’s bad news, I probably will.” I smirked at Samantha.

She rolled her eyes.

“I got a call from Hunter Blakeley’s attorney this morning.”

“Fabulous,” I sighed.

“He wants to settle.”

“Yeah? For how much? A half million?” I said sarcastically.

“Twenty-four thousand.”

I sat up in my chaise. “What?”

“You heard me. Twenty-four thousand. Eleven thousand for Hunter’s medical bills and lost wages, and thirteen thousand for his attorney’s fees.”

After last night, I could easily cover that. Not that I wanted to throw away that much cash on an asshole like Hunter, but considering I’d hit him instead of walking away, twenty-four grand seemed a small price to pay to get him off my back for good. “What the fuck happened, anyway? I thought Hunter and his lawyer were holding firm.”

“I have no idea,” Russell said dramatically. “I’m as surprised as you are, Christos. There must be an angel out there watching over your ass.”

An angel. I shook my head. Why not? Stranger things.

“Now,” Russell admonished, “Before you go getting the idea that it always works out like this, that you always win your cases or get off easy, may I remind you that it would be far simpler in the future to avoid fighting altogether?”

I chuckled, “Hey, would you believe I actually walked away from a fight last night?”

“You did?” Russell said, all excited. “Good for you.”

“And you’ll never guess with who,” I chuckled.

“Hunter Blakeley?”

“How’d you know?” I chuckled.

“Lucky guess. But that sure is strange.”

“I can’t explain it either. But I’m telling you, he got up in my face and I didn’t lift a finger.”

“Good for you, son. I’m proud of you. With any luck, this will be the last time you ever require my legal services for behaving like a tough guy. Promise me we can keep our relationship entirely social from here on out?” He sounded amused and hopeful at the same time.

“It’s a promise. But I need to ask you one more thing first.”

I could practically hear him rolling his eyes over the phone. “Christos, do I even want to know?”

I glanced at Samantha. To Russell, I said, “You know what? I’ll tell you about it later.”

“All right, son. I’ve got work to do. Let’s talk again soon, all right?”

“Will do,” I smiled and ended the call. I turned to Samantha and grinned.

“Wow,” she said, “that’s good news, right?”

“Totally,” I smiled.

“I mean, it’s a lot of money, but I guess you have enough?”

“Yup.” I laid my head back on the chaise and gazed up at the pure blue sky. “For the first time in years, I finally feel like I can put all the shit in my life behind me.”

“That’s awesome,” Samantha said.

After awhile, I stood up. “Want some lemonade? I’m going to go make a fresh pitcher. We finished off the one my grandad left in the fridge.”

“Now you’re making it too?” she grinned.

“Hey,” I smiled, “it’s a Manos tradition.”

* * *

SAMANTHA

Christos and I spent the afternoon under a sun umbrella. All I wanted to do was be outside and relax with him in the perfect San Diego weather.

He made me dinner, which was fresh gyros, because neither of us wanted to bother with anything extravagant.

“Hey, where’s Spiridon?” I asked. “He should join us.”

“I don’t know,” Christos said. “He’s been gone all day.”

I sort of wanted to talk to Spiridon about the show last night, but it would have to wait. Christos and I ate outside at one of the deck tables, watching the ocean waves roll in. The food was super yummy.

A cooling breeze picked up around seven o’clock.

“Hey, you want to go for a hike?” Christos asked.

“Do we have to? I’m so tired.”

“Come on,” he smiled, “we can watch the sunset from up at the bench on the hill.”

“That’s a long hike,” I groused. “Can’t we watch the sun go down from here on the deck?” A dusty hike was the last thing I wanted to do right now.

“The exercise’ll do you good.”

“I ran yesterday morning. I don’t need any exercise.”

“I can carry you,” he said.

“Don’t do that, Christos. I would feel like an invalid. Can’t it wait until tomorrow? I promise we’ll go tomorrow. First thing, if you want.”

“No, it really has to be tonight.”

“Why are you acting weird?” I asked.

“It’s nice out. I just want to go on a hike. Is that so weird?”

I sighed. “Why don’t you go without me. I’ll be right here when you get back.”

“We’re going,” he said as he stood up from his chair at the table, bent over, and picked me up out of my chair.

“Christos! I’m too tired,” I pleaded, but I was sort of laughing.

He carried me upstairs. It had been awhile since he’d carried me places. I never got tired of it. He set me down on the bed.

“Why don’t we have sex instead?” I suggested as I flopped back on the bed.

“Naw, a hike is better.”

I sat up suddenly. “What alien kidnapped my Christos and replaced him with the celibate version?”

He chuckled as he pulled on socks and running shoes. “Let’s go for a hike.”

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“No,” he said as he pulled out my shoes and socks.

“Fine,” I groaned. “But you’re going to have to carry me. I don’t care if I do look like an invalid.”

“I can handle that,” he grinned his dimpled grin.

“I believe you can.”

Ten minutes later, we were walking toward the trailhead near the house, holding hands.

“The hill?” I groaned. “You’re going to make me hike all the way up to the bench, aren’t you?”

“It’s good for your shapely legs,” he smiled.

“Don’t try to compliment your way out of carrying me,” I joked as we trudged up the hillside.

Half way up, Spiridon came hiking down, followed by Nikolos.

“What are you guys doing here?” I blurted.

“Oh, nothing,” Spiridon said as he jogged past. He was in a great shape for an old guy.

Nikolos was right behind him, “See you two later.”

I stopped and watched them disappear down the hill. “What were they doing up here?”

“Who knows,” Christos said. “Come on, before the sun goes down.”

I shrugged and we hiked up the rest of the way to the family bench. To the place where Christos and I had shared so many important firsts, including crazy caveman and cavewoman sex under the moon not too long ago. I’d been a wild woman that night. I blushed just thinking about it.

As always, I was huffing after making it up the steep hill. I took the final steps around the bushes that circled the Manos family bench, and turned the corner.

The view that awaited me was, as always, stunning.

But the content of it was drastically different.

And not because of the summer sun.

But because of the rose petals that made a carpet of red leading up to a small white wooden altar that overlooked the view of the Pacific Ocean.

On top of the altar were bouquets of roses sitting on both sides of a small golden center piece. The center piece was like a little filigreed riser. On top of the golden riser was a big seashell, opened to reveal a red velvet box holding a glittering ring.

My body filled with chills. My throat tightened, my eyes burned, my knees shook. I couldn’t take another step. I held my fingers to my lips, which quivered like crazy.

“Do you need me to carry you?” Christos asked, holding his hand out to me.

I nodded.

He picked me up and carried me the few steps to the family bench and set me down on it. Then he stepped up to the altar and lifted the ring box out of the sea shell.

He turned to me and kneeled at my feet.

The ring glimmered in the dazzling sunlight, a thousand sparkling stars dancing off of it. It was the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen.

“Samantha,” he said, “agápi mou, you are truly the most amazing woman I’ve ever known. The ways in which you make me happy are beyond measure. You make my life better, you make me better, and without you, I would only be half the man I’ve become. The first time I took you up here, I told you this place was sacred. Only family comes up here. Now it’s time to make it official.”

His eyes were brimming with tears. Mine were running silently down my face in rivers.

He cleared his throat, choked up with emotion, “Samantha Anna Smith, will you marry me, agápi mou?” he whispered.

“Yes,” I whispered, my voice gurgly with emotion.

I had secretly wished that Christos and I would be together forever, but I’d been too frightened to ever say it out loud.

Now my dream had come true. I could say it as loud as I wanted, except I could barely speak.

Christos slid the ring onto my finger. I couldn’t tell whose hands were shaking more, his or mine.

It didn’t matter.

Christos and I were now and always forever.

Forever.

LOVE.

Epilogue

SAMANTHA

“Are you nervous?” Kamiko asked.

“I’m okay,” I said, fanning my face. It was a bit warm inside the hotel room at The Lodge at Torrey Pines, despite the perfect seventy-five degree weather outside. I think it was partially my nerves. Or maybe the fact the room cost $600 a night. I guess you paid extra for the doormen wearing kilts. Yes, kilts, because they had a golf course. But it wasn’t cheesy at all. The grounds were so incredibly lush, and the hotel had such a rustic, romantic charm, I had instantly loved the place when Christos and I had visited here in June.

“How can you be nervous?” Romeo asked. “It’s your wedding day. After today, you’ll be able to fuck Christos without having to wear a scarlet A on your chest.”

“Romeo!” Kamiko groused.

“What? It’s technically adultery if you’re not married.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “What century are you living in?”

“The seventeenth?” he smiled.

“That’s what I thought,” I giggled.

“I’ll turn up the A/C,” Madison said. I was so glad she and Jake were able to fly back from surfing in Hawaii to join us for the wedding. I’d never seen Madison so tan. She was practically dark brown.

“Can you just open the sliding glass door?” I asked. “I think it’ll be quicker to get a breeze in here.”

She did, and cool air drifted inside. I felt immediate relief. I loved the smell of the fresh ocean air. At least my wedding gown was off the shoulder, so I had ventilation. I just hoped I didn’t sweat my makeup off. “Who thought of this whole thing where the groom can’t see the bride before the ceremony? I swear, I’m going to melt by the time I see Christos.”

Madison and Kamiko wore matching pale lavender bridesmaid dresses. It was a high-low pleated maxi design with a thin belt around the waist, perfect for the warm weather. I wanted my girlfriends to look as sexy as me. I didn’t go in for all that business about being the star of my wedding. They were important too.

“Are we ready?” I asked.

Madison and Kamiko nodded.

“Now I’m nervous,” Romeo said. He wore a matching pale lavender tuxedo.

“I can’t believe you insisted Sam make you a bridesmaid, Romeo,” Kamiko grinned.

“He’s totally one of the girls,” I joked.

We made our way out of the hotel room, and down to the Arroyo Terrace behind the hotel. It overlooked the croquet lawn behind the eighteenth hole of the golf course. Blue skies and lush green lawns surrounded us. The ocean kissed the sky in a peaceful white line on the western horizon.

“How’s my makeup?” I asked desperately.

Madison, Romeo, and Kamiko looked at me and smiled.

“You look perfect,” Madison said.

“Can I do you before you say I do to Christos?” Romeo asked. “Then you won’t be cheating on him.”

“Enough!” I said. “Let’s go.”

Rows of white chairs were set up on the lawn and filled with people. Most of them were friends of the Manos family. My friends were right beside me.

A carpet of white rose petals were arranged leading up to the lavender wedding arch. The petals were in a curling design that incorporated the green of the grass. The grass showed through in curving cutouts.

The music playing quietly outside transitioned into Here Comes The Bride. Some people thought it was cheesy, but to me it was a mandatory classic.

My dad stepped up to me, wearing a navy suit. He looked more handsome than I usually gave him credit for.

“Samantha,” he smiled, offering his elbow.

“Hey, Dad.”

Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined he would want to be here. I’d expected him to protest and argue and tell me I was an idiot for getting married so young and before I finished my degree. But he hadn’t. He just wanted to be with his daughter on her wedding day. It was a pleasant surprise, to say the least.

I blinked back tears. There was no way my makeup was going to make it through the ceremony unscathed.

We marched toward the altar, where Christos awaited. I kept my eyes on the prize because I was so nervous. Out the corner of my eyes, I noticed all the smiling faces staring at me from the crowd.

As my dad and I neared the final row, I glanced to the right. Sitting on the aisle in the front row was my mom.

It had been a huge shock when my dad had told me that Mom had moved back in with him. They were working things out. She was very apologetic to him, according to my dad, and very apologetic to me as well.

Oddly, over the summer I had discovered that I was forging individual relationships with each of my parents. They had both started treating me like an adult, but in their own way. I kinda liked it. It was like we had become equals. I realized my parents were now trusting me to take care of myself.

That really blew me away.

I couldn’t believe it.

But it was true.

My mom smiled at me from where she sat. She was crying. Maybe she wasn’t so bad, after all. I smiled at her briefly before locking my eyes on Christos.

Jake stood beside him in a real tuxedo for once. Beside Jake were Nikolos and Spiridon, also in black tuxes. They all grinned at me.

But I couldn’t tear my eyes off Christos. He was so unbelievably handsome. Even with his muscles and tattoos covered up by his tux, he was gorgeous. The hottest guy on the planet. His sapphire eyes shone into mine like love beacons. His dimpled grin came out and blazed brighter than the sun.

My god, he was the perfect specimen of manliness.

My dad kissed my cheek before I stepped up to the altar. Christos took my hand and we faced the Justice of the Peace.

After we exchanged vows, which I barely remembered doing, we did the candle lighting ceremony. Christos and I used our two candles to light the one in the center, before blowing our individual candles out.

Two became one.

Forever.

I flashed on a memory of the one remaining candle that had been burning the morning after my and Christos’ pre-Valentine’s celebration in his bedroom. The rose petals, the candles, and the See’s chocolates. Too bad it had been the day before his criminal trial. I had believed that morning I might lose him to prison for years. Maybe forever. I had believed that one remaining candle had been an ill omen meaning I would soon be on my own. How wrong I had been. Now I realized that one candle had symbolized our oneness even then. Silly girl. Why had I been so worried?

When the Justice of the Peace pronounced us husband and wife, Christos leaned over to kiss me.

Yes, despite all the kissing and sex we’d had, it was the most magical kiss of my entire life.

The whole crowd applauded and cheered. But Madison cheered louder than anybody. Well, Romeo was pretty damn loud, but Madison gave him a run for his money.

While everyone cheered, Christos muttered in my ear, “Now will you take your half of the money for the LOVE portrait? And my portrait of you as the fiery angel? It’s only about a million bucks after Brandon’s cut.”

My eyes popped wide open. How could I argue with that? Well, I could. A little. “Do I have to?” I smiled.

“You’re my wife. It’s fifty-fifty from here on out. What’s mine is yours. And you’re rich.”

“In that case…” I grinned as we kissed gently again, “how can I say no?”

The reception was held inside the beautiful dining room inside The Lodge. Kamiko had brought a date. Dillon McKenna, the Adventure Time storyboard artist. They were entirely cartoon cute together.

Romeo, to all of our surprises, had brought Justin Tomlinson, Mr. Boy Band editor of The Wombat. I couldn’t tell how serious they were. I was sure I’d find out.

We had hired an awesome wedding DJ named Graham Gold who got everyone up and dancing after dinner. He was totally worth the extra cash we spent on him. He wasn’t just a DJ, he was an entertainer. The perfect choice.

During the bouquet throwing ceremony, I think Justin Tomlinson was as shocked as everybody else that Romeo caught my bouquet.

Throughout the reception, everything continued to blur by. I did my best to talk to everyone. I hoped I didn’t forget to say hello to anyone important. I said hello to Brandon, who was there, and Russell Merriweather. But I’d never met many of the people in attendance. I hoped they didn’t mind I forgot their names seconds after being introduced.

At one point, Christos and I were standing by the wedding cake, talking to Nikolos.

“I wanted to explain my wedding present, before you two go on your honeymoon,” Nikolos said.

“You don’t have to do that, Bampás,” Christos said. “Whatever it is, it’ll be fine.”

“I agree,” I said. “You being here is more than enough.”

Nikolos nodded. “You are so young and innocent, Samoula,” he smiled. “But sometimes, marriage can be difficult. That’s why I wanted to explain my gift.”

“Did you buy us marriage counseling sessions or something?” Christos joked.

“No, I bought your LOVE portrait. The one of you and Samoula.”

“What?” Christos and I both gasped.

“I made a special arrangement with Brandon. It wasn’t a commission sale for him. We just did that so you wouldn’t ask any questions. All of the money is going to the two of you. All $500,000.”

Gulp. That was one big wedding present.

Nikolos continued, “And I want you both to have the painting. I want it to serve as a reminder of the special love you both feel today. I want you never to forget it.” Nikolos was clearly overcome with emotion. This was an important gesture for him.

“You can’t do that, Bampás.” Christos protested.

I agreed with Christos. This seemed like too much of a wedding gift to give anybody.

“Yes, I can,” Nikolos said. “You’re my son. And now, you, Samoula, are my daughter.” He looked at me. “I see the hesitation in your eyes, Samoula. Let me explain. I don’t want you or my son to ever have to worry about money in your marriage. Money worries drove a wedge into my family that I’ve regretted for a long, long time.” He gave Christos a heavy, sad look.

Christos nodded solemnly.

Nikolos turned back to me, “I made the decision to chase money when I was a young man so my wife and son would always have enough to be safe. But money worries became my obsession. And my beloved wife Vesile left me because of it. Now that I have money, I don’t want the same thing to happen to my son. I don’t want you to ever have a reason to leave him, Samoula.”

The heartbreak Nikolos held behind his eyes was immeasurable. I was ready to cry for him. He blinked his wet eyes and turned to smile at his son.

“But we have plenty of money, Bampás,” Christos pleaded. “I made a ton at the show.”

“Now you have more,” Nikolos smiled at him. “If you’re smart with it, you will always have enough.”

“I know all about pinching pennies,” I said. “I grew up around saving money. I know just what to do,” I grinned.

Nikolos smiled, “Excellent. I know you’ll take care of my son, paidí mou.”

Nikolos raised the water glass he held in his hand, “To the happy couple. The heart that loves is always young.”

Christos and I didn’t have any glasses at the moment, so we smiled at Nikolos.

“Thanks, Bampás,” Christos said.

Nikolos sipped his water before wrapping an arm around his son and slapping him on the back affectionately. “I’m sorry your mother couldn’t be here tonight,” he said, holding back sudden tears.

Christos winced and sighed heavily, as he hugged his father and said in a thick voice, “Yeah.”

Christos hadn’t spoken to his mother for a year or more, as far as I knew. I don’t think he’d seen her in far longer. Sadly, I don’t think he’d ever forgiven his mother for leaving when he was ten years old. She had broken the hearts of both father and son that day.

When Nikolos released his son from their hug, I could see that Christos had tears in his eyes. I rubbed him on the back of his tuxedo as he hung his head.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

“It’s okay,” I reassured, wrapping both my arms around him.

After a moment, I looked up and saw Nikolos’ eyes suddenly widen in surprise.

I turned to look behind me at whatever had caught his attention.

My chest tightened into a knot.

The most beautiful woman I’d ever seen in my entire life walked up behind me across the dining room. She had flowing dark hair and brilliant blue eyes. Everyone was staring at her. She commanded attention without even trying. She could easily be a supermodel, even though she was older. Her long blue scoop neck dress draped elegantly to her toes. I had no idea who she was, but I could make a pretty good guess. My heart jumped into my throat.