The Greek Rule (The Greek Series) (15 page)

“Thank you,” she said, turning to afford him a full view. The skirt billowed about her as she curtsied.

“My pleasure, pretty lady.” He stepped beside her and offered the crook of his arm. “Where to?”

“Why Thanassi’s, of course.” She took his arm and they walked to the private lift in his office suite. She tapped her fingers on his forearm as they waited. “Demosthenis will meet us at Zapeion at six-thirty. Until then, we can roam the streets by the Monastiraki and enjoy the view of the Acropolis from below.”

The driver left them a few blocks from the restaurant because the area was only for pedestrian traffic. Strolling arm in arm, they arrived at the busy sidewalk
taverna
to find a table set with roses waiting for them. A long line of hungry tourists and locals waited, but the owner bypassed the line and personally escorted Athena and Alexandros to their seats. A bottle of cold mineral water was opened, and they ordered the favorite Greek salad, French fries, and the infamous kebab platter.

Savoring the simple meal, they spent an hour enjoying the street musicians as they serenaded the patrons. Athena expressed her approval of the gorgeous necklace and bracelet Alexandros had picked for Heather. It was a LaLaounis design, with hand set beads of twenty-four carat gold and emeralds meant to replicate the jewelry worn by the aristocracy during the times of Alexander the Great.

It was a gift his new sister would surely treasure.

“I’m so glad you like it,” he said. “I hope she doesn’t think it is too traditional.”

“No. It is perfect. She’ll love it. It is absolutely gorgeous.”

He filled her in on some business talk about the hospitality industry and relayed greetings from her boss.

“Do you remember when we first met in Naples, and I kidded with Luca about luring you to Strintzaris?”

She nodded.

“Well, what do you think? I would love to have you closer, and that could easily be accomplished if we worked together. You’re very talented. We would be very lucky to have you as part of the team.”

“It wouldn’t be fair to Luca. He took the risk on me, and he’d lose the profit.”

Furrowing his brows, he asked her to explain what she meant.

“I’m not supposed to discuss this, but I think I owe you an explanation.” Taking a deep breath, she told him the whole story of her plans for the resort on Crete, all the while wondering if he would get up from the table and walk away from her for good.

Alexandros just listened with a stoic face that belonged on these ancient streets. When she was done, he met her gaze and surprised her with a stunning grin.

“
Bravo, koukla mou.
You are extremely resourceful,” he said, pride the prominent emotion displayed on his handsome face. “A true Greek tycooness—if there is such a word.”

Relief flooded through her. “You’re funny,” she added. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be upfront from the start. It was a business decision, not a personal one. Demo has advised me not to let anyone know in case it should be leaked to the press, and the resort won’t be able to benefit from the Giardetti name.”

“I understand that completely.” He nodded, running his fingers through his hair. “What I don’t understand is why you didn’t let your brothers finance the deal.”

“I told you on the beach. Remember? I want to do it on my own merits. I don’t want to ride their coattails.”

“You are determined.” He shook his head. “Well, you did it, and now there is no reason for it any more. I could settle the deal you have with Luca, and then you’d have Strintzaris resources at your disposal. I’ll pay Luca the profit loss upfront.”

“No, it would set my plans off if I had to pay interest on them in advance.” Athena calculated numbers as she spoke and didn’t understand the purpose of such a move.

“Personally, I would be very happy if you were here in Greece. I want to help you and be able to work together. If you desire, you could set the schedule to pay back Strintzaris. It isn’t an issue.”

Alexandros skimmed his thumb over her knuckles when it became clear to her. He was talking on a personal, not professional, level and her pride wouldn’t allow such a deal. If she’d wanted to secure her goals in such a matter, she would have accepted her brothers’ offer to back the deal. No, she needed to stay with the original plan.

“It isn’t a good idea to mix business with pleasure.” She looked away from his eyes. “Besides, I can’t do that to Giardetti, I cannot abandon them and walk away. They’re counting on me specifically for the Crete Hotel.”

“Don’t just walk away. Give Luca proper notice, we’ll pay for any inconvenience, and then you’ll be free. I want you to stay. We’re professionals, and we can separate business and pleasure.”

Knowing Greek men, she knew he didn’t see any need to make that separation, but he would if it convinced her to stay. If she weren’t familiar with the way Greek men thought, she would have been angry. However, she knew he didn’t want to demean her abilities. He simply wanted to keep things ‘in the family’—for lack of a better term.

“Just promise me you will consider it, and that we’ll discuss it again at a later time.”

“No, Alexandros. There is a reason I didn’t ask my brothers to finance the deal, and for the same reason, I won’t consider this either. I
want
to do this myself, with my own merits and strengths.”

“But you have nothing to prove.”

“I do.” She raised a hand and insisted they finish the discussion. “And I ask that you respect my professional decisions. They are my choices, as respecting them is yours.”

Nodding in agreement, Alexandros settled the bill and they began to roam the cobblestone streets where the ancient people once walked. They strolled through the t-shirt shops, dallied by the windows of the traditional jewelry displays, and lingered in the antique stores. Sitting on the steps of a Byzantine church in the area’s main square, they shared an ice cream and watched people fill the square. It was a fun afternoon allowing them to explore their pasts and their dreams for the future.

Alexandros pointed to a little gypsy boy dancing with a tambourine in his hands.

“When I was little, I used to tell my father that I wanted to live like the gypsies and play music on the street for a living. I hated wearing shoes, and I thought that would be the way to avoid them.”

“I bet that went over well with your father.” She laughed at the image of Spiro Strintzaris playing the guitar with the case open at his feet, the way the little boy’s father was.

“It only lasted until I was four, then I wanted to be a garbage man and ride on the back of the big trucks.” He laughed again, and asked, “What did you want to be when you grew up?”

“I wanted to be a belly dancer. I loved the outfits they wear and the way everything jingles when they move.”

“You would be a very enchanting belly dancer, maybe even dangerous. Hey, I could accompany you with my tambourine.” He ran his hand down her back and sent shivers up her spine. Bending his head, he placed slightly open lips on the side of her nape in a lingering kiss. “See, you and I can be a very profitable team.”

“Well, then puberty hit, and I became aware of my body and physically shy. I focused on my mental attributes and decided I wanted to be a great missionary and save the world. Eventually my nature led me to individual projects of the day that would provide a comfortable living of my choice. By high school, my main requirement was to work in Greece and get paid in dollars.” She raised her shoulders in that innately Greek shrug again.

“Smart girl! You can do anything your heart desires, you definitely have the ability.” His admiration was obvious as he stood and held a hand out to help her up. “
Pame
, it’s almost time to meet with Demosthenis.”

Chapter Sixteen

Athena wrapped her arm around Alexandros’s back, and his hand gently caressed her bare shoulder as they walked through the gardens. When they approached the cafe, which was their meeting point with her brother, Demo stood and waved at her. He smiled, opening his arms.

She motioned toward him and Alexandros let her go so that she could run into her brother’s awaiting embrace. Throwing her arms around his neck, she burrowed into her big brother, and he lifted her in an elaborate bear hug.

“Demo. What a fantastic surprise. I haven’t seen you in almost a month. I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Has it only been a month? It feels more like two years to me. I see a lot of things change in a month.” He put her feet back on the ground and kissed her forehead. Then turning, he extended a hand to Alexandros. “Demosthenis Lakis.”

Alexandros took the hand, shook it firmly, and in a friendly gesture, covered it with his left hand before speaking. “Alexandros Strintzaris. Very pleased to meet you, Demo.”

“What a good coincidence that you should be in Athens today.” Demo said, looking from Alexandros to her. “Are you two staying long?”

Demo’s eyes focused on Alexandros in a knowing look. Athena could read the mental messages her brother was sending Alexandros.

This is my sister, not a plaything. She is special to me, and you’ll do well to honor that.

There was nothing like two macho Greeks meeting for the first time.

“We came in this morning.” Alexandros spoke with ease. “We needed to pick up a gift for Heather and take care of some business matters. We thought while we are here, we could not pass up the opportunity for lunch at Thanassi’s. The family is expecting us back on the island for dinner late tonight, but I am happy we have the opportunity to get together, if only for this short time.”

Alexandros’s manner and eyes communicated that he did not intend to
play
with Athena. Demo smiled casually, inviting them to sit as he ordered some frappes from the waiter.

The merger Demo was working on in Zurich had closed early. It’d been a long month, and he’d decided to come ahead of the family to Greece. He explained he wanted some time to refuel before “having Mom parade every potential and suitable Greek wife on Long Island through the house for dinner”.

The group laughed and Alexandros added, “Greek mothers, they cannot wait for those grandchildren. Are you the eldest, Demo?”

“Yes, Tony is a year younger, and Athena is our baby.” He pinched her with affection. “A big baby now, but still our baby.
Eh, koukla?
”

“How could I ever argue with such a domineering, handsome, and intelligent set of Cretan genes?” Athena rolled her eyes and winked.

“Good, finally someone acknowledges the truth,” Demo said, puffing out his chest like a papa penguin and twisting a pretend mustache. “All those tapes I played for her while she was sleeping are finally paying off…
Demo is always right, Demo is fantastic, do as Demo says, Demo is always right, Demo is fantastic
et cetera…”

Holding her abdomen and wiping tears from her eyes, she begged him to stop. Athena took in a breath and let Alexandros in on their private joke. “It was just before second grade when I woke up to such a tape in the middle of night. I laughed so hard I barely made it to the bathroom. He spent an hour repeating the three phrases into a microphone just so I would make his bed for him.”

Alexandros raised an amused eyebrow and asked if it had worked.

“Yes, she made my bed everyday for the next four years,” Demo said, and laughed.

“That’s because you paid me a quarter for each time I did it. Remember?” She rubbed her fingers together for emphasis.

“Do I? You raised it to five dollars a week in fourth grade, and by sixth grade I couldn’t afford you anymore.” He raised his glass to her.

“Good job,
agape mou
.” Alexandros rubbed her shoulder. “I couldn’t even get Costa to let me shower in the morning before he did. All I could do was wake up earlier. When it got to be six o’clock, I gave up and took showers at night.” The threesome laughed.

“It’s only you and Costa?” Demo asked, and Alexandros nodded. “You’ll work together now that Costa is back in Greece?” It was more of a statement than a question.

Demo had warned her about Alexandros’s professional reputation. He was a smart and effective businessperson. He was feared, but well respected by the international community. When he set his sight on something, he was sure to acquire it. He dotted every ‘i’ and crossed each ‘t’ without ever resorting to deceitful tactics. Athena knew Demo admired that in a businessperson.

“Yes, I’m looking forward to sharing some of the responsibility. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy what I do, but to have someone I trust implicitly with me is a great advantage.”

Demo agreed and told him how he glad he was when Tony had agreed to join him in starting their own international consulting firm.

“It’s been only three years, and Lakis Consulting is already a powerhouse in the Greek-American community,” Athena added, proud of her brothers. “Simultaneously, they’re establishing a very good reputation internationally. Some of the initial investments my brothers made were very fruitful and have increased their net worth into the multi-million dollar category. Joining their energies was very favorable—”