The Corner Booth (4 page)

He seemed pleased when she shook her head that she did not. Nodding, his eyes turned to survey the large crowd. “I will be the one to tell you then, but not here.”

“Cassie! There you are, girl!” Sean slid onto the seat bench next to her, and pulled what was obviously his latest conquest down next to him. Cassie had no other choice but to slide back towards Sakis to give them room. Sakis seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. It was more than obvious to Cassandra that Sean was way past drunk, yet her only thought was that she wished her dress was longer, as her naked leg pressed hard against Sakis’s leg. He was rock solid. Absently, she wondered how many hours it took of working out for his muscles to remain that hard. Her face heated again as she watched in horror as Sean took a sip from Stephanous’s glass. “Wow, that is delicious. Are there any more cups?” Cassie had no idea how it happened but magically, another glass appeared and was placed in front of Sean’s friend and a generous amount of cognac poured.

Sean at least had enough sobriety left in him to shake hands with their host. Cassie, on the other hand, had just about enough.

Leaning in, she made sure that she spoke loud enough for everyone at the table to hear. “Sean, I want to go home now.”

Sean looked devastated with her announcement. “But the party just started, Cass. We can’t leave yet. Besides, we have been invited back to…” Sean stared blankly at his new friend, who chuckled.

“Ryan.”

“Of course, Ryan. We have been invited back to Ryan’s house.”

As the disbelief crossed Ryan’s heavily pierced face, Cassandra knew that she had not been part of that invitation.

“Sean, after you take me home, you and Ryan can do whatever you want,” she stated curtly.

“I will be more than happy to take you wherever you need to go,” Sakis interjected.

Not realizing the conflict he was causing for Cassandra, Sean looked relieved. “Do you mind? It would be a bit out of the way.”

“No, of course I do not mind. It would be my pleasure.” Sakis looked like the cat that had just eaten the cream. Cassie wanted no part of being tossed over.

“Right. I don’t think so. I will take a cab.” It was several minutes before she realized that no one paid her any mind. Sakis whispered in Stephanous’s ear and Sean had his tongue so far down Ryan’s throat Cassie wondered how either one could breathe. This evening was not turning out the way she had planned and her nerves were starting to get the better of her.

She jumped when a dark hand reached across her again, as Sakis shook hands with Sean, who had somehow distanced himself from Ryan for a few seconds. “We are going to depart now. Please, this is my private booth. Stay, enjoy yourselves, and order anything you wish. The waitress has been informed that your evening is on me.”

Sean shook the proffered hand, acting as if he had just struck the lottery. “Are you serious? That is totally awesome. Thank you so much!”

As he rose to his feet, Sakis held out his hand, and Cassie realized she had no other choice but to take the hand without causing a scene. But she sure as hell wasn’t going anywhere with a perfect stranger, promising herself there would be hell to pay tomorrow when she got her hands on Sean. With a quick kiss to her friend’s cheek, she whispered in his ear. “I hate you right now.”

Sean laughed loudly at her words and winked at her. “Yeah, well, let’s see if you say the same thing tomorrow.”

Sakis placed his hand on the small of her back and ushered her outside. He certainly was good at controlling a situation. Racking her brain, Cassie tried to come up with a story about needing to take a cab while hoping it was a long walk to his car, because she wasn’t coming up with anything. As she stepped out into the unusually warm night, she inhaled deeply. It felt good to be in the fresh air. Just as they reached the curb, a black Range Rover pulled up in front of them. Stephanous appeared out of nowhere to hold the door open for them both. Before she could say no, she was settled in the seat and they sped off.

Cassie gulped. There was no turning back now.

CHAPTER 5

The black Range Rover sped down Beacon Street and took its occupants away from Boston. Sakis pulled his phone from his jacket pocket, quickly scanning the contents. He didn’t seem to even remember that she was seated next to him, which was perfectly fine with Cassie as it gave her a moment to calm her frayed nerves.

Stephanous glanced from the front seat to the young woman and his frown deepened. She seemed frightened. Without taking his eyes away from her, he spoke softly in Greek. “Sakis, your friend seems distressed.”

Sakis never looked up from his phone as he responded. “I understand. I will be attentive to her in a moment and reassure her. Take us to the reservoir. I feel like walking for a bit.”

With a nod, Stephanous turned around to face the front, knowing better than to question his boss. He had worked for Sakis for many years, slowly working his way up the ranks in the company. His hard work—but more important, his loyalty to his employer—solidified his current position of bodyguard and confidant. No longer were they just employee and employer, but over time had become steadfast friends and many times, Sakis would seek out Stephanous for counsel. Stephan did not take this lightly, and he knew that Sakis did so because almost everyone else in their lives answered how they felt Sakis wanted them to answer. Stephan, on the other hand, always answered truthfully, even if it did piss off one of the most powerful men on the East Coast.

He was unclear what the point was in bringing the woman home. This was something new for Sakis who, at the end of the evening, never allowed someone to get into the car with him. His guests, if they could be called that, would be asked to ride in another car provided, and they were brought to Sakis in a hotel. When he was finished with them, they would be offered the opportunity of staying at the hotel until the morning or leaving, but he would always go back home alone.

After several miles, Cassie could not take the silence any longer. “Excuse me?”

Sakis looked over at the young woman who sat next to him. She looked tired, and he wondered not for the first time tonight, what he was going to do with her. When she and her friend had rejected his invitation into his club, he hadn’t even given her a second thought. His invitation had been extended because she was a friend of Tony’s and nothing more. Until he saw her struggle to get through the crowd on the dance floor and even then, he wasn’t going to intervene until he sensed the panic that was written all over her as she tried to get through the dancing bodies. When he went to rescue her, his intention was to get her to safety before she got trampled. But the moment he grabbed her, pulling her into him, he liked the way she felt in his arms. His body reacted so quickly it shocked him.

“Isn’t anyone going to ask what my address is?”

“My apologies. I forgot you do not speak our language. If you do not mind, I have asked to be taken to the Chestnut Hill Reservoir for a walk.”

Stunned, Cassandra looked at the dark man next to her. She doubted for one moment that he forgot she didn’t speak Greek. The last thing she wanted was to go for a walk at two a.m. Cassie felt rumpled and unkempt. She grimaced as her hair, still damp from dancing and the heat of the club, stuck to her forehead. She must look a mess and she could not begin to fathom what he wanted with her. This man, she knew, could have whomever he wanted, whenever he wanted. Contrary to whatever he was thinking, she was no country mouse, and the last thing she wanted was to be used and then dumped. This had to end now. Squaring her shoulders, she fought back her fear.

“I really feel it best that I go home now,” she stated coolly.

Stephanous turned his head so that he could see what was going to happen. He never heard anyone speak to Sakis that way. Usually women fawned over Sakis. Cassandra was either brave or incredibly stupid. Stephanous sure hoped it was courage.

Sakis watched as Cassie’s chin lifted in defiance. He fought to hold back a smile. He knew she was afraid but she hid it well. He admired her even more for that trait. She certainly was a fighter. As the car slowed before it came to a complete stop, he pointed out of the window. “Too late, Cassandra. We are here.”

He stepped out of the vehicle and held out his hand. Cassandra wondered what would happen if she flatly refused to exit the vehicle. She looked at Stephanous, who stood quietly behind Sakis; she realized that she had absolutely no clue who these people were or what world they were from. Feeling outnumbered, she slipped her hand into his and allowed his gentle tug to ease her closer.

The moment her feet hit the ground, her hand was released and Sakis turned towards the water. Cassie looked around her and had to admit that the evening was perfect for a walk. A touch of melancholy flowed through her.
It would be the perfect place to come with someone you loved.

Her feet found the path, and she moved closer to Sakis, as if he waited for her to do so. As they walked for a few minutes, neither said anything, both lost in their own thoughts. Cassie looked back at a noise behind them. Her eyebrows rose at Stephanous, not far behind. She could not suppress the nervous giggle that escaped her lips. “Is he here to protect you from me?”

Sakis looked behind him before he smiled down at Cassie but continued to walk, now with his hands clasped behind his back. “Yes. As a matter of fact, he is. You know, Cassandra, you never answered my question back at the club. How old are you?”

“I am twenty.”

“Twenty. So brave for one so young. You do realize that the drinking age is twenty-one in Massachusetts?” Sakis wouldn’t tell her, but he was pleasantly surprised at her truthfulness. He had known that she was young and going on his hunch had ordered her water. She wasn’t worth losing his liquor license over. Twenty was even younger than he could have imagined.

“How old are you, Sakis?”

Laughing now, he tisked and shook his finger at her. “I am not sure I can tell you. I might seem incredibly old, and you might feel it necessary to make jokes about the years between our own.”

“Age is just a number. You can’t be that old,” Cassie replied seriously.

“I am in agreement with you. I grew up learning that age can surpass all obstacles. A powerful lesson I was taught by my parents, and I have always believed. My mother loved my father very much and there was a twenty-year difference in their age.” Sakis paused. “I am thirty-two.”

“Wow. That is old.” Cassie burst out laughing as he stopped walking. She could feel his eyes burn into her back. When she turned to look at him, she found him staring at her incredulously.

“Oh, come on. I am just teasing. And my birthday is next week, so that brings us even closer in age.”

“You are a minx,” Sakis retorted. He liked her. A lot. “What is your last name?”

“Oliver,” she answered softly.

“Well, Cassandra Oliver, you are refreshingly different from anyone I have met before.” Sakis walked again, his hands once more behind his back. This time he could feel her relax next to him.

“Do you meet a lot of people?”

“I do.”

“What do you do, for work, exactly?”

Sakis looked out over the water once again. The lampposts cast their beams over the dark liquid to make the lights seem as if they were dancing. It was very soothing. “My company is complex. Depending on what division you are asking about. In a nutshell, I invest in real estate. I have a department for sales and distribution, imports/exports, and then there is the commodity and trade division. Boring stuff, really. I would rather get to know you better.”

Cassandra knew that there was so much more he left out. She was not going to let him off the hook that easily. “So having all of those departments and divisions, in what I would assume is a large company, warrants having a bodyguard?”

She knew by the sharp intake of air that she had hit the mark. It also afforded him the opportunity to second-guess who she was. She certainly was not stupid and seemed to go out of her way to make sure he understood that.

Sakis refused to answer her question. “And you, Cassandra? What do you do?”

“I prefer Cassie.”

“I will call you Cassandra.”

“Okay, and I will pretend that I didn’t notice that you didn’t answer my question and I will answer yours. I am a nanny for a couple, right near here actually, in Chestnut Hill.”

“By your tone, I take it you do not like your job very much.”

With a sigh, she stopped walking. Her feet were starting to kill her, but her pride didn’t want him to know that. “Do you think we could turn back now, Sakis, and have a seat on the bench back there?”

“Are you telling me that an old man like me is in better shape than a young, soon-to-be twenty-one-year old?” he teased.

Cassie knew she was going to lose this battle. “Honestly, it is the heels. With all of the dancing and now the walking.” She looked down forlornly at her feet; she wanted nothing more than to take them off.

Comprehension flashed over him, and Sakis immediately felt horrible for teasing her. She had to be in incredible pain, yet she had agreed to the walk with him.

“My apologies. Of course we can turn back now.”

Sighing with relief, she followed as he turned around. “Back to your question about my job. I was so excited when I left Vermont. Heading to the big city and all. I had this job lined up for months. Knowing that my room and board would be covered, I thought that one hundred dollars a week would be plenty of money. Little did I know that I would be working from sunup to sundown, six days a week. I usually spend Sundays sleeping due to exhaustion. So, to answer your question, no, I am not happy.”

Sakis was shocked. Those were slave wages. “That is outrageous! You cannot continue to work for that family.”

When they reached the bench, Cassie eased down gingerly. She wondered whether it would be rude to take her shoes off. Before she could think any further, Sakis knelt in front of her, and with gentle hands, took her ankle and slid off one red pump, before he proceeded to do the same with her other foot. She stared down at his dark head, unable to comprehend his kindness and empathy.

“You don’t need to do that.” She stiffened, embarrassed.

Sakis glanced up at her. “Why do you have such a hard time with anyone offering you assistance, Cassandra?” He thought of her panicking at the club and resisting his help at first, even though she was terrified at the crush of people. He was sure that she didn’t even realize that her fingernails left marks in his forearm.

“Because I don’t need it. I am quite capable of taking care of myself,” she replied defensively. “And, just so you know, I am already looking for another job, and a place to live. But, it is hard, with no money. I have saved every penny I have made so far. But, rents are expensive in Boston. The way I figure it, in just another couple of months, I will be good.”

“A couple of months? I know that we have just met, but I would help you get out of your predicament, if you would only ask.” The words were out before he could stop himself.
God, what was wrong with him and who was this woman Cassandra?
Never had he ever offered a woman money, let alone the second time meeting them. That was not how he conducted business, and he found, especially with the women who tried to worm themselves into his life, they were not to be trusted. His track record so far was horrific. He steeled himself inside to the gush of thank-you’s and the batting of the eyelashes he knew were coming his way. Hopefully this wouldn’t cost him too much. He was shocked into silence at her next comment and the very visible shaking of her head.

Cassandra looked at Sakis curiously. She believed he would help her, but at what cost? Cassie had a lot of offers when she was younger from people who wanted to help her and those were people she knew. This man was a complete stranger to her and frankly, help, she learned quickly, came at a heavy cost. “No, I am good for now, but I appreciate your offer. I really do.”

Off in the distance, Cassie heard Stephanous speak quietly on the phone. She looked down the lighted pathway to watch as he and Sakis exchanged a look. She knew without being told that their evening had come to an end. Sakis seemed to have the same thought.

“Surprisingly, I enjoyed my time with you tonight, Cassandra Oliver. I am afraid that as much as I wanted to tell you about the Trojan princess, it will have to wait for another time, as I suspect that work is calling and you must be brought home.” Her hand gripped tightly in his own, Sakis rose and pulled her up with him. He grabbed her shoes, before he slid an arm under her knee and easily lifted her up in his arms.

Gasping, she squirmed. “Please put me down!”

Sakis ignored her protests as he carried her to the Range Rover, where Stephanous already stood and held the door open. This time Cassie slid in without protest as he placed her on the leather seat. She was shocked by the gentlemanly gesture and the realization that she had actually enjoyed her time with this mysterious man. When Sakis slid in next to her, he reached for her hand again and entwined his fingers with hers. Cassie made no attempt to pull away; instead, she stared down at the contrast of his darker skin against her paleness. Except for asking her address, neither spoke.

All too quickly, the driver pulled in between the familiar stone pillars onto the circular drive of the Hunter residence. Stephanous held open the door to allow Sakis to step out. This time, instead of returning to the front seat, Stephanous moved around the car, entering the backseat from the other side to give them privacy and time to say their goodbyes as Sakis walked her to the front door. Sakis’s hand gripped the side of her neck and pulled her gently to him before he placed a soft kiss on her forehead.