The Corner Booth (5 page)

“I would like to see you again, if you are willing, Cassandra.”

“I would like that,” Cassie replied honestly.

Cassandra watched Sakis walk back to the vehicle without looking back.

CHAPTER 6

The phone vibrated loudly on the nightstand. Cassandra fumbled for a few minutes before she was able to pick it up. Squinting, she frowned as she read the name on the caller ID. She was definitely not ready to speak to her loser friend right now, after he left her high and dry. After she clicked the Ignore button, she flopped back onto the pillow and stared at the ceiling as she reviewed the previous evening.

If she were honest with herself, she would have to admit that without Sean dumping her for a booty call, she would never have gotten to know Sakis the ways she had last night. Butterflies fluttered inside her stomach at the thought of the tall, dashing Greek. There definitely was an attraction between the two of them. She may be inexperienced, but even to her, it was obvious. Sakis certainly had been a gentleman all night, from removing her shoes from her throbbing feet, right down to carrying her to the car, and ending with the very chaste kiss on her forehead when he dropped her off at her door. This man was way out of her league in every way and for her to even contemplate seeing him again was crazy.

The metal vibrated again on the wood. Cassie decided to face Sean and his questions head on. He was probably the only one who could help sort out the crazy evening.

“Yes, Sean, you were right, he was yummy and delicious all rolled into one, but it still does not excuse the fact that you dumped me for a booty call.”

A heavy silence hung on the line before an accented voice, which, suspiciously, seemed to be trying to hold back laughter, spoke. “Maybe you should clarify who you found to be yummy and delicious. We barely know each other, yet I fear, I have been so taken by you, I might be overcome by jealousy and have to kill him. Unless, of course, you were referring to me, which in that case I would reply with thank-you.”

Cassie pressed her hand to her forehead. She couldn’t even speak.

“Cassandra, are you still there?”

“Yes,” she replied weakly. “Unfortunately I am.”

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, Sakis. I am soooo sorry. I thought you were Sean again. He has been trying to call me all morning and I have been ignoring his calls.”

“Cassandra, breathe. It is okay. I apologize for calling so early, after our late night.”

“No, really, it is okay. I am glad you did. Is there something you needed?” Cassie tried unsuccessfully to control the hammering in her chest.

“Actually, yes. I was wondering if you would like to have an early dinner with me this evening. If I remember correctly, today is your day off and I felt our evening was…incomplete, for lack of a better word, and wanted to continue our conversation.”

Cassie hugged her knees to her chest to hold back the yelp of excitement. Her face flushed as she inhaled deeply and hoped she sounded mature and sophisticated. “I would like that very much, Sakis.”

“Great. I will have a driver come and get you, say around four o’clock?”

“Perfect,” Cassie replied. “I will be ready.” Too late, she realized Sakis had already hung up the telephone.

CHAPTER 7

“Seriously, not even one lip lock? He didn’t strike me as gay.” Sean was disappointed. Contrary to what Cassie thought, he wasn’t as drunk as she had thought he was last night. It was more of an act for everyone. He was quite aware of the way Sakis stared at his friend. Initially he had been nervous for her, because that stare seemed very predatory, until the gorgeous man caught him staring, and then he couldn’t read him at all. What Sean did want was for Cassie to let her hair down, and loosen up. If anyone needed to get laid, it was her.

Cassie threw a pillow at Sean’s head. “Good grief, Sean. He is not gay. He was just a gentleman. Unlike some people I know, who put out at the first opportunity.”

“Maybe, but he certainly didn’t strike me as the gentleman type, if you know what I mean,” Sean replied. “And you wouldn’t be saying that if you knew how much fun I had with Ryan last night.”

Nodding, Cassie frowned into her closet. She had nothing to wear for her dinner date that she felt would be suitable. “Yes, I do know what you mean,” she agreed absentmindedly. “I couldn’t quite put my finger on it last night, but I wonder if it is just that he is more reserved than the people we know. I don’t know any people from Greece—do you? Maybe that is how they are.” She groaned as she threw more shirts on the bed.

“All of this is shit. I am going to call him back and cancel, because I have nothing to wear!”

Sean jumped to his feet. “No! Canceling is not an option. And this stuff is not that bad.” He picked up the last thing she tossed on the bed with one finger and grimaced. “Okay, maybe it is. Can’t you just go and shop in Mrs. Thing’s closet downstairs? They said they would be out for the day, didn’t they?”

Cassie looked appalled at her friend. “I could never do that, Sean, and you know it. It is like stealing.” A tiny bubble of defiance rose in her chest as she thought of all of the clothes that her employer refused to wear more than once. In a few weeks, so many of the items would be donated. Not once in the months she had worked for her were any of the items offered to her. Cassie started to suspect that it was because no one in the house could look better than Jennifer.

“We are just going to have to make this work. If he likes who I am, than he is going to have to like all of me, which includes the clothes.”

“He will probably want to rip them off you and not for sex, but because they hurt his eyes,” Sean snapped back.

Tears welled in Cassie’s eyes, and she dropped onto the edge of the bed. Sean stared, aghast.

“Oh my God, Cass, I was just kidding.”

“Maybe you are, but who am I kidding, Sean? I am so far out of my league. I feel like I am going to show up, and be surrounded by tons of people, telling me that I have been pranked. ‘Hey, Vermont Farm Girl, did you really think he likes you?’ What the hell does he want from me? Sex? You know I am not like that. He left two people he didn’t know at his table with an open bar invitation, without a worry about how much they would spend. Who does that? I pick pennies up from the ground, knowing that eventually one hundred will equal a dollar.”

Sean thought hard about what she asked. He wished he knew the answers, because the same questions had been racking his brain since their phone conversation this morning. Not that Cassie wasn’t attractive—Sean actually thought she was beautiful, and you couldn’t get any gayer than him—and with a little bit of work, Cassie would actually be quite stunning. Sakis was very much on another financial scale than they were, which put him on a different social scale. Those two never mixed, unless he came from the same type of background. Their problem: they knew absolutely nothing! Sean hoped for her sake she wasn’t being played.

“I really don’t think that he is looking for just sex. He strikes me as the type who would never have to go looking far for that. I really don’t know, but let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth. You said it yourself. He has been a perfect gentleman. Let’s see where it goes and take baby steps if you have to. The first being finding you something appropriate to put on that hot bod of yours. Then I am going to redo your hair and makeup my way. So wipe those ridiculous tears and let’s get cracking.”

A smile on her face, Cassie jumped up and gave him a big hug. “Thanks for being here, Sean. What would I do without you?”

“Honestly—I shudder to even think about that. Now, tell me about the other stud. Do you think I have a chance?”

_______

Hours later, Cassie stood in the foyer and stared at herself in the mirror. She had to admit that the hairdresser side of Sean was a miracle worker. Her long hair, normally drab to her, was a tiny bit shorter and chipped to give it more of a funky look. The layers sported dramatic new blonde highlights. Her eyes, which she knew where one of her best features, were penciled with a smoky color and a hint of blue liner to bring out the ice-blue color in her eyes. Finally, completely trusting Sean, she allowed him to dress her, and she had to admit that the dark blue dress was perfect on her thinner figure, with the long pearls wrapped several times around her neck and another wrapped around her wrist.

The only thing they argued about was the shoes. Her feet still hurt her from their workout last night dancing and then the walk around the reservoir. Cassie wanted to wear flats, and Sean, satisfied she had compromised with the hair and the dress, put aside the stilettos, but convinced her to at least wear the sandals with the leather straps. Sean felt the flats were too grandmotherly. The sandals with the silver toe ring made the dress, and so far her feet didn’t ache.

At the tap at the door, she turned and her eyes connected with Stephanous through the glass. She smiled, glad it was him at the door and not a stranger. Her pocketbook in hand, she set the alarm hurriedly and closed the door behind her. Stephanous held the rear passenger door open. Slowing her pace, Cassie cocked her head to one side when she saw the backseat empty.

“Hi, Stephanous! It is good to see you. I can sit in front with you.”

“Hello, Cassandra, you look very pretty and no you cannot,” he replied smoothly.

Digging in her heels, she stepped around him to open the front passenger door, and slid in and locked it before he could stop her. Stephanous stood for several moments, unsure of what to do; Cassandra pretended to cough to hide her smile. Obviously he was not used to people doing the opposite of what he asked.

After he slid into the driver’s seat, Stephanous’s hand hovered over the ignition key. “This is not appropriate for you to be sitting in the front seat. You are not the hired help, Cassandra.”

“Well, I know I am not, but you need to set aside your labels when it comes to me,” Cassie retorted. “I don’t look at people as ‘hired help.’”

“Agreed, but there are protocols you have to be aware of.” The powerful engine seemed to purr under his skillful hands as he started the engine and Cassandra gripped the door handle as they shot out of the driveway.

“I am not trying to be difficult, but what we are talking about are made up rules.”

Stephanous shot her a sharp look. “These are not rules. I am talking about protocols, Cassandra, and there is a difference. Look, you don’t have to like or agree to these protocols or what you refer to as rules, but you need to understand this…your ability to skirt the rules could one day cause someone to lose their job, because you decided for whatever reason that you didn’t want to follow them. I personally like the people I work with.”

Stopped at a red light, Stephan glanced at Cassandra, who had remained quiet. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath. Her face was beet red. At the beep behind him, he gunned the engine and shot through the intersection. It had not been his intention to embarrass her, but she had no clue what world she was about to enter.

“Are you going to get fired, because I chose to sit in the front seat with you?” Cassie worriedly chewed on her bottom lip.

Smiling now, Stephanous shook his head. At least she was not only listening, but hearing what he was trying to tell her. “No, there is an exclusion with me, Cassandra, but if it had been the other driver…well, you would have probably given him a heart attack with your actions.”

“Please call me Cassie, and I am sorry. I really didn’t think…honestly, Stephan.” Cassie hesitated. “I have no idea what I am getting into, do I?”

As they pulled up to the largest gate she had ever seen in her life, Cassie gasped. The metal swung open to allow them to pass through, before slowly closing again.

“Holy shit,” Cassie said out loud to no one. She had never in her whole life felt as small as she did the moment those gates swung open. She had thought the Hunters’ house was large. But this wasn’t a house—she wasn’t even sure it was a mansion. Palace seemed more the right word she wanted to use. Fingering the dress absently, she felt dowdy; it might have been overalls and T-shirt for all that it mattered. She was a no one and that was made apparent just by pulling into the massive driveway. She wanted to die, melt right into the seat and disappear.

Stephan’s words were gentle as he rolled the car through slowly, oblivious of her conflicting emotions. “No, Cassie, you have no idea what you are getting into.” He stopped at the main door; he turned slightly in his seat and placed his arm on the seat behind them. “But I will make you this promise right here, right now because I am a great judge of character: I like your honesty, your courage in facing your fears, and I confess I admire who you are, or at least what I have seen so far and if you trust me…” Stephan put his finger under Cassie’s chin and forced her ice-blue eyes to look into his darker ones. “Cassie, I am talking about really trusting me. I will help you to navigate through this world and I promise I will not let anything bad happen to you. But you have to trust me—that when I tell you something, you do not question why. If you do not, then I cannot help you. Understand?”

Nodding, Cassie fixed her eyes on Stephanous’s own. He was being serious and she felt safe. “I will trust you, Stephanous.”

With what could be only described as relief, Stephanous released her before he shut down the engine. “Good girl. Right now, what you have done is minor. Someday it could be life or death. Now, he is coming. Do me a favor and do not leave the car until I open your door. Understand?”

Cassandra did not respond. This was a side to Stephanous that she didn’t even know existed. He was kind and strong and obviously willing to protect not only Sakis but herself. He wanted to be her teacher. At that one moment, she was relieved to realize she had a friend in this new world.

For Stephan, Cassie not moving was answer enough for him.

Her gaze turned to the main door, and she stared at the man she was going to have dinner with as he stepped down the wide stairs. He wore black dress slacks and a stark white shirt. He left it untucked, giving him a casual feel, if you could call it casual. Sakis was flawless in every way in his appearance. He did not seem pleased at the moment and he spoke in Greek to Stephanous, who answered curtly back in response while he opened her door. Cassie didn’t have to be told what they were saying to understand that they were discussing her and her stupid front seat move. Taking her hand, Stephan assisted her out of the car.

“You look terrified. Relax. He won’t bite.” Stephan laughed and whispered to her, before he drove off and left her alone with Sakis.

Cassie’s nerves hit an all new high, and Sakis seemed to understand that she was frozen in place. His face softened. “Good evening. You look lovely, Cassandra.” Wrapping her hand in the crook of his arm, he led her to the door, before he released her so that she could step in ahead of him.

The foyer was magnificent. Black and white marble gleamed beneath her feet. A sweeping staircase rose up on her right, and the polished wood shone a deep luster. In the center of the grand foyer, a large round table held a crystal vase and the late afternoon sun streamed through large windows, bouncing off the cut crystal. Flowers overflowed the container and filled the air with a musky scent. Cassandra wasn’t sure where to look first, and she felt overwhelmed.

“Your home is extremely large and very beautiful, Sakis.”

He seemed pleased with her reaction.

“It is even more beautiful now, with you standing before me.” His words were spoken softly to her.

Lifting her face, she stared at him. He did not seem disingenuous. Cassie’s face heated with the compliment. Smiling, she followed as he walked to the left. Moments later, they stood in a large kitchen and the scents caused her stomach to growl loudly.

Sakis chuckled. “It seems you are as hungry as I am feeling. Come.” Ignoring the staff who were busy around them, he directed her through the kitchen to a large area on the opposite side of the room where a large L-shaped sofa sat. A TV was mounted above a large stone fireplace and several overstuffed chairs were placed to one side of the sofa. The coffee table gleamed, and a cluster of lit candles reflected in the shine of the polished wood. The drippings from the candle indicated to Cassie that they were not just placed there for her benefit, but instead were used often. Small trays of food had been placed around the centerpiece. It was the perfect spot to settle in for a long stretch. Unlike the main entrance, which, as beautiful as it was, seemed sterile, this area was lived in, used and homey. Cassie could feel herself relax immediately. Here she could sit and be herself. Cassie watched as a tall, primly dressed woman approached Sakis and spoke in Spanish. Cassie’s eyes widened when Sakis responded in Spanish, as a look of irritation crossed his face before he turned again to Cassie.