The Ghost of Greece ~ A Drakos Dynasty Novel~

13 - Heritage and Lies

Mr. Mancini’s office was all white Italian marble floors and clean lines of light greys and white. Scarlett loved the simplicity of its surroundings and the positive masculine elegance it portrayed.  She had no clue why the hell she was here but to have a one on one meeting with Mr. Mancini was either good or very bad. There was no grey area.

She sat in the chair across from his desk waiting for him to enter the room. She was nervous but knew she was a valuable asset to the hotel.  Thinking how much she would rather be at home curled up inside the massive arms and thighs of Kristos Drakos was consuming her thoughts.

Admittedly she was slightly taken aback to wake up around noon to her alarm going off madly and no one else lying in bed with her. For a split second she was angry. Feeling like she was only a piece off ass, it wasn’t until her focus saw the handwritten note. Not many in this day and age would leave a handwritten note for someone to find. Texting, messaging and other forms of social online interaction was the preferred methods. He had called her beautiful and amazing. She read it ten times over. In the moments she dressed and fixed her hair into a loose bun before walking to work, Scarlett decided she was going to have Kristos in her life for good. There was something in the way he looked at her, the way they fit so well in bed and how much he could smile just at her side glancing his way. She could feel the fate providing the entangled lives they were about to weave together if only the stubbornness of each party would give in.

Sitting reminiscing about the evening she barely noticed Mr. Mancini entering the room. He looked concerned and overly cautious about something.

“Good Morning Scarlett. How are you feeling today?”

She noticed the beads of sweat on his forehead and upper lip. Mr. Mancini was one of the coolest, easy going types she had ever known. Most said his hotel was so successful because of this attitude and personality traits. Everyone was family that worked for him. If one failed then they all failed because we should all have each other’s backs.

“I am well. I am so sorry about the other day; I was just not myself.”

“Now don’t you worry about that a bit.” He sat in his chair and immediately started standing and walking around again.

He was acting insane. It almost made Scarlett chuckle at how erratic his movements and talking was being portrayed. They she suddenly became concerned. As she often did with odd situations, she began to think the worst. Was she about to get fired? Surely not just because she tried to have s*x in an elevator with the most wealthy man in the hotel at the time?

“Mr. Mancini, have I done something wrong? You seem so… So upset or nervous about something. I assure you; I am much more myself…”

“No, no, no Scarlett. It is something I have done and I am unsure how to address it with you. So I am going to come right out and say it. You remember when your mother approached you about studying here and working for me because your mother and I are family?”

She took a moment before answering. The red flags were going off everywhere in her head and she was unsure if she truly wanted to hear the rest of what was about to come out of her bosses mouth.

“Yes…” She said questioningly. “The offer was the reason I am here at all. A job, an apartment and the ability to go to school for a year in Venice..”

“Well I didn’t offer you the job because I wanted to be nice to your mother. I offered you the job because…” he paused and gulped. “Because I wanted to know my daughter…”

She sat there just watching him lean on the desk in front of her waiting. She wasn’t sure what he was expecting. Hell, she wasn’t sure what the to say as it really hadn’t sunk in. Wait… Daughter? Her eyes widened and her face began to pale slightly.

“Daughter?” She said weakly.

He sighed. “Yes, you are my daughter. We are family that isn’t entirely a lie but your mom and I were lovers, years ago. Fifteen years after you were on this earth, she decided to lay the brick on my soul that we broke up and she was pregnant. After being diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago, she saw things a lot differently.  She was afraid if she died from the breast cancer, I would never know and you wouldn’t either. She didn’t want to tell you at all but I insisted to at least have the opportunity to know you. Even if it was under false pretenses. You remind me so much of your mother honestly. I don’t know where we go from here but I needed to come clean. I have watched you grow these last few years and you are one hell of an employee but I just… Hell I don’t know. I just needed to be honest before I promote you. And the promotion is earned. I promise you that much at least is the truth.”

So many things in two minutes. Years of lies that she had a father that just left without a trace. Lies that she didn’t know where he was. Lies that Mr. Mancini was just a kind man who took her in because he was a distant cousin. Lies! All f*****g lies. She stood up and walked out of the room. Her mind was blown and tired and stressed and screaming all in one moment.

She wandered into the lobby in a daze. In Scarlett’s mind there was no one else there. She didn’t hear Jacqueline speaking to her or any of the conversations going on in the lobby. Scarlett nearly ran into a few hotel guests making her way to the elevator. Stepping onto the elevator she pushed a button and stood there. Her focus was on nothing. The air in the space perhaps but nothing tangible.  The ride, other than the music playing softly was silence.

As the doors opened Scarlett walked almost like she was on auto pilot. She wasn’t angry or sad, there were no tears or words coming out of her mouth. She was entirely devoid of anything emotional as she knocked on the Presidential Suite door. She stood there, staring into the oblivion. Knocking again she only got to the third rap and the door opened. Looking slightly disheveled and not entirely coherent, Kristos answered the door.

“Scarlett? What are you doing here? Are you okay? You look funny.” He could see the expressionless state of her face and demeanor.

She didn’t say a word. She walked past him into the suit and walked to the bed sitting down. With an oddly concerned look on his face, Kristos shut the door and walked to stand in front of Scarlett.

“Scarlett?” He prodded with a little more force to his voice.

She looked up and stared into his eyes. She wasn’t sure why but in that second she started to bawl.  Her sobs took Kristos completely by surprise. This was unknown territory for sure but the only thing he could feel for sure was the need to protect her.

Sitting next to her on the bed Scarlett buried her face into his chest and he pulled her into his lap. She cried like that for some time. He just let it be what it was and hold her regardless. Looking up from her tears, the state of her consciousness was in question. Kristos could tell she was exhausted mentally, physically and most definitely emotionally. Lifting her up in his arms as he stood he walked around to the other side of the bed and slid on. He propped against the headboard with her in his lap until her shaking from the crying stopped and she was soundly sleep in his lap and on his shoulder.

The whole thing took about an hour or so. Kristos just sat with her slumbering in his arms. He smiled looking down at her. Was this what it was like to love someone? To have someone trust you with their life and rely on you no matter what? Why the hell was she doing this with him now? They had intimacy at the highest level, sure… Still, this was more intimate than anything their naked bodies executed.

As carefully as possible, Kristos removed her shoes, her pants and lay her under the covers. She was somewhat of an angel in that moment to his eyes. He couldn’t remember ever coveting the sight of a woman in his bed as much as he did her, just then. Looking at his watch it was after three and he was still somewhat exhausted. Slipping out of everything but his boxers, Kristos walked and put the do not disturb sign on the door. He was going to sleep. With her, he knew it would be a hearty nap and then they would eat and talk about what had her so upset.

Gliding into bed beside Scarlett, it was almost as if in her sleep she could sense his body. Rolling over and scooting towards him, Kristos was once again the big spoon and wrapping his limbs about her. Truth be told he was hard nearly instantly at her skin grazing his, but this was the time for closeness, informal need. The problem with that was…Kristos was more than happy to give it.