Chapter 5
Last night, when Oliviafound out that the man she had thought was her bodyguard actually owned the hotel, her embarrassment had not allowed her to stay in his presence for longer than it took her to say, “Oh.”
But, after her long and draining but strangely rejuvenating cry at the beach, she decided she needed to get her life in order and stop with the pity party. She made the conscious decision to stop running from her problems, and that started with making amends with her host, who she’d definitely insulted with her assumptions. However, the unnerving way he looked at her made it impossible to actually face him and apologize. She felt his sharp eyes penetrate the barrier that her long hair usually provided when she needed it.
Yesterday, he’d looked at her like she was a pest, bothering his existence, though he never outright came out and said it. And, maybe, it made sense that he’d been looking at her like that because not only did she treat him like the help at his hotel, but she’d also acted like the spoiled rich brat everyone thought she was.
But now... now he looked at her with that look. The one people usually got when they realized her glamorous life wasn’t as amazing as it looked, where they looked like they pitied her.
She hated it.She hated it so, so much that her fingers wrapped around her coffee mug a little too tightly as she fought the urge to curse him out. The look was one that always made her feel small and as though someone was opening her up and dissecting every piece of her. Usually, it was followed by the very condescending “Oh... honey.”
If he says it, I will punch him, Olivia thought.
“Can I help you?” she blurted out, unable to take the scrutiny.
Nikos made a noise but said nothing as he busied himself with whatever. “Glad to see you didn’t run away last night,” he said eventually, and then he slid a plate of fruits right in her line of sight.
“I didn’t have anywhere else to go,” she admitted, but immediately wanted to take it back because that was very pathetic of her to admit. “I mean... I—I didn’t have anywhere to go because I don’t have any cash on me and I lost my phone,” she compensated.
The truth was, she really didn’t have anywhere to go. She’d come to that realization shortly after her suitcase was fully packed and she’d reached for her phone, only to find that it wasn’t where she usually kept it in her back pocket.
“So, Nikos,” she rushed out, not wanting to dwell on the embarrassment that was heating her cheeks. “What’s there to do around here?” She tried to sound casual, hoping to shift the focus away from the earlier awkwardness.
Thankfully, Nikos took the bait. “There’s plenty to do here. It really just depends on what you are into.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
She risked a peek at him to find Nikos looking at her, only he looked with great intensity and, definitely, no pity. That had a strangely calming effect on her as she felt her shoulders relax and the grip on her mug loosening immensely. It didn’t look like he was entertaining her out of pity, which was the best she could hope for.
“Well, we have a spa, a sauna, and all that pampering stuff, if that’s the kind of day you are looking for. But, outside the walls of the hotel, you can check out a lot of local cafes, historical sites, the beach...”
“Sounds nice.” Olivia managed a weak smile, but held back the words she really wanted to say.
She was looking for something that would take her away from crowds and not toward them. Nothing Nikos said sounded appealing. Thankfully, she was saved from making any more conversation when Nikos’ phone alarm went off.
Deciding now was as good a time as any to excuse herself, Olivia tied her hair in a bun to get it out of the way and stood up from her chair, her cup in hand but the untouched fruit plate left where it was in case Nikos was going to eat the fruits.
“Uh... Olivia?” Nikos called from where he stood.
“Yeah?” she responded absentmindedly as she washed out her cup and then bent over to place it in the dishwasher.
“You... huhmm...”
Confused by his sudden change in attitude, Olivia turned around only to find Nikos giving her an intense look once again. Except, this time, it held something darker as he scanned her from head to toe and back. Too late, Olivia realized that her hair had been the shield covering the goods since her very thin nightie did nothing to hide anything.
In her rush to pack up, she had only packed one piece of night clothing and it was this black number that Ava had bought her as a prank, but it had somehow ended up being her favorite thing. It was this little thing made of mesh and strategically placed flowers around her chest area and between her legs, but otherwise, everything else was on display. And by everything, it meant everything—and she had bent over just a second ago.
“Oh god!” Olivia exclaimed as she covered herself with her hands. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to... I mean, I didn’t realize,” she stammered, feeling her cheeks grow warm. She quickly undid her hair from the bun and let it fall over her once again.
Dear heavens! Why her? Why?
“Here,” Nikos said as he took off his jacket, then quickly draped it over her.
“Thank you,” Olivia whispered, pulling it around herself like it was a shield.
“I should get going,” Nikos said. He pulled the plate of fruit from where it was and headed to the fridge.
“Where are you going?” Olivia asked as she didn’t want to sit in the awkwardness that silence would bring, and yet, she regretted it immediately. Making extra conversation meant that it would take Nikos and the embarrassment that had befallen her that much longer to go away.
“I need to meet my Yiayia and Papous,” he responded, which she didn’t think he would. But this reminded her of her blunder from yesterday and how she had acted toward him with her assumptions.
“Why didn’t you correct me earlier? When I, you know, mistook you for someone else?” She asked him, grateful for the chance to apologize and carry one less burden.
Nikos, now standing by the sink right next to her, turned to face her. “Would it have made a difference?” he questioned, his tone almost challenging.
“I don’t know,” she admitted after a beat. “But, I am sorry. The woman from yesterday, that’s not me. I’m usually not so...”
“Callous?” he supplemented when she trailed off.
“Something like that,” Olivia sighed as she looked away from him.
“Hey,” Nikos said, and then unexpectedly, he held her chin and tilted her head so she was looking up at him. The simple move shot a zing of electricity throughout her body, making her let out a silent gasp. Nikos didn’t let go of her face and held eye contact with her like he was trying to communicate something to her.
“It’s all good, Olivia,” he whispered, like they were sharing a secret.
And, maybe, she was overthinking the simple gesture, but it oddly felt like his eyes were tracing every inch of her face.
Olivia realized Nikos was now so close to her that his breath caressed her face when he spoke. His spicy cologne that lingered on his jacket had multiplied tenfold as the man stood impossibly close to her.
Her heart pounded loudly in her chest, throat dry, and hands clammy as, for the briefest of seconds, she thought about throwing caution to the wind and doing something very, very stupid. And yet Nikos’ intense and serious stare thankfully held her back.
“I don’t remember giving you my name,” Olivia whispered back, her eyes briefly shooting to his lips and then back to his intense eyes.
Would they be as soft as they look? Would I be so reckless as to find out?
“I own this place. I know the names of everyone who is staying here.”
His face broke out in the briefest of smiles and she knew, then and there, that whatever had transpired in the past few seconds was gone. Thankfully, too, because she didn’t know what had overcome her when he was holding her face. They both took a step back from each other at the same time, breaking the spell completely.
“I have to go,” Olivia said.
“I have to go,” Nikos echoed at the same time.
He let out an amused laugh while Olivia shifted from one foot to the other, eyes darting everywhere but at him as she looked for an escape.
Thankfully, Nikos gave her one. “Goodbye, Olivia. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
Then, she watched as he left, leaving her alone with the thoughts of what the hell just happened as she tried to tamper down the fluttering in her stomach caused by the way her name rolled off his tongue.