Chapter 24
For a split second, I let myself melt into his kiss, but then it hit me like a lead balloon and my eyes sprung open and I pulled back, pushing him away at the same time.
‘What the hell, Makis?’
‘Oh, come on, Michelle. You’ve been making doe eyes at me for days.’
‘I most certainly have not.’ My hands flew to my hips in defiance.
‘Get away with you. I’ve seen you looking at me when you think I haven’t noticed,’ he replied, smirking.
I didn’t realise I’d been so obvious. Big mistake, Michelle.
‘I may have been looking at you, but that’s because you look so like your brother.’
‘Is it though, really? Who are you lying to, Michelle? Me or yourself?’
He seemed to have turned spiteful since I’d pushed him away. I couldn’t understand how this charming man had changed so much. I needed to calm the situation down. I wasn’t sure my ‘what the hell’ response had really helped.
I lowered my voice.
‘Makis. I’m not lying to anyone. I was deeply in love with your brother before he left and I’m totally heartbroken that he’s gone to live in Greece with your mother.’
‘Why did you not go with him then? He did ask you? Yes?’
‘Yes, he asked me to go, but I have a life here. I have friends and a business here. I’ve only been in Cornwall a short time and I didn’t want the upheaval again.
But since he’s gone, it’s like he’s taken my heart with him.
I can’t stop thinking about him. Going over everything in my head.
Wondering if I should have done something different.
If I could have made him stay. Whether I should have gone with him. ’
‘I’m sorry, Michelle. I don’t suppose me turning up has helped either.’ Makis seemed to have flipped personalities again. He sat at the table, running his hand through his curly black hair.
‘So, what are you going to do?’
‘About Demetri?’
‘About him and your business.’
‘So, the business is the easy part. I’d like you to set up a meeting with me and your contact and by all means, come with me.
It might be nice to have your input. However, I will not be pushed into making a big decision like this by anyone.
I haven’t come this far to throw it away on someone that I’ve never even met. ’
‘But that’s not how it works in our world, Michelle.’
‘In that case, I don’t want to be in that world. Money might not be a lot to someone like you, but it’s bloody huge to me. And I’m not going to give it away willy-nilly to anyone without careful consideration.’
‘OK, so I’ll set up a meeting with my contact for the next couple of days if we can.’
‘Great, I’d appreciate that very much. I am truly grateful to you, Makis, I never even knew that this was a possibility for me, so thank you for opening my eyes to it.
If it works out, great. If not, then maybe it’s just not meant to be and my business will stay standing still for a while, maybe even forever.
After all, I only ever wanted it to be a part-time business so I got to spend the rest of my time doing nice things, making memories, having fun.
I’ve spent years working myself into illness for someone else, and I’m not prepared to do it again. ’
‘That’s why I think the expansion would be so good for you.
You could delegate a lot of it to your new staff and that will give you the time you want so much.
I really hope we can get this to work for you.
I do know that my contact doesn’t give advice like this for everyone and we’re lucky to have the opportunity.
This could make you a very rich woman, Michelle, if we get this right. ’
‘Of course. I understand that and I can talk to him about that when I meet him. I can move some money around and work out a plan. I can move it whenever I want to.’
‘Great, I’ll make a call then and let’s make this happen.’
He seemed to have forgotten about the fact he kissed me.
‘Makis, about the kiss?’
‘I’m sorry, Michelle. I obviously read things wrongly. My fault entirely. We shall never speak of it again. And I will certainly never tell Demetri. You have my word.’
It wasn’t until he said this that I’d even thought that Demetri finding out could be a possibility. I wasn’t sure who would come out of the situation worse if he did.
‘Thank you. I appreciate it very much. I love him you see, Makis. I have never loved anyone more. And it’s taken me this time apart to work that out.
God knows how, but I need to think of a way to see if we can still be something together.
I don’t know what that will look like right now, or in the future.
But finally, I’m prepared to take a risk. ’
‘That’s good to hear. Maybe this is your time. You can take a risk in business and a risk in life. This could be the start of something wonderful for you.’
He stood and gave me a gentle hug, which took me by surprise, but now he knew the score, I hoped that the situation earlier really could be totally forgotten and never mentioned again.
‘So, are you going to call Demetri?’ he asked. He actually looked a little bit worried but I couldn’t work out why.
‘No. I’m going to go to him. I’m going to go to Greece and offer him my heart.’
Without much thought, I knew that I wanted to just turn up and surprise him. Not give him the opportunity to say he didn’t want me to go and myself the opportunity to bottle it and back down. What could possibly go wrong?