Alessandra.” Turning to Helen, he kissed her again. “Don’t worry. It will be okay,” he said. “I’ll call my mother and tell her we’ll be there early so you can meet them before the chaos starts.”
“Chaos?” she squeaked out, her body so tense she was shivering.
Dimitri smiled to reassure her. “When my sisters bring their kids, things can get a little crazy,” he explained a moment before pressing the button to take the conference call.
Helen nodded and smiled, but as she walked out of his office, she couldn’t help thinking that this was the beginning of the end. Meeting the parents was a big issue and she didn’t think she could lead Dimitri on the way she must be.
Helen pulled her chair up to her computer, her stomach feeling very queasy all of a sudden. She buried her head in her hands and fought the tears that threatened. Was it only thirty minutes ago that she was thinking that things couldn’t be more perfect? She should have known that the world couldn’t continue on as it had been. Life wasn’t that fair, she knew.
Maybe meeting the parents wasn’t as big of a deal as she thought. Maybe he brought all of his girlfriends to meet them. That thought made her feel slightly better, but her stomach didn’t recover quite as easily. Her nerves were still tense and she pushed her coffee away, the smell actually bothering her now with the stress overwhelming her.
The day progressed and the more she thought about it, the more she was able to relax. By the middle of the afternoon, she’d rationalized away most of the problems of meeting his parents and was okay with the prospect. Her stomach even started to feel better. So when Dimitri called to ask if she was prepared to close down for the night, she was more than ready. Closing down her computer, she packed up her notes and straightened her desk, not bothering to take anything home with her, knowing from experience that Dimitri would not give her the time to work. When she was with him, he took over all of her senses, leaving her exhausted, only able to fall asleep in his arms.
Unfortunately, her peace of mind from the afternoon didn’t come with her into the evening. Once they entered Dimitri’s penthouse, she walked straight to her dressing room filled with clothes Dimitri had bought her, mostly over her protests. The queasy stomach returned as well and she wished she could just curl up into a ball of misery.
Instead, Helen changed into a casual, white sundress with pink flowers covering it, pulling her hair into a clip on her neck. At least she looked cool and composed, which was as far from the truth as possible.
Dimitri looked just as casual, wearing a pair of khaki slacks and a white, polo shirt. “Ready?” he asked, seeing her standing in the middle of the main room, wringing her hands nervously. He walked over to her and took both of her hands in his large, warm ones. “Relax,” he said. “I can’t believe you are able to stand up to me but are afraid of my parents. Of the three of us, I can guarantee that I’m the scarier,” he laughed.
Helen tried to smile, but she just couldn’t shake the feeling that this meeting was going to change everything. “Yes. I’m sure,” she said lamely.
Dimitri drove his powerful car through the streets of Athens, eventually leaving the city behind and speeding across the countryside. It took less than thirty minutes before they were pulling up outside an enormous house. Dimitri led her up the front steps and pushed open the door. “Good evening, Simon,” he said to the butler as he walked with her into the large foyer.
“Good evening, Mr. Theopolis,” the butler replied, bowing slightly. “Your parents are awaiting your arrival in the blue salon,” he explained.
“Thank you,” Dimitri said. “May I introduce Ms. Helen Miller? She’s terrified of meeting m parents. Hence the anxious look on her face,” he said, pulling Helen against his side.
Simon smiled politely but there was more amusement in his eyes as he said, “Perhaps she is only wary of your presence, sir,” he said.
Dimitri laughed and hugged Helen closer. “Nonsense. She has me eating out of her hands,” he laughed, then took her hand and led her down the hallway.
Sophia and Dimitri Theopolis were very nice, eager to meet the newest person in their son’s life. They immediately made her feel welcome