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‘It does take determination to break through it,’ Fiona replied.
One of the other women nodded in agreement. ‘And not having babies,’ she exclaimed feelingly.
‘The dreaded “mommy track”.’ Mel grimaced. ‘It’s still the ultimate dilemma, isn’t it, for women? Career versus family.’
Just as she’d hoped, the conversation took off along the well-trodden path of whether high-flying women could have babies without jeopardising their careers and she left them to it. It was a vigorous debate, with one of the female guests strongly defensive about the ‘mommy track’, and Fiona and the other woman saying bluntly that families would just have to wait.
At Mel’s side, she felt Nikos lean closer in to her.
‘FMCG?’ she heard him query heavily. One arched eyebrow was lifted interrogatively.
Mel turned to him and smiled sweetly. ‘Fast-moving consumer goods—surely you know that, Nikos?’
His dark eyes glinted. ‘And so do you, it seems.’ His voice was dry now, with a hint of surprise in it.
Mel’s gaze was limpid. ‘Yes, the knowledge came courtesy of my degree in Business Studies,’ she murmured. ‘Oh, don’t tell me you thought I was just a little blonde bimbo, Nikos, sweetie?’ she mused.
The glint which was so becoming familiar to her showed in his eyes. ‘Only if I feel like living dangerously,’ he replied, the resigned humour in his voice audible.
Mel shot him a flashing smile of approval. ‘Smart guy,’ she said, with a quirk of her mouth.
‘You know, I’m beginning to think I am. Inviting you tonight was the smartest thing I’ve done in quite a while,’ Nikos replied, and there was something in his voice that told Mel he wasn’t talking about her brainpower any more.
A tiny ripple of heat went down her veins.
Careful! The voice inside her head was sharp, and instant.
She was grateful to hear herself addressed by someone else. The question came from Fiona.
‘And where do you stand yourself on the “mommy track”?’
Mel answered without hesitation. ‘I’m afraid I’m pretty much indelibly focussed on personal goals and priorities at the moment,’ she said, not elaborating to say that travel and globetrotting were those personal goals and priorities—not building a glittering career in FMCG data analysis. ‘So right now,’ she added feelingly, ‘I’d definitely say I don’t want a baby. Of course,’ she allowed, ‘I’m nowhere near your level, and never likely to be, so the whole “mommy track” thing wouldn’t be the issue for me as it is for you.’
Again, her compliment on Fiona’s high-powered career was well-received by its target. Mel could almost see her preening.
‘Mind you,’ she went on, ‘there is another tricky issue that female high-flyers hit, which is the shortage of suitable partners for you in the first place. It’s a pretty brutal truth that men “date down”—I mean, look at me. Here I am, a humble retail analyst, and I get to hang out with a guy whose family own a bank!’
‘So how did you?’ The needles were back in Fiona’s voice.
Mel smiled disarmingly. ‘Oh, Nikos can be so very...persuasive when he sets his mind to it,’ she purred, in an outrageously over-the-top style, clearly meant to be humorous, that drew a laugh from the other guests.
Even Fiona smiled, and Mel was glad. She didn’t blame the other woman for setting her sights on Nikos Parakis. She wouldn’t have blamed any woman for doing so. With or without a bank in his family, Nikos was the kind of man that every female in town would make a beeline for.
And go weak at the knees over.
Like I’m doing?
The darting question—warning?—came before she could stop it.
At her side she could hear his deep tones take up the conversational baton.
‘You’ve no idea how hard I had to work to get Mel here,’ Nikos was saying lightly. ‘In the end I think it was this venue that swung it for her.’
‘It’s certainly fabulous,’ she agreed warmly, glancing around once more at the opulent ballroom.
‘All the Viscari hotels have this level of cachet,’ one of men commented. ‘Something that sets them apart from the common run of luxury hotels.’
‘Oh, yes, absolutely,’ enthused his partner. ‘I think my favourite so far has to be the one in Florence.’
The conversation moved into a lively discussion about just which of the ultra-luxurious Viscari hotels was the very best of all, and Mel left them to it.
The main course was being served, and she got stuck in with definite enthusiasm. The lamb melted in her mouth, and the Burgundy washed it down to perfection.
