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CHAPTER SEVEN
‘IDIDWARNYOUthe job was full-on,’ Galen said as she climbed into the car.
‘You did.’
‘And I’m aware that you haven’t signed your contract yet.’ He held up a folder. ‘We can go through that after dinner—hopefully it won’t drag on. The guest is Hector,’ he explained. ‘Chairman of the board. I didn’t think he’d actually fly in.’
He pressed the intercom and spoke to his driver, and Roula went a little pale as the driver confirmed that they were on schedule.
‘Galen?’ She was taken aback when she heard the name of the restaurant they were headed to. It was such an exclusive restaurant that even for the retreat guests reservations were not always able to be secured! ‘You should have said where we were going?’
‘Why? It’s just dinner.’
For him, perhaps.
No wonder Kristina was photoshoot-ready, Roula thought as they drove up the hill. Then again, the only halfway decent dress she had was black—the one she used for funerals. Another hand-me-down from her mother.
Roula sighed, but then snapped to attention as Galen spoke on.
‘Hector wants to find out if there’s any progress on Game Four.’
‘The Anapliró game?’
‘It’s not Anapliró,’ Galen corrected. ‘Just loosely based on it. Anyway, he’s really pushy.’ He told her what Kristina already had. ‘They want to announce the release date at the ball.’
‘Is it nowhere near ready?’
‘I’m not discussing that until your contract’s signed.’
That stung a little too much, but Roula took a breath and reminded herself of the warning Galen himself had delivered—he was very different at work. They were not friends going out or catching up.
Roula was so underdressed for such fine dining that she actually did turn heads. A nudge when they saw Galen...a gape for Roula. Her face was actually burning as they were ushered to a table—or rather, one ofthetables...
As the waiter held out her chair Roula attempted a little joke to Galen as she took her seat. ‘Best tuck my skirt away!’
‘Sorry?’ Galen frowned.
‘I saw your message to Kristina about it.’
‘Oh!’ He grimaced. ‘I asked Kristina to broach my issue with patterns.’
‘You could have just said.’
‘Well, I find those sorts of topics difficult,’ Galen admitted. ‘I’m not allowed to notice Kristina’s girth or she gets annoyed.’
Roula gave a little laugh.
‘Don’t order a starter,’ he warned. ‘I don’t want this to drag on.’
‘Okay.’ She looked over. ‘What about dessert?’
‘Hopefully he won’t last that long.’
The glug of wine being poured welcomed Roula on this, her first night in Athens. Yet they sat pretty much in silence as she turned and drank in the view, for it was as if they were seated on the edge of heaven, encased by hills with the sea beyond, the centrepiece the beautiful citadel and its gorgeous ancient buildings.
‘Gosh!’ Roula sighed. ‘It beats the school trip.’
Galen didn’t respond. He was checking his phone. ‘Someone is ill on Hector’s plane and they can’t disembark,’ he said.
