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‘At a work function,’ he said. ‘And she heads off to London for her new job soon.’
‘Hiding.’
‘Not any more,’ Galen said, and brushed the little strands of grey hair back. ‘I tell you, once the shackles came off...’ He gave her a smile. ‘She’s doing what she needs to.’
And he needed to see her before she went. Because yesterday’s exchange had left such a bitter taste in his mouth.
Was it selfish to ask her to put her life on hold and be here for the next couple of weeks?
He’d hoped for more.
And offered her so little.
‘I bought her a leaving gift,’ Galen said.
He’d put more thought into this gift than he ever had before and was rather pleased with himself. It was an olive branch. A very expensive olive branch. He would take it to the office tomorrow.
‘A nice one,’ he added.
‘Why would you do that?’ Yaya sneered. ‘Stupid boy. Go to your party.’
‘It’s not a party—it’s work.’
‘Go.’
He kissed her bony cheek and pulled the blanket up around her shoulders. Finally he felt that with Yaya he’d got things right.
He was late, but they were all meeting for a drink at the office, so he told his driver to take him there first.
Galen was nervous when things like this didn’t faze him. He had lozenges from the doctor now, little minty squares of chalk, and he sucked on one as he saw that the cars were all outside. They hadn’t left yet.
Would she even be there? he wondered, and then reminded himself, as he had to an awful lot these days, that this was work.
‘We should keep in touch,’ Roula said to Dora. ‘I mean, if you want?’
‘I’d like that.’ Dora smiled. ‘Maybe I’ll come to London. Do you think I could get a business trip out of him?’
‘Probably!’ Roula laughed.
‘I think we have to move down to the cars,’ Dora said. ‘Oh, look—here’s Galen.’
There was a lurch to Roula’s heart as she turned around and Galen came dashing in. He was so stunning that it was hard to believe she had once been coiled around him, that his beautiful mouth had devoured hers. And elsewhere!
Her face flew to fire just at thinking about that.
‘You look beautiful, Dora,’ Galen said. ‘Can you sort this?’ He pulled out an arm and Dora started sorting his cufflinks.
Clearly he was late with sad reason.
‘How is she?’ she asked.
‘Comfortable,’ he said as he put on his tie. ‘Hate these.’
Then he spoke to Nico and a few of the others as the cars waited to take them for the short drive to beautiful Syntagma Square, where the ball was being held.
And Roula looked on, a spectator now, until he saw her.
‘Roula.’ He came over and as always was polite. ‘You look stunning.’
