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I miss him.
Tuesday can’t come soon enough.
Chapter 36
Helena
Two Days Later
“Are you ready?”
I look up as Zervas comes in the gallery. It’s weird. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look nervous, but he’s been different ever since the night of the event. I don’t understand why because that show was a major success. The gallery made a lot of money, and the artists were all happy. Most notably Liberty Quinn. Every single piece she had sold. She never agreed to sell EZ her painting, but since she shared with me that she’s been seeing him, I don’t think that matters now. I’m happy for her. I push my thoughts away and try to concentrate on Zervas, noting his energy is even more strained that it has been.
“Ready?”
“You agreed to a business luncheon with me, remember?”
I sigh, because I do remember, I was just hoping he would forget. I don’t want to have lunch with him. I want to avoid him as much as possible and then leave with Marco when he gets here tomorrow. This is what I want, but apparently it is not what I’m going to get.
“Zervas, I really do have a lot to do. I have company coming in tomorrow—”
“We need to. Go over work. It’s just work, Hel’.”
I frown. That’s something else that’s different. That last few days he’s shortened my name. I hate it. I know I can’t really say no here, though. He’s not exactly taking no for an answer, but it’s more than that. I still work here and he’s the boss. That means, I need to suck it up and get this over with.
“Let me grab my phone and purse,” I mutter, turning to go to my desk. I open the bottom drawer and grab my stuff, switching my phone on and slipping it into my purse.
“Ready?” Zervas says again, looking put out because he had to wait on me.
“I am. I’m thinking Cilantro’s Greek salad sounds good. I’m famished.”
“We’ll have to do that tomorrow. I’m taking you to a new place. You’re going to love it.”
“A new place?” I ask, not liking this at all. Suddenly I’m tasting fear and I don’t like it. There’s. something very wrong going on here. I can’t tell you why I feel that way, other than Zervas is freaking me out.
“Yep,” he says, ushering me outside.
I’m trying to come up with a way to insist we go to Cilantro’s—which we can do by walking. I don’t get the chance, because apparently, I’m cursed with bad luck today. I know this because somehow, I completely missed the fact my boss pulled his car into a fire lane, parked illegally, and left his convertible, baby blue, Ashton Martin running.
Who does that?
More importantly, how did someone not hop in the car and steal it? I mean I’ve not been in Phoenix long, but there are police sirens going off often. An empty Ashton Martin should tempt even the lamest of car thieves, right? Jesus.
“Zervas—”
His hand hits the small of my back and becomes forceful as he directs me to the passenger side. He opens the door and I go inside. I don’t really have a choice. I’m pretty sure if I had refused, Zervas would have thrown me in headfirst. We ride in silence until he navigates out of the downtown. When he still doesn’t speak and shows no sign of getting off the interstate—we’ve passed five exits so far—panic starts to take me over.
Make that six exits.
“Zervas, where are we going?” I ask, unable to take the silence any longer.
I don’t know who this guy is, but he’s not the man that I’ve gotten to know. He’s not even bothering to flirt with me—something he has done since day one. He’s also not trying to have a conversation with me at this point.
“I’m going to show you the new gallery in Vegas,” he says, not sparing a glance my way.
His words also make my blood run cold. Vegas? I told him pointblank that I didn’t want to see the new gallery, but he never mentioned that gallery was in another freaking state either. I
I also told him I was returning to Athens and my old job so there would be no reason to show me his new gallery. The fact that he practically kidnapped me to take me somewhere I’d basically already said no to, is scary. I’m also the kind of girl who, despite my father ignoring me, has led a sheltered life. What Zervas is doing makes me afraid. I don’t handle fear well. The last time when I was afraid that Marco was only being so great to me because he felt responsible for me. That made me run away and land myself here—in extremely hot water.
With that in mind, I decided I needed to alert someone about where I was. I would prefer that be Marco, but I know, instinctively, I can’t let Zervas know who I am reaching out to. With that in mind, I undo my seatbelt and reach into the backseat where my clutch and phone are.
