a number of times throughout the day, each time attempting to make small talk, but he had clearly not been interested in engaging with her.
His mood had first gone downhill when she had heard him argue with Marios over the planning of a ceremony that was to be held in their Athenian hotel soon, and then nosedived even further when Nikos had arrived back from Thessaloníki.
She had given Nikos a piece of her mind for not having informed Loukas of her appointment, but her annoyance had faded when she’d realised just how down he was over his meeting with Eleni.
He had just started to explain to her what had happened when Loukas had arrived back from a meeting with the builders in an irritable mood. He had dragged Nikos into his office, and even with the door closed she had heard them arguing about her appointment.
She had sat there, with that old knot of shame that had been her constant companion as a child forming with such a punch in her stomach that it had felt as if it had never gone away.
It was a knot of shame that had appeared soon after her mum had walked out on her—out of their family home in England—when she was seven years old. A knot of shame that had told her there had to be something wrong with her for her mum to have walked away from her so easily; not to have wanted to take her with her. A knot that was a constant reminder that if her mum could walk out on her, then so could anyone else. She wasn’t wanted... She wasn’t good enough.
She knew her only focus should be on delivering a professional service to Loukas. But he was also her neighbour. She wanted to be able to get along with him. To be accepted by him. And part of her longed to see the Loukas of last night again. The Loukas who had been caring and kind.
Hauling in a steadying breath, she stood and approached his door.
His concentration was fixed on his computer screen, his right hand click-click-clicking away on the mouse, and Loukas did not notice her presence until she cleared her throat.
‘I’m finished for the evening.’ Unease fluttered in her stomach at his terse nod but she kept on smiling. ‘I was going to cook some pasta for dinner—would you like me to make you some too?’
Loukas glanced at his computer screen and then stood. Pulling on his grey suit jacket over his pale blue shirt, he met her gaze. ‘Thanks, but I’m meeting someone for dinner.’
She backed out, towards her office. ‘Oh. A date? Well, I hope it goes well. It’s a lovely evening for it.’
Oh, God, she knew she was blabbering, but the idea of Loukas on a date left her all jittery. She turned and fled before her mouth really got carried away.
Out in her office, after giving herself a quick mental telling-off for not behaving professionally, she swung round to wish him a goodnight, her heart leaping into her throat at finding him standing directly behind her, fixing the collar of his jacket, his movements releasing the scent of his aftershave from the material.
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