Page 22 of Greek's Temporary "I Do"

‘What?’ she asked, wondering what she’d done, but before she could ask, Travi had arrived at their table.

‘So, you incorrigible flirt, you finally bit the bullet and settled down with this unimpeachable goddess who is worth ten of your weight in gold,’ Travi announced, grabbing Leo by the shoulders and nearly wrestling him into a headlock.

Helena pressed a hand against her mouth to try to stop her laugh escaping from the shock on Leo’s face, until he managed to regain his composure, or at least recall that he was supposed to be Leander.

‘Hey, maláka, I know exactly how much she’s worth,’ he said, turning in the man’s hold to accept the hug in a way that seemed utterly alien to Leo, but absolutely one hundred percent Leander. ‘Everything. She’s worth everything.’

Although Leo was looking at Travi, the words struck Helena hard, catching her breath in her chest. Because wasn’t that what she’d always wanted? To be someone’s everything.

‘But if you call her goddess again, we’re going to have words,’ Leo added with a warning bite that sounded foreign to her ears as she hastily pushed down the sudden bloom in her heart.

‘Helena, angelí mou, light of my life, why did you pick him? You know I would have married you in a heartbeat,’ the other Greek male complained.

‘Travi,’ she said, taking his face in her hands, the smile on her face only a little forced. ‘You know how much I love you, but he has a bigger bank account,’ she teased.

‘How very dare you?’ Travi cried in a high falsetto and a cut glass English accent. ‘I expect you both to be the last couple standing,’ he commanded with a finger pointed right at them, before he left to meet and greet his other guests.

One after the other, many familiar faces from amongst Leander’s crowd came and went, Leo seemingly relaxed and easy, mimicking his brother so well that even Helena nearly forgot. But it wasn’t just the smiles and jokes. Talk quite often turned to business—and she suddenly realised how many of Leander’s acquaintances he’d actually met through business. Someone needing investment advice, or wanting the ‘in’ on his latest app development.

Leo handled each and every one with an ease and confidence that surprised her, the marked difference from the man who could barely bring himself to touch her at the wedding, who was more relaxed and freer somehow.

When someone tapped her on the shoulder she turned and found herself immediately wrapped in the warm embrace of Serene, a friend of Leander and Travi that she’d spent some time with in London when she’d visited for work.

‘Man, you tamed the devil,’ Serene teased in English, nodding to Leo and mistaking him, just like everyone else, for Leander. ‘I didn’t think anything would make him settle down.’

‘Neither did I,’ Helena replied, feeling a little guilty for the deception now that she was with friends.

‘So, what is it like?’ Serene demanded as Helena passed her a champagne flute. ‘Married life! Gah, I can’t think of anything worse.’

Others around the table joined in the conversation, affectionately shouting her down, but Serene remained beautifully and happily adamant.

‘Go on,’ she taunted Helena. ‘Hit me with it. What’s the best thing about being newlyweds?’

‘Oh, I don’t know...’ Helena hedged. ‘Morning breath?’ she offered, determined to hold onto the humour in the conversation.

‘Picking up someone else’s dirty laundry,’ another of Leander’s friends contributed.

‘Argh.’ Serene grimaced, the look of horror on her face comical.

‘Having to put the toilet seat back down,’ another woman added.

‘Okay, no. If you’re not going to be serious about this, then I’ll ask him. Hey!’ she shouted, pulling at Leo’s arm. ‘What’s so great about being married, Leander?’

Leo looked at the expectant faces around the table. He knew they’d all been laughing about it, but as he looked at Helena he didn’t want to laugh it off. He had once believed in the sanctity of marriage. He’d wanted it, hoped for it. Thought he’d nearly had it. Helena’s smile faltered just a little and he forced a smile to his lips.

‘The best part about being newly married is that I get to dance with my wife whenever I want!’ he said, reaching for her and pulling her away from the crowd to the celebratory yells and encouragement of Leander’s friends.

As he led her to the dance floor Leo felt drained from having to pretend to be his brother for the last two hours. He hadn’t realised how at the wedding no one had actually said anything more than congratulations. And at the gallery they hadn’t spoken to anyone after the red carpet.

But this had been different. These were Leander’s friends. And Leo liked them. He could see how easy they were around each other, how supportive, how interconnected. Business was business all over the globe, so he could field any specific work-related questions with ease. The loyalty these people had to Leander—who, in Leo’s considered opinion, had the staying power of cheap Sellotape—surprised him. He was struck, seeing his brother through other people’s eyes. But he was also struck by how he was seen.

As a man who didn’t show up to his brother’s wedding.

A man with a stick up his backside.

A man who couldn’t relax.

In truth, he was a man who couldn’t remember the last time he’d come to a club or been out with his own friends, and it was that realisation that had made him want a moment away from Leander’s friends, so he’d clutched at the opportunity to draw Helena on to the dance floor.

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