Page 1 of One Weekend in Greece

one

JAKOB

“Why would anyone ever want to be with you? You’re the biggest dick I’ve ever met!”

Unable to resist such a fine setup, I reply with, “Figuratively and physically, I’m sure.”

Unfortunately, this is not the first time a woman has stormed away from me on a date. I never make any promises for a future, yet they’re always upset when I refuse to take them home. That’s a place reserved for my family and those closest to me, the people I have the upmost trust in. The best I can offer anyone else is a luxury suite, phenomenal sex, and a night of borderline royal treatment. Just as long as they know that I’m always in control.

I release a heavy sigh as I stand to make my exit from the restaurant. Several patrons are staring, so I acknowledge them with a polite nod. Guess they weren’t expecting to get dinner and a show. Happy to do my part in making their night a little more exciting.

Being a controlling and arrogant asshole isn’t the worse thing in the world. Or that’s what I tell myself every morning in the mirror. If I wasn’t controlling, I wouldn’t have made it through medical school. I wouldn’t have become the responsible adult and father that I am today. And the arrogance, well, I have every right to be. I know I’m good-looking, wealthy, intelligent, and can accomplish anything I want.

Except…

Except when it comes to being a father.

I’m fucking terrified I’m going to ruin Dafni’s life. She’s my world but also my little daily reminder of what happens when I let me guard down and become careless. The one time I got drunk, let loose, and was reckless with a no-name one-night stand. She’s my reminder that I don’t have all the answers, despite years of studying and training, because there were no classes that could possibly prepare me for the fear of fatherhood. No experience in a hospital can ready you for being responsible for someone who owns every piece of your heart. Money is useless when it comes to trying to understand the mood swings of a toddler. And the uncertainty never goes away. It’s a humbling experience. The only person in this entire world who can cut me with one look, and she’s only five years old.

Dafni Petridis is my only child, and probably the only one I’ll ever have. I was there throughout the pregnancy and the delivery, and I was the one who took my daughter home. Her mother signed over any and all rights, and we never heard from her again. After her mother made it known she didn’t want her or me, I don’t know if I could ever trust another person to come into our lives. If her own mother wouldn’t step in, how could I expect someone else to love my daughter as their own? Not that I have time for dating. Plus, I don’t want any more complications in my life, and that’s all relationships are—a stressful headache to make life more complicated.

On my way home, I get a call from my head of staff, Miss Owens. She keeps insisting I call her Midge, but that would cross a professional line and put us into “friendly” territory. Which is no doubt her intention. She’s done everything but drop her clothes in front of me. I’d fire her, but she’s the best employee I’ve ever had. I’ve tried to make myself seem less desirable, but there’s only so much I can do. Being irresistible, even when I’m a cold bastard, is my cross to bear.

“Yes,” I bark out.

“Sir,” she begins. “The new nanny quit.”

“Excuse me? Please explain.”

She sighs. “I was assured she would be capable. Her references were impressive. I apologize, Dr. Petridis. I’ve once again failed to find a suitable and capable nanny.”

“How’s Dafni? Did anything happen?” My knuckles turn white as I grip the steering wheel. If anything happened to my daughter, then they’re all fired.

“She’s fine. Miss Petridis thought it would be cute to play a few pranks?—”

“But she’s fine?”

“Yes.”

I can only imagine what she did. She’s been restless and uncomfortable with the idea of a new nanny. The only nanny she’d ever known was Mrs. Broglin, who was a perfect fit for our family. That was, until she wanted to start her own. While I understand and respect that, now she’s on maternity leave and we’ve gone through three nannies.

“I’ll be home soon.” I end the call without another word.

This isn’t good. Dafni needs stability. I need to know there’s someone I can trust to be with her while I’m at the clinic. School is out for the summer, and I have my niece’s baptism coming up in Greece. I need someone immediately who can travel abroad.

What a shit show of a night.

My phone rings. I expect it to be more news from Miss Owens, but it’s my best friend, Noah Wilson. Instead of driving on home, I pull my car back into the parking lot and shift it into park and answer the call.

“Hello.”

“Hey, shithead! How’s it going with the lifestyle of the rich and famous?”

Why did I answer? Probably because Noah is the only person not afraid of my wealth. He knew me before my inheritance. We became friends when I was simply the new foreign kid in elementary school. My mother chose the most random small town possible in the United States to escape her overbearing family. They never approved of my father, but he did an amazing job raising me and my sister.

They opened a hotel and a bakery next door to each other. We lived in one of the rooms and helped work the bakery, and if someone didn’t show up to work, guess who got to help clean rooms as well? My beginnings were a far cry from the raising my mother received, but a million times happier and filled with love. Which is why I refused my inherence from my grandparents until Mamá convinced me to accept it. I didn’t touch it until I completed medical school. I had to prove to them that we didn’t need it. I didn’t need it.

Noah knows how much I despise being reminded of my newfound wealth. Fucker.

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