Page 3 of One Weekend in Greece

The memory has me hard as stone. On one hand, Nicole is perfect for Dafni, but on the other, she’s the only person who could shatter my self-control.

No. I have to think of my daughter. Noah was right, my house is big enough that I will never have to see her. This will work. I’ll see to it.

two

NICOLE

For the last three weeks, I’ve been working for my brother’s best friend and my ultimate crush, Jakob Petridis. Broody and gorgeous, Jakob has never paid much attention to me other than to grunt at me, answer me with distain, or, my personal favorite, give me a curt nod. Honestly, I was surprised he would even trust me enough for the job. Yet here I am.

He must’ve been desperate. But he’s a millionaire, so I don’t see how he couldn’t find anyone else.

Covered in paint, glitter, glue, and possibly gummy bears, little Dafni works on her masterpiece. I’m not much better off. I don’t even know how I’ve managed to get glitter in some places. At this rate, we could both add wings and be fairies, or style our hair to point straight at the ceiling and be trolls. Actually, Dafni would love either one. Maybe after we finish being artists, we’ll play pretend.

Dafni may be five years old, but she’s quickly becoming my new best friend. She’s a great listener and dance partner, and she laughs at my jokes. Plus, we both love junk food, especially gummy bears. We’ve been having a blast, but we always had fun at her birthday parties, holidays, and family get-togethers.

I’ve seen Dafni more over the years than I have her father because sometimes her Yiayia, Jakob’s mother, or her aunt Vivian would bring her. However, I was unsure about being a nanny. When Noah told me it was for his best friend, I laughed and immediately said no. Big no.

Jakob and Noah went to primary school and college together but still lived in completely different worlds. Jakob’s family are Greek-Americans. His parents came to America when the kids were teens and started a hotel and bakery in our town. For as long as I can remember, they vacationed back in Greece every summer. Life really changed when Jakob turned twenty-one and inherited a fortune from his grandparents’ shipping company. Turns out, his mother’s family was extremely wealthy.

He still finished med school and continued life as usual—like he hadn’t just become filthy rich overnight. Noah thinks he wanted to prove he could make it on his own before ever touching a cent of his grandparents’ money. He might not have ever touched the money if his mother hadn’t done some serious convincing, which is ridiculous to me. Nobody would’ve had to tell me twice.

Yet Jakob remains humble, aside from his gorgeous mansion, of course. He doesn’t speak much, never has, and especially to me. It’s only him and his precious daughter, along with a full staff of housekeepers, a lawn crew, and one dreaded head of staff, who I’m positive is the mistress of all evil.

He clearly doesn’t want to chitchat with me. Despite me moving into the mansion so Dafni has twenty-four access to me, I only see him in the mornings for breakfast. Sometimes he refuses to even glance my way. Other times, I catch him staring. However, every single day at six pm, I’m dismissed as soon as he arrives home. And it’s not even him telling me but Satan’s favorite minion, Midge Owens. She’s the worst. She detests me more than Jakob does, I think. It’s hard to tell…

The Empress of Darkness is in her midthirties, and I’m positive she has a thing for Jakob. Not that I blame her, but there’s no reason to take it out on me. Obviously, I’m not a threat considering he doesn’t pay any mind to little ole me. Plus, if he does have a type, it’s her. Prim, proper, put together, and dull. But that’s fine because I love my chaos and being a free spirit, which is why I’m killing it at this nanny gig. I’m of no threat to her boring head-of-house job or charming the pants off that coldhearted brute.

“Look, sweet Nicole!” Dafni holds up the construction paper, causing excess glitter to rain down.

“Oh! I love it, sweet Dafni.” I’ve always called her sweet Dafni, so now she’s been calling me sweet all the time as well.

I didn’t know Dafni’s mother. Jakob’s sister, Vivian, who is an absolute doll, told me and Noah that she’d only seen her twice. One of those times was at the hospital when Dafni was born. She didn’t want to marry Jakob, and she didn’t want to be a mother. In fact, she wanted none of it, so Jakob has full custody of Dafni. If the woman never wanted to be a mother, I don’t hold that against her. Some of my best friends don’t want children, and I respect that. Not everyone should be expected to bring another life into the world. After all, the responsibility is daunting.

However, my heart does break for this sweet little girl. I know the feeling all too well. Noah and I have a twelve-year age gap because I was the result of my parents last attempt at their marriage. The effort was in vain, I guess, because my father left without ever looking back. Dafni’s mother was less cruel. She didn’t allow Dafni to get attached, only to walk away and never come back.

“Can I make another one?” she asks, her adorable dimples on display.

I hand her another sheet of construction paper. “Of course! In fact, make two more. Want more gummy bears?”

She nods eagerly and I empty the bag into our bowl, then pop another red one into my mouth. Dafni opens her mouth, and I toss a squishy bear inside. We giggle as we go back to our crafting. She’s so beautiful, with her dark hair, blue eyes, and olive skin—like Jakob. I wonder if he giggled as a child. I don’t recall him ever laughing. How sad.

Jakob’s always been quiet, with a serious expression permanently in place. He was athletic but never celebrated his victories. Extremely intelligent. Gorgeous. Basically, he’s always been a Greek god. He dated around and rumors flew about how amazing he was in bed. Of course he was; he’s Jakob Petridis. However, no relationship lasted, because everyone said he was cold, distant, and definitely not a cuddler.

Yet here’s Dafni.

She’s so friendly and warm. While her dad is all gray, she’s vibrant and full of emotions, sunshine, and life. Honestly, I never would have thought Jakob had a heart if it wasn’t for how he is around her. He softens, as though his cold heart thaws slightly. Only slightly.

“I like this song,” Dafni tells me.

“It’s The Shirelles. They were a girl group popular in the sixties.”

“Was that a long time ago?”

“Yes, it was.”

“Was it when you were a kid?” Her voice is full of excitement.

I giggle. “No, no, no. More like when my grandmother was a kid. But that’s what makes them great—their music is timeless.”

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