Page 74 of Storm Bound
“Thank you. I can’t wait,” I said.
Charlie dragged me out through the archway in the hall. It led to the sitting room and was interconnected with a large dining room that also brandished floor-to-ceiling windows and had a beautiful view of green foliage on the side of the building.
“I’m sorry about them,” he said.
“You need to stop apologizing,” I said.
“What’s with all the shouting?” an older man asked.
He was sitting at the end of the long table with a young girl next to him putting together a puzzle.
“Do you need to ask?” Charlie said. “Adam, that’s my dad, Paul, and that little monster is my niece, Summer.”
I reached over to Charlie’s dad and shook his hand. His handshake was firm and strong. So strong it felt like I broke a couple bones when I pulled away.
“Let me guess. My mother is flustered but won’t accept anyone’s help, yet she will complain no one’s helped her all day as soon as Adam leaves?”
“Bingo,” Charlie said.
“Well, Adam, I’m sorry you had to see that,” Paul said with a very serious face that made me laugh with how uncomfortable it made me.
“Don’t be. It’s okay,” I said.
“Go on. Sit down. What are you doing standing up?” Paul said, and Charlie gestured at the closest seat to his dad opposite Summer.
Then he took a seat next to me and squeezed my leg under the table.
When I looked at his face, he raised his eyebrows.
Are you okay? He was asking me.
I put my hand on top of his and gave it a tug.
I was more than okay. In fact, any nerves I might have had before we came in were now completely gone. Well, not completely. Paul still looked terrifying, and I could still feel his handshake in my hand. But just seeing the Karagiannis family being a normal family that fought and argued and had their little pet peeves put me at ease.
Like I was with my family.
“So, you’re Uncle Charlie’s new boyfriend,” Summer said with a big, toothy smile.
“Summer! You’re making it sound like I’ve got hundreds of them,” Charlie huffed.
“I didn’t,” Summer whined.
“Whatever. Why don’t you go give Yaya a hand?” he said.
Summer ran off with a huff.
“She’s the only person Yaya lets anywhere near her kitchen, and that’s only to help with the serving,” he explained.
“Who wouldn’t? She’s adorable,” I said.
Paul pushed his chair and put the puzzle away then turned to us.
“What would you like to drink, Adam? We’ve got beer, red wine, white wine, and liquor. I’ve also got some Greek Retsina if you’d like to try. It’s made with grapes and pine resin during fermentation,” he said.
His face had still not softened much, but he was being nice, so maybe that was his resting face? Charlie had said he was a businessman, so it wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility that he’d earned his tough look from years of negotiations in boardrooms.
“I’ll try the Greek wine. Thanks,” I said.
