The Wife Stalker(14)
“I like the sound of that.” She squeezed his hand. “If I’m your destiny, I want to know all about you. You’ve told me a little about your family, but what was young Leo Drakos like?” she teased.
“I had the best childhood in the world. I’m the youngest of three sons. Wonderful parents—hardworking, honest, loving—I think I told you that my dad owned a restaurant in Astoria, down the street from where we lived.” He talked with great passion about his family—their fierce love and loyalty to one another, their pride in Leo’s accomplishments, the raucous and fun dinners around their dining room table, and their family trips to Greece. He made it all sound magical, and so different from her sterile and lonely upbringing that as she looked across the table at him, she felt a longing to be part of this warm and devoted family.
“Did your mother work in the restaurant, too?” Piper asked.
“Sometimes on the weekend, but never when we were small. She was at home every day after school, and she made dinner for us every night. She’s an amazing cook.”
Piper filed that tidbit away. Their love of cooking would be something that she and his mother would have in common. She’d been able to forge a good connection with Matthew’s mother, and Ethan’s, too, for that matter. Now, she’d get another chance with Leo’s.
“How did your brothers feel about you not working in the family business?”
“There was no issue—Gus and George always wanted to work at the restaurant. They loved it. They were happy for me because they knew I was doing something I loved. My father insisted on paying for my undergrad, but when I went to NYU Law, I waited tables to help cover my tuition. My family’s always been very supportive of me.”
“They do sound wonderful,” Piper said.
“When you meet them, you can see for yourself.”
“I look forward to it.” And she meant it. She was looking forward to it and hoped they would like her. She was reticent to ask her next question but went ahead—forewarned was forearmed and all that. “Did they always get along with your wife?”
“Yes. She was good to my family from day one. A devoted daughter-in-law. My mother and father adored her—they never stopped. But they don’t know the whole story.”
“The whole story?”
He shrugged. “I’m sorry, I know we’re being open and honest, but to say more wouldn’t be fair to her. Suffice it to say that things are not always what they look like on the outside.”
She didn’t press him.
He put his hand over hers and gave her a small smile. “Since I’ve met you, Piper, I feel lighter, like a heavy load has been lifted from my shoulders. I can’t remember the last time I felt so happy.”
They talked until the restaurant closed then went back to her house. He seemed hesitant when she invited him in, but he followed her into the living room, and they sat beside each other on the sofa, the soft glow of moonlight spilling into the quiet darkness. After their conversation had been exhausted, he put his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder. He leaned forward and, putting his hand on her cheek, gently turned her face to his. Their lips met in a deep and passionate kiss. She wanted to whisk him upstairs to the bedroom and make love to him all night, but she could tell he was a traditional man, the kind who wanted to make the first move, so she held back.
He looked at his watch. “It’s late. I need to get home.”
She did her best to hide her disappointment as they stood and kissed again, this time longer and more slowly. Desire burned within her. She didn’t know how much longer she could wait, but she was in it for the long game and didn’t want to scare him off.
His voice was husky as he whispered in her ear. “You are a hard woman to resist.”
“You don’t have to,” she teased.
He cupped her face in his hands. “As much as I hate to leave, I do have to get home. Can I see you again this weekend?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said.
Later that night, she lay in bed and thought about the days ahead and all they had to look forward to. The only cloud on the horizon was the inevitable day when she would meet Leo’s kids. She’d never wanted children of her own, something about which she and Ethan had been of one mind, so it’d been easy when she was with him. Stelli and Evie would probably be wary of her at first, and she thought about ways she might get them to like and accept her. She needed to be careful and not come on too strong. She knew it was a delicate thing, introducing one’s children to the new girlfriend. The children would have to be part of any future she’d have with Leo, but they were young and malleable. Maybe that would make the difference this time.
12
Joanna
The morning after the clearly-not-business dinner, I knew I had to take some kind of action, but I was having trouble coming up with a next step that didn’t make me seem like a jealous shrew. Finally, it came to me in a flash. I would email Piper and tell her I’d like to take her up on her offer of a free class at her “recovery and healing center,” to get a look at her in her own element. I knew that yoga was going to be a stretch for me—pun intended. I’ve never been much of a gym person; at most, I hop on the treadmill for half an hour or so, and much prefer walking or swimming. I guess that’s why I don’t wear a single-digit size. I figured I’d stick to the back of the class and hopefully nobody, especially Piper, would notice my ineptitude.