When he turned to Mairi again, he cursed under his breath. She looked like she was near to collapsing.
Fuck this.
He did not like playing the knight in shining armor, but something about Mairi made him want to pretend he was good.
Without a word, he stalked off the stage and headed towards Mairi’s direction.
****
Stavros Manolis looked up at the imposing entrance of the Grecian Academy For Young Ladies.
After so many years, he had finally found her.
This was the best lead he had in ages, and instincts told him that this time he might really see her again.
Mairi Tanner.
He owed her so many things, not the very least his apology for ruining her life without even knowing it.
Inside, he was greeted by name by one of the usherettes. The woman was well-trained, welcoming him without hesitation even though Stavros knew she was surely shocked and curious about what a bachelor billionaire was doing in a Teachers' Day presentation at a school where none of his family members studied.
Nyssa unclipped the CB radio from her pants to let Ms. Thorn know about the unexpected presence of yet another Greek billionaire. What was it with today, Nyssa wondered, that GAYL was practically bursting with hot rich guys?
And Stavros Manolis? The man was notorious for his workaholic ways, rarely being photographed for the society pages because he was that reclusive. The only events he attended were those sponsored by his company. They were very strictly monitored ones, leaving no chances for the paparazzi to interview him.
Stavros waited patiently for the usherette to speak with her superior. When she turned back to him, her welcoming smile was something he expected. Because he was who he was, doors would always open. Always.
“Ms. Thorn would like to invite you to the VIP row, Mr. Manolis.”
“It would be an honor.” He knew how this worked. He had come here without an invitation. This was what the school required in exchange.
As the usherette escorted him inside the auditorium, he was surprised to see a couple of familiar faces on stage. There was Ioniko Vlahos and, even more surprising, Damen Leventis and his rather insipid fiancée Alina Kokinos.
Damen was engaged in a lighthearted banter with a woman Stavros assumed to be the principal. As he listened absently to their exchange, Stavros knew his friend was fighting a losing battle. It was just a simple kiss between an engaged couple; it would be the height of rudeness to his fiancée if he continued refusing.
He asked the usherette quietly, “I believe you have a Ms. Mairi Tanner working here?”
“Oh, yes. She was our presenter for the opening speech. Would you like to meet her after the ceremony?”
“That would be ideal.” Stavros paused, considering his options. “If you could point out where she’s seated for now though?”
The woman stopped next to the front row seats. “There she is, Mr. Manolis.”
Stavros slowly followed her gaze.
It was her.
It really was her.
And she looked…she looked exactly like how she looked that day she had been expelled for being labeled a gold digger because of him.
****
“My fiancée is a shy person, Ms. Thorn…”
“Oh, we are not asking for a passionate kiss, Mr. Leventis. I am very much aware of the tender age of my students. This is all in the spirit of celebrating your engagement, you understand. Just a small sweet kiss between a loving couple would be more than enough, wouldn’t you say so, girls?”
The students cheered their agreement.
Mairi listened sickly to the word play between Damen and Ms. Thorn, knowing that in the end the latter would win.
It would only be a matter of time.
And if they did kiss…
And if she saw them kiss…
She wanted to be sick.
****
Ms. Thorn was not going to give this up.
Damen knew she was not being a bitch about this, knew she was simply being her usual calculating self and saw no harm in asking for something that should be simple for any engaged couple to do. It was not her fault that she did not know how much he had fucked up and that by kissing his fiancée, he would be hurting another – the woman most special to him.
The thought of hurting Mairi again had his face hardening. No. Never. He had hurt her enough. He prepared himself to be rude, and damn what happened afterwards, but Alina, for once in her life, beat him to speaking.
“He is very protective of me,” Alina was suddenly saying. “I’m much younger than he is. He doesn’t like people to think he’s taking advantage of my age.” She smiled up at Damen even as her gaze remained unreadable and guarded. “What he needs to realize is that I am not to be protected.”
She took his face in her hands and tiptoed, her lips touching his.