Home to Hellas (The Challenge Series) (4 page)

“Yes, I will. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”

“I will make you something special for lunch. Dorian will join you. Make him go swimming again after.”

“Did you get bossier while I was away?”

“I am another year older and wiser.” She dashed out the door and waved over her shoulder. “And I am fed up with the ones I love frowning when life is for joy.”

She closed the door, and Jenn took another bite of pie. The grandmother was onto something, and she embraced her love. She poured a second cup of coffee and watched the waves crest on the beach below. After the knee surgery she’d dreamed of the coast and his embrace for a week.

She’d finally made it back, yet she hid in her room, alone, with her lover across the hall. She had to let go of her fears or risk losing the person who meant the most to her. Jenn checked her watch. She’d finish her coffee and do what she had to do.

Chapter Five

The masseuse lit a trio of candles near the white sheet-draped table. The scent of lavender and clean, fresh olive oil combined to make the room smell fresh and sweet without being cloying or obvious. Her suite always looked lovely and welcoming, but now smelled straight from a spa.

The young woman looked up as Jenn entered the room.“Ah, you must be the special client Athena mentioned. I am Emma. I have the table ready when you are.”

She sounded straight from the streets of London.

“I’m Jenn. I, um, I’m not comfortable naked.”

“I understand.” She extended a white sheet. “Undress as much as you want and I will work around your trouble areas.”

Jenn blew out a sigh of tension she hadn’t realized she held and closed the bathroom door behind her. She leaned against the wood, catching her reflection in the mirror in front of her. She looked better after the swim the night before and the leisurely morning. She’d eaten the rest of the pie Athena had left and sought out grapes from the kitchen, too. It all stayed down and strengthened her. She took off her blouse.

All her lingerie last time had been miniscule, lacy, sexy…and she’d left it in the bottom drawer of her dresser at home. She unhooked the clasp of her bra and set it aside.

So far, so good. The sight of her breasts didn’t bother her. They were good ones, perky, not too small and nicely symmetrical. Dorian liked them. She hoped she could share again soon. She shucked her cotton pants and socks.

The full-length mirror didn’t lie and, for once, her brain didn’t lie either. The last few months she’d seen an enemy in the glass—one full of cancer eating her from the inside out. She’d taken to wearing too many clothes and setting aside the little pretty indulgences she enjoyed. Her underwear matched her boring bra, but the granny panties stayed.

“Miss? Are you all right?”

She wrapped the sheet around her body. She’d left her watch and phone beside her laptop, so didn’t know how long she’d spent staring. Though she couldn’t anticipate how she would respond to the quietly cheerful Emma touching her, she called looking in the mirror without breaking down a giant win.

She returned to find the overhead lights off with filtered sunlight and the flickering candles illuminating the space.

“Wow, I need to light candles in here more often. Look how the wall sparkles,” she said. “Very nice.”

“Yes, I like to have luxurious, but familiar atmospheres. Athena’s walls sparkle, but with the natural light this room is even better. Let’s talk before we get started. Have a seat?”

She sank into her chair, relieved to have a moment to gather her courage. Emma pulled out her notebook and settled beside her.

“Athena tells me you’re from America.”

“Yes.” She relaxed, the ordinary question a reprieve from the massage table. “Ohio. I work for a university, in the sports department.”

Emma lit up. “Are you Mr. Logo’s basketball guru?”

She settled into the chair and smiled. “I suppose you could say that. My basketball troupe and I visit every year. I love European clubs. Do you play?”

“I do. I am originally from London, where I played. When I married Greek, I moved from player to therapist.”

“You’ll have to jump in with the team when they get here. More is always better on the court.”

“And you had surgery?”

Jenn rubbed her knee. “Yeah, my left knee and the surrounding areas are definite places to avoid. It was doing pretty well, but I twisted it in London when I fell down a few stairs. It’s feeling better.”

“Good, good. Are there other areas you find worrisome?”

She’d been so at ease talking about basketball and even her knee. Emma’s sweetness only went so far, though, and sharing more took effort.

“I’ve worked with soldiers and abuse victims,” Emma said. “I am quite familiar with working slowly.”

“I’m not—” She stopped, annoyed once again for displaying signs of abuse when she’d never been hurt. “I was diagnosed with cervical cancer last winter.”

“Oh, darling, I’m so sorry. Such an invasive disease, and the follow-up treatment can be quite traumatic.”

Jenn nodded, her throat tightening. “Um, yes, I’ve heard that. There ended up being a big mistake, so I don’t have cancer.”

“How could they make such an error?”

“Another patient had the same name—we had a lot in common on paper. It was all just…unfortunate. I am okay, but it still bothers me. If you could avoid any lower girl parts and high thighs and low belly—”

“Of course. I understand.”

Jenn swallowed against the tightness of her throat. She’d rushed through her request but the masseuse didn’t seem to mind.

“Well, shall we get started?” Emma asked. “I have music I can play if you would like.”

“If it’s all the same, I’d prefer listening to the waves.”

“Wonderful. I love the seaside life. When Athena schedules me, I swear it’s as much of a treat for me as it is to her. More housekeepers should be as spoiled as she is. Go ahead and lie down on your tummy.”

The logical request didn’t require much effort, but giving in proved difficult. She still did it, the cushioned table and sweet linens welcoming. She rested her face against her hands and focused on being still, enjoying, and not running screaming from the room. Familiar anger crept up again. She was being ridiculous. A woman with a family and a husband who loved her fought the cancer Jenn had been misdiagnosed with. Here she was alive, well, and in the most beautiful place on earth, behaving like an ungrateful freak.

“Jenn, dear, you’re so tense. I don’t want to hurt you. Take a few deep breaths for me and count to seventeen.”

“Seventeen?”

“Ten is never enough.” Emma ran her fingers over her back. “And twenty seems so daunting. So, seventeen. Can you do that?”

She didn’t know if it would help, but she started counting in her head. At ten, she still stiffened but by fourteen, she began relaxing. Damned if by seventeen she didn’t let go of a good bit of the angst.

“Very good.” Emma’s kind, easy voice added another layer of calm. “Listen to those waves. I’m always amazed by the strength of the water. It appears so tranquil and kind, but the sound gives it away as the sort of force that needn’t be messed with.”

She was right about the ocean. Jenn had often thought the same about the power of the surf. Emma started with her shoulders and upper back, safe areas with tons of tension.

Jenn closed her eyes and relaxed. Emma never increased pressure, just worked over her shoulders before easing into her arms. The surf pounded against the shore. The scents of the candles filled the room. Guilt slammed again. She was alive and doing well.

There had to be a point where she could be sympathetic to the other Jennifer who now went through the horrible treatments, but still be happy for her own good fortune.

She sighed.

“Doing all right?”

“Yes, this feels wonderful. You’re very good at what you do.”

“And still you’re thinking of something.”

“I want to be happy and know I will be, but I’m having a rough time getting there.”

“It is hard to be stuck,” Emma murmured. “You’ve spoken with professionals?”

“Professionals are in hospitals and clinics and medical centers. I don’t go places like that anymore.”

“And I won’t make you. Please, relax. Keep breathing.”

The threat of going back to the hospital, any hospital, brought back all her flight instincts. The professional contact felt like acid.

“The rocks take the brunt of the ocean, yet some are so huge. It makes me wonder how large they were to start with.” Emma poured warm oil over her back. “Some things start so big, but time and tenacity wear them down.”

“That’s a snazzy metaphor for all of this, but I’m alive, another woman is dying, and I feel bad.”

She wished the words back. They were rude, and Emma did not deserve them.

“Ah, so the truth is out. You need to say it often and begin letting go. I’m sure Mr. Logo knows someone who would visit you right here to talk.”

She swallowed hard. Emma’s logic terrified her. She wished for an easy answer. “I’m sorry for snapping at you.”

Emma tapped her fingers down her spine. “You thought that was snapping? You have a sweet heart and all is forgiven. Now, if you want to hear a snap, you need to spend a few months working on a cruise ship. When I first married, I hired on to be a day masseuse for a big outfit. What a bunch of cranks. Who can be surly cruising the Mediterranean on a lovely ship? It eludes me. Now, I will move to your legs and feet. Tell me if you experience pain.”

Emma didn’t judge or preach or coddle, though on deep consideration, Jenn figured she might be due for a little coddling. Emma’s brand of kindness mixed with listening and sound advice offered what she’d needed.

“Yes, I will. Thank you.”

***

Dorian hated staring at the computer when the sea beckoned from his window. At least he could work from home most days, the spacious office made more bearable with lots of natural light and plush furnishings. Years spent working in the heart of Athens made him cherish the time at home, but if he could close his office door and never return to the business world without repercussions, he would.

He scanned over the screen again. His assistant had mentioned emails of utmost importance waiting, but all he’d found were terse notes from his mother and a few form letters requesting tax information.

He reached for his intercom. “Adrian, please come in.”

He rubbed his forehead. His mother had recommended Adrian to put him back on the business track. Upon meeting the young man with a growing family and finding they got on well, Dorian hired him.

The skinny, balding fellow in tan slacks and neat dress shirt stepped in. He’d worn suits the first week until Dorian set him straight. Full dress on hosting days only. Life was too short not to be comfortable.

“Yes, Dorian?”

“Show me which emails are so important.” He waved at the screen. “I’ve missed them before in the folders, but I do not see them.”

Adrian hurried to his side. “I should have forwarded some of those to the accountant. The ones from your mother were marked important.”

Dorian sighed. “I thought as much. It’s good to know I’m not completely losing my edge. Do you have much left on your desk for the day?”

Adrian shook his head. “No. I’ve been reading contracts all morning, and I have the basketball paperwork ready for Ms. Kallas when she is ready.”

Dorian perked up at Jenn’s name. She had Greek in her blood on her father’s side and though she couldn’t speak it well, the fire of Hellas roared through her veins. He closed down his computer.

Adrian winced. “You’re not going to respond to your mother?”

“My friend, would you?”

Adrian wrinkled his nose.

Dorian patted his shoulder. “Remember, I pay your wages.”

“I would send her on a worldwide tour and pray she found a nice man in China.”

“Not a bad idea. I can bring Jenn’s papers to her. Then you can head home and read those contracts.”

After he’d sent Adrian on his way, Dorian looked through his paper schedule. Athena had mentioned arranging a massage for her. He checked his watch and hoped she’d finished, but equally wished she enjoyed it so much they’d extended the visit. He wanted more answers and maybe if she relaxed, she would share them easier.

Athena escorted a young woman past his office window. Both appeared pleased, especially his housekeeper. Assuming Jenn no longer entertained, he headed for her rooms. Perhaps, with time and patience, she would return to his.

Dorian found her snuggled in a chair, wrapped in a large white blanket, sipping a cup of tea. He leaned against the doorframe and watched her watch the sea. His view was better, but her window overlooked the rocky beach.

“Are you coming in or just ogling me?”

“I shall enter, but do not regret the moment of ogling. You are very beautiful.”

He ambled in and took the other chair, setting the packet of papers on the table between them. “If you are feeling up to some work, I believe Natalie needs those filled out.”

She glanced down but didn’t reach for them.

“You have plenty of time,” he said. “The team won’t arrive for three weeks. Even then, they’ll be here a whole week, so these can wait.”

She kept her focus on the water. He wanted inside her head with a ferocity he rarely experienced.

“How was your session?”

“Good.” She took a sip of the tea. “Emma is a lovely girl. Very sweet.”

He snorted. “She is at least five years older than you.”

“Sometimes I feel a lot older. Dorian…do you know any, um, therapists or psychologists?”

His heart pounded. Finally, something he could do to help. When she’d mentioned the tests, he’d called a friend who explained how intense the procedures could be. Some women had a difficult time finding arousal for a while because of the invasion. Perhaps her mind led the problem.

“Yes. I know many at the health center. We can go today.”

She shook her head. “No. I’d like someone to come here, if it’s okay with you. If I never step inside in another hospital, it will be too soon.”