Are you Dionysios Dimitriou? It took a second for Dion to realise what she’d just asked because his head was full of a vision of slim pale limbs, copper hair and fresh – faced freckled beauty – memories rushing back from the night before of the way she’d lain down for him and had given herself with such trusting eagerness and responsiveness –
But now the question registered and he tensed all over. ‘How do you know my name?’
If possible, her face went even paler, freckles standing out starkly.
‘You are Dionysios Dimitriou.’
‘Yes, yes I am…’ It wasn’t such a big deal, was it? Their not exchanging names had been a gimmick, a rare moment of anonymity indulged in, but he’d suspected that she’d had to know. He might be relatively reclusive compared to other peers but he was certainly not unknown.
‘Why does it matter?’ A cynical voice answered him, because now she knows you’re a billionaire and she’ll inevitably want to foster some sort of intimacy.
She swallowed, ‘It matters because you were the man I was looking for last night…at the party.’
Dion had a vague memory of her saying something about finding someone, he’d even offered to help her. A sense of unease prickled down his neck. He frowned, ‘Why were you looking for me?’
She looked stricken. ‘There’s something I need to tell you.’
‘What?’
‘I…’ she started and then stopped. ‘It’s hard to just come out with…it’s a lot.’
Dion was growing frustrated. The helicopter was so close now that it was hovering over the villa making conversation all but inaudible. Dion spoke over the din. ‘Can this conversation wait till we get back to Athens?’
She shook her head. Dion cursed silently. What on earth could she possibly have to say to him? He’d never met her before. But now you know her intimately. A flash of heat went through his body at the reminder and a sense of exposure made his skin prickle.
He said, ‘Wait here, I’ll tell Antonio to stand – by.’ He went outside and spoke to the pilot when he’d landed. Then he went back inside. All was silent again. It felt ominous.
She was pacing back and forth and stopped and looked at him when he appeared. She said, ‘My name is Tara. Tara Simons.’
‘Ok. Now we know each other’s names.’
‘You know I’m from Dublin.’
Dion thought of his son Niko who would undoubtedly be waking up now. He wanted to be home to see him before work took over. ‘Yes…look I have meetings and things to – ‘
But Tara interrupted him, ‘The thing is that I’m the mother of your baby, or at least I’m pretty sure I am. Your son. He’s my son too.’
