The Deal

Chapter 11 - Family Affairs

-"What are you talking about?" I asked her angrily.

-"Don't play dumb with me" she talked back.

-"Why you behave like this? I've never given you the right to do so!" I asked her.

-"Stop pretending to be innocent to me! I am not my brother" she said.

-"You better count your words carefully. Everything has a limit and you have exceeded it" I told her sternly.

-"You are only a few days here and you think you have the right to order us around! That's preposterous!" Alexandra commented again.

-"Shut the fuck up Alexandra. That's enough! I owe you nothing, neither to you nor to your useless husband. Now take your things and go!" Stavros shouted furiously.

-"Stavros! Your behavior to your sister is unacceptable!" his mother intervened.

-"Mother please do not interfere. You shouldn't have came here and make demands let alone cursing my wife for absolutely no reason. Ιf you keep this preposterous behavior you are not welcome here anymore! Am I understood?" he said firmly. They both gave me a poisonous look and exited the office without saying a word, slamming the door behind them.

-"What's going on? What were they talking about?" I asked him in frustration.

-"Nothing important. Family matters" he said curtly.

-"Why did they accuse me? What company were they talking about?"

-"I told you there is nothing to worry about! Everything is taken care of"

-"But your family is against me. Don't you think I should learn the reason?"

-"It isn't something that concern you"

-"But they said something about my father's company and that you gave it to me or something like that ... "

-"Τhere is nothing you need to know. End of discussion." he said strictly.

-"Αs you wish. Anyway......I..... I.....wanna thank you for defending me"

-"You don't need to. Every attack on you is immediately a straight attack on me. I do not tolerate such behaviors. Whoever dares it, I manage to put him in his place. Whoever he or she is..."

-"Your mother and sister left disappointed and angry with you and especially with me. Maybe you were too hard on them..." I commented sadly. I never wanted to be the reason people fight each other. I always try not to provoke anything that causes fights.

-"It shouldn't bother you at all. As they make their bed, so they must lie" he said coldly. Several minutes passed in silence. "If you don't want anything else from me I have some papers to review" he commented coldly.

-"No, no.....I don't want anything" I said and headed for the door. I hesitated to tell him the real reason for my visit. Last time he avoided answering me directly about my desire to work. I know it is not the right time to ask him about it, but then again when will be the right time? I have to do it now. I took a deep breath, turned around and said decisively.

-"Actually, I have something to ask you"

-"What is it?" he asked me without raising his head from the files.

-"I want an answer"

-" I told you the matter doesn't concern you!" he scolded me.

-"Not about the fight. I want an answer about my request to work"

-"You still want to work?" he asked in surprise.

-"Of course I do. I will die of boredom if I continue living like this: doing asbolutely nothing" I explained.

-"Ha, ha, ha" he started laughing. A spontaneous, deep laugh that filled the room. Completely adorable. What's going on with me? Girl wake up!

-"Does that sound so funny to you?" I asked annoyed.

-"No, no I am sorry it's not your request that made me laugh. It's the reason you want to work that is amusing"

-"Oh really?" I asked fuming. Why is he so irritating?

-"Νο, no....don't get me wrong. It's because mainly people want to work in order to live themselves not because otherwise they will die of boredom" he explained laughing.

-"Whatever, I just want an answer" I commented irritated.

-"Ι think my answer was clear. Women of your status don't work" he suddenly became serious.

-"I do not care. I am not like the others. I want to do something productive".

-"If you want to do something productive bear and raise a child"

-"How sexist this sounds...."

-"Oh don't tell me that you are like those crazy slovenly women who protest in streets. Don't tell me you are a feminist" he commented.

-"What if I told you I was?" I asked mischievously.

-"Nobility and feminism are a bit contradictory don't you think?" he said playfully. The whole matter amused him while angered me more.

"Who does he think he is? What makes him think that he's better than the rest? Where does so much self-confidence come from?"

-"Νο, I don't" I told him and folded my hands on my chest.

-"Now if you don't have anything more to say..." he said and sat on his desk.

-"I want an answer to my request"

-"You have already your answer"

-"I am not satisfied with this answer. I want to work. If you don't find me a work I will ask from someone else" I told him seriously.

-"No, you won't do that" he said strictly.

-"Watch me" I provoked him.

-"Ok, ok you will work at your father's company. You can do whatever you did before. I will inform the administration about it. Satisfied?" he told me slightly irritated.

-"Yes. Thank you" I said with a smile and exited triumphantly the office.