I See a Kiss Mark on Your Neck
"You're very lucky with your employer, Evan. I'm really happy that Hector Perkos of the Perkos Shipping Company is seeing your potential and giving you all his trust," sobbing Doris told her son after their long embrace.
She was indeed thankful that her son visited her this weekend. It would always be like this. She would only see him once in three months.
"You really make me so proud of you," she concluded it, holding his hand, as she led him to their balcony with the pool located at the topmost floor of their white-painted villa that was facing the white beach.
"Everything I do is for you, Mother. You deserve a good life," Evan spoke when they were finally in the balcony. He looked outside and he saw his evermissed island. It was still paradise. It didn't change a bit.
He turned to face the woman beside him. His mother was still beautiful. In the past, he would always regard her as the most beautiful woman he'd ever known.
For years, he had seen how his mother work hard to be able to fend for themselves. Being a single parent, she went through several types of work --- cooking, doing laundry, selling souvenir items to tourists, anything --- just to support him growing up. When he was in middle school, he thought he was old enough to cease depending on his mother. He just wanted her to take a rest and had time for herself. Hence, he tried his best to find some ways to secure any amount to support his studies. He always went with his uncle, his mother's brother, to go fishing. That was how he was able to help himself until senior high school.
Because of his excellent grades in academics, he made it to the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. That was how he was discovered by Hector Perkos. He was still freshman then joining some maths contest with participants from all around Greece. The contest was sponsored by the Perkos Shipping Company. He was proclaimed champion of the said contest and, with that, Hector Perkos, the business tycoon, started to have an eye on him. The businessman supported his studies on the condition that Evan would work in the Perkos Shipping Company right after he graduated from university. The CEO couldn't let a guy as good as Evandros Xenakis slip away from him. The CEO vowed to have the best guy for the business. After all, he didn't have a son to run the business after him... but he could have Evandros as someone who could train the heiress, the only kóri.
Evan couldn't be more thankful to his master. With the latter's support, he got the job he ever wanted and was able to provide a good life to his beloved mother. He was also able to build a home, actually a villa, for her in their paradise home island, Milos. With this, Evan would only do the best for Hector Perkos.
"I'm glad you have time to visit me today, Evan," Doris said.
That statement brought Evan back to the present. "Of course, Mother." He pulled a chair from the balcony table and offered it to her. Doris sat down while Evan also found a chair.
"How's life in Athens?"
"It's always been busy but I'm loving and coping it."
"Have you had time for girls?"
He didn't reply. Immediately, his mind wandered to picture out the beautiful face of the young Phoebe, his tutee. It was Saturday today and it was time to have a break from her enthralling presence... but he hated this kind of break. If only he could bring her here with him.
"Phaedra sends her regards to you," Doris suddenly told him.
Evan didn't expect that. It had been years since he learned himself to have moved on from his first girlfriend.
"Do you know that she broke off her engagement to Laertes?" Doris asked, again surprising Evan.
"Broke off? Why?" This time, he didn't know what to feel whether to be happy or sad for her and for him, Laertes, his former best friend.
"Nobody knows the real reason. Others say she still loves you."
"Do these people even know what they're saying?" he asked, getting irritated now. "How could they say she still loves me when we're done for like, what, six years?"
"Have you stopped loving her, Evan?"
"Mother, it's been a long time already. It was just puppy love. Phaedra and I were still both very young back then." Actually, to be honest to himself, he had a hard time moving on from her after he learned that she had been screwing him with Laertes. However, he had long forgotten her since he went to university.
Doris observed him. "That's why, I'm asking if you have time for girls. I want to know if you find a girl already."
Girl? He touched his temple and shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe his mother was asking him questions like these. Usually, she didn't touch girls as a subject in their conversation.
"Why are you asking me this, Mother?"
"Because I still believe that Phaedra is the best girl for you," Doris said.
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It had been a dark night as Evan strolled in the beach. He missed doing this... barefooted on the white sand, so fine that it felt like flour under his feet. He missed the fresh, salty air brushing his skin. By and by, he decided to sit on the sand.
With nothing to entertain himself, he started to pick some tiny pebbles in his fingers and threw them on the shining water. He missed doing this. He missed the sea.
He closed his eyes and listened to the splashing of the water due to the pebbles he had thrown into it. Indeed, the sea was his first love... and... when he opened his eyes, he saw again the water under the moonlight.
The scenario brought him to that one particular night when he was in the cruise ship with a very attractive young girl beside him... a girl who had been addicted to apricots. That had become one of the most memorable nights he ever had in his entire life.
Remembering her, Evan began to wonder what she had been doing this time of the night. Had she also been thinking of him? He wished she were... After all, he was her crush.
Crush... Such a teenaged stuff... He thought of the word and he began to smile. It was true, Phoebe had a crush on him. Somehow, though he felt it was just a teenaged sort of feelings, it still made him happy.
Yes, they had that deal --- stay with her until she would overcome her feelings. But why was he hoping it wouldn't end?
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Phoebe, who was dipping in her jacuzzi in the balcony, was thinking what her tutor had been doing at the moment. Was he enjoying his Saturday night at a bar? Or was he just staying at his pad?
She hoped she had his number so she could call him anytime. It was so stupid of her to not ask his number.
She knew, for sure, that what she felt for the handsome tutor would just be forgotten by her as time would go by... She was so sure of that. However, while everything was still so fresh to her just like her fresh apricots, she wanted to live in the moment and feel how nice it was to stay so close to that someone.
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Evan was just about to stand up from the sand when someone grabbed his arm. Instantly, an intoxicating scent met his nose.
"Yassou, Evan!" Of course, it was a woman's voice.
"Phaedra!" he exclaimed. He truly didn't expect her tonight.
The woman, with her blouse and flowing long skirt, sat at his side.
"I've learned from your mother that you've arrived. Mou leípeis, Evan." She leaned her head on his upper arm.
He gulped his throat and tried to think of something to get rid of the woman who was currently snaking her arms around him.
"I'm no longer getting married," the woman said, starting to sob.
Really? She would just tell him like that after six years? He suddenly wanted to laugh.
"And?" he asked using the deepest tone of his voice.
"And... And I've realized I only love you."
Really? He couldn't help but produce a low chuckle from his throat.
Why? Did she realize that he had already the means to support a family? He could just recall before how she hated the worthless Evan. He could also recall how she chose his bestfriend over him.
But it didn't matter to him now. Truly, Phaedra was just a part of his past.
"Evan, I love you," she repeated it, brushing her body more to him.
He held her arm and pushed it away from his chest which made her really surprised. Phaedra indeed was surprised for she could just remember how crazily in love Evan was with her.
"We're over. As in totally over, Phaedra. Have you forgotten?" Evan moved himself to stand up.
She tugged his arm. "Evan!"
He was pulled and was brought back to the ground. The woman didn't waste her time. She needed to let him feel once again the love that they once shared. She embraced his neck and planted her lips on his.
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It was Monday again.
The moment she set her foot in front of the mansion, Phoebe ran towards her bedroom. She couldn't be late today. She had to prepare herself, make herself beautiful, before her tutor arrived.
She changed herself into some new blouse and short shorts for today's session. She bathed herself with the most expensive scent her Ba-ba had given her.
She was watching TV when her ntantá anounced the arrival of the guy she had been waiting. Immediately, she turned off the TV and jumped out of her bed. When the door opened, she already settled herself on the carpet where she used to sit. This position which at first was uncomfortable to her had actually become the most convenient position in studying for her now.
Phoebe was surprised when the awaited guy entered. He was not wearing a business suit. Evandros was into some tight-fitting collarless shirt and jeans today. She immediately felt the blush in her cheeks. He was hotter than usual this time.
"New look, Mr. Xenakis?" she said, acting to tease him and calling him formally, even if, deep inside, he just produced goosebumps all around her body.
Forming a reserved smile in his lips, Evan just pressed his lips together. He couldn't show to her how glad he was to finally see her. Today, he had still some time to go home to his pad and change. He was thankful that there was not much work in the office today. All he did was receive some reports from the different departments, collate them, and make a presentation of it. The rest of the day was spent in thinking about Phoebe. He just missed her so much.
Evan sat down beside her right. "How's your weekend?" he asked the girl.
"You should give me your number now," she said, not answering his question.
"My number? Is it important?" he asked as he scanned her book that was placed on the table.
"Of course, I should know where to locate you anytime," she tried to explain. The thought just came to her mind when she felt like talking to him on the phone last Saturday. To her dismay, she wasn't able to because she didn't have his number.
"Locate me?"
She began to wonder why Evan was dumb into comprehending her. He was good in numbers but he was dumb when it came to her feelings.
Holding herself to criticize him verbally, she instead grasped her hair and flipped it to her left which tended to show the guy a great portion of her neck.
Evan gulped his throat when her hair's scent reached his nose. The girl smelled really sweet to him. He turned to her and saw the creamy smooth skin of her neck. Of all the girls he had met in his life, this girl definitely had the most beautiful skin. Trying to fight the temptation, Evan shut his eyes.
Then, he heard her say, "You're closing your eyes. Why?"
This girl really had a lot of questions! There had been no day that she wouldn't ask him a question.
He opened his eyes slowly and Phoebe's face was now an inch away from him.
"Why do I have a feeling that you've kissed someone last weekend?" Phoebe asked a question that rattled him.
"What?" he asked, very perplexed. How did she know?
"I see a kiss mark on your neck," the young girl uttered, very disappointed and dismayed.
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A/N
Aha! You're busted, Evan! Now, what are you gonna do?
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Alwayz,
(sapphiregirl22) ~_^
Translations:
Yassou - Hello
Mou leípeis. - I miss you.
Ntantá - nanny
Agapité - dear