Chapter 16
Demetrius slowly got up from the bar stool where he had been sitting while watching the sweet exchange between Kayla and Luca. Helena and Geo left right after the trio did. They were just too happy to even notice he was in the room with them.
He walked to the floor to ceiling windows facing the yard and watched his cousin's little family talking with Alexio and the head of his security team, probably discussing their activities for the day.
He swirled the content of the glass he was holding and slowly raised it to his mouth, deep in thought. The whiskey slowly burned his throat and he went back to the bar to get himself another drink. He knew it's still early to get drunk and he was meeting his mother, Irena later for lunch but he wanted to erase that happy scene he just witnessed.
He clenched his jaw and sat down feeling himself swayed. His instinct was telling him Kayla was just forced into this whole situation but what he just saw bellied that. He has to step up his campaign to win her, won't he? He had gotten close to her and although he knew she's still apprehensive of him, he can feel her slowly letting him in. He had to win her trust.
His thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his mobile phone.
"Geia, mitera [Hello, mother]," he answered on the 3rd ring.
"Opou einai o gios sas? [Where are you son?]," his mother's soft voice was like a balm to his aching heart.
"Akoma sto spiti tou theiou tou [Still at uncle's house]."
"I'm already at the restaurant. I'll wait for you here. Shall I order for you?"
"The usual, mother. Will be there in a few."
He ended the call and hastily left. His mother is not fond of waiting. At his age, he still gets an earful from Irena Gallo. He just bear it all with a loving tolerance.
He lost his father at an early age and although his uncle Geo was a great father figure, his mother was both father and mother to him. He has become her world. She never remarried.
He arrived at their favorite restaurant in record time and was pointed to where his mother was waiting.
"Ekei pou einai [There you are]," Irena stood up to embrace him. "Echasa ton gio sas."
"I missed you, too, mother," he said kissing her cheeks.
"Where have you been these past weeks? All I can get from you was that you're occupied," she asked while giving a signal to the waiting staff to serve their order.
"Was with theios Geo everyday, mother. You know how he is a beast in business," he winked at her.
"That brother of mine will soon turn all his good hair to grey if he doesn't stop soon. Helena should take him away to travel to stop him from killing himself," she said wistfully.
"Don't worry about it, mother. I'm taking as much load as I can. In fact, all he does these days was to order me around."
His mother laughed delightfully causing male heads to turn to their table. His mother still looks young at her age, pretty much the same with that old photo he kept in his wallet to cover another photo he treasured all his life, a photo of someone he loved with all his heart. He shook himself to return to the present.
He told her before that he won't be an obstacle if she wished to marry again. But she said she buried that part of her heart with his father. She have had suitors before, still have now but she just wasn't interested. He secretly wished, though, that she will turn her attention to his recently widowed godfather whom he loved next to his mother, well, aside from that someone, at least.
"Is there something you want to tell me, son," she looked at him, her eyes penetrating.
"Specifics, mother," he replied evasively. His mother really does have a way of making him feel uncomfortable, like a child caught with a hand on that forbidden cookie jar.
"You're at it again, aren't you?" She sighed when he didn't reply. "Deme, I don't understand why you're always doing this. You are good looking, more so compared to your cousin. And I'm not saying that just because I am your mother. You are rich. You are a good catch, son. You could have almost anyone you set your eyes on."
"Except the one person I truly wanted!" He said with clenched jaw.
"Who? Who is this person? Why can't you tell me who she is?"
"We've been through this, mother. I told you to just leave it."
"I will not stop until I know who she is. How can I help you get her when you won't tell me?"
"You can't help me, mother. No one can."
"And you think taking your cousin's fiancee will ..."
"Kayla is different," he cut her off. "She is different!"
He said it with such finality that Irena just sighed and paid attention to her plate. She knew when to stop pushing his son. She just hope he will open up to her. But he's a grown man now and have always wanted to do things on his own.
"How's our little bagger?" She asked referring to Yuri.
"He has improved a lot in manners. I think Kayla is a good influence to him. He's quite attached to her."
"I will drop by later. I missed Yuri."
"I don't think you will see him, though. Luca took them somewhere for the weekend," he said narrowing his eyes at the displeasing thought.
"I see."
They continued eating in silence until she looked at him and ask the one question he knew will be coming.
"When are you going to give me my own grandson, Deme?"
He sighed and just continued eating without giving her question a thought. He can no longer remember how many times his mother asked him that.
He declined dessert but joined her in a cup of coffee.
"I told the driver to go back home because you're dropping me off at the women's club after here," she said, finishing up her cup.
He signaled the waiter for their bill but was told, "Your bill has been paid by the gentleman at the table near the windows, Sir."
He raised a questioning brow to his mother who turned and looked over at the man in question. "He looks familiar, but I don't know him. Pay the bill, son. I don't want charity from strangers."
He came over to her side and pushed her chair, assisting her to stand up. Men paying their bills is not new to him. His mother's beauty commands attention and as much as he doesn't want men paying his bill, he just let them sometimes to tease his mother.
He walked towards the man's table with the reluctant Irena holding his arm.
"Excuse me," he said and the man looked up. He was taken aback by how young the man actually looked, probably near his age if not the same. He didn't realize his mother also attracts young men.
He smiled down at him. "Thank you for the lunch. But my mother has this rule of not allowing strangers to do so. So, I came over to introduce the two of you," he continued teasing.
His mother gasped while the man raised an eyebrow smirking. "You had it all wrong, I'm afraid. I didn't do it for her. I did it for you."
He clenched his teeth and turned abruptly around with his gasping mother tailing at his wake.
"The nerve of that man!" He thought angrily.
He deposited his mother to the passenger seat of his car and ran towards the driver's side. He can't leave this place soon enough to please him. He was seething.
Halfway to the women's club, Irena was able to digest the man's words and turned to his driving son. His teeth were clenching, while his hands were grasping the steering wheel with such force she was afraid it would snap in two any moment. He looks so formidable that for a while there she was afraid to voice her thoughts.
"What did that man mean when he said he did it for you?"
"How would I know, mother? I am not the keeper of his mind."
"Do you know him?"
"No." After a while of thinking, he added, "probably an ex of someone I had relationship with." The more he thought about it, the more it made sense to him.
He glanced and smiled at her to lighten the sting of his words earlier. "Don't worry about it. He could just be some psycho wanting to annoy people."
"You really should stop taking other people's women, you know, or this will even get worst for you," his mother said worriedly.
"I know what I'm doing mother. Stop it already!"
He stopped the car at the entrance of the club and a staff came over to her side of the door, waiting to assist her out of the car.
"Maybe you should get a bodyguard, son. I will talk to your uncle about it."
"You will do no such thing mother. I can very well take care of myself."
"But today ..."
"Today, we just experienced a psycho at work," he interrupted her. "Go, mother. The ladies are waiting."
She looked out of the window and saw her club members weaving at her. She kissed him in both cheeks and smiled.
"Take care of yourself. I will just die if something happened to you. Latrevo ton, gio sas."
"I love you, too, mother." He gave her a quick hug and released the lock of the door. She went out and weaved until he rounded the corner of the entrance driveway.
His thoughts went back to that guy at the restaurant. He must do something about him. He needs to know who he is and why. For the meantime, he needs some release. And he continued driving to that one place where he can get the release he sought for.