The Greeks Demand

Chapter 8

Arabelle got dressed in a white sundress. It’s a gorgeous dress that is shorter in the front and longer at the back, the white of the dress making her seem more tan than she really is. She’s never been one for make-up so she only applied some lipgloss, she also left her hair loose and natural. Niklas and Demetreus was waiting for her downstairs. She almost felt self conscious as she walked down the stairs. She hardly ever gets dressed up anymore. She spends most of her time at the restaurant or at home with Adena.

“Are you ready?” Niklas asked. His eyes roaming over her body, the dress hanging loose, but in a way that still showed of her body.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Arabelle said as she finally reached them.

“Demetreus go get in the car so long.” He left without saying a word. No attitude at all Arabelle felt so relieved.

“I have something for you.” He got out the small box from his pocket. Her heart seemed to pick up the pace and she was about to tell him no, when she saw the look of vulnerability in his eyes. She gave a small smile as he opened the box to reveal a gold band with a large diamond in the middle with smaller ones at the sides and even smaller ones along the band. It took her breath away. He took the ring from the box and turned it so that she could see the engraving on the inside that said ‘Forever 2014’ She had to fight the tears that wanted to escape. Why did he have to be so damn romantic, It was in 2014 that they had met.

“I got the ring three years ago, but things seemed to go wrong and I didn’t get the perfect time to ask you. I kept wishing for it to be 2014 again everything was simpler back then, we were happy. I still wish for it to be 2014, for us to be back in that blissful bubble.” Niklas always knew what to say. He could make any girls deepest hopes come to life with just a few words. 2014 was the perfect year, everything had gone right and she had been oblivious to the small things, blind in love.

“You kept the ring for three years?” She asked him wanting to know why he did it? She can’t even think about the fact that he was going to ask her to marry him three years back. He was always so persistent about no exclusivity. It was the reason that contributed the most to the break up. He only gave her the case closed answer.

“Yes.” He took her right hand and placed the ring on her fourth finger.

“You only have to wear it on your right hand for my parents, then you can put it on the left hand afterwards.”

“Don’t they know that we are engaged?”

“Greeks put it on the right hand as the left hand has negative connotation, it is translated as sinister. My parents aren’t traditional Greeks, they do not follow a lot of the traditions, but my mother did grow up in Greece raised by my down to the point Greek grandfather.”

“So we are playing it save.” He didn’t answer instead he took her hand and led her to the car. The drive over to Niklas’ parents house was spend in silence. Arabelle stared out her window at the greenery of the world, the drive didn’t take as long as she thought it would, since Niklas had also moved his parents out to Weybridge.

They pulled up at a gate where Niklas typed in a code that made the gate open. They drove up the driveway and parked under a tree. Niklas seemed extremely guarded he didn’t say a word as he opened her door for her. He took her hand in his and led her to the door. She didn’t pull away, she couldn’t…he is clearly nervous about this. Before they reached the door it was opened and a small lady came rushing out throwing her arms around Niklas body, she looked so small so fragile.

“Mother.” Niklas greeted her, she let go and stared at him expectantly.

“Niklas you’re being rude, introduce me to the girl! You don’t have any manners, that brute clearly forgot to teach you any.” His mother scolded him.

“Mom this is Arabelle De Lancret my fiance.” She wrapped her arms tightly around Arabelle hugging her.

“Thank goodness he has found someone to love him, I thought he’d die all alone and as stubborn as ever. When he talked about the students with the blue eyes I just knew!” Arabelle was shocked, he had told his mother about her, she looked up at him not knowing what to do.

“Let’s go inside we have so much to talk about! Like the wedding and how many grandchildren you’re going to give me!” How many? Arabelle’s heart tugged at her, Niklas mother will be so disappointed when they break up after this three months and she won’t ever meet her granddaughter.

“Mom you’re going to scare her away.” Niklas said in a calm and collected voice, but his hand tightened even more around Arabelle’s like he was afraid that she would run away.

“Don’t be ridiculous. A woman doesn’t agree to marry a man that she doesn’t love.” A bubble of laughter tried escaping from Arabelle’s lips, but she swallowed it down and settled for a smile. She looked at Niklas and saw her smile mimicked across his face. Great minds think alike.

“We set up for brunch at the back in the gardens. It’s such a nice day out.” His mom threw over her shoulder as she lead the way to the gardens she was talking about.

“Niklas?” Arabelle squeezed his had to get his attention.

“Yes?” He looked down at her seeing the worry edged on her face.

“What do you expect of me today?” Arabelle asked him carefully. She didn’t wan to screw it up for Niklas. Niklas was shocked that Arabelle was asking. He was glad that she was taking this seriously.

“Just be yourself, maybe you can pretend that you like me, at least a little.” They whispered to each other. They finally got outside, the gardens were beautiful, full of bright colors. Arabelle could understand why they preferred to dine outside. The man sitting at the table got up and hugged Niklas. His family is more in touch with their feelings than his is. Arabelle also a received a warm hug from Niklas’s father.

“So you are the lucky lady that holds my sons heart?” He asked Arabelle as he sat back down.

“It would seems so. I’ll use both hands and be very delicate with it.” She joked casually as Niklas pulled out a chair for her. Demetreus not in the mood to eat decided he was going to go for a walk in the gardens.

“Demetreus don’t go to far, if I want to leave, I don’t want to go in search of you.” Niklas yelled after Demetreus, who turned to face him.

“Yeah, yeah I know.” Niklas frowned and had a stare down with Demetreus who was back to his old self, the no attitude thing only seemed to last for so long.

“He went to the best boarding school and the most elite schools, but it has all just been a waste, he won’t even speak English properly.” Niklas complained out loud hoping that Demetreus would hear him. Not only hear what he has to say, but also take it in. These days all seemed to go in on the one side and out by the other.

“Yes father, all those immaculate prestige educational facilities has been a significant waste of your finances as it hasn’t accumulated to any success on my side of the spectrum.” Way to go Demetreus, Arabelle thought to herself as he proved Niklas wrong.

“He is a teenager, let the boy be.” Niklas relaxed a little at his mothers request. The group enjoyed a quiet brunch looking out on the gardens. The quiet didn’t last long.

“Arabelle why don’t you tell us about yourself, Nik said you were a student when the two of you met.”

“Yes I was studying business at the university of Manchester. I finished when Niklas and I was still together and then we moved to Bedford with him.”

“He told us you lived together. What went wrong? You couldn’t have possibly fallen out of love with him. He makes all the girls go crazy or so the press says. Was it his barbaric manners? If it was you should not let it bother you it is how he was raised.” His mother was asking deep and personal questions, ones that Arabelle wasn’t ready to talk about with anyone.

“It had nothing to do with him, we just had different lives to live at that time.” she tried to explain the part of it that wasn’t his fault. The break up wasn’t just about Niklas. It had to do with being so isolated and far from the path that Arabelle was working towards.

“Won’t that still be a problem now?” Niklas mother gazed at me with hope in her eyes, how can Arabelle possibly disappoint such a sweet lady. She clearly only wanted the best for her son. She wants him to be happy. She also doesn’t want him to be heart broken and alone.

“No it won’t, we were young then and now we have both settled and matured.”

“What have you been doing these last three years?” Honesty is the best policy right, if I lie she’d be able to find out by just typing my name in on Google. Arabelle’s whole life is public knowledge due to her surname.

“After Niklas and I broke up, I got back together with an ex boyfriend of mine and we got married within the same year. I bought some space and opened up my restaurant. It’s starting to build up a loyal client base now.”

“See Nik what did I tell you, you waited to long to ask her to marry you!” his mother complained, feeling sad at the loss of time the young couple could have had together.

“No it wasn’t the right time for us. I had a business degree, but I was home all the time. I was playing the role of wife and mother when I was supposed to be finding my way in the corporate world. I had my inheritance and security from Niklas as well. They took care of me, but I wanted something that was mine. I never wanted to be dependant on your son.” Arabelle saw Niklas staring at her frowning deeply. It made her feel uncomfortable, she had said to much.

“It’s a mans job to look after the women they love.” Exactly the women, plural, she was never really his. He never mentioned that they were exclusive, but he bought a ring. He never told her he loved her, but he wanted eternity. For Niklas there isn’t a emotional connection, just a logical step.

“Mother enough with the third degree of our past, the press has given Arabelle enough of a hard time she doesn’t need it from the family too.” Arabelle was grateful that Niklas was putting a stop to the interrogation, she has already said to much, exposed her feelings to greatly as is.

“I’m sorry I just get curious. About that other article, the one about you not sharing a room, what was that about?” She clearly keeps an eye on her son. She keeps talking about the internet and articles.

“Mother!” Niklas complained since his mother didn’t know when to stop. She was digging into their business. Business that Niklas didn’t want to share.

“The press made a big deal of something they misunderstood. Niklas and I want this wedding to be as traditional as possible. We want to make it special something we’ll remember, so we have decided that we will not be sharing a room until the night of our wedding.” Niklas tried very hard not to react to what Arabelle said, but he found it quite hard. She was going against him again. 

"My son is going to be practicing abstinence?" It was the first time that his father contribute to the conversation, he then burst out in laughter.

"Do you have any idea of how many women he has slept with, there is an entire list online." Arabelle felt the anger build-up in her. Of course there is a list. She obviously knows from personal experience that he wasn’t the commitment type. There is no reason for her to be surprised or get angry about this.

"Which is why we are doing it. It is easy for him to bed many women, I want to see how hard it is for him to work at maintaining our relationship without sex." Arabelle tried not to sound bitter, but the words came out in fury. Her teeth grinding together, silence fell over the table for a few minutes. Niklas eyes was locked with Arabelle's.

"Have you started with your wedding plans? The best option is to create a book not only does it mean you are more prepared and organized, but you also have a book full of memories when you’re done. I can help you my wedding wasn't really a big thing, my father didn't want me to enjoy it. I was never his favourite even though I was his only child.” This lady will be Arabelle's kryptonite. She seems so fragile and sensitive. Arabelle doesn’t want to disappoint her.

“Of course you can help me my mum is busy at the moment and won't be here to help me anyways.” Niklas mothers heart will break when their engagement falls apart. She is already so invested in this relationship. Arabelle felt quilt shot right through her due to her deceiving such a nice person, but she knew it wasn’t her fault. It’s all Niklas fault for forcing her into this. He will have to deal with the fallout.

“That is great! I have already started! When is the wedding going to take place?”

“Mother we have only been engaged for a few days give her a chance to find her bearings first. You're going to make her panic, it was hard enough for me to convince her to marry me as is.” Niklas felt the fear of loosing Arabelle creep up on him. It was hard enough to get her this far. If his mother scares her away he will have to come up with another plan of blackmailing her to stay.

“Right, sorry. I'm just so excited, it's not every day my son is in love and engaged!” The tears formed in her eyes and Arabelle jumped up to go and comfort her.

“Don't listen to your son. Why don't you show me some of your ideas. I was thinking a winter wedding.” Arabelle played right into Niklas mother's hands he watched as the two women walked into the house. He has to find a way to get her to marry him he's ready to settle down and she was the perfect candidate. Getting her to be his fiance had been easy enough, but he has used the only blackmail tool he had. All he needs is for another opportunity to present itself and he'll exploit it for all he can, but until that moment his biggest obstacle is this abstaining situation Niklas sat and talked with his father about daily business. When they talk it feels like talking to an acquaintance unlike his mother they haven’t formed a bond after being reacquainted. 

“Are you serious about this girl?” They had been busy talking about his new development plans just a minute ago, he has no idea where this line of questioning was coming from. 

“I'm serious about marrying her.” Niklas gave an open close answer - it wasn't a lie, but it also didn't mention anything about his feelings. 

“I'm not one to preach about this as you are currently funding your mother and me through life, but are you sure she isn't after your money?” Niklas wanted to laugh at how ironic that is since he was blackmailing her.

“I'm only funding you, because I uprooted your lives made you quit your jobs and move out here. She isn't after my money when I first met her she was an heiress to one of the richest transport companies, her husband had gambled using the company's name so when her father died her inheritance went to paying off her husbands debt.”

“It was so bad that her childhood home was being auctioned off even though she didn't receive her fortune she has some money saved up and she has a restaurant she isn't dependent on me.”

“Having her own independence doesn't mean that she won't take advantage of you. Yours was a fast reconciliation from practically strangers to engaged within a week. All I'm saying is be careful.” Niklas isn’t one for confrontation, usually he’d just walk away, but this is about about a girl that has never asked him for anything in her life. 

“You don't know her at all so judging her is pointless that girl lied to me, for half our relationship I thought that she was a student that was well-off enough to get through the month she worked for everything she has. Even through all the losses she had to face these last few months she survived without any help.”

“She is still stubborn about accepting help she'd rather lose everything than take someone else's money and it wasn't as easy a reconciliation as I had the papers report she wanted nothing to do with me! Well she wanted me to leave her alone. It was a battle of wills and it still is.” Niklas had worked himself up throughout his speech and he was furious at the end of it.

”Arabelle, Demetreus! We are leaving now!” He called out, Demetreus was about to talk back, but stopped on account of the look on his father's face. Arabelle and his mother came out of the house Arabelle looked flustered and pale all at the same time. 

“Are you ready to go?” He asked her taking her hand rubbing circles on it with his thumb

"Qui, si vous plait!" (yes, please) Speaking full french sentences is worse than her mixing her languages. He lead them to the car as fast as he could and they set off for home in a pressure filled atmosphere he knew the pressure would only build and then she'd explode at home.