Wanderlust

May 1: Chapter 4

To say that she went to vacation in Greece was a technical lie. She went for business reasons, not for her father’s but rather her own. A few months prior to the divorce she had received an email from Christopher Thorpe. He had an interest in what she was doing.

And what was she doing?

Minenhle Ntuli had become an art dealer, her own manager and had begun construction on a few hotels of her own. Christopher had been looking for fresh investment in Africa and Minnie happened to apart of it.

So of course, she was there. Not just for him but rather Calla Apostolos who also for some unknown reason wanted to do business with her. She didn’t like to think of what was going to happen or what it was all about. So of course, she took it all as an opportunity to take a break from her life and vacation in Greece.

She had known that by taking up these offers, at some point, she would run into Nicholas Thorpe. He was bound to be there but she hadn’t expected to see him in such a state.

Nicholas held a surfboard beneath his tan strong muscular arm. It had been a while since she had seen him topless and what a sight it was.

Nicholas had grown muscular, less thin. He seemed to have gotten a few tattoos on the sleeve of his right arm. He was dripping wet; his hair was longer than she had remembered it. It still clung to his forehead and face the same way it had all those years ago. He wore swim trunks that now slung down his hips, revealing a small happy trail and a v that lead down dangerous paths.

However, his washboard abs were not the best thing about it. His face had always been. He was still the same handsome man she had met. With light scruff on his face that seemed to emphasize his green eyes more.

And he seemed to be just as frozen as she was.

“Miss Ntuli, this is my brother Nicholas.”

She didn’t know what proper protocol for seeing your ex in such circumstances.

“We’ve already met.” She smiled, polite.

Christopher gave his brother an odd look but he didn’t press into it further. She was glad for it, she didn’t know how she would explain to Christopher how she had been with his brother a few years ago and now was hoping to do business with him and his aunt.

“Well, then I suppose you already know my brother is an artist.” Christopher nodded.

“One of the very best.”

“Nicholas, Miss Ntuli is here for business.” Christopher turned to his brother.

Nicholas didn’t say anything in turn as he looked her down once again. He had fixed his stare on her eyes, the spark of an old flame that had been squashed still burned. Minnie had heard that you weren’t supposed to jump back into your exes arms. She also knew that beneath it all, she was still that eighteen-year-old girl alone in a new city with hope and big wild dreams.

He could see right through the head held high act but fooling him was going to take much more than that.

But he didn’t press her.

“What kind?” He asked his brother, instead.

“We are looking at art galleries all across the world.” Christopher explained. “Miss Ntuli has cracked the formula on how to make such activities profitable for both the business and the artist.”

Nic still looked at her. He studied her. Christopher seemed to notice it.

“Is there a history between the two of you?” He looked between the two of them.

They didn’t say anything. She couldn’t blow this opportunity. She needed it, her business needed it. When this whole Greece holiday was over, she needed to have secured enough funding to make sure that when her father pulled out from her. She would be secure and stable.

So she held her head high.

“A brief one.” She kept a pleasant face. Could they hear the beating of her heart? Could Christopher see right through her?

“Very brief.” Nicholas agreed, looking away.

“I hope it will not get in the way between us and business.”

“It won’t.” Minnie nodded. “It’s all in the past now.”

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