At the Greek Boss's Bidding

"OHI.No." the deep rough voice could be none other than Kristian Koumantaros himself. "Not interested. Tell her to go away." Standing in the hall outside the library, Elizabeth Hatchet drew a deep breath, strengthening her resolve. This was not going to be easy, but then nothing about Kristian Koumantaros's case had been easy. Not the accident, not the rehab, not the location of his estate. It had taken her two days to get here from London--a flight from London to Athens, an endless drive from Athens to Sparta, and finally a bone-jarring cart and donkey trip halfway up the ridiculously inaccessible mountain. Why anybody, much less a man who couldn't walk and couldn't see, would want to live in a former monastery built on a rocky crag on a slope of Taygetos, the highest mountain in the Peloponnese, was beyond her. But now that she was here, she wasn't going to go away. "Kyrios."Another voice sounded from within the library and Elizabeth recognized the voice as the Greek servant who'd met her at the door. "She's traveled a long way--" "I've had it with the bloody help from First Class Rehab. First Class, my ass." Elizabeth closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, counting to ten as she did so. She'd been told by her Athens staff that it was a long trip to the former monastery. She'd been warned that reaching rugged Taygetos, with its severe landscape but breathtaking vistas, was nearly as exhausting as caring for Mr. Koumantaros. Her staff had counseled that traveling up this spectacular mountain with its ancient Byzantine ruins would seem at turns mythical as well as impossible, but Elizabeth, climbing into the donkey cart, had thought she'd been prepared. She'd thought she knew what she was getting into. Just like she'd thought she knew what she was getting into when she agreed to provide Mr. Koumantaros's home health care after he was released from the French hospital. In both cases she had been wrong. The painfully slow, bumpy ride had left her woozy, with a queasy stomach and a pounding headache. Attempting to rehabilitate Mr. Koumantaros had made her suffer far worse. Quite bluntly, he'd nearly bankrupted her company. Elizabeth tensed at the sound of glass breaking, followed by a string of select and exceptionally colorful Greek curses. "Kyrios,it's just a glass. it can be replaced." "I hate this, Pano. Hate everything about this--" "I know,kyrios." Pano's voice dropped low, and Elizabeth couldn't hear much of what was said, but apparently it had the effect of calming Mr. Koumantaros. Elizabeth wasn't soothed. Kristian Koumantaros might be fabulously wealthy and able to afford an eccentric and reclusive lifestyle in the Peloponnese, but that didn't excuse his behavior. And his behavior was nothing short of self-absorbed and self-destructive. She was here because Kristian Koumantaros couldn't keep a nurse, and he couldn't keep a nurse because he couldn't keep his temper. The voices in the library were growing louder again. Elizabeth, fluent in Greek, listened as they discussed her. Mr. Koumantaros didn't want her here. Pano, the elderly butler, was attempting to convince that Mr. Koumantaros it wouldn't be polite to send the nurse away without seeing her. Mr. Koumantaros said he didn't care about being polite. Elizabeth's mouth curved wryly as the butler urged Mr. Koumantaros to at least offer her some refreshment. Her wry smile disappeared as she heard Mr. Koumantaros answer that as most nurses from First Class Rehab were large women Ms. Hatchet could probably benefit from passing on an afternoon snack. "Kyrios,"Pano persisted, "she's brought a suitcase. Luggage. Ms. Hatchet intends to stay." "Stay?,Koumantaros roared. "Yes,kyrios." the elderly Greek's tone couldn't have been any more apoPorter, Jane is the author of 'At the Greek Boss's Bidding ', published 2007 under ISBN 9780373126231 and ISBN 0373126239.