An Unexpected Proposal

Chapter 3

The very next day, Abi got onto the internet as soon as she woke up. Looking for information about Andreas Karidis wasn't difficult at all. In fact, there was so much information she didn't know where to start.

She decided to begin with his name. Andreas, or Andrew for the Anlgo version. She found out the name came from the Greek word for man. It meant manly. Wasn't that the truth? Andreas was all man. It also means brave, strong, courageous and warrior. Abi could feel her entire body responding to just his name. He was indeed all of those things, as far as she could tell from their brief meeting.

Then there was his childhood tragedy which was plastered all over the newspapers of the time, she found out. His wealthy uncle had stepped in and taken him in, raising him as his own. His father was a high profile human rights lawyer, as Andreas had mentioned. Abi looked him up too and found the man had done a lot of work around the world trying to bring justice and a voice to those who had none. The family was obviously one with humanity and decency, even the wealthy uncle who, she found out, was a philanthropist and was now funding many causes his brother, Andreas' father, had fought so hard for.

But the more recent information about Andreas focussed more on the women in his life, and there seemed to have been many, rather than what he was doing. There were movie stars, models, sports stars, socialites. As Abi looked through the photos she couldn't help but feel a little unnerved. Was this who he really was? He might be a philanthropist himself, but obviously his wealth and status came with certain perks.

Abigail had to make sure she didn't become one of those perks.

Her phone buzzed. She looked down at it. It's Andreas. Meet me at my office later today, 4:00PM. Like the man himself, his texts were uncompromising and forthright. They had exchanged phone numbers last night.

He doesn't even bother to leave the address, she thought, just assuming I'd know where his office is. Abi typed in Karidis Shipping and there were several offices around the world: Athens, London, New York. She clicked on the New York office and found it was in the Financial District. She texted back, Ok, I'll see you then.

Abigail shut the computer and went about her daily routine: shopping for groceries, going to the gym, coffee with a friend. The entire time though, her mind was on the next meeting with Andreas. Despite her misgivings about the man himself, she found herself looking forward to seeing him again. And that was the most disconcerting thing of all.

Andreas. Just his name made her skin prickle with awareness.

Jumping into a cab and arriving at her apartment, Abigail went through her closet trying to decide what to wear. This was an interview of sorts and she didn't have experience with that. She had been 'discovered' at the young age of sixteen and without any parental supervision, was thrust into the cut-throat and often demeaning world of high fashion modelling.

What would impress Andreas? she wondered. She realised she cared what he thought of her. Whether he thought she was intelligent. Whether he found her attractive or not. What should she wear, a dress or a pants suit? How should she have her hair? OMG, she really did care what he thought of her. All of a sudden she realised why she cared. She had been trying to deny it ever since they'd met. You like him.

No, no. She wouldn't allow herself to be drawn in like she had been with Thomas. Of course, she cared. She justified it to herself as wanting this position. After all, she couldn't be a model for too much longer. Already the younger ones were taking shoots that would have been offered to her only a few short years ago.

The lobby of the Karidis Tower was opulent indeed. If Abi wasn't used to the runway she might have found it intimidating. The marbled polished floors, the wide open spaces, all of it windowed from ceiling to floor. She walked over to the large reception desk behind which were two very attractive young women and a handsome young man.