Athena's Story

Part 27: He has ghosts too

At lunch a couple weeks later, Athena almost had a heart attack when a lovely blond girl around the age of nine came up to them and grabbed George's sleeve.

"Daddy?"

George almost choked as he glanced at Athena before slowly turning to look at the girl who'd touched his arm. He swallowed and Athena could have died a thousand deaths when he stood up with pure joy and lifted the girl off her feet.

"Dakota!" he was laughing and Athena prayed it was a joke. "You nearly brought my death on early, child."

He put her down and invited her to join them, pulling up a chair to their table. Athena was still praying she had missed the better part of a joke.

"You're very pretty," the girl told George's companion earnestly, a bit in awe.

"Thank you. My name is Athena, what's yours?"

"Dakota Kruger. I'm eight." She looked at George. "I wish he was my dad," she began wistfully, "but he's not."

Some of the joy left his face and Athena, relief washing over her, wondered if he wished it too. And she also wondered where the mother- and most probably the cause of his wistfulness- was.

So, apparently, did George. "Where's your mum?"

"She's upstairs with Georgia," the girl supplied cheerfully.

Athena's eye narrowed as she watched George positively blanch.

"Georgia," he managed.

"You're staying at this hotel?" Athena asked Dakota.

"Yeah." Pause. "My mom is pretty too, but not like you. Want to meet my little sister? She's three and a half," Dakota went on candidly.

"Would your mother mind visitors?" Athena asked, seeing that George was no longer capable of speech. Her female instincts were telling her things that were making her heart bleed and she needed to see for herself if Georgia-

"Let's go," Dakota exclaimed, interrupting her thoughts. She slid off her chair and ran out of the restaurant.

They could have stayed seated, George thought, but Athena gave him an icy look and said, "Let's go. Maybe you can do some fast explaining before we get there."

Bleakly, George got up and followed a blazingly furious Athena.

She wasn't even mad at George. She was angry with herself.

She couldn't believe her luck with men! Despite all the hopes love will fill your head with, men seemed to all have a bad side and if she was right about this particular man, he was almost as bad as Walter in a completely different way.

"Georgia is your child, isn't she George? I saw you go white like you'd seen a ghost."

George looked at Dakota waiting by the elevator and spoke to Athena quickly.

"I am almost sure Georgia is not mine."

"Almost?" she repeated through gritted teeth. Then she plastered a smile on her face. "Dakota, sweetie, what floor is your hotel room?"

"Fifth floor!"

As they stepped into the lift, Athena knew it wasn't wise to talk to George so she turned to the young girl and asked, "Is your daddy there too?"

"Nope. He left us just after George quit his job. He had to go to jail then mommy and me went to Johannesburg to Oupa Kruger's home."

"Is your daddy still in jail?"