Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24269 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 121(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24269 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 121(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
That makes me jerk upright in my seat. OMG, I’m embarrassing myself. Quickly, I clear my throat while rearranging my napkin in my lap, hot spots of color on my cheeks.
My date merely laughs again, amused.
“Let’s talk about some G-rated stuff, or we’ll never get to our meal. So sweetheart, what do you do for work? I mean, other than being a hostess of course. Or is this your full-time job?”
I shake my head before taking a sip of wine.
“No, I only work here nights and weekends. Of course, I’ve taken a few days off recently,” I smile, “but for my day job, I work as an admin for Key Largo. It’s a shipping company based in New Jersey.”
Nico throws me a quizzical look.
“Key Largo?” he asks after a few moments. “Really?”
I nod slowly. “Yes, really. I’m just a secretary, so it’s not much more than filing and typing, but why? Have you heard of them before?”
The handsome man lets out an amused chuckle.
“Well, you’re never going to believe it, but I’m the CEO of Key Largo.”
My eyes widen and I gasp.
“Really? Are you being serious? The Key Largo based in Jersey? That does shipping?”
He nods and shrugs his shoulders a little. “The one and the same. It’s a small world, I guess. You know that I’m Greek-American right? Shipping is in my blood. I just had no idea that you worked there.”
I nod.
“Well, it is a pretty big company, so I guess it’s understandable that we’ve never crossed paths, but what a weird coincidence!”
He smiles ruefully.
“Even more weird than a plane landing in the Hudson River?”
I giggle.
“I guess you’re right. Anything can happen in NYC!”
Still, the revelation shocks me because it’s odd that a man I just hooked up with, who also saved me from drowning, also happens to be my boss’s boss’s boss. I mean, how strange is that? But again, the world is bizarre and unpredictable.
“So how did you get to Key Largo?” Nico asks in a deep voice. “Have you been working there long?”
I shake my head.
“No, I’ve only been with the company for a year. You know I’m from Jersey, right? We don’t live too far from the company’s headquarters, and it’s my adoptive father who told me about the opening. I think he had a friend who knew of the position, and so he told Andreas, who told me.”
Nico nods thoughtfully.
“Your adoptive father is Greek?”
I roll my eyes.
“Andreas is a hundred percent Greek, and never lets you forget it either. He’s always talking about the old country and how he wants to go back, but here we are, still in Jersey,” I say with a wink.
Nico nods.
“No, I get it because Greece is a beautiful country with a Mediterranean climate, fertile land, a storied culture, and of course, the sea. How interesting that you were adopted by a Greek,” he muses. “That’s fascinating.”
I nod.
“Yep, and even more interesting is the fact that Andreas adopted me when I was just a baby, and as a single guy too. I had no idea that single men were even allowed to adopt, but somehow, Andreas was able to finesse the system. We’ve been together ever since.”
Nico nods before shooting me a curious look.
“Your father’s never told you about your biological parents?”
I shrug.
“I don’t think Andreas knows anything about them, and to be honest, I’m not interested in finding out either. I’m happy with my life, and the people who gave me up can go to hell. I mean, not in a bad way,” I amend quickly. “I’m sure they had valid reasons for giving me up. It’s just that I don’t want to open that can of worms, you know?”
Nico nods.
“It’s understandable,” he growls in a low voice. “Not everyone wants to know about their biological family.”
At that moment, our food is served and we take a few moments to enjoy our meals. My chicken alfredo is creamy and delicious, and Nico’s steak looks juicy and tender. After swallowing a few bites, I look up.
“Well, Mr. CEO,” I smile. “You’re running a great company because I like working at Key Largo, actually. Maybe I’m just a secretary, but I enjoy the job and feel like I’m contributing to the larger whole.”
“That’s wonderful to hear,” he chuckles. “It’s very gratifying, in fact, because sometimes CEOs fall out of touch with the day to day. We’re so busy talking with investors and shareholders that we have no idea how the boots on the ground are faring.”
I nod.
“But how did you come to be CEO?” I ask curiously. “Did you work your way up from the bottom?”
Nico pauses, putting down his fork.
“Sort of. As a Greek, shipping is in my blood, and has been for many generations. My great-grandfather founded Key Largo back in Athens, but the company fell on hard times for quite a while. It was only when I took the helm that things began looking up.”