“You really didn’t Google me?”
“I never Google anyone without their permission.”
That smile of his could light a shore of bonfires.
“My grandfather started Costas Architecture more than sixty years ago. It was his dream, even before he came to this country, to create buildings that would stand as a testament to his vision. When I was a little boy, Grandpa Nico would take the entire family back to Greece every summer, and every summer, he’d take me and my brother, Antony, up the steps to visit the Acropolis. We’d sit there for hours, looking at every stone, every carving, every inch of that creation and he’d say ‘This is what the Costas name should bring to the world. Eternity. Stability. A statement that what is in here—’” Xander tapped the side of his head “‘—and in here—’” he tapped his heart ‘“—can be out there.’”
“Your Grandfather Nico believed in being true to oneself.”
“He did, actually.” Xander’s smile dipped. “Funny, I never really thought of it that way before. But he made me understand we could do anything we set our minds to. He was so proud of his company, of the fact that the Costas legacy would stand the test of time and be a name known for excellence and superiority when it came to design and construction. Of course, my father followed in his footsteps, and then myself and Antony.”
“The brother you endlessly compete with?”
He nodded. “Although I’ll freely admit he has me beat in one area. He’s already married with two kids and a third on the way. Don’t think I’ve lived that down, yet.”
“You do seem a rather good catch,” Calliope teased.
“Never found the right woman.”
The way he looked at her when he said it had Calliope swallowing hard and wishing she’d kept her mouth shut. But she focused her gaze steadily on his, accepting that which she was beginning to realize she had no resistance for. “You were telling me about the business?”
“Right. The business. Dad and Antony are the creative force. The ones who can look at a site, then at a piece of paper and see what belongs there. Me? I’m the guy they send to find the clients, pitch the ideas. Close the deal.”
“You mean you’re the people person?”
“For most people. I’m betting you enjoy being an exception.”
She did indeed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t kid.”
His smile returned and she wondered if he saved it just for her. “I don’t mind. And I will freely admit to being more comfortable schmoozing clients over dinner and drinks than I am playing with a design program trying to come up with ideas.”
“Yet you got your degree in architecture.”
“Because that’s what was expected.” He shrugged, as if an extensive education was nothing more than an obligation. “I minored in business. That gave me the excuse to live and work remotely, dividing my time between Chicago and New York, traveling the world. But what I should have been doing was paying closer attention to what was going on at home. Antony tried to tell me he thought our father was taking on too much, overextending himself. He began to find mistakes in Dad’s work. Little things, nothing big, just enough to get those red flags ready to wave. He asked me to come home and talk to Dad with him. That we needed a united front.”
“Tried to tell you.” Calliope flinched against the waves of regret rolling off Xander. The sense of them was so strong she nearly stumbled back. Instead, she reached out, wrapped her arms around his. Moved in. And absorbed them.
“I didn’t listen. I was distracted, preoccupied with the next client, the next project. I thought I didn’t have time to go home and that Antony was exaggerating.” He shook his head and focused even harder on the grove. “As if it took a lot of work wining and dining clients, and spending money. I told him everything would be fine. That Dad would know when to back off and retire. In the meantime, Dad’s latest build was about to finish construction. A seven-story apartment building aimed at young professionals with families who didn’t want the commute to the suburbs. Quality living in the downtown with access to everything Chicago has to offer. A few weeks before it was done, part of it collapsed. Pancaked. The pressure brought down the rest of the building in hours and killed two construction workers. The investigation revealed a design flaw. One that Dad and everyone else had overlooked.” Xander cringed.