Sweet Baklava (15 page)

"Good question." Paula watched as Sherrie hoisted one of the toddlers on her hip, took the hand of another, and glanced over her shoulder at Patrick, who stood there staring at the stage with his arms folded, apparently unfazed by their children.

"Looks like he's not all that excited about the kid thing."

Paula thought about how many people were in that situation. As she thought back to her own childhood, she remembered her dad spending quite a bit of time with her until the last couple of years her parents were together. He went from being an attentive father who came home every night and spent all his weekends with her to working late and playing golf on weekends. At least that was what he'd said. According to her mother, he wasn't playing golf.

They stayed at Coachman Park for another couple of hours until Nick stood. "Wanna take a drive down to south Clearwater Beach? I thought it might be nice and quiet around Sand Key."

Paula stood and folded her chair. "Sure, sounds good."

When they got to the beach, Nick opened the trunk. Paula reached for the tote, leaving the cooler for Nick. They stepped out of their shoes and walked over to a concrete ledge, where they put everything down.

Nick rummaged through the food and came up with a note. "I didn't see any baklava, but here's a note from Mama." He unfolded it, grinned, and handed it to Paula.

She read the carefully printed note.
Dear Nick and Paula, Here is a little bit of food in case you get hungry. Don't eat too much because a special meal will be waiting for you at Apollo's at 8:00.
Love, Mama.

P
aula rocked back on her heels and stared at Nick, who grinned at her. "So what do you think?"

He shrugged. "Looks like Mama and the gang have something up their sleeves again."

"Should we have appetizers here and go see what they've cooked up?"

"It's up to you, Paula."

"We might as well play along."

Nick snickered. "I agree. If we don't, they'll up their game until we break."

"And since there are only two of us and . . . how many of them?"

"Dozens."

"Yeah." Paula thought about how determined the Papadopoulos family could be. "We don't stand a chance."

"What do you think they'll have?"

"Well . . . I like baklava, so I'm sure they'll have that."

Nick nodded. "And I bet the whole family will be there, since no one wants to be left out of the plan."

Paula lifted a finger. "You mean scheme."

"Call it whatever you want, it's still the same thing." He lifted the cooler. "Let's go closer to the water and spread the blanket. We can watch the sunset then head back to Tarpon Springs."

They nibbled on the assortment of mini appetizers and feta cheese. Nick lifted an entire jar of olives. "Here ya go. Mama knows how much you love Greek olives."

"Yeah, but not a whole jar!" She popped the lid, extracted a few, and handed it back to Nick. "Have some."

They chatted about military life, soap, candles, and everything else Paula could think of to avoid anything too personal, until Nick finally put his hand on her shoulder. "This is nice."

She sighed. "I know."

"Wouldn't it be fun to beat them at their own game?"

Paula tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Nick shrugged, his gaze never leaving the water. "I don't know, like maybe tell them we're already engaged?"

She glanced at him then shook her head. "Getting engaged is too serious to turn it into a game."

"Yeah, you're right."

Nick tensed for a moment, but when she turned to look at him he relaxed, though he wouldn't look her in the eye. Instead, he kept his gaze toward the water. This time the silence was painful.

"Nick?"

He flashed a glance her way but didn't hold her eyes. "Wanna leave now?"

"No, I just wanted to know what you're thinking."

He shrugged but still didn't look at her. "Just the normal stuff."

Paula laughed. "Which is?"

After a couple of deep breaths, he slowly angled his face toward her. "I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you."

"I don't feel that way."

"Sometimes it seems like you do."

"I guess I just always feel so . . . I don't know . . . conflicted? It's like I want to be with you all the time, but to do that one of us will have to sacrifice everything we've ever wanted, and that might cause resentment later, and—"

Nick lifted a finger and gently pressed it to her lips. "Sshh. Let's not go there, okay? Not tonight, anyway. I want us to relax and enjoy each other where we are now."

It was just like Nick to know exactly what to say to make her feel better. Her heart melted at his thoughtfulness. "Okay," she whispered as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Look." Nick pointed toward the Gulf. The bottom of the sun had just touched the water, producing a postcard-like image. "This is my favorite part."

The bright orange sun slowly melted into the Gulf of Mexico, the reflection rippling and creating a breathtaking effect, as it seemed to spread and float in the water. The surrounding sky had an ombré effect, with the blues turning to green and eventually sliding into dark purples and pinks. As the sun made its final slip into the water, Paula sighed.

"What a beautiful sunset." Nick stood and reached for her hands to lift her to her feet. "We have some pretty sunsets in Texas but nothing like this."

They walked back to the car in silence. Paula thought about Nick's sensitivity toward her. She'd never loved him more than she did now.

"Wanna go to my parents' house, or should I bring you home first?"

"If we're going to be with your family for dinner, I need a shower and some fresh clothes."

Nick looked at her as he took the bag and put it in the trunk. She looked fabulous—even in shorts, a tank top, and sandals.

He pulled up in front of her house and tapped his watch. "Is an hour enough time?"

"If I take an hour, we'll be late."

"I'm sure a few minutes won't make that much difference. Why don't I pick you up in an hour?"

"No, that's okay. I can drive."

Nick didn't want her walking into Apollo's by herself. If what he suspected actually happened, she'd think he was in on whatever they had planned.

"I'll pick you up."

She remained standing by the car, holding onto the door as she thought about it. "Okay, fine. Can you get ready and be back here in forty-five minutes? That way we won't keep anyone waiting."

Nick swallowed hard. "Sure. All I have to do is jump in the shower and get dressed."

He waited until she went inside before driving to his parents' house, which was eerily quiet. As he walked through the rambling old house, he realized no one was home. His mother rarely remembered to bring her cell phone with her, so he called his dad's shop.

"Whatcha need, son?"

"Have you seen Mama?" Nick asked.

"She's at Apollo's with Ophelia and Phoebe. They're up to something."

"I bet I know what it is."

His father laughed. "I bet I do too. You might as well leave them to whatever they're doing. I learned a long time ago that when those three get together, there's no stopping them."

"I just don't want to upset Paula."

"Listen, son, your mother and aunts love that girl, and there's nothing they wouldn't do for her. If they're up to something, their intentions are good. I'm sure Paula's smart enough to realize that."

"I know." Nick shut his eyes and rubbed them. "Okay, I better run. I'm picking Paula up as soon as I get ready."

"Want me to have your mama call you if I see her?"

"Nah, there's no point. Like you said, she's gonna do what she's gonna do. I'll just deal with it later."

The sound of his father's laughter echoed as he clicked off his phone. He didn't waste any time showering and getting ready before hopping back into the monster-sized car to pick up his favorite girl.

She stood on the porch waiting for him, her golden-brown hair framing her sweet heart-shaped face. The face that had him mesmerized since he first saw her in the hallway at Tarpon Springs High School. The face he couldn't wait to kiss. The face he missed seeing for more years than he wanted to count.

As soon as she saw him, she held her skirt in place and hopped down off the porch. "I hope we're not keeping anyone waiting."

"Oh, I think they'll be just fine."

Steph greeted them at the door of Apollo's. She grinned at Paula and winked at Nick. "We have your table waiting for you. Follow me."

Paula cast a curious glance at Nick, but he didn't respond. Instead, he dutifully followed his cousin to the room they typically reserved for couples. His aunt teased his uncle and called it "the love nest."

"What's going on?" Paula asked as Steph stopped at a table for two in the dark, candlelit corner. "Where is everyone?"

"We thought the two of you might enjoy a little privacy." Steph placed the menus on the table. "Adonis will be here shortly to take your order."

Nick felt Paula's glare before he ventured a glance in her direction. Finally, he looked her in the eye. "I'm so sorry, Paula."

"What are you sorry about? I saw Steph wink at you. Why didn't you tell me it was just you and me?"

"I wasn't sure."

"Right." Paula lifted her water glass and took a sip. "Did you have any idea at all?"

Guilt flooded Nick. "I sort of suspected, but I wasn't sure."

"Then why didn't you say something? You knew I thought . . ." Her voice trailed off as she glanced around the room. "They're obviously determined."

"That they are." Nick placed his forearms on the table and leaned toward Paula. "Why don't we just enjoy the meal and the ambience? They went to an awful lot of trouble for us."

He'd no sooner gotten those words out when the violinist approached their table. Nick tried to give the musician a discreet sign to move on, but the man ignored him and stopped beside the table, playing "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing." Then he took a bow and walked away to play for someone else.

Prepared to apologize, Nick turned to look at Paula and found her stifling a giggle. He grinned. "What?"

"Now that takes the cake."

"The cake and a few other things. Look, Paula—"

She held up her hands and shook her head, still laughing. "You don't have to say anything. I know you didn't do that." She snorted. "That has Ophelia Papadopoulos's signature all over it."

"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?"

"And the table? This was Phoebe's idea."

Nick nodded his agreement. "Aunt Phoebe is the one who came up with the idea for 'the love nest.'"

As Paula broke up into another fit of giggles, Nick started to lose some of his humor. When she saw that he wasn't laughing, she stopped.

"What's the matter?"

"They wanted this to be perfect for us, Paula. Instead of laughing, you should be thankful they care enough about you to want everything to be . . ." Nick paused for a second, ". . .romantic."

She nodded, looking apologetic. "You're right. This is very sweet."

The waiter arrived to take their orders. Nick didn't look his mother's brother's only son in the eye.

After he left, Paula folded her hands on the table. "Would you like to say the blessing, or do you want me to?"

"I'll do it."

Paula was relieved. After losing control and laughing so hard, she felt terrible when Nick appeared offended. She bowed her head and listened to Nick's sincere prayer for thanksgiving. He expressed his gratitude not only for a perfect day but for a family who cared enough to go to so much trouble. After she whispered "amen," she opened her eyes to see Nick staring at her.

He tilted his head and lifted his eyebrows. "You were saying?"

Paula leaned back with her eyes cast downward, feeling worse by the second. When she dared look back up at Nick, he continued watching. Waiting.

"I'm sorry. I was out of line."

A slight smile played on his lips. "That's one of the things I love about you, Paula. You're not afraid to admit when you're mistaken." He glanced over his shoulder then turned back around. "However, I have to admit this is a little over the top— even for my family."

Paula wasn't about to continue with this line of conversation, or she'd dig herself deeper into a place where no apology would ever get her out. She lifted her water glass and winked at Nick. "Opa!"

Adonis brought their food—a delicious lamb stew that Nick's uncle was known for. Nick stared at his plate and inhaled deeply as though smelling it for the first time.

"Smells good, doesn't it?"

"You're not kidding."

"I have a feeling this is a combo meal."

Nick crinkled his forehead. "Combo meal?"

"Yeah, a combination of a romantic dinner for us and a lure to get you to stay in Tarpon Springs."

Nick lifted his fork and knife. "You're probably right."

Paula savored every last bite of her food. When Adonis returned for their dessert order, she told him she couldn't handle another bite. He looked panic-stricken.

"You don't want baklava? But—"

Nick took over. "Just order dessert to go, Paula. They made a special batch, exactly the way you like it—extra nuts."

Paula glanced up at Adonis, who had turned back to her. "You heard him. I'll take whatever he orders for me."

Adonis's head whipped back and forth between them.

"She'll take a dozen triangles of baklava to go," Nick said.

"Nick! I'll never be able to eat all that."

"Sure you will. Freeze it." After Adonis left, Nick stood up. "Wait here. I'm gonna go find my uncle and thank him for such a delicious meal."

Paula didn't have to wait long. Nick came back with not only his uncle, but Stephanie, Alexa, his mother, and the two aunts. "Did you have a nice dinner?" Steph's mom asked.

"Yes, it was delicious," Paula replied.

"How about . . . ?" Nick's mother gestured around the room.

Steph intervened. "I don't think she was talking about the food, Paula."

"Oh, um . . . yes, everything was wonderful."

"How about you, Nick?" his mother asked.

"Mama." Nick smiled at Paula before looking at his mother then scanning the rest of the crowd. "We appreciate everything you did for us, but in the future, why don't you at least warn us what you're up to?"

"Most people like surprises," his mother said, looking hurt.

Paula suddenly felt bad. "Surprises are wonderful. I enjoyed everything very much."

"Such a sweet girl," Aunt Phoebe said. "Don't let her get away again, Nick." She took a step away from the table. "C'mon, everyone, let's give them a little space. I'm sure they don't appreciate all of us hovering over their romantic dinner."