Page 37 of Once in a Lifetime, Part 2

Mano’s phone rang, pulling both their attention. He declined the call and took another bite, but it rang again, drawing an annoyed sigh from him. “He won’t leave me the hell alone,” he muttered, setting his fork down before answering and putting it on speaker. “What do you want?”

“Can you pick up the phone the first time? You know I’ll keep calling until you do,” the male voice said in English.

Mano sighed. “Get to the point.”

“We have a shareholder meeting in a few days. I’m expecting you.”

“I don’t want to come.”

“You’re a shareholder, Mano. You need to be here. I’ll book your flight. Do you want to stay with me, or should I get you a hotel?”

“I choose option C. I’m selling my shares.”

“You’re not selling them!” his brother snapped, switching to Greek. His tone dropped when he spoke again. “Mano… don’t do this. Please. Just come to the meeting.”

Mano said nothing. His jaw tightened, his leg bouncing under the table.

“I’ll book your ticket. I’ll send you the details. We’ll talk.”

The line went dead. Mano shut his eyes and exhaled.

“What was that? You’re a shareholder in your brother’s company?”

“He made me buy shares,” Mano said. “Back when he was already running half the company. So I’d have to show up to their meetings in England.”

“Why?”

“So he could see me.” His voice flattened. “After… what happened with our parents, we don’t really talk.”

“Why’s that?”

Mano didn’t answer.

Ody held his gaze for a moment, then looked down. “Now I get where you got the money to buy me the watch…” he said, glancing at his wrist.

“My dad was a director at a bank in England,” Mano said. “That’s why we moved when I was two.” He paused, then added, quieter, “My mom studied finance. They met in college.”

Ody stayed quiet, watching him.

“They both worked at the same bank,” Mano finished, almost like an afterthought.

Silence settled between them.

“I wish we’d never moved…” he murmured.

Ody shifted, like he was about to say something, but didn’t.

“What pisses me off is that he keeps bothering me even after I’ve made it clear I want nothing to do with him,” Mano went on. “And I have zero interest in flying back to England or dealing with their meetings.”

“Will you be gone long?”

“No. I’ll go to the meeting and come back.”

“Good.”

Mano frowned. “Why?”

“Because I’d miss you… if you were gone too long.”