Chapter Forty-Six
Once Eva had gone to the reception area to fetch Greta, Zoe sat in the empty office and stared up at the ceiling. She could hear voices coming towards the office and wondered how she was going to handle coming face to face with Eva’s first lover. It was not something she had thought would ever happen. Yes, Eva had had a lover before her, and she sometimes wondered what type of person Eva would be physically attracted to, but she never expected to meet her.
“I bet she’s blonde and has legs that go on forever,” Zoe muttered. She reached into her bag and took out her sketchbook, trying to find something useful to do with her hands while she waited. She glanced towards the door when a tall brunette entered the office. “Hmm, I was wrong,” Zoe said under her breath. It was obvious that Greta had totally failed to see her.
Eva entered and met Zoe’s gaze, giving her a tiny smile before closing the door. Zoe remained seated. She was quite amazed at how the woman was so absorbed in watching Eva that she had not even bothered to look in Zoe’s direction.
“Take a seat.” Eva offered the chair next to Zoe to Greta. “Before we continue...”
“Eva, I thought this was going to be a private conversation. I’m sure we don’t need your secretary to sit in on this.” Greta spared a quick dismissive glance at Zoe and proceeded to take off her gloves.
Zoe could not believe Greta’s attitude. While it was true she was not Eva’s secretary, she found the lack of notice as well as the arrogance rather annoying, to say the least. Greta was not making a good first impression, but Zoe had not wanted to like her. She already disliked her for what she had done to Eva so many years ago.
Eva sat behind her desk and looked squarely at Zoe before she turned her attention back to Greta. “This is Zoe,” she said by way of an introduction.
Greta did not even glance in Zoe’s direction again. When she spoke, her tone was clipped. “Yes, I’m charmed to meet you, Zoe. May we please be left alone? The Fraulein and I have personal business to discuss.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Eva replied. “I have the information you wanted—”
“I can get that information from anywhere, but I came to see you. Alone.” This was said with a slight inclination of her head towards Zoe. “As I said to you before, we have a great deal to talk about.”
Zoe watched Greta closely and decided that not only did she not like her, but she found her incredibly rude, and her manner far too aggressive and assumptive. She did not like the way Greta refused to listen to Eva at all, and she did not like the fact that Greta was trying to dominate Eva by insisting that Zoe be sent out. Greta’s whole superior attitude irked her no end, and she bit her tongue to keep from speaking, remembering her promise to behave.
“We can talk,” Eva insisted.
“I thought we were having dinner together? You gave me your word.” Greta showed her teeth in a grin. The predatory expression raised Zoe’s hackles.
“If Eva gave you her word, then you are invited to dinner.” Zoe had had enough and she finally spoke up, getting the surprised look she anticipated.
“I thought secretaries were supposed to stay quiet and take dictation.” Greta looked Zoe over, her gaze moving insultingly slowly. Zoe did not show any sign of offense. Instead, she let herself smile, although the expression did not reach her eyes.
Greta scowled and looked back at Eva. “I don’t understand.”
“Greta, I told you yesterday that I was married.”
“Yes, yes, I remember, but we won’t tell your husband.” Greta leaned across the desk and took Eva’s hands, much to Zoe’s annoyance, but she kept quiet just as Eva had asked her to. “I hope Zoe knows how to keep secrets,” Greta said.
Eva removed her hands from Greta’s grasp and sat back in her chair. “I am married, and Zoe is my wife,” she said.
Greta was stunned for a moment and gaped at Eva. She started to laugh, but her hilarity petered out when Eva did not join her.
“Are you serious?” she said.
“Very serious.” Eva nodded at Zoe, who did not need any further encouragement. She put her sketchbook down and joined Eva, standing protectively behind her. She placed a hand on Eva’s shoulder and squeezed, lending silent support.
“Well, you did say you wouldn’t marry anyone you didn’t love,” Greta said, still looking at Zoe. “You’re with a teenager; she’s a little young for you.”
Eva prevented Zoe from doing anything physical by reaching up and holding the hand on her shoulder tightly. “I don’t think—.”
“I thought you preferred older women.” Greta chuckled—it was not a pleasant sound. “Older...wiser...taller...” Her gaze flickered up and down Zoe’s petite figure and she sneered.
Zoe merely smiled. She had heard every kind of short joke at least a million times in her life, and once more was not going to ruffle her feathers. She knew Greta’s methods; she had experienced such rude practices back in Larissa with the occupying Germans.
Greta watched Zoe for a long moment and smiled sweetly.
“You find the fact that I’m shorter than Eva to be amusing?” Zoe asked at last.
“No.” Greta stifled a laugh behind her hastily raised hand. “I’m sorry. It’s just the shock of seeing Eva with someone like you. I’m sure you can understand what kind of shock it is.”
“Oh, I know what kind of shock it is,” Zoe said, nodding. She tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice, not wanting to let Greta sense how much her contemptuous attitude stung. She found it hard to believe that Eva had fallen in love with Greta. The Eva she knew and loved was not the submissive type, nor was she overly aggressive, but Greta’s pompous personality was overpowering and put her teeth on edge.
“Why don’t we start anew? Is the invitation still open for tonight?” Greta asked, clearly making an effort to be as nice as possible under the circumstances.
Eva wrote down the address on a piece of paper and handed it over the desk.
“Excellent.” Greta got up from her seat, quickly followed by Eva. “I’ll be seeing you tonight,” she said.
“You can bring your husband if you like,” Zoe quipped, sitting down in Eva’s chair. She could not help the trace of resentment in her tone.
Greta looked back. “I don’t think he would enjoy the company,” she said and turned to Eva. “‘Dass Liebe, die aus Trümmern auferstand, Reicher als einst an Größe ist und Kraft,’” she said before giving Eva a hug and exiting the office, pulling on her gloves.
“What did she say?” Zoe asked, not knowing enough German to translate.
“‘And ruin’d love, when it is built anew, grows fairer than at first, more strong, far greater,’” Eva replied and shook her head. “She was always one to believe she could get anything she wanted.”
Zoe got up, moved around the desk, and put her arms around Eva’s slim waist. “I’ll quote you something now.”
Eva smiled down at her. “What would that be?”
“‘All’s fair in love and war.’” Zoe looked up, grinning. “Mrs. Wagner can quote whoever she was quoting...”
“Shakespeare,” Eva said.
“Well, she can quote Shakespeare till hell freezes over. She still won’t get what she wants.” Zoe tightened her hold on Eva, who laughed breathlessly.
“I’m sorry she has to come to our home,” Eva said. “I did promise, but I wasn’t in my right mind.”
“I know.” Zoe nodded. “I’m sure I’ll want to use my cricket bat over her head, but I will restrain myself,” she added, causing Eva to laugh. Zoe was determined to do everything in her power to prevent Greta from getting to her, but it was not going to be easy.
***
After knocking on the door, Earl walked into the office to find Eva tidying up her desk. “Greetings, ma’am, your chauffeur awaits. Are we ready to depart?” He put on a very bad posh British accent and doffed his hat.
Eva grinned. “You are crazy, you know that?”
“What gave
it away?” Earl said, sitting down on one of the visitors’ chairs.
Eva looked up from clearing her desk and putting books away. “Hey, thank you for giving me a ride home.”
“No worries. When Zoe asks, Earl obeys,” he joked. “So are you enjoying it? The new job, I mean.”
“Yes. There’s a word I can’t translate into English...” Eva scrunched up her face as she thought of the German word for what she had in mind. “What’s the word for when something is just so right?”
“Bonzer,” Earl replied, smirking.
“Bonzer? Okay, it’s bonzer.” Eva grinned more broadly. “By the way, Debbie knows about me and Zoe.”
“Oh, boy. That doesn’t sound too bonzer to me. How?”
Eva felt her face flush. “Zoe was...um...giving me dessert.”
“Giving you dessert?”
“Zoe brought me lunch, and then she also supplied the dessert.” Eva smiled, thinking about how much she had enjoyed it.
“Zoe supplied...” Earl stopped mid-sentence. “Oh!”
“It was a really nice dessert.”
Earl shook his head. “I don’t want to know.”
“Speaking of my dessert loving wife, before we go home can we stop at a florist? I want to buy her some flowers.”
“Flowers? Sure,” Earl said. “That kid just amazes me sometimes. Okay, so Debbie knows. Is she going to cause problems?”
“I hope she doesn’t, or else I’m in trouble. But no, she said she wasn’t going to. After only knowing her a few days, I think I can trust her.”
“That’s good. Otherwise, it could get a little on the tricky side.”
Earl got up and opened the door for Eva, then closed it behind them. They said good night to Debbie, who was speaking on the telephone, and were about to leave when Earl stopped and turned back to Debbie’s desk. “Thanks,” he whispered, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Debbie’s mouth dropped open and she stared as Earl walked over to the elevator with Eva.
In the car on the way home, conversation between them lulled and Eva’s thoughts turned to Greta. She was not as nervous as she had thought she was going to be. She was sure it had a lot to do with talking to Zoe both in the morning and over lunch, as well as talking to Father Haralambos. The slight personality duel between Greta and Zoe at the office did not upset her unduly either. She knew Greta had pulled back from totally insulting Zoe. Zoe had also pulled back, and Eva knew that, when the time was right, Zoe could match any verbal assault Greta threw her way. Eva felt a little thrill at knowing two women wanted her, but that excitement was quickly tempered by the fact she also knew Greta only wanted her to prove a point.
When Greta wanted something, she would get it no matter who or what was in the way. What she did not know was that it was Zoe who stood in the way. Zoe was tenacious and willing to withstand a great deal to protect what she considered hers. Her strength under pressure was something Eva admired. A great many people underestimated Zoe’s abilities, and that was how she liked it. She wanted people to underestimate her—it gave her an advantage. Eva herself had made that same mistake in Larissa when Father Haralambos had suggested she take Zoe as her maid in order to help with the identity papers that Eva was forging. She had soon learned that Zoe was not a timid village girl, but a courageous woman. Greta was going to learn the same lesson if she continued this course. Eva smiled to herself and smelled the flowers she had bought.
The car halted at a stoplight. Eva turned to Earl, who had a faraway look on his face. “So do I thank you or kill you?” Eva asked.
“Huh?” Earl turned to her, obviously unsure of what Eva was talking about.
“Mabel,” Eva stated tersely with a mock scowl.
“Not my fault!” Earl said, throwing up his hands in a gesture of surrender that seemed only partially insincere.
“No, it never is. You encouraged her.”
“I didn’t, honest. After she came over, we were just talking.”
“And how did she find the bike?”
“The tarp fell off. Really, it did. I had even forgotten it was there. She took one look at the old rust bucket and she fell in love.” Earl laughed. “When she trains those green eyes on you, you’re gone. You know it.”
Eva laughed. “I can’t resist her, but I thought you might be able to.” She wagged her finger at him.
Earl shook his head. “No, unfortunately Zoe is my kryptonite as well,” he quipped, and they laughed.
“She’s been my kryptonite, but I think she’s the best thing to happen to me too,” Eva said, remembering those cold mornings when she got off her shift at the biscuit factory. Some days when she could not bear one more racist comment or another moment of Jack Stalk’s crude behavior, she would find Zoe outside, waiting patiently for her. It had brightened her downtrodden spirits to see her there. Even though she had not asked Zoe to come, the young woman had done it anyway, as a gesture of love. The few times Zoe was not outside the factory, she was out of bed and waiting on the balcony when Eva returned to their apartment — a beacon of love welcoming her home.
The light turned green and Earl accelerated the car. “Back to your gorgeous and totally insane wife. Tell me how am I supposed to stop Cyclone Zoe when her eyes go super bright, when she sees the bike, and she’s jumping up and down?”
“Kissing her helps,” Eva said, chuckling. She knew firsthand that once an exuberant Zoe had made up her mind about something, no one could stop her, no matter what methods one employed.
“Well, that might work for you, but not for me. She fell in love with—”
“Mabel.”
“Mabel,” Earl scoffed. “What kind of name is that for a bike?”
“She calls our icebox Percy, so I guess Mabel is better than that,” Eva said.
Earl turned into Eva’s street and stopped at the curb near the building. Mabel was parked outside, and Father Haralambos was working on her, removing the old paint and rust. Earl turned to Eva.
“She just fell in love with it,” he said. “She wouldn’t even give me the time to take the bike out and brush off the cobwebs. She started it up and was off down the street. I was just able to get into the sidecar before she left.” He stopped speaking and looked pensive, his gaze traveling to Father Haralambos. “You’re lucky, my friend, very lucky to have a father who understands about your relationship with Zoe. And he’s a priest, to boot!”
Eva smiled. “Some luck had to come my way, Wiggy. It was just a matter of time. It will happen for you. Have faith.”
“Yeah, right, hell will freeze over and pigs will fly.”
“Um.” Eva hesitated. “I have something to tell you. I forgot with all the excitement over the last few days.”
“What did you want to tell me?”
“Mrs. Jenkins also knows about me and Zoe,” Eva said, earning a shocked look from Earl. “She was hiding when we were acting more than sisterly in the laundry.”
“Not a smart thing to do,” Earl said. “Is she going to evict you?”
“No. She said she has a sister who is a homosexual.” Eva mimicked Mrs. Jenkins’ overemphasis on the word. “She said we are sick, but we can get better.”
“Another one.” Earl rolled his eyes. “Let me guess, she wants to save you?”
“Yes, I guess that’s her mission from God or something. She said that I should tell you I’m a lesbian. You would understand and help me see the error of what I was doing.”
Earl’s smile broadened. “So you’re a lesbian? I’m shocked. A pretty girl like you and you don’t like boys? It’s not your fault. It’s that short redhead’s fault. I knew she was trouble the minute I saw her.”
Eva shook her head. “You are very right. It’s her fault. She looks at me and I melt.” She chuckled. “I’m addicted to that woman.”
“No cure, eh?”
Eva glanced at him. “Absolutely no cure, in my experience,” she said. “So how’s the cure of your sickness going?”
“Well, I’ve got major ba
d luck with my love life.”
“I told you Joey was only after one thing,” Eva quipped. She started to laugh when Earl waggled his eyebrows and gave her a lusty leer. “You bring the beer,” she told him, “and we can drown your sorrows. But you’re still in the dog house about Mabel.”
“Awww, come on. Not my fault. Have you ever tried saying ‘no’ to Zoe?” he asked.
Eva shook her head, knowing he was fully aware that she could not, and would not, say no to Zoe, no matter what. “No,” she said. “Why would I deny her anything?”
“So tell me, Miss Eva,” Earl teased, “in that case how could I?”
“You’re not married to her,” Eva replied, her lips quirking up in a cheeky grin.
“This is true, but if I was married to her, I would give her everything she wanted. You have a gold mine there, mate.”
Eva had to speak around the sudden lump in her throat. Zoe was such a gift to her. Just thinking about her made her heart swell with affection. “I know.”
“So is it going to be a tough decision to choose between Greta and Zoe?” Earl quipped.
“No contest,” she said, shrugging.
“Wish I could be there. I love a good fight.” Earl smiled. Eva gave him a peck on the cheek and got out of the vehicle.
She turned and walked towards Father Haralambos, who was still working on the old motorcycle. “So, you’ve met Mabel,” she said. He was industriously scraping the remaining paint from the Indian’s body.
“I used to have a bike like this,” Father Haralambos said. “Brings back memories!”
“I used to ride one with Willy,” Eva said and gazed at the motorcycle.
“Willy?”
“Old childhood friend,” Eva explained. “Zoe told me you rode one.”
“Oh, yes. Just after the Great War ended, I would zip around Larissa in one. Had the sidecar too.” He smiled, his teeth flashing white against the color of his beard. “I would take your mother up to Thessaloniki in it and we would spend the day together. Ah, the memories.”
“You took Mutti in that thing?”
Father Haralambos just laughed. “Oh, yes, she was a skinny thing, but she was tall, like you, so she scraped her knees a bit when she got in.”
Where Shadows Linger (Intertwined Souls Series Book 2) Page 36
