“And where are we going to store them?”
“In the safe,” David said with a grin.
Friedrich rolled his eyes. “You are a funny man.”
“I told you, I’m a comic genius. Come on, Freddy, smile. You’ll have the weekend to court the lovely Elena. I’ll have to get another safe, but until then you can take the photos home with you, and I’ll take the list.”
“I’ll order the new safe,” Friedrich muttered. He went to his desk and picked up the telephone receiver.
“Don’t forget to keep the numbers in a safe place,” David said, and then yelped in mock injury when he got hit in the head by a folded newspaper thrown by Friedrich, who had had enough.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Zoe maneuvered her motorcycle into the office building’s basement car park and looked around for a suitable spot in the crowded facility. She found a small space in a corner and turned off the ignition just as a large Ford was parking, its owner giving Zoe a dirty look when he was forced to accept the space next to hers. She pulled off her soft leather helmet and gloves and put them in the sidecar, grinning at the driver. She patted the bike fondly and then strolled the short distance to the steps leading up to Eva’s workplace.
“Hi, Zoe,” Debbie said.
“Hello, Debbie. Wow, it’s hot in here!” Zoe picked up a magazine that was lying on one of the low tables and fanned herself.
“The Federal Government Sauna. We’re open for business,” Debbie joked.
“Is Eva still seeing clients?”
“No, she’s gone down to the file room, and if you think it’s hot up here, you should be subjected to our filing room. We call it hell.”
“Hell?”
“Boiling hot all the time, even in winter,” Debbie explained. “It has no ventilation, and it is stuffed with all the old files from the various departments in the building. I had the misfortune of spending a considerable amount of time down there filing away the old, closed records. There are cockroaches that survive in the heat, and mice that scurry around and leave their calling cards in between filing bays.” Debbie shivered. “I’ll always gratefully accept any offer by the interpreters to take files down there themselves.”
“Eva hates the heat.”
“Does she really?”
“Oh, yeah. She’s a winter bunny, that one. Give her a cold day and she’s happy,” Zoe replied. “So how long do you think she’ll be?”
“I’m not sure. She was going to pick up some files for herself, and she said she would get a few that I needed. All depends if she can find the others before passing out from the heat.”
Zoe frowned. She was not sure if Debbie had been kidding about the lack of ventilation. “Is she okay down there?”
Debbie glanced up and met Zoe’s concerned look. “Oh, I’m sorry. It’s a joke around here about hell. It’s not that bad.”
“Oh, okay. I wouldn’t want to find that Eva had passed out or anything,” Zoe muttered, not fully understanding the Australian sense of humor. “I’ll just wait here.” She thumbed through the magazine that she had been fanning herself with, not really interested in the articles. She would look up occasionally to check if Eva had returned. She finally found an interesting article but stopped reading when she heard the door open. She put the magazine down, thinking that Eva had returned. She got up to greet her, but got a nasty shock when she saw Greta walk into the reception area.
Wow, Zoe thought. Greta was dressed impeccably. She wore a cream-colored silk shirt with a burgundy-colored tight skirt and matching shoes that gave her an extra two inches of height. Her auburn hair was restrained in a Psyche knot at the nape of her neck. She’s gorgeous, Zoe thought, suddenly self-conscious. She ran a hand over her short-cropped hair and glanced down at the casual shirt and pants she was wearing.
Greta walked up to the reception desk and stood there looking very impatient, waiting for Debbie to end her telephone call.
“I want to see Miss Muller, hmm, sorry, Miss Haralambos,” she demanded in heavily German-accented English. “My name is Greta Wagner.”
“Have you got an appointment?” Debbie asked.
“No,” Greta said flatly. “Is she free? I won’t be long.”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Wagner, Miss Haralambos isn’t in the office at the moment. Would you like to leave a message for her?” Debbie asked.
“Oh?” Greta’s brows drew together in a frown.
Zoe looked back at the entrance, praying that Eva would not come through the lift door. She turned her attention back to Greta, who seemed far from happy.
“Give her my telephone number.” Greta pushed a piece of paper at Debbie and turned on her heel to leave. She caught sight of Zoe and paused. With a smile on her face, she went over to Zoe and extended her hand, which Zoe took politely.
“We meet again. Hello, Chloe,” Greta said.
Zoe refrained from making a nasty remark and smiled, although the expression felt stiff on her face. “My name is Zoe.”
“Of course. I’m sorry, Zoe, I get very forgetful with names. The older one gets, the more one forgets.”
“I wouldn’t know about that,” Zoe muttered.
“No, of course not. You’re still a teenager,” Greta stated. “Are you waiting for Eva?”
Zoe nodded.
“How sweet and considerate of you. I’ll wager Eva loves that,” Greta said, drawing her gloves back on.
Zoe wondered why anyone would wear gloves just for the sake of fashion when the day was so hot. “What are you doing here?”
“I was hoping to speak to Eva,” Greta answered.
“Why?”
Greta cocked her head to one side and regarded Zoe with an artificial smile. “My, you are the jealous type, aren’t you? What are you worried about? Are you worried I’m going to steal her away from you?”
“I’m just curious as to why you are here. I’m not worried about my wife being stolen away.”
“Of course you’re not. Although I know if an old lover turned up, I would be very worried. You know, comparing notes and all of that. I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.” Greta regarded Zoe steadily. It was clear that she enjoyed taunting her, and Zoe held on to her control, reminding herself that if she showed Greta how much she was angered by her insults, Greta would win the skirmish.
“I want to thank you,” Greta said.
“For what?” Zoe asked, a little suspicious of this sudden show of gratitude.
“For making sure Eva got out of Greece. It was an ingenious method to get away, don’t you agree? I didn’t think she was so cunning, to pretend to work with the Greek Resistance, you know. I’m sure it was just part of her plan.”
The implication that Zoe herself had been used as the means for Eva’s escape — and nothing more — was obvious. “Is that right?” Zoe failed to keep the brittle tone out of her voice.
“Oh, yes. In any event, she escaped, and that’s the important thing. Well, I’m happy for you,” Greta continued. “You are fortunate to be Eva’s lover. She is a very sexy woman.”
“She is.”
“And you’re a child. Is it difficult...”
“I don’t think you know Eva as well as you think you do,” Zoe replied.
“Dear girl, I was Eva’s first lover, so I know all there is to know about her, including how she looks after she’s satisfied. She knows how to pleasure me, and I know how to satisfy her. I’m sure you are doing your best.” Greta sighed in an exaggerated fashion and glanced at her watch. “I would love to continue chatting with you, but I have to go. Give my regards to Eva, won’t you? Thank you, my child.” She patted Zoe’s cheek, then spun around and walked off.
After the lift doors closed on Greta, Zoe let out a frustrated cry. She sank down into the nearest chair and put her head in her hands, rocking back and forth.
Debbie approached her and put her hand on her shoulder, apparently drawn by Zoe’s distress. She looked concerned. “Are you all right?”
&
nbsp; Zoe brushed away her tears and took a deep breath, trying to banish the awful feeling of humiliation that clenched in her chest. “Yes, fine,” she muttered.
“Do you know Mrs. Wagner?”
“Yes, I do, sort of.” She took another deep breath, growing slightly calmer. “Did Mrs. Wagner give you a phone number?”
“She wanted me to give it to Eva.”
“Can you destroy that number?” Zoe asked, hoping Debbie would just throw the number in the nearest bin.
“I can’t do that. I’d get into trouble if Mrs. Wagner made a formal complaint that I didn’t give it to Eva.”
“Oh. You can give it to me and I’ll give it to Eva.”
Debbie shook her head and smiled an apology. “Can’t do that either.”
“Okay, thanks anyway,” Zoe said.
“Would you like a cup of cold water or something? You look a little flushed.”
“No, I’m fine.”
Debbie went back to her desk to finish cleaning up, leaving Zoe alone to mop her face with a handkerchief and use the damp cloth to try and calm the hectic color that blazed in her cheeks.
A little while later, the lift door opened and Eva walked into the reception area, carrying several large folders under her arm. Zoe had been absently flipping through a magazine, but she abandoned it when Eva approached her.
“Hey, Zoe, I won’t be too long,” Eva said. “Just have to drop these off and get my bag. Have you been waiting long?”
“Hi. Um...no, not long,” Zoe replied softly. “I’ll wait here until you finish.”
Eva seemed surprised by this quiet response and turned to Debbie, who was picking up leaflets and brochures from the information roundabout. Debbie crooked her finger for Eva to join her. Despite the fact that they lowered their voices, Zoe could nevertheless overhear the conversation, although she pretended not to eavesdrop.
“What’s wrong with Zoe?” Eva asked. “Did something happen while I was away?”
“Mrs. Wagner came in looking for you a few minutes ago and I got the impression Zoe knew her,” Debbie replied.
“Did they talk?”
“Yeah. I’m not sure what they said because they were speaking in German, but Zoe was upset afterwards.”
“Oh. What did Mrs. Wagner want?”
“She asked me to give you this.” Debbie leaned over to her desk, picked up the piece of paper with Greta’s phone number, and passed it to her. Eva looked at the paper for a few seconds and stuck it in her pocket.
“Thanks, Debbie,” she said.
“Is everything all right?”
“I don’t know.” Eva frowned. She disappeared from the reception area and returned a few moments later with her handbag. When she passed the desk, she gave Debbie a key. She took Zoe’s hand and they took the stairs down to the parking area in silence. Eva stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to her. “Zoe, are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” Zoe mumbled.
“Everything all right with Earl?”
“Mmm. He said he was going to spend the night at his place in case his father called.”
“Do you think he will?” Eva asked.
Zoe shrugged and walked over to the motorcycle. She retrieved the helmet and gloves, and then climbed into the sidecar to allow Eva to drive.
She sighed and settled into the sidecar. Greta was everything she wasn’t, and it played on her own insecurities. The war was not over. She had lost this battle, and the knowledge of her loss was very bitter indeed.
***
The apartment was quiet. Eva walked out of the bathroom with one towel tucked around her body and another wrapped around her wet hair. The cool bath had relaxed her a great deal and she felt invigorated. She wandered into the kitchen and found it empty. She padded back out and looked at the balcony, which was also empty.
“Zoe?” she called out. A faint, “Here,” came from the bedroom. Zoe was curled up on the bed. “Are you feeling all right, love?” Eva asked, concerned.
Zoe nodded, which did nothing to alleviate Eva’s anxiety.
Eva lay down on the bed beside Zoe and gently turned Zoe towards her. She was very surprised to find Zoe had been crying.
Eva was perplexed. “What’s wrong, Zoe? Why were you crying? Was it something I said?”
“No. D-d-did Debbie tell you about Greta coming to see you?”
Eva nodded. “Debbie mentioned that Greta came by. She also said you talked with her, and you looked upset. Did Greta do anything to upset you?”
Zoe nodded and sniffed.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Eva asked.
“You’re going to think it’s stupid.”
“No, I won’t. Would I be wrong if I said you don’t want me to see Greta?”
“You can see her. I can’t stop you,” Zoe said defensively, sounding miserable at the same time.
“If I wanted to see her again, it would be up to me, right?”
“Yes, of course. I wouldn’t mind,” Zoe replied.
Eva stayed silent, just staring at Zoe. “Can I tell you something?” she finally asked, believing she understood the reason behind Zoe’s upset.
“Yes.”
“I thought we never lied to each other. What you are really thinking is that you want Greta to go back to Germany and to disappear.”
“Not really,” Zoe replied. “I want her to disappear, but going back to Germany is not an option,” she said with a forlorn smile. “Evy, I can’t stop you from seeing anyone you want to.”
“But you don’t like it?” Eva continued her questioning. Since the moment Greta had come back into her life, she had known that she needed to have this conversation with Zoe at some point. She also needed to find out what Greta had said to Zoe earlier at the office to cause her so much distress.
“No, I don’t like it. But...I know you want to see her because she’s a friend of yours, and I don’t think I have the right to tell you not to see her.”
“Yes, she was a friend of mine, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to take your feelings into consideration.” Eva kissed the top of Zoe’s head, scooped her closer, and curled her body around her. “What are you worried about?” she gently asked, lifting Zoe’s chin and looking into her eyes. “We have always been honest with each other. Greta bothers you; you can tell me that. I’m sure if I were in your shoes, she would bother me as well.”
Zoe looked sheepish. “I don’t like her.”
“I know,” Eva said. “What did she say to you?”
Zoe took a deep breath. “That she knows how to satisfy you, among other things.”
Eva was taken aback. “You satisfy me in every way, Zoe.”
“Do I?” Zoe asked hesitantly. “Do I make you happy? You know...”
“Oh, Zoe!” Eva exclaimed. Zoe’s insecurities had been laid bare, and all Eva wanted was to reassure her. “You make me deliriously happy.”
“What if she wanted to win you back?”
Eva frowned. Greta was playing cruel games and she hated the way Zoe was being abused. “Your touch is the only one I want. I want to wake up with you, go to sleep with you, share my bed and my life with you.” She caressed Zoe’s cheek and brushed away the tears that had begun to spill silently from her eyes. “She can’t win me back. You are the only one who owns my heart. Do you believe me?”
Zoe nodded, closed her eyes, and snuggled against Eva.
“When we made our vows before God, I truly believed in what I was promising. I didn’t say those words because they sounded nice. I’ve committed myself to you, and that’s the end of that. Just because a woman I knew so many years ago wants to steal my heart, doesn’t mean she’s going to. I can’t give it away—you have it.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that Greta makes me feel like a kid, out of my depth.”
“Out of your depth? I don’t understand.”
“She’s more sophisticated, a woman of the world, and I’m a peasant from some insignificant Greek village.”
Eva took Zoe’s hand and placed it on her chest near her heart. “You own my heart, my body, my soul, and you aren’t a peasant from some insignificant Greek village. I don’t ever want to hear you say that again. You are a beautiful Greek woman with all the qualities I love. You are kind, gentle, loving, talented, and you make me feel like the luckiest woman alive. I look forward to each day because I know I’m going to be with you. Don’t you know that? Every night I thank God you are with me.”
Eva very slowly leaned down, and pressed her lips to Zoe’s. She wanted to leave Zoe no doubts about her love. She deepened the kiss and was rewarded with a quiet moan. She slipped her hands under Zoe’s cotton shirt, running them over her back, reveling in the feel of her smooth skin.
“Oh, God. Stop,” Zoe managed to say.
“Stop? Why? For once, we’re alone.”
“Yeah. I want to apologize and ask you something. I don’t think I can do that if I’m not able to think straight.”
Eva grinned. “Well, we don’t want that.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that Greta made me feel so stupid. She said some things that I just couldn’t get out of my mind.”
“It’s all right, love, I understand,” Eva replied and kissed her again. “Greta doesn’t know what we share. I want you to remember what I said to you, okay?”
Zoe nodded.
“Can I continue where I left off?” Eva asked.
“On one condition.”
“Oh?”
“You lose the towel,” Zoe replied. She removed the towel from Eva’s body and flung it out the bedroom door.
“Now, where was I?” Eva leaned in closer and kissed Zoe. Their kiss deepened. She knew that making love with Zoe was, and always would be, the closest thing to heaven on Earth she could ever achieve. That was the last coherent thought she had before she set out to erase any doubts Zoe may still have harbored about their relationship and Eva’s love for her.
Chapter Fifty-Three
Friedrich put the flowers next to the chocolates. He sat down to write a note to Elena, wanting it to be just right. He put the tip of his pen in his mouth as an aid to thinking, and then smiled as he scrawled some of his thoughts in the card.
Where Shadows Linger (Intertwined Souls Series Book 2) Page 40
