He pushed the button that took them down to the main floor. “Since I’m your boss, I’ll accompany you to the entertainment center to offer help if you need it.”
Oh, Vasso...
When they reached the game room, there were twelve patients assembled with several nurses standing by. “We’ve been waiting for you, Zoe,” one of the women called out.
Nestor shot her a glance. “Did you forget the treat?”
“Of course not. It’s something we chemo patients enjoyed when I was convalescing at the other center. I’m curious to know if you’ll like it. But you have to be patient while it cooks.”
“What are you going to pull out of your magic bag now?” Vasso said sotto voce.
After their painful conversation, his teasing comment made her smile. She ached with love for him and moved over to the microwave. “See these?” Zoe picked up a packet of popcorn lying on the counter.
“They don’t sell this in Greece,” Vasso murmured.
“True. I brought a supply in my bag when I flew over.”
She put a packet in the microwave and pressed the button. In a few seconds the kernels started to pop. Her eyes met Vasso’s as that wonderful smell started to permeate the air. When it stopped, she opened the door and pulled out the filled bag. Taking care, she opened it.
Vasso had first dibs. After eating some, he started nodding and took a handful. He couldn’t stop with just one and kept eating and nodding. Zoe knew it was a winner and smiled. “I’ll let you keep this bag and I’ll do another one.”
She started cooking it. “Since you’re the bird down in the mine and you’re still breathing, they’ll be willing to try it.”
His burst of rich male laughter warmed her heart.
“You think it’ll catch on?” she asked.
“Like wildfire. In fact we’ll have to stock these in our stores.”
“You’ll have to tell your managers to cook a batch to entice the customers.”
His black eyes smoldered. “You’ve enticed me, Thespinis Zachos.”
The popping stopped, but her heartbeat pounded on. She hurriedly pulled out the bag. Vasso took over and opened it before passing it around to those who were willing to try it.
In a louder voice she said, “The popcorn helped some of us at the other center. But if you’re too nauseated, then wait till next Friday night,” she urged. “Now I’ll turn on the film. It’s the one that got the most votes to watch. The Princess Bride in Greek.”
Everyone started clapping.
Vasso turned off the overhead light and came to stand by her with a lazy smile on his face. “Where did you find that?”
“When I went to Corfu with Olympia. This film is a winner with everyone. Have you seen it?”
“No. Any chance of my cooking another bag while we watch?”
If Vasso was trying to break her down, he was doing a stellar job. Those roses had been her undoing. “You don’t have to ask me if you want more popcorn. You’re the boss.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
EVERYTHING HAD BEEN going fine until Zoe reminded Vasso that she worked for him. But that was okay because he wasn’t going to let her get away with ignoring him. She would have to put up with him coming to the center on a regular basis. Little by little he would wear her down until she confessed what was going on inside her.
Throughout the entertaining film, he noticed Nestor watching her rather than the movie. One day the younger man would be better. Since Zoe had voiced her concern, Vasso had been thinking about him. Their company had two thousand and one store managers throughout Greece. On Vasso’s say-so, any one of them would take Nestor on as an employee.
When the movie was over and the lights went on, the nurses started wheeling the patients back to their rooms. Vasso volunteered to take Nestor. He felt Zoe’s questioning glance on him while she straightened up the room. He kept on going and soon they’d entered his hospital room where Vasso sat on the chair near the table.
“You didn’t have to bring me,” Nestor murmured. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Before I leave, I wanted to discuss something with you. I know you’re in the recovery phase of your illness. When you’re ready to be released, I’m curious to know where you want to go.”
“I was born and raised in Athens.”
“But I understand you have no family now.”
“No,” he said, tight-lipped.
“If you could do anything, what would it be?”
“Anything?” Vasso nodded. “I’d like to go to college, but that would be impossible.”
At Nestor’s age, Vasso had wanted the same thing, but he and Akis were too busy building their business. There was never the right time. “Maybe not.”
The younger man looked shocked.
“There are scholarships available for hardworking people. If I arranged for you to get a job in Athens, you could attend college at night.”
Nestor’s eyes opened wider. “That would be amazing, but I don’t know if I’m going to get well.”
“I understand you’re better today than you were a week ago. Have faith and we’ll talk again when the doctor okays your release.”
He left Nestor thinking about it and headed for the private elevator. There was nothing he wanted more than to find Zoe and talk to her. But she needed her sleep so she could be in charge tomorrow and Sunday. The one thing that helped him walk away tonight was knowing she wasn’t going anywhere. She loved her job and he would always know where to find her.
For the next week he kept busy coordinating work with Akis and continued to send emails to Zoe. He knew his brother wanted to ask him more questions, but Akis kept silent. That was good because Vasso didn’t want to get into a discussion about Zoe. They debated the pros and cons of putting up a store in Florina, but didn’t come to a decision. The city wasn’t growing as fast as some other areas.
On Friday afternoon he flew back to Paxos. After a shower and shave, he put on casual clothes and headed over to the center. Seven days away had made him hungry for the sight of her. But first he checked in with Yiannis who sang Zoe’s praises. “We can be thankful all is well with that young woman.”
“Amen to that.” He expelled a relieved sigh. “I’m going to go over the books with Kyria Lasko in accounting if you need to find me.” Vasso knew he wasn’t fooling the admiral, but he appreciated the older man for not prying into his personal life.
Two hours later he walked down the hall. When he couldn’t see Zoe at the front desk, he headed for the entertainment center. Friday night was movie night. He had a hunch she was in there setting things up for later. But when he went inside, he only found a couple of patients with a nurse.
“Have you seen Thespinis Zachos?”
“She just left, but she’ll be back at nine-thirty.”
Vasso thanked her and left the hospital in his car. En route to the town center he phoned her. By the time she picked up, his pulse had jumped off the charts.
“Vasso?”
She sounded surprised. He’d missed her so much just the sound of her voice excited him. “I’m glad you answered. Where are you?”
After a pause, “At the apartment.”
“No bike riding today?”
“No. Our plans fell through. Her husband hurt his leg biking, so she’s home taking care of him this weekend.”
“Sorry to hear that. I flew in earlier and worked with the accountant at the center. I didn’t see you anywhere. Have you eaten dinner?”
“Not yet.”
“I’d like to talk to you about Nestor. Would you like to meet me at Psara’s? I don’t know about you but I’m craving fish.”
He could hear her thoughts working. “That’s the taverna down near the parking area?”
“Yes. I’m headed
there now if you’d like to join me. But if you have other plans, I’ll understand.”
“No—” she exclaimed, then said no in a quieter voice. “Nestor told me you talked to him last week.”
“That’s right.”
“You...planted a seed.”
Good. “If you want to discuss it, I’ll be watching for you.” Without waiting for a response, he clicked off and pulled into the parking. He got out and hurried toward the taverna to grab a table before the place filled up. Being that it was a Friday night, the paparazzi were out covering the waterfront. Celebrities from Athens often came to Loggos for dinner. Vasso couldn’t escape.
In a few minutes, every male young or old stared at the beautiful blonde woman making her way toward him. She’d dressed in a leaf-green blouse with a white skirt tied at the waist. He experienced the same sense of wonder he’d felt when he’d seen her the first time. She was like a breath of fresh air and walked with a lilt on those fabulous legs.
When Vasso stood up to pull out her chair for her, several journalists caught her on camera. She couldn’t have helped but see them. “Ignore them,” he muttered. “Pretty soon they’ll go away.”
“Not as long as you’re here.” But she said it with a smile. “I knew I was taking a chance to be seen with you.”
“You’re a brave woman, but then we already know that about you.” His comment brought the color flooding into her cheeks.
The waiter came to pour coffee and take their order. They both chose the catch of the day. Once they were alone again, he studied her classic features. “Thanks for answering my emails. You’ve kept me abreast of everything going on at the center. But you never share your personal feelings. How has your week gone?”
“Every day is different. I couldn’t be happier,” she said through veiled eyes. “What about yours?”
“I can’t complain as you know from my messages to you, but thanks for asking.”
Considering what it had been like to get in each other’s arms last week, this conversation was a mockery. But he’d play her game for a while longer. “How much did Nestor tell you?”
Now that he’d changed the subject to something important to her, she grew animated. “He mentioned that you talked to him about a scholarship so he could go to night school. He’s been in disbelief that you really meant it.”
Vasso sucked in his breath. “I would never have brought it up if I weren’t serious. Earlier this week I talked to the manager of our number-four store in Athens. He’d be willing to give Nestor a job. I have no idea if he would want to work in a convenience store after being employed at a hotel, but—”
“I’m sure he would!” she cried out excitedly. “Oh, Vasso—there’s been a light in his eyes that hasn’t been there until now. It’s because of you.”
No. That light had to do with Zoe. She ignited everyone she met. “How much more chemo does he have to go through?”
“He’s had his last treatment. The doctor has high hopes for his recovery.”
“In that case I’ll come to movie night tonight and tell him.”
His news made her so happy he realized she couldn’t tell him not to come. “Hope will make him get well in a hurry.”
The waiter chose that moment to bring their dinner. When he walked away Vasso said, “That’s the idea, isn’t it. We all need hope.”
That little nerve at the base of her throat was pulsing again. She started to eat her fish. “Between you and Father Debakis, I don’t know who will deserve the bigger reward in heaven.”
“Your mind is too much on the hereafter,” he teased. “I’m quite happy with life right here.”
She flushed. “So am I. It’s just that I’m so than—”
“Don’t say that anymore, Zoe. I’m quite aware of how you feel. I want to talk about how we feel about each other. I can’t stay away from you. I don’t want to. So we need to talk about where we’re going to go from here. I know you feel the same way about me.”
Her head lifted and their gazes collided. “I admit it, but you’d have to be in my shoes to understand why it wouldn’t be a good idea for us to get any more involved.”
“I can’t accept that.”
Zoe’s expression sobered. “You’re sick of hearing the same thing from me, aren’t you?”
If he dared tell her what he really thought, she’d run from him. He couldn’t handle that. “I’m not saying another word while we’re the focus of other people.”
One journalist had stayed longer to get pictures of the two of them. Vasso shot Zoe a glance. “If you’re through eating, let’s head for my car and ruin that guy’s evening.”
Her sudden laugh always delighted him. He put money on the table and got up. She was still chuckling when they reached the Lexus and he helped her inside. Zoe looked over at him as he drove. “Even paradise has its serpents.”
“They have to earn a living, too.”
Her eyes rounded. “You feel sorry for them?”
“No, but I understand that the need to make money in order to survive makes some people desperate enough to take chances.”
“You’re right, of course. I’ve never been in that position.” She glanced at him. “I’ve never gone to bed hungry in my life.” There was a catch in her voice. “Because of your foundation, I’ve been taken care of in miraculous ways. Sometimes I’m overwhelmed by your generosity.”
Vasso couldn’t take it anymore. “Overwhelmed enough to do me a favor?”
“I’d do anything for you. Surely you know that by now.”
“Then come to my house after movie night is over. There’s something I have to discuss with you, but we’ll need privacy.”
He heard her quick intake of breath. “That sounds serious.”
“It is. Don’t tell me no. I couldn’t take it.”
* * *
Zoe trembled, wondering what had happened to put him in this cryptic mood. If he was unhappy with some of the innovations she’d made at the hospital, all he had to do was tell her up front. Maybe Yianni had confided that she wasn’t working out, but he didn’t have the heart to tell her to her face because he was such a sweetheart.
When they reached the center, he parked the car and they entered through the front door.
She saw the clock. “It’s almost time. I need to hurry to the game room and set up.”
“Go ahead. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Did he want to talk to Yianni again?
Zoe went to the restroom first so she could pull herself together. She had the idea he was going to discuss her future here at the foundation. Could he be going to let her go? Fear stabbed at her. Maybe coming to work for him hadn’t been a good thing after all. The passion enveloping them last week had only muddied the water. Tonight things were crystal-clear.
If Father Debakis hadn’t intervened, she wouldn’t be in this precarious position now. It wasn’t his fault, of course. If she hadn’t been so desperate to repay her debt, she wouldn’t have caused all this trouble.
That’s what Vasso had been alluding to earlier. Desperation was responsible for all kinds of mistakes. Her biggest one had been to accept his offer to relocate to Greece and continue taking his charity for the rest of her life.
Of course she was earning a salary now, so she hoped that wasn’t what it looked like to him. She buried her face in her hands, not knowing what to think.
She wished her mother were around to talk to her about this. The great irony about that was the fact that if her parents were still alive, Zoe wouldn’t be thousands of miles away from home. She’d be finishing college and getting on with her life, never knowing of Vasso’s existence. Instead she’d dumped all her problems on Vasso who hadn’t asked for them in the first place.
Zoe was terribly conflicted. She’d acted besotted in his a
rms, but as he’d reminded her, the emails she sent back to him didn’t say anything about her feelings. In her heart she’d been watching for signs of him all week. When he hadn’t come to the center before tonight, she was desolate. But she couldn’t have it both ways, not when she’d told him she wanted to keep their relationship professional.
What a laugh she must have given him. No doubt he saw her as the worst kind of needy female. If she kept this up much longer, he’d be forced to find her something else to do in order to get her out of his hair. But he was such a good man he would never fire her without a new plan.
When she’d washed the tears off her face, she headed for the entertainment center. Eight patients showed up. The other four had just been through another session of chemo and wouldn’t rally for a few days.
Vasso had singled out Nestor. While he thrilled him with a job offer, she popped more popcorn and started a movie. This time it was the Greek version of an old film, Zorba the Greek. The audience would complain that Anthony Quinn was Mexican, not Greek then they’d pull the crazy plot apart. Hopefully it would entertain them enough for a little while to forget how sick they felt.
By the end of the film, no one wanted the evening to be over. It proved to her that movie night worked. While the nurses took the patients back to their rooms, she tidied the place. But when she followed Vasso out of the center to his car, her heart felt as if it weighed a stone. She dreaded what was coming and her legs felt like dead weights.
On the drive to his house she turned to him. “How did your conversation go with Nestor?”
Vasso let his wrists do the driving. “He sounded just like you when I told him I’d find him an apartment near the number-four store. That way he could walk to work and take the bus to the university after he was released. I don’t think he could see the film through the tears.”
No. Nestor’s gratitude would know no bounds for their benefactor, but she refrained from saying anything because Vasso didn’t want to hear it.
Zoe tried to gear up for what was coming. How awful that a conversation with him would take place in his house, the one personal area of his life she’d tried to stay away from. She loved it already just seeing it from the air.
A Wedding For The Greek Tycoon (Greek Billionaires Book 2) Page 11
