"Zoey, you're babbling," Stelios returned evenly. "We can discuss everything in person. I'm sending a car to pick you up. It'll be there within the hour."
"Stelios, I just want you to know-"
"See you then," he finished.
With that, the line went dead, and Zoey leaped into full panic mode.
TEN
The longest it ever took Zoey to get ready for any outing was a half hour. That usually gave her plenty of time to clean up and find something to wear, but in full panic mode, she didn't remember any such thing. She was darting through her closet at breakneck speeds, grabbing outfits, rejecting them, and tossing them out of her way.
At the same time, her brain was buzzing. Why in God's name was Stelios sending a car to pick her up? Zoey was almost certain she was going to be dumped because of her mother's billboards. What she didn't know was why Stelios wouldn't just do that over the phone.
Zoey was driving herself crazy trying to work out his motives and second-guess what he wanted to discuss, and she finally forced herself to focus because the Greek's driver would be there soon. She decided to wear the cream-colored business suit she had worn the first time she and Stelios had met.
She peeled off her clothes and jumped into the shower, almost slipping and injuring herself in the process. She emerged ten minutes later, still panicked, but clean, and slipped on her clothes after she straightened her hair.
When she had finished everything, she checked the time and discovered she still had fifteen minutes to wait. She used the time to do the only thing she could focus on: applying for still more communications jobs.
She had just finished her second application when a knock rang out at her door. She opened it and found the same driver from before, whose name was Fulton, ready to lead her to the car.
This time, after another lengthy drive, Fulton pulled into a marina on Long Island. The boardwalk led into the open sea, which seemed to go on forever. Hugging the walkways were dozens of yachts, and Fulton led her down the jetty, stopping in front of a massive white behemoth that had the aerodynamic look of a military ship.
"We meet again, Zoey," Stelios said coolly, standing near the gangway to his enormous yacht.
"Stelios, I want to apologize for all of this," Zoey replied. "I tried to call you about it, but it went straight to voicemail every time. I promise you I had nothing to do with that," she said, pointing contemptuously at the nearby billboard.
"I know," returned Stelios in a surprisingly gentle tone of voice. "You're not the type of person who would do something like that. Your mother on the other hand … "
"Well then, why didn't you return my calls?" she asked, trying not to sound as surprised as she felt.
"I've been out on the yacht all this time. There's no service out there."
"So, just to be clear," Zoey said, not daring to believe her ears, "you don't blame me for this mess, and you aren't mad at me?"
"Of course not," replied Stelios cheerfully. "But I did miss you," he added, moving in for a kiss.
Zoey hesitated for a moment and pulled away.
"What's the matter, Zoey?" Stelios asked, sounding concerned. "Is something wrong?"
"You told me you were on a business trip," Zoey replied slowly. "Why would you tell me that when you were out on the yacht with no signal for the past few days? Has there been someone else with you, Stelios?" she asked quietly, wearing a forlorn expression.
The billionaire shook his head. "Zoey, there's been no one on that yacht except me and my staff. You're right that it wasn't a business trip, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but what I was doing is difficult for me to talk about. The truth is, this week is the anniversary of my parents' deaths. For the last few days I've been visiting the island that houses their memorial."
The look in his eyes as he said those words told Zoey that they were perfectly true. Relief washed over her as Stelios wrapped his strong arms around her and kissed her with gentle longing. She could feel how affected he had been by her absence and how thankful he was to have her in his arms.
"Why don't you come out on the yacht with me?" Stelios suggested. "I promise you'll enjoy every second."
She agreed, and together, they walked up the magnificent gangway, arm in arm, as if they would never be parted again.
The outside of the craft had caught Zoey's attention, but the interior took her breath away. There were crystal decorations everywhere she looked, including an enormous chandelier in the ship's dining area. In the living room, opposite a luxurious seating area, was an enormous cabinet that opened to reveal a well-stocked bar.
Stelios stood by the bar and made Zoey a drink while she told him everything she had been through over the past four days. How she had learned what her mother was up to, how she had quit her job, and how she had agonized over the thought that their relationship seemed to have ended. The Greek was remarkably sympathetic, comforting Zoey throughout, and growing increasingly upset with Melinda's antics.
Getting the whole story out proved cathartic for Zoey, and as time passed, her mother slipped from her mind altogether. She focused instead on the wonderful gentleman who was at that moment offering her a tour of the yacht.
She agreed, and he led her down a flight of stairs with walls that were covered with scalloped silver leaf.
"The carvings in this handrail are amazing!" Zoey commented, her voice full of wonder.
"Those were handmade in West Africa by a family of craftsmen that have been working with me for nearly a decade."
"Well, they've done an incredible job here."
"If you think that's impressive, wait till you see what's in here," Stelios said, indicating one of the doors along a long hallway.
Inside, Zoey's eyes widened as she took in the sight of a huge dance floor, an impressive sound system, and rails full of professional-looking costumes. At one end of the room was a huge stage, and a bar ran along the other.
"I'll be right back," Stelios said, ducking into a changing room.
He was in there for nearly three minutes, and Zoey began to wonder what he was doing. Finally, he emerged, and Zoey had to laugh. Stelios had dressed himself up to look like a young, vibrant Elvis Presley.
Climbing onto the stage, he pressed a few buttons, and the playback for ‘Love Me Tender' filled the room. Stelios did the vocals and even a little bit of dancing, and Zoey had to admit it was a decent impression.
Afterward, Stelios pulled Zoey onstage with him and they danced in each other's arms as the sound system continued to play a mix of soulful classics.
"It doesn't get much better than this," Zoey murmured softly, as they slow danced to ‘Unchained Melody'.
As it turned out, however, she was very wrong.
***
For obvious reasons, Zoey hadn't brought a bathing suit with her, so Fulton was drafted to run out and purchase something that would serve the purpose. When he returned, Stelios led Zoey to the upper deck and showed her his twelve-person hot tub. They were floating on top of that now, in two white massage chairs, enjoying the timeless beauty of the setting sun. They held hands and enjoyed the energetic pulses the chairs were weaving into their bodies. The entire world seemed to be at rest, and the sun's rays skulked across the Melinda Forde billboard in the distance.
"It's a good picture of you," Zoey said absent-mindedly. "I have to wonder where she found it."
"I have no idea," Stelios replied casually. "But the lawyers will probably find out in discovery."
"Lawyers?" Zoey said, almost sleepily. "What lawyers? What do you need lawyers for?"
"For the suit against Melinda Forde, for using my image without my permission."
"What?" Zoey cried, pulling herself upright. "You can't do that, Stelios. She's my mother!"
"I know that, Zoey, but she's also breaking the law. I'm conducting business around the world. I can't have people advertising things with my image unless I endorse it and give them permission."
"I know that," Zoey returned, "But she's my mother. Besides which, suing her would pretty much bankrupt the dating agency. She's one hell of a pain and all, but she doesn't deserve that."
"I for one think she does," Stelios replied. "Here we have a woman who exploits her own daughter for profit. The only reason she wanted me to date you in the first place was so that she could start this ridiculous campaign and make money. You warned me against dating any of Melinda Forde's clients, the very first time we met, but she made you change your mind. She threatened your job security and broke the law, without a thought for the impact that would have on you. But she'll get what's coming to her, Zoey, and it's not your responsibility to defend her."