"She sounded sweet enough on the phone, and even sweeter when she found out who I was, and why I was calling. We set up the date, and she asked me to send a limousine for her because she had been feeling a little down lately and thought a little pomp and circumstance would help her feel better."
Zoey nodded, listening intently.
"I bought that story, and I picked her up. I suggested we see a Broadway play. The moment I said that, I regretted it. All she would talk about afterward was her own experiences onstage. She went on about her former music group until we got to the theater, and started on her reality career until the play started. She whispered all the way through, trying to explain acting techniques and critiquing the actors' performances until the intermission. When we stepped into the bar, we were told we would not be welcome at the second half."
Zoey nodded empathetically, the knot in her stomach tightening.
"When Brie discovered this, she made such a fuss that the theater ushers called in security. I had to make a huge donation to the theater, and promise to keep Brie silent, in order to see the remainder of the play. She apologized so convincingly, and remained so quiet throughout the second half that, remembering your recommendation," he said the last word somewhat resentfully, "I gave her a second chance. I asked her to pick a restaurant and of course she picks The Three Rivers. One of the most expensive restaurants in the city. Its waiting list is legendary. But I had already agreed to take her out, and I really wanted to try and make the evening work.
So we head to the restaurant and manage to get a table after I have an expensive little talk with the management. The wait staff is slow because the place is packed, and Brie quickly loses all patience. She's admonishing the poor staff members, criticizing the chef, at one point she threw a glass of wine in a server's face. The poor woman just snapped and leaped at Brie. I spent the next ten minutes trying to keep them from killing each other. They caused hundreds of dollars' worth of damage. Customers and staff were running all over the place until security came in to restore order. I've been threatened with several … "
"Mr. Zakiridis!" Zoey interrupted.
She couldn't listen anymore. She felt sorry for the guy, sure, but it wasn't like she hadn't tried to spare him everything he had gone through. It was unfair that she was on the hot seat for something her mother had forced her to do. Her mind was whirling at a mile a minute, desperately trying to think of something she could say that wouldn't get her fired.
"Look, I'm sorry you had such a terrible experience. Sometimes our profiles … "
"I'd rather not hear about profiles right now. The entire story will be in the gossip columns later today. I'll be asked about the incident, and when I am, I'll be bound to mention Melinda Forde. But I won't do that if you'll do one thing for me."
Zoey didn't like the sound of that at all, but if Stelios followed through with his threat, it could ruin her mother, and maybe cost her her job in the process.
"What is it that you would like me to do?" she asked tentatively.
"I want you to agree to go on a date with me, Ms. Forde. After all, it was your recommendation that started all this. Brie Hudson was an unparalleled disaster, the likes of which I hope to never see again. I really think this is the best way for you to make up for it, don't you?" he asked, folding his arms, and eyeing her slyly.
Zoey was stunned into silence, unable to think of an appropriate response. In her mind, she struggled to discern what was motivating Stelios to do this. She was certain it wasn't really to make up for sending him out with Brie Hudson. What's more, he was a client. He was attractive-there was no denying that-but he was still a client. On top of everything, she was an average woman who worked in an office and mostly made things up for a living. What on earth did a billionaire who had most likely been to every corner of the world want with a woman who had spent nearly her entire life within the confines of one city?
After a few moments, Zoey found her voice and prepared to use it to refuse the offer, as tempting as it was. Just at that moment, however, her office door flew open.
"Hello again. I just thought I ought to check on you two."
Zoey sighed inwardly. It was her mother.
"Have you worked everything out?" Melinda asked, giving her daughter a significant look. "We always strive to give our clients the best experience possible."
"I think we may have hit on an acceptable solution," Stelios answered her. "In fact, we were just discussing that when you walked in, weren't we, Ms. Forde?"
Zoey found herself under a full court press. Between her mother and her client, there was simply no way out of it that she could see.
"Yes, we were," Zoey finally replied, fighting to arrange her features into a smile. "Mr. Zakiridis thinks he might enjoy a date with me, and I'm happy to give it a try."
"Well!" Melinda exclaimed, exuding surprise, though if Zoey knew her mother at all, she had doubtless been in the hallway, listening the entire time. "That's absolutely wonderful. When is this happening?"
"I have an opening in my schedule tomorrow at six. If that works for you I can pick you up at your home."
That would be fine," Zoey replied, a little stiffly. "I look forward it."
"So do I," replied Stelios. "I'd better go now. I'm glad we had the opportunity to work through this."
So saying, the Greek quickly walked out of the office. Moments later, Zoey and Melinda watched through the window as he left the building and jumped into the black town car.
Glaring darkly at her mother, Zoey sat down at her desk and went to work.
For what might have been the first time ever, Zoey truly appreciated her job because it kept her from thinking about Blake or Stelios, or just what the enigmatic Greek billionaire could be planning for the rest of the day. She spent the next few hours going through her profiles, answering emails, and matching her clients, happy to be able to escape from her thoughts.
All too soon, the workday came to an end, and Zoey marched toward the subway with a hopeful air about her. This time, no one bothered to offer her a seat, so she gripped a pole and let her thoughts wash over her as she made her way back to Brooklyn.
***
Why did Stelios want to take her out? It was a question that wouldn't leave Zoey alone. She was wearing her nightgown and sitting in her living room, on a beige cloth sofa that she had had for years. A glass of wine rested on the coffee table in front of her, like some sort of counselor. Why was Stelios coming tomorrow to take her somewhere? Why does a billionaire date someone out of the blue?
Her best guess so far was that he needed somebody to make him feel better and restore his reputation after the Brie Hudson disaster. He was using her. That made sense to Zoey. After all, her own mother was using her for almost the same reason. But at the same time, everything he had said to Zoey the other day had seemed genuine, and none of it had made him sound like the type of person that made a habit of using people.
"What else could it be?" she asked herself, taking a long sip of the wine. No other answers came to her, or rather, none that were plausible. She considered for a moment that maybe he had seen something in her that touched him, but she dismissed that idea at once.
"This isn't a fairy tale," she told herself firmly. "Men don't just appear for no reason and sweep women off their feet. Everyone has some sort of agenda."
As soon as she said it, she felt slightly ashamed of herself.
There was a time, not all that long ago, when Zoey would have embraced Stelios' date proposal. Back then, she wouldn't have sat up half the night pretending to watch television, and searching his words for ulterior motives. She had been more trusting, more open, and more hopeful. In those days, she had looked at each day as its own adventure. But Zoey had still been in college back then; yet to take up her post at Melinda Forde and learn that everyone had an angle, no matter how clever they were at hiding it.
Zoey was ashamed that her job and her mother were succeeding in killing the trust and openness she once felt. She decided to try to put her conspiracy theories away for the time being and meet Stelios the following day with an open mind.
SIX
To Zoey's relief, the next day was Friday. Friday night normally meant the weekend, and a temporary reprieve from Melinda Forde, but today it meant something completely different. At six o'clock that evening, a billionaire was coming to take her out.