"I sensed you were a good person when you sent me away from the appointment the other day," Stelios continued, seemingly reading her thoughts with the skill of a telepath. "Really, I was sure there was something special about you the second I entered your office."
"It's true!" he answered Zoey's surprised look. "Even if you hadn't called me back that morning, I was planning to ask you out."
Most people find it feels good to be told that they are special and Zoey was no exception. Especially since the person that was saying so was a very nice guy who looked amazing and happened to be a billionaire.
"Well for the record, I'm glad I agreed to do it."
"Even if you're sitting in the dark right now?"
"Yes, even though I'm sitting in the dark right now."
"I'm very happy to hear that. While we are on the subject of dating, is there any competition I should be aware of?" Stelios queried in light tones.
Zoey chuckled and shook her head. "Nothing's been going on in that department for some time now. I really haven't had time to find something meaningful. On top of that, I have way more than enough romance to deal with at work."
"Well I hope I can change your mind about that," Stelios replied, gently taking her hand in his.
The contact sent a current up her spine and a warmth flowing within her heart. The pair moved closer together and saw each other for the first time, by the flickering light of the nearby candles.
"You truly are beautiful, Zoey," Stelios said, almost whispering. With an air almost of awe, he ran his fingers through her raven-tinted hair.
Without a word, she drew him into a deep, passionate kiss that sent every one of her senses on fire. She sensed the need in his lips, smelled his intoxicating aftershave, and felt his heart beating rapidly against her own. Everything ceased to exist beyond the spark of flame between them. Everything else in the world was plunged into darkness.
***
An hour later, sitting in her own room, Zoey still felt like a woman in a dream. She didn't know how it was possible to feel so incredibly and completely different from the way she had just two days ago. She was elated, excited, and full of hope. She felt desired and loved by someone for a change, and the thought of it danced through her body like electricity. The date had succeeded beyond anything she would have believed, and for the first time in what felt like ages, she was happy.
Pulling off her sweater and slacks, Zoey duly changed into her nightclothes, but she knew sleep wasn't going to come to her for several hours. Her heart just wouldn't stop beating faster than usual, and her thoughts had no intention of quieting down. It was lucky, she thought, that she had nowhere to be the next morning.
Eventually, after about three hours of trying, Zoey fell into a blissful sleep. Even though she wouldn't remember it the next day, she was smiling; her dreams filled with the adventures that awaited her and Stelios in the future.
SEVEN
When Zoey woke up, late on Saturday morning, it was with a song in her heart. She whistled tunefully while she cleaned up the apartment, took care of the laundry, and washed the dishes. By mid-afternoon, the place looked ready to be featured in a magazine, and Zoey was singing ‘Circle of Life' from The Lion King. It seemed amazing to her how much joy one person could put in someone else's heart.
Apparently, Stelios was feeling the same way, because he called at around five in the evening, sounding boisterous and full of good cheer. He was apparently en-route to a crucial business meeting that was going to command his attention for the next week. But, he said, he wanted to see her again the moment he returned. The pair of them agreed on Monday after next, and continued laughing, joking and flirting for nearly an hour after that, before business concerns forced Stelios off the phone.
It was a mark of just how much of an impression Stelios had made on her that Zoey arose early on Monday morning in high spirits. She had a spring in her step as she dove into the shower, and when she came out, she modeled two or three outfits before settling on a rich, forest green dress. For breakfast, she made herself an egg white and cheese croissant with Earl Grey tea and a few sliced strawberries. When she was finished, she saw that there was still plenty of time for her to get to the subway train that would carry her to work.
"Why don't I get up this early every morning?" she asked herself as she grabbed her clutch and shot out of the door.
A few moments later, she was seated on the train, squeezed in beside a young mother who was soothing a colicky baby, or rather, attempting to. Normally, being inches away from a howling baby might have annoyed Zoey, but today she ended up lending a helping hand. By the time Zoey needed to transfer to another train, she and the mother, whose name she learned was Caroline, had sung two lullabies together. As she got out of the subway car, Zoey was a little surprised to hear some of the people who had been nearest to them quietly applauding. She smiled broadly and went on her way, arriving some time later at Melinda Forde.
As it turned out, Zoey wasn't the only one on cloud nine that day. The receptionist, a beautiful, portly woman named Annie Bransford, looked positively gleeful. Most days, she was henpecked nearly to death by Melinda, but at the moment, she looked as if she had just inherited a small fortune.
For a moment, Zoey wondered what could have caused such a transformation, but decided to head for her office, certain that the answer was bound to reveal itself later.
Inside her office, she found her mother patiently leaning against her desk.
"Zoey, dear!" Melinda cried out upon seeing her daughter. "I'm so happy to see you! Very well done!" And she hugged Zoey more tightly than she had in years, giving her daughter a kiss on the cheek. "You'll be getting a raise. The receptionist, too. Everyone who had something to do with this is getting rewarded. Hell, I might even send Brie a fruit basket!" she laughed.
Zoey just glared at her, a stunned expression on her face. "What are you talking about, Mom? Everyone who had anything to do with what?"
"As if you didn't know," Melinda replied, smiling slyly. "You really must have laid it on thick last Friday. I called him after your little rendezvous together, and he wouldn't stop talking about you. I've had our marketing people busy all weekend."
"Marketing people?" Zoey demanded. "Mother, what are you talking about? And what gives you the right to check up on my dates behind my back?"
For an answer, Melinda pulled out her smartphone and showed Zoey an image. When she saw it, her heart nearly stopped in mid beat.
Staring back at her was a photoshopped image of herself in Stelios' arms that had been cropped to about shoulder level. There was a lovely sunset behind the pair of them, and a quote from Stelios, written in elegant white calligraphy. At the top of the image, in the center, was the silver MF in the outline of a heart that served as Melinda Forde's logo.
Slowly, Zoey blushed with a level of rage that she had never known a human being was capable of. "No!" she roared, so loudly it actually pained her throat. "You delete that image immediately. You are not putting those up! You had no right to do that and you know it! What do you think he's going to think if he sees that?"
"I … I … hadn't thought," Melinda replied, taken aback by her daughter's sudden anger.
"That's obvious!" Zoey cut in coldly. "Anyone can see that. You didn't think about making your own daughter look like an opportunistic gold digger trying to use some rich guy to get ahead in life. You didn't think about our privacy, or how I might feel when this dumb plan of yours destroyed our relationship … "
"Relationship?" Melinda sputtered. "What relationship, Zoey? You went out with him once, and I had to force you to do that!"
"That's not the point!" Zoey screamed back, hot tears running down her blazing cheeks. She caught her mother in a steely glare that bore the renewed hatred welling inside her. "I don't care what you paid them! You call the marketing people back this minute and tell them you're not running that damn ad!"
"Zoey, I couldn't do that if I wanted to. It's too late for that now. The billboards have been going up all over the city all morning. Whether you want to believe it or not, there's nothing I can do at this point."
At those words, Zoey's face began losing its color. The image she had seen had been all over New York for hours now. Stelios might have seen it already, and if he hadn't, he was going to soon.
"You awful woman!" she wailed at her mother, scrambling for her smartphone with shaky hands.