A Wedding for the Greek Tycoon
“You’re Zoe Zachos?”
“Yes?”
“Come with me, please.”
She got on a cart and was driven some distance to an elevator that descended to the ground floor. After another little ride the airline employee stopped the cart in front of a door. She got out and opened it. “Your ride is waiting out there.”
The second Zoe walked through the door onto the tarmac where the hot sun beat down she saw a limousine in the distance. Once again her legs seemed to go weak when she spotted her benefactor lounging against the passenger side wearing sunglasses. This morning he’d dressed in a light blue sport shirt and tan chinos. He looked so wonderful she moaned before she realized he could have heard her.
“Thespinis Zachos, welcome to Greece.”
No man should be this handsome. Zoe felt out of breath. “Thank you for meeting me.”
“Of course. I hope you had a good flight.” He took her bag and opened the rear door for her to get in.
“It was fine.”
He went around the other side and got in with her bag so they sat across from each other. The interior smelled of the soap he must have used in the shower. Her reaction to him was over the top. Maybe there was something wrong with her.
“My driver will take us to the complex where my brother and I work. We’ll stay in the penthouse. It’s where we entertain guests and business people who must stay overnight. Tomorrow we’ll fly to Paxos.”
The limousine moved into the center of Athens. Another time and she might enjoy the scenery more, but right now she couldn’t concentrate. After what he’d just told her, Zoe felt like a tongue-tied high school girl with a giant-sized crush on a man so far out of her league it was outrageous.
Glomming onto the safer subject of business she said, “Does Kyrie Megalos know you’ve hired me?”
“Not yet. I want him to meet you first.”
She eyed him directly, but couldn’t see his eyes behind the glasses. “Something tells me you’re pulling the same thing on him that Father Debakis pulled on you.” Vasso laughed hard. “He may not want me to be his assistant.”
“In that case he’ll give you another position. Don’t worry. He won’t suggest that you join a nunnery.”
Laughter escaped her lips. His sense of humor was very appealing. “I shouldn’t have said anything about Ms. Kallistos’s remark. It wasn’t kind of me.”
“She should have known better than to say anything, so put it out of your mind.”
“I have. Do you mind if I ask you some questions? Would you please tell me what kind of business you’re in? I don’t have a lot of information about you apart from your philanthropic work.”
They’d driven into the heart of the downtown traffic. “If you’ll look out your right window, you’ll see a store coming up that says Alpha/Omega 24.”
Zoe searched each shop. “Oh—there it is! Everything from A to Z. It’s like one of the 7-Elevens in the States!”
“It’s store number four, the first store we opened on the mainland.”
“So you’re a convenience store owner! Where are stores one through three?”
“On Paxos. My brother and I started our own chain years ago. They’ve spread throughout Greece.”
“Now you’re forcing me to guess.” She eyed him with an impish expression. “Do you have as many as a hundred perchance?”
“We reached the hundred mark in Thessalonika.”
Zoe gulped. “You weren’t kidding, were you? Does your chain spread as far as Florina?”
“Farther, but it might interest you to know we have a store in Kozani. It’s not far from the home of your ancestors.”
She’d just been teasing, but he’d come back with an answer that filled her with awe. “So how many stores do you have altogether? Wait—don’t answer that question.” Heat filled her cheeks. “I’m being rude to pry. Forgive me.”
“I don’t mind. 2001, including the one we recently opened in Crete.”
Zoe had tried to imagine the kind of money it took to run both centers. Now that she knew what kind of wealth was behind the foundation, she was blown away by the generosity of these men. “You really are perfect,” she whispered.
“You have a lot to learn,” he quipped, making her smile.
By now the limousine had turned down an alley and stopped at the side of a big complex. He got out with her bag and came around to help her. He had a remote on his key chain that opened the door to an elevator. They rode it to the top. When the door opened, she entered a glassed-in penthouse where she welcomed the air conditioning.
“If you’ll come with me, I’ll show you to the guest bedroom.” She followed him through a hallway to a room with a fabulous view of Athens.
“What an incredible vista! Am I the luckiest woman in the world to sleep here tonight or what? You’re far too good to me.”
“We do this for business people who come to be interviewed for store manager positions.”
“But I’m not exactly the kind of business person that generates a profit for you. I promise I’ll do my best to help the patients at the hospital.”
“I have no doubt of it.” He put her overnight bag on the floor. “The en-suite bathroom is through that door. This area of the penthouse is all yours until we leave for Paxos. Now I’m sure you want to freshen up and relax, but first let me show you the kitchen.”
She walked down the hallway to the other part of the penthouse with him. “There’s food and drink waiting for you if you’re hungry. Please help yourself to anything you want while I go down to the office and check in. If you need me, just phone me, but I won’t be long. After lunch we can go shopping if you’re up to it.”
“Thank you, Kyrie Giannopoulos.” He was beyond kind and so many other things she’d lost count.
“Call me Vasso.”
She smiled. “I’m Zoe.”
He’d removed his sunglasses. “Zoe Zachos. Has anyone ever called you ZZ?”
Another laugh broke from her. He had a bit of an imp in him. “No. You’re the first.”
She felt the warmth from his black eyes long after he’d left the penthouse. Before doing anything else she walked over to the windows in the living room. The site of the Acropolis seemed as surreal as the whole experience of meeting Vasso Giannopoulos for the first time.
He had to be a very busy man, yet he’d taken time out to interview her himself. His insight about the emotions she would experience by moving to Greece revealed he was a man of empathy and compassion. Because of his goodness, her life was already being transformed.
CHAPTER THREE
“KYRIE GIANNOPOULOS?” VASSO’S secretary spoke to him as he was passing through to his office. “Your brother said he’d be in after lunch. You’ve had two calls this morning from Maris Paulos who said it was urgent you get back to her.”
In order to maintain his privacy, he gave out his cell phone number only to a few people. It forced Maris to reach him through his secretary. Until she’d mentioned Maris’s name, Vasso hadn’t thought about her.
“I’ll call her now. Just so you know I’ll be out of the office tomorrow. Akis will handle anything that comes up. If there’s an emergency, he’ll call me.”
“Yes, sir.”
Vasso went into his private office and rang Maris. After apologizing for not phoning her before his quick trip to New York, he asked if they could meet later that night. He’d stop by her condo. She sounded happy. That worried him because he didn’t plan on seeing her after tonight. But Maris deserved the truth. She wanted more out of their relationship, but he didn’t have it inside to give.
With that taken care of, he sequestered himself in his office for a couple of hours to do paperwork. Then he phoned Zoe.
“I’m glad you called. I’ve eaten lunch and was just leaving to go shopping.”
“Then I’ll take you.”
“Oh no. You’ve done enough for me.”
She was so different from other women he’d known whose interest in money seemed to be at the forefront. Both he and Akis felt the women they met were always assessing the worth of the Giannopoulos brothers, a real turnoff. But the Zoe he’d met so far seemed the exact opposite of a woman with that kind of hidden agenda.
“But you don’t know where to go to shop.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ve lived in a big city all my life.”
Vasso chuckled at her show of independence. “I realize that. But it would please me to accompany you this once. I’m coming upstairs now.”
He was aware how grateful she was for everything. Pleased that she wasn’t too tired, he arranged for his driver to meet them in the alley and drive them to the Attica department store near Syntagma Square.
She must have showered because she smelled sweet like a fragrant rose, dressed in a different skirt and blouse, when he helped her out of the limo. “You’ll find everything you want here at a good price,” he explained. “Shall we start in the luggage department? You’ll need a large suitcase.”
Her sculpted mouth curved into a smile. “You’re reading my mind.”
He liked the three-piece set of luggage she picked with a gold fleur-de-lis design on a dark red background. Vasso asked the clerk to find an employee to take their purchases out to the limousine waiting in front of the store.
Women’s clothing was on the next floor. Zoe stopped him before they approached the counter. “Tell me something honestly. I saw Ms. Kallistos coming and going for a whole year. She only wore dresses or skirts and blouses. Would you suggest the same thing for me?”
“For work, yes. But you’ll want other kinds of clothes, too. The island has a lot to offer when you’re off of work. Among other things like jeans and shorts, you’re going to need some good walking shoes and a bathing suit. Maybe a sweater or jacket when the nights cool down. Paxos is a different world from New York.”
“I realize that. After living in the asphalt jungle, I’m relishing the quiet of a sun-filled island with no skyscrapers.”
“You’re going to undergo a big change. Tell me something. Do you have a laptop?”
“I had one for college, but it got destroyed in the fire.”
“I was afraid that might be the case.”
“Stop, Vasso. I know what you’re going to say. I have enough money to buy another one.”
“I believe you, but the foundation supplies all the equipment, so I have an idea. While you shop for clothes, I’ll go to the electronics department and get you a computer. You’ll need it when you’re not at the center. It shouldn’t take me long then I’ll come back here for you.”
“That sounds good. When we’re through shopping, I’d like to take you to an early dinner. It will be on me. I’m afraid I won’t have much money left to spend, so I’ll let you pick a place my pathetic bank account can afford.”
Those shimmering green eyes had him mesmerized. “I know just a spot in the Plaka. You’ll love it.”
“The old part of Athens,” she mused. “To think I have Greek blood running through my veins, yet I’ve never been here. I promise to hurry because I can’t wait to explore.” Zoe’s eagerness to live life made him see it through new eyes. “My father didn’t like to go shopping with my mother because she took so long. I’ll try not to be like her.”
Amused by the comment he said, “Take all the time you need.” He and Akis had grown up in a one-parent household, so he didn’t know what it would be like to hear two parents going at it back and forth.
He left her talking to a saleswoman and headed for another part of the store. Besides a laptop, Vasso wanted her to have a new iPhone. He was still amazed by the extent of her loss, and even more astounded that she wasn’t bitter or angry. She didn’t know how to feel sorry for herself. That trait alone increased his admiration for her.
Fire had snatched away everything from her, including her parents. She was forced to build a life all over again. The woman was a survivor in more ways than one. He couldn’t imagine another woman of his acquaintance who would be eager to throw herself headlong into an undetermined future.
She was beautiful inside and out. By some miracle the lymphoma hadn’t taken her life. Her gratitude was over the top, yet it was that very quality that drew him to her. You couldn’t compare her to anyone else. She’d maintained a great sense of humor even after the ordeal she’d been through, which put her in a class by herself.
As Vasso had discussed with Akis, he was happy they’d honored their father by creating the foundation. But at the time, neither of them had any idea that their money would be responsible for Zoe getting the medical care she’d needed to whip the terrible disease. Today he was thankful they’d had both centers built so he could give her the job she wanted.
She’s becoming important to you.
An hour later he found her and they walked out of the store with their arms loaded. They were greeted by a rash of photographers and journalists taking pictures and calling out questions. Someone had tipped the paparazzi off that he’d come to the store. Vasso was furious this had happened, but Zoe seemed to handle it well by ignoring them. He helped her into the smoked-glass limo.
“You must be a celebrity,” she said in a quiet voice.
“Anyone’s a celebrity if they have money.”
“There’s a lot more to their interest in you than that!”
“It’s because Akis and I came from a life of poverty. The media has been following us around for several years.”
“How ghastly.” He heard a sigh come out of her. “But I think it’s because you’ve done something extraordinary with your lives. To impart your fortune for the good of humanity puts you in a class all by yourselves. Surely you must realize how much people admire you for that. It’s a great compliment to you, even if you don’t like the publicity.”
“Trust me, I don’t,” he muttered. “Let’s forget them. I’m just sorry I couldn’t protect you from them.”
“I can understand that you don’t relish being mobbed.”
She understood a lot of things that made him feel closer to her. He was beginning to desire her company more and more. “It’s one of the reasons why I don’t spend all my time in Athens.”
Her gaze darted to him. “I don’t blame you. Under the circumstances, can we go back to the penthouse to eat dinner? Now that they’ve seen you, they’ll probably follow us to the Plaka. If I can’t pay for our meal, I can at least cook for you.”
“I didn’t bring you here to cook.”
“You don’t know how much I miss it. I was at the center for a whole year. No place of my own to have fun in the kitchen. Yours is a cook’s dream, believe me! But please don’t misunderstand me,” she cried softly. “I just meant that now I’m well, I look forward to doing the things that once brought me pleasure. That is if you’ll let me.”
How could he say no to that? “Of course.”
“If I say so myself, my parents’ taverna brought in a lot of customers because of my mother’s recipes that go way back.”
Vasso couldn’t hear enough about her life. “What was her specialty?”
“She had several, but my favorite main dish is burek.”
His brows lifted. “You can make Macedonian burek?”
“So you like it?” Her eyes smiled.
“I had it once in Kozani and loved it.”
“I’d like to make it for you if you’ll let me loose in your kitchen. We’ll see how it compares. But you need to start with an appetizer and some Mastika liqueur over ice. You probably don’t have any of that on hand.”
“Our number-four store should carry it. We’ll stop there on the way back.”
She reached in her purse and wrote something on a piece of paper before handing it to him. “Do you have all these items?”
He checked the list: dough ingredients, minced lamb, white cheese, spinach, kasseri yellow cheese, olives and tomatoes. They’d need to pick up at least half the items on her list. Vasso alerted his driver, then focused on her. “I’m already salivating.”
“So am I.” She chuckled. “There’s nothing I’d love more than to fix you one of my family’s specialties.”
“Are you homesick for New York already?” He’d been worrying about that. To live on Paxos was going to be a huge adjustment for her.
“I’ll never stop missing my parents, but there’s nothing in New York for me now so I won’t be missing it. Yet being able to cook up a meal in your kitchen will be a little like old times with my folks.”
Her tremulous answer tugged on his emotions. He had a longing to comfort her. “I can relate. So many times I’ve wanted to discuss business with our father.”
“Every time I went into the hospital chapel, I would read the words on the plaque and wonder about him. When did he die?”
“Sixteen years ago.”
She shook her head. “You were so young to lose him. That must have been terribly hard on your mother.”
Vasso cleared his throat. “She died soon after I was born.”
A slight gasp escaped her. “I had no idea. That means your father raised you and your brother alone. Did you have grandparents?”
“They died too, but that’s another story.”
“Will you tell me about it?”
“Maybe. Over dinner.” Just then the limo pulled in front of the store. “I’ll be right back.” He got out and hurried inside the crowded interior.
“Boss?”
“Yassou, Galen. I’m here to pick up a bottle of Mastika liqueur.”
“I think we’ve got one left. It’s been on the top shelf in back for a while.”
“The older, the better.”
“I’ll get it.”
“Let me.” Vasso found it and the other items needed. After putting some bills on the counter he said, “Talk to you later.”
When he got back in the limo with the groceries, he handed the bottle to Zoe. “Is this what you wanted?”
She looked delighted. “I can’t believe you stock it here. No wonder your stores have been such a huge success. This is my lucky day. Now I’m going to have to produce a meal that will win the Giannopoulos seal of approval.”
He laughed, realizing that she had a knack for bringing that out in him. When she’d walked into Alexandra’s office last week, he hadn’t been prepared for the effect this utterly feminine woman would have on him. But the first impression she’d made on him, with her wavy blond hair, had brought a spring-like newness into his life.
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