closed his eyes tightly. “Alexandra has everything under control. But something else has come up. You’re not going to believe what I have to tell you.” For the next few minutes he unloaded on his brother, telling him everything.
“When we created the foundation, it felt good. It was a way to honor Papa.” In a shaken voice he said, “But one look in her eyes taught me what gratitude really looks like—you know, deep down to the soul. I’ve never been so humbled in my life.”
“That’s a very moving story,” Akis responded in a serious tone. “What do you think we should do? Since Alexandra has made her opinion obvious for whatever reason, I don’t think it would work to create a position for Thespinis Zachos under the same roof.”
“I’m way ahead of you. What do you think if we hired her to work at the center on Paxos?”
He could hear his brother’s mind ticking away. “Do you think she’d be willing to relocate to Greece?”
“I don’t know. She has no family in New York, but she’s very close to Father Debakis and one of the women working for the Church’s humanitarian program.”
“What about a boyfriend?”
“Not at the moment. But I’m sure she has friends she met at college. There was the mention of friends she’d been out with the night of the fire.”
“She’s definitely one of the survivors of this world. What does she look like?”
How to describe Zoe Zachos...? “I can’t explain because I wouldn’t do her justice.”
“That beautiful, huh?” Akis knew him too well. After a pause, “Are you thinking of asking her if she’d like to move to Paxos?”
It was all he’d been thinking about since she’d left the office.
“Just be careful, Vasso. I know you inside and out. If she does take you up on your offer of a job, you’re going to feel responsible for her. Be sure that’s what you want.”
He lowered his head. Funny how circumstances had changed. Vasso used to be the one watching out for Akis. Now his little brother had taken over that role. It gave him a lot to think about, but there wasn’t time if he expected to phone her before nightfall. “I’ll consider what you’ve said. Yassou.”
On his way out of the office, Alexandra was just coming in. “You’re finished?”
“That’s right.”
She looked surprised. “Are you staying in New York tonight?”
“No. I’m flying back to Athens.” The beauty of owning a private jet meant he could sleep at night and arrive where he needed to be the next morning.
“I see. What have you decided about Ms. Zachos?”
“You were right. Her skills can best be used elsewhere.” Her bilingual abilities in English and Greek played only a tiny part of what she could bring to the job. “That’s what I’ll tell Father Debakis. Keep up the good work, Alexandra. My brother and I are relying on you.”
Relief broke out on her face. “Thank you. I hope the next time you come you’ll arrange to stay longer.”
Vasso nodded before leaving the center. After he got in the limo, he phoned the priest.
“Father? This is Vasso Giannopoulos. I’ve just come from the center and am pressed for time. Could I meet with you and Thespinis Zachos in your office ASAP?”
“That can be arranged. I’ll ask Kyria Themis to bring her immediately.”
“Excellent. In lieu of her parents who died in the fire, I look to you as someone who has her deepest interest at heart. I understand she has revered you from childhood. What I’d like to do is present an employment offer to her. I believe it’s vital that you are there so she can discuss it with you.” He paused, then said, “She regards you as her mentor.”
“She’s so grateful to everyone who helped her; her dearest wish is to work for your foundation. She lost everything. Now that she has survived, she wants to give back what she can.”
“After talking to her, I believe that’s true. I’ll see you soon.”
He hung up and asked the limo driver to take him to the Greek Orthodox Church a few blocks away.
ZOE DIDN’T KNOW what the meeting with the priest was all about. The incredible-looking man she’d met at the hospital earlier had told her he’d phone her before the day was out. Since leaving that office, she’d wondered if he’d really meant what he’d said.
But any concern in that department vanished the second she caught a glimpse of his black hair through the opening of the study door. Her pulse quickened for no good reason the second a pair of jet-black eyes beneath black brows zeroed in on her.
Both men stood when she walked in wearing the same skirt and blouse she’d worn earlier. She only had three or four outfits because no more was necessary living at the hospital. But now she needed to do some shopping for a wardrobe with the money she still had left in her bank account.
Over the years Zoe had been in the priest’s study many times with other people, but she’d never laid eyes on any man as gorgeous as Vasso Giannopoulos. The thirtyish-looking male possessed facial features and a hard-muscled body that were as perfectly formed as her favorite statue of Apollo she’d only seen in pictures. No other man could possibly compare.
Her first meeting with him had been so important, she hadn’t had the luxury of studying him the way she could now. He was probably six foot two and topped the priest by several inches, having an authority about him not even Father Debakis possessed. The dark gray suit toned with a lighter gray shirt gave him a rare aura of sophistication.
“Come in and sit down, Zoe. Kyrie Giannopoulos requested that I be in on this visit with you.”
“Thank you.” She found an upholstered chair next to the couch where he sat.
Father Debakis took his place behind the desk. He nodded to the younger man. “Go ahead and tell her why you’ve asked for this meeting.”
Vasso sat forward to look at her with his hands resting on his thighs. Her gaze darted to his hands. He wore no rings. “After you left the hospital, I phoned my brother to tell him about you and your situation. We would be very happy to have you come to work for the foundation, but the position we’re offering would be on the island of Paxos in Greece.”
Zoe decided she had to be dreaming.
“Have you ever been there?”
She shook her head. “No, though I did go on a two-week university tour to England right before the fire broke out. As for our family, we took trips up and down the East Coast and into French Canada.”
After a quick breath she said, “My great-grandparents left Florina in Macedonia to escape communism after the Greek Civil War and came to the US in 1946. It was in New York my father met my mother whose family were also refugees. They’d planned to take us on a trip back there for my graduation present, but it didn’t happen.”
“Maybe now it can,” he said. “The center here in New York is fully staffed, and it might be a long time before there’s a vacancy. But our center on Paxos has needed an assistant to the manager since the last one left to take care of a sick parent.”
Zoe could feel her pulse racing. “You’ve established another hospital?” That meant she wouldn’t have to work under Ms. Kallistos?
“Our first one actually. My brother and I have interviewed a number of applicants, but the manager hasn’t felt he could work with any of them.”
He? “What makes you think he would feel