“Compassion. You’ve lived through the agony of having been diagnosed with lymphoma, being treated for it and beating it. The year you’ve spent in the center here has given you the most valuable knowledge of what it’s like to know you have the disease, and to have survived.”
“Still, Ms. Kallistos said—”
“Let me finish,” he cut her off, not unkindly. “For that kind of learning experience, you’ve paid a terrible price. Yet it’s that very knowledge that’s needed to work with patients because you conquered the disease. Everyone in the hospital will relate to you and your presence alone will give them hope.”
“She does that at the hospital every day,” the priest inserted.
Her throat swelled with emotion. “What’s the manager like?”
“Yiannis Megalos served as a rear admiral in the Greek Navy before his retirement.”
A man who’d been an admiral. How interesting. “Then he must run a very tight ship.”
The smile he flashed turned her heart over. “He’s an old family friend and came to us about a position with the foundation after losing his wife to cancer, in order to work through his grief. In that respect you and he already share something vital in common by having a burning desire to help. I don’t need to tell you his organizational skills and his work with the wounded during his military career made him an excellent choice.”
“He sounds remarkable.”
“Yiannis is a character too,” he added on a lighter note. She felt his eyes travel over her. “If I have any concerns, it’s for you. Leaving New York to live in a new country is a huge decision to make. If you’ve got anyone special you don’t want to leave, that could prove difficult.”
She shook her head. “There’s no one.”
“Even so, you may not feel that you can uproot yourself from friends. It might be hard to leave those here at the church who’ve helped you. That’s why I wanted Father Debakis to be here in case you want to discuss this with him in private.”
“Of course I’ll miss everyone, but to be given a chance to work for your foundation means more to me than anything.”
“We can come to terms over a salary you’ll feel good about. You’ll need a place to live. But all of those matters can be discussed once you’ve determined that you want this position. Talk it over with Father Debakis. Take as long as you need.”
Zoe was so thrilled to have been offered a job it took a minute for her to comprehend it. She fought back her tears. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough for this offer, not to mention the generosity of your family’s foundation.”
He got to his feet. Again she felt his scrutiny. “Be sure it’s what you want,” he warned in a more serious tone of voice. If she didn’t know anything else, she knew deep down this was what she wanted and needed. “In the meantime I have to fly back to Athens tonight. You can phone me when you’ve made your decision.”
Seize the moment, Zoe. “Before you leave, could I ask you a few more questions?”
“Of course.”
“What’s the weather like right now?”
“It’s been in the low eighties all summer and won’t drop to the seventies until later in September. Usually the night temperature is in the sixties.”
“It sounds too good to be true. Are there shops near the hospital to buy clothes?”
“The center is on the outskirts of the small seaside village of Loggos. There are a few tourist shops, but I’d suggest you do your shopping in Athens first.”
“Then that solves any problems I’ll have about luggage. I lost everything in the fire so I’ll replenish my wardrobe there.”
He paused in the doorway, looking surprised. “Does this mean you’ve already made up your mind?”
She eyed the priest then glanced back at the other man. “I can’t wait!”
“I can see you’re a woman who knows her own mind.” She thought his eyes might be smiling. “Under the circumstances, let’s go out for dinner where we can talk over details. I’ll drive you back to your shelter then leave for the airport.”
She turned to the priest. “Oh, Father Debakis... I’m so happy I could take flight.”
He chuckled. “I believe you could.”
* * *
Vasso knew he’d never forget this moment. It was a nice feeling to make someone happy. He smiled at the priest. “It’s been a pleasure to meet you.”
“And mine, Kyrie Giannopoulos. Bless you.”
“Shall we go, thespinis?”
After they walked out to the limo, he asked her to recommend a good place to eat.
Zoe swung around. “There’s a Greek diner called Zito’s a few blocks over. They serve lamb kebabs and potatoes so soft you can taste the lemon.”
That sounded good to him. He told the driver who headed there, then concentrated on the charming female seated across from him. “We need to talk about your travel arrangements. There are dozens of flights to Athens every day. Once we know the date, I’ll book a flight for you.”
“Thank you, but I’ll take care of that. This is so exciting, I can’t believe it’s happening.”
Her excitement was contagious. He hadn’t felt this alive in a long time. Once inside the diner they were shown to a table for two. The minute they were seated and Zoe ordered for them, she flicked him a searching glance.
“While I’ve got you here alone, I need your advice. If I were to take Kyrie Megalos a small gift from New York, what would he like?”
His lips twitched. “He collects naval memorabilia from all over the world.”
That gave her a great idea. “Thanks for the tip.”
“You’re welcome. Before any more time passes, I need to know about your financial situation.”
“I don’t have one. I’m broke.” A laugh escaped her lips, delighting him. “That doesn’t mean I have no money, but it wouldn’t be enough to keep me alive for more than a few months. That’s why I can’t wait to start work.
“When I look back, I’m pretty sure I know the reason why Ms. Kallistos didn’t want me to work there. I took up a bed in the center for eight months after my first cancer-free checkup. That’s because I was allowed to live in the hospital’s long-term facility for the last eight months and get therapy to help me with grief issues.”
Vasso surmised that was only one of the reasons Ms. Kallistos had problems with Zoe. No woman could compete with this female’s effervescent personality. Her reverence for life sucked you in.
“After the chemo and bone marrow transplant, I was given all the time there I needed to recover, for which I’m grateful. I don’t even have to wear a wig now. No one would ever guess that I’d once lost all of it.”
Without her blond hair that had a slightly windblown look, she would still possess stunning classic features. “You seem the picture of health. If a long stay at the center was what made the difference in your recovery, then I applaud the therapist’s decision.”
She nodded. “I finally got it out of my doctor that the therapist was worried about my recovery. Losing my parents was so horrendous I had gone into a deep depression, and he could see I needed counseling. That part was certainly true. I was an only child and way too connected to them at the hip. They were wonderful and worked so hard, I tried to do everything I could to help them. In one night my whole world evaporated.”
“That’s the way my brother and I