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 felt when our father died of lymphoma. The world we knew had gone away. Luckily we had each other.”
“My therapist explained that if I’d had a sibling, it might have made a big difference. He made me realize why I had such a hard time letting them go. Grief hits everyone differently. In my case I was a twenty-four-year-old woman crying like a child for her parents. You don’t know how much fun they were. We were best friends.”
“Akis and I had the same relationship with our father.” Everything she told Vasso rang so true with him about his own life he had trouble finding words. “I’m glad the priest prevailed on me to interview you. He’s very persuasive.”
Another quick smile appeared. “He is that. The other day when the doctor saw me for my six-weeks checkup and told me I was still cancer-free, something changed inside of me. I didn’t want to stay there any longer and realized I’d come out of the worst of my depression. Father Debakis knew about my wanting to work for your foundation. So for you to give me a chance is like another miracle.” Her voice trembled. “Thank you for this opportunity. I promise I won’t let you down.”
“I’m sure you won’t.”
The waiter brought their food, but Vasso hardly noticed what he was eating because emotions got in the way of anything else. Their conversation had reminded him of the father he and Akis missed. Their dad had treated them like buddies. He had laughed and joked with them.
Vasso always marveled over how smart he was. Their father knew everyone and had taught them to treat other people with respect. That was how you got ahead. He and Akis remembered everything their father had told them.
She finished her meal before looking up at him. “Your money saved my life and it’s saving the lives of everyone at the hospital. Not just the patients, but the staff too. My oncologist is thrilled to be working there. You and your family have done more for others than you will ever know.”
“I hear you, Zoe. Now no more talk about gratitude. Because you’ll be living on Paxos, I know of several places you can rent. By the time you reach the island, I’ll have lined up some apartments for you to look at.”
“That’s very thoughtful of you, but I can do that myself.”
“I’m sure you could, but you’ll need a place close to the center and they’re not easy to come by.”
“Then I take your word for it. Thank you.”
“If you’ve finished, I’ll run you by the shelter.”
She got up from the table. “I’ll phone you as soon as I’ve made my flight plans.”
“I’ll be expecting your call and we’ll go from there.”
As he walked her out to the limo, he felt as if he too had undergone a life-changing experience. Of course he realized the foundation was helping many people. But for the first time since he and his brother had established the two centers, he had a personal interest in one of the former patients who had recovered.
She’d been so open about her family it triggered memories for him about his father and the life the three of them had enjoyed together before he’d died. Despite their poverty they’d had fun, too. He’d forgotten that aspect until Zoe started talking about her life. Because of her comments about family, he was seeing his own past through fresh eyes. Her
