The Greek Billionaire's Marriage Matchmaker (6 page)

For obvious reasons, Zoey hadn’t brought a bathing suit with her, so Fulton was drafted to run out and purchase something that would serve the purpose. When he returned, Stelios led Zoey to the upper deck and showed her his twelve-person hot tub. They were floating on top of that now, in two white massage chairs, enjoying the timeless beauty of the setting sun. They held hands and enjoyed the energetic pulses the chairs were weaving into their bodies. The entire world seemed to be at rest, and the sun’s rays skulked across the Melinda Forde billboard in the distance.

“It’s a good picture of you,” Zoey said absent-mindedly. “I have to wonder where she found it.”

“I have no idea,” Stelios replied casually. “But the lawyers will probably find out in discovery.”

“Lawyers?” Zoey said, almost sleepily. “What lawyers? What do you need lawyers for?”

“For the suit against Melinda Forde, for using my image without my permission.”

“What?” Zoey cried, pulling herself upright. “You can’t do that, Stelios. She’s my mother!”

“I know that, Zoey, but she’s also breaking the law. I’m conducting business around the world. I can’t have people advertising things with my image unless I endorse it and give them permission.”

“I know that,” Zoey returned, “But she’s my
mother
. Besides which, suing her would pretty much bankrupt the dating agency. She’s one hell of a pain and all, but she doesn’t deserve that.”

“I for one think she does,” Stelios replied. “Here we have a woman who exploits her own daughter for profit. The only reason she wanted me to date you in the first place was so that she could start this ridiculous campaign and make money. You warned me against dating any of Melinda Forde’s clients, the very first time we met, but she made you change your mind. She threatened your job security and broke the law, without a thought for the impact that would have on you. But she’ll get what’s coming to her, Zoey, and it’s not your responsibility to defend her.”

“The hell it isn’t. Whatever else she is, she’s my mother. I’ve known her longer than you have. She used to be a kind, loving person who would stay up with me for hours when I got sick. The first time someone broke my heart, she was the only one who gave a damn and tried to make it better. Granted, she may not be that person anymore, but she used to be, and I’m sure as hell am not about to forget it. I need you to take me back to shore now.”

“Zoey, it’s already been filed…”

“Stelios! Please, just take me back.”

“All right, Zoey,” he sighed.

The yacht sailed through the darkling waters, reaching the gangplank in just a few minutes. The two descended to the boardwalk, where Zoey moved hurriedly towards the waiting town car.

“Zoey…” Stelios tried again, a tinge of desperation in his voice.

“Stelios, you’re an amazing man,” Zoey said, rounding on him. “But if you’re going to sue my mother, we cannot be together. Deep down, she’s not a bad person. My dad screwed her over. He cheated on her, took the money, and ran. It’s made her very cynical about love, and pretty much everything else, and sometimes, sometimes that makes her act like a bitch. But at the end of the day, she’s my mother, and if you’re going to destroy her livelihood, I can’t stand by you.”

So saying, Zoey walked to the town car in silence, and had Fulton take her back to Brooklyn.

Stelios didn’t utter a word of protest. He simply stared after her as if he had been turned to stone. A confused expression clouded his features, and after a minute or so, he shook his head slowly. Feeling heavier than he ever had in his life, he trudged back up the gangway and back on board the yacht.

ELEVEN

The trip back to Brooklyn was painful and silent. If Fulton had an opinion on the matter, he didn’t dare to voice it. Zoey sat sullenly, wondering to herself why something always had to go wrong. It had been a romantic yacht ride and an amazing sunset. All told, up to that point, it had been one of the best days of her life. And then Stelios had gone and ruined it.

Zoey didn’t know how he could be so callous. Stelios commanded some of the world’s most expensive lawyers. Just trying to mount a legitimate defense against them would gouge Melinda Forde’s resources beyond recognition. There was no way Melinda could compete and he had to know that.

So why was he trying to wipe her out? It wasn’t for the money. He didn’t need it. If he was just trying to make a point about using his image without his permission, there had to be better ways. There had to be something else. Anything would be better than systematically pulling apart everything her mother had struggled to build.

When she reached her apartment, her thoughts were still roiling, and she tried to stamp them down by concentrating on other things that urgently needed to get done. She struggled to focus on yet more job applications, distracted by thoughts that, by the time Stelios was done with her, her mother might be forced to move in with her. Zoey doubted that they would get along at first, or at all, but ultimately Zoey knew she had no choice in the matter. She knew the wonderful woman she had described to Stelios was still somewhere within her mother, and for her sake, Zoey could never turn Melinda away.

When trying to save her family from poverty became tedious, Zoey decided to make a plan for the next day. Obviously, she would have to talk to her mother, and get her to realize that her relationship with Stelios was genuine. Hopefully that, and the threat of a lawsuit, would make her see the necessity of removing the billboards and ending the ad campaign. She was hoping that if she could get her mother to do that, it would be enough to appease the Greek billionaire and prevent him from suing. It was the best plan she could think of, and she was certain it would work if only her mother wouldn’t be so stubborn.

She could already hear her mother refusing to give in. She had done that once before in divorce court because she just wanted the nightmare to be over. The man she had loved more than anything had just torn her heart out and all she had wanted was for the pain to come to an end. So she’d signed away many of the assets she’d been entitled to and walked away from the proceedings with a pittance. She always told Zoey she had regretted not fighting tooth and nail for what was rightfully hers, and Zoey was deathly afraid her mother was going to try to make up for the error now.

Zoey struggled with plans and counter plans as the hours passed like molasses in January. By ten thirty, she was trawling the internet for free legal advice. By eleven, she had a list of lawyers with good track records and relatively affordable prices. By midnight, she was seeking out apartments that would comfortably house two people at a lower rent than she was paying. An hour later, she keeled over from sheer exhaustion and went to sleep on her living room floor.

TWELVE

Zoey had been so agitated when she had returned home that she had never bothered to take off the clothes she was wearing. So when the first rays of sunlight came through the apartment’s windows and rested uncomfortably on her eyes, it took her a while to remember how she had ended up on the floor, in her business suit, and next to her computer. Her head ached like she’d been drinking all night, but she pushed herself to her feet and headed for her bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom, looking and feeling a bit more human. She went to her closet and got into the first dress she saw. Every cell in her body protested at being made to work, but with dogged determination, Zoey pressed on. She was on a mission to save her mother from herself, and no matter how tired she felt, she knew that time was of the essence.

There wasn’t time for her to make breakfast, so she grabbed a banana from the fruit basket and ran out of the door. It was gone by the time she reached the subway, barely helping the rumbling in her stomach.

The subway was just as crowded as usual, but the kid she had met twice before was on the train again. Somehow, she had managed to keep the seat beside him empty, and Zoey eased into it gratefully.

“What’s your name?” she asked the little girl who kept appearing out of nowhere like a hero in a Western.

“Alex,” she replied easily. “Nice to meet you.”

She offered her hand, and Zoey shook it, wondering at the precocious child.

“You seem to be here a lot, Alex. Are you on your way to school?”

“Yeah,” she replied. “My dad’s driving me.”

It took Zoey a second to realize the kid meant that her father was currently driving the train. The novelty of that idea distracted her for a moment before the weight of the lawsuit came crashing into her mind again.

As soon as it did, she took out her smartphone and went to her favorite local news site. Sure enough, there was a report on Stelios’ actions that laid things out in grim detail.

“Billionaire real estate mogul Stelios Zakiridis is suing Melinda Forde, founder and CEO of Melinda Forde Singles, a high-end relationship services agency, for using his likeness in promotions without authorization. According to sources close to the matter, Mr. Zakiridis is claiming close to ten million dollars in damages. The agency has offered no information to the press, other than a statement saying it stands by its advertising. Interestingly, the woman featured in the campaign opposite Mr. Zakiridis is Zoey Forde, the CEO’s daughter.”

“I’ve got to get there before she releases any more statements,” Zoey murmured to herself.

The last thing she needed was anything that might antagonize Stelios. She needed him in as good a mood as possible if she wanted to have any hope of diffusing the situation. And the situation
had
to be diffused. Melinda Forde Singles was a very profitable business, but there was no way it could afford to pay out ten million dollars.

Zoey reached the transfer point in her journey, and Alex looked up from her coloring book to wave goodbye to her. She waved back absent-mindedly and stepped onto the platform to await the train that would finally carry her to work. A loud, roaring sound presently announced its arrival, and several minutes later, she arrived at the offices of Melinda Forde Singles.

There was a large knot of people clustered in front of the building, and when the turmoil in Zoey’s mind calmed enough to let her recognize them, Zoey felt a mix of anger and horror well in her heart. Her mother’s building had been surrounded by local and national reporters, perched eagerly at every vantage point, like buzzards waiting for their prey.

Two of the reporters were locked in a fierce argument with Ms. Bransford, who was refusing to allow them access to the reception area. On either side of the agency, journalists were capturing the spectacle, calling the agencies they represented, or punching notes into their tablets.

One of the pair that was still arguing with the receptionist, a tall, tanned man with neatly-cropped blond hair, began making an obvious attempt to seduce Ms. Bransford. Zoey was fairly certain the receptionist could see right through him, but she was also a lonely woman who hadn’t had a date in close to a year. Ms. Bransford was standing firm so far, but Zoey knew she would capitulate eventually. She needed to get to her mother before her receptionist gave in; the last thing Melinda needed to be doing was having a conversation with the press.

Zoey had yet to be noticed by the reporters so she went a block down, to a nearby bank. She snuck into the alley behind that building, running down it until she came to a chain link fence. Thanking God that she hadn’t worn heels, she climbed over it and into the alleyway that ran behind Melinda Forde. Dashing to a back entrance, Zoey used her key to enter the maintenance area of the building. A few minutes of navigating through that badly-lit area let her into one of the building’s main hallways.

Moments later, she was standing in front of her mother’s office, a rather large affair hidden away on the second floor. Its door and windows were made of frosted glass, framed in an elegant hardwood border. The door bore the agency’s logo in silver, and the inscription “Melinda Diana Forde, CEO” in gold.

Zoey went inside and saw that the elegant black sofa to the right of the door was covered in a mess of papers and office boxes. The gray marble coffee table in front of it was similarly weighted down, as was the receptionist’s desk in the center of the office. A woman named Maria normally occupied that post, serving as Melinda’s personal secretary, but by the looks of things she was out today, and Melinda was clearly starting to panic.

“Mom,” Zoey called out as she headed for the back office, a small windowless room tucked away in the rear.

There was no reply, but the door was cracked open, and Zoey let herself in, shutting the door behind her.

Melinda sat behind a small office desk, a pair of reading glasses perched on her nose. Across from her, a flat-screen television was broadcasting the news, but Melinda didn’t seem to be paying attention to it. She was staring intently at a sheaf of papers she was holding, as if they were the only thing in the room.

Zoey had to call her mother twice more before the woman responded.

“Oh, good morning, Zoey,” she said, without looking up. “I’ve just been looking through these papers that came yesterday. Apparently, your ‘boyfriend’ works fast. According to this letter, he’s already assembled his legal team. Discovery will start soon, and the trial will follow shortly after. It’s going to be hell fighting against this guy. I’ve been going through the files this morning. I want to see if I can find anything damaging before Team Zakiridis shows up.”

“You shouldn’t fight him, Mom. You just need to take down the ads. We’re not gonna win this one any other way. We don’t have the money, he has access to better resources, and on top of that, you have no case.”

“Whose side are you on, Zoey? Your own mother’s or some guy you met a few days ago? The advertising is accurate, and he’s a public figure. Paparazzi snap pictures of people and sell them all the time. Tabloids use those pictures for stories that usually aren’t even true. None of those people have been stopped from profiting from a person’s image without their permission. All I’ve really done here is report a fact. Stelios can’t shut me down for that. I’m not hurting anyone.”

“You’re hurting me!” Zoey shot back, beginning to feel exasperated. “I can’t be with the man I want because there’s no way I can abandon you.”

“Zoey, you only think…”

“No, Mom, I know. And if you were there, you would know it, too. He’s a gentle and thoughtful person, and it’s obvious that he cares a great deal for me.”

“Because he took you to dinner? Anyone can do that, Zoey.”

“He didn’t just take me to dinner. He shut down his restaurant so he could make it himself.”

“Now that’s just bullshit. I’ve met this man, and men like him don’t cook. Their personal chefs do. They tell naïve young women that they slaved over a hot stove or some nonsense before they show up, but…”

“He was in the kitchen when I got there. He’d burned the meal he was making because he was nervous. We had to work together to fix it, and while we were doing that, we talked about his family, and our lives, and about the future. That man is alone in the world. Sure, he’s got a fortune, and a lot of people who follow him around because of it, but all he really wants is someone…”

“Who loves him for who he really is? You bought that drivel? Why, your father…” At that, Melinda abruptly fell silent. Her face tightened, her lips pursed, and her eyelids squeezed shut. For a moment, she quivered badly, but by degrees, seemed to rein in her emotions. “Men lie,” she breathed quietly. “They seem sincere, and under the moonlight, or in a cozy room in front of a fire, it may be hard to remember that, but I know it now, and I’m trying to tell you before it gets to be too late. I don’t want anyone to hurt you that way.”

Zoey slowly moved to her mother’s side and embraced her, hugging her tightly. Melinda would never have acknowledged it, but Zoey could feel hot tears staining her blouse. They stayed that way for a while, each woman silently venting her soul.

Eventually, Zoey let her mother go, and with tears in her eyes, she found her voice. “I know Dad hurt you, Mom. He hurt me, too. It was inhuman, the way he treated you. He never showed any remorse. He never tried to work anything out. He just cast us aside, took everything, and walked away. Believe me, Mom. I know it hurts, but you can’t let that man do this to you. You used to be so loving and full of hope. You used to believe in two people bringing each other happiness. I told Stelios about all the times you made me happy as a child. Like the time we made those brownies…”

“You remember that?” Melinda interrupted, clearly surprised. She let a small laugh escape her.

“I do,” Zoey nodded quietly. “I wouldn’t let you help me, even though the batter was too tough to stir. You kept cheering me on.”

“Keep it up, Zoey!” she smiled. “You can do it!”

“I miss the days when you used to be that happy. I’ve seen his eyes, Mom, and it’s no joke. He really likes me. I hate Dad for taking that feeling away from you. Please don’t take it away from me.”

Zoey was openly crying now, and Melinda drew her daughter close.

“I want to believe. I really do. I just can’t Zoey. I’ve heard too many lies. I know that if I surrender, if I give in, he’s eventually going to leave you for someone else. Men really only use us for sport. I know that, Zoey, and deep down you do, too.”

“But Stelios isn’t like that,” Zoey replied, and she believed it, but for a split second she couldn’t help thinking of Blake, the man who had forgotten her.

At that moment, something on television caught their attention: one of the reporters had said Stelios’ name.

Turning to the screen, they saw Dawn Gibbons, host of the news show America This Morning. Beside her, looking dapper as always, was Stelios himself. They were standing outside of 10 Rockefeller Plaza, and barricades stood in front of them to keep the audience in check.

When the noise from the crowd died down, Dawn began her interview.

“Good morning, Mr. Zakiridis. It’s a pleasure to have you on the program.”

“It’s my pleasure to be here, Dawn, and please, call me Stelios.”

“All right, Stelios, as I’m sure everyone knows, you’ve built a real estate empire in the last eight years. Talk about the challenges involved in maintaining something that massive, especially in a city like this one.”

“Sure. It really comes down to authenticity and devotion. You have to be motivated to keep on task at all times. You need to develop a rapport with each of your clients, and that requires a great deal of effort. When I bought Xenia, my biggest challenge was convincing the officials I could turn it into something more than an eyesore. But we worked together, and the results speak for themselves.”

“That’s fascinating,” Dawn said. “Speaking of Xenia, rumor has it you were there with Miss Zoey Forde a few days ago, which brings me to…”

“A clever segue,” Stelios finished with a smile.