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The words flowed frole one of theorithuess selection She asked Stelios her standard questions, noting down his responses, but the uiltier she felt

He’s in the wrong place, she tried to tell herself A grownservice to help hi financial advice froh to fall for it, you can’t blae of you

No matter what she told herself, however, she couldn’t help feeling horrible about what she was about to do A sudden thought filled her with disgust: a year ago, she wouldn’t even have considered causing so to justify it

“I can’t do it,” she mumbled bitterly “Not this time”

“Did you say soently

“Yes, I did, Mr Zakiridis I need to be coood for business I truly hate to disappoint you, but all of the woistered areelse, and it’s th of time would make you perfectly miserable”

“You’re kidding, right?” Stelios replied, unable to quite believe his ears

“I’m afraid not,” Zoey replied sullenly

“Well, I appreciate you being honest withto his feet with a somewhat bemused expression on his face

Zoey let him out of her office, and in a ether

Triuh her heart for a few seconds; for the first tiainst her mother, and spared someone weeks—months, even—of bitterness and disappoint down the moment her mother opened her office door

“Zoey, what in God’s na to keep her voice under control “You simply needed to match him with any one of the women on our rolls That’s literally all you had to do, Zoey It isn’t complicated, which is why I want to knohy the receptionist saw hi here so quickly”

“Well, Mother,” returned Zoey, “there was no one on those rolls he could have had any sort of relationship with Those women would only use hi else”

“I’ him for his da a charity here When soh those doors, they need to leave with a date That’s your job, Zoey!”

“I thought my job was ‘Relationship Services Expert’,” she said sarcastically, “helping people to find actual love And yet so far, no one I’ve er than a year!”

“Darling, actual love is for fairy tales, songs on the radio, and nitith se bank accounts You’re not nine years old anyive me that talk about true love You’ve just letand influence walk right out of my door! Why did you do that? Because of some stupid fantasy?”

“Because I didn’t want to be as cynical as you!”

Zoey didn’t knohere the words had come from, or why she had shouted them with such ferocity, but Melinda ht as well have been gliding She lowered her voice and glared at her daughter with cold anger in her eyes

“LetThis ‘cynical’ woht now Every scrap of food that passes down that disrespectful little throat of yours is there because I allow it to be, and unless you wantto wrap up this sentimental nonsense and do your job!”

Zoey thought she could hear people gathering outside the door, but her mother didn’t seem the least bit worried about who could hear what she was saying