Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
“Dallas,” came Tessa’s even reply. She was excellent at playing a part. “Though my parents immigrated from Mexico, if that’s what you’re asking. I was born in the States, and my parents wanted me to fit in. I used to speak a little, but not anymore.”
He had no idea what she was doing. Half their conversation the night they’d met had been in Spanish. He enjoyed going back and forth, but if she was lying about her skills then she probably had a reason. He was going to let her lead, and they would talk about it when they were alone.
“Well, then we shall have to speak in English from now on around you,” Eddie offered. “First, let me apologize for not being awake to greet you. I had a long night and overslept. I’ve been excited about seeing my friend again after all these years. Now I see that he’s changed since he’s somehow managed to convince a woman to put up with him. You’ll have to tell me how you did it. I am sadly alone.”
“He’s rarely alone for long,” David retorted. “He likes the ladies. Sometimes two or three at a time.”
Tessa looked between the two of them. “And you were close friends in college?”
“Opposites attract,” David reminded her. “And maybe I was different in college. Maybe I was a player.”
She tilted her head up, and her words came out soft. “No, you weren’t.”
There was approval in that denial, an affection for him he hadn’t expected. She didn’t mind his good-guy side.
He hoped she liked his big bad Dom. She would find that while he could get nasty, he still wasn’t a player in the common definition of the word. She would be the only one he played with if she let him.
“Oh, I can tell you so many stories.” Eddie moved to the bar. Naturally there was a bar. He pulled a bottle of champagne from the small wine fridge and opened it with an expert hand. “You should have seen the poor kid from Texas trying to find his way around São Paulo. He spoke perfect Spanish and bad Portuguese. I felt sorry for him. And then he was amusing.”
“I’m glad I could keep you entertained,” David said, leading Tessa back to the sofa.
“Well, my friend, I can pay back the favor.” Eddie poured the champagne with a flourish, handing them each an elegant glass. “I told you I’d found some of my father’s notes.”
Yes, it had been one of the reasons he’d been so excited about coming. “You said the cleaning staff had found a bunch of notebooks up in the attic.”
Tessa clinked glasses with Eddie. “Sounds like something my David would get excited about.”
He liked the sound of my David. “I’ve always thought Ricardo had more work than what we’ve seen. He made notes on everything he ever wrote, but we’ve only seen a small percentage of them.”
“Why would you want to see his notes?” Tessa asked, taking a sip. “Isn’t it better to read the actual work itself?”
“Ah, but the notes often tell us what the writer was thinking.” Luis had refused the champagne, but that wasn’t surprising. He’d never seen his grad student drink. “Sometimes what gets left out tells us about the thought process and what the writer values. It can also tell us what he did or didn’t want the audience to know.”
“And sometimes my father liked to invent puzzles.” Eddie downed his entire glass and poured himself another. “My childhood was all about being tested. He would give me these stupid treasure hunts.”
“I always thought they sounded like fun,” David said.
Eddie finally sat down across from them. “I suppose they were. He liked to hide presents for me around the house, and I would have to decode the clues he would leave. I wasn’t good at it. I still wonder how many gifts are hiding in this place because my old man wouldn’t give in. I had to find the treasure or it couldn’t be mine. And that is another reason why I’m happy you’re here, my friend.”
He couldn’t wait to get his hands on those notes. “I’d love to study anything new you have.”
The door to the library came open, and a woman strode in with a big tray in her hands.
Eddie looked up and nodded. “Marta, thank you. Please bring it here.” He looked back to his guest. “I thought we would have an afternoon snack. We keep Argentine hours here, so dinner will be late. This is Marta, and she runs the kitchen.”
Marta set the big charcuterie board down on the table in the sitting area of the library. It was loaded with meats and cheeses, nuts and local fruits. He glanced over to see if any of it seemed tempting to Tessa, but she wasn’t looking at the food. She was watching Marta.