excerpt
There, or better still, go home, have my walk, and come to your office
around, say, five?”
“That would be great,” Rebecca eagerly replied. “We could finalize
the details together…”
“I love those details, Rebecca.”
“I do too, Eteo.” With this coy exchange, their understanding was
sealed.
True to his word, George Beaton passed by Rebecca’s office an
hour later with the details of the property agreement, then he went
on to Eteo’s, where the two men went over the proposed work program
once again. As he left at the end of their meeting George
dropped an envelope on the desk. Eteo had no need to open it. He
only said, “Thanks a lot George,” and slipped it into his briefcase.
Next Eteo called Mitch and asked to include his name as an Alexa
director. When Mitch agreed, Eteo’s work for the day was done, and
he went straight to the parkade.
After his walk to the seawall with Ariana again, he stood with
her at the 22nd Street dock enjoying the warm September afternoon
and watching the water splashing on the piles and the small perch
feeding on the barnacles. Every time Eteo stood there, he enjoyed the
experience as if for the first time, such was the power of attraction
the sea had on him.
“What do you plan to do tonight, my love?” Ariana asked.
“Only routine work things, sweet Ariana. I have to go back to
downtown for an hour or so. Then I’ll just be home for the night.”
Ariana’s raised eyebrows betrayed some concern at this, which
Eteo didn’t fail to notice, though he said nothing. They both stayed
silent during the rest of the walk back to Ambleside and even when
Eteo dropped her off at the apartment building.
As Eteo stood in front of Rebecca’s office tower a half hour later,
he hesitated for a moment. An inexplicable power forced him to stop;
a power that wanted him to turn around and leave, that told him he
didn’t really want to go upstairs and meet his lover. But then another,
stronger power changed his mind and he buzzed her bell and went
on up. She smiled when she opened her office door and told him with
twinkling eyes that everyone had gone home. Eteo laughed and …
Libros Libertad 