She waits.
Go back inside, Carmen!
"I was just checking something," I say.
Then all of a sudden I have a really good idea.
"In the wall."
Which turns out to be a stupid one.
"Yes."
"What sort of thing?"
I have negotiated billion dollar contracts. I have sat across tables from men who wanted to destroy everything I built and smiled while doing it. "Seasoning," I say.
A pause. "In the wall."
"Yes."
"That doesn't seem healthy, sir."
From inside the kitchen, Jennifer laughs. Bright and sudden and completely familiar, landing somewhere in my chest before I can brace for it. Footsteps follow, moving toward the door.
Fuck.
Carmen's brows lift slightly. She hears them too. She looks at me. I look at the door. Neither of us moves for one excruciating second.
"I can have maintenance look at the wall," she offers pleasantly.
"That won't be necessary." I step back, catch the path edge with my heel, and very nearly go down in the shell gravel infront of the woman who manages my household. I recover. The recovery is not elegant.
Carmen doesn't move, but just watches me, as if she's getting a kick out of this, even if her expression is blank.
"I should go," I say.
"I think that would be wise, sir."
I walk. By the time I clear the corner I am moving at a pace that is technically not running only because I am Matteo Ferretti and there are lines.
Santos and Tomas are in the study. Santos looks up, takes one look at my face, and smiles slowly.
"Were you attacked by a bee? You look a mess!"
I don't even want to see my reflection right now. I can imagine, my shirt is sticking to me, because I was sweating like a sinner in church before I even started to walk. I was nervous about bumping into Jennifer, which is why I shouldn't have gone for a walk in the first place.
"Very funny."
Tomas sets his book down with the careful patience of a man who already knows this is going to be worth it. "What happened?"
I straighten my cuffs. "I was interrogated by Carmen while pretending to inspect the kitchen wall for seasoning."
Neither of them says anything, as I explain about looking up and down the stone wall, looking for seasoning. It sounded stupid the first time, and even worse this time around.
Then Santos laughs so hard he has to sit down.
13