“Those are terrible.”
I looked up from the avocado I’d been examining closely and came face-to-face with a pretty woman.
She had her dark hair pulled back into an adorable updo and wore a linen dress with sunglasses perched on herhead. Her accent was distinctly Spanish, and she looked effortlessly stylish in a way I could never hope to achieve.
Leaning against the display, she looked as though she’d been watching me struggle for far too long. Finding the right avocado wasn’t as easy as it might have seemed.
Was she talking to me?
“I’m sorry?” I looked around, but there was no one else in the vicinity.
The woman reached into my basket, took out the avocado and replaced it with a different one without asking.
“Take this one,” she explained. “Unless you’re making guacamole for someone you despise.”
I gaped at her. “… I’m not.”
“Good. Then definitely take this one.” She pointed at her chosen fruit.
I laughed before I could stop myself. “Well, thank you for saving me from myself, I guess.”
She smiled softly. “You’re welcome. You’re not from here, are you?”
“What gave it away?” I sighed.
“The way you hesitated just a second too long at the produce.”
“Damn it. And I was feeling so confident, too.”
“You’ll get there.” She shrugged. “Are you here on vacation?”
“Nope.” I popped the ‘p.’ “I live here.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Oh? That’s fun!”
Depends on how you look at it, but sure. Let’s call it fun.
“Absolutely.” I nodded like an idiot, happy to be talking to someone who wasn’t armed to the teeth and only in my vicinity because they had been ordered to, for once. Being a mafia boss’ girlfriend — we hadn’t discussed official terms yet — could be pretty boring.
“I’m Addy, by the way,” I offered, shifting the basket to my hip and holding out my hand.
She smiled, revealing pretty white teeth, and shook my hand. “Elena. Nice to meet you.”
“You too. Thanks for the help.”
“No problem.” She waved me off. “So, where do you live? In the city?”
I gestured vaguely in the direction of the villa. “I live up the hill.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Oh! One of those big new villas?”
“Yeah.”
“I haven’t been up there since they were built, but I’ve heard they’re beautiful.”
“For sure!” I had the words to extend an invitation on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them down. How would I explain all the Russians carrying semi-automatic rifles? “How about you?”
“Other end of the city,” she explained. “You know back where the other bay is?”