Page 18 of Sensuality


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“I’m sure he is, too.” Don gave her an edited version of his conversation with the teacher.

Luisa frowned. “And now these hockey players will be after my Christian?”

“No,” he assured her. “They won’t even know Christian exists. They’re in the high school now. More important, they’ll never know this conversation happened.”

“They’ll know,” Luisa said blackly. “And they will have brothers.”

“I promise it will be o—” He rose from his chair.

Standing before him was the smallest woman he’d ever seen, with perfect mocha skin and twinkling eyes. “Hello, I’m Donald Altari.”

Giggling aloud, she held out her hand and said, “I am pleased to meet you, Mr. Altari.”

Luisa beamed. “Mi hermana, María.” She nodded toward the younger woman. “She is practicing her English when she

is not skating.”

“Mi hermana,” Donald repeated. “I should be practicing my Spanish. She is your daughter?” He looked at both women. “Can’t be.” They looked the same age.

“Well, it could be, but it’s not,” Luisa replied. “She is my sister, come here to skate in the World Championships next month.”

“That’s why you wound up in our neck of the woods,” Donald said, recalling Glenn’s words about banana republic athletes. “I was wondering.”

“We were told the New York training facilities were the best,” Luisa said. “But we did not know that Lake Placid was so…remote.” She looked out the window. A red squirrel was hanging precariously from the bird feeder, snatching sunflower seeds even as it fell.

“We are that,” Donald agreed.

“It is too bad our mother did not come,” Luisa said. “This, she would have enjoyed. She stayed home because she was afraid of the city, with the taxis everywhere and the subway and the gangs…”

María rattled off something, talking faster than Donald could think, much less comprehend. Luisa burst out laughing, only to catch herself a moment later, covering her mouth with her hand.

“What’s so funny?” Donald asked.

“My sister said our mother stayed home because she was afraid of leaving her boyfriend alone. He will be visiting all the other ladies in the village if she’s not there to keep an eye on him.” Her eyes were flashing. Donald felt himself drawn to their light, to the deep well of joy he sensed inside Luisa. “And she is probably right.”

“What about your husband?” Donald blurted out, reddening at his own boldness, but compelled to ask. “Won’t he be visiting all the other ladies as well?”

A look passed between Luisa and María, one that spoke volumes of which Donald wasn’t equipped to read.

“We are from El Salvador, Mr. Altari. Wherever my husband may be, I am sure women are not one of his problems.”

Stupid, stupid, stupid, Donald thought, resting his head against the steering wheel. So much for making a good impression with this family.

Christian’s first day of classes went well. The tutor blended seamlessly into the school’s routine, allowing the boy to try his own hand at the unfamiliar language when appropriate, stepping in when necessary.

He made friends easily, which helped. Donald watched through his office window as Christian slid effortlessly into a recess pickup soccer game, passing and kicking and laughing in the universal language of competition.

Maybe things were going to turn out well after all.

It must have been coincidence that brought Donald to the Olympic oval that Saturday—the same time María just happened to be practicing with the other Championship hopefuls.

Donald eased into the stands beside Luisa.

“Hi!” he said. “I come bearing hot chocolate.”

“You are a big one for chocolate, aren’t you?” Luisa asked, taking the steaming cup. Their fingers touched for one split second, long enough to send her black eyes flickering to meet his blue ones.

“Guilty as charged,” Donald replied. “I’ve an incurable sweet tooth.”

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