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His smile faded as he cocked his head. “Who then? Alina?”
Elena shook her head. “I’ll tell you on the way to my house. I’ll pay for the ride.”
Christian frowned. “Are you ill? I can drop you off at home, no need to pay.”
Elena’s eyes went to his rusty bus. “Doesn’t look like you can afford to drive people around for free,” she added unable to keep the mocking tone from her voice. “Do you want the money or not?”
He pinched his lips, then nodded.
“How is your mother? How is Antonia?” Elena asked after sitting down in the front seat and slamming the creaking door shut.
Christian rubbed his head before touching the wires beneath the steering wheel. The bus jolted alive with sharp screeches and coughs.
“She’s okay. Has good days and bad days,” he said. Then he took one quick look at her and put the vehicle in gear. “I’m sorry for your loss, by the way. I heard your brother passed.”
“He was an idiot, but thank you,” she said, pulling a cigarette and lighter from her purse. She was about to light it, but Christian shook his head.
“Are you kidding me?” she barked as the bus spewed smoke through the cracked windows.
“Alright. Fair enough,” he mumbled.
Elena studied him, his thick hair and symmetrical face. He was as sweet as he was handsome, all of the town knew it. If only he had a vehicle to match. “I don’t know how you make any money with this pile of junk,” she said.
When they got to her small home, Christian ran around the bus to open the door for her.
“I have a distant relative coming to visit from America,” she said as she accepted his help out of the bus.
“I didn’t know you had family in America besides Andrei.”
“Well, I said distant, didn’t I? Anyway, I’d love for you to take her on a tour around Transylvania while she’s here. I’ll pay you well for it.”
He frowned. Elena Rusu was one of the poorest souls in town. He looked over her shoulder at the crumbling house behind her. Then his eyes snapped back to her. “Sure. I can do that. No need to pay if it’s just a day or two.”
Elena felt heat rush into her cheeks. Even a poor church mouse like Christian pitied her. “Keep your charity for the other fools in this village. I’m prepared to give you five thousand euros for it,” she said, lifting her chin.
“Are you joking? Five thousand euros?” He frowned at her, taking a quick peek at the rundown little house. He opened his mouth but closed it again.
Elena looked down her nose at him. “My brother, you idiot. I inherited a lot of money.”
He blinked quickly then nodded. Of course. Everybody knew Andrei Rusu around here.
“But if you’re not interested, I can very well hire someone else. Luca maybe?” She moved away from the bus and started walking toward her house when she heard his hasty footsteps behind her. She grinned before he reached her.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
She straightened her face before turning around. “You should be. Look at your van! I’m only considering you because I know your mother. You could show some gratitude.”
He apologized again, rubbing his hands together. “I honestly didn’t mean it that way, Elena. I’m grateful for the opportunity, I really am.”
“Good. Get back here this evening and we’ll talk about details,” Elena said and opened the door to her house without looking at him, closing it behind her in the same fashion. Then she rushed over to her living room window and watched through the stained white curtains as Christian jumped into his bus. She watched the creaking bus whine several times and shook her head in disbelief when Christian jumped down and had to give the bus a little push before jumping right back in. The stupid thing suddenly blasted a long honk, which didn’t stop until the bus was out of sight, turning around the corner of a farmhouse.
“Perfect,” Elena said, a smile turning the corners of her cracked lips.
