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“What are you drinking?”
“Dealer’s choice.”
“Not heard of that.”
She laughs as I get to my feet and head for the bar. “Senor Lombardi,” the bartender says when I reach him.
“Two glasses of something decent, Geraldo. Not the piss that Toby ordered.”
“Si, Senor.” He fetches a bottle from under the counter. “Domaine de la Romanee-Coti,” he says, pouring out two glasses. “The 1990.”
“It’ll do, I suppose.” I take the glasses back to the table, passing one to Bex. She takes a sip. “Not bad,” she says. “What is it?”
“Red, I think.”
“Very funny. Thought you’d know as much about wine as you do about sculpture.”
“I know it’s got grapes in it.” I raise my glass. “To celebrations.”
“What celebrations?”
“You keeping your job and me resolving an issue that was irritating me.”
“Flea bite on your ass?”
“That’s not wholly inaccurate.”
“So now I get to picture your ass with a big red bite swelling out of it. Gross.”
“Interesting. I picture your ass with a bite mark and have an entirely different image.”
Her cheeks turn almost the same color as the wine. She’s not used to being flirted with like this.
Have I got time for what I want to do to her? Sure, why not?
It’s a long flight, and she’s the most attractive woman I’ve seen in a very long time. Far too young for me, but what does that matter when it’s a one-off like this?
A voice calls loudly above our heads. “We are pleased to announce that the delayed flight to Chicago has been moved forward and will now depart on time. All passengers for the three-fifteen flight to Chicago O’Hare, please make your way to gate seventeen.”
The announcement is repeated in Italian, but I’m already on my feet, holding a hand out toward her. “Shall we?”
6
Hunter
* * *
“I can’t believe you upgraded me,” she says as she sits across the aisle from me. “Do I look like I belong in first class?”
“Those sneakers don’t.”
She scowls at me. “I like these shoes. Liked that wine too. Shame we couldn’t bring it on board.”
“Plenty more where that came from.”
“No thanks, I’m squiffy enough as it is.”
“Not going to throw up everywhere?”
