Page 21 of Double Deal


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“I am just about to give him the tour,” I smile. “Or maybe he will be giving me the tour. You know that Irving is really the brains in the family.”

“Yeah, that is what I heard,” Rocco laughs, scratching his belly through the fabric of his shirt. “Some of this stuff, though… It’s pretty crazy. Pretty far out there!”

Rocco stairs meaningfully at Irving as though the “crazy” part of my presentation is already common knowledge. Frankly, this is news to me. It’s not crazy. It might be a little creative…

“We only deal in things that are far out there,” Irving smiles coolly. “That’s where the money is.”

I can’t help it; I have to smile. My big brother just defended me! There is a first tine for everything.

“Yeah,” I chime in. “What is so weird about a private satellite, anyway? It’s not like we have cell phone service out here.”

“That’s only one thing,” Rocco rolls his eyes. “You really think people are going to show up in a submarine?”

“Maybe not next week,” I counter. “But eventually. There are a lot of ways people want to travel discreetly. Ocean liners aren’t for everybody, Rocco. Elon Musk has personal submarines in production already.”

Rocco’s lips purse in frustration. “And the foundation? You know you can’t put a basement on an island, Cal. Nobody does that.”

“Nobody is building for the next century, Rocco,” Irving pipes in. “What do you think is going to happen to the resort industry when the ocean levels rise?”

Another huge shocker. Irving read my presentation, even though he claimed he didn’t. He understands why I am doing this.

“Yeah. Nobody knows if that is really happening,” Rocco grumbles.

Flexing his shoulders, Rocco looks around defensively. He seems more than a little bit annoyed, but when he catches Veronica’s eyes, he softens. She is looking at him intently, her hip still thrust out, her expression hungry and expectant.

“What’s your day look like, sweetie?” He smirks at her. “You in on this deal?”

She shrugs one shoulder.

“No, I’m not a part of this,” she smiles dangerously. “This doesn’t have anything to do with me at all.”

Irving goes a little bit stony. I notice her glance at him, but he doesn’t do anything. This makes her stand up even straighter, squaring her shoulders back.

“Nothing at all!” she adds brightly.

Rocco strokes his belly in a slow, leisurely circle with his first two fingers. He takes his time sliding his eyes up and down Veronica’s long body. I don’t how she could stand it, but she does.

“I was just leaving,” Rocco announces. “Why don’t you come with me?”

He sticks out his elbow to her in an old-fashioned way, and she slides her fingers around his thick upper arm, giggling again. As they walk up the dock, Giorgio shrugs at me in alarm. TheNancywas ready for his departure anyway. I guess he’s free to go. Still, Giorgio’s disappointment in me is practically audible.

Irving watches them depart with an inscrutable expression. When he turns back to me, though, it is with a slightly more relaxed air.

“I guess I need a new assistant,” Irving observes.

“I’m not sure I have anybody.”

“I’ve got somebody in mind,” he interrupts with a shade of a smile.

With his glasses down over his nose, it’s really hard to make out what my brother is thinking. Normally it’s very difficult, but behind the dark glasses, impossible.

After a few beats, he turns toward Giorgio.

“You want to show me around? Give me the pitch?”

Giorgio shoots me a silent question and I just shrug. If Irving doesn’t want me to do it, Giorgio is definitely well able to. Things are going to work out how they work out, anyway. At this point, it is just a matter of time.

“I still want my assistant,” Irving announces as he climbs back into the golf cart.

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