Steven considered the news. Moody nodded.
“Holy shit.”
“Yup.”
“The world needs to know about this,” Steven said, still in shock.
“Not from me, it doesn’t. But I agree it deserves to know, for whatever that’s worth.”
Steven swirled his wine again and took another sip. He studied the light as it refracted through the glass, dancing off the ruby-rippled surface. Natalie emerged from the back and walked towards them, and Steven rubbed his face before putting his hand down flat on the table.
He fixed Moody with an intense gaze.
“Does it?”
Natalie and Steven ambled slowly down the sidewalk, enjoying the early evening warmth of the new Florentine summer. Hand in hand, they looked happy in the way that only new lovers do.
“The transfer to your account was confirmed today. Two million. I guess you can’t say I never did anything for you,” Steven said.
“I told you that you didn’t have to do that,” Natalie countered.
“It was mostly your fault I wound up with the money in the first place, and everything turned out okay, so what the hell…”
“Very gallant. But you’re not going to get rid of me that easily.”
Steven squeezed her hand. “Ingrate.”
“What have you done for me lately?” she asked, and stopped, tiptoeing to kiss him.
He looked deep into her incredible violet eyes and then grinned, thinking he could get lost in them forevermore. She smiled back.
He kissed her again and then whispered in her ear.
“Can you keep a secret?”
About the Author
Russell Blake lives full time on the Pacific coast of Mexico. “Capt.” Russell enjoys writing, fishing, playing with his dogs, collecting and sampling tequila, and waging an ongoing battle against world domination by clowns.