Chapter 3

“Your Italian is very good,” Rita complimented him.

“Thank you. I try to use it often when talking to the tourists.”

“I’ve heard you flirting with the women customers,” she teased.

“I’m only being polite.”

“I bet they’d enjoy you being polite to them in bed.”

“Your English is very good too.”

“I was taught it in school, plus meeting the tourists. Then you understood what my momma and I would talk about near you?”

“I had to hide my laughter when Tessa said she thought you and I would make pretty bambinos and make her and Marcus grandparents.” Rita smiled, her face turning crimson.

“My parents sometimes wonder if I’m a lesbian because I haven’t married a man by now and I’m close to thirty.”

“Are you a lesbian?”

“Would it matter to you if I was?”

“No, you’re still the same beautiful woman I care about. I haven’t seen you with any women, only a few men.”

“Do you know any other languages besides Italian?”

“I speak and read French, German, and Russian.”

“My my, aren’t you the global traveler? Say something in each one for me.”

“Tu es très belle. Du bist sehr schön. The ochen krasivaya. I said, you are very beautiful in French, German, and Russian.”

“Thank you. You are very handsome with your longer hair and beard, very sexy.”

“Tu es très beau. Du bist sehr gutaussehend and The ochen krasiv, in the same three. I find Russian harder to translate since the language has thirty-three letters, several are numbers and backwards to us. I usually convert it more to English.”

Rita smiled at him, taking his hand in hers. She felt the roughness of his palm, placing it on her leg. “Your hand feels like sandpaper. I’ll have to tell Poppa not to work you so hard.”

“I don’t mind the work, and it isn’t hard. The stories my hands could tell you if they could talk,” he said, holding up his hands and speading his fingers.

“I’m willing to listen. I know very little about you and would like to know more.”

“You don’t know anything about me, and I’ve kept it that way on purpose.”

“Hiding many dark secrets behind those beautiful blue eyes?”

“Too many to count. I was a Captain in the U.S. Army and then was recruited to join a special government operation.”

“Sounds intriguing.”

“I know the rear exit is off the kitchen, and I can tell you something about everyone seated near us.”

“I didn’t realize you paid that much attention to details. I know that you’re a good sketch artist. Who are the two women you’ve drawn?”

“Marie and Nicky. They’re both dead because of me.”