Winnie guessed he’d schedule something important for that day to have a good excuse to cancel. Then again, maybe he did want to go. He sure didn’t seem to have an active social life, just dinners with colleagues.
“Hello, Lark. Hello, ah, Rosie.” Lorenzo gave a slight bow toward the women.
“Nice to see you again,” Rosie said. “And yes, we’ve met before.”
“Of course.”
“Can I get you a drink, boss?” Winnie asked. “Brennevin, maybe?”
“Ah, sure. Thank you.”
For the next ninety minutes, Winnie watched as Lorenzo politely asked questions of Rosie, checked in with Lark about work and generally stayed quiet about himself. He sipped his drink, had once piece of cheese and four grapes. When Rosie complimented him on the house, he offered her a tour. In other words, he was quietly, politely gracious. She wondered if he hated every minute, or if, as it seemed, he might have been enjoying himself.
When the other two couples had left, Winnie cleared the cheese board, put their glasses in the dishwasher and tidied up. “Sorry about that,” she said. “I didn’t think I should turn your brother away.”
“No. You shouldn’t. Why was your brother here, though?”
“He was in the area, and Dante asked him if he wanted to stop by. If you don’t want me to have people over, just say the word.”
“It’s fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. A little warning would’ve been nice, though.”
“You told me you were staying in Boston.”
“I thought I shared my location with you so you could see if I had changed plans.”
Yes. He had done that, at her suggestion. “Sorry. Maybe a text next time?”
“That’s reasonable. However, if you’re here in my home, assume you’re on the clock,” he said. “You’re welcome to host parties at your own home in Wellfleet.”
“This was unplanned, and it was your brother who invited my brother here.”
“My private time is very important to me.”
“You just said it was fine.” She felt the irritation rising, coloring her cheeks.
“And it is.” His voice was tight now. “But you could’ve also texted me, Winnie, and alerted me to the fact that I had company.”
“And I would have, except you told me this morning you’d be staying in Boston.”
“Well, my plans changed, and as I just said, my down time is very important to me.”
“I get it, Lorenzo. Jesus-in-the-garden vibe. Sorry we ruined it.”
“You didn’t ruin it. But your family is relentless with their bonding, aren’t they?”
“We are. Hashtag proud, hashtag family.”
He glanced at the bookcase. “You reorganized.”
She smiled. “I did.” She opened her laptop. “Check this out. Every book is cross-referenced by subject, title, and author for your convenience. Looks nice, doesn’t it?”
He looked at the screen, then back at the wall of books. Said nothing.
“I’ll interpret your silence as admiration,” she said.
