He coughs to cover up his laugh. “Would you prefer I call him?”
“I don’t know, it’s been—”
“Eight minutes, sir.”
“I’ve walked her home in less.”
This is a lie, of course. I haven’t timed it, but I want Ramón to feel as antsy as I do.
“Let me give him a bit more time,” Ramón says, trying to soothe the situation. “Antonio is a good employee, a friend of my nephew. We can trust him if that’s the issue here.”
Trust him with Isabel? Not likely. I barely trust myself around her.
“Fine.” My response is curt and then I hang up and call Isabel.
She answers after the fourth ring, obviously shocked to hear from me.
“Hello?” she asks tentatively.
I can hear her friends in the background.
“Who is that?” a feminine voice asks. It’s Simone.
“Our boss,” she replies, her words quiet like she’s holding the phone away from her mouth.
“Hugo?”
A bubbly laugh spills out of her. “No!Cristiano.”
“Damn, the bloke isintoyou, babes.Madly.”
Isabel shushes Simone, then returns her attention to me. “Erm, hi.”
I pretend I didn’t hear any of that. “How far are you from home?”
“How did you know I was—”
“How far?”
“Two minutes? I don’t know.”
“Is Antonio with you?”
“The security guy? Yes.”
“Good.”
“Okay…” Silence. Then, “Can I go now?”
“No, you brat. Talk to me.”
“About what?” I hear the smile in her voice.
“How was work?”
“Good. Aura was really busy.”
“Tell him the crowd was wild!” Simone cuts in, shouting right into the phone. “Tips were massive. Lunch is on me tomorrow, you two. No, wait—sorry, I blacked out for a minute, thinking I was posh. I can’t afford that. You lot get your own lunch.”
