28. Chapter 28 #2
He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. “That was my uncle.”
“He’s like your boss, right?”
“Yeah. We were discussing the strategy and timing of … certain things.” His arm snaked around my waist to pull me against his chest. “Don’t worry, though. We’ve got it all under control. You can just sit back, relax and enjoy the weather.”
“I’m not worried.” I shrugged.
Sasha kissed the top of my head. “Good. Now, how do you feel about some cocktails? The chef was talking about mojitos earlier.”
My eyes widened with excitement. “Sounds amazing!”
There was something deeply humbling about realizing you didn’t know how to grocery shop when you technically had access to unlimited money.
We were talking filthy, literally absolutely crazy, mind-boggling amounts of money.
One would think this should make life easier. Let me let you in on a secret — it did not. It merely made things more overwhelming.
The local market was halfway down the hill from the villa, nestled between a pharmacy and a shop selling beach towels aggressively branded with ‘Puerto Rico’ in a glittery font. I’d insisted on going alone.
Well…
Alone, plus a driver plus a man who pretended he was reading a newspaper near the entrance. I left the villa without having to scale the walls, which I counted as a win.
Inside the shop, it smelled of citrus and warm bread and air conditioning trying its best but not really succeeding.
I grabbed a basket and immediately felt more like a normal person again. I’d needed this.
Selecting my own produce was a small task, but it made me feel like there were at least some things I still had control over in my life.
I squeezed avocados, evaluated mangoes, and tried not to think about the fact that, two aisles over, there was probably a guard with a gun tucked into his jeans, watching me.
“Those are terrible.”
I looked up from the avocado I’d been examining closely and came face-to-face with a pretty woman.
She had her dark hair pulled back into an adorable updo and wore a linen dress with sunglasses perched on her head. Her accent was distinctly Spanish, and she looked effortlessly stylish in a way I could never hope to achieve.
Leaning against the display, she looked as though she’d been watching me struggle for far too long. Finding the right avocado wasn’t as easy as it might have seemed.
Was she talking to me?
“I’m sorry?” I looked around, but there was no one else in the vicinity.
The woman reached into my basket, took out the avocado and replaced it with a different one without asking.
“Take this one,” she explained. “Unless you’re making guacamole for someone you despise.”
I gaped at her. “… I’m not.”
“Good. Then definitely take this one.” She pointed at her chosen fruit.
I laughed before I could stop myself. “Well, thank you for saving me from myself, I guess.”
She smiled softly. “You’re welcome. You’re not from here, are you?”
“What gave it away?” I sighed.
“The way you hesitated just a second too long at the produce.”
“Damn it. And I was feeling so confident, too.”
“You’ll get there.” She shrugged. “Are you here on vacation?”
“Nope.” I popped the ‘p.’ “I live here.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Oh? That’s fun!”
Depends on how you look at it, but sure. Let’s call it fun.
“Absolutely.” I nodded like an idiot, happy to be talking to someone who wasn’t armed to the teeth and only in my vicinity because they had been ordered to, for once. Being a mafia boss’ girlfriend — we hadn’t discussed official terms yet — could be pretty boring.
“I’m Addy, by the way,” I offered, shifting the basket to my hip and holding out my hand.
She smiled, revealing pretty white teeth, and shook my hand. “Elena. Nice to meet you.”
“You too. Thanks for the help.”
“No problem.” She waved me off. “So, where do you live? In the city?”
I gestured vaguely in the direction of the villa. “I live up the hill.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Oh! One of those big new villas?”
“Yeah.”
“I haven’t been up there since they were built, but I’ve heard they’re beautiful.”
“For sure!” I had the words to extend an invitation on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them down. How would I explain all the Russians carrying semi-automatic rifles? “How about you?”
“Other end of the city,” she explained. “You know back where the other bay is?”
“Actually…” I hesitated, studying the produce to avoid looking in her face. “I haven’t really been out and about. We haven’t been here long and it’s a little intimidating to go out alone, to be honest.”
There. That should be a good enough explanation, right?
Elena’s expression softened. “Yeah, it can feel like this at first. The city’s actually pretty small once you get used to it.”
“I hope so.”
“It will.” She nudged a mango closer to me. “There’s a little café by the harbor that’s basically impossible to mess up. Good coffee, good pastries. Very safe starter location.”
“Sounds perfect.”
“If you ever want company,” she added casually, “I’m usually there in the mornings.”
“That might be the best thing that’s happened to me all week. Now, what else do I need to know to really fit in?”
“Well…” Elena reached past me for a cucumber. “First rule of living here: Don’t shop on Sundays unless you want to fight half the city for tomatoes.”
“Good to know.”
“Second rule: The fish market by the marina is better than anything in here.”
“Also good to know.” I nodded enthusiastically.
“And the third rule,” she added, gesturing at my basket, “you definitely need help.”
“So obvious?” I laughed.
“A little.” She put her thumb and index finger close together and squinted at them. “But to be fair, I wouldn’t have known that by looking at you. You very much look like you fit in, I wasn’t sure if you might be local after all.”
“Well, that’s nice to know. My grandparents were both from here, so I’m happy I fit in to some degree.”
We moved towards the meat section, where she showed me which brands and cuts to choose.
“Oh, really? Did you come here alone?” Elena asked.
“Here, as in the store or in general?”
“Both?” She raised her brows and giggled.
Think fast now, Addy. What’s your cover story?
“I’m shopping alone, but I’m here with my boyfriend. He, um, got offered a job here.”
That sounded reasonable, right?
“Oh, that’s exciting. What does your boyfriend do?”
Deflect, deflect, deflect.
I laughed airily. “I never actually understood what he’s up to, but it seems to work out for him, so I’m sure as hell not complaining.” I paused. “I would label him as a very intense businessman.”
“Very intense businessman,” Elena repeated, amused.
“That’s the official title,” I confirmed.
“Sounds exhausting.”
“For him, maybe. I mostly just nod supportively and pretend I understand what’s happening.”
I was delighted. Have I just made a friend?
We talked about the area and Elena rattled off recommendations as though she’d been dying to tell someone about them.
There was the café by the harbor with ‘life-changing’ pastries, a tiny taco stand that only opened after sunset, and a supposedly perfect beach, as long as you got there before anyone else.
We checked out together and exited the store. Outside, the air was warm and heavy. My driver straightened subtly when he spotted me emerge with someone.
Elena noticed. “Does he … belong to you?”
“Yeah, he’s my driver,” I admitted sheepishly. I still wasn’t used to the idea of someone chauffeuring me around.
Her smile didn’t falter. “Better than having to walk everywhere.”
“We should do something,” I blurted out impulsively. “Like a girls’ night. I don’t know anyone here who isn’t technically on my boyfriend’s payroll.”
Her expression shifted. At first I thought it was pity but it looked more like sympathy mixed with understanding. Interesting.
“I’d love that!”
“I’m down for anything. Especially if it involves snacks and a glass of wine.”
She giggled. “I think we can manage that. I’ve got a bunch of sisters and cousins who’d be delighted to meet you as well.”
“Sounds awesome,” I said, buzzing with excitement.
“You’ll love them!”
We exchanged numbers and as she walked off toward a sleek black SUV parked down the block and I noticed two men inside. I got into my own car, grinning from ear to ear. It felt like I was experiencing something genuine and unfiltered for the first time since I’d arrived here.
I made a friend — an actual friend.
Imagine that.