Chapter 16
LORDE
Lunch was easy once we confessed like a couple of school kids.
The only thing missing was the note with the check yes or no boxes.
It hadn’t been so much my name which put me on edge, it was my mother.
More than once, I’d heard her tell my father she was supposed to have had a daughter, that a daughter would have been better, more powerful.
I wasn’t born a girl, and unlike my friend Alice who recently had her gender reassignment surgery, I didn’t associate with being a girl. I was a man who loved men.
But it wasn’t only that. It had taken my mother a week to choose a name.
Finally, she Googled German male names and pointed.
My mother fancied it, and it was official.
I was Lorde Sebastian Brandt, which sounded more a title of nobility than a name.
It was different, unique, something I didn’t mind at all.
Throughout the meal, we veered away from any topic to do with family and chose things that were safe to discuss: our travels, food, books, and sports. I found him fascinating.
“So, what is the oldest book you’ve appraised?” he asked after our entrees had been delivered.
“Me, personally?”
“Is that a trick question?” He appeared confused and stopped cutting into his lamb.
Covering my mouth, I laughed, and a frown creased his forehead.
“Sorry. The oldest book I’ve personally appraised was a Gutenberg Bible.
However, I was in attendance when the Siddur was examined.
The book is priceless and one of a kind.
I was lucky enough to be invited to accompany my mentor.
It was before I branched off on my own.”
“What is that?”
“It’s a Jewish Prayer Book, dating back to around 840 A.D. Several experts were there to make sure it was handled and dated properly. It would have been awful if found to be a hoax.”
Max tilted his head to the side, his frown back. “Are there are a lot of those?”
I nodded. “Sadly, there are. People trying to make a fast buck or become famous. Remember Shakespeare?” I reminded him of our previous conversation.
“You said out of four clients, only one was real,” he answered before taking a bite of his food.
“Yes. There is estimated to be only a couple of hundred surviving copies of the original seven hundred. So, since it’s not so rare that having more than one or two copies would be suspect, much like the Gutenberg Bible, people try to replicate it.
I’ve seen some good forgeries in the past, but there are always clues. ”
Speaking with his mouth full, he inquired, “Like what?” He must have realized his faux pas because he quickly apologized, “Sorry.” It made me wonder if my face gave me away.
I waved him off. “The ink and paper used, the patina, spacing, the condition of the book, the layout, small misspellings, and others. There are many things we look for whenever we are trying to determine whether a book is modern or antique. And if we can’t discern with the human eye, some tests can be run without damaging the book.
” He stared at me, and I suddenly felt self-conscious. “I must be boring you.”
Shaking his head, Max contradicted me, “Not at all. I find it fascinating. I didn’t realize how much went into books. I guess I didn’t think it would be like other antiques. I mean, some are questioning the Nefertiti bust, not to mention the fake Faberge Eggs out there.”
“Or the Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, and countless other fakes.”
“Exactly!” he exclaimed and bit his lip, studying me with narrowed eyes.
“What?”
“You say that funny. I thought you lived here when you were a kid.”
“I did. What did I say funny?”
“Van Gogh. Instead of pronouncing it like go, you said Goff.”
Shrugging, I laughed. “It’s how they pronounce it in England.
I left here when I was a kid. I think, at first, I mimicked my instructors and other students so I wouldn’t stand out.
I don’t notice it any longer.” I fingered my wine glass, not really thinking of anything, yet still lost to my thoughts.
His hand landed on mine, and I almost moaned from the contact.
Such a simple touch, and yet, it had the power to ignite my desire and make my heart race wildly.
I dared not pull away; it was the last thing I wished to do.
Instead, I turned my hand over to hold his too.
I thought it would be different, and it was almost comical.
With him sitting across from me, instead of linking our hands together, mine was at his wrist, and his were at mine.
We weren’t exactly holding hands. We were on the verge of doing that greeting where they grab forearms instead of hands. Still, we didn’t let go.
“If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?” Max asked, softly.
“Too many to name, and for some, it would be me returning,” I told him.
Our lunch was interrupted by Fizz. Up until this point, I’d forgotten he was there. “I apologize for this, but Max, your father called. I told him you were out to lunch with the winner of the auction, but he insisted you contact him immediately.”
I missed his hand the moment Max extracted it. “Are we sure it’s urgent?” He sounded as if he was whining, and I almost laughed.
“I don’t know.”
“Fine. I’ll be right back.”
As soon as he left the table, I asked Fizz, “What was that about?”
“His father can be difficult sometimes,” he stated and followed after his charge, leaving me alone.
It would be so easy. A simple spell, or the small vial of poison I’d slipped into my pocket before I left the house.
Not a typical poison, a brew I’d brought with me from England.
Untraceable. He would be dead, and my purpose fulfilled.
Done. Why did I hesitate? They wouldn’t be able to trace either one, and in the end, it would be ruled as natural causes.
My hand still tingled with warmth where he’d held it, causing me to smile.
I wasn’t ready to let go just yet. It wasn’t time.
Besides, a restaurant would bring undue attention.
There would be a better time and place in the future.
One that wouldn’t shine a light on me at all.
I was only waiting for the perfect setting.
The lie made perfect sense to me.
MAX
Pulling my hand away from Lorde, I rolled my eyes. “Are we sure it’s urgent?” I groused. My father had a bad habit of making things sound more dire than they actually were.
I didn’t miss Fizz’s slight grin. “I don’t know.”
“Fine,” I groaned with a sigh. Meeting Lorde’s gaze, I told him, “I’ll be right back.”
Exiting the restaurant, I pulled out my phone and returned my father’s six calls. Six missed calls and a dozen texts. I was glad I’d put my phone on silent now. What was that man thinking?
“Max?” he answered.
“No, I’m a robot sent to take over the world,” I replied with a wicked grin.
“Not funny.”
“I thought so. What do you need? I’m on a d…ahem…I’m at lunch with the auction winner. You know, Pat Jeffries’ nephew. He donated a lot of money to spend the day with me.” My tone was unnecessarily harsh.
My dad was quiet for a moment, and then he let loose. “Remember who you are talking to, boy,” he growled. “I am still your father, and while you may run the company, I still sit on the board with you, and I retain a vested interest. You will not disrespect me.”
“Understood,” I snapped in annoyance. “What do you need?”
“What happened this morning?”
I sought Fizz immediately and glared at him. Muting my phone, I demanded, “You told my father?”
“No, but he was bound to find out.”
“How?” I ignored the squawking coming through my phone and waited for Fizz’s response.
“You and your parents use the same people to clean. Your parents have Gina, but Brianna and others from her service go over to your parents’ house once a week. We needed to make sure their house was safe, and they were out of danger.”
I unmuted my father and brought my phone up to my ear in time to hear him say, “If you do not answer me right this instant, I’m calling the police and reporting you as missing!”
Rubbing my eyes, I sighed. First, this morning, and now this? I was done. “I’m here. Nothing happened. I just felt an odd sensation from the new maid. Fizz did a little more digging, more than he normally does, and discovered she wasn’t who she said she was. End of story.”
“End of story? What kind of bullshit is that? What do you mean a sensation? I told you that the threat was credible!”
“I can’t talk about this right now.” I grinned at the small group who approached and entered Basils. “Too many ears, and I’m out with Lorde.”
“Then, when? We need to?—”
“I’ll come over once we drop Lorde off at his aunt’s house. Since she lives next door, it will be convenient to meet at home. No prying eyes or people listening in. Is that satisfactory?”
“Fine.” Dad didn’t sound happy about having to wait, but he had no choice in the matter.
Before we hung up, I was already walking back into the restaurant and returning to the table I was sharing with Lorde. Talk of this morning and that woman were pushed away for later, and I sat down to finish a scrumptious meal with the sexy man opposite.