Chapter 16

16

S ol was sunbathing in the morning light while having breakfast on the terrace of her rooftop apartment. She was staying away from her phone on purpose and was contemplating the blue-skied view scattered with hills when she heard the tone of an incoming text. She couldn't avoid checking it out. So much for her screen-free breakfast.

Luke Contadino (a.k.a. TDS): Ciao, can I call you? It's a work thing.

A work thing? She realized she didn't really know what he did for a living. Banking or corporate lawyering had only been her prejudiced assumptions when she first met him in London. But he gave a different vibe here somehow.

Sol Novo: I'm free for the next ten minutes or so

She picked up the phone after a couple of rings.

"Hi," she said. "I'm intrigued."

"Hello. Sorry to bother you so early." He didn't sound sorry, though. Sol wondered if he was as enthused to talk to her as she was to hear his voice. "Under normal circumstances, I would be texting you and letting you know how much of a good time I had yesterday."

"Okay," she managed to say.

What were the abnormal circumstances? Didn't he have a good time after all? And why did she even care if she'd already decided Luke Contadino wasn't a journey she was willing to pursue at this convoluted time in her life?

"And I did have a splendid time yesterday," he clarified.

Did he sound a bit flustered? Sol was determined to say the least until she started comprehending what was going on. After all, breakfast hadn't quite woken her up yet, and her mind could use a tad more lucidness.

"It's just that now I really could use your expertise," he continued.

"I can send you a dozen more restaurant, museum, and shop suggestions if you need them. No problem at all."

"Right, no. I meant your entertainment expertise," he said. He sounded serious. "What insight would you offer me if I told you the publicist from our Pilates place, Lashana, does PR for the title designer who also goes there, Martha?"

"Don't tell me you're doing it again!"

She loved mystery novels, but perhaps because she'd never been much of a true crime enthusiast she couldn't understand his whole fixation with the story about The Privateers script being stolen at Josie's.

"Doing what?" he asked.

"Trying to solve a mystery. It's no secret that Martha and Lashana work together. It was Martha who told Lashana about the studio and brought her one day to audit one of Josie's classes and see if she wanted to join."

"What about the fact that when Sara and Bryana left Agatha, they went to work with the same talent agent who also represents Martha?"

"I'm thoroughly impressed by your level of insight," she told him. "There are only six or seven big talent agencies. In a way, it's just a probability thing. Plus, I think Sara and Martha were dating when Sara and Bryana got their big break, so it may have been Martha who introduced them to her agent."

"They were dating?" asked Luke.

"Uh-huh, it's all public info. Just search Martha Broch and Sara Daniels online, and you'll see a bunch of red carpet pictures of the two of them holding hands and looking adorable together."

"And they are no longer dating?"

Sol had to admit she had a soft spot for gossips.

"I don't think so, but they both are quite private and behind-the-camera people, so it's not like they're attending public functions and being photographed all the time or making statements about their relationship status."

"In any case, it's like this whole group is linked to each other," he said.

"Of course it is. You need to know someone to get in. Don't tell me Josie simply let you join without a recommendation?"

He couldn't have persuaded Josie just by leveraging his good looks, right?

Luke was once again carefully maneuvering a conversation that could compromise him.

"No, she didn't," he told Sol. Thompson had asked for a favor from a previous client with links to the movie and TV industry to get Luke's membership at Josie's.

"I thought so. Okay, if that's all, I should get going now," she said.

"Wait, one last thing, completely unrelated. Any chance you may want to see me today?"

A beat of silence had him holding his breath.

"I have a few things and a dinner with my parents that I cannot keep postponing," she said. He could almost hear her internally debating whether to say yes. "Maybe I could do one drink after dinner…"

"I'm probably flying back to London tomorrow morning, and I'd love to see you again before I leave your hometown."

He'd already contacted Thompson and Thomson about his intention to leave Barcelona. So far he'd found nothing substantial connecting Sol to the whole affair other than superficial appearances, and a part of him wanted to stop digging. He was waiting on his managers' approval but didn't anticipate much of a disagreement once they realized how much they were paying just for the hotel.

"I could meet any time after 9:30 if we do the same neighborhood where we met the first time," Sol said.

"The fancy gin and tonic place with no olives and no crisps?"

"Yes, in that neighborhood, but let's go to a different bar. I can text you a few options later."

"You choose, I'll be there. But wait, what time are you having dinner if you can meet me any time after half past nine?" he teased.

"What do you want me to say? My parents are old and like eating early. You should not follow their example."

And with that, Luke had another date with Sol.