Page 2 of One Weekend in Rio de Janeiro

“Nice. Just don’t forget there’s more to life than your computers.”

“So I hear,” Donovan commented dryly.

“We’re all meeting up next Saturday night. Fair warning—if you try to bail, we’re gonna come over and drag you out of there, kicking and screaming. Force your ass to be social.”

Donovan had no doubt he’d do it and decided to take the easy way. “Alright, alright. I’ll be there. Satisfied?”

“We will come break down your door if you give us any grief,” Jericho assured him.

“I know.”

“Okay, good. And have fun in Rio. I hear that city is wild.”

“I don’t have time for anything except my meeting and preparing for it.”

“We both know you’re already prepared and can recite your pitch backwards, forwards and sideways. Probably upside down, too.”

Jericho was right. Donovan knew exactly what he was going to say and he was prepared to answer any potential question. He lived and breathed everything tech and this drone he’d developed was his baby.

“All I’m saying is keep an open mind and maybe leave your hotel for an hour. Go take a walk over to a topless beach. Or dance with a hot, mysterious woman in the street. Everyone is going to be out partying.”

Donovan rolled his eyes. “You may be happily married with a kid, but, man, you never change, Trip.”

“That’s because I’m a cool dad.” In the background, Donovan heard a little girl start crying. “Gotta go! Delilah just fell. Hold on sweetheart, Daddy’s coming!”

“Aww, okay. Love to Syd and Baby D. I’ll see you next Saturday.”

“Absolutely.”

Donovan knew Jericho’s advice to get out and see Rio while he was down there was solid, but he also knew himself all too well. He shook his head and chuckled as the call disconnected, knowing the probability of him dancing in the street with a stranger during Carnival was slim to none. Actually, it was zero. First he didn’t dance. And, second, he didn’t plan to leave his room other than to attend the meeting and travel back and forth to the airport.

Hell, had he always been this boring?

Maybe when he got back, he’d create a dating profile. Try his luck meeting a fellow workaholic who lived in the city. They could spend time together every couple of weeks and text in between.

Yep, it’s official, he thought. I don’t have one romantic bone in my body.

Pushing thoughts of romance to the back of his mind, Donovan took a drink of coffee and went over the drone specs again. He still had time to pack a duffel bag to carry on the flight with him, especially since he planned to travel light. There was no reason to bring many clothes because he’d only be gone for a long weekend, two days of which would be traveling. Most importantly, he didn’t trust checking luggage. His biggest nightmare would be it getting lost somewhere along the way.

Normally, he avoided flights with a layover, but this time he didn’t have an option. He’d be flying into São Paulo first where he’d catch a connecting flight to Rio. The entire trip would take about thirteen hours, but flying had never bothered him and there was always work to do.

During his short stint with the teams and then when he worked intel, he’d flown all over the world. He would pop his earbuds in and listen to the beat of techno as he worked on the plane. Travel didn’t have to mean downtime, and he planned to make the best possible use of his time while stuck in his seat. However, even the occasional wrench got thrown into the best-laid plans. But he was a quick-thinker and problem-solver.

Currently, he was on track to impress his potential investor and begin building his design.

And nothing was going to make him veer from that path. Besides, it was just a long weekend trip—what could possibly happen in only a few days?

Chapter Two

Her work week was finally over and Kate Halloran felt a flutter of nerves as she grabbed her backpack. Most people would be excited about leaving town and going on vacation—and she was—but the journey was going to be long and take her far away from home. And that made her anxious.

Bucket list trip, Kate, she reminded herself. You’re going to have an amazing time in South America.

Even if it would be by herself.

She put that thought out of her mind. Tomorrow morning, she was boarding a plane bound for Rio de Janeiro by way of São Paulo. Kate had her entire trip in the Cidade Maravilhosa, or Marvelous City, fully planned out, and she hoped everything would go smoothly. She was a planner to her core and didn’t have a spontaneous gene in her DNA. Ever pragmatic, her friends at work called her Cautious Kate because she thought things through before acting and never took chances.

But flying solo to Rio this weekend in the midst of Carnaval was huge for her. Granted, she had no desire to attend the biggest event on the Brazilian calendar, but she could watch some of the parades and street parties. Possibly. From the safety of her hotel room window.

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