Page 49 of Past Due

“It’s all right,” I said, smiling at Rina who looked embarrassed. “She only wants what’s best for Besian.”

Drita nodded stiffly. “He loves you because you’re beautiful and smart. Ambitious,” she added with a wave of her sharp knife. “But he needs a woman who can take care of him. He’s been alone too long. If you love him, you’ll give him the home he’s wanted his whole life.”

“I do love him,” I replied adamantly.

Drita studied me for a moment. “We’ll see.”

I didn’t need her approval, but not having it made me uncomfortable and worried. Having said her piece, Drita returned her attention to cooking, and Rina and I finished our light meal. When we left the kitchen, Rina surprised me with a tight side hug. “Drita really likes you!”

“That’s liking me?” I asked, taken aback.

Rina laughed. “Yes.”

“Jesus,” I muttered, “I don’t want to see what not liking someone looks like!”

I still hadn’t quite recovered from the interaction with Drita even after Rina finished her tour of the house. She took me up to her room last, and my jaw dropped when I entered her private space. This wasn’t a bedroom. It was a luxury hotel suite with a sitting area, a small office, a giant canopied bed, a bathroom that looked like something out of a magazine and a walk-in closet as big as my house. The palette of gray, pink and coral with pops of crystal and gold gave the space a glam, posh feel.

“Holy shit, Rina,” I said, agog. “This is incredible!”

She preened and adjusted one of her many designer handbags. “My brother spoils me. I think he’s trying to make it impossible for any other man to live up to my expectations,” she added conspiratorially. With a frown, she admitted, “It’s working. I can’t imagine giving all of this up.”

“You’re young,” I reminded her. “You don’t have to give this up for a long time.”

“I’m almost twenty,” she replied a bit defensively.

“Which means you have plenty of time to find someone worth giving up your cushy, luxe life,” I maintained.

“You sound like my brother,” she grumbled.

“I’ve been called worse things.” I noticed her shoe collection and wandered over for a closer look. “It’s too bad you don’t live in Houston. You and Aston could swap shoes and handbags.”

“I wish!” She pouted. “I wanted to go to university in the States, but Luka refused to allow it.”

“Why?”

“He says it’s too dangerous. I even asked if I could apply to one of the schools in Houston, but he said no because there isn’t a woman to look after me.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s so ridiculous!” Suddenly, she gasped. “Wait! Once you marry Besian, you’ll be my aunt! You’re a proper chaperone!”

Reeling from the idea of being someone’s aunt, especially someone only five years younger than me, I finally said, “We can talk to Besian about it.”

She grinned. “I’m going to start working on my argument.”

Oh, good.I could just imagine Besian’s sour expression when I told him about this.

“Do you want to see my work? My art?”

“Of course,” I said, genuinely interested. I followed her out of the closet and across her room to a door that led into a brightly lit studio. The wall of windows bathed the room in warm sunlight, creating the perfect space to create beautiful things.

As soon as I saw the finished pieces hanging on the walls, I realized that Rina wasn’t an amateur. She was phenomenally talented. “Rina! These are incredible!”

For the first time since meeting her, she seemed shy and uncertain. “Do you think so?”

“Yeah. I do.” I walked to the nearest canvas and studied it. Rina’s style was vibrant, in-your-face swaths of color in a street art style. The focus of this particular piece was a sun, but the image of two clasped hands dripping blood held my gaze. After a moment, I finally understood what it was. “Is this about taking an oath?”

“Yes!” Excitedly, she joined me at the wall and gestured to the finished paintings hanging on either side. “It’s about besa.” She pointed to the sun painting. “Me diell. By the sun.” She moved to the next painting. “Me hënë. By the moon.” She touched the canvas depicting a lush field of wildflowers. “Me fushë. By the field.” She moved to a drafting desk and picked up the sketches there. “I plan to do nine total. Sun, moon, field, stone, mountain, sky, water, snake and earth.”

I studied the sketches and shook my head in awe. “Rina, you should get these into a gallery. Like beyond your university,” I clarified. “Maybe look into some kind of print on demand service. Offer giclee prints, tumblers, tees, whatever.”

“You think people would pay for these?” Her uncertainty wasn’t fake. She honestly feared they weren’t good enough!

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