Page 20 of No Escape

“I enjoy apiculture,” Oscar finally said.

I looked up in surprise. “Beekeeping?” Slash had never mentioned Oscar’s interest in bees before. “Really? Not soccer or afternoon tea?”

“Oh, I’m all for a good football match, and I do love my tea. But bees are my favorite hobby.”

“Bees…that’s unusual.”

“You’ve heard of apiculture, then?”

I had, but I was deathly afraid of bees, wasps, hornets, and any sort of insect that flew, crawled, or stung. I’d been stung a few times and while I wasn’t EpiPen allergic, I swelled up badly, which meant I always carried dissolvable antihistamine pills in my purse. I knew it wasn’t logical or reasonable, but they scared the living crap out of me. Why someone would want to hang out with bees for the fun of it completely defied any logic I could imagine.

“Yes, but if you don’t mind me asking, why?”

To my surprise, his eyes lit up. “Bees are so sweet and good for the environment and pollination. Besides, the byproducts are amazing. Honey, wax, and royal jelly. You’ve never realized what you’ve missed until you’ve tried the organic products. They’re quite delicious.”

I was perfectly okay with buying my organic products in the grocery store. But I had to say something positive and appear interested in his hobby—it was one of the spreadsheet rules.

“I find beehive mentality really fascinating.” That was true, so long as I could examine the bees, their habitat, and behavior from a safe distance.

“You know, it really is,” Oscar said, dabbing the spot above his lip and then gulping down more water. “Bees are quite sweet unless provoked. I’d love to show you my hives when you and Slash come to London. I’ve got two hives in the backyard.”

Holy crap. In his backyard? “Your wife is okay with that?”

“Juliette? Yes, she loves the bees. I’m sure you will, too.”

I managed to suppress a shudder. Seeing his beehives in person would never,everhappen in my lifetime. Luckily, I didn’t have to worry about that right now. That was a problem for another day. For the moment, I was simply grateful we were conversing on a topic that seemed to be going well and it wasn’t about me.

“May I have your attention, please?”

Brando Porizio, our gamemaster, stood at the front of the table. The dinner chatter died down quickly. “Before we get too deep into the meal, I’d like to make a short announcement about the escape room challenges you’ll face over the next two days,” he said. “I must admit we’re quite excited to watch you match minds with the creator of the escape rooms, Mr. Dante Zachetti. So far, no one has successfully solved them all, and in fact, it pains me to say no one has even come close. The challenges are quite complex and intricate, and you’ll have to use all your mental acuity and creativity to solve them.

“There are also a few physical components to the challenges, as well, so please be prepared for that. Most importantly, however, you must work as a team. I suggest you determine your strengths quickly and work accordingly. I’m not taking questions tonight, but tomorrow morning, before you begin, I’ll address any concerns you may have. What I did want to mention this evening is that in the event you’re successful in solvingallthe challenges, there will be an impressive reward. Mr. Zachetti has informed me he’d be delighted to gift the bridal couple with an exceptional, all-expense-paid luxury honeymoon that includes the use of this island, the staff, and his fifty-foot yacht, as well as significant spending money to make sure the event is sufficiently memorable. Mr. Zachetti believes that performances are enhanced when there are appropriate rewards offered. We hope this offer provides sufficient motivation to you to succeed.”

Gio jumped up from his chair in excitement, pumping his fist. “Eccellente!Oh,si, I’m absolutely motivated now. Let’s do this!”

Claps, laughs, and excited chatter filled the dining room. Brando gave a flourishing bow and disappeared into the kitchen. Gio sat down and planted a big kiss on his fiancée’s lips.

“Well, that’s not dodgy at all,” Oscar muttered to me. “Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see Gio and Vittoria win the honeymoon of their dreams, but I’m still not sure what an escape room is.”

I took a sip of my Italian red wine, and as expected, it was excellent. “It’s a room full of puzzles or challenges of some kind that you have to solve before you can get out.” I set my glass down. “I’ve done a few of them before, and they aren’t that hard. The rooms at this castle, I suspect, will be quite different.”

“Well, Romeo, I mean, Slash, is good at puzzles, and apparently you are, too, so maybe we have a fighting chance.”

Oh, we had a chance, but I didn’t want to get his hopes up. I didn’t want to discourage him, either. It was a fine line to walk. “There’s always a chance.”

Chiara stopped by to refill our wine and water. I noticed Oscar downed both glasses in quick succession.

“Are you okay?” I asked him. He was still sweating profusely and kept tugging on his tie.

He leaned a bit closer and lowered his voice. “Just between you and me, I hate wearing a tie. Feels like I’m being bloody choked.”

“I don’t blame you,” I said. “I hate wearing a bra.” I winced the second the words left my lips. “And… I think that wasn’t appropriate to say to my father-in-law.” My entire face heated.

He snorted, and I wasn’t sure how to take that. I didn’t have time to stress about it, because Ciro set a plate of pasta in front of each of us at the same moment.

“It’spenne arrabbiata,” Ciro said before I could ask. “The sauce is made from fresh tomatoes, garlic, and dried red chili peppers sautéed in olive oil. It’s one of Papa’s specialties. You’ll enjoy it,si?”

I looked down at it, considering. It looked good and smelled even better. “Si, grazie.”

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