Page 137 of The Protégé

It would make Orion feel better too. The more I got to know him, the more I realized he was so thoughtful. We walked to an area with three big rocks surrounded by pretty grass. Each rock had abstract etchings on it.

“The rocks are interesting.”

“My mother gave them to me. She said they’re blessed rocks to protect the island.”

By the time we got back from the walk, I felt fifty percent better. Orion had prepared an eclectic selection of fancy food I’d never dared to eat before. Way beyond my budget.

“When did you get all this made?” I asked, since there was no one on the island except us.

“Someone came and set this up while we took a walk around the island.”

“Oh.” I glanced around. “How did they arrive?”

“By boat. I have a team stationed on the shore.”

I saw several boats in the far distance during the walk, but heard nothing close by. But then again, I wasn’t paying attention.

“Come.” He took my hand, leading me to the table with several dishes. “You should try them all.”

I glanced at the fancy plates with gold trimmings and pursed my lips. “I don’t know what these things are. They’re all so pretty, though.” I didn’t want to appear rude, but those portions were tiny.

“This is caviar from the Iranian Beluga. Very expensive.” He gestured to a porcelain bowl.

“Like how expensive?” I’d eaten caviar before, but this looked pricier.

“Two pounds could go over forty thousand dollars.”

My jaw dropped at the obscene price. That amount of money could feed a family of four for the entire year.

“I’d feel bad eating it,” I told him.

He squeezed my hand. “If you try some of everything, I’ll make a huge donation to your chosen charity.”

I blinked at him. “Why?”

“Because I want you to step into my world, see what’s available to you.”

I considered him for a moment. He wanted me to immerse myself into his ritzy lifestyle. I didn’t think I fit. The people inhis circle bought things with their black American Express cards. They spoke about food that sounded like a foreign language to me. But the honesty in his eyes made me want to try it.

“Okay. But you have to try my food too.”

“I love yourlomo saltado. If you make it, I’ll eat it.”

I walked over to a square plate with pasta topped with mushroom shavings. “What kind of mushroom is this?”

“White truffle.”

I gasped, remembering my interview with a chef once. “The kind that’s a few hundred bucks for a few shavings?”

He nodded, and I rubbed his firm abs. “You’ve got all the fancy food in you.”

After trying a little of everything, including Kobe beef, Orion showed me some incredible drones that were like the size of a dragonfly.

“What are these for?”

“A security prototype my company has been working on.”

He flew it around by tapping on his phone. Then he showedme on the phone what the dragonfly saw with its eyes. The clarity of the videos was amazing, like a real high-definition movie. The images could also zoom in and out.

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