Page 84 of The Mastermind

Apparently, Remi understood Spanish.

Slash looked at me. Something flickered in his eyes, but then he smiled. “Have you been here before? You look familiar.”

“No, this is my first time, but Remi has brought me food from here many times.”

“I see. Maybe I see ‘you’ in his eyes.” Slash elbowed Remi. “You like that, amigo?”

Remi quirked an eyebrow. “That must be how you got Maria to marry you.”

I smiled at how easily Remi seemed to fit into this hole-in-the-wall restaurant. I’d always envisioned him eating at fancy restaurants or places where you needed an exclusive membership or reservations months in advance. I loved seeing all these wonderful shades of him.

While we ate, Slash stopped by a few times to chat. I could sense something else was going on between Remi and Slash. The simple nods and the quick glances spoke more than words could ever say. Maybe Slash wanted to discuss business with Remi but didn’t want to ruin our date.

“What’s new with you, amigo? Buying new businesses?”

“I’m renovating the garage at Starke Vision. That’s going to be a feat.”

Slash’s expression changed from cheerful to contemplative and something I couldn’t read. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“It needs repairs. The concrete has water damage. That’s just one thing on my to-do list for that building, but I’m dedicating time for that project.”

“I see. It will cost your wallet big time, amigo. Ignore it.”

That had been my thought as well, but after hearing Remi’s reasoning, I concurred with him.

“Too important to ignore,” Remi replied.

Slash scratched the back of his neck. “Sounds like a big headache.” A group of four college kids entered, and he went over to assist them.

“So, how do you know Slash?” I asked.

“I used to see him when I skipped school to come down here and fly my drones with your brother.”

“What?” I gaped at him.

“C’mon, now.” Remi’s eyes crinkled. “Don’t tell me you didn’t know we skipped school? It was toward the end of the school year when attendance wasn’t that important.”

“Says you, Mr. Brilliant. You left for college earlier than all of us.”

He pressed his lips into a tight line. “It was an escape for me, Audri.”

My heart ached, recalling his childhood. I reached across the table for his hand. “I know.”

His fingers linked with mine, and he eyed me. “Did you ever skip school?”

I twisted my lips into a smirk. “Yup.”

“You did?”

“Why do you sound surprised? I’m not perfect. I guess I was ‘inspired’ by the older boys around me.”

He smirked. “Where did you go?”

“Just wandered around the Waterplace Park. I’ve always loved it. I stopped going to see the WaterFire event at the night because of the flames. I went during the day, which wasn’t as fun, but I could still see the art students sketching, painting, and making all kinds of cool stuff. Sometimes, the musicians played their songs to practice for the evening event. I didn’t often skip, though. My mom would have grounded me if she found out.”

“I’ve wandered around there a few times, but I never thought to look for you. Maybe we were there at the same time . . .”

“I’ve always wondered about something, but you don’t have to tell me if it’s secretive or you need approval from your pals. I don’t want to break brotherhood code.”

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