Free Sensuality by Zane

you were thinking.”
    “How was I supposed to know she spoke English?” Glennexploded. “You bring me in here, tell me her kid no habla anglais . What the hell was I supposed to think?”
    “I’m not sure where I led you to believe it was the time to make inappropriate racist comments.” Don’s eyes screamed asshole! But too many years of dealing with the teachers union kept his mouth from following suit.
    “So, once again, some athlete moves up here from some banana republic, and we’re supposed to jump through hoops providing services for their family?”
    “Well, Glenn, we are not only jumping through hoops. Because of your smooth talking, we’re paying to provide tutoring for Christian. Full-time, five days a week, for the rest of the school year.”
    Glenn sputtered.
    “Do you know how much that costs, Glenn?” Don glared at his subordinate. “Three grand. Do you know how much it costs to insure the hockey team, Glenn? Three grand. That’s a telling coincidence. Don’t you think?”
    Glenn’s face turned purple. He coached the hockey team, the same team his son had played on, that his grandson played on now.
    “You…you can’t—”
    “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” Don roared, planting both hands on his desk and jumping to his feet. “You’re in no position to do that.”
    He clenched his teeth together. When his tongue finally stopped dancing against his incisors, he spoke.
    “I haven’t made any decisions, yet. But you should know I’m not happy. Not happy at all. Is that understood?”
    Glenn’s shoulders collapsed into his collarbone. “Yes, sir.”
    “Dismissed.”
     
    The Candyman Chocolate Shop was not on Donald’s way home, not by any stretch of the imagination. Yet he found himself there anyway, picking out a box of mixed truffles.
    “!Mamá!” the dark-haired sprite yelled from the doorway, staring suspiciously up into Donald’s eyes. “!Mamá!”
    “¿Qué?” Luisa came from the back of the apartment. “Oh! Mr. Altari.” She murmured something to Christian, who took off running. “This is a surprise.”
    “I wanted to apologize for earlier.” He looked around the empty apartment, and noticed the skate bag lying on the couch. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
    She smiled. “No, no, this is fine. Won’t you please come in?” She led the way to the kitchen. “I’ve just now got the dinner on, but maybe you would like some coffee?”
    “Coffee would be fine.”
    There were three chairs at the kitchen table. Donald sat down and deposited the chocolates carefully onto the table. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am about Glenn Rabideau.”
    Luisa set a steaming mug of coffee in front of him. “You are not the one who needs to be sorry, Mr. Altari—”
    “Donald.”
    She smiled. “You’re not the one who needs to be sorry, Donald. It is Glenn Rabideau who needs to be sorry.”
    “I’m sure he is, too.” Don gave her an edited version of his conversation with the teacher.
    Luisa frowned. “And now these hockey players will be after my Christian?”
    “No,” he assured her. “They won’t even know Christian exists. They’re in the high school now. More important, they’ll never know this conversation happened.”
    “They’ll know,” Luisa said blackly. “And they will have brothers.”
    “I promise it will be o—” He rose from his chair.
    Standing before him was the smallest woman he’d ever seen, with perfect mocha skin and twinkling eyes. “Hello, I’m Donald Altari.”
    Giggling aloud, she held out her hand and said, “I am pleased to meet you, Mr. Altari.”
    Luisa beamed. “ Mi hermana, María.” She nodded toward the younger woman. “She is practicing her English when she is not skating.”
    “Mi hermana,” Donald repeated. “I should be practicing my Spanish. She is your daughter?” He looked at both women. “Can’t be.” They looked the same age.
    “Well, it could be, but it’s not,” Luisa replied. “She is my