Free Corruption's Price: A Spanish Deceit by Charles Brett Page B

it mostly because I could see how it irritated you and, as I always felt sure of rejection, I felt there was little risk."
    He smiled lopsidedly, wondering how she would absorb this.
    For an instant Marta was outraged. Then the funny side grabbed her. She started giggling like a girl.
    "You're a horrible, bad man, Alfredo! Every lunch that we've had for years and years I've waited for your pass knowing I'd have to reject it. If I'd understood I would've said 'yes' just once, if only to see the look on your face. Never mind. I really am sorry about what's happened with you and Esmeralda. She and I never hit it off but I always assumed it was through jealousy. Obviously I was wrong. Anyway, what about Puri and this place?"
    "You don't like your tea? No problem. Let me show you the house and I'll tell you all. Generally we eat fairly early, at least by Madrid or Valencia standards. We still need to decide what to do and whether to ask Puri to join us."
    "I think we should. I suspect you're a lucky man. I want to learn more."
     
    Saturday: Davide
     
    Davide, Caterina and Emilia left the piso in Malasaña to visit the bar in Huertas to meet Felipe and Ana. The original plan for Friday evening had turned out to be unworkable for reasons that were unclear to Caterina and Emilia. To Davide it made little difference which evening they met though he had agreed that it was probably an opportunity for some 'team building'.
    Although an autumn evening, it was still warm enough to render coats unnecessary. Davide had only a light jersey around his shoulders, just in case they went anywhere with over-powerful air conditioning, a not uncommon hazard in Madrid.
    Davide had estimated the walk to be no more than twenty minutes. They had chosen to go on foot rather trying to make connections via the Metro or adopting the laziness of taking a taxi. "Returning home may be different," had been Davide's last thought on the matter before setting out. His Australians had agreed.
    As they walked along Emilia grumbled, "The one thing that sort of puzzles me are our numbers: two men and three women."
    "That's never bothered you before," was Caterina's matter-of-fact rejoinder, attracting a snarky look from Emilia.
    Over the past couple of weeks Davide had grown used to their ongoing, low level mutual antagonism. There always seemed to be a subtext that he never could quite work out. The two constants seemed to be that Caterina thought that Emilia had strange tastes in people, or something like that, while Emilia considered Caterina a prude. Never having visited Australia, never mind attending an Australian university, he was unsure whether this was some strange Aussie social ritual in which he was forever fated to be the outsider, or if it was one of those peculiar manifestations by which good friends demonstrate their affection for each other. Certainly, though the tone was invariably gently malicious, there seemed to be no persistent fall-out, fund of ill-will or dislike to prevent them from working or even living together. It was rather the opposite.
    In some ways they were like two perennially complaining neighbours or sisters who could no more agree on anything than do without each other. At one stage, though by now he had pretty much dismissed this, he had even wondered if Emilia had fancied Caterina for years but was unable to say anything, while Caterina could not see it or refused to acknowledge the possibility, perhaps as a way to avoid having to say no, or perhaps yes.
    As they walked through Sol he half-listened to their banter. It occurred to him that this explanation might explain some part of Caterina's behaviour to him in Rome, except for that one evening she had 'thrown' herself at him. In Madrid she had continued to be as equally proper as in Italy, apart from her arrival hug at the airport which he considered her one truly spontaneous action.
    Odd, odder and odder still. He remained confused. He had no real idea what to do or what was