del Mar, right near Las Olas, was the best choice and his first call, but no need to mention that finding her was quite effortless.
Daniela stirred, reached behind herself and tied her bikini top and sat up, displaying all her beauty like a return salute from the shoreline.
The galleon of Balenzuela’s ambition hove in closer to her battlements. “May I take you to breakfast?” he hazarded.
“I don’t eat breakfast,” said Daniela, swinging her long, sleek legs over the side of the lounge chair.
“But, perhaps, a morning juice?” He felt like he was talking to a child and he sensed it was definitely too early to suggest a piña colada, which she would probably only sip for hours, wasting an enormous amount of time.
“That would be nice,” said Daniela.
“Then it’s done,” and his smile was like the sending forth of a small troop carrier, now landing on her beachhead. The invasion had begun. “May I get it for you,” he offered courteously in full European manners mode.
Danny smiled, delighted. “Oh, would you?”
“Of course, dear lady,” he assured her, his campaign now in full battle mode. “No, need for you to leave the comfort of your chair. After my quest to find you, it is a privilege to serve you.” He nodded deferentially and strode off toward the hotel porch.
Danny simpered. He was sooooo attractive, she thought. With his wavy black hair, his dashing eyes, his courtly style, but so sure of himself. He looked to her like money, power, an ancient and deeply respected lineage—and all of this was true. By the time he came back, Danny had already envisioned herself resplendent on his arm in a black and white photo in one of those European magazines you could not read for the strange language, but thumbed through for the pictures of the celebrities at their dazzling parties.
Danny sipped the bright morning coalition of orange, pineapple, and passion fruit punch, guaranteed to put a sparkle in any brain, and the bright explosion of electrolytes in her system sparkled in her eyes.
Whether this cannon shot from Danny’s ramparts made a dent on his decks, Ismael Balenzuela was unaware. His was a simple, primal nature: target the objective, move in to range, fire away, and take the flag. If he suffered any wounds of the heart, it would be long before he did roll call for casualties. Right now he was ready for another broadside, while he had Danny sipping the juice and giving him what passed for her full attention.
“Last night you were telling us a fascinating story about your inheritance here on the beach. I am a developer, sent from Spain to find such properties and help the owners realize riches beyond their dreams. What a joy it would be for me to help someone as lovely as you.” He paused to gauge the effect.
Danny kept on sipping and looked at him steadily, drinking him in along with her fruit punch.
Let’s go to phase two, thought Ismael. “If you would be so gracious as to take me to see this property, I will tell you what can be done—and how you can turn it into much money. Really quite a great deal of money. Thousands even. . . .” he paused.
“Okay,” said Daniela, still sipping her punch.
“Ah . . . would now be a good time?” He paused. She was simply concentrating on the punch. There was a pause and he wasn’t certain if she was even listening to him until she finished the drink, sucking up the last few drops noisily through her straw.
Then she said, simply, “Sure.”
“Do you mean yes? Now would be a good time to go and see it?”
“Sure.”
“Well, can we go then?”
“Okay, I’ll go get dressed. My brother’s asleep. My sister is out running, so she won’t be back for a while. My other sister is staying at the house.” Danny wrinkled her nose in a pout.
Balenzuela factored this all in: two more sisters beside the wastrel brother he’d learned about last night.
“Please do,” he said, “though it would be a pity to hide such beauty,” he added in what he considered a gallant remark.
Danny tittered a little laugh. “It’s okay. I’ll have shorts.” And she strolled back toward the hotel like a model on a runway.
Ismael puffed out a huge breath of air and sat down on the lounge chair. As he watched her go, he thought of an observation Star had made when Daniela had left the night before: “Great for a poster cover, but there are a couple of guests missing in that conference.”
But, when Daniela had primped and dressed herself and combed her beautiful flowing hair to her approval, she banged on Ben’s door incessantly until she had roused him up.
“What?” he growled peevishly through the closed door.
“Get up!” Danny ordered. “We got the guy here from last night and he’s talking about giving us thousands of dollars for the house.”
Suddenly, Ben was up and he cracked open the door, “What was that?”
“I need you. I met a guy who works for some company that might make us an offer for the house. Maybe we can all go home with checks.” She did not add: we can all go home in case nothing works out between me and this good looking prospect. If something does, I’ll stay here.
“Money, huh? Good work, Sis. I’ll throw something on and be right out.”
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