"Robert Reed - Treasure Buried" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reed Robert)

again, even in passing. Which seemed to help, because Mekal wasnтАЩt quite so
unbearable. He even managed to control himself when they won, limiting his
high-fives because the winded, red-faced opponents were still and always his
superiors. Their position on the pecking order was secure, and Mekal wasnтАЩt an
idiot. Yet his good mood persisted into the next morning, him bringing doughnuts
for two hundred and inviting some of his closer associates to his home next
Saturday night. тАЬA social thing, for a change.тАЭ He grinned and asked Wallace, тАЬAre
you interested?тАЭ

тАЬWhat time?тАЭ

Which surprised Mekal, but just for a moment. тАЬSo youтАЩre feeling social, huh?
Well then, good. Eight oтАЩclock. Bring a date if you want. Your choice.тАЭ

No date. He could have picked one of two girls that he saw casually, but
either would have been a distraction. A filter. Instead he drove himself to the big
house built on a leveled blufftop, Mekal at the door, Wallace walking into the big
living room with its picture window, him drinking in the view of dusk and the river,
wondering all the time: тАЬWhere is she?тАЭ It was eight oтАЩclock and half a dozen
minutes. Almost no one had arrived yet. What Wallace had hoped to find was noise
and confusion, using them as a smoke screen to cover his shyness and the
uncomfortable silences. But people never arrive on time for parties; heтАЩd forgotten
that salient fact. And he turned just as the gift emerged from the kitchen, his scheme
gone. Deflated. He offered the weakest smile, and she handed him a heavy glass
filled with sweet punch brighter than blood. тАЬYou look thirsty,тАЭ she reported. тАЬHe
said, тАШGive Wallace a drink, тАШ and youтАЩre Wallace, right?тАЭ

тАЬYes.тАЭ Nobody else around. Just them. . . .
 тАЬIтАЩm Cindy. Cin, for short. Whichever.тАЭ She smiled, showing perfect teeth as
small as a childтАЩs. тАЬHow does it taste, Wallace?тАЭ

He sipped and said, тАЬVery good. Thank you.тАЭ

тАЬMy husband made it. Some special recipe of his.тАЭ

Suddenly it didnтАЩt taste as delicious, but Wallace kept drinking. He was quite
thirsty and afraid that CindyтАФCinтАФwould leave him now. She would feel that her
duty as hostess was finished, or some such thing. So he turned back to the window
and said with force, тАЬItтАЩs a lovely view you have.тАЭ

Were the words as contrived as they sounded?

But she replied, тАЬThanks,тАЭ and nodded happily.

тАЬAnd itтАЩs a beautiful house.тАЭ

тАЬYouтАЩve never been here before?тАЭ

тАЬNo.тАЭ