“Do you think he can speak?” Tara asked out of the side of her mouth.
Elise saw the man’s eyes sparkle. “I have no idea. I’ve never seen him before. He’s probably one of Diego’s relatives.”
“There are two of them?”
Elise saw the man try to keep from smiling. “No. Diego isn’t like him at all.”
“What. Is. Your. Name?” Tara asked. “Me Tara. You...?”
“Tarzan?” Elise suggested.
Tara frowned at her. “Really, Elise, how can you make jokes about this? This man is hanging around your house and you don’t even know who he is.”
When Tara looked away, the man glanced at the wall behind them and nodded slightly.
She understood. “He’s Diego’s brother. He chose the plants along the wall. What was his name? Alex? No. Alejandro.”
“Si, si, Alejandro.” The man grinned, showing even, white teeth.
Tara went to the chaise to reach inside her handbag. “I like men who speak no English.”
When Elise looked up, he winked at her in conspiracy.
Tara handed Alejandro her business card. “This is my address on Long Island. Why don’t you come by tomorrow afternoon? You and I can talk about you doing my garden.”
Alejandro made no reaction.
“Do you think he understands you?” Elise asked.
“Probably not.” Tara smiled up at him. “Ma?nana. Get it? Tomorrow at two. Dos.”
“Ma?nana. Dos. Si,” Alejandro said.
“Good boy.” Tara took a step sideways. Another one, and she’d see the book at the back of Alejandro’s waistband and know he’d been playing a joke on her.
Elise had seen Tara do some nasty things to people who laughed at her. She whipped out her hand, pulled the book out of Alejandro’s waistband, and held it behind her own back.
Sure enough, Tara looked behind him, admiring the view. There was just lots of skin, no book. She stepped away. “I need to go.” She ran her hand down Alejandro’s arm. “You, cutie, come see me. Ma?nana.”
“Si, si. Ma?nana. Tres.” Alejandro looked like he was trying hard to understand her.
“No, no. Dos. Two. Come tomorrow at two p.m.” She rolled her eyes at Elise, and whispered, “Beautiful but dumb.” She gave one last look at Alejandro, then left.
Elise stood beside him in silence until Tara was out of sight. “I’m so sorry.” She handed him back his book.
“That’s all right,” Alejandro said. “It’s the most fun I’ve had for months.”
“By the way, that’s one of my favorites.” She nodded at the novel. “I feel like I owe you. Would you like a glass of lemonade?”
“Yes, but no. My brother would kill me. I bet that right now he’s glaring at the back of me.”
Elise looked around him and there was Diego staring at his brother’s back with fire in his eyes. “He is,” she whispered, then stepped to the side. Loudly, she said, “Would you show me? I have no idea what that looks like. It’s around the other side of the house.”
As soon as they were out of Diego’s sight, she held out her hand. “I’m Elise.”
“And I’m Alejandro.”
They shook hands. His was big and work calloused and very warm.