Wolf Mountain by J R Pinto

Author:J R Pinto [Pinto, J R]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-08-30T04:00:00+00:00

Coco sat behind the wheel. “Where to now?”

Asher slammed the passenger door behind him. “Oh God. The hotel, please.”

Another traffic-jammed ride through town later and they pulled up to the stone walls, the wrought iron gate, and the armed guards of The Hotel Oloffson. Asher stuck his head out the window as they drove through the garden. “I never thought I’d be this glad to see the old place.”

“Pick you up at eight tomorrow?”

“Please don’t go,” Asher said. “It’s still early.”

Coco stopped the car. “What do you want me to do?”

“Just have dinner with me. I hate to be alone.”

She smiled and shook her head. “I can’t.”

“Why can’t you? You’re my guide. Guide me to a good dinner. My treat, of course.”

“No I....” Coco stopped in mid-thought. “Ah, what the hell? Why not?”

“Great.”

Coco pulled the truck into a parking space. She put the parking brake on and pointed a warning finger at Asher. “But I’m still on the clock!”

She followed Asher to his room. He turned on the television set. “Have a seat. Watch the television while I take a shower. I’d tell you that I’ll be right out but I don’t want to lie to you.”

Asher was in the bathroom for about a half-hour. Afterwards, he stepped, fully-dressed, back into the room.

Coco was still sitting in her comfortable wicker chair, watching the evening news. She laughed when she saw him step out of the bathroom.

Asher looked down at himself. He wore a pair of lightweight chinos and a short-sleeved, button-down shirt. “What? I know I’m not a paragon of fashion but I’m here on business.”

“It’s not that. I didn’t think you were getting dressed in there. I was expecting you to come out wearing a towel. In Haiti, you don’t have to be so self-conscious about the body.”

“Well, doubtless you’ve noticed that I’m a pasty white boy. I was just sparing you the full paleness of my chest. I was afraid you’d be blinded by the glare.”

“Speaking of which, have you gotten any color since you’ve been here?”

“I’m working a farmer’s tan today. I’ve been using SPF 50.”

“I can’t tell.”

“That’s because the tan has just brought me to normal skin tone.” He glanced at the TV. She had it set to the local news. “What’s happening in the world?”

“They’re charging Duvalier with human rights violations.”

“Real charging or show charging?”

“Show charging. And now that he’s back from exile, Aristide wants to return as well.”

“When it rains it pours.”

The phone on the nightstand rang. Asher picked it up. “Hello?”

A small distant voice said: “Daddy?”

Asher’s face lit up. “Hey, baby! How are you? How was your weekend with Grandma?”

They’d gone on a ski trip, apparently, and had a great time. Asher had been right—it had not been the time to make a stand. It was comforting to know that the children had fun at least, although it pained him to know that it had been without him, as usual.

“Where are you, Daddy?”

“I’m down in the islands working on a story. It’s beautiful down here.

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