Page 190 of Dagger in the Sea

“It was crazy. In fact, she’d hired a truffle agent—”

“A truffleagent?”

“There is such a thing for London’s elite—an agent for every delight you can possibly think of. This one’s quite famous, all word of mouth. She buys the truffles directly from sources in Italy and brings them here to sell herself.”

“She does well, this agent?”

“Extremely well. With private clients only, mind you, not restaurants. There are agents for smoked hams and sausages, different cheeses. Oh—then there was one who sells trout and salmon that’s smoked while the smoker—who is also a jazz pianist—plays. He claims the music affects the tenderness and the flavor of the fish.”

We both burst out into laughter.

“It’s true, I tell you!” she said. “I’ve eaten it myself.”

“And how was it?”

“It sang in my mouth, darling.”

I kissed her, nipping at her lips. “My mouth is going to make you sing tonight, Lovely.” She kissed me. “The obsessive pursuit of the finest pleasures,” I murmured.

“Hmm.”

I made the mashed potatoes, she plated the beef. I poured the wine, we ate.

We got the plates into the dishwasher, the cutlery. I said, “There’s something I need to tell you about my work, how things have changed for me.”

She wiped her hands on a towel. “All right.”

I lifted her up onto the kitchen counter and stood between her legs, my hands on her thighs. “I’m out of the business in Chicago. Luca and Alessio’s brother, Emilio is running it now.”

“Emilio? Really?”

“Really. Luca and Emilio made the transition of power…definitive.”

“I’m sure they did.”

“It was a good deal for me and very good for them, this foothold in America. And I like having the Alibertis on my side.”

“And your boss, your father?”

“No more,” I said evenly.

She held my gaze, steely. Understanding. Accepting. “I see.”

“If Luca or Emilio need my opinion on anything, my insights into the local players, they ask me, I answer,” I said. “But that’s as far as that goes. Luca sold me the business that I always ran for Guardino and it’s all mine now. An escort service.”

“Oh.” Her eyes widened and settled into a knowing smirk. “You must like this business if you’ve bought it for yourself?”

“I’ve made a good living off the obsessive pursuit of illicit pleasure. I have a friend from business school who I run it with, and for years we’ve wanted to expand, upgrade, take it to another level, but we were unable to. Now that it’s mine, I plan on doing that. Like this truffle agent.”

“How do you mean?”

“There’s a whole secret underworld out there of desires desperate to be fulfilled.”

“From wild mushrooms to sex, it would seem.”

“And more. I want to offer something unique that I know people want, people who can afford to indulge, but aren’t sure how to get it or how to get enough of it.”

“People who are more than willing to pay for this unique. And you would be the agent?”

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