“Yes. Eva says rich people should work for things like the rest of us. I don’t know why she hangs out with you. Probably because you look like the Duke.”
“The Duke?” I flash a questioning glance at Eva, who is almost as red as the ruby necklace Mother bought herself last month.
“It’s a guy in Eva’s favorite TV show,” Espie chimes in, but Eva pokes her on the arm and she stops.
I return my attention to Juan, still intrigued that I apparently look like some royal figure from Eva’s preferred serial. Would that be a plus or a minus point for me? Should I get the title and google this Duke person?
“So you don’t like me hanging around with your sister?” I ask the boy.
Juan eyes me from head to toe. “Well, you’re way cooler than I expected. But if you’re going to keep turning up here, you have to get your rich stuff straight, okay? I’m the man in the house now since Alejandro is in—”
Eva jumps over to Juan and puts her hand on his mouth. “That’s quite enough cockiness for a little boy who just destroyed a half-million-dollar ride, don’t you think?”
Juan’s glance darts to the floor.
“Why don’t you ask Nathan for his forgiveness instead and come up with a clever way to remedy your error?”
“Sorry,” Juan mumbles, mortified, but then his face reanimates as if something just occurred to him. “If you want, Nathan…” He blinks at me. “I could wash off the paint for you. It’s just chalk. Abuelita always makes me wash her sedan, so I’m a real pro.”
My heart squeezes from his offer and his cute way of selling it to me. The sight of the proud glint in Eva’s eyes at Juan’s words deepens the twitch in my chest a tick more.
If they aren’t a lovely family…
I smile at them. “That’s a wonderful offer, Juan. Thank you. But as I told your sister, there is absolutely no need for this. My car gets washed each morning anyway. Though probably not as professionally as you could do it.” I wink at him then turn to Eva. “I’m sure Juan could use his time more wisely…as long as you agree with it, of course.”
Eva nods. “Yes, if you are fine with his apology this way, then yes.” She squints at her siblings. “Juan, Espie, say goodbye to Nathan, then go upstairs and get on with your homework for school tomorrow.”
Before the kids leave, I bend to Juan’s ear and I lower my voice to sound conspiratorial, while just loud enough for Eva to hear. “Just between us, I think your sister is right. We rich people sometimes do take the easy way out instead of putting in the effort. But I, for one, don’t want to do this ever again.”
Eva blushes at my words.
Juan glances up at me. “We might become friends.”
“I’d love that.” I grin at him.
“Now, you two, hurry inside and go straight to your rooms,” Eva commands.
Espie takes Juan’s hand and they head to the entrance.
When her siblings are gone, Eva and I stare at each other, as if neither of us can establish what to say next. Well, from my side, it’s actually a strategic silence. I want to know what she thinks about my last words and whether she has seized the real meaning behind them.
Eva runs her fingers through her hair. “I wouldn’t have thought so when I saw you in the bar, but if you weren’t about to become CEO, I could totally picture you as a teacher.”
“A teacher?”
I almost choke on my words.
“Yes, you were so great with Juan. Really tuned in with him. I bet other kids would be just as easy for you to handle.”
“You just say this because you’ve never seen me with my employees.”
“Why?”
“Because…” I try to choose my words with care. I don’t want Eva to get the wrong impression about me. “At work, I’m not praised for my people skills.”
The phrase rolls off with a certain bitterness, but I hope Eva doesn’t notice it. She can’t guess that the sole reason she and I are standing here now, is exactly my lack of involvement with my employees.
Eva shakes her head. “I find that weird. You’ve managed to get through to my brother, and he is a hard nut to crack.”
“I prefer keeping business just business, you know? I’m not a robot with my subordinates, nor do I treat them as slaves, but I don’t focus on them outside of the job they’re supposed to do for me.”
“Well, maybe you should. Alfonso’s not the best boss—far from it—but he is human, and he’s considerate of our lives and wishes. This compensates for a lot of his shortcomings in my eyes.”
I pull up my shoulders and let them drop in a who-knows fashion. “I’m not sure I would be able to do that. Nor that it wouldn’t be counterproductive. Our company is a workplace, after all, not a place to chitchat.”
Eva pulls her lips left to right as if she isn’t convinced by my argument. “I’m no expert, Nathan, but I believe that if you’ve got the business part down, then strengthening your human touch could only be of advantage to you. You are quite…impressive when you let your nice side shine through.”
My mouth pulls into a happy grin at her praise. “That’s good to know.”
She’s just admitted that I am—or at least that I can be—impressive. That’s not a bad score to have, given where I started at the bar.
Eva coughs shortly, and her eyes drop back to my car. “So…mhm…anyway, paying for your damage…”
Oh, no. She’s still insisting with this. “I told you already, I don’t need your money, Eva. I’m a billionaire. Do you think it troubles me to get a new gloss on my car?”
She licks her lips. “No. I’m well aware that it would be within your financial reach. But I still would love to compensate you somehow.”
Despite my will to keep our conversation casual and light,
