and a wink. “Julio? This is Angie Amalfi. Do you have any larger lamps on board? I’d like to replace the one by the couch. I want a taller lamp with a brighter, stronger bulb.” She waited. “Great. Thanks.”
Paavo was surprised. “They actually have extra lamps on a freighter?”
“He’ll probably swap this one with someone who doesn’t care. It’s no big deal.”
Before long, there was a knock at the door. “ Buenos días, señorita .” Breathless, as if he’d run the whole way, Julio stood in the doorway holding a lamp so tall it could have served as a portable lighthouse. Angie gaped at it.
Julio gaped at her in her silk pajamas.
Paavo got up from the sofa and announced a sudden desire to change his shoes. He fled into the bedroom. Coward, Angie thought.
Julio entered the cabin, then handed Angie the big lamp and unplugged the little one on the end table. When he lifted it, one small button-like object fell off the base.
“What in the world?” Angie pointed at the floor. “The lamp is falling apart.”
“What?” Julio stepped to the side, and she heard a crunch.
“Watch out!” she said, too late.
“I’m sorry,” he cried. “Forgive me, señorita .” He dropped to the ground and started picking up the tiny pieces. “I didn’t mean to break your whatever-it-is. I will replace it.”
“It isn’t mine. It’s part of the lamp.”
“I don’t think so.” He put the pieces in his pocket. “But it was not yours. That is good.” Leaving the small lamp on the floor, he took the tall one from Angie, put it on the table, plugged it in, then switched it on. It didn’t light. He switched light bulbs with the small lamp, and it still wouldn’t light.
“What is wrong? There is… nada .” He took off the bulb and studied the socket. Before Angie could say anything, he stuck his finger in the socket to prod it. Then, with a yelp, he jerked it out.
The electric current wasn’t the problem.
“Are you all right?” Angie asked.
“ Sí, señorita .” He sounded a little uncertain.
“Let’s forget about the lamp. This new one is too big anyway. The smaller one will be fine.”
“I will keep searching. Anything for you, señorita .” He put the small lamp back, on the table and plugged it in.
“Thank you, Julio. Here you go.” She handed him back the huge lamp.
He didn’t turn around, though. Instead, he started backing out of the room, a toothy smile on his face, his longing gaze on her the whole time. At the door, he turned too quickly and crashed the lamp into the door frame. Blushing fiercely, he whispered, “ Adiós, señorita .”
“ Adiós , Julio,” Angie said, then folded her arms and glared at the offending, still-remaining, too-small lamp.
“Is that walking destruction derby coming back soon?” Paavo called from the bedroom.
“He’s just trying to be helpful,” she said, joining him. “Although I must admit, he might be more helpful if he were less trying.” She sighed.
“What was it that fell off the lamp?” Paavo asked.
“It was a little round disk.”
“A disk?”
“That’s right.” Suddenly, her eyes opened wide and she spun toward him. “When Julio stepped on it, it broke open and had tiny wires. Paavo, it looked like a bug!”
His mouth wrinkled. “A bug?”
“A listening device, not an insect! What if our room was bugged?” She flung her arms in the air. “First someone goes through our bathroom cabinet, then they bug our lamp! What’s with this place?”
He held his hands up, palms outward. “Angie, calm down. Now, tell me, do you know about lamp parts and wiring?”
“Well, no. But so what? I—”
“It was probably just a normal piece of the lamp.”
“Let’s find Julio and get it back. Then you can look at it and see for yourself.”
“Not now. I think I’ll read after all.” He picked up his book.
“But Paavo—”
Obstinately, he shook his head. “You’re letting your imagination run away with you,
Paavo was surprised. “They actually have extra lamps on a freighter?”
“He’ll probably swap this one with someone who doesn’t care. It’s no big deal.”
Before long, there was a knock at the door. “ Buenos días, señorita .” Breathless, as if he’d run the whole way, Julio stood in the doorway holding a lamp so tall it could have served as a portable lighthouse. Angie gaped at it.
Julio gaped at her in her silk pajamas.
Paavo got up from the sofa and announced a sudden desire to change his shoes. He fled into the bedroom. Coward, Angie thought.
Julio entered the cabin, then handed Angie the big lamp and unplugged the little one on the end table. When he lifted it, one small button-like object fell off the base.
“What in the world?” Angie pointed at the floor. “The lamp is falling apart.”
“What?” Julio stepped to the side, and she heard a crunch.
“Watch out!” she said, too late.
“I’m sorry,” he cried. “Forgive me, señorita .” He dropped to the ground and started picking up the tiny pieces. “I didn’t mean to break your whatever-it-is. I will replace it.”
“It isn’t mine. It’s part of the lamp.”
“I don’t think so.” He put the pieces in his pocket. “But it was not yours. That is good.” Leaving the small lamp on the floor, he took the tall one from Angie, put it on the table, plugged it in, then switched it on. It didn’t light. He switched light bulbs with the small lamp, and it still wouldn’t light.
“What is wrong? There is… nada .” He took off the bulb and studied the socket. Before Angie could say anything, he stuck his finger in the socket to prod it. Then, with a yelp, he jerked it out.
The electric current wasn’t the problem.
“Are you all right?” Angie asked.
“ Sí, señorita .” He sounded a little uncertain.
“Let’s forget about the lamp. This new one is too big anyway. The smaller one will be fine.”
“I will keep searching. Anything for you, señorita .” He put the small lamp back, on the table and plugged it in.
“Thank you, Julio. Here you go.” She handed him back the huge lamp.
He didn’t turn around, though. Instead, he started backing out of the room, a toothy smile on his face, his longing gaze on her the whole time. At the door, he turned too quickly and crashed the lamp into the door frame. Blushing fiercely, he whispered, “ Adiós, señorita .”
“ Adiós , Julio,” Angie said, then folded her arms and glared at the offending, still-remaining, too-small lamp.
“Is that walking destruction derby coming back soon?” Paavo called from the bedroom.
“He’s just trying to be helpful,” she said, joining him. “Although I must admit, he might be more helpful if he were less trying.” She sighed.
“What was it that fell off the lamp?” Paavo asked.
“It was a little round disk.”
“A disk?”
“That’s right.” Suddenly, her eyes opened wide and she spun toward him. “When Julio stepped on it, it broke open and had tiny wires. Paavo, it looked like a bug!”
His mouth wrinkled. “A bug?”
“A listening device, not an insect! What if our room was bugged?” She flung her arms in the air. “First someone goes through our bathroom cabinet, then they bug our lamp! What’s with this place?”
He held his hands up, palms outward. “Angie, calm down. Now, tell me, do you know about lamp parts and wiring?”
“Well, no. But so what? I—”
“It was probably just a normal piece of the lamp.”
“Let’s find Julio and get it back. Then you can look at it and see for yourself.”
“Not now. I think I’ll read after all.” He picked up his book.
“But Paavo—”
Obstinately, he shook his head. “You’re letting your imagination run away with you,
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