form of cash. But that, by its nature, is anonymous.
"Quite frankly we're stuck. Unless Caterina or I have new brainwaves soon we're thinking we should tell Felipe we will call it a day at the end of this week or next. Maybe we should restart the travelling."
While this didn't exactly surprise Davide, it was a shock and not what he wanted to hear. Just said aloud it created an unexpectedly deep hole inside him, one for which he thought he was prepared for but now understood he wasn't. It sort of put Inma in perspective, though he was looking forward to talking with her to find out how matters had developed since she and Miriam returned to Spain from Rome. All this made the prospect of telling Caterina about the forthcoming dinner that much harder.
Davide said, "Have you no suggestions at all?"
Caterina said, "None whatsoever. We need a breakthrough but don't see how to find one. Too much is out of our control, plus there's a second problem."
Caterina glanced towards Emilia, wondering if she should say anything in front of Davide. She decided on boldness. It might have an effect.
"That is?" enquired Davide.
"The long and short of it is that Emilia is ..." Yet again she was uncertain if she should mention it.
"Don't laugh, please, Davide, but Emilia is sex-starved."
"Caterina! How can you say such a thing!" exploded Emilia.
"It's true. We both know it. But this matters, Davide. Emilia's creativity, if that's the word, thrives on a regular diet of sex, or at least it did back home. I see the signs right now."
Although Emilia stared at Caterina, it was without enmity.
"For Emilia, deprivation means that her energy levels reduce, her enthusiasm wanes and her originality quotient falls. There have been similar times in the past, when we've been working on something together and were stuck. She goes off to get herself laid or finds an unsuitable lady to seduce. The next day, or more likely a couple of days later when she's recovered from whatever specific excess she chose, out comes this startling insight from which we can finally progress."
"This seems rather incredible that you should raise this now," interjected Emilia.
"Shut up! Deny it all you like but it's happened three or four times. Remember –"
"Stop! I don't need to go there, Caterina. You're making too much of this. It's all in your mind because if I'm sex-mad you're sex-starved. What you need is to be thoroughly –"
"Oh be quiet, Emilia! I'm not the immediate problem, you are."
Davide listened, more astonished than believing.
He said, "Ummm. What can I or we do to solve this?"
As soon as he had uttered the words he felt stupid. He prayed that neither would interpret this as him suggesting that he was the solution to Emilia's requirements. That was not a role he envisaged or wanted, however flattering being the focus of Emilia's attention might be.
"Relax, Davide. Emilia is not expecting you to perform – or I hope she isn't."
Caterina frowned at Emilia who was sitting, still taken aback, though more at Caterina's taking the initiative than anything else. Emilia shook her head in agreement.
Caterina said, "No, this is a general problem requiring a specific fix. That said, I'm not playing pimp for you, Emilia."
A phone warbled outside the salon. Seizing the opportunity Emilia jumped up.
"That's mine." She left, with Caterina and Davide eyes following after her, before turning to each other.
"If that was one shock, Caterina, I have another for you. I've arranged to have dinner with Inma tomorrow."
"Good for you!" was the tart response.
A chill descended swiftly on the room and sustained itself until broken by a beaming Emilia returning.
"That was Alberto, from ORS. He's asked me out to dinner on Wednesday night. It's a bit of a surprise. He hardly said two words to me on Saturday evening."
"You accepted?" said Caterina.
"Of course, though I'm not sure he's my type."
"Everyone's your type, male or female, if your need's sufficiently
"Quite frankly we're stuck. Unless Caterina or I have new brainwaves soon we're thinking we should tell Felipe we will call it a day at the end of this week or next. Maybe we should restart the travelling."
While this didn't exactly surprise Davide, it was a shock and not what he wanted to hear. Just said aloud it created an unexpectedly deep hole inside him, one for which he thought he was prepared for but now understood he wasn't. It sort of put Inma in perspective, though he was looking forward to talking with her to find out how matters had developed since she and Miriam returned to Spain from Rome. All this made the prospect of telling Caterina about the forthcoming dinner that much harder.
Davide said, "Have you no suggestions at all?"
Caterina said, "None whatsoever. We need a breakthrough but don't see how to find one. Too much is out of our control, plus there's a second problem."
Caterina glanced towards Emilia, wondering if she should say anything in front of Davide. She decided on boldness. It might have an effect.
"That is?" enquired Davide.
"The long and short of it is that Emilia is ..." Yet again she was uncertain if she should mention it.
"Don't laugh, please, Davide, but Emilia is sex-starved."
"Caterina! How can you say such a thing!" exploded Emilia.
"It's true. We both know it. But this matters, Davide. Emilia's creativity, if that's the word, thrives on a regular diet of sex, or at least it did back home. I see the signs right now."
Although Emilia stared at Caterina, it was without enmity.
"For Emilia, deprivation means that her energy levels reduce, her enthusiasm wanes and her originality quotient falls. There have been similar times in the past, when we've been working on something together and were stuck. She goes off to get herself laid or finds an unsuitable lady to seduce. The next day, or more likely a couple of days later when she's recovered from whatever specific excess she chose, out comes this startling insight from which we can finally progress."
"This seems rather incredible that you should raise this now," interjected Emilia.
"Shut up! Deny it all you like but it's happened three or four times. Remember –"
"Stop! I don't need to go there, Caterina. You're making too much of this. It's all in your mind because if I'm sex-mad you're sex-starved. What you need is to be thoroughly –"
"Oh be quiet, Emilia! I'm not the immediate problem, you are."
Davide listened, more astonished than believing.
He said, "Ummm. What can I or we do to solve this?"
As soon as he had uttered the words he felt stupid. He prayed that neither would interpret this as him suggesting that he was the solution to Emilia's requirements. That was not a role he envisaged or wanted, however flattering being the focus of Emilia's attention might be.
"Relax, Davide. Emilia is not expecting you to perform – or I hope she isn't."
Caterina frowned at Emilia who was sitting, still taken aback, though more at Caterina's taking the initiative than anything else. Emilia shook her head in agreement.
Caterina said, "No, this is a general problem requiring a specific fix. That said, I'm not playing pimp for you, Emilia."
A phone warbled outside the salon. Seizing the opportunity Emilia jumped up.
"That's mine." She left, with Caterina and Davide eyes following after her, before turning to each other.
"If that was one shock, Caterina, I have another for you. I've arranged to have dinner with Inma tomorrow."
"Good for you!" was the tart response.
A chill descended swiftly on the room and sustained itself until broken by a beaming Emilia returning.
"That was Alberto, from ORS. He's asked me out to dinner on Wednesday night. It's a bit of a surprise. He hardly said two words to me on Saturday evening."
"You accepted?" said Caterina.
"Of course, though I'm not sure he's my type."
"Everyone's your type, male or female, if your need's sufficiently
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