The Man I Met on Holiday

Chapter 05 -Manuscripts

Theo stared at me when I told him I was divorced. "I wasn’t expecting that," he said, stopping to eat. He was acting like that information was more relevant than it should be.

"It’s no big deal. Married people are subject to divorce," I said, eating normally, pretending that the divorce didn’t affect me. It was, yes, and a lot. He kept staring at me while Helga walked away, visibly uncomfortable. "What?"

"Nothing, it’s that you’re too young to be divorced," he said, studying me. In fact, I was young, but all of that wasn’t his business anymore. Besides, I didn’t expect to keep talking about myself. I had chosen to travel for peace, relaxation, and to forget the events of the last months.

"What about you, Theo? Are you married?" I asked directly. If he could be invasive, so could I. And it was better to ask about romance than about the death of his parents; after all, it was visible that the past still bothered him. I didn’t want to be a bad guest. Switching lodgings wasn’t in my plans.

"No, I don’t date," he replied without any problem. "Are you interested?" he asked me with a shrewd look. I almost believed it was serious. "I’m kidding," he replied, laughing. "I’m not that kind of guy. But let’s stop talking about these frivolous matters. What are you really doing here?" he wanted to know. Then I noticed that he was almost finishing his soup. Men were really eating fast. Noah was like that, too.

"I came to work. I am translating an important manuscript. The opportunity to come here has arisen, so I took it. Let’s say it’s a company-paid vacation," I said, distracted by him taking his last tablespoon of soup and making noise.

"Oh, I’m sorry, does that bother you?" he wanted to know, noticing I was staring at him. I said no, and then he kept going. "If you’re considering taking this as a vacation anyway, how about enjoying the city more? Something tells me you came here with the idea of staying in the room as long as possible."

And again, Theo used to annoy me. The people in the countryside were always so good at guessing things like that. I wouldn’t get used to it. In the big city, no one studied me so much except my family and Noah’s.

"And what makes you think that?" I asked him. It was then that I noticed he was carrying a backpack, which he picked up, opened, and took out a book. "What is this?" I asked, finally noticing that it was one of my books. "Why do you have this, Theo?" I wanted to know. Now, I was completely uncomfortable.

"The truth is that I already know your work, Elena Moreou," he said as he turned my book, exposing my photo, my beautiful red hair, and my serious expression. "I’ve read some of his works, but this one in particular caught my attention," he said.

"I don’t understand where you’re going, Theo," I said, facing him. He now looked like the same Theo I found smoking in the hotel’s outdoor area. "Are you trying to tell me something?" I asked, finally. I had already finished the soup, too. If I hadn’t, I probably would have lost my hunger.

"This book has an interview of yours at the end," he mentioned, opening the book to the page it was in. I remembered her perfectly. At the time, I insisted that it not be done, but my editors didn’t listen. The result was an interview that took me away from many readers and brought some new ones.

"I imagine you were disappointed," I said, already expecting the worst. "Many criticized me for my stance at the time," I remarked.

"Actually, I found all your points about Christmas and romance. I was already following your work, so I thought that something was happening; after all, you were engaged. I would never have imagined that he had already divorced," he remarked. Likewise, I kept staring at him. "Anyway, the point is that you’re here because of me, Elena. I’m the one who hired your company to translate these manuscripts. The truth is that they are family heirlooms, and I really wanted them to be translated", he said. I was more confused.

"I don’t understand, Theo," I said. "You hired me? Why me?" I wanted to know. It wasn’t so rare that I was selected, but someone like him in that place chose just me? It wasn’t normal.

"I always admired your writing and your work, Elena. I was saving money to be able to pay for your work. I plan to sell these manuscripts for a good price, and when I sell, I will finally be able to leave this place behind,' he said, almost venting. So that was it; he was a man stuck to his roots.

"Isn’t it easier to sell the inn?" I asked. The solution seemed quite logical and obvious. A place like that, with the fame it had, would be sold quickly.

"Yes, it would. The problem is that I can’t. In the will of my parents, it is written that we cannot sell, and even if I wanted to disobey, it’s all in the law. I have no choice but to get out of here with these manuscripts. They seem important", he now sketched hope. My heart quickened. I didn’t know why. "What I’m asking you, Elena, is that you help me with this. Help me get out of here."

"What do I get out of all this?" I asked. It felt more personal than just work.

"What do you want?"