The Agreement

By Karla Dlucas

Henry has an agrotourism. Matias wants to buy it to build a hotel. Neither of the two intends to give in ... no matter how many sparks lights between them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lark
• Release date: Jan 19, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224895892

Book preview

One

Matias got out of the limousine that dropped him off right at the entrance to the huge estate and smoothed out the very expensive Armani suit he was wearing. He snorted as sunlight landed on his body, warming him up quickly due to the hot, dry weather around him. The sign next to him that read Blacks' Lodge indicated that he had reached his destination.

He walked down the gravel road before him, looking around with an analytical eye. On the outskirts of the lot, right where he had left his vehicle, there was a parking lot with half a dozen cars parked on it. It was attached to the half-meter walls made of stone that delimited the confines of the estate, except for the huge entrance, which was wide open, with the braided iron barriers hooked to the sides.

It was about fifty yards from the huge gate to the building before him, which frustrated him even more. He noticed how the back of his neck began to sweat due to his suit and the sun that kept shining on him, but he wasn't going to take off his jacket, that was too unprofessional. Instead, he stood on the side of the road, where the shadows of the mulberry trees that framed the path sheltered him from the sun.

As he continued to walk at a steady pace, he saw the orchard on his left in which several people were working. From where he stood, he couldn't make out any of the planted plants, although in one of the baskets scattered on the ground he could tell the difference between some carrots and what appeared to be lettuce.

To his right, on the other hand, stood several flowering fruit trees, some of which were already bearing fruit. He assumed that the person who watered them with a hose was one of the workers of the agritourism, although he did not have an identification plate to corroborate this.

He shook his head inwardly, for he was in favour of being able to differentiate between employees and guests, so that the latter knew who to turn to easily in case of problems. Unconsciously, his mind began to draw up a list of things to improve in the place, such as installing an automatic irrigation system and reinforcing the security system at the entrance, since no one had asked him for any identification.

At last he reached the huge dark wooden doors, which were also open, and went through them, breathing a sigh of relief at the refreshing atmosphere inside the building. His eyes widened at what he witnessed, for the space was spacious, clean, and very bright.

The first thing he found upon entering was a huge living room with a wall lined with books, a pool table, and several couches that looked comfortable and fluffy scattered all over the place. Right in front of him was a door leading to a dining room, with twenty tables placed perfectly to make the most of the space. To the left was a bar counter where several people were working removing the breakfast cases and clearing the area, starting to prepare it for lunchtime.

At the other end of the room, facing the bar, there were huge glass doors that opened into the garden, behind the area planted with fruit trees that he saw when he entered.

After taking a look at that room, Matias went back to the living room, looking