She smiled dryly at him, at his joke, before shaking her head. “I have a few of them, yes. The worst kind is the people do it on the phone.“ She was glad that she had been forced, ah no, advised to get acquainted with Josh. Their friendship was one of her favourites even if they didn’t see each other that often.
“Now you’re just flattering me,” she countered, an appreciative look directed at him. “I just have to learn how to keep him from sticking his nose into places it doesn’t belong to.” Easier said than done. Her eyes lit up when she saw his joy. To love and to be loved — what an idea! “Briefly,can’t say I remember much about her. I’m sure you can enlighten me a bit.” She didn’t mind listening her friends talk about the things, the people, they loved.
“My god, on the phone? I’m so sorry,” his incredulity betrayed his earnest nature, bringing his joking, cocky persona’s reign to a screeching halt. “Here, hold out your hand, let me shake, I promise you, I will never, ever, yell at you about being right on the phone, okay?” Joshua had a reputation for keeping promises, one he would never fail to uphold, and he was certain Antonia knew about that reputation of his. He met her eyes and smiled. “I’ll only do it in person.”
She was a shrewd adviser, Antonia, clever and witty — not the same thing, and rare that both were in one individual — and he always wished he could have done more for her. “Ah, but that’s easy. Give him something else to sniff out. Doesn’t matter what.” She would understand what he meant. Lay a false trail. Get him out of your business. “I hope you’re prepared to be here for hours now,” Joshua warned, beaming, “She’s very loyal, very dedicated, to her family, the people she loves, her country. And she’s one of the bravest people I know. You would definitely get on with her.”