Don Juan recognized the phrase. Hudson mistranslated it for the blonde... or he'd lied to Don Juan about it before, one of the two. It had never occurred to Don Juan to verify anything Hudson had told him about languages; he'd trusted him implicitly for no discernable reason. But he thought Hudson was lying to the blond, now; he didn't speak Italian well but knew enough of a smattering of other romance languages to pick out familiar words, and he knew what Hudson told him was at least closer to correct than what he'd just told her.

So: he'd said the phrase for Don Juan's benefit, and timed it so that he was sure to hear, even though he'd ostensibly said it to her. What did the night have in store? If he hadn't known better, he would have thought it was a pickup line. The first time Hudson had taught it to him it certainly had that ring to it.

Since Hudson hadn't spoken until Don Juan was nearly passing him, he didn't have much time to think. "Hudson," he said, as though he had just now noticed him. He offered a lazy smile. "Join us for a cigarette?"

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