Dexter by Design | Page 9

p rim ly .
I k no w th a t a h o ne ym oon is m eant to b e a tim e fo r g ettin g to k no w y o ur n e w li fe partn e r, b ut th is w as a R ita I h a d n e ve r e nco unte re d b efo re .
The o ne I th o ug ht I k ne w d id n o t, a s fa r a s I c o uld te ll, e ve r h a ve s tr o ng o pin io ns, e sp ecia lly o pin io ns th a t w ere c o ntr a ry to c o nve ntio na l w is d om .
And y e t, h e re s he w as c a lli n g th e m ost fa m ous p ain tin g in th e w orld o ve rra te d. T he m in d b oggle d; a t le ast, m in e d id .
“It 's th e M ona L is a ,” I s a id . “ H ow c a n it b e o ve rra te d?” S he m ade a no th e r n o is e th a t w as a ll c o nso na nts a nd p ulle d o n m y h a nd a li ttle h a rd er.
“C om e lo ok a t th e T itia ns,” s he s a id . “ T he y'r e m uch n ic e r.”
The T itia ns w ere v e ry n ic e . S o w ere th e R eub ens, a lt h o ug h I d id n o t s e e a nyth in g in th e m to e xp la in w hy th e y s ho uld h a ve a s a nd w ic h n a m ed
fo r th e m . B ut th a t th o ug ht d id m ake m e re ali z e I w as h ung ry , a nd I m ana ged to s te er R ita th ro ug h th re e m ore lo ng ro om s fille d w ith v e ry n ic e
pain tin g s a nd in to a c a fe o n o ne o f th e u p per le ve ls .
Afte r a s na ck th a t w as m ore e xp ensiv e th a n a ir p ort fo od a nd o nly a li ttle ta stie r, w e s p ent th e r e st o f th e d ay w and erin g th ro ug h th e m use um
lo okin g a t r o om a fte r r o om o f p ain tin g s a nd s culp tu re s. T he re r e ally w ere a n a w fu l lo t o f th e m , a nd b y th e tim e w e fin a lly s te pped o ut in to th e tw ili t
co urty a rd a gain m y fo rm erly m agnific e nt b ra in h a d b een p ound ed in to s ub m is sio n.
“W ell, ” I s a id , a