like to ask you something about your grandfather.”
Ben took a sip of wine. “Umm, not exactly what I planned to talk about over lobster and wine here today, but go ahead. What about my grandfather?”
“Well, it’s just that every time my grandmother hears the name Henry Stassen, she bristles. Something happened years ago, something between our grandfathers that's still unresolved. Do you have any idea what it was?”
“Might not have been between our grandfathers,” Ben said.
Kate dipped a piece of lobster in truffle butter and looked across the table. “What makes you say that?”
Ben shrugged. “A few years back I found some old photos of your grandmother when I was going through my grandfather’s belongings after his gall bladder surgery. One of the photos was signed, All my love, your Rosie . I didn’t know who Rosie was at the time—the name had never come up. But when I kidded Gramps about her he about bit my head off. I’ve never brought it up since.”
Kate looked at Ben, stunned. She’d had suspicions as well, but Grandma had always seemed so happy with Grandpa that Kate couldn’t imagine her loving any other man. “How old did my grandmother look in the photos?” she asked.
“Young. Seventeen or eighteen. It was during the war because in one photo of them together, Gramps had on his uniform and looked like a new recruit, probably just before he shipped out.” Ben went on to tell Kate some facts about Henry Stassen that she found curious, might even answer some questions that had been hovering in her mind of late. When the moment was right, she’d broach the subject with Grandma.
She looked at Ben. “And while we’re on the subject of my grandmother…”
He raised his hand in protest and gave her his wry, one-sided smile. “I’m trying to wine and dine a beautiful woman and she wants to talk about her grandmother.”
“Yes, well...” Kate cut a wedge of lobster, speared it with her fork and said, “This is a wonderful meal, Ben, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m still going to fight you on the zoning issue. I won’t give it up.”
“I don’t expect you to give it up,” Ben said. “In fact, I’d be disappointed if you did. I’d miss seeing your presentation before the planning board. You’re always full of surprises, and you’ll keep me on my toes.”
“I don’t want to keep you on your toes," she said. "I want you to see what you’re doing to my grandmother and all the rest of those wonderful old people and find another location for your building!” She popped the piece of lobster into her mouth and speared another.
Ben reached out and caught her wrist, stopping the fork with a piece of lobster perched on its tines. “Honey, you might try tasting that lobster before you swallow it."
Kate rested her fork holding the lobster on her plate, looked at Ben, and said, “Is there anything I can say or do to convince you to build somewhere else?”
He looked steadily at her, and replied, “The location of the corporate office will be based solely on a business decision. Nothing more. Nothing less. Whatever's between us will have no bearing on my final decision. Now finish eating. Your food’s getting cold.”
Kate felt like a child who’d just been chastised. Ben’s autocratic attitude also made her more determined than ever to stay on course and fight the zoning issue to the bitter end. But she also knew that Ben had no patience with people who tried to manipulate him, and she couldn’t deny, she’d been doing exactly that from the start, wholly to soften him up so he’d change the location of the corporate offices.
Now, it was becoming evident that he’d turned the tables on her as well. This hot-tub set-up and cozy little lobster-with-all-the-trimmings meal was obviously nothing more than his means of softening her up so she’d drop the issue. Well, the gloves were off now and she was ready for a bare-fist fight. And they were starting on even
Ben took a sip of wine. “Umm, not exactly what I planned to talk about over lobster and wine here today, but go ahead. What about my grandfather?”
“Well, it’s just that every time my grandmother hears the name Henry Stassen, she bristles. Something happened years ago, something between our grandfathers that's still unresolved. Do you have any idea what it was?”
“Might not have been between our grandfathers,” Ben said.
Kate dipped a piece of lobster in truffle butter and looked across the table. “What makes you say that?”
Ben shrugged. “A few years back I found some old photos of your grandmother when I was going through my grandfather’s belongings after his gall bladder surgery. One of the photos was signed, All my love, your Rosie . I didn’t know who Rosie was at the time—the name had never come up. But when I kidded Gramps about her he about bit my head off. I’ve never brought it up since.”
Kate looked at Ben, stunned. She’d had suspicions as well, but Grandma had always seemed so happy with Grandpa that Kate couldn’t imagine her loving any other man. “How old did my grandmother look in the photos?” she asked.
“Young. Seventeen or eighteen. It was during the war because in one photo of them together, Gramps had on his uniform and looked like a new recruit, probably just before he shipped out.” Ben went on to tell Kate some facts about Henry Stassen that she found curious, might even answer some questions that had been hovering in her mind of late. When the moment was right, she’d broach the subject with Grandma.
She looked at Ben. “And while we’re on the subject of my grandmother…”
He raised his hand in protest and gave her his wry, one-sided smile. “I’m trying to wine and dine a beautiful woman and she wants to talk about her grandmother.”
“Yes, well...” Kate cut a wedge of lobster, speared it with her fork and said, “This is a wonderful meal, Ben, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m still going to fight you on the zoning issue. I won’t give it up.”
“I don’t expect you to give it up,” Ben said. “In fact, I’d be disappointed if you did. I’d miss seeing your presentation before the planning board. You’re always full of surprises, and you’ll keep me on my toes.”
“I don’t want to keep you on your toes," she said. "I want you to see what you’re doing to my grandmother and all the rest of those wonderful old people and find another location for your building!” She popped the piece of lobster into her mouth and speared another.
Ben reached out and caught her wrist, stopping the fork with a piece of lobster perched on its tines. “Honey, you might try tasting that lobster before you swallow it."
Kate rested her fork holding the lobster on her plate, looked at Ben, and said, “Is there anything I can say or do to convince you to build somewhere else?”
He looked steadily at her, and replied, “The location of the corporate office will be based solely on a business decision. Nothing more. Nothing less. Whatever's between us will have no bearing on my final decision. Now finish eating. Your food’s getting cold.”
Kate felt like a child who’d just been chastised. Ben’s autocratic attitude also made her more determined than ever to stay on course and fight the zoning issue to the bitter end. But she also knew that Ben had no patience with people who tried to manipulate him, and she couldn’t deny, she’d been doing exactly that from the start, wholly to soften him up so he’d change the location of the corporate offices.
Now, it was becoming evident that he’d turned the tables on her as well. This hot-tub set-up and cozy little lobster-with-all-the-trimmings meal was obviously nothing more than his means of softening her up so she’d drop the issue. Well, the gloves were off now and she was ready for a bare-fist fight. And they were starting on even
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