real coherent thought.
Before he realized it, he was opening the door of Aldo’s Market and walking to
the counter. What the hell? he wondered. Why am I here?
“Hello Mr. Lathem. How are you this evening?”
“Mrs. Manning! It’s wonderful to see you! How are you?”
“I’m doing well. Much better now. Thank you for asking. What
can I…”
“Mom?” a voice yelled.
“Excuse me,” Gloria patted Ben’s hand and gingerly walked to
the end of the counter. “Helping a customer!” she yelled back. Then she
carefully returned to stand in front of Ben.
“I apologize,” she smiled. “Now, what can I get you?”
“Um,” he said, having no idea what brought him into the
store.
“Mom? Where’s Dad?” Sophia asked as she rushed into the
store from the back room.
“He’ll be back shortly. He just ran to the bank.”
“Why didn’t he tell me? You should be upstairs! Oh, hi Ben.”
Ben smiled and said hello.
“I’m getting stronger every day and ten minutes in the store
isn’t going to kill me. Breast cancer didn’t kill me. You think this will?” she
said.
“Well at least sit down,” Sophia cried.
“I was!” Gloria exclaimed. “Until someone started screaming
at me and I had to get up to go and see what they wanted!” There was a sparkle
in her eye that made Ben smother a grin. “Now, what can I get for you this
evening, sir?”
“I just need a…a…a book of stamps please?” Phew! Thought
of something!
“Certainly,” Gloria smiled. “I hear there’s a new Italian
place just opened up on Pearl Street. Have you eaten there?”
Ben shook his head. “I haven’t.” He took the stamps she
offered and handed her a ten dollar bill. “Tell Alex he can keep the change,”
he grinned.
Gloria smiled and pulled the coins from the till and dropped
them in her apron pocket. “He’ll add it to his jar,” she said. “Sophia? You’ll
have to check it out for me. Lucia Wyman says their meatballs are better than
mine.”
“I’d be happy to take you,” Ben offered. What the hell
did I just say?
Sophia shook her head. “That’s kind but Alex is home and…”
“We’ll all go?” he said. I need to stop my mouth from
talking!
“What a fabulous idea!” clapped Gloria.
“We’ll bring you back an order of their meatballs so you can
try them yourself,” Ben smiled.
“Sophia! Run up and change.”
“We can’t go now! I’m not leaving you here by yourself!” she
replied.
“Oh pfft! Aldo will be back in a minute.”
“I’ll go home and change and then come back and get you,”
Ben smiled. “About twenty minutes?”
“Oh that will be perfect!” Gloria exclaimed.
As Ben hurried from the store he didn’t see the look of
total contempt Sophia shot her mother. As he ran across the road, he was in a
state of confusion over what had just taken place…what he’d done.
He stood looking in the mirror, adjusting the collar of his
polo shirt. There were a whole slew of reasons why this was a bad idea, yet he
was in the elevator heading back over to pick up Alex and Sophia before he knew
it.
*****
“Mother! What the hell? Why on earth would you push me into
something like this?” Sophia hissed.
“You are either blind or stupid, and I know you’re not
blind,” Gloria frowned.
“Thanks!”
“Ben Lathem is the catch of a lifetime and for some unknown
reason, he likes you.”
“He does not!”
“He does! He likes you. Now I’m not saying he’s in love with
you but liking is a start.”
“Mom! I am not interested in Ben Lathem!”
“Well then you really are stupid! He’s gorgeous and tall and
that thick black hair! I would run my hands through it any time he wanted.”
Sophia looked as though she was going to vomit. “Mom,” she
choked. “Stop! Please!”
“And those eyes! My goodness those dark blue eyes. They just
suck me in every time. Oh to be a fly on his bathroom wall and…”
“Enough!” she screamed. “I get it! He’s gorgeous and
Before he realized it, he was opening the door of Aldo’s Market and walking to
the counter. What the hell? he wondered. Why am I here?
“Hello Mr. Lathem. How are you this evening?”
“Mrs. Manning! It’s wonderful to see you! How are you?”
“I’m doing well. Much better now. Thank you for asking. What
can I…”
“Mom?” a voice yelled.
“Excuse me,” Gloria patted Ben’s hand and gingerly walked to
the end of the counter. “Helping a customer!” she yelled back. Then she
carefully returned to stand in front of Ben.
“I apologize,” she smiled. “Now, what can I get you?”
“Um,” he said, having no idea what brought him into the
store.
“Mom? Where’s Dad?” Sophia asked as she rushed into the
store from the back room.
“He’ll be back shortly. He just ran to the bank.”
“Why didn’t he tell me? You should be upstairs! Oh, hi Ben.”
Ben smiled and said hello.
“I’m getting stronger every day and ten minutes in the store
isn’t going to kill me. Breast cancer didn’t kill me. You think this will?” she
said.
“Well at least sit down,” Sophia cried.
“I was!” Gloria exclaimed. “Until someone started screaming
at me and I had to get up to go and see what they wanted!” There was a sparkle
in her eye that made Ben smother a grin. “Now, what can I get for you this
evening, sir?”
“I just need a…a…a book of stamps please?” Phew! Thought
of something!
“Certainly,” Gloria smiled. “I hear there’s a new Italian
place just opened up on Pearl Street. Have you eaten there?”
Ben shook his head. “I haven’t.” He took the stamps she
offered and handed her a ten dollar bill. “Tell Alex he can keep the change,”
he grinned.
Gloria smiled and pulled the coins from the till and dropped
them in her apron pocket. “He’ll add it to his jar,” she said. “Sophia? You’ll
have to check it out for me. Lucia Wyman says their meatballs are better than
mine.”
“I’d be happy to take you,” Ben offered. What the hell
did I just say?
Sophia shook her head. “That’s kind but Alex is home and…”
“We’ll all go?” he said. I need to stop my mouth from
talking!
“What a fabulous idea!” clapped Gloria.
“We’ll bring you back an order of their meatballs so you can
try them yourself,” Ben smiled.
“Sophia! Run up and change.”
“We can’t go now! I’m not leaving you here by yourself!” she
replied.
“Oh pfft! Aldo will be back in a minute.”
“I’ll go home and change and then come back and get you,”
Ben smiled. “About twenty minutes?”
“Oh that will be perfect!” Gloria exclaimed.
As Ben hurried from the store he didn’t see the look of
total contempt Sophia shot her mother. As he ran across the road, he was in a
state of confusion over what had just taken place…what he’d done.
He stood looking in the mirror, adjusting the collar of his
polo shirt. There were a whole slew of reasons why this was a bad idea, yet he
was in the elevator heading back over to pick up Alex and Sophia before he knew
it.
*****
“Mother! What the hell? Why on earth would you push me into
something like this?” Sophia hissed.
“You are either blind or stupid, and I know you’re not
blind,” Gloria frowned.
“Thanks!”
“Ben Lathem is the catch of a lifetime and for some unknown
reason, he likes you.”
“He does not!”
“He does! He likes you. Now I’m not saying he’s in love with
you but liking is a start.”
“Mom! I am not interested in Ben Lathem!”
“Well then you really are stupid! He’s gorgeous and tall and
that thick black hair! I would run my hands through it any time he wanted.”
Sophia looked as though she was going to vomit. “Mom,” she
choked. “Stop! Please!”
“And those eyes! My goodness those dark blue eyes. They just
suck me in every time. Oh to be a fly on his bathroom wall and…”
“Enough!” she screamed. “I get it! He’s gorgeous and
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