Kindness in her features and her spunky personality certainly added in her attractiveness. Confidence radiated from her glowing smile.
"I'm Sue," she extended her hand to Harvey, a grin spread across her face.
"Harvey?" Beth tapped on his shoulder. "Earth to Harvey? You okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine." He shuddered himself out of a trance. "Nice to meet you, Sue." He shook her hand, for what seemed to be a little too long in Beth's eyes.
"Beth's mom told me so much about you on the phone. It's hard to believe you just met!" She turned to her husband. "Well come on, let's eat now." Beth hadn't volunteered a lot of information to her mom, so it confused her what she told her.
"I brought some sparkling grape juice," Harvey handed her the juice.
"Oh," she took the bottle from him and pressed it against her chest. "Such a sweetheart! Thank you! I'm not sure if I've ever had this." She touched Beth's arm and chuckled. "I'm more of a wine drinker, right dear?"
She hoped her aunt wasn't making Harvey feel uncomfortable, especially since they only arrived minutes ago. "First time for everything, Aunt Sue." Harvey put his hand against Beth's back as Sue led them into the dining area, just through the small galley kitchen. The soft hold he had on her told Beth he thanked her for moving the conversation forward.
The long table was placed in the middle of the room, set nicely, with red placements at each setting. Sturdy wood chairs surrounded the table. "I put you two over here, and Ralph and I sitting here." She pointed to their seats.
Though a small house, this room always impressed Beth. The table definitely defined the space as the centerpiece, but the entire east wall was ceiling to floor windows overlooking a backyard of greenery. With a lake on one side of the house and practically a forest on the other, living there must've been peaceful.
"It smells incredible," Harvey complimented as they gathered around the table.
"Thanks. I enjoy cooking. Baking not so much. I don't know why. I've never been successful at it." Sue sprinted into the kitchen and came back with a flowing bowl of salad. "Everyone dig in!"
Beth filled her plate with the leafy greens and vegetables before filling the rest with roast beef and potatoes. She wouldn't go overboard, but couldn't resist her aunt's cooking. "God, Aunt Sue, even your salad looks incredible."
She lifted her shoulders in joy. "Thanks, sweetie!" She slid lettuce off her fork. "Anyway, your mom said you need to make some extra cash this summer and wanted to pick up a few cleaning jobs."
Her mom sure knew how to embellish. Wanted was a pretty bold word. "Yeah. She thinks it's a good idea." She picked at the salad, moving grape tomatoes from side to side and stabbed a cucumber. "I guess a job isn't a bad suggestion."
"You'll earn some cash to spend when you get on campus," Ralph pointed out.
"What's the name of your cleaning business?" Harvey jumped in.
Thank you, Harvey. She didn't want to go into all of her mom's reasons, especially with Harvey sitting right next to her. "Sue's Squeaky Clean Cleaning Services!" Sue exclaimed, beaming with pride. "I started up about two years ago as a side business, really. For a day job I process loan applications at Horace Community Bank. Cleaning got me off my feet and kept me moving." She squinted her nose and pushed up the tiny black framed glasses outlining her face.
"This roast beef is excellent, don't you think, Harvey?" Beth kicked Harvey's foot as he stared at Sue, unresponsive.
"Is everything okay, Harvey?" Sue asked.
"Yeah." He put his fork down and rubbed his thighs. "I'm sorry, it's just ... you just look so familiar to me."
Sue wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I get that all the time. People tell me I look like a librarian. Maybe you think you saw me at the library." She pushed her elbow into Ralph's side while letting out a snort.
Ralph leaned over and kissed Sue on the cheek. Beth always admired her aunt and uncle's relationship.
"I'm Sue," she extended her hand to Harvey, a grin spread across her face.
"Harvey?" Beth tapped on his shoulder. "Earth to Harvey? You okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine." He shuddered himself out of a trance. "Nice to meet you, Sue." He shook her hand, for what seemed to be a little too long in Beth's eyes.
"Beth's mom told me so much about you on the phone. It's hard to believe you just met!" She turned to her husband. "Well come on, let's eat now." Beth hadn't volunteered a lot of information to her mom, so it confused her what she told her.
"I brought some sparkling grape juice," Harvey handed her the juice.
"Oh," she took the bottle from him and pressed it against her chest. "Such a sweetheart! Thank you! I'm not sure if I've ever had this." She touched Beth's arm and chuckled. "I'm more of a wine drinker, right dear?"
She hoped her aunt wasn't making Harvey feel uncomfortable, especially since they only arrived minutes ago. "First time for everything, Aunt Sue." Harvey put his hand against Beth's back as Sue led them into the dining area, just through the small galley kitchen. The soft hold he had on her told Beth he thanked her for moving the conversation forward.
The long table was placed in the middle of the room, set nicely, with red placements at each setting. Sturdy wood chairs surrounded the table. "I put you two over here, and Ralph and I sitting here." She pointed to their seats.
Though a small house, this room always impressed Beth. The table definitely defined the space as the centerpiece, but the entire east wall was ceiling to floor windows overlooking a backyard of greenery. With a lake on one side of the house and practically a forest on the other, living there must've been peaceful.
"It smells incredible," Harvey complimented as they gathered around the table.
"Thanks. I enjoy cooking. Baking not so much. I don't know why. I've never been successful at it." Sue sprinted into the kitchen and came back with a flowing bowl of salad. "Everyone dig in!"
Beth filled her plate with the leafy greens and vegetables before filling the rest with roast beef and potatoes. She wouldn't go overboard, but couldn't resist her aunt's cooking. "God, Aunt Sue, even your salad looks incredible."
She lifted her shoulders in joy. "Thanks, sweetie!" She slid lettuce off her fork. "Anyway, your mom said you need to make some extra cash this summer and wanted to pick up a few cleaning jobs."
Her mom sure knew how to embellish. Wanted was a pretty bold word. "Yeah. She thinks it's a good idea." She picked at the salad, moving grape tomatoes from side to side and stabbed a cucumber. "I guess a job isn't a bad suggestion."
"You'll earn some cash to spend when you get on campus," Ralph pointed out.
"What's the name of your cleaning business?" Harvey jumped in.
Thank you, Harvey. She didn't want to go into all of her mom's reasons, especially with Harvey sitting right next to her. "Sue's Squeaky Clean Cleaning Services!" Sue exclaimed, beaming with pride. "I started up about two years ago as a side business, really. For a day job I process loan applications at Horace Community Bank. Cleaning got me off my feet and kept me moving." She squinted her nose and pushed up the tiny black framed glasses outlining her face.
"This roast beef is excellent, don't you think, Harvey?" Beth kicked Harvey's foot as he stared at Sue, unresponsive.
"Is everything okay, Harvey?" Sue asked.
"Yeah." He put his fork down and rubbed his thighs. "I'm sorry, it's just ... you just look so familiar to me."
Sue wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I get that all the time. People tell me I look like a librarian. Maybe you think you saw me at the library." She pushed her elbow into Ralph's side while letting out a snort.
Ralph leaned over and kissed Sue on the cheek. Beth always admired her aunt and uncle's relationship.
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