kitchen.”
Annie scowled at him. “You know something, Oliver? I've been thinking.”
“About what?”
“About your basic problem in life.”
“I wasn't aware I had one.”
“Well, you do.” Annie bore down on the cheddar cheese. “Your problem is that you can't be bothered with explaining yourself. Also you're a trifle insensitive. And you lack interpersonal communication skills. The end result is that you've acquired a reputation for being devious and mysterious and rather arrogant.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Yes, it is. Especially when you apply that approach to family matters.” Annie did not look at him as she set aside the cheese and picked up a tomato. “Take that little scene with Valerie, for example.”
“Are you going to throw the tomato at me?”
Annie glared. “She was in tears, Oliver.”
“She'll recover.”
“Will she?” Annie put the tomato down on the cutting board. “Look, I know this is none of my business.”
“True, it's not.”
“But I think you handled Valerie very badly.”
“Is that right?” Oliver lounged against the refrigerator. He appeared fascinated.
“Yes, that's right.” Annie started to slice the tomato. “I take it you don't like her new boyfriend?”
“I've never met him.”
Annie put down the knife in surprise. “You're kidding me? You came down on her like a ton of bricks for dating a man and you don't even know him?”
Oliver studied the wine in his glass. “I know who he is, that's enough.”
“Well? What is he? An ex-con? A sociopath? Some kind of creep?”
“He's Paul Shore's son.”
Annie considered that as she picked up her own glass of wine. “I don't know the Shores. I've never moved in those circles. But I've certainly heard of them. Paul Shore has a major real estate development company headquartered here in Seattle. Does big high rises and malls. That kind of thing.”
“Among other things.”
“A designer friend of mine is doing the Shore home for the annual arts benefit he and his wife give every year. The Shores are very active on the local art scene. They run a foundation or something.”
“Yes.”
“So what's wrong with Paul Shore? Why don't you think his son is good enough for Valerie?”
Oliver took a swallow of the wine and savored it thoughtfully. “I suppose that since you're part of this family, you have a right to know a little history.”
Annie smiled encouragingly and went back to work on the tomato. What Oliver had just said wasn't strictly true, at least as far as she was concerned, but at least he was finally starting to open up. It boded well. “I'm listening.”
“It's not a long story. Shortly after my father walked out, I discovered that he was deeply in debt to a handful of his old friends. Paul Shore was among them.”
“What happened?”
“I went to Shore and asked him if, for the sake of his past friendship with my family, he would give me an extension on the loan.”
Annie went still. “He said no?”
“He said no. He wouldn't give me any maneuvering room at all. He said he wanted the money paid back immediately, even though it would mean selling off the only asset I had left, the house. Even that would only cover a portion of the debt.”
“That was a terrible thing for Mr. Shore to do,” Annie said quickly. “He must have realized that your family was already under terrible stress. If he was an old friend, he should have helped you.”
“I won't bore you with the unpleasant details of how I survived those first two years and got back on my feet financially. Let's just say I did it and Paul Shore gave me no quarter, let alone any assistance.”
“I see. You've never forgiven him for turning his back on your family after your father's disappearance.”
“It's not the kind of thing you forgive, Annie.”
“Whew.” She tossed the tomato slices into a bowl. “I can see why you're not real fond of Paul Shore.”
Oliver
Annie scowled at him. “You know something, Oliver? I've been thinking.”
“About what?”
“About your basic problem in life.”
“I wasn't aware I had one.”
“Well, you do.” Annie bore down on the cheddar cheese. “Your problem is that you can't be bothered with explaining yourself. Also you're a trifle insensitive. And you lack interpersonal communication skills. The end result is that you've acquired a reputation for being devious and mysterious and rather arrogant.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Yes, it is. Especially when you apply that approach to family matters.” Annie did not look at him as she set aside the cheese and picked up a tomato. “Take that little scene with Valerie, for example.”
“Are you going to throw the tomato at me?”
Annie glared. “She was in tears, Oliver.”
“She'll recover.”
“Will she?” Annie put the tomato down on the cutting board. “Look, I know this is none of my business.”
“True, it's not.”
“But I think you handled Valerie very badly.”
“Is that right?” Oliver lounged against the refrigerator. He appeared fascinated.
“Yes, that's right.” Annie started to slice the tomato. “I take it you don't like her new boyfriend?”
“I've never met him.”
Annie put down the knife in surprise. “You're kidding me? You came down on her like a ton of bricks for dating a man and you don't even know him?”
Oliver studied the wine in his glass. “I know who he is, that's enough.”
“Well? What is he? An ex-con? A sociopath? Some kind of creep?”
“He's Paul Shore's son.”
Annie considered that as she picked up her own glass of wine. “I don't know the Shores. I've never moved in those circles. But I've certainly heard of them. Paul Shore has a major real estate development company headquartered here in Seattle. Does big high rises and malls. That kind of thing.”
“Among other things.”
“A designer friend of mine is doing the Shore home for the annual arts benefit he and his wife give every year. The Shores are very active on the local art scene. They run a foundation or something.”
“Yes.”
“So what's wrong with Paul Shore? Why don't you think his son is good enough for Valerie?”
Oliver took a swallow of the wine and savored it thoughtfully. “I suppose that since you're part of this family, you have a right to know a little history.”
Annie smiled encouragingly and went back to work on the tomato. What Oliver had just said wasn't strictly true, at least as far as she was concerned, but at least he was finally starting to open up. It boded well. “I'm listening.”
“It's not a long story. Shortly after my father walked out, I discovered that he was deeply in debt to a handful of his old friends. Paul Shore was among them.”
“What happened?”
“I went to Shore and asked him if, for the sake of his past friendship with my family, he would give me an extension on the loan.”
Annie went still. “He said no?”
“He said no. He wouldn't give me any maneuvering room at all. He said he wanted the money paid back immediately, even though it would mean selling off the only asset I had left, the house. Even that would only cover a portion of the debt.”
“That was a terrible thing for Mr. Shore to do,” Annie said quickly. “He must have realized that your family was already under terrible stress. If he was an old friend, he should have helped you.”
“I won't bore you with the unpleasant details of how I survived those first two years and got back on my feet financially. Let's just say I did it and Paul Shore gave me no quarter, let alone any assistance.”
“I see. You've never forgiven him for turning his back on your family after your father's disappearance.”
“It's not the kind of thing you forgive, Annie.”
“Whew.” She tossed the tomato slices into a bowl. “I can see why you're not real fond of Paul Shore.”
Oliver
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