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"What's so wrong with that? Your parents put you through college no doubt? And before you came here you hadn't even washed a dish before."
"Yes, they put me through college, and I went to work afterwards, as a real estate agent. I paid every cent they spent on me back. I knew how easy I had it. I wasn't trying to break them. And I knew that college was just a benefit of being a Kingsley. I appreciated the education, but my heart wasn't in business, or careers."
"And you are wasting it, as though it doesn't matter. Boy that takes the cake."
Her frown aimed at him, she narrowed in on him. How could he be so narrow minded? "A woman can take advantage of her education and have a family. I planned to do photography assignments during my marriage too. But basically, being a housewife suits me."
He shook his head, "Now how would you know that, you haven't been married yet? Oh well, It figures."
"What does?" Then she grasped what he was assuming. "Oh, that's right, I guess that makes me a real air-head, doesn't it?"
He shook his head with frustration. "You get a college education handed to you on a silver platter, and you think so little of it, you aren't interested in using it. It's such a waste, and when I think about all the other women who would love to go...and can't...."
"That's not my fault. I can't be blamed for what other women's lives turn into."
He grew silent.
"Was your ex-wife a college graduate?"
"No," he thundered. "But she wanted to be. She wanted to marry some man who would put her through college and make a rich woman out of her."
"If you are so for college, why didn't you send her to college?"
"Because I'm a selfish bastard that wanted her to stay at home and take care of me, have my kids. That's why. Now, are you satisfied?"
Savannah shut her mouth. There it was! Staring her in the face. Ben was still in love with his ex-wife, and the knowledge hurt more than she could say. The silly thing was, she would gladly stay home and take care of him and have his kids. It seemed so useless.
Oh brother! Now she was putting herself in his ex-wife's shoes. Would she ever learn?
"I think you should take me home, now." she barely muttered.
"Sure, why not."
They drove in silence, all the way to her aunt's house. When he pulled into the gravel drive, she started to open the car door, but he reached over in front of her and held the handle of the door.
"Wait..."
His voice was low, soft and full of emotions.
"I think we've said all we need to say." she started for the door again.
"I'm sorry Savannah. I really am. It's just that I haven't talked about Maria in a long time, to anyone. You brought her up and she's been between us, all night."
"I had no right to pry..." she began not looking at him. "And I apologize for bringing her up. But you've got to let go of her sooner or later. If you don't talk about her, you'll never get over her."
"Over her! You have a right to know a little...at least. Maria and I were only married a couple of months, that's true.. It was plain from the beginning that she was miserable. She wanted more than to sit home and wait for me. She was very bright, and she could have gone a long ways. Maybe she finally did. Who knows?"
Savannah relaxed and sank back into the seat again, then glanced at him, "You haven't seen her."
"No, she remarried a few months after the divorce and moved away. After that, marriage didn't look so good to me. Still doesn't. I never lied to you Savannah. I wouldn't do that. But, dammit, there is a chemistry between us. I feel your heat, you feel mine. We want each other in the most basic way. I see no reason why we shouldn't...."
Savannah's eyes rounded on him now, her mouth fell open in dismay. "I do. I don't want any more mistakes. And in case you don't realize it, I don't sleep around when the urge hits me. I have a few standards in my life too, Ben. I want all the things that you keep telling me, you don't. We don't and can't agree on that. So there is no use getting involved with you."
There was a silence.
"You're a virgin aren't you?" he whispered as though someone else might hear.
"Yes." When he didn't say anything she added, "Maybe you should go back to finding you a once a week Saturday night date, Ben. You'd be happier."
