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“Have you ever been responsible for children traveling by themselves?” Rick asked.
“A couple of times.”
“How do you handle them?” Rick’s eyebrows shot up.
Why the hell would he be interested in the policy of children flying on their own?
“It’s a big responsibility.” Regardless, she elaborated to satisfy him. “We pay a lot of attention to those children. To make sure the child is handed off correctly at the end of the trip, American Airlines asks for proper identification of the person who will receive the child. At landing time, I remain with the child until I locate the parents or whoever is meeting them. Before I hand over him or her, I check the receiver’s ID and have them sign a release. I always sigh with relief when it’s done.”
Arlene yawned a few times during Madison’s explanation.
“Interesting.” Rick peered at her with an intense look.
This man was an enigma. If it wasn’t for his lovely mother, Madison would avoid him for good.
“I hope you won’t be offended if I excuse myself.” Arlene covered her mouth to stifle another yawn. “The jetlag is killing me.”
“Go, Mom. You need your sleep.” Rick bent and kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry, I’ll clear the kitchen.”
“Thank you for a delicious dinner, the best home-cooked meal I’ve had in ages.” Madison hugged her hostess and then helped Rick clear the table and set the plates in the dishwasher. “Can we leave now?” she asked when they were done.
“Anytime you want, but I was hoping to give you a tour of the place.”
A tour of this fabulous mansion? “I’d love to see it.”
“How about after-dinner drinks while we walk around?”
“Sure.”
“Amaretto?”
“Sounds good.”
He partially filled two glasses with ice cubes, poured in the amber liqueur, and handed her a glass.
“I bought this place as is, but I’ve found some of the furniture and decorations kind of oppressive, particularly the living room’s sofa and chairs.” He walked her to the large room with its antique furniture. “My mother hates this room. We’ll have to change things eventually.”
Madison couldn’t help but chuckle. “It is rather grandiose.”
“Mom worked as a conference organizer. She has an innate taste for decoration. I’ll count on you to take her to furniture stores.”
“Huh ...” She wasn’t an expert on furniture, but she would never say no to the woman. “I’ll do some browsing on the Internet.”
“Great. How about the formal dining room?” He led her next door to a room of exquisite taste with an oblong table and two buffets against the wall.
“Wow! I love it. It’s so elegant, attractive, and comfortable.”
“Apparently the dining set was made in Italy. I’ll leave it as is. And here is the family room.”
She scanned the large but cozy room with a mirrored wall and bar on one side and a floor-to-ceiling book cases on theopposite wall. An L-shaped, leather sofa faced a huge TV screen affixed on the red brick wall.
“I love this room,” Madison blurted. “It has everything. If I owned this house, I would live in it. And what a view of the Intracoastal Waterway.”
“Come; let me show you the backyard.”
He opened the French doors and stepped out onto the terrace overlooking the large canal. Antique torches on brass poles provided dim light for the darkened area. They walked a few feet and went down the steps to the patio surrounding the pool. Undercap lighting washed along the walls of the pool and danced on the water’s surface.
“What a fabulous place you have.”
