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“I have no doubt.” I felt my voice rising and fought to control it. “I just don’t like her like that.”
“Nor should you,” Mom relented, giving up the chase.
“Okay.” I put my hands up in mock surrender.
“Admit it, you’re happy she’s off the streets,” Mom came back at it from a different angle.
“I am thrilled that she’s off the streets,” I replied. “But not because I want to date her.”
“Oh, honey.” Mom wrinkled up her nose, “Let’s not be crass.”
I shook my head. I couldn’t win. Apparently, she was free to make all kinds of improper suggestions, but when I called her on it, I was the dirty one. I knew the only way I was going to get out of the conversation was to turn it around to other things. The divorce was a touchy subject and Mom wasn’t really involved in the day-to-day running of the business. She didn’t play golf and she didn’t play video games.
“Have you heard from Aunt Polly?” I asked. My mom’s sister was a train wreck and always a good topic of conversation.
“Oh, you’ll never guess what she’s up to now,” Mom took the bait, launching into a discussion about Polly’s latest scandal. She was dragged into some kind of pyramid scheme that involved selling organic household cleaners. The problem was that Polly had already sold bottles to everyone in her immediate circle, including my mom. “It’s good, and it smells nice, but it doesn’t work any better than the cheap stuff. And I’m not going to keep buying spray cleaner from my sister. She has to ship it from California. It’s crazy. I would do much better just going to Whole Foods.”
“So what is she going to do with a closet full of cleaning supplies?” I asked.
“Open her own maid service?” Mom guessed, laughing at the absurdity of the idea.
“Maybe that’s where she should sell it.”
“But she’s not making any profit,” Mom reminded me. “It’s all going to these people at the top.”
“Tell her to get a lawyer,” I advised.
“I did.”
“What did she say?”
“She said she would handle it.”
I checked my phone, pretending that I got a text. “I have to go,” I said, reading the names of apps on the screen.
“Who is that?” Mom asked.
“Peter,” I lied. “He wants to get drinks.”
“Tell him I said hi.” Mom rose to her feet, knowing that our visiting time was over.
I kissed her cheek before leaving. She was a handful, but her heart was in the right place. I knew she was lonely, but I also knew that she was tired of putting up with Dad’s crap. She had been right to leave him.
On my way home, I swung by my favorite Greek restaurant. They had a salad and shish kabobs that I liked. It was early, but I was out and it was on my way. Walking into the restaurant, I noticed Ava sitting at one of the tables with a rather plain looking young woman. I considered going up to her to say hello but decided against it.
We were off the clock. Even though we were friendly in the office, we had never spoken to each other outside of work. I was pleased to see that she was enjoying a meal out. I knew that once payroll hit, she would be able to do so much more than she had before.
I hoped she was treating herself, buying shoes or a bag or whatever it was that she wanted but had been so far out of reach. I walked up to the counter and placed my order. It was already made, so all they had to do was dish it out into a to-go container.
I paid for my meal and left, wondering why Ava was coming up so often. After the conversation with my mother and then randomly running into her in the restaurant, it seemed like fate. I shook my head. I was getting romantic in my old age. Ava was just my secretary and I was just her boss. There was no reason to read more into the chance encounter.
Throwing my food onto the passenger seat, I drove home. The day was over already and I hadn’t done very much. Checking the email on my phone as soon as I parked, I saw that the banker had reached out. He just wanted me to know how much he appreciated meeting with me that morning, and that he looked forward to working with me in the future.
I crafted an equally professional email, sending it out with the implicit understanding that yes, I was checking email late Saturday afternoon. Letting myself into my house, I kicked my shoes off. It was time for a little relaxation before dinner. The video games were calling.
Chapter 12
Ava
