Matthew Magnum. "I don't have any money."
"I have enough for both of us."
For both of us. The way the phrase linked them together disturbed Margaret.
"Ring it up together, please," she heard him say as she stared blankly ahead, trying to smother the emotions tumbling inside her.
Spotting an empty table by the window, Margaret hurried over to it, trying to figure out the compelling need to get as much distance between her and Matthew Magnum as she could.
"Hi Margaret!"
She looked up to see Joe Graines. In his long lab technician's coat, he looked very different from the Joe who in high school had traded her repair work on Beelzebub, for doing his book reports for him. She had meant to call and thank him for the ride from the airport but she’d forgotten to do so. "Joe! How nice to see you. Won't you join us?"
It was the perfect solution. Joe's easygoing ways would definitely defuse any tension, real or imaginary, between her and Matthew Magnum.
A prickle at the back of her neck warned Margaret Matthew Magnum was close by. "Mr. Magnum and I had to give one of the girls a ride into the hospital. She's in labor."
"Hi Matt!" Joe waited till Magnum placed his tray on the table, and then the two men shook hands. "The person you brought in wouldn't happen to be Gina?"
Surprised, Margaret asked, "You know Gina?"
"Gina and Jack rent the upstairs apartment from me, but I'm going to move there, and let them have the downstairs now the baby's here." Joe stood up taking his soda with him. "I think I'll run up and keep her company for a while, so don't hurry with your meal."
Margaret smiled, "Thanks, Joe."
"Anything for you, Margaret," he said good naturedly. "See you around Matt."
"Known Joe long?" Matthew Magnum asked as he reached for the salt.
"All my life," said Margaret. "We went to school together."
"Any romance between you two?"
"I beg your pardon?" She set her glass down with a small thud.
"You know the story line," he said patiently. "High school sweethearts reunited. Passion blazes."
"That's none of your business," Margaret snapped.
"I just wondered what keeps Joe in Inchwater."
Margaret immediately jumped to Joe's defense. "Joe's a wonderful person. He's easy going. When he’s not working here he’s always ready to fix everyone's cars, always ready to lend a helping hand. Just because he's content to live in Inchwater, doesn't mean he's a failure."
Matthew Magnum reached across the table and laid a hand on hers. Margaret snatched hers away.
"Margaret, stop fluffing your feathers as if I'm attacking one of your chicks. I like Joe Graines."
"You do?"
"What makes you think I'd feel anyone who chose to live in Inchwater is a failure? Success isn't making a million, or being approved of by the world. Its self-approval and contentment. Joe's at peace with the world because he has both these qualities. Too many people have to pay a therapist to teach them how to handle life."
"Oh!" Matthew Magnum's words took the wind out of Margaret's sails. After a moment, a thought occurred to Margaret. "Why are we having this conversation about Joe?"
Matt looked at her. The urge to make her aware that she had a life of her own to live was stronger than ever. It was time for part two of his plan.
"I just wanted to know I'm not stepping on anyone's toes."
"Doing what?" She raised her glass to her mouth, wanting to hide from the intensity in his gaze.
"Courting you."
Margaret choked, coughed, and spluttered, as the chocolate milk went down the wrong way. "Excuse me?"
Matthew Magnum chewed, swallowed, and then stated very calmly, "You're an old-fashioned girl, Margaret, and so I've decided to court you the old fashioned way."
"Co...co...co....” she coughed again.
"Drink some water," he said kindly. "Yes, Margaret, my first impression of you was wrong. I don't think an affair will suit you so I've decided to court you." His
"I have enough for both of us."
For both of us. The way the phrase linked them together disturbed Margaret.
"Ring it up together, please," she heard him say as she stared blankly ahead, trying to smother the emotions tumbling inside her.
Spotting an empty table by the window, Margaret hurried over to it, trying to figure out the compelling need to get as much distance between her and Matthew Magnum as she could.
"Hi Margaret!"
She looked up to see Joe Graines. In his long lab technician's coat, he looked very different from the Joe who in high school had traded her repair work on Beelzebub, for doing his book reports for him. She had meant to call and thank him for the ride from the airport but she’d forgotten to do so. "Joe! How nice to see you. Won't you join us?"
It was the perfect solution. Joe's easygoing ways would definitely defuse any tension, real or imaginary, between her and Matthew Magnum.
A prickle at the back of her neck warned Margaret Matthew Magnum was close by. "Mr. Magnum and I had to give one of the girls a ride into the hospital. She's in labor."
"Hi Matt!" Joe waited till Magnum placed his tray on the table, and then the two men shook hands. "The person you brought in wouldn't happen to be Gina?"
Surprised, Margaret asked, "You know Gina?"
"Gina and Jack rent the upstairs apartment from me, but I'm going to move there, and let them have the downstairs now the baby's here." Joe stood up taking his soda with him. "I think I'll run up and keep her company for a while, so don't hurry with your meal."
Margaret smiled, "Thanks, Joe."
"Anything for you, Margaret," he said good naturedly. "See you around Matt."
"Known Joe long?" Matthew Magnum asked as he reached for the salt.
"All my life," said Margaret. "We went to school together."
"Any romance between you two?"
"I beg your pardon?" She set her glass down with a small thud.
"You know the story line," he said patiently. "High school sweethearts reunited. Passion blazes."
"That's none of your business," Margaret snapped.
"I just wondered what keeps Joe in Inchwater."
Margaret immediately jumped to Joe's defense. "Joe's a wonderful person. He's easy going. When he’s not working here he’s always ready to fix everyone's cars, always ready to lend a helping hand. Just because he's content to live in Inchwater, doesn't mean he's a failure."
Matthew Magnum reached across the table and laid a hand on hers. Margaret snatched hers away.
"Margaret, stop fluffing your feathers as if I'm attacking one of your chicks. I like Joe Graines."
"You do?"
"What makes you think I'd feel anyone who chose to live in Inchwater is a failure? Success isn't making a million, or being approved of by the world. Its self-approval and contentment. Joe's at peace with the world because he has both these qualities. Too many people have to pay a therapist to teach them how to handle life."
"Oh!" Matthew Magnum's words took the wind out of Margaret's sails. After a moment, a thought occurred to Margaret. "Why are we having this conversation about Joe?"
Matt looked at her. The urge to make her aware that she had a life of her own to live was stronger than ever. It was time for part two of his plan.
"I just wanted to know I'm not stepping on anyone's toes."
"Doing what?" She raised her glass to her mouth, wanting to hide from the intensity in his gaze.
"Courting you."
Margaret choked, coughed, and spluttered, as the chocolate milk went down the wrong way. "Excuse me?"
Matthew Magnum chewed, swallowed, and then stated very calmly, "You're an old-fashioned girl, Margaret, and so I've decided to court you the old fashioned way."
"Co...co...co....” she coughed again.
"Drink some water," he said kindly. "Yes, Margaret, my first impression of you was wrong. I don't think an affair will suit you so I've decided to court you." His
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