An Affair To Remember

Good Friends Don't Spill the Beans (Twenty-Nine)

Around two-thirty that afternoon, Paul, Annette, all five of their children, grandchildren, son-in-laws, and Jack were out on the deck enjoying one another's company. Everyone patiently waited for Paul and Brian to finish cooking the hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill so they could dig into them along with the array of food placed on a picnic table. Currently, Sonny, Jack, Briana, and Isaac were playing their second game of Scrabble. Having decided to play in teams, Jack and Briana had annihilated the other two during the first game, so now, Sonny and her brother were on the warpath. Neither intended to lose again to the bragging and triumphantly grinning duo. However, so far, Jack and Briana were in the lead by twenty-two points.

Carefully observing, Sonny narrowed her eyes as Jack methodically arranged her tiles on the board, creating a triple word score that gave she and her teammate fifty-four points. Releasing a joyous whoop, Briana shared a high five with her partner, both wearing broad grins. Meanwhile, Sonny and Isaac graced them with suspicious looks.

"What the heck is a zither?" Sonny asked, glancing between Jack and the high point word. "I've never heard of it."

"Well, dear, I'm quite certain that there are a lot of things you've never heard of." Fully expecting the smirk, Jack flashed her a saccharinely sweet smile before explaining the word she used. "A zither, Sonny girl, is a stringed musical instrument shaped like a flat box. A person who plays it would be considered a zitherist." When the expression on her friend's face remained doubtful, Jack shrugged, pushing the dictionary they had been frequently referring to, over to her. "If you don't believe me, then check for yourself. I assure you that it's in there."

Concluding that their dark-haired opponent wasn't trying to cheat she and Isaac, Sonny shook her head, shifting the dictionary back in Jack's direction. "I guess that's not necessary. I'll take your word for it." Glancing toward her brother, she discovered that he agreed.

"Gee whiz, that's real gracious of you, Sonny. Thank you so much," Jack replied with a grin planted on her lips. "I believe it's your turn now." Turning toward Briana, she started to say something when she spotted Paul purposely heading in her direction. Looking up, she offered the older man a smile, which he returned. Warmly greeting his children, he then asked Jack to follow him. Managing to look both quizzical and nervous, she nodded, rising to her full height. Announcing that she would return soon, Jack then followed Paul inside of the beach house.

Leading her into a room that Jack figured was the study, Paul then closed the door before pointing to a small couch while asking the young woman if she would like anything to drink. Nodding as she took a seat on the comfortable piece of furniture, Jack informed him that she would have whatever he did. Sitting back on the couch, Jack drew her right leg up, placing her ankle on her left knee as she watched Paul move over to a drink cart. Pulling the stopper from a decanter, he poured an amber colored liquid into two short glasses. Stopper replaced, he walked toward the couch, offering one to his guest. Thanking him, Jack accepted a glass, taking a short sip as the big man sat next to her, turning a bit so that he could face her.

His expression thoughtful, Paul took a tiny sip of brandy before leaning over and placing it on a cherry wood coffeetable. "Jack, I've noticed that no one has said anything to you about what went on between you and my daughter professionally," Paul started, regarding the woman quietly seated beside him. "I'm going to be blunt with you, Jack. I hated what you did to my daughter. It doesn't bother me so much that you put her out of business because that often just happens. You open your own business and you run the risk of someone coming along and beating the pants off of you, which is what occurred in this case. What really angers me is the way you went about it. From what I saw on television, you were so indifferent and cocky about putting she and Sarah out of business. As if you really got off on making that happen and what I want to know is why? Obviously, you've changed because weeks later, here you and my daughter are friends, but what was going through your mind then?"