Meeting Becca Ch. 02

Around 1 year ago

"May I sit down?"

Glancing up from my newspaper, for a moment I thought my heart would stop. Her photos didn't do her justice. I was looking into bright, hazel eyes set in one of the most beautiful faces I have ever seen. Amber honey-colored hair fell loosely to just past her shoulders. Tall, maybe 5'11". Slender but not skinny. Athletic was my first thought. An expensive but tasteful engagement ring on her left ring finger. I notice important things.

Rising from my chair, I said, "I don't believe we've met."

"I'm Katherine McCann," she replied, extending her hand to me.

"I know. I've seen photos of you."

"I've been trying to reach you for weeks."

We shook hands briefly, then I moved around the table to pull out a chair for her.

"Please," I said. "Sit down." She gave me a surprised look, but sat down as I slid the chair under her.

"I didn't know men did that anymore," she said.

"I was raised by my grandmother. She believed good manners make you a better person."

"Do you believe that?" she asked.

"No."

"So why do it?"

"To impress you. And give my heart time to start beating again."

"Are you always this direct?" she asked.

"I suppose," I replied. "I hadn't thought about it. Did it work?"

"Did what work?"

"Are you impressed," I asked.

She smiled slightly, her head cocked the side, looking at me for a few moments. "Yes. I am."

"Would you like a drink?"

"Wine?"

"Red or white?"

"Yes," she said, grinning at me.

I held up my hands in mock surrender, then caught Sarah's eye. Pointing to my glass, I held up 2 fingers so she'd know we needed another glass, and made a motion she knew meant I wanted a bottle of the same wine I had been sipping.

"I guess you come here often," Katherine said.

"Isn't that disingenuous?" I asked. "You didn't choose me on a whim. You were looking for me and knew where to find me so you must know I come here a couple of times a week."

"You don't think I just happened to come in for a drink, saw you sitting here alone, and decided I might like your company?" Another small smile played around her lips. I could get to like having her smile at me like that.

Who was I kidding? I already liked it.

"I don't scare little children when they meet me, but I don't have beautiful women picking me up, either."

"I apologize," she said. "You're right. I knew you would be here and I thought if I came by, you wouldn't keep on ignoring me."

"I wasn't trying to be rude," I said, "but I'm not interested in the job."

We both were silent for a few moments.

"Where did you see my photo?" she asked.

"The company website." I replied. "I know about your company, but figured I should find out about you since you were trying that hard get hold of me."

"Busted," she said, that small smile crinkling the corners of her mouth. I had an almost irresistible urge to kiss her when she did that. And when she didn't.

Just then Sarah showed up with the wine and another glass. The wine was already open. Without a word, she poured Katherine a glass, refilled mine, then set the bottle down and left.

"No sniffing the cork and all of that stuff?" Katherine asked. "Most guys go through the whole routine."

"I could do that if you want. I might even get some of the words right. Want me to try?"

"No. I was just wondering."

"It probably had a purpose once, but these days you get a bad bottle so rarely I don't see any point in pretending I know what I'm doing. It tastes good or it doesn't. If it turns out to be a bad bottle, we can always send it back and get another one."

She took a sip. "Nice," she said. "Where was I?"

"About to give me a recruiting speech, I think."

"You make it sound like a waste of time."

"It is."

"Uummm. Can I try anyway?"

"Sure, but I promise you it's a waste of time."

We spent the next hour or so talking. Katherine explained her plans for the company she had recently taken over from her father, who wanted to retire. She talked about how she thought I would fit in at McCann Technologies.

I listened to her carefully. Common courtesy required that.

I watched her while we talked. Common sense required that.

She was comfortable with herself, poised and elegant. No flirtatious gestures, no reaching across the table to touch my hand while emphasizing her points. Just a cogent explanation of what she thought and what she wanted and why she thought I would be a good fit for it. And that occasional small smile. Maybe I should take the job just to be able to see her do that once in a while.

It was an interesting offer but I was right - it was a waste of her time. My libido was interested though, so it wasn't a waste of mine.

"You're not persuaded," she said finally, watching me closely.

"You make a good case," I said, "but I'm not going to jump into another job. I'm comfortable with what I'm doing. At least for now."

"Will you think about it?"

"Of course. But I don't think I'll change my mind."

"Since you didn't say no, I'm going to keep trying."

"Maybe that's what I had in mind" I teased.

"Ummm, maybe," she responded, "but I don't think so. I do think you're the best fit for what I want to do with the company. I've got some time, so if there's a chance you'll change your mind, I'm going to try."

I looked at my watch and realized I'd lost track of time, mesmerized by this gorgeous woman.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I've got to run off."

"I know," she replied. "That's how I knew where to find you today. When you didn't call back, I googled you to see if I could find another way to meet you. You keep a pretty low profile, but I saw the article about you volunteering to teach those classes. It's a small world. I'm on the advisory board, so I called Chet and he told me about this place. Voila."

"I guess I better watch out. If you're that determined I may not stand a chance," I said, taking some bills out of my pocket and laying them on a table for Sarah's tip.

"I hope," she said, giving me another of those irresistible smiles. "Come on. I'll walk out with you."

I waved to Sarah as we left so she'd know we were leaving. I pay my tab in advance every 2 weeks, and make up any difference the next time.

"If I call, will you call me back?" Katherine asked as I held her car door for her.

"Yes. Which is the best number to call?" I asked.

"My cell." She gave me the number.

"Call me on my cell," I said, giving her that number. "If I don't answer, I promise I'll call back. But you will still be wasting your time."

"Maybe," she said. "I'm still going to try."

* * *

She did try. At first she called every two weeks. Then every week. We'd have lunch. She'd make her pitch, I would turn her down, then we would move on to some incredibly interesting conversations. It became something of a game for me to try to guess what slant she was going to put on her next pitch.

In the meantime I was hopelessly smitten. Not that I gave her any clue. I think. There was always the outside chance that she'd persuade me and I would end up working for her. Once burned, twice shy. I wasn't interested in putting myself in that position again.

Then, of course, there was the real reason. As friendly as Katherine was, bordering on affectionate, she was engaged and her goal was to get me to work for her company. We rarely ventured, and never deeply, into personal discussions when we met for lunch. I knew she was 26, her fiance's name was Mark, she had one master's degree, was most of the way through a 2nd, was the head of a respected, growing, cutting edge technology company, so if not rich at least very well off, and she would someday inherit ½ of her father's shares in the company. I've already mentioned that she's gorgeous.

I'm not short on self-confidence, but even if she hadn't been engaged it would not have occurred to me that I might have a chance with her. I mean that literally. It didn't occur to me. Which was a relief. Since I wasn't worried about the impression I was making, I was free to enjoy our time together without self-imposed pressure.

One afternoon, as we were leaving the restaurant, Katherine invited me to a small dinner party at her place.

"If you're not already committed for Friday, I'd like you to meet some of the other senior staff, but not for business. It's going to be my dad, my brother, his fiancee, Chandra Williams, she's a team leader from quality control, and Myra Banks, our COO. I can't guarantee no shop talk, but no recruiting speeches. I promise."

Genetics, and years of playing poker, kept my face from showing the mixed emotions I felt. Maybe. But my stomach did a major league flip-flop. A chance to spend the evening with Katherine. At her place. Even if the other movers and shakers from her company were going to be there. At Katherine's. I didn't even try to pretend I wouldn't be able to make it.

"I'd like that," I said.

"Friday, then. Around 7:30?" She pulled out a business card and wrote her address on the back.

* * *

Dinner was as interesting as I expected. Good company, good food, and good conversation. Jack McCann, Katherine and Jim's father, and still chairman of the board, was a widower and a lot lower key than I expected from a guy who built a multi-million dollar company from scratch.

Myra was maybe 5 years younger than Jack's 53 years, and was obviously more than just the COO. Pretty, in an understated way, she had a quick wit, with a penchant for intentionally terrible puns. Funny, but terrible.

Jim, Katherine's brother, was 4 years younger than she, a self-taught programmer, starting when he was 8. He had just graduated with a bachelor's in electrical engineering and was working full time at the company until he would have to cut back in August to start the master's program. Chandra, Jim's fiancee, was more than able to hold her own in the group, and had a keen eye for what consumers need. Probably why she was in quality control.

Jim was telling a story about how Katherine got her cat, which was sitting in Jim's lap purring as he stroked it. "Becca found Monster on the way home from school one day. About 12 years ago?" he looked at Katherine. She smiled her tiny smile and nodded.

"She was probably feral from the day she was born. When Becca found her, she was the scraggliest kitten you've ever seen," Jim said, "but Becca insisted we take her to the vet to see if he could fix her up. I think it cost dad about $1,000, but the vet saved her. Then she tore up the furniture and piddled everywhere. It took maybe 3 months to house-train her but Becca wouldn't give up. Eventually she won and Monster turned into this furry love sponge."

He looked at his sister affectionately. "She's cute, but she's determined. Becca. Not the cat."

I crooked an eyebrow at Katherine. Answering my unspoken question, she said, "My name's Katherine Rebecca. I use Katherine professionally, but I was Rebecca growing up. Or Becky. When Jim first started talking it came out 'Becca.' It still does."

* * *

It was my turn to pick the place for lunch. I picked a small, quiet restaurant I like that is off the beaten track. I was a few minutes early so I sat at the bar while I waited for Katherine. Lost in thought I didn't notice Jan come in until she slid into the seat next to mine and leaned over to kiss my cheek. Jan's my oldest friend. She's not old, our friendship is. We've been friends since we were 8 years old.

"Hi, stranger," she teased. "I haven't seen you in days and days. What're you doing here?"

"Business lunch," I said. "I'm meeting Katherine."

"Again?" she asked. We had discussed my frequent lunches with Katherine. Several times. "This is getting serious. You going to take the job?"

"No," I said, "but I like her. I like spending time with her."

"She's engaged. And not to you."

"It's lunch, J, not a date."

"Right. And I'm going to marry Brad Pitt," she said.

"Not unless he has an operation," I grinned at her. She grinned back as she punched me in the arm. Jan's a lesbian. Just then the door opened and Katherine walked in.

"That's Katherine," I said. "Come meet her." Jan turned to look, then turned back to me with her eyes wide.

"Wow," she mouthed silently.

I led Jan over to where Katherine was standing, looking for me in the restaurant. She felt us approaching and turned to look. She saw Jan first, then me. It was probably my imagination but I thought I saw her tense slightly.

I introduced them and we chatted briefly, then Jan turned to me.

"I've got to run, sweetheart. I'm meeting Marcia. I only stopped to say hi when I saw you come in because you haven't called me since yesterday." She gave me a long kiss, then hugged me as she whispered in my ear. "Forgot to tell me something, did you? Such as, she's beautiful. Smart and a wonderful personality, you tell me, and she looks like this? You let her get away and I'll probably kill you."

Bemused, I watched Jan walk away. I snapped out of it when Katherine said "Our table's ready."

We did our regular routine during lunch. Katherine brought me up to date on what was going on at McCann. I brought her up to date on the classes I was teaching and how I was spending my free time. We discussed general industry news and speculated on who was going to introduce what new products that month.

When we finished eating, I topped off our wine glasses. When Katherine reached for hers, I noticed she wasn't wearing her engagement ring. I didn't think anything about it, I just noticed. She sipped her wine, then propped her chin on her hand and looked at me.

"Tell me about Jan," she said.

"Not much to tell. She's my best friend. We've been friends since we were in fourth grade together. Growing up, I was sort of her big brother-protector. Now she kicks my butt."

"How?"

"We've got a mutual friend who's Chinese. Her dad's retired now, but he's a tai chi master and we've been studying it since we were 13. She's better than me."

"I thought tai chi was exercise. Stretching and bending and meditation," Katherine said.

"All the traditional martial arts have that. Even karate and Kung Fu. I think the 'fighting' part is more like Kung Fu, but with more locks and holds. The emphasis's on balance and using your opponents moves against him. If you can't run away. That's always the first thing you try."

"I've seen you move," she said. "Like the time you caught that wine glass I knocked over. You're fast. As big as you are, how can Jan beat you?"

"Tai chi's is more about technique than raw power. Power helps, and I'm fast, but Jan's quick. Mongoose quick."

"Mongoose quick?" Katherine asked, her small smile curving her lips.

"You hear people talk about how someone is as quick as a snake? Like a cobra striking or something? When a mongoose meets a cobra, the mongoose almost always wins. And Jan's technique is almost perfect. Mine's only pretty good. At best. Being the size I am, I'm a little less flexible than she is and it takes more time and energy to move all this mass. Since I wouldn't have to rely on technique as much as she does, I get sloppy. If I'm the cobra. Jan's the mongoose. When we spar, she owns me. You and Jan are about the same size. How much easier is it for you to slide into this booth than it is for me?"

"I see. I think," she replied. "Why'd she need a protector?"

"She was . . . is . . . different," I said. "I've been her big brother since 7th grade, although though she's 4 days older. She got teased a lot when we were in junior high school because she didn't want to do 'girl things.' But by then I was one of the biggest kids in our class. Everyone learned that if they messed with her they had to mess with me too, and everyone knew I didn't fight fair, so they left us alone."

"You don't fight fair?" Katherine asked, an amused look on her face.

"It's an oxymoron, except for something like sport boxing. Actually I don't fight. I've only ever been in one fight. When we'd just started 7th grade. It wasn't even a real fight. We stopped for some sodas on the way home and Jan went on outside while I was paying for them. A couple of 8th grade guys were teasing her when I came out. When she tried to get away, they started pushing at her. They weren't really trying to hurt her but I was too young to know the difference. I ran up behind one guy and kicked him in the balls. I hit the other guy with the bag of sodas. I was aiming at his head but I missed and nailed his shoulder. That was probably lucky for me. Anyway that ended that. They called out me after school the next day, but I'd guessed they might so I carried my bike lock and chain around all day. When they braced me after school I pulled it out of my backpack and swung at them before they were ready. We ended up not fighting but word got around and no one ever messed with Jan after that."

"And she's still your girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend. She never was, not the way you mean. She was jerking you around with the kiss and that 'sweetheart' comment. She does that. She's in a committed relationship."

"Lucky guy."

"Lucky girl,' I said. "She and Marcia will probably have their ashes put in the same urn." Katherine didn't even blink.

"When we were kids we didn't know what gay and lesbian was. Those terms were still kinda new. We just knew she wasn't interested in guys. But look at her. She more mature now, but she's more or less looked like that since she was about 13. That's when guys started to hit on her. They didn't stop even though she wouldn't go out with any of them. In the 9th grade we worked out this con. We pretended she was my steady girlfriend, but we'd 'break up' sometimes so I could date other girls. Then we'd get back together. We did that until she went off to Stanford. That's where she met Marcia. Now that we're in the 21st century she doesn't have to hide who she is and doesn't need me to watch out for her anymore."

"Stanford?"

"She's pretty smart," I said.

"As smart as you?"

"Smarter. Lots smarter."

"Smarter?" Katherine said, looking at me closely for several moments. "You tell me she's a better fighter than you, then you say she's smarter than you, and neither one bothers you in the slightest. I admire your style." She stopped for a moment, looking at me with an expression I couldn't interpret.

"That's the most words about your personal life you've ever put together at one time, and it wasn't even about you." She cocked her head slightly, looking thoughtful. "You want me to like her. You're still watching out for her."

I didn't say anything. It wasn't actually a question. I also didn't tell her I was looking out for myself. If she didn't like Jan, we really were wasting our time. I've been down that road once and I'm a fast learner.

"They're both lucky girls," she said.

"If you get to know her, you'll like her."

"When," she said.

"When what?" I asked.

"When I get to know her."

* * *

A couple of weeks later, our pattern changed. Katherine called but I couldn't make lunch, so we agreed on dinner. When I got to the restaurant, she was already there. As soon as I was seated, the wine steward appeared with an open bottle of wine and poured a glass for each of us.

I smiled at the implied complement, silently toasting Katherine with my glass before I sipped. She smiled back. I stopped breathing for a moment. That happens a lot when she smiles at me. I let my mind briefly wander down a path I would never walk in real life, then snapped back to the present. Katherine was looking at me oddly, her head cocked slightly.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Yes. I just zoned out for a moment. Sorry." Not for the first time I considered taking the job just to be able to spend more time near her, but figured that would eventually be worse. So close, yet so far.