trail of brisket gravy dripping down the hallway so they can find their way back in the middle of the night. Millennium Gardens is a regular Peyton Place. If a woman is interested in getting a man, all she has to do is defrost a chicken and go out and grab him. They’re all just lonely, ready for action, and ripe for the picking.”
“What about Max?” I wondered.
“Well, he’s lonely too. He’s missing his significant other, Jean.”
“Significant other?” I prompted, anxious to know more.
“Significant others are very common down here,” Aunt Helene answered. Apparently the phenomenon was as pervasive as Early Bird Specials. Aunt Helene knew what she was talking about. Her significant other—Harold Cohen—passed away two months ago.
“It’s a different culture in this complex,” she continued. “Many of the couples who live here are well off, but no one wants to mix up their finances, or get less Social Security by remarrying. And they don’t want flak from their children, who are worried about losing their inheritances. So instead of getting married, they become significant others. But it’s not a legal arrangement, so it raises a lot of other issues.”
“Speaking of chickens in the freezer, I forgot I have to put away the groceries,” Dee Dee said. “We picked up some things from Sam’s Club while we were out.”
“I thought you just went to Sam’s Club yesterday,” Aunt Helene said, her eyes narrowing.
“So I went back. Is that against the law?”
My aunt rolled her eyes and threw up her hands.
I gave my aunt a look that said, “I’ll explain later.” My mother turned to me and said, “Sit and talk to your aunt and I’ll be right back. But don’t talk about me.”
“Mom, let me help you with those groceries,” I offered, getting up.
“Sit, sweetheart,” she said, pressing me back down on the couch. “You’re probably still tired from your flight yesterday. Your aunt never gets a chance to spend time with you. She misses you.” I watched my mother walk into the kitchen. Was she moving more slowly than I remembered?
“You came to take her home, didn’t you?” accused Aunt Helene.
“Yes,” I replied honestly. “I think it’s time. We need her at the office. She can’t stay here forever.”
“Did you ever ask her if she wanted to come back, to the business, I mean?”
“I’ve been asking her every week since she got here.”
“And she’s been stalling, am I right?”
I nodded in agreement.
“There’s a reason she’s procrastinating,” my aunt said. “Has she told you she’s made a decision about selling the company?”
“Yes, and that’s one of the reasons I’m here. To talk her out of it.”
“She’s made up her mind,” my aunt protested. “It’s a great deal of money.”
“She can still get the money. But instead of selling outright, Palladino Properties could become an affiliate of one of Hammond Reddekker’s holding companies. We’d become part of one of the premier real estate providers in the country.”
“I know that was the deal your mother initiated, but she told me she doesn’t want to go through with that.”
“Do you know how great this acquisition would be for Palladino Properties? The potential for growth? The resources we could offer our clients? Hammond Reddekker could infuse a lot of capital into our business, enough resources for us to upgrade our entire operation, improve our Web site, and compete with the national firms. And I came up with a campaign that would highlight Donny in a series of television ads that could put Palladino Properties on the national map. ‘Palladino Properties: Your Home Base.’ It would feature footage of a young, powerful Donny Palladino hitting the ball out of the park, rounding the bases, and sliding in to home. Now women across the country will fall under Donny’s spell all over again, but this time off the playing field.”
“That sounds nice, but your mother is worried about
“What about Max?” I wondered.
“Well, he’s lonely too. He’s missing his significant other, Jean.”
“Significant other?” I prompted, anxious to know more.
“Significant others are very common down here,” Aunt Helene answered. Apparently the phenomenon was as pervasive as Early Bird Specials. Aunt Helene knew what she was talking about. Her significant other—Harold Cohen—passed away two months ago.
“It’s a different culture in this complex,” she continued. “Many of the couples who live here are well off, but no one wants to mix up their finances, or get less Social Security by remarrying. And they don’t want flak from their children, who are worried about losing their inheritances. So instead of getting married, they become significant others. But it’s not a legal arrangement, so it raises a lot of other issues.”
“Speaking of chickens in the freezer, I forgot I have to put away the groceries,” Dee Dee said. “We picked up some things from Sam’s Club while we were out.”
“I thought you just went to Sam’s Club yesterday,” Aunt Helene said, her eyes narrowing.
“So I went back. Is that against the law?”
My aunt rolled her eyes and threw up her hands.
I gave my aunt a look that said, “I’ll explain later.” My mother turned to me and said, “Sit and talk to your aunt and I’ll be right back. But don’t talk about me.”
“Mom, let me help you with those groceries,” I offered, getting up.
“Sit, sweetheart,” she said, pressing me back down on the couch. “You’re probably still tired from your flight yesterday. Your aunt never gets a chance to spend time with you. She misses you.” I watched my mother walk into the kitchen. Was she moving more slowly than I remembered?
“You came to take her home, didn’t you?” accused Aunt Helene.
“Yes,” I replied honestly. “I think it’s time. We need her at the office. She can’t stay here forever.”
“Did you ever ask her if she wanted to come back, to the business, I mean?”
“I’ve been asking her every week since she got here.”
“And she’s been stalling, am I right?”
I nodded in agreement.
“There’s a reason she’s procrastinating,” my aunt said. “Has she told you she’s made a decision about selling the company?”
“Yes, and that’s one of the reasons I’m here. To talk her out of it.”
“She’s made up her mind,” my aunt protested. “It’s a great deal of money.”
“She can still get the money. But instead of selling outright, Palladino Properties could become an affiliate of one of Hammond Reddekker’s holding companies. We’d become part of one of the premier real estate providers in the country.”
“I know that was the deal your mother initiated, but she told me she doesn’t want to go through with that.”
“Do you know how great this acquisition would be for Palladino Properties? The potential for growth? The resources we could offer our clients? Hammond Reddekker could infuse a lot of capital into our business, enough resources for us to upgrade our entire operation, improve our Web site, and compete with the national firms. And I came up with a campaign that would highlight Donny in a series of television ads that could put Palladino Properties on the national map. ‘Palladino Properties: Your Home Base.’ It would feature footage of a young, powerful Donny Palladino hitting the ball out of the park, rounding the bases, and sliding in to home. Now women across the country will fall under Donny’s spell all over again, but this time off the playing field.”
“That sounds nice, but your mother is worried about
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