Ginna Gray - Building Dreams

“Not that the Bensons are bad people, mind you. In fact, they’re considered pillars of Boston society. The problem is they’re…well…managing.” Actually, Tom had called them manipulative and domineering, but she hesitated to use such harsh words when talking to the baby. They were also distant and snooty, but Tess kept that thought to herself. “That’s why Daddy stayed away from them. And somehow I don’t think he would like for us to go to them for help, either.”

The baby kicked again, and Tess moved her hands over her tummy in a slow, hypnotic rhythm. Resting her head against the edge of the sofa back, she gazed at the ceiling through half-closed eyes. During her six-year marriage to Tom she had met his parents only once—briefly—when they had come to town to attend some sort of charity gala. She and Tom had met them for dinner at a posh restaurant, where they had endured three interminable hours of stiff, at times interrogating, conversation. She had gotten the impression that the elder Bensons had not been all that taken with her.

Tess shook her head at the memory, a bemused half-smile tugging at her lips. It still boggled her mind that her warm, loving, unpretentious husband had been the offspring of two such stuffed shirts as Harold and Enid Benson.

Tess knew Tom’s older brother Charles only slightly better. He had visited them three or four times when he’d been in town on family business. Though not as stiff as his parents, he was ultra sophisticated and polished, but at least he had made a halfhearted effort to be friendly.

As yet, the Bensons did not know about the baby. The last contact she’d had with any of them—Charles included—had been at Tom’s funeral, and she hadn’t known then that she was pregnant. She had written to them twice but received no reply. She could only conclude that to Tom’s family, his death had severed whatever tenuous tie had existed between them.

Should she write and tell them about the baby? Tess groaned. She had been asking herself that question for months. On the one hand, it seemed wrong not to. But on the other hand, she was uneasy about how they would react to the news. Tom had always maintained that the only way to remain independent from his family was to have as little to do with them as possible. She certainly did not want them interfering or trying to take control of her child, as they had tried to control Tom.

Tess didn’t know what to do, so she kept putting the decision off. There was plenty of time.

From the McCalls’ apartment on the other side of her living room wall, came the faint sound of a shower running and Mike singing at the top of his lungs in his cracked voice. Tess grinned and closed her eyes. A minute later she heard Ryan McCall climb the stairs and enter the apartment.

Suddenly an idea occurred to her. Tess opened her eyes and sat up, mulling it over. Of course. Why hadn’t she thought of it sooner. She had been trying to come up with a way to thank Mike properly for all his help, and this was perfect. She would do it right now.

Getting up off the sofa proved difficult but after three tries she finally heaved herself to her feet and headed for the telephone.

Mike’s father answered on the second ring.

“Mr. McCall, this is Tess Benson. I—”

“Mike can’t come to the phone right now,” he said shortly. “He’s in the shower. You’ll have to call back later.”

“Oh, but I’m not calling for Mike,” Tess said in a rush, sensing he was about to hang up. “I called to talk to you.”

The statement met dead silence at the other end of the line.

Suddenly, Tess felt uneasy and she wasn’t sure why. “I uh…I called to invite you and Mike over for dinner Friday night. After all he’s done to hel—”

“No.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I said no. I’m turning down your invitation.”

“I…” Tess was so flustered she could barely think. She had never met anyone quite as abrupt as Ryan McCall. “Oh. I see. Well, look, if Friday isn’t convenient we can make it—”

“The answer would still be no. It isn’t a matter of inconvenience. I’m simply not interested in having dinner with you.”

Tess was shocked to the core of her being. She could not utter a sound, and for several seconds the line hummed with a stunned silence. Never in her life had anyone spoken to her with such brutal frankness. Hadn’t the man ever heard of tact or social grace?

Finally Tess cleared her throat. “I see. Mr. McCall, have I offended you in some way? If so, I assure you it was unintentional.”

“Very good, Mrs. Benson. That really sounded sincere. But you’re wasting your time.”

“I—Pardon me? I don’t understand.”

“You can cut out the innocent act. I know what you’re up to.”

“Up to?”

“Having Mike over constantly. Flattering him, making him like you. Inviting the two of us over for dinner.”

“Mr. McCall, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I merely thought that you and your son would enjoy a home-cooked meal. It was just my way of thanking Mike for his help and you for allowing him to give it.”

“Yeah, right,” he sneered. “You know, at first I thought you were one of those licentious women who get their kicks by seducing young boys.”

“What!”

“But now I realize that you were just using Mike to get to me,” Ryan continued without missing a beat.

“Using—Me—? You—? You mean you thought I would seduce—? Oh!Ohhh! Why, you…you…”

Tess sputtered and fumed, too shocked and enraged to think of anything vile enough to call him.

“Save your outraged act for someone else,” Ryan snapped. “It doesn’t work on me. As I said, you’re wasting your time, Mrs. Benson. I’m just not interested.”

Tess gulped a deep breath and fought for control. “Mr. McCall, you are not only a colossal egotist, you’re sick and disgusting! I am hardly at the peak of my sexual attractiveness at the moment, but even if I were, let me assure you that I would not be interested in you!”

She had started off speaking slowly and distinctly through her clenched teeth but with each word her voice rose in pitch and volume, until by the time she reached the end she was shrieking.

“Good. Then we understand each other,” he said matter-of-factly, and hung up.

Tess gasped and jerked the receiver away from her ear. She stared at it. “Oh! Of all the—!” She slammed the phone down so hard it jumped out of its cradle and she had to do it again, which made her all the more furious.

Unable to move, she stood there, shaking all over, her heart pounding, breathing hard. Several seconds passed before she noticed. Oh, Lord. It couldn’t be good for the baby to get so upset, she thought. Calm down. Just calm down.

Leaning back against the wall, she closed her eyes, splayed one hand against her heaving chest, the other across her belly and drew several deep breaths.

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m sorry,” she soothed in a caressing voice. “I shouldn’t have yelled like that. But Mommy’s okay now. Everything’s fine.”

Gathering her scattered composure, Tess pushed away from the wall and returned to the sofa, lowering herself gingerly onto the cushion. She still felt shaky. No one had ever made her that angry before. She hadn’t known she could get that angry.

But then, who wouldn’t if they had to deal with an obnoxious man like Ryan McCall?

When she had met him, she had given him the benefit of the doubt and put his abruptness down to a bad mood, but not this time. The man was a rude, evil-minded, ill-tempered brute. Imagine! Accusing her, in her condition, of coming on to him! And worse, of trying to seduce his thirteen-year-old son. It was a mystery how that hateful man ever produced a boy like Mike.