Free Claire Gulliver #02 - Washington Weirdos by Gayle Wigglesworth

see him again and she would enjoy his company tomorrow.
     
    *  *  *
     
    Claire thought the parlor was empty when Neil spoke. “Good evening, Ms. Gulliver. How was your day?” He was standing in a shadow near one of the French windows opening onto the terrace.
    She smiled. “Please call me Claire. And thank you for asking. I had a very pleasant day. I think it was a good choice to come out here. I’m enjoying the Lickmans and especially their granddaughters.”
    “Can I get you a drink?”
    She nodded. “White wine, please.” Then accepting a glass from him she asked, “Where is everyone?”
    He shrugged. “David went up to see the girls and get changed, and the others are around. Probably they haven’t finished their inspection yet. Would you care to sit?” He indicated a seating group behind her.
    “Actually, I’m glad to have a little time with you alone, Claire. I wanted to talk to you a bit. You know? Get to know you better. I see you’re wearing the watch. I hope you like it. We decided it was something you could wear as a reminder of our appreciation, without calling undue attention to you.”
    She nodded, holding her wrist out to admire it once again. “I love it. It’s far more than I would ever have anticipated. This trip was more than I anticipated. Vantage is a very special company. I’m sure there aren’t many companies in this day which take a personal interest in situations like this.”
    He agreed. “I believe Vantage is truly a unique organization. That’s why I was thrilled to be invited to join them. And, of course, that is one of the reasons I’m dedicated to managing them. I want to ensure they maintain those same qualities even after David retires.”
    “Oh, will he be retiring soon?”
    “Too soon, if you ask me.” His smile was tight. “Actually, he had planned to retire at the beginning of last year but then had second thoughts. Can’t say as I blame him. He’s in great shape; the company is going strong, and he loves his job. So why not work a few more years?”
    “Especially when I have Neil doing the hard work for me, hey Neil?” David Lickman headed directly for the bar set out on a cart in the corner.
    Neil lifted his glass in a salute. “Glad to be some use to you. It’s a privilege to work with a genius like David. Hopefully, we’ll be working together for many more years.”
    “Well, not too many. After all MiMi and I want to do a few things while we’re still young enough. And I know Neil well enough to know he won’t be willing to wait forever, right?” He winked at Claire. “Neil’s ambitious, of course. That’s one of the reasons we wanted him. It won’t do to keep him in second place too long, or he’s liable to get antsy.”
    Neil nodded his agreement.
    “But things will come, when the time is right.” David turned to Claire. “And how did your day go?”
    She smiled. “I don’t know how MiMi keeps up with those girls. They wore me out. It makes me wonder if I should have had some of my own.”
    “Oh, oh, trust me on this, Claire. It’s much easier to be a grandparent or an aunt. A fulltime diet takes all your time and energy for about twenty years and that’s 24-7, as they say now. MiMi and I really enjoy the grandchildren in a way we couldn’t our daughter. She says we spoil them but we just enjoy them. And we don’t have to be responsible for raising them. So we love them, spoil them and then give them back to their parents until the next time. And, as soon as they leave, we collapse for a while until we get our energy back.”
    “What’s that, dear? Are you telling our secrets?” MiMi arrived and Jack and Wiley were right behind her.
    It took a while before everyone had drinks. Then Mrs. Kramer came in and put an attractive tray of hors d’oeuvres down on a coffee table. Claire noticed that no one was talking about the serious issues, instead keeping the conversation on lighter subjects. So she didn’t ask any of the dozens