As this fictional story is too long for a blog post, it is published in three instalments - this being the second. The first can be found in www.freshstartpress.com in the archive.
Ray eagerly accepted and bought his own economy plane ticket to Paris. While Sophie stretched out in her first-class bed and easily fell asleep, he struggled to get comfortable in a cramped seat in economy –stark indication of the disparity in their wealth. Recalling the adage, “Older men are looking for a nurse or a purse,” Sophie was determined to not fall prey to a gold-digger. At this early stage of their relationship, paying his own way was a given.
In Paris, she offered to pay for his first-class train ticket to Avignon so they could admire the French
countryside together. He paid for snacks and incidentals; she handled the rental car.
Travelling overseas with a companion made logistics easier. Their tastes in cultural pursuits were
dissimilar, however, so they began spending time apart on this holiday. He spent an inordinate amount of time sunbathing beside the pool or playing video games; she liked to curl up in the shade with an absorbing book or visit art galleries and museums. He never paid attention to current events in newspapers or online, where she did. They took turns making dinner, frequently enjoyed the cuisine at village bistros, and took day trips to savour the beauty of Provence.
Because Sophie’s goal was to fall in love and marry again, she subconsciously kept a pro/con list on
each man she dated. In France, she concluded Ray’s charm and attentiveness were genuine. He easily brought up new topics to keep their conversation going and periodically did sweet things like bringing her breakfast in bed or massaging her tired toes without prompting. Let’s see what happens back in Toronto, she thought.
Social events like parties and gallery openings were integral to Sophie’s happiness, so she was curious to see how he fit into her scene. Back in Toronto, she hosted a catered dinner party to introduce him to four couples whom she’d known and trusted forever.
Afterwards she called each woman seeking honest assessment of this new man. All their comments aligned: he’s lovely, he clearly adores you, he’s so easy to be with, my husband wants to hang out with him, he’s very smart, etc. Her confidant Jane queried the suitability of his formal education compared to hers – a college diploma in Hospitality and Tourism versus a university degree.
“So what?” she replied to Jane. “I’ve never had a career that used my degree. And he’s an expert on
planning travel. He specialized in cruises, so someday we’ll take one. I could never get George to slow down long enough to float anywhere.”
Her birthday was approaching, on October 13th. She dropped a few hints, hoping that Ray would plan something special to celebrate. When their Saturday date arrived and he’d completely forgotten, her heart sank. Sophie did an impressive job of hiding her disappointment until her second glass of wine when she brought up the date’s significance. Ray put on an impressive act of being contrite.
In fact, she felt silly and childish for hoping he’d remember after he remarked, “Surely at your stage
of life, people like to forget birthdays!” She changed the subject to planning a drive to enjoy the autumn leaves.
Within a couple ofmonths, Ray and Sophie declared their love for each other – he said it first. Their
sex life was on fire, and they decided he would rent out his modest house, including furniture, and move into her expansive one. Living together was a huge milestone and it was safest to treat it as an experiment that could always be reversed.
The next April they flew over to France to spend a month in Provence. She loved the way he knew his way around her old stone house, taking care of the pool and garden with its lavender bushes.
Pale mauve wisteria hung down from the overhead lattice shading the patio. Late one afternoon they
settled on the patio couch with a bottle of Prosecco to relax before dinner.
When a mature couple becomes serious about one another, they have endless things to learn about each other’s previous lives. Ray had not been exactly forthcoming about his two marriages, so Sophie began to explore his early childhood.
“Where were you born?” she asked.
“In Trenton. My mum worked as a waitress in a bar and got pregnant at 19. She refused to give me up, although unwed motherhood was a terrible stigma in those days. A bunch of guys moved in and out, we lived above a store, and money was always tight.” He studied the pool as he spoke.
“That must have been hard for you, as a little guy.” This unsettled background surprised her and sympathetic tears stung her eyes.
“I just grew up pretty fast and got used to being alone a lot. I watched masses of TV and stayed up too late. Sometimes I would overhear fights and drunken boyfriends threatening to hurt her. She’d make them move out. Mum was small and beautiful, and she stood up for herself, thank God. I could finally relax and act like a kid when she got married.”
“When was that?”
“When I was nine, Mum married Ralph, a car salesman. He was always nice to me. We moved into a bungalow, and my little brother Tom was born. What’s your story, Sophie?”
“Dad was CEO of a large insurance company, so we always had servants to take care of us. I was an only child and kept bugging my parents to get me a baby sister. Starting in kindergarten, I went to a private girls’ school, so talking to boys was really hard for me. I felt perpetually mousy compared to my pretty and sophisticated classmates.”
As they headed off to dinner in the village, she kept thinking about the fact that Ray never knew his
biological father. Poor man. It’s amazing he’s as level-headed as he is.
At this stage of their lives, compromise was a given. She didn’t mind his occasional overuse of alcohol; he didn’t mind her days volunteering, shopping, or dining with friends. He’d head off to do a workout or meet old friends at a pub. When both halves of a new couple are retired, being together 24/7 could easily extinguish the flame of passion.
One day at breakfast he said, “You know, I can tell you find paying bills and balancing your cheque book tiresome. I’m very familiar with QuickBooks. Would you like me to help you?”
Within weeks, Ray was handling her finances. By formally adding his name to her bank and investment
accounts, he could now make decisions on her behalf. It had been a strain overseeing everything after George died and she loved leaving money issues to her well-organized partner. Whenever he began to explain monthly investment statements, her eyes would glazed over in minutes.
To diversify, George had divided their assets between two investment managers. Sophie’s total assets were about $12.3 million. That didn’t include the Rosedale house.
When Ray fully understood the extent of his lover’s wealth, he felt giddy. Wow, I figured she was well off, but this is crazy. Hey, Buddy…don’t blow it this time. The last time he’d professed love to a rich lady, she’d been suspicious from the start. He vowed to pay closer attention to Sophie’s girlfriends and pile on the charm. Jane made him nervous, though.
Their yearly routine became spring/fall visits to Provence, and January in a warm climate – they
were currently in an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica. One morning Ray turned bright red after reading an email from his brother Tom and angrily slapped his forehead.
“What’s the trouble, honey?” asked Sophie.
“You remember that my stepfather Ralph died over a year ago? Tom is executor of the estate, and he told me the total amount of my upcoming inheritance. He’s paying himself a generous executor fee, a fee for having overseen Dad’s care, plus the old man didn’t divide his money in half. I’m only getting a pittance. I’ll be seeing my lawyer as soon as we’re home.”
“Oh, you poor guy! You have every right to be upset.”
“After all I did for Dad – taking him for drives, putting up with his endless blathering. After Mum died, the man wouldn’t shut up, so I’d just watch sports on TV while he talked on and on about nothing. Tom lives in another province so why should he get the lion’s share?”
Instalment 3 will be published on freshstartpress.com on May 20, 2024.