The Day I Kissed An Older Man

Sherman turned toward Rita and said, 'Has anyone ever told you that displaying vulnerability at the right moment can yield greater results with less effort?"

"Why are you telling me this too? Is my character too hard-headed?" Rita responded with a helpless smile, but it seemed to strike a chord within Sherman. He had to stop for a moment and blink quickly to dispel that sudden surge of emotion.

Rita's smile was captivating, and he felt as though he would willingly relinquish all the treasures of the world just to witness her smile more often. It was no wonder that she remained an elusive person. She had the kind of smile that would forever be etched in the memory of those who saw it.

"A friend of mine said the same thing before I came to this dinner. I thought my attitude and character were pretty decent,' said Rita. She soon noticed Sherman spacing out and asked curiously, 'Mister Sherman?"ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Sherman finally snapped back to his senses, much to his own embarrassment.

"Ah...where was I? I was lost in thought for a moment because I remembered a pending issue at the company. Sorry about that." It was the first time he had been so distracted in the presence of a woman, and he felt very awkward as a result.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Rita reassured him. 'I'm just surprised you and my friend were able to characterize my personality so accurately. Perhaps you know me better than I know myself. I didn't think I'd be this stubborn. I thought I wasn't that difficult of a person to talk to."

Rita's perplexed expression elicited a chuckle from Sherman. 'Perhaps what we perceive as being a headstrong attitude isn't necessarily a flaw. But if your aim is to navigate around this family intrigue, then being vulnerable in front of your father might prove to be more effective. Men have a savior complex, you know. That includes me."

"Really? I never thought someone like you would think this way. But since you and my friend have said the same thing, then I'll adjust my approach next time,' Rita responded eamestly.

At that moment, Vince approached them with a displeased expression, while Sadie remained beside him with reddened eyes. Even a dunce could see that Sadie had complained to Vince.

It became evident to Rita that she needed to alter her tactics. She could not allow Karen and Sadie to maintain the upper hand indefinitely.

"What's going on, Dad?" Rita inquired innocently.

Vince's anger became muted in Sherman's presence.

"Is something the matter, Mister Vince?" Sherman asked.

"It's nothing serious. Sadie's feelings seemed to have been hurt, so I came to ask Rita if she knew anything about it," Vince replied as he forced a smile while facing Rita and Sherman's innocent expressions.

"In that case, you probably won't get the answer you're looking for if you ask Miss Rita about it," Sherman interjected smoothly. 'She and I were having a pleasant conversation earlier."

A look of surprise was plastered all over Vince's expression. He did not expect Rita to have charmed the most important guest in attendance. If she could maintain such a rapport and take their relationship further, he would be quite happy to have Sherman as a potential son-in-law.

"I see!" he exclaimed. "You must have a lot in common, then. If things are hitting off for the two of you, I wouldn't mind if you two decide to excuse yourself from the banquet and continue your conversation elsewhere. A banquet like this is more of a middle-aged thing. I imagine youngsters like yourselves probably won't be so comfortable in this sort of event."

Vince's intentions were plain to see, and Rita was flustered by his suggestion.

"Dad," she stopped him hastily. "You don't have to worry about us. Please go and attend to the other guests. I'll keep Mister Sherman company here."