The rest of the night and the next day, almost the only conversation that Eli heard was about going to Mr. Anderson's house. Lillian amazed Samuel with all the splendours that awaited his eyes – the six bedrooms, seven baths, the seven-thousand square feet. It was spectacular, two-storey waterfront master piece, with classic design by a sought after architect. It offered a luxurious 200 feet of open bay frontage, breathtaking state-of-the-art entrance gallery, family room, living and dining rooms, breakfast room, library, gym, large fabulous below ground pool. The 2nd floor area and sitting room, the three space garage, the wonderful ocean view, the floors, marble interior features, open foyer, terraces, carpet, must-see wood, patio, tiles, garden, awnings, slate roof…
Lillian really missed her calling as a real estate agent.
When the evening came and they were driving across to Indian Creek (having to clear security at the bridge first), Lillian cheerfully remarked,
"And don't worry that you're not dressed up nicely Eli. Mr. Anderson is very casual. I'm sure he won't even notice."
"I'm so nervous," said Samuel. Even Chase seemed a bit apprehensive.
Eli had become so dulled by Lillian's praise that he hardly expected to be amazed at the sight of the house at all, but he did have to admit – it looked pretty spectacular, when the large front gate opened for them, driving down the long stone-paved pathway through the enormous front lawn, the sides lined with palm trees. At the white near-palace at the end, they were met with Jenkins the chauffeur, who kindly took the keys and brought their car round to the garage.
The wide, carved double doors were opened by another servant, who brought them through a high-ceilinged foyer, where they waited for their hosts. Samuel looked around in amazement, while Lillian pointed out features in the decoration, furniture and ornaments. Eli himself looked around. Everything looked expensive. That was what most stuck out. There was decoration and furnishing, a lot, and no doubt fashionable. But so much, all splashed together, seemed overdone and garish. It seemed that nothing was done for a sense of taste, uniqueness, personality or originality. Everything in the house seemed to be there to scream at all viewers how much money its owner had.
The servant returned, and they were told to follow him into the living room, where the hosts were waiting. The living room seemed taken out of a seventeenth century aristocratic mansion. The four of them entered and stood face to face with Mr. Anderson and his son, each taking a fine stuffed chair between them.
Mr. Anderson was very tall, had a very wide jaw, rugged, tanned and rubbery face that maybe was handsome when he was younger. His dark eyes examined his guests, his thin lips stayed firm. He seemed totally at ease as master of the house, daring them to look at him, behold his glory.
"Welcome," he said, with no hint of welcoming, but a deep, strong voice that commanded attention. Eli remembered how Genesis had described him all those months ago – tyrannical and rude. It certainly looked like she was right.
"Mr. Anderson, sir, thank you so much for inviting us," said Lillian. "It's an honour, truly. This is my fiancé, the one I told you so much about, Chase Lewis. This is his amazing younger brother, Samuel. Oh, and that's Eli Bennett. He's sort of a friend of ours."
The stone face just barely shifted into a smile, as much as the Botox injections allowed, Eli guessed. His son, measly and rat-like, sat hunched in the corner next to his father, his head bowed toward the ground, but the bug eyes peaking up to look at the newcomers.
"Hello," he breathed out, barely above a whisper.
Once some meaningless social niceties were observed, Mr. Anderson showed them around the estate, though making clear everything looked much better in the summer.
Then he took them into the stately dining room, where the chef laid out quite the feast. Lillian, sitting next to Anderson, listened as he explained tasks he wanted done the next day, while Lillian complimented everything she tasted, and Samuel quickly echoed the praise. At these moments, Mr. Anderson's face came closest to a smile. Eli would have spoken, but he was sitting between Chase and Andrew. Chase was busy listening to his girlfriend's conversation with her boss, and Andrew did not speak the entire meal. Eli looked as Andrew's spindly fingers grasped his fork, picking away slowly at the plate in front of him, but hardly ever actually putting food in his mouth.
Then started the inquisition. Mr. Anderson liked to know all about the people he met, it must have been compulsive in him. Of Chase and Samuel, he had already extracted all the information from Lillian. She had little to tell him about Eli, so he asked himself.
"So, M. Bennett," said he, "you're from Toronto aren't you?"
"Yes, sir."
"Do you come south of the border often?"
"No sir, this is my first time."
"Really? You've never come here before?"
"No, Mr. Anderson. This is the first time I've left the country."
"Well, that's something. You don't like to travel?"
"I can't say I've really had much opportunity."
"Oh, of course. I forget not everyone is as well off as me."
Eli swallowed hard. "No sir. My family doesn't really like to travel, except my Aunt and Uncle. They live in New York. In fact, my older brother just went to stay with them this summer."
"Oh, which part of New York do they live in? I'm well acquainted in that city. "
"Queens, sir. Jackson Heights area, I believe."
"I see. I don't know anyone from there. So you have a brother."
"Too many, sir. I have four brothers. No sisters. My eldest, Jacob, is the one who spent the summer with my Aunt and Uncle. I'm the second oldest."
"Four brothers? My, I didn't think people still had so many children. In this day and age…What do your parents do?"
"My father's an accountant. My mother works for a grocery store."
"I see, and with so many children. It's no wonder they couldn't afford to travel. And what do you do?"
"I work in at video rental store."
"Is that it? Don't you go to university?"
"College, yes sir."
"That's a good man. And what do you study?"
"Graphics design. I want to go into video game developing."
"Video games? Really?"
"Yes. It's my passion."
It seemed Mr. Anderson almost laughed. "That won't get you far in life, no. You have to have connections. You clearly don't. Look at Ms. Collins here. She was lucky enough to have me as a connection, and I wouldn't be here if I hadn't had my own. I'm an important man, Eli Bennett. I've jumpstarted the careers of many people. I could do it for you."
"You could?"
"Yes. Not in computer toys or whatever, but in the market. I know people in Toronto. I know people anywhere you might want to live. How would you like it? How would you like an entry level job in a multinational corporation? I could get it for you. And if you worked hard, and made sure to tell people who got you there, you could get far."
"Thank you sir, but that's not on my agenda."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm happy where I am in life."
"You're happy working a menial job studying at a diploma mill in a career that has no certainty for success?"
"Yes sir. I think it's important to work for what you earn in life, to get it on your own terms, and to do that which makes you happy. Otherwise you just become spoiled, lazy, or giving all your effort to try to please others in return of money, which offers non fulfillment. So thank you for your offer, but I don't need it."
"Exactly how old are you, Mr. Bennett. You definitely sound like you must know all about life."
"I'll be twenty-one next year."
"You look younger. And you'll probably change your opinions once you know more about the world. Do your parents pay for your schooling?"
"I don't see how that's any of your business, frankly."
"I'll take that as a no. And how about those three younger brothers of yours? Hmm? How are they supposed to get on in the world? What if they want to be more than a video store clerk?"
"Well, my brother James certainly wants to go to university. He hopes to get a scholarship to afford it. My two younger ones, I'm not very sure what they plan to do after High School, but I don't think it'll involve academics."
"It's a very negligent parent who has children they cannot afford to support or offer the opportunities they'll need."
"My parents encourage all of us to do what makes us happy, and none of us have ever been close to neglected."
Eli was very pressed not to speak more. He had never been attacked so openly under the guise of politeness.
"You are a very strange young man, Eli Bennett. Very strange, indeed."
"Thank you, sir."
With that, Mr. Anderson's momentary fascination faded, and he spent the rest of the evening talking about his business, mostly only to Lillian, and Eli was relieved to be ignored.