“And how’s your family? Your mom?” I inquired hastily. Compelling as it might have been for the actual parties involved, I wasn’t in the mood to hear him launch into an in-depth analysis of why the tight-fistedness of the California higher-education system was hurting the rank and file.
“Oh, fine,” Brad said, apparently oblivious to the obvious red herring. “She went through a rough time, of course…we all did…but she’s managing much better now. I think it was a relief for her to finally get the company sold, even though she really didn’t want to let go of it at first.”
Brad’s father had been the sole owner of a company that sold high-end barbecues, outdoor fire pits, log sets, that sort of thing. I’d never really thought about how much money was actually in that business until I’d seen f
