But she was as stubborn as he was, and she could return the stare as long as he dared, knowing now that this was a battle of wills. “I know you know who he is. And for the record, I think you’re acting ridiculous. You too, Mother. If you don’t want to discuss it, fine. I’m going to bed. Someone has to run Razzle Dazzle, despite the dwindling sales. If you two will excuse me, I’m calling it a night.” Lauren dumped her half-eaten slice of pie into the garbage disposal, rinsed the plate off, and put it in the dishwasher. She felt their stares but was not going to give in. Her parents were dolls, but sometimes they acted like dolts. It was one of those times.

“Good night,” she called as she left the kitchen.

Upstairs, in the privacy of her own room, she mentally chastised herself for losing patience with her father, and her mother too, but at the same time, she felt justified. They were treating her like a child, and in doing so, they themselves were acting so childish.

“Heck with it,” she said, grabbing her laptop and plopping down on the bed. Feeling like a sulking teenager who had been sent to her room, Lauren logged on to the Internet and continued to research John Giampalo. She read several more articles and decided she liked the man already. He was quite the philanthropist, donating to dozens of charities, not to mention numerous social and humanitarian causes. A supporter of arts, culture, and education, John Giampalo had certainly shared his wealth, and it appeared that he truly tried to make a difference in the lives of so many. She read through at least a dozen more items, and all were positive. It seemed no one had a negative word to say about him. Lauren knew this was apt to change. He sounded like a decent guy, certainly intelligent enough to seize the moment when the World Wide Web was in its infancy. Lauren read yet another article and was surprised to discover John Giampalo was a University of Florida alumnus. Why she didn’t know that was beyond her, but in her opinion, it only added to his likability factor.