"I'm Ben by the way."The young man smiled smugly, his fingers drumming against the white tablecloth before he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a folded document. He unfolded it slowly, laying it flat on the table like he’d just won a game he never gave her a chance to play.

“I’ve already sent the wedding gifts to your mother,” he said, smiling with satisfaction. “This lunch is just to seal the deal. You know, so we can get to know each other a little more before setting ...