In Which Bob Morris Has Some Things Explained To Him, and Is In Turn Explained
There are plenty of people who have something to say, when they hear that Bob is going off to work with 'that crazy woman-engineer'. He's warned repeatedly of the dangers of falling in with 'that set' and when they figure out the fact that he doesn't know the stories, they set about gleefully filling his head with rumour.
When he tells Greta, she laughs and laughs.
"So it's not true, then?" He asks, relieved.
"Oh, I didn't say that..."
Bob leans in, unable to stop himself from smiling at Greta's barely contained glee. "Enlighten me, then."
The next hour is more than enlightening, its like a fairy tale, or a pulp novel adventure. If it were anyone other than Greta doing the telling, he's fairly certain he wouldn't believe half of it. It does go some way to explaining some of the prototypes he's found on high shelves, or in the back of dark cabinets, though.
It leaves him intrigued enough to hint a bit to Greta that he wouldn't mind meeting the rest of her family.
She sees straight through the hinting, of course, and cuts to the chase. "I won't have you coming by and gawking."
Bob holds up his hands and lets the subject drop, for now. He can afford to be patient, he's not going anywhere. If anything, he now feels even more confident than before that he's found the right person to work with. He still gets some crap for working for a woman, but even over the course of the first few months, that dies down. Mostly its from engineers and small works who can't compete with Greta's designs and quality of output.
Bob can spot which way the winds were blowing, and he knew with her he was on the right course. It's like his father always said, you can't argue with quality, and the quality of the work he's been producing with Greta keeps getting better and better. She admits reluctantly that the prices they get are getting better since she's got a man working in the shop--their reputation seems more stable that way, she says, although she grimaces as she says it.
Bob just laughs. "I'm your stalking horse, your decoy duck," Greta starts laughing. "Your Trojan, your masque." Greta is howling with laughter now. "If they're foolish enough to pay, who are we not to take their money."
Greta holds out her hand and they shake firmly on it, sealing the deal.