Herb and I want to get married right away and and start our new life together, but I need to find and break in a replacement secretary for Mr. G.
There are other loose ends. Mr. G. has a charitable foundation that gives to a number of causes. Although he naturally gives to Jewish causes organized by leaders in his industry, he does not want to be seen as giving only to Jewish causes.
Other than that, he lets all appeals from charities come to my desk for me to decide what causes to plead.
I have a lot of conversations with persuasive people, some of whom are so charming and good at keeping in touch that I almost think of them as friends.
There is an upcoming event that I helped organize along with a committee at the Fifth Avenue Synagogue. This is a dinner honoring Mr. G. and benefitting a special school in Brooklyn, Yeshiva Torah Vodaath.
At first Mr. G. reminded me that this was probably too exclusively Jewish for his foundation, but I had already brought that up with the charity. They said there are Christians, notably a leader of a Wall Street firm, who support this school.
Once Mr. G. agreed to be their guest of honor, he and I went to the Fifth Avenue Synagogue and met with about ten of their people. After that, Mr. G. put me in charge of working out the details with them.
As I expected, Mr. G. worked relentlessly in his usual way to rope in everyone he thought would come to his dinner. As the guest and donor list grew it became a big event, upcoming in a couple of months. Since I started this I want to be here to make sure that every detail would be perfection.
We are at the office after hours as usual.
Mr. G. is in his office with his door closed. I can hear him faintly talking on his private line.
I am at my desk. There is a slight sound on my phone. I pick it up.
Mr. G. is speaking but not to me. How can this be? Someone else is using the WATS line and his private line does not go through the switchboard. Did wires cross somehow?
Then I recognize the voice of Richard B., whose father is the president of a large company, one of our customers. I only met Richard once, at an industry luncheon to honor Mr. G.
Liam came to the luncheon but he was on call and had to leave early. Richard had his father introduce us and offered to give me a ride home. I accepted.
He was pleasant as we made small talk. When we approached my apartment house he asked me for a date and I said no, that was my boyfriend who had to leave the luncheon early.
I know, he said, but you can have one fish in the pan and another on the fire. I was amused at the way he put it, but it was still no, thank you for the ride. That was all.
Now Mr. G. is urging this young man to talk to Herb and trash “that girl” and Richard is resisting and asking why. All he ever heard till now was she’s so talented and wonderful she’s practically in a class by herself. What happened?
She wants to marry my son.
Not long ago you told my father a success story and said that Herb needs a girl like her to straighten him out.
I said a girl like her, not her.
What does Herb say?
He wants to marry her, but he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s bewitched. You’ve got to help me convince him that she’s no good and just wants his money.
You know, I asked her for a date but she turned me down.
I don’t care! Just do it for me.
Why don’t you want Herb to marry her?
She’s Eurasian. I want him to marry a Jewish girl.
Your other son married a Christian, didn’t he?
That’s bad enough.
Richard doesn’t want any part of this.
Then Mr. G. puts the pressure on. Look, do I treat you right? Do I give you special consideration and discounts?
That’s it!
I leap from my desk and barge into his office.
I’ll call you back later! He slams down the phone and swings around.
What are you doing in here? Can’t you see my door was shut?
I heard you pressuring Richard.
How…he glances back at his phone and is confounded for a second.
Then he draws himself up and explodes at me you snake in the grass!
Dr. Lowen says how did you feel?
Shocked. Betrayed. Furious!
I was ready to cut his heart out and throw it out the window with everything I worked for here. I didn’t care.
You can do it too.
Yes, I thought of the most cutting thing I could say to him, that I can’t believe I just heard him suborning a witness.
What stopped you?
Herb walked in. I just couldn’t hurt him.
Mr. G. starts yelling at Herb you can’t marry this girl because it would be miscegenation.
What? That’s the most ridiculous thing I ever heard!
She has Asian blood. What will your children look like?
I hope they look like her and not you. You should see yourself right now.
From there it degenerates into she just wants to marry you for my money.
You don’t have enough money for that.
If you marry her you won’t get a penny from me.
So what! You’re just sore because she rejected you!
I have calmed down enough to realize that we were reaching the point of no return if they keep this up.
I say I’m leaving and I walk out. Herb comes after me.
Take him with you, Mr. G. shouts.
It’s about time someone did, I retort.
But I know I am not having the last word.
Dr. Lowen says you know this has been your family for some time, don’t you?
I guess so.
You were always looking for your lost family.
All my efforts, years of making peace between them would be for nothing.
I know that Herb and I will be married no matter what but this family is now broken and lost before we even start.
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