STAY THE NIGHT (The Phillips Family Book 1) (28 page)

   
“
Should we become beach bums?  I can afford it.  We may need to pick up shells off the beach after a storm, clean them and sell them to tourists for extra spending money, but the rest of each day we can loaf like we've been doing.
”

    She smiled and scrubbed his hair with shampoo. 
“
That's not us.  We're both driven in our own way.
”

    Crays cell phone rang while they dressed for dinner. 
“
It's Mona, I better take it.  Hey, Mona.  This better be good.
”
  He listened while she talked and then said,
“
Mona, your instincts are spot on, so put a package together and go for it.  No, I'm not trying to bolster your confidence.  Well, maybe I am.  Look, Mona, I trust your business acumen.  I need you to trust it, too.  I wouldn't have named you COO and be leaving the company in your hands for three months this summer if I didn't believe you can do it.  I may be madly in love, but I'm not stupid enough to let everything I worked for the past twelve years go down the drain.  You're welcome.  I'll tell her and I'll see you Monday.  Thanks, Mona.  You're the best.
”

   
“
Is she still doubting herself?
”
Angel asked.

   
“
Mona says hi.  Yes, and I do understand her apprehension.  It's my company and my money at stake.  It unnerves her to make these big decisions and put millions of dollars on the line without my blessing.  I'd feel the same way if our roles were reversed.
”

   
“
Why don't you give her an equity stake in the company?  We're not planning on having children to inherit the business.
”

    Cray began to nod before Angelica finished her sentence. 
“
It's a good idea.  I'll get our attorneys on it first thing Monday.
”
  He put his arms around her and said,
“
It's nice having a partner to bounce things off of and especially one who's gorgeous and sooooooo sexy.
”

    She laughed and said,
“
An insatiable handsome hunk like you deserves a gorgeous, sexy partner like me.
”

   
“
Aren't we proud of ourselves?
”
he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and ushering her out of their suite.

    The last two weeks of March Angelica finished the wedding plans with the help of Gwen while Cray met with his attorneys and offered Mona twenty-five percent share of his company.  Angelica's classes ended at two in the afternoon and Cray met her at the university in a taxi during the first week of April.  From there they visited health clinics and schools in some of the poorest city neighborhoods, talked to the superintendents, directors and doctors to get a feel of where the Angel Foundation could do the most good without divulging their intentions. 

    It didn't take long for the overwhelming need to become apparent.  They saw and heard about so many children, some needing corrective eye surgery, others in need of cleft palate repair and many in need of speech therapy or extra tutoring because they suffered from dyslexia.  Teachers from schools and doctors who volunteered at the clinic came forward with lists of children who deserved to be the first recipients of the largess. 

    Cray enlisted the help of doctors he knew, who in turn knew surgeons who'd donate their time and expertise to keep the costs lower.  He placed a conference call to his dad and his brothers and asked them to work pro bono to prepare ironclad documents to keep everything legal and safe for all parties.  His family's law firm had a private investigator on staff who had a brother in the city who did the same kind of work and called him.  Anthony Mazoni called Cray and offered his services to vet the families free of charge.

    Mona and Freddie joined the team and many nights Cray, Angel, Freddie and Mona sat around the dining room table, eating take-out food Cray ordered delivered while they organized the numerous items that must be done before the help took place.  Freddie Winthrop proved to be a valuable asset.  His family had billions and their friends had billions.  He seemed to be friends with everyone in the city who had untold wealth and he offered to plead their case.

    Cray said,
“
Freddie, we aren't a federally recognized charity, so please make it clear to those you contact that their donations are not tax deductible.
”

   
“
A hundred grand to these people is pocket money,
”
Freddie said.  He grinned,
“
I'm not just a pretty rich boy, you know.  I handle a lot of these people's money in my brokerage firm plus I'm privy to where the skeletons are buried.
”

    Cray laughed and said,
“
No blackmail, Freddie.
”
 

          Angelica said,
“
Mona and Freddie, I realize you're busy with your business and personal obligations, but since Cray and I will be away for the summer, will you oversee and run the organization?
”
  They agreed and the first board of the Angel Foundation was formed.

    The time approached for Angelica's family to arrive and the closer it got, the more concerned Angelica became.  Cray noticed she seemed distracted and how many times she asked him to repeat something he'd told her.  He mentioned it to Mona and she said,
“
Cray, whatever it is it has nothing to do with marrying you.  Why don't you come right out and ask her?
”

   
“
I can't, Mona.  If she tells me she's having second thoughts about marrying me, I won't handle it well.  I mean we haven't known each other six months.
”

   
“
Are you the one sending signals that you're getting cold feet?
”

   
“
No.  As silly as it sounds, I would have married her the first week we met.
”

    Mona lifted her cell phone and dialed. 
“
Hey, Angie, it's Mona.  You're not going to believe me, but it's true.  Last night I put on my domestic attire and made a huge pot of spaghetti sauce that will take me a year to eat.  How about coming to my place for spaghetti and meatballs tonight.  Cray's here and wants to come if you don't count him clutching his throat as though he's dying from a dose of poison.  Great.  I'll look for you two any time after six-thirty.  Thanks for helping a friend.
”

    She closed her phone, grinned at Cray and said,
“
I'll find out what's bothering her, although she sounded fine to me.
”

   
“
Promise me you'll be subtle.  I can picture you saying: Hey, Cray thinks you don't want to marry him.
”

   
“
Get out of here.  I'm not that bad.
”

   
“
Yes, Mona, you are.
”

   
“
I won't blurt and I'm leaving work early to put the dinner together.
”

   
“
Did you really make sauce last night?
”

   
“
No, Cray.  I thought it okay to lie to my sister and stop on the way home for some jars of sauce and hide the evidence before you get there.  You dope.
”

    He had the good sense to appear ashamed. 
“
Guess I better get out of here before I say something wrong.
”

   
“
More like shove your foot further down your throat.
”

    Later as the three of them ate spaghetti, salad and garlic toast at Mona's she noticed that Angie seemed lost in thought and didn't pay attention to the conversation unless asked a direct question and then needed to have it repeated.  Mona said,
“
Angie, what's bothering you?
”

    Angelica rested her fork on the dinner plate and said,
“
My family will be here in three days for over two weeks.  We have lots of things planned, but they're not going to want to be doing the same thing.  My parents will enjoy the opera and the plays, but my siblings will balk, especially Darja and Dirk.  They hate stuff like that.  Bekka will go along with anything whether it pleases her or not, but the other two will do a lot of eye rolling and sighing.  It's going to make me a nervous wreck because I read them so well.
”

   
“
Dirk told me he'd like to go clubbing while he's here and see some of the nightlife.  Why don't I take care of Dirk and Darja?  Freddie will go along, so we're a mixed foursome.  If Bekka wants to join us, I know a ton of single guys who'll be happy to go with us.  You and Cray concentrate on keeping your parents occupied as their energy permits.
”

    Angelica said,
“
Oh, Mona, how can I ever thank you?  That will work.  Cray, we can be sedate and cultured with my parents.  My family has no idea how expensive everything is in this city.  I did plan on giving them cash so they won't feel beholden, but I don't want to insult them either.
”

   
“
I'll give Freddie the word,
”
Mona said. 
“
He'll pick up the tab at the clubs and we can settle later.
”

        
“
Oh, I feel so much better.
”

Chapter 15

             
Cray hired a stretch limo to accommodate the Andersson family and their luggage from JFK airport to his condo.  Mona insisted on going along in order to meet Dirk, who she'd been communicating with via Skype since Christmas.  At the arrival gates, Cray took the driver's cell phone number to call him when they were ready to head back to the city.  He had his arms around Angelica and Mona as they walked to Norwegian Airline's terminal arrival area to await the reunion and introductions to his future bride's family.

   
“
You nervous?
”
Mona asked him as they found seats.

   
“
A little.  Is it that obvious?  I do want them to approve of Angel's choice.
”

    Angel laughed and said,
“
They'll love you, honey, and if they don't it doesn't matter because I love you.
”

   
“
Is that supposed to make me feel better, the fact that they might hate me, but that's okay with you?
”

    Mona winked at Angie and they both laughed.  An attendant announced the arrival of the flight from Oslo and Angelica stood.  Cray said,
“
It's a huge plane, honey, and it will take time before they begin to disembark.
”

   
“
Yes, I know, but I can't sit still.  It's been over a year since I've seen my mother.  I was supposed to go there over Christmas, but I canceled the trip.
”

   
“
You canceled?  Why?
”

   
“
Because I met you.
”

   
“
You didn't say a word.
”

   
“
How could I?  I met you the night before I canceled.  I couldn't very well tell you that I fell in love with you the moment you took my hand and introduced yourself.  You would have thought me demented.
”

    He grinned. 
“
I wasn't going anywhere.  I would have been here when you got home.
”

   
“
I didn't want to take the chance of you finding someone else.
”

   
“
Ain't love grand,
”
Mona said.

   
“
You're jealous,
”
Cray said.

   
“
Damn straight I am.  Since seeing you two, I'll accept no less.
”

   
“
You shouldn't, Mona,
”
Cray said.

   
“
Mamma, Pappa,
”
Angelica cried running to embrace her parents, tears flooding her face.  After a warm greeting, she stepped between them holding each one's hand and lead them toward Cray and Mona. 
“
Mamma, Pappa, you met Cray and Mona at Christmas through the computer.  I'll introduce you properly now.
”
  She made the introductions and said,
“
Where are the others?
”