STAY THE NIGHT (The Phillips Family Book 1) (8 page)

    Cray balanced his tea cup on the plate and shook Tom's hand. 
“
It's a pleasure to meet you and I'm so sorry for your loss.  It must be devastating.
”

   
“
Yes, it is, thank you.  Jean was a virtuous woman and I do miss her.
”

   
“
Virtuous women are rare today,
”
Cray said,
“
How fortunate you were to have her as long as you did.
”

   
“
Twenty-five years.  We never had children.  How do you know Angelica?
”

   
“
We met recently quite by accident and seem to have an affinity for each other.  We've decided to explore our connection further.  I have high hopes that it will lead to a meeting of the souls.
”
  He put his arm around her shoulder and nudged her closer. 
“
So far, so good.  Isn't that right, Angel?
”

   
“
Yes, honey, that's right.  Tom, we won't bore you with this.  We need to circulate.  I'm so glad to see you here.
”

    Cray said,
“
My pleasure meeting you, Tom.  I wish you as much happiness as I found.
”

    Angelica introduced him to more people when they finished their tea and bland party sandwiches.  They placed their cups and plates on a sideboard and hand in hand sauntered to another group.  She introduced him to an Economics professor and the professor began an interrogation. 

   
“
What do you do for a living, Cray?
”
he asked in a stern tone.

   
“
My company and I buy failing manufacturing facilities and try to turn them around to become profitable.
”

   
“
You're the personification of the American capitalist preying on the downtrodden.
”

    Cray's eyebrow arched, but he said,
“
That's not the way I view it, professor.  My goal is to rehabilitate an American manufacturer.
”

   
“
Why do you bother?  You're barking up the wrong tree.  China has a monopoly producing quality goods at a lower cost.  You're doomed to fail.
”

   
“
China's products are far inferior to American goods.  It costs more to produce in this country, but the quality is superior and the workers are paid a fair wage in safe working conditions.  They're given health benefits and access to self and company funded retirement plans so they can retire with dignity and not have to depend on the government.
”

   
“
Spoken like a greedy American.
”

   
“
Sir, we must agree to disagree.
”

    The professor turned to Angelica. 
“
Do you agree with this man whose hand you hold?
”

   
“
Herbert, I became an American citizen because I believe with my whole heart that the American experiment while not perfect is the greatest society known to mankind and I pray that wrong thinkers will not destroy it with their Marxist leanings.  If you'll excuse us, we have another event to attend.  I bid you good day.
”

   
“
Why didn't you punch him in the nose?
”
Angel asked as he helped her put on her coat.

    Cray chuckled. 
“
That would make me an ugly American.  I'd rather create thriving companies and hire lots of employees.  His way is to distribute the wealth.  I prefer my way better.
”

    Angelica and Cray climbed in the back of the taxi and she fumed. 
“
Fucking communists.  The universities are filled with them and they impact on a young person's mind.  They're too ignorant to realize that we regard free speech as an inalienable privilege and these fuckers abuse it.  I say we should round them up and send them to a third world country where they'd be imprisoned for speaking out against the pap some foreign governments spoon feeds them.   It makes my blood boil.  I still wish you would've punched out his lights, the little pompous worm.  Cray, I worry about the direction this country is headed.  Why didn't you set him straight while you had the chance?
”

   
“
Honey, I listened to some of this pap as you call it through four years of college and then graduate school.  Unless it's a very specialized field, college teaches us how to find answers we want, discover opposing views and derive our own conclusions. 

   
“
You teach philosophy.  I imagine your courses consist of studying and dissecting the meaning of some of the greatest thinkers the world has experienced.  As your students comprehend the meaning put forth, they're learning to consider new paradigms and apply it to their life today.  We graduate with the assurances in our minds that we can cure the world's ills.  Reality sets in and our basic instincts kick us in the butt to find shelter, food, the necessities of life and that means taking a job regardless of our co-workers and superiors thought processes.  We want to proselytize our ideas to whoever will listen, make believers out of them, but we're too busy keeping body and soul together and our potential listeners are too busy to listen.
”

   
“
So we join the masses and never climb out of the rut?  That's so cynical, Cray.
”

   
“
Most of us don't have the wherewithal, the time or the intelligence to enact a major change, but cream has forever risen to the top and so do people with great ideas and the ability to communicate those ideas to the population at large. 

   
“
I  love and bow to the ingenuity of the American people.  When there's a need, we rise to the challenge, create a solution to fulfill that need.  I attribute the American genius to the way in the young days of this country we opened our doors to all people of the world who wanted to come here.  We're called a melting pot and because we are populated with so many different cultures, our citizens bring a new perspective, a new paradigm if you will to solve a problem.
”

   
“
You don't believe in keeping a race pure.
”

   
“
Hell no.  I'm a mongrel.  Most Americans are because we've fallen in love and through breeding added another factor or culture to the mix.  There are no Norwegians in my ancestry that I can remember.  My paternal grandfather had the Phillips' ancestry traced.  Suppose my sperm fertilizes your egg and produces a child.  Voila!  Another culture is added to our family history.
”

   
“
Speaking of sperm and eggs, I'm not on any birth control and I haven't been with a man for so long I'm sure I have no sexually transmitted diseases.  Can you say the same?
”

   
“
Yes, I can.  I always use a condom and I've been tested recently just in case.
”

   
“
Do you want me to go on the birth control pill?
”

   
“
Honey, I'm sure that intercourse without any barriers gives a better sensation, but that's your decision.
”

   
“
You never experienced that?
”

   
“
No.  I consider ignorance bliss and I never wanted to tempt fate.
”

   
“
Didn't you ever have an ongoing relationship with a woman on the pill?
”

   
“
Yes, but I didn't trust it.
”

   
“
Don't you mean you didn't trust her?
”

   
“
I guess I do mean that.
”

   
“
Would you trust me?
”

   
“
Yes.
”

   
“
You didn't stop to think.
”

   
“
The answer is I trust you.  I didn't need to think about it.
”

   
“
I'm going on the pill.
”

    Cray followed her to her apartment and inside when the taxi driver dropped them off at her place.  She walked to her bedroom and he followed her there.  She pulled an overnight bag from the bottom of her walk-in closet, flopped it on the bed and unzipped it.  He leaned on a chest of drawers and said. 
“
Angel, are you comfortable with this?
”

    She looked up at him wide-eyed. 
“
Yes.  Are you having second thoughts?
”

   
“
No.  When do you go back to school?
”

   
“
The Monday after New Year's Day.  I believe it's the fourth.
”

   
“
Pack enough to stay with me that long.
”

   
“
Suppose it doesn't work out for us.
”

   
“
You're not giving up your lease.  If it doesn't work, you come back here.
”

   
“
Christmas is a week away.  You'll be spending it with your family.  I won't stay at your place alone.
”

   
“
Do you have plans for Christmas?
”

   
“
There's a large contingent of people from Norway who live in the city and don't have close relatives here.  There's a standing invitation to spend a holiday with them.  That's where I'll go.
”

   
“
I want you to meet my family and spend the holiday with them.  We celebrate Christmas Eve with a big dinner and unwrapping gifts.  That leaves Christmas Day when we lounge in the house, eat leftovers and play board games.  It's casual and fun.  Do you like board games?
”

    She smiled and said,
“
I do.  In Norway we have our big celebration on Christmas Eve with a big meal and opening gifts.
”

   
“
You'll feel at home and we'll be together.
”

   
“
Will your parents mind an intruder?
”

   
“
Not at all.  They'll welcome you.  They will interrogate you since they're lawyers, but you can handle that.  I mentioned to Mona this morning on the phone that I wanted to invite you.  Our house has six bedrooms, but with my parents and the siblings it fills up fast.  Mona's room has twin beds and I asked her if you could bunk with her.  She said fine.  I'm hoping tonight changes those sleeping arrangements and you'll be in my bed with me.
”

   
“
Will your parents object?
”

   
“
I'm thirty-six.  If they object, they better keep it to themselves.
”

   
“
Cray, I don't want to be the cause of trouble.
”

   
“
Honey, I'll clear it with them.  If they do object, you can bunk with Mona.  It's for one night.  Will you spend your time off with me?
”

   
“
I need a bigger suitcase.  It's on the top shelf in the storage closet at the end of the hall.
”

    He retrieved her large suitcase and stretched out on the lounge in her bedroom with his hands clasped behind his head. She questioned him on what to take.  She packed dressy clothes, business casual and casual.  She pulled a mint green filmy peignoir set from her closet and held it up in front of her. 
“
Do you like this?  It's for your eyes only, of course.
”

   
“
Don't start, honey.  I'm hanging on by a thread here as it is.
”

   
“
I haven't touched you.
”

    He shook his head and said,
“
It doesn't seem to matter when I'm with you.
”

   
“
Won't that get uncomfortable?
”
she asked and laughed.