Part 37 (1/2)
”Yeah, I finally realized I couldn't have my cake and . . .”
”I've got the whole picture,” Olivia said. ”Well, Gladdie? I went to my drugstore this morning and bought something for you. Coloring books and crayons. Do you like to color?”
”Oh, yes!” she said. ”Can I have them?”
”What do you say, Gladdie?” Bob said.
”Thank you!”
”Here you go, but why don't we save them for the plane ride?”
”Olivia? That's a good idea.”
Olivia laughed because Gladdie sounded like a woman way beyond her years.
”And what's all this?”
On the floor were half a dozen shopping bags from Chanel, Herms, and Chopard.
”Peace offerings,” Bob said. ”For mother and daughter.”
Olivia did some quick calculations and figured there could be thousands of dollars in value in the bags. Scarves? Handbags? Jewels? Bob didn't exactly frequent John's Bargain Bas.e.m.e.nt or Klein's on the Square.
”Well, you know what I'd call it?” Olivia said.
”No, what?”
”A good start.” She smiled.
One of the pilots appeared.
”Is everyone ready?” he said.
”Let's load 'em up!” Bob said.
”We're going to get my mommy and bring her home!” Gladdie said, all smiles.
”Then let's go get her!” the pilot said.
When they were airborne and Gladdie was busy coloring, Bob said, ”What if she doesn't come home with me?”
”She will, Bob. She will.”
”What should I say to her?”
”Tell her you are deeply sorry for whatever you did-which I don't want the details of-and tell her it will never happen again. Tell her that you love her and you're begging her forgiveness. Tell her you want to spend the rest of your life making her happy.”
”When did you get so smart about relations.h.i.+ps?”
”It's how I feel about Nick.”
”Nick is a good man. He's great company and he makes me laugh like h.e.l.l. He makes me feel like I'm talking to Shakespeare.”
Olivia laughed. ”Nick loves language. You should see his old map collection.”
”Old maps? What an odd thing to collect.”
”Well, map making was a very big deal when countries were being settled. A lot of the time they had huge errors in them. Those are the ones that Nick likes best.”
”Well, one of these days I'll come to Charleston and we'll get together. I'd love to see what blows wind up his kilt! Ha-ha! I'm just always so d.a.m.n busy. I don't know why I keep working. It's not like we need the money. I guess I just like building businesses.”
”It's good for your mind and it puts people to work, which is a very good thing.” She was thumbing through an Architectural Digest.
Bob, who was a quick as a fox, got a sense that Olivia was giving him a subliminal message.
”Okay, Olivia, time to come clean.”
”About what?” She looked at him in all innocence, having no idea what he meant.
”How many jobs have you got on your books? Just tell me.”
”One.”
”How many did you have six months ago?”
”Maximum capacity.”
”What happened?”
Olivia hated telling the details of her decline, but she couldn't lie to Bob. They knew each other for so long. And he really didn't want the details, just the gist.
”It was a cl.u.s.ter you-know-what.”
”Like Bear Sterns and Lehman Brothers?”
”Yep. When the markets take a beating, so do I. When Wall Street executives file for divorce, plans are changed.”
”And you get shorted,” he said.
”Big-time.”
”Want to do some commercial stuff for a while? I'm opening up new restaurants all over the place.”
”Bob, you are an angel. Let's get you straight with Maritza and then we can talk about that.”
”I'm no angel,” he said and Gladdie crawled up on his lap.
”I'm hungry, Daddy.”
”Princess? Daddy forgot to order catering. Why don't you go see what's in the snack drawers?”