Chapter 23

Susan Bradford went to the reception desk in the lobby of the posh apartment house and asked to see Mrs. Jefferson. She thought that it must be the most deluxe building in Chicago if they could afford a receptionist in addition to a doorman. The woman smiled, pointed out the penthouse elevator, and told her to go right up. She took the elevator to the penthouse and was greeted by the butler who showed her into a room that appeared to be the library. Walking through the apartment, she was impressed with both the excellent taste and the money evident in the furnishings. Then her heart sank as she saw that there were three women already seated and obviously waiting to be interviewed. She checked her watch and found it was after four o'clock; she had to be at work by six.

While she waited, four more women were ushered in and took seats. Reflecting on the ad she had answered several weeks earlier, she was hoping against hope. She needed the job desperately. Waiting on tables paid the rent but that was all. She was already behind in repaying her student loans, and she just had to earn more money. With a lot of luck, the schedule might permit her to work both jobs. Periodically, she saw a very attractive black woman come to the door, call a name and then disappear into another room.

While she was waiting and wondering if it would be appropriate to take out a book, a little boy entered the room. He was the most handsome little boy she had ever seen. His skin was the color of chocolate milk, but his hair was wavy rather than kinky. He walked from one woman to the next. At each woman he would stop, look into her face, smile and then move on to the next one. Some of the women smiled at him, one just looked at him impassively, while a couple ignored him.

Finally, his tour of the room brought him to Susan. He repeated his procedure. He looked up at her and appeared to study her eyes. Susan always felt her appearance was very plain. When she was feeling down, she considered herself ugly. She had wavy brown hair and brown eyes. Often, she had considered tinting her hair blonde but had always rejected the idea. The boy continued to study her and then he smiled. Susan smiled back.

His behavior changed. She realized he had a drawstring cloth bag clutched in his left hand. Instead of moving to the next woman, his smile changed to a beam of sunshine. It was the brightest smile she had ever seen — the little boy was joyous! Then he said, "Pretty lady!" Susan beamed back at him. He held up his bag and asked, "Pretty lady play with me?" He sat down on the floor in front of her chair and emptied the blocks in the bag out on the carpet.

Susan went down on her knees on the floor and watched as he played with his blocks. Although Susan didn't think he was even two years old, he told her the colors and the alphabet letters on each block. After stacking them he started testing Susan, asking her for blocks by letter. It was obvious to her that he really knew them because he caught her instantly when she tried to trick him. He grinned infectiously when she did.

Getting to his feet, he came to her with his arms outstretched. She was kneeling on the floor with her weight back on her heels. In that position he was almost as tall as she was.

He wrapped his arms around her neck and gave her a big kiss, saying, "Nice lady!" Susan was thrilled. She held him tight and kissed his baby-soft cheek. He beamed at her again and murmured, "Ronnie likes pretty lady."

Meanwhile, it was growing late. Susan was dismayed to see that some of the women who had arrived later than she had already been interviewed. Oh, well, she thought, they're undoubtedly better qualified than I am anyway. I guess I was made to be a mother. Then she thought wryly, All I need is a man to be the father.

The only other woman waiting had been called. Susan was now alone with the little boy named Ronnie. Remarkably, when he grew tired of playing with his blocks he carefully put them all back in his bag and held out his arms to her again. She took him in her arms and sat back in the leather-covered armchair. The boy snuggled in her shoulder and just went right to sleep. She was still holding him when the woman she had been seeing came for her. Carefully, she lifted Ronnie from Susan's arms.

As soon as he was moved, his eyes opened and he reached for Susan. He wrapped his arms around her neck and gave her a big kiss on the cheek. Then he said, "Goodbye, pretty lady. Thank you for playing with me."

The woman stood him on his feet and he took his bag and toddled off while the woman watched him fondly. When he left the room, the woman put out her hand to Susan who rose from the chair and took it in a firm grip. The woman led her into another room off the library obviously used as her office. It was almost like the library, but it contained a desk. She said, "Welcome, Susan Bradford. I am Mary Jefferson. You applied for a job as my secretary. You're white. Do you have a problem working for a black woman?"

Susan was startled by the woman's directness. She said she did not. Then the woman said, "Susan, you minored in art at Smith College. I want your opinion of this painting." She indicated the portrait of Emily and said, "That's Emily Amelia Hardwick. What do you think of it?"

Rising to her feet, Susan looked at the portrait and gasped. She said softly, "It can't be! It just can't." Mary asked her what she was seeing. Susan replied, "I see a lady. I see a woman who appears elderly but at the same time very young — about twenty. She's a virgin." Then tears came to her eyes as she saw the medals in the background. She went close to it and studied its details carefully. Then she returned to the chair in front of the desk.

Holding her head up straight she said, "Emily had dinner at the Pump Room in Chicago, probably during the second World War. She ate with a naval officer, a pilot. He never came back. He was awarded the Navy Cross, the Air Medal and the Purple Heart, probably posthumously. She was madly in love with him but they never slept together. When that portrait was done, she was still a virgin. Yet she was waiting for him, and felt he was very close."

She looked at Mary whose face had been utterly impassive and said, "That's what I see, Mrs. Jefferson. I have never seen such a fabulous portrait in my life. Whoever did it defines the term, artist. He or she found the person under the skin. I'm sorry if I sound like a fool, but that's what I see in this portrait."

Mary nodded and said quietly, "Emily went to Mike. She asked me if he could take her virginity in Heaven. She was beaming when Mike came to take her." Tears were flowing from her eyes when she finished. "He was killed at the Battle of Midway, Susan, defending our country. His name was Mike Casey and he swore he would wait for Emily forever. She went to him less than a month ago."

Mary smiled and said, "There is another one, Susan. What do you see in it?" She took the girl to her family portrait.

Susan looked and gasped, then she looked at Mary. She said, "You lost your husband in the service of our country, too, didn't you? I see a woman standing ... No! I see a lady standing. A lady with honor, dignity, strength and integrity. I see a woman who deeply grieves, even today, the loss of her husband. It's been years, too. Then I see the most beautiful young woman I've seen in years. She has been badly hurt. She did things — degrading things — that she regrets. She's a lady, too, in the model of her mother. Finally, I see the most beautiful little boy I have ever laid eyes on. He has a smile that lights up a room. Mrs. Jefferson, you're very fortunate. Will your daughter marry Ronnie's father?"

Mary whistled softly and shook her head. "I don't know about you, Susan Bradford. You see too much. The answers to your questions are, first, I don't know if April will marry Ron. She will if he changes enough. As for me, I do still miss Tom terribly. At times my loins ache because he's not between my thighs." Mary looked at Susan and asked, "Does that sound terrible, Susan?"

The girl shook her head and said, "The difference between you and Emily is you had Tom in your bed. You gave birth to a daughter who would make anyone proud. She, in turn, gave birth to the most wonderful little boy I have ever seen. I know she has to love him, and you do, too."

"Come back and sit down, Susan. I have some dictation for you. Do you take dictation?" Mary asked.

The girl's head was up straight as she said, "I lied, Mrs. Jefferson. I fake it with a form of speed writing I used in college during lectures. I'm not a trained secretary. I apologize for wasting so much of your time. I enjoyed talking with you and hope to be able to see the portraits again somewhere, someday." She rose to leave.

"Sit down, Susan!" Mary said sharply. The girl was startled, but she sat down. "Why were you leaving?" Mary asked with her kindness now audible in her voice.

"Because I'm a fake and a fraud, Mrs. Jefferson," she replied with tears starting to stream down her face. "You need a good secretary. I am not one. I already apologized. Do you want me to get down on my knees? I must go now or I'll be late for work. I need the job to pay the rent."

"You have a job," Mary said, checking her watch. It was almost five-thirty. She said, "You're now my secretary. Come on, Susan, we're late. Move it." The girl was baffled, but followed the woman out of the room to another equipped as a gym. To her surprise, Mary stripped off her clothes and stood there nude. Susan was astonished to see the woman's figure was essentially perfect. Mary waited impatiently for her to strip. Blushing beet red, Susan did.

When she was naked, Mary walked around her looking at her body carefully. Finally, she shook her head and said, "Bradford, you have all the raw material, but it sure needs a lot of work! Let's go."

While they were side by side using weight machines, Mary said, "Two things, Susan: First, the name is Mary. My daughter's name is April and you were playing with Ronald, junior, or Ronnie. He hired you, you should know. You had the job before we ever shook hands. That little boy has an uncanny instinct for people. He never misses. You saw him today: He smiled at all the women which means no one failed. He beamed at you, though. Ronnie fell in love with you right off the bat. I have never seen a girl your age as good with him as you are except possibly his mother. And notice, I said possibly. I'm not even certain of that.

"Second, I have taken the liberty of telling the restaurant you won't be working there any longer. Our working hours can be a bit strange sometimes. Finally, get that flabby ass of yours in gear. I can't stand a flabby ass on a girl." She grinned and added, "Maybe it's a black prejudice. We tend towards round firm buns, at least when we're young."

She looked at the girl straining with the weights and said, "Bradford, you have not even begun to work out. My daughter handles five times the weight you have and she hardly breaks a sweat. My secretary is going to be in shape, damn it!"

By the time they finished in the exercise room, Susan was reeling with fatigue and her body was slick with her sweat. Mary took her in her arms and kissed her saying, "There's a long way to go, but I think you'll make it. There's no sense in buying you a wardrobe yet because your sizes will change a lot and change fast. I think you'll be pleased with the results, though."

The women shared a shower and got dressed again. Going back to the office, Mary showed her a computer that caused her eyes to pop. It was the most powerful personal computer she had ever seen.

Mary said, "One last thing: I would like you to do a letter. Why don't you start up the computer and do it right on it." The girl started up the machine and found it used the word processing software with which she was most familiar. Because of the speed of the computer, however, it ran far faster than any she had ever seen before. Mary said, "The letter is to Mr. Donald Martin, President, Chicago Trust Company." She continued with her dictation telling him that Susan was hired, provided her social security number and finished by saying she was earning $60,000 per year to start.

When Susan heard the number, she just stopped and looked up at Mary aghast. "But that's impossible," she protested. "That's more than three times what I'm worth!"

Mary corrected her. She said, "That's incorrect, Susan. It is correct to say it's three times the market. It most assuredly is not three times what you're worth. I'm paying only a fraction of what you're worth, and a small fraction, at that." The laser printer hummed and the letter was finished. Susan thought it looked good and Mary did, too.

As they were finishing up, the beautiful girl from the picture came into the office with Ronnie in her arms. Ronnie saw Susan and said, "Pretty lady play with me, Mommy. Pretty lady is nice lady."

The girl extended her hand and Susan took it in a firm grip. She said, "I'm April Jefferson. I gather you have met the love of my life, Ronald Jackson, Jr. As he just made very clear, he likes you, and that means you like him. Thank you for playing with him."

Susan looked at April and said, "The portrait is very accurate. That artist is fabulous. Through the portrait, I saw things about you that I now see in your flesh. But they are things I would never see without having seen the portrait first. April Jefferson, you're the most beautiful young lady it has ever been my pleasure to meet. And I want to stress the word, lady."

That night Susan was invited for dinner. It was served by the butler in a formal dining room. She was impressed at the way the Jeffersons took it in stride. Clearly, they both were ladies with impeccable taste and manners. As she was getting her coat on, April quietly gave her a small roll of bills and said, "You'll need some money to get going on. The chauffeur will be out front with the car to take you home. If it fits your schedule, he'll pick you up tomorrow morning at eight. I hope that's not too early." Susan just shook her head and went home in a daze.

For Susan the next weeks went by in a rush. She found she spent most of her time exercising and swimming. Mary would exercise with her for a while and then drive Susan harder and harder. There was also a tanning room that Mary insisted she use. The woman joked that hers was permanent, but since Susan wasn't so lucky she needed to work on hers.

After three weeks, Susan was again increasing the exercise machine's weight loading again when Mary asked, "What are you doing that for? Take a look at yourself in the mirror." There was a full-length mirror used for checking on exercise technique. She looked at her image and gasped. Looking back at her was a girl she had never seen before. Her shoulders appeared broader, her breasts were a bit larger but much firmer, and her figure was perfection. She now had an all-over tan and there were golden streaks showing in her hair. Susan smiled at the image in the mirror.

Finally, Mary took her shopping and purchased a wardrobe for her. Susan had never had such beautiful clothes in her life. She had also given up her apartment and was now living with the Jeffersons. She had an exquisite room and bath to herself, and found she loved the small family with which she was now living. Wherever Mary went, Susan accompanied her. They attended concerts, gallery openings, plays, and the openings of new restaurants. Wherever Mary went she was courted because, as Susan quickly learned, her employer was the richest woman in Chicago.

One morning, Mary asked Susan to sit in on a meeting she had reluctantly scheduled. It was with Horace Washington, director of SHOVE, ostensibly a civil-rights organization organized to empower the poor of Chicago. When Washington was shown in, Mary rose to greet him. As he entered the room, Susan could see instantly that Mary didn't like this black man. He was under six feet in height, quite heavy and was wearing a lot of jewelry including a very ostentatious diamond ring. He sat in an armchair in front of Mary's desk and almost overflowed it.

After cool initial pleasantries were exchanged, Washington came right to the point. He said, "Mrs. Jefferson, I want you to contribute $50 million to SHOVE. It will make up for the injustices black people suffered at the hands of the Hardwicks for so many years. We were delighted to hear that a black female will be handling the money now." He smiled conspiratorially and said, "Soon, of course, we will want it all signed over to us.

"We have big plans for you, too, of course. We can get you on the lecture circuit to talk about the abuse you suffered at the hands of that honky bitch. We will also consider it reparations for that Oreo-cookie daughter of yours." His eyes were cold as he continued, "Imagine! A black girl working in that disgraceful bank, Chicago Trust Company. She's tokenism at its worst! Pretending to be an officer!"

Mary's eyes were cold as ice. She turned to Susan and said, "You investigated SHOVE, Susan. What did you find?"

Susan replied, "SHOVE has received over $20 million in Federal money alone over the last four years. There are records of less than $2 million going to the poor, and almost all of that in the form of loans carrying interest rates of 20 percent or higher. There is no record of the other $18 million, but it's gone. The total income, including donations, is unknown. There's a consortium of Chicago banks that assembled a loan fund administered by SHOVE. The total amount of the fund's lending and its recipients are also unknown."

"She's a honky! What can she possibly know about bloods?" He rose to his feet and said, "Enough of this bullshit, sister! We want the money and we want it now. We can cause a lot of trouble and will if we don't get it right now!"

Turning to Susan he said, "Who in hell is this bitch, anyway? Why don't you have a black girl in this job?"

"Because Miss Bradford is the best-qualified person. She's also my friend, confidante, and a member of my family. Mr. Washington, you are a disgrace! You have been stealing our people blind and I will not give you one dime. Good day, sir!"

The remaining shreds of Washington's facade collapsed. He screamed, "You can't do that to me! I'm a civil-rights leader. No one talks to me like that. Now for the last time, give me the money!"

As he was about to move towards Mary, a hand came down on his shoulder and gripped it like a steel vise. He couldn't move. Washington heard a low-pitched voice behind him say, "It is time to leave, Mr. Washington. You are no longer welcome here. I will see you to your car."

Horace tried to turn and saw a black giant standing behind him. He was marched to the elevator and then out to the street. The giant opened the door of his limousine and shoved him in, slamming the door behind. Without a backward look, he returned to the apartment.

When John Smith returned to the office, Mary Jefferson smiled a greeting. He said, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Jefferson. That will never happen again." Then he murmured softly, "Trash!" He turned to Susan and said, "On behalf of my people, Miss Bradford, I want to apologize. That man is a disgrace to his race."

John Smith was a former All-Pro defensive end with the Green Bay Packers. He was six feet seven, weighed 265 and had been hired on the recommendation of a halfway house where he was recovering from cocaine addiction when Emily's butler retired. His coke habit had cost him all the money he had made in pro football. Susan had seen him exercise in the weight room. He loaded all the weight the machines had and moved it effortlessly. Mary had patiently trained him until now he was the finest butler in Chicago. He also worshiped the entire family, now including Susan.