Chapter 5

A knock came on Ray's office door. "Yes?"

Lyla poked her head in. "Guess who's here to see you."

"Send her in."

Rebecca came in dragging her bag. Ray regarded her. "I take it from the look on your face that it's good news."

"Oh, Ray! My head is swimming. I can't believe it."

"A good offer?"

"Good doesn't come close. He offered me double the salary requirement I put on my resume -- and I thought I was shooting for the moon when I put it down. Eighty thousand, Ray!"

"Sounds like you're in the money."

"And, he gave me what he called a signing bonus -- ten thousand, up front. I have the check right here." She held up an envelope. On top of that, the profit sharing and the opportunity to buy equity rights. I got on that bus, day before yesterday destitute and desperate. Now, I'm on top of the world. I have you to thank for it."

"You have you to thank for it," Ray replied. "I was only a facilitator in the smallest of details. When do you start?"

"The day after Labor day."

"Gee -- that's coming up."

"I know. I have to find a place to live and get the girls situated in school. How am I going to do all that?"

"What are your travel plans?"

"There's a bus that leaves at two and gets in at home at seven. I'll need to make that."

"Let's walk over to Farley's for an early lunch and strategize. Okay?"

"Okay. Would it be all right if I change out of this suit and into my travel clothes? I'll be a lot more comfortable on the bus."

"Fine. Go ahead."

"Here?" she asked.

"I've already seen you naked."

"True..." Rebecca retrieved her shorts and flip-flops from her case. She folded her jacket, slid off her skirt and slip and removed her pantyhose. "I'll leave on the blouse," she said as she pulled on her shorts and slipped her feet into her sandals. "There -- this is okay for Farley's ... isn't it?"

"Anything goes at Farley's."

Rebecca closed up her bag. "Well -- I'm ready."

Ray led her out of his office. "Lyla -- Rebecca and I are doing an early lunch at Farley's and then she has a bus to catch."

"Very good." Lyla glanced at Rebecca's legs and did a double take as Ray led her out the door.

"Do you have any idea why Kirk would offer me such a salary?" she asked. "It was beyond my wildest dreams."

"I told you that Kirk believes in the principal of top talent. He hires the top twenty percent-ers and he pays extremely well. He knows that people are going to move on ... leave his firm from time to time. He just wants to make sure it's not because of the money. The folks I know there tell me the worst part of it is, that after a while it begins to feel normal."

She chortled. "Normal."

"Don't underestimate the level of responsibility you're taking on. Your workload will be at least triple what it'd be in any other firm."

They reached Farley's and sat at a table. "What are you in the mood for?" he asked.

"Are you kidding? One of their Reuben sandwiches. The last one I had here turned out to be one of your better sandwiches." She smiled and wrinkled her nose.

Their server approached with water glasses and menus. "Two Reubens," Ray ordered. "The water's fine for drinks."

"Very good..." She turned and headed for the kitchen.

"Now," Ray said, "about getting settled."

"Oh, I know ... I don't know how I'm going to begin."

"How quickly can you get yourself and the girls out here?"

"It would take us a couple of days to pack ... We'll have more stuff than we can carry. We'll have to pack cartons and have Mom ship them."

"Have you told your mother?"

"Yes -- she is delighted. She'll miss the girls once we move out, but we did impose on her far longer than I wanted."

"Why don't you plan on using my place as a base of operations? Just 'til you get established."

"Hmmm ... I'm listening."

"You'll need to find an apartment. Those town houses I showed you would be ideal, and they're in Ken's school district. It's a real good school -- we bought in the district because of it."

Rebecca nodded. "I like what I hear so far."

"You could use Maggie's car 'til you can arrange to have your own ... you do have a driver's license, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"It'll also be an opportunity to test how Kamelya and Sonay get along with me. I think we can count on Kenny being as disruptive as he knows how, so we can discount that right away."

Rebecca nodded. "They have no experience living with men in the house."

"If we find ourselves wanting to blend our families, it might be a good dry run."

"It's only for a few days," she added.

"Yes -- a week or so at the most."

"Anybody ought to be able to survive that."

"So, what do you say? Tomorrow's Friday. What do you say you plan on taking the Monday or Tuesday bus?"

"If I recall the bus gets in around six," she remarked.

"I can meet you at the bus station. We can go out for a nice dinner and then get everyone settled. I can schedule some time off or do some telecommuting for the first couple of days. Take a week to get established, and a week to move in. Then, it's the long weekend and you start at Kirk's."

"Wow -- when you put it like that -- there's no time to waste."

Their server brought the sandwiches. "I'll take the check," Ray said.

"I'll be right back with it, sir."

"I'll tell you," Ray said, "I don't have much experience living with teen-aged girls. What are Sonay's special needs?"

"Her biggest problem is managing her bladder. We're trying a new strategy with her, and we're hoping she can keep dry -- during the day, at least -- so she can start sixth grade wearing normal underwear instead of Depends."

"Sixth? I thought you said she's twelve. That would put her in seventh grade."

"Sonay's behind a year because of the medical problems she had when she was little. It's not because of her intelligence, Ray -- she always does top-notch work."

He nodded. "Actually, I think there's an advantage to being the oldest kid in a class. What does managing a bladder mean?"

"She knows how to catheterize herself."

"She has to use a catheter?" Ray asked.

"To completely empty it, yes. She may never be able to stay dry all night ... ever."

"Poor kid."

"Some kids are worse off than she is, Ray. At least she's not in a wheelchair. We're really quite fortunate."

"Count your blessings, I guess. I hope when the time comes, she finds an understanding boyfriend."

"Sonay also has to manage her bowel, but that's easier."

"How does she do that?"

"Through diet, mainly. Her problem is that she has no sense as to when she needs to go -- so it has to be on a schedule. With the right diet her colon operates like a Swiss watch. Her bladder is the real challenge."

"Is there anything else?" Ray asked. "I think I recall something about a shunt."

"It's an internal tube -- it runs from her spinal column to her abdomen and dumps surplus fluid into her belly where it's absorbed. She needs to go in for an annual CAT scan to make sure the shunt is still working."

"Does she take any medication?"

Rebecca shook her head. "No. We tried pills to help her bladder but nothing worked well enough to justify the expense."

"What about Kamelya?"

"She is a one hundred percent normal fourteen-year-old girl."

"Is there any such thing as a normal fourteen-year-old?" Ray asked.

"She's normal from a physical viewpoint -- no medical concerns."

"Good. I can't wait to meet them."

Their server presented Ray his check and he handed her his credit card. "Do you want me to drive you to the bus station?"

"Oh, Ray -- I have imposed on you so much already. I'll take a cab."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Do you still have the sixty I loaned you?"

"Of course."

"Then, I'll see if the hostess can phone for a cab. This isn't New York -- there isn't a fleet of them prowling the streets." He signed the charge slip, left bills for a tip and picked up his credit card.

Ray escorted Rebecca to the street. She parked her case by her feet. He embraced her and she rested her face on his shoulder. "Oh, Ray -- when you hold me like this I feel like a teenager myself. I feel giddy ... and not a little scared. I hope I'm up to all this."

"Don't lose confidence in your abilities," he replied.

"I used to have a dream -- I'd be trying to do something ... a performance or test or some task and be unable to ... then exposed as a fraud ... humiliated..."

"Dreams are just your subconscious sorting through the detritus of your mind."

"It is a real fear I have."

"It looks like this is your cab coming." He kissed her. "See you next week. I'll go home and start working on Ken."

"How's he going to take it?"

"Not well, I'm afraid."

Ray climbed the stairs and rapped on the door to Ken's room. "Yeah," came the reply.

He stepped inside. "What do you have to say for yourself?" Ray asked.

"I'm sorry I swore at you."

"Anything else?"

"You're right -- what you and Rebecca do isn't my business. But..."

"But what?"

"I can't believe Mom would be happy."

Ray sat on Ken's bed. "I've given that a lot of thought. Certainly if we had a choice as to how things went, we'd have chosen a different path. We must accept how things are, not how we want them to be."

"I know that."

"Your mother is resting in peace, Ken. Life must go on."

"How can you not feel guilty?"

"I resolved that by turning the tables. If I were the one who got sick and your mother was the one left alone -- I'd want her to be happy. If she could find another man who could make her happy, then I'd want her to have him."

"I don't know, Dad ... I just don't know."

"Your mother and I were secure in our love. I never was jealous and I never cheated on her. Up until I met Rebecca, she was the only woman in my life."

"Mom was the only one?" Ken asked.

"The only one, Ken."

"You never fooled around in high school or college?"

"I had her. I had no need to."

"Then maybe last night wasn't so bad," Ken replied.

"This thing with Rebecca is happening fast, I know ... but it's not something either of us undertook lightly."

"Do you really love her?"

"I do."

"Like you loved Mom?"

"I'll never love anyone like I loved her, Ken. I do love Rebecca and we may want to make a life together. I'm not asking for your approval -- not right now. I'm asking that you give us the benefit of the doubt. Can you do that?"

"Yeah ... I guess..."

"Good. There's something else."

"What's that?"

"Rebecca has taken a job here -- at Walnut Street Capital. They're a client of mine. I think you've met Kirk Gregory."

"Is he the guy who talks like a cowboy?"

"Yeah -- he's the one. It's a big move for Rebecca, so I've offered her the use of our place as a base camp, to stay here until they get settled -- a few days, a week tops. She'll be bringing her daughters. The girls will use the guest room and Rebecca will share mine. You'll need to share the bath."

Ken regarded his father and nodded.

"It's only for a few days, Ken. Can you handle that?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No choice, pal. I would appreciate it if you'd spend some time cleaning up the bathroom. I'll do some cleaning around the rest of the house."

"When are they coming?"

"Monday or Tuesday. We'll have the weekend to get ready.

Ray ran the vacuum cleaner across the carpet in the family room. "Dad," he heard Ken call. "DAD! The truck's here."

He switched off the vacuum. "Give me a hand." They headed to the garage and opened the overhead door.

The St Vincent DePaul truck parked in the driveway and the driver rolled up the tambour. Ken and Ray began handing him cardboard cartons. The driver rolled down the door, wrote a receipt and drove away.

"I can't believe you gave away all of Mom's stuff," Ken said.