The Prodigal Daughter (26 page)

“Ten thousand,”
said Abel, spitting out the words. “What do you think I
am,
a gold mine? It was only five thousand last time.”

“Inflation,”
said Henry, trying to laugh.

“This is the
last time, do you understand me?” said Abel as he took out his checkbook. “Come
begging once more and I’ll remove you from the board and turn you out without a
penny.

“You’re a real
friend, Abel. I swear I’ll never come back again-I promise you that.
Never again.”
Abel watched Henry take a cigar from the
humidor on the table in front of him and light it. George hadn’t done that in
twenty years. “Thanks, Abel. You’ll never regret your decision.”

Henry sauntered
out of the office drawing on the cigar. Abel waited for the door to he closed,
then buzzed for George. He appeared moments later.

“What happened?”

“I gave in for
the last time,” said Abel. “I don’t know whyit cost me ten thousand.”

“Ten thousand?”
said George, sighing. “You can be sur6 he’ll be back again.

I*d be willing
to put money on that.”

“He’d better
not,” said Abel, “because I’m through with him. Whatever he’s done for me in the
past it’s now quits.
Anything new about my girt?”

“I’ve set up a
facility for Florentyna with the Crocker National Bank of San Francisco,” said
George. “She has an appointment next Monday with the loan officer. The
agreement will appear to her as one of the bank’s ordinary loan transactions,
with no special favors. In fact, they’re charging her half a percent more than
usual so there can be no reason for her to be suspicious. What she doesn’t know
is that the money is covered by your guarantee.”

“Thanks, George,
that’s perfect. I’ll bet you ten dollars she pays off the loan within three
years and never needs to go back for another. “

161

“That’s not a
bet I’m willing to take,” said George.

Abel laughed.
“Keel) me briefed on everything she’s up to.
Everything.”

Florentyna
visited three banks the following Monday. The Bank of California showed some
interest, Wells Fargo none
, ,and
Crockerasked her to
call back.

Richard was
surprised and delighted.

“What terms did
they discuss?”

“The Bank of
California says it would want eight percent and has to hold the deeds of the
lease. Crocker wants eight and a half percent, the deeds and my shares in.the
Baron Group. “

“Fair
terms considering you have no banking history with them, but it will mean you
must make a twenty-five percent profit before taxes just to break even.”

“I’ve worked it
all out on paper, Richard, and I think I’ll make thirty-two percent in the
first year.”

“I studied those
figures last night, Jessie, and you’re being overly optimistic. You have no
hope of achieving that. In fact, I think the company will lose between seven
and ten thousand in the first yttar-so you’ll just have to hope they believe in
your long-term future.”

“That’s exactly
what the loan officer said.”

“When are they
going to let you know their decision?”

“By
the end of the week.
It’s worse than waiting for exam results.”

“You’ve done
well, Kane,” said the manager. “And I am advising the head office to promote
you. What I have in mind-”

The phone buzzed
on the manager’s desk. He picked it up and listened.

“It’s for vou,”
he said, surprised, before passing it to Richard.

“The Bank of
California said their loans committee had turned me down, but Crocker said yes.
Oh, Richard, isn’t that wonderful?”

“Yes, ma’am,
it’s good news indeed,” said Richard, avoiding the manager’s eyes.

“Well, that’s
very kind of you to say so, Mr. Kane. Now I also have tHs sociological problem
and I was wondering if you could help in some way.”

“Perhaps if you
were to come around the bank, ma’am, we could discuss it in greater detail.”

“What a great
idea. I’ve always had this fantasy of making love in a bank vault surrounded by
money.
Lots and lots of Benjamin Franklins staring at me.”

“I agree with
your proposition, ma’am, and I’ll call you and confirm at the first possible
opportunity.”

“Don’t leave it
too long or I may decide to move my account.”

“We always try
to be of service at the Bank of America, ma’am.”

“If you look at
my account, there’s not much sign of it.”

The phone
clicked.

“Where are we having
the celebration?” asked Richard.

“I told you over
the phone-in the bank vault.”

“Darling, when
you called I was in private conference with the manager and he was offering me
the post of number three in the overseas department. 11

“That’s
fantastic. Then it’s a double celebration. Let’s go to Chinatown and have five
takeouts and five giant Cokes.”

“Why
five, Jessie?”

“Because
Bella will be joining us.
Incidentally, Mr. Kane, I prefer it
when you call me ma’am.”

“No, I think
I’ll stick with Jessie. It reminds me how far you’ve come since we met.”

Claude arrived
that evening carrying a bottle of champagne under each arm.

“Let’s open one
immediately and celebrate,” said Bella.

“Agreed,” said
Florentyna, “but what about the other one?”

“It’s to he
saved for some special occasion that none of us could anticipate,” Claude said
firmly.

Richard opened
the first bottle and poured out four glasses while Florentyna put the second in
the comer of the refrigerator.

She signed the
lease for the tiny building on Nob Hill the next day and the Kanes moved into
the small apartment above the store. Florentyna, Bella and Richard spent their
weekends painting and cleaning while Claude, the most artistic of the four,
printed the name “Florentyna’s” in royal blue above the store window. A month
later they were ready to open.

During tier
first week as owner, manager and clerk, Florentyna contacted all the main
wholesalers who had dealt with 163 her father in New York. In no time she had a
shop full of goods and ninety days’ credit.

Florentyna
opened the little store on August 1, 1958. She always remembered the date
because just after midnight Bella produced a twelve-pound baby.

Florentyna had
sent out a large mailing announcing the opening of the store, choosing the day
before the government raised postage stamps from three cents to four. She had
also stolen an assistant named Nancy Ching-who had Maisie’s charm but
fortunately not Maisie’s IQ-from her old employers, Wayout Columbus. On the
morning of the opening, the two girls stood by the door in hopeful
anticipation, but only one person came into the store the whole day and all he
wanted to know was the way to the Mark Hopkins. The next morning, a young woman
came in and spent an hour looking at all the shirts they had in from New York.
She tried on several but
left ,without
purchasing
anything. In the afternoon another lady fussed about for a long time and
finally bought a pair of gloves.

“How much will
that be?” she asked.

“Nothing,” said
Florentyna.

“Nothing?”
queried the lady.

“That’s correct.
You are the first customer to make a purchase at Florentyna’s and there will be
no charge.”

“How kind of
you,” said the
lady.
“I shall tell all my friends.”

“You never gave
me any gloves when I shopped at Bloomingdale’s, Miss Kovats,” said Richard that
evening. “You’ll be bankrupt by the end of the month if you go on like that.”

But this time
his judgment proved wrong. The lady turned out to be president of the Junior
League in San Francisco and one word from her was worth more than a full-page
advertisement in the San Francisco Chronicle.

For -the first
few weeks Florentyna seemed to be working an eighteen-hour day, for as soon as
the doors closed she would check the inventory while Richard went over the
books. As the months passed she began to wonder how the little store could ever
hope to make a profit.

At the end of
her first year they invited Bella and Claude to join in celebrating the loss of
$7,380.

“We’ve got to
achieve better results next year,” said Florentyna finTily.

“Why?” said Richard.

“Because
our grocery bills are going to be larger.”

“
is
Bella coming to live with us?”

“No, I’m
pregnant.”

Richard was
overjoyed, and his only anxiety was that he couldn’t stop Florentyna from
working right up until the day she went iDt4,) the hospital. They celebrated
the end of their second year with a small profit of $2,000 and a large son of
nine pounds three ounces. He had only one nipple. The decision on what they
would call their firstborn, if it was a boy, had been made weeks before.

George Novak was
both shocked and delighted to be chosen godfather foi Florentyna’s son.
Although he didn’t admit as much, Abel was also pleased, for he welcomed any
opportunity to find out what was happening in his daughter’s life.

The day before
the christening, George flew out to Los Angeles to check on the progress of the
new Baron. Abel was determined to have the building completed by the middle of
September in order that John Kennedy could open it while he was on the campaign
trail. George then flew on to San Francisco confident that Abel’s deadline
would be met.

By nature George
took a long time to like people and even longer to trust them, but not so with
Richard Kane. He took to him immediately, and once he was able to see for
himself what Florent
,/
na had achieved in such a short
time, it became obvious that she could not have done it without her husband’s
common sense and cautious approach. George intended to leave Abel in no doubt
how he felt about the boy.

After a quiet
dinner the two men played backgammon at a dollar a point and discussed the
christening. “Not at all like Florentyna’s was,” George confided to Richard,
who laughed at the thought of his reluctant father-in-law spending a night in
jail.

“You seein to
throw
doubles
all the time,” said George, sipping the
R6my Martin that Richard had poured for him.

“My father...
“ said
Richard, and then hesitated for a moment, “always
accused me of being a bad loser if I made any mention of doubles.”

George laughed.
“And how is your father?”

“I’ve no idea. There’s
been no contact with him since Jessie and I were married.” George still
couldn’t get used to hearing his goddaughter being called Jessie. When he was
told the reason why, he knew it would amuse Abel.

“I’m sorry your
father seems to be reacting the same way as Abel,” said George.

165

“I remain in
touch with my mother,” continued Richard, sipping his brandy, “but I can see no
end to my father’s attitude, especially while Abel continues to try and
increase his holding in Lester’s. “

“Are you sure of
that?” asked George, sounding surprised.

“Two years ago
every banker on Wall Street knew what he was up to.”

“Abel is now so
set in his ways,” said George, “I can’t make him listen to reason. But I don’t
believe he will cause any more trouble at the moment,” he added, before
returning to his brandy. Richard didn’t inquire why: he realized that if George
wanted to explain he would.

“You see, if
Kennedy wins the election,” George continued, once he had put his glass down,
“Abel has an outside chance of a minor appointment in the new administration. I
put it no higher than that.”

“Our ambassador
to Poland, no doubt,” said Florentyna as she came into the room carrying a tray
laden with coffee cups. “He would be the first Polish immigrant to be so
honored. I’ve known about that ambition ever since our trip to Europe.”

George didn’t
reply.

“Is Henry
Osborne behind this?” asked Florentyna.

“No, he doesn’t
even know about it,” said George, relaxing back in his chair. “Your father no
longer places any trust in him. Since Henry lost his seat in Congress he has
proved unreliable, to say the least, and your father is even considering
removing him from the board.”

“At last Papa
woke up to what a nasty piece of work Henry really is.”

“I think he’s
always known, but there’s no denying Henry was useful to your father when he
was in Washington. Personally, I think he’s still dangerous despite being
removed from Congress.”

“Why?” asked
Florentyna.

“Because I suspect
he knows too much about the enmity between Abel and Richard’s father, and if he
gets into any more debt, I fear he may trade that information with Mr. Kane
direct.”