HOPE FOR CHANGE... But Settle for a Bailout (42 page)

“What?” I said.

“I mean, you know the dude.”

I slid my chair towards the head of the
table. Ed met that movement and moved a second time, which I met.
December, spoon in hand, looked at each of us sternly, as she
continued her table survey.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “What?”

“We gotta look out for the client,” said Ed,
“and, okay, we all choose our squeeze toys, but we should be asking
whether this obvious power she has over the client causes him to
act in deleterious ways? on trusts? legal obligations? on the
conduct and solvency of the operation?”

.

“If there was just one place in the whole
world you could go...,” said Gina, a slice of toast with jam held
in her fingers, as she gestured. “Where would it be?”

“If I didn’t have to drive?” said
Ralphie.

“Anywhere.”

“Then it’d be Heaven,” said Ralphie.

Gina’s face twisted in the glow of delighted
surprise.

.

“Why don’t you boys get behind me,” said
December, caught in a pincer move, as me and Ed had shifted their
imperial thrones to her end. “I got eatin’ ta’ do and yer cramping
my style.” December turned to Ed. “Move it, Big Boy,” she ordered,
and he scooted his chair behind hers.

.

Ed had just moved his chair behind December,
to sit next to Lawrence, as Ralphie answered Gina’s delighted
exclamations, of “Why?”

“What if I never make it otherwise? Sure
would want to see it at least once and not just drawings or
travel-agency pictures. After that, oh, I don’t know. Never been to
our nation’s capitol. Hear Washington is pretty in April.”

.

“I think we ought to at least talk about
this with Emily,” Ed said to me, in a hushed tone.

“And I think you’re crazy,” I told Ed. “Go
back over there,” I commanded, pointing with my pencil.

.

“Do you suppose they’re dancing?” asked
Gina. Ralphie and Larry pointed towards Ed, who had been smacked
across his shoulder, as he pulled his chair past December.

“He does do a lot of dancing,” said
Larry.

“He always is dancing,” said Gina.

“No, I mean he goes out dancing a lot… he
did with December and Anekee,” said Larry.

“The girl with the big chest, from Italy?”
asked Gina. “Why does this not surprise me?”

“Well, right now, it looks like someone
lost,” said Ralphie, reaching for his gloves, as he stood. “I will
be with the vehicle.”

.

Ed made his way back to his spot at the
table and though he had been smacked, he recovered by refilling his
plate, emerging with several strips of bacon and a bowl of corn
flakes.

Larry stood and looked straight ahead.

“Everyone,” bellowed Larry, and the entire
table quieted. “If you gotta sneeze, Ed, go ahead… do it….” said
Larry. Ed vigorously shook off the question. “Okay, then, Ralphie’s
waiting downstairs…. Lori’s waiting for us to pick her up today…
let’s all stand up, get up, and all of you – let’s get moving,”
said Larry. “Okay? Get up, get up... c’mon.”

Surprisingly, Larry’s effort to lead and
inspire appeared successful, as everyone marched their way out of
Larry’s suite, to checkout and, finally, to the Lincoln, in short
order.

Soon, Ralphie was closing the door to the
passenger cabin.

Gina sat on the jumpseat adjacent to the two
refrigerators, unbagging a variety of beverages and placing them in
the coolers.

Lena got into her seat and Ed passed very
close to her as he got into his, next to the window. “My God, Ed,”
Lena whispered. “You must be incredibly well endowed.”

Ed chuckled, as I took my seat, next to
Lena.

“Movieman,” December said to Tres, “you sit
over dere,” pointing next to me. “I’m sitting with the hunnies.
More room over here.” By the time December had reached for a diet
Coke and sat back down, Ralphie had pulled the Lincoln onto the
strip.

“How far is Denver from Las Vegas?” asked
Lena.

“L.A. is about 1,500 miles, and we didn’t
even make a third so far… because of Ed….”

“How much to where we are finally going?”
asked Tres. “L.A. to where was that? Illinois?”

“Nebraska. Like half way across, pretty
much.”

“My God, the distances,” said Lena.

“America is 5000 kilometers across, so we
are going almost 2,500… just for a sporting match,” said Tres.
“Really amazing.”

“Really something,” said Lena.

“We hopefully will do almost 1000 miles
today,” said Larry.

“That sounds incredible,” said Lena.

“We better get comfortable,” said Ed, as
Gina quietly scoffed.

“It’s a good thing the hunnies packed food,”
said December.

“Should we call Lori?” asked Gina.

“Team Lori!” cheered Ed, looking towards
December.

Larry picked up his cell from the cup holder
next to him, dialed and put the phone on speaker.

The phone rang. Larry held it in the center
of the cabin, as though a surprise party were to erupt on her
answer.

“Hey, this is Lori,” came a recorded
voice.

“Gimme dat,” said December, quickly taking
Larry’s phone and, after the beep, talking quickly. “Hey Baby!
Guess where we all are?” December signaled with her hand, in a
circular movement, prompting silence. She gave a look of
displeasure and everyone gave out loud whoops. “Yeh Baby... we’re
on our way to get’cha... So save yourself up for tonight, Baby, cuz
I expect you to be nice and ready for me, okay?” She passed the
phone to Larry. “Here you go, hunny.”

“Lori?” Larry said, tentatively. “Hey, sorry
I didn’t pick up, last night. Hey, was that a beep? Anyway, okay,
w’ull, see you soon.” Larry handed the phone to December, “I think
it cut me off.”

December didn’t take the phone. “Dat’s
yours, hunny.”

.

Lena, Ed and Tres stood in the middle of the
cabin, the sky roof open, watching the scenery of Utah roll out
before them. Tres had the camera on his shoulder. Lena and Ed, to
give the director room to film, were backed together against the
end of the sunroof, just inches apart. Lena, in jeans and a loose
blouse, turned such that she couldn’t help but back into Ed’s
pelvis, where she stayed for almost a minute, as von Sommerberg
panned.

Tres then smiled, gave a thumbs up, and
handed the camera to Lena, who held the camera, either to help
steady it, or steady herself, as together the two filmmakers
lowered the camera into my hands. I handed the camera to Larry, who
held it in his lap, as first Lena and then Ed ducked back into the
cabin, before Tres finally lowered himself into the cabin and
closed the sunroof.

“Wow, Ed,” said Lena, in a whisper anyone
could have heard.

.

“We’re getting off the main road,” said
Tres.

“Ralphie probably needs gas,” said December,
“but good timing, cuz I need to go!”

The Lincoln passed a sign, welcoming
visitors to Beaver, Utah (pop. 2,650) and pulled in to a Shell Oil
station, across from a fast food joint.

“Burger King works for me,” said December.
“Royal chambers, here we come.”

Tres and Lena giggled.

“What?” asked Ed.

“We call it royal chambers, too,” said Lena,
“but we have a Queen.”

I watched as Tres, Lena and Ed got out,
leaving just Gina and Larry still inside with me. Larry looked
unhappy. “Everything okay?” I asked.

Gina smiled and leaned towards Larry, who
sat stiffly, with a look on his face suggesting that he wanted to
learn to punch.

“Right,” I said, climbing out of the
Lincoln. “Excuse me. Royal chambers and all.”

“Take your time,” said Ralphie. “I’m gonna
add fluids.” I walked towards the Burger King and, turning, saw
Gina and Larry slowly following.

.

“This is really amazing,” said Lena, seated
next to Ed in one of the Burger King booths. The open space just
goes on and on. In America, spaces are so huge,” she said, eyes
soaking in the vast landscape of desert reds and oranges and browns
encircling them in all directions, broken only by transecting
strips of black asphalt.

“Bigger isn’t always better,” said Ed.
“Sometimes, yeh; but other times, it can be too much.”

“Oh, humbug,” spat Gina, walking away from
Ed and Lena’s vicinity, to examine the menu board. Larry got up a
moment later, and walked to the counter, touching Gina’s hand and
standing with her as she ordered.

“Dude,” said Ed, across the table from me.
“See?” He pointed to Larry and Gina. “We should hash this out with
our team’s legal advisor, for the good of the entire
enterprise.”

“What enterprise?” said Tres, reaching for
the camera, beside him.

“Oh, nothing,” said Ed, into the camera.
“Just a legal question about the client’s well-being.”

“Client?” said Lena. “Larry? He’s producing
our film. Is he in some sort of trouble?”

“For the record, Larry van der Bix is not in
any trouble,” I said, raising my voice, as I was photographed
holding several French fries in my fingers as I spoke.

“That would directly affect our finishing
this film,” said Lena.

I dropped the fries. “There in nothing bad
hanging over Larry’s head,” I said, as December walked from the
other side of the restaurant, carrying a stuffed dolphin.

“What about Larry?” December asked, as she
walked up.

“Cute,” said Lena.

“For Lori,” whispered back December.

“Nothing about Larry,” I said. “Ed, you drop
this thing for good, or I fire you here and now.”

“If you are instructing me to disregard an
ethical obligation to determine how best to protect the best
interests of the client…,” said Ed, as Larry and Gina carried a
tray to the tables.

“For there being nuthing, it sure sounds
like something,” said December.

“What sounds like something?” asked Larry,
taking a spot next to me.

“Nuthing,” said Ed.

Gina sat quietly, her hands palms up on the
table. Larry turned and silently rested his hands atop hers and she
silently spoke words capped by an “amen,” which Larry repeated, and
the two proceeded to share a salad, onion rings, egg rolls and
churros.

Larry cast a scowl towards Ed. He then took
a long breath, and it seemed that whatever energy he had been
holding just seconds before had lightened. He looked at Ed again,
and shook his head. He and Gina seemed to enjoy their chicken
salad.

It was difficult to reconcile this kid I
grew up with, to the person beside me, eating a salad, seemingly
free of ill will. Resentment had always been the spark that
animated Larry van der Bix. Through the window, I saw Ralphie
driving towards the restaurant.

“Fluids are topped and the tank’s full,”
said Ralphie. “We should get a move on, if we are going to meet
Miss Lewis tonight.”

.

Larry told Ralphie not to let anyone into
the cabin of the Lincoln until he or I opened the door. Larry
reached in to the safe mounted into the refrigerator and pulled out
a bundle of bills, which he placed into a cloth bag. Larry raised
up off the seat and put the bag so he would be sitting on it. Larry
then closed the refrigerator safe and replaced soda cans. “What’s
Ed’s thing?” Larry asked.

“Larry, it’s nothing,” I said. “Can I open
the door?”

“When I say ‘yes,’ we will be full up, so we
don’t have time to play. What is Ed’s thing?”

“He thinks Gina is having a bad effect on
you,” I said bluntly. “Thinks we ought to talk to Emily, about
whether there are any legal risks to your investments or trust
obligations.”

Larry said nothing, which is typically how
he meets a sour reality. As his lips began to form a word, there
came a rapping on the window.

“Hey, open da door,” said December.

.

“Why did the Mormons settle here?” asked
Tres, looking out the window, to the vast openness.

“Oh, I got dat one,” said December. “So dey
could get far away from da haters who didn’t like dem having all
dere women brides.”

“But why here?” said Lena.

“Look around,” said Ed. “Would you leave
your nice house in Pennsylvania or Ohio to chase a bunch of
religious followers into the badlands?”

“But are they hated?” asked Tres. “Is it all
about the polygamy?”

Larry’s phone buzzed. “LORI.” He picked it
up, put the call on speaker and answered. “Hi… The car is full of
people....”

“Team Lori!” yelled Ed, leading everyone in
the car in hooting. Lori laughed on the other end. “Hey, everyone.
You guys almost here?”

“Um,” said Larry, “still in Utah, but we’re
almost in Colorado.”

“Utah? Oh, man, I’m already checked out,”
said Lori.

I looked at Larry, who cast a scowl towards
Ed.

“Ralphie’s making good time,” I said
loudly.

“Lawrence? You came, too?”

“Me and Tres, too,” said Lena.

“Oh, heya,” said Lori. “Well, get here as
soon as you can, cuz when they lock up the facility, it is, like,
dead.”

“We’re not stopping til we reach Colorado
Springs,” said Larry.

“We ain’t leaving you behind, Baby,” said
December.

“Okay, well, see you when you make it.” The
phone went silent. Larry dropped his phone into the cup holder.
Larry sat stiffly. Gina gently slipped her hand onto his and a
moment later, he seemed to melt, and he sat back, as did Gina, into
the leather seat, the two of them becoming one.

“Hey,” said Ed, across Lena and Tres, to me.
“Maybe it’s a good thing.”

I looked to Larry. He had his eyes closed,
and was holding both of his hands around Gina’s.

.

Ed downed a Cactus Cooler, his second since
Burger King, and set the can in the nearly-full plastic bag hanging
next to the refrigerator. “It’s evil, what these long trips do,”
said Ed.