Played (21 page)

Baffled at his abrupt change of mood, I
bade him good night and went in. For the first time in weeks, I didn't fall
into a deep sleep the moment my head hit the pillow. Instead, I lay awake for
hours, trying without success to sort out my emotions, my plans and my life.

~~~

There were just three more weeks until
classes ended, and then another week for finals in the courses that required
them. Other classes had term papers due, and I was woefully behind. I went to
each professor and pleaded temporary insanity. That is, I told them I'd been
depressed and may have missed turning in homework assignments. Most were
sympathetic, and allowed me to make up the assignments. The others told me the
grade was largely dependent on the term paper anyway, and recommended I spend
my time on that. Now, instead of sleeping all the time, I was frantically
trying to catch up.

On the first weekend after my wake-up call,
Ri insisted I get out of the room for at least one night of rest and
relaxation, by which she meant drinking and dancing. I didn't have the heart to
argue with her, figuring she was probably right anyway. Of course, she also had
in mind throwing Drew and me together again, as she and Greg were getting on
famously. I didn't mind, but I wondered how Drew would feel about it.

We'd had a good time at Club 90 the
previous weekend, despite my near-disaster, so we went back. This time, Drew
and I danced every dance until we needed to catch our breath, and then we sat
and attempted to talk. Now our talk avoided sexual innuendo. Instead, we talked
about his career and my family, my plans and his family.

His true desire to go pro had to do with
the ability to get his family out of the slum they'd lived in all his life. His
dad, a functioning alcoholic, had a job that didn't quite cover the basics for
his large family, much less the extras. His mom, I learned, had abandoned the
family for another man, sick of his dad’s shortcomings. He and his next younger
sister had practically raised the other four by themselves.

Any money that Drew had, he worked hard for
in the summers and saved for expenses during the school year. His tuition, room
and board were covered by his basketball scholarship, which was why it would
have been such a big deal for him to lose it. My respect for his work ethic
grew, along with my shame that I'd accepted some overly indulgent spending on
me. I had a generous allowance from Russ, and could have been paying my own way
or even treating Drew, except for some old-fashioned ideas about men's and
women's roles in relationships such as ours.

Drew also expressed interest in Russ's
business ventures, and his eccentric decision to live rather simply on the
Wyoming ranch he'd inherited from his godparents. Drew thought if he had that
kind of money, he might flash it around in Los Angeles, or New York. When I
expressed surprise, he said he was kidding, but I wondered what would happen if
a lucrative NBA contract came his way at the end of his senior year. Would he
be able to control himself, and save for the inevitable time he wouldn't be
able to play anymore? It occurred to me that Drew could greatly benefit from a
heart-to-heart talk with Russ, but I didn't know how to suggest it or how to
make it happen.

By the end of the evening, I had a newfound
respect for Drew's intelligence and character aside from his talent, and he had
a sobering glimpse of my life, the ugly early part as well as my desire to make
my own way in the world instead of staying dependent on Russ all my life. He
said he understood why I was going back to the ranch for the summer and maybe
staying there for another couple of years before finishing my college degree.

When he walked me to the dorm, he gave me a
circumspect kiss on the cheek and left me standing there wondering why I longed
for more. We had established some emotional distance that was going to allow us
to be good friends. Why did I want to rock the boat? Did I just crave a
physical connection to someone, anyone? Or, were my feelings genuinely about
Drew? I no longer trusted my ability to judge.

I couldn't wait to see Charity, confess my
confusion, and get her take on it. Before that happened, I was blindsided by a
force of nature: my roommate. Ri was watching me closely for a return of the
depression that had gripped me before. As soon as I started thinking about my
dilemma, she spotted the change in my demeanor and called me on it.

"What is it now, chica?" she
asked, not unkindly. I thought about refusing to talk about it, but that would
have only made her more determined. I sighed.

"I'm feeling things for Drew again, Ri,
and I don't know if they're real."

Exasperated, she blew air out of her lips
forcefully. "I don't know either, bi-otch, but you better figure it out.
I'm not gonna let you stomp on my boy again. Because, I can tell you, he has
feelings for you, and they are definitely real. You need to get your shit
together and decide, quit blowin' in the wind like a damn weather vane."

"He does? He's not showing them to me.
Besides, should you be telling me this? Aren't you betraying a
confidence?"

"I don't care if I am. I'm so fucking
sick of the two of you going back and forth. It's like Romeo and Juliet or
something. One of you's going to end up dead. I've got half a mind to tell him
you're interested, too, just to get you on the same page for once."

"Ri! Don't you dare," I gasped.
She promised she wouldn't, and I relaxed. Surely, she wouldn't risk Drew's
heart again. The next weekend was bittersweet as we all were aware it was our
last together until fall semester. Maybe my last one with them forever, since I
still didn't plan to come back next fall. Drew seemed to have accepted that we
wouldn't get together this spring.

I didn't know what had gotten into him; he
was laughing and joking with the rest of them, as if nothing had happened
between us. Though it gave me a twinge of regret, I was glad for him. He didn't
even try to take me home to the dorm, so I caught a ride with Ri and counted
myself lucky that there wouldn't be another awkward good night.

I had turned in three term papers, and had
only two finals for the following week. Thanks to my last minute push, I was
ready for them. I would be through by Wednesday, packed and on my way to the
ranch by Thursday afternoon. I couldn't wait to see Gracie.

Ever since Easter, I'd been telling myself
that I couldn't wait for summer at the ranch, but at the end of April, summer
was just a concept in Wyoming. Late spring snow and high winds kept the high
country gripped in winter until the end of spring, most years. This year was no
exception. Fortunately, however, the weather as I drove east eagerly cooperated
and I made good time, reaching home in time for dinner.

No one expected me so early, so I was able
to get into the kitchen through the back door with no fanfare. Janet looked up,
startled at my entrance, and gave me a welcoming smile. It was the best I could
expect, since Janet was well known not to be demonstrative. Still, I stepped
over and gave her a hug, which she returned. I always suspected she was fonder
of us than she let on.

"It's good to see you, Janet. I'm home
for a while, now. After I've seen Gracie, is there anything I can do in here to
help you?"

Janet threw me a horrified look. "Have
you learned to cook since you've been away?"

"No, I was just being polite," I
laughed. Janet picked up a nearby dishtowel and flicked it at me.

"Get out of my kitchen and go see your
daughter," she laughed back at me.

I found Gracie with Amber and Ethan in the
playroom, as I'd expected. Amber flew up to hug me, but Gracie got between us
and held up her chubby arms for me to pick her up. "Mommy, mommy,
mommy!" she was squealing. The commotion frightened Ethan, who let out a
wail of distress. Amber picked him up, and then we just looked at each other
both of us burdened by toddlers who were far too heavy for us. We were both
smiling ear to ear.

"Welcome home, Janey," Amber
said. "It’ll be so good to have you here for the summer."

"Maybe for longer than that," I
reminded her.

"I'll bet you ten dollars that you end
up going back," she said, a mischievous grin on her face. I wondered for
just a few seconds what she was up to, but then Gracie was pulling my face
toward hers for a kiss, and I forgot all about it.

"Amber, do you need to help Janet in
the kitchen?" I asked. "I can watch the kids, if you do. Janet threw
me out," I said, pretending to pull a rueful face.

"Oh, no. You know Janet, you have to
force her to accept help, and I'm just not up for it."

"Where's Charity? I would've thought
should be here with you guys," I said.

"Usually Katy would be, at least. But,
they all went into town for Jack's eight-week checkup."

"Aren't they a week late?" I
asked.

"Yes, but Russ was out of town last
week, so they waited. Russ always goes with Charity to the kids’
checkups."

I'd known that, and thought it was
wonderful. Where I grew up, the men paid virtually no attention to the
children, until the girls were old enough for their notice.

"So, you're going to work for Russ
while you're here?" Amber asked.

"That's the plan," I said.
"I need to earn my keep around here, Russ's obligation to me ended over a
year ago, when I turned eighteen."

"I know what you mean. I often think
that just watching Katy for a few hours a day is nowhere near enough to thank
Russ and Charity for all they've done."

"You might as well put that out of
your head; none of us are ever going to be able to repay them."

~~~

Russ insisted that I take Friday and the
weekend off to relax before starting work. I was so entranced with my daughter
and her development since the last time I'd seen her, that I didn't argue. It
was wonderful just watching her and having her come to tell me about everything
she was doing. Amber plied me with questions about college, but all I told her
was about how classes went, and how much I enjoyed learning in that
environment.

On Monday, after breakfast, I presented
myself at Russ's doorway to begin my training. He had me take a seat in a comfortable
chair of the seating arrangement at the side of the room, and joined me there.

"How much do you know about my
business, Janey?" He asked.

"Well, Charity has told us you're
called an angel investor, but I'm not sure what that means."

"Let me start from the beginning,
then. I started my first business while I was still at Harvard," he
explained. "I had a bit of luck, and the business made enough money that
someone wanted to buy it from me. That gave me enough cash to invest in another
business, and to be able to come out here where I was raised to live on this
ranch. You knew I inherited it from my godparents?" Seeing my nod, he went
on.

"A couple of years later, I was able
to sell the new business, again for a nice profit. I wanted to invest in another,
but the one that was most attractive would have required me to move away and
manage it myself. So, I asked the owner if he would be willing to stay, but I
would become his partner. All the business needed was some capital to make some
improvements. That was my first foray into capital investment. After that,
somehow I got the reputation of having cash to invest and being willing to
invest it in companies that banks wouldn't touch. I now own varying shares of
about thirty-five businesses, and just the paperwork to track how they're all
doing has become more than a full-time job for me. However, I'm more valuable
to the businesses as a consultant to the folks who are running them. That's
where you come in."

Before I decided to take Russ up on his
offer of college tuition, I had studied business computer skills, along with
the rest of my sisters. So I knew a bit about what kind of paperwork he meant.
"You need me to update your spreadsheets and maybe run summary reports, is
that right?"

"Something like that. We’ll start
there, but as soon as you're comfortable with the data, I'm also going to want
you to run analytical reports and alert me to anything that will need my
personal attention soon."

I was beyond excited. Call me a nerd, but
the chance to peek inside Russ’s business pursuits was a tremendous
opportunity. If I ever came into enough money to start, I would love to follow
his example, building a fortune that would help my entire family. After all,
Russ used his good fortune to do a great deal of good in the world.

He had not only taken in my sisters and me
and all our kids, but every season brought in two or three new hands who needed
a boost out of their former lives. Though we girls had been pampered while the
hands were required to work for their keep, we all got much more out of it than
Russ did, unless he did it for the sheer joy of being able to help. For all his
commanding and demanding ways, Russ was a softy and we all knew it.

I threw myself happily into my work, and
who wouldn't? My commute was from the breakfast table to the small office that
Russ converted from a bedroom for me. Anytime I missed my daughter, I could
take a break, run to the playroom and give her a hug or watch her while I
enjoyed a cup of coffee. Lunch was provided, and there wasn't enough work to
keep me busy for more than five or six hours a day. It was the perfect job.

Russ professed amazement that I could
handle all of it so quickly, but then, he was a two-finger typist. I was much
faster at data entry, for one thing. Within a few weeks, Russ began to show me
what all those numbers meant, what it meant when they trended up, what it meant
when they trended down. The diversity in the types of businesses into which he
had invested was amazing to me. How did he know about everything that went into
each of them?

Russ let me in on the secret. He didn't
have to know all of that, because he always retained the previous owners as his
partners, or, if the business was already a corporation, he took a place on the
board, but didn't take the CEO position. Instead, he coached each of the people
who were ultimately responsible for profitable business practices in sound
fiduciary theory.

Once he was convinced that their
shortcomings in that area were corrected, he simply asked them to make regular
reports, and left them to run the business themselves. Only if he couldn't
develop them into well informed business people, did he take steps to replace
them with others who could run the business profitably. Then he would begin
searching for the next business to salvage with his capital input.

Russ had the touch of gold, just like King
Midas. The more money he invested, the more he made. I was awestruck when I
finally understood that I was working for one of the wealthiest men in the
world. Down-to-earth Russ White, Wyoming rancher, husband to Charity, father to
Katy and Jack and father-figure to countless kids who needed a break, was a multibillionaire.
I’d known he was well to do, but I had no real understanding of the extent of
it. No wonder he was so bossy, he really did know everything.

~~~

All through May and most of June, though I
was busy learning the ins and outs of Russ's businesses, there was plenty of
time to stay in touch with Ri through texts and social media. Occasionally, Drew
showed up in a picture she posted, among others of her friends. He looked good.
Ri didn't talk about him much, only in passing, and only with reference to
something funny he'd said or done while out with the group. I missed the scene;
I had to admit. I hadn't yet changed my mind about postponing my sophomore year,
though.

As much as I'd loved reading, which had
informed my choice of my college major, I found Russ's business activities even
more fascinating. By now, he was having me compose business letters, simply
telling me what he wanted to get across, and leaving me to word it in my own
way, just checking it over before he signed it to be sure I had captured his
intent. One day I asked him if he thought I should change my major to business.

"That depends, Janey. In the first
place, have you changed your mind about going back to school in the fall?"

"Not really, I was just thinking ahead
to when I do go back to school."

"You do seem to have a knack for
this," he said. "I guess your question means you find it interesting,
as well." It occurred to me that Russ was very perceptive, most people
would have assumed I was only interested because of the large sums of money
that could be made, and to be truthful that was part of it. Nevertheless, I
really did find it fascinating that a few minor adjustments in analysis and
decision-making on the part of the business owners who had previously been
failing could turn a business around so profoundly, and so quickly. It was like
watching Russ perform magic tricks, and I wanted to know how they were done.

"You have no idea," I said.
"Seeing what you can do with the business that's failing is better than
watching a movie or going to a circus."

"I'll take that as a compliment, I
think," he laughed. "Better than reading a good book?"

"I wouldn't go that far," I
teased.

We were laughing together over that
exchange when Amber came to Russ's door.

"Sorry to interrupt. Janey, you have a
guest."

Curious, I sobered at once. I wasn't
expecting anyone, who could it be? "Who is it?" I asked.

"He said you'd know him, but he didn't
give his name."

Now, I was alarmed. It could be anyone.
What if it were Justin? I asked Russ to accompany me to the front door, feeling
his large presence would offer me some security.

I could not have been more surprised if
Santa Claus had dropped in. Just inside the vestibule, stood Drew. Being away
from him for a few weeks had made me forget his imposing figure. On the other
hand, perhaps he had put on weight. His six-foot six frame seemed more heavily
muscled than I remembered. That he was wearing camp shorts and a tight T-shirt
added to the impression. The other surprise was the visceral reaction I had to
the sight of him.

At the sight of Russ with me, Drew's stance
changed subtly, as if he were coiling for action. Not defensive, nor
aggressive, it still gave me the impression of a magnificent animal getting
ready to defend its territory.

There was no question that Russ had the
same impression. Without even looking at him, I knew he had drawn himself up to
his full height and was ready to bristle with menace at the slightest hint that
this unexpected guest was also unwelcome. I knew instinctively that I must act
to avoid an unfortunate incident.

"Drew!" I cried in a glad voice.
I rushed to him and he immediately enveloped me in a bear hug. Knowing that
Russ would have relaxed, I kept my eyes on Drew. "What are you doing here?
How did you find us? Why didn't you call?"

"Wait, wait. One question at a
time," he laughed. "I came to see you, of course. Ri told me how to
find you. I didn't call because I was afraid to tell me not to come."

I quickly glanced over my shoulder, to see
what the last sentence had done to Russ's attitude. He only looked curious, but
he wasn't leaving, nor was Amber. This was going to play out in public, whether
I liked it or not.

"Well, now that you're here, come in.
Can you stay for dinner? How long are you here for? Where are you
staying?"

"Janey, if I didn't know better, I'd
swear you were glad to see me. Yes, if I'm welcome, I can stay for dinner. How
long I'm here for depends on you. And I guess I'll get a hotel in town."