“No, Archie,” said Harrison. “The black girl.”
They all realized he was looking at their waitress. “Thatgirl?” asked his stunned COO.
They all looked at Jayda. Then they all looked at Harrison. “You’re joking,” said his stunned CEO.
“Does it look like I’m joking?”
“Well.No.”
“My father is a very progressive man. Big on civil rights and the rest of it for as long as I can remember.”
“Poor fellow,” said Dalton, and they all laughed. All except for Harrison.
And just like that they had forgotten that they didn’t even know the political leanings of their boss. They were all staunch Republicans, and only fraternized with people of a similar ilk, but what was Harrison? They really knew next to nothing about his private life, including that part of it. The only reason theyknew about Gweneth at all was that she was raised among the Kennebunkport and Southampton blue-bloods right along with them, and they all ran in the same social circles still to this day.
Harrison continued. “The fact that I would bring somebody so outside of the norm would interest him more than a run-of-the-mill socialite.”
“But I thought your thing were redheads,” said Archie.
“I thought big-boobed redheads were your type too,” said Dalton.
“And what led you to think that?” asked Harrison. They knew next to nothing about his private life.
“They’re basing it on Gweneth,” said Carter. “I’m basing it on all those women you used to date in our younger days. More than a few of them were redheads. At least I thought they were. I thought that was your type.”
“I don’t have a type,” said Harrison.
But then Carter began nodding his head and smiling. “Actually, there’s some validity to your idea,” he said. “HB is a flaming liberal if you ask me. And you’re right: He always has been. You bring home a cute little innocent-looking black girl and maybe, just maybe that’ll take it over the top for you. Very clever, Harrison. Very clever. That’s why you’re the boss.”
But Archie was shaking his head. “I don’t see it. Not this. What’s so clever about choosing a black waitress over someone in our social ranks? How on earth could HB find any positive whatsoever in such a minefield of a decision? He’ll rule her a gold-digging hussy on day one and will refuse to allow Harrison anywhere near his fortune. Maybe even his estate. Old white liberals like your father talk a good game, but they don’t invite that game into their homes. We’ll all be doomed!”
“It’s a risk for sure,” said Carter, the numbers man at the table. “But it’s a calculated risk that could very well give Harrison the upper hand.”
“But will she do it?” asked Dalton.
Carter frowned. “She works in a restaurant. Of course she’ll do it.”
Harrison stood up, and they all quickly followed suit. “I’m due on a conference call. I’ll be in the limo. Set up a meeting in a couple weeks, Friday night, at the penthouse.”
Carter was confused. “A couple weeks? At your dinner party?”
“Yes.”
“But do you think that’s wise? Bringing her to your home I mean?”
“I’m not taking her to my father’s home without having a conversation with her. Of course it’s wise. I’m going to be in Europe for the next two weeks so that’s the only available time I have before I meet with Father. I need to see what she’s made of.”
Then Carter slowly smiled. “You ruthless sonafabitch. Feeding her to the wolves already?”
“What do you think my family is going to be?Sheep? Better to get fed on my end,” he said. And then he left.
They all sat back down.
“Why doesn’t that man have a bodyguard yet?” asked Archie. “I’m still uncomfortable with that.”
“Nobody knows him. They know his company. They know his father’s company. They even know his name. But they don’t know his face because he’s so reclusive. But in any event, he does have a bodyguard.”
“Who?”
