2030_ The Real Story of What Happens to America - Albert Brooks [137]
“A while.”
“I see. Are you in love with him?”
“Am I in love with him?”
“When you repeat a question it always means no.”
“It means no?”
“Boy, you really don’t like this guy.”
“I am in love with him. He has been very good to me and I love him.”
Clyde smiled. “Okay. What does he do?”
How could Kathy get into this with Clyde Folsom? What should she say? He’s head of an organization that wants people like you dead? That wouldn’t come off right. “He’s an organizer.”
“What kind of organizer?”
“He works with the younger generations. He’s trying to make things fair.” Kathy hoped that would put an end to it, but of course it didn’t.
“What’s unfair, exactly?”
Kathy knew the answer and was capable of having this conversation, but here was a man who was giving her this terrific shot at independence, and what good would it do to get into this with him? Fortunately, as she was thinking of a way out, her wrist vibrated. “It’s my client. We can discuss it later, but it’s pretty boring.”
“That’s okay. Go back to work. But if you feel like talking I’m always here.”
“Thanks. I know that.” And when Kathy walked away, she realized how much Clyde made her miss her dad. This was the first time since Kathy lost her father that she felt like she was standing on her own two feet. She felt that Brian and Max, the men who had filled up the last few years of her life, were there primarily to lean on. And Kathy didn’t even know who she was when she wasn’t leaning. But that was changing. One of the things she was looking forward to the most was paying Max back the money. He kept saying it was a gift, but she didn’t want that; it made her feel like a child, which she hated.
Late that afternoon, when she closed the deal on the house, she wrote a check to Max Leonard for fifteen thousand dollars and decided to surprise him. It was only a small part of what he’d loaned her but it was a start, and that was important. Checks were not really used that much anymore, but they were still accepted, and it was still a meaningful way to hand someone a large amount of money.
Ever since Kathy had come unannounced to Max’s house and looked in the window, ever since she’d seen the Sam Mueller wall, she always called first before coming over. She didn’t want any more surprises. But this time she thought it would be great to appear at his door with a check and a kiss.
When she pulled up to Max’s house there were two motorcycles and three other vehicles parked in the driveway. There was also an electric scooter by the front door. Loud music was coming from the inside and Kathy froze for a minute. Is he having a party? Is he cheating? Maybe coming here was a bad idea. But before she could change her mind, Max saw her through the window and came outside. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“I was driving home and I had a surprise.”
“A surprise? Great. Come in.”
He gave her a quick hug and told her he was having a meeting with his associates but she was welcome to stay, at least for a little while. When Kathy walked inside there were six guys sitting around the living room, drinking and obviously in the middle of some kind of discussion. There were pictures and maps and what looked like a large model of a ship.
“What’s that?” Kathy asked.
“That’s a boat. Andre built it.” Max pointed to one of the men. Kathy didn’t know any of them except Louie. Louie looked bigger than she remembered. Whatever drugs he was taking, they made his head look huge. The other men looked foreign, either from Mexico or Europe or somewhere in Asia, Kathy couldn’t tell.
“Why did he build the boat?” she asked.
Max’s smile left his face. He wasn’t in the mood for Twenty Questions. “He’s a model maker. It’s what he does.”
Kathy sensed she was not welcome. She said she was sorry to interrupt, that she would call Max later. As she headed for the door, Max followed her, and when they got outside