by Jim Wygand
IV
“Shit! I wasn’t ready for this” Charlie thought as he drove home “talk about nuts! The whole damned town betting on and talking about my life and I don’t have the slightest idea how to stop it!” That wasn’t the kind of power Charlie wanted. He didn’t want a whole town talking about him and whether he had a girlfriend or not. He imagined people talking about him at the Rotary Club, and Lion’s Club meetings and in beauty shops. This was a mess and Charlie Mullins was worried.
The next morning Charlie had a meeting at the auditing firm of Wexler and Santori in Camden. The firm had been the external auditors of the Shaw Corporation ever since the company had been founded. It grew with the Shaw Corporation as it mushroomed from a small equipment repair shop to its current status as a major multinational. A few times it had been suggested to Phillip Shaw II, the son of Shaw’s founder, that the company use a more prestigious auditing firm – one of the big ones. “Junior” as Phillip was called by the older employees at Shaw, said he had no objection to hiring one of the big auditing firms if someone could give him a good reason for doing so. He said he saw no reason for dropping Wexler and Santori simply because they were a local firm. Besides, they knew the company inside and out in a way that no new auditing firm possibly could and he saw no reason to pay higher fees just because the new auditors were “prestigious”. Since no one was ever able to offer a good reason to change, Wexler and Santori continued to audit Shaw’s books, file its tax returns, and provide support to Charlie’s department.
Charlie knew all of the auditors at Wexler and Santori on a first name basis. Many had been at the firm for as long as Charlie had been at Shaw.
Shaw Corporation was a closely held family-owned company. It was professionally managed and only one family member, Phillip II, worked for the company. There were no outside shareholders, the company had no debt and was flush with cash so preparing the audit report was more an internal affair than a public matter. The annual report was sent only to family members, the local banks, some local and a couple of national newspapers, and was, of course, available to the tax authorities should they wish to inspect. Shaw was the darling and the target of the banking community. Every bank in the country wanted to loan money to the cash-rich company. Every investment bank salivated at the prospect of underwriting a public stock issue by Shaw. Initial public offerings, IPOs, offered enormous opportunities for helping “friends” of the bankers. If you do it right, the regulatory authorities are none the wiser and everybody makes out. To the chagrin of the bankers, Phillip Shaw and the members of his family were not interested in going public – at least not at this time. Phillip was still young and while probably the last Shaw who would run the company, the family could wait until he retired before considering a public offering. That might be a good twenty years from now.
Charlie left home earlier than usual to allow himself time to evade any surveillance from what he now referred to as “The Crazy Ladies of Shoreville”. If necessary he would double back on his route to see if anyone was following him. He cursed under his breath at the inconvenience this was causing but he had to protect his privacy and “The Crazy Ladies of Shoreville” had made it necessary for him to be more vigilant. Charlie decided to take the New Jersey Turnpike to Camden. There were two service areas along the route where he could stop to see if he was being followed and anyone from Shoreville trying to pick him up en route would probably expect him to use Interstate 95 as he usually did.
The usual 30 minute ride to Camden took almost an hour as Charlie stopped along his route and then took a few evasive maneuvers when he got off at exit #4 and headed toward Camden. He was satisfied that he was not being followed. He pulled into Wexler & Santori’s lot and entered the building.
Phyllis Collins, the receptionist, was at her usual post. “Hello, Mr. Mullins, it’s good to see you. You’re here to see Mr. Cummins, right?”
“Yes, thanks Phyllis. How’s the family? Boys OK?”
“Oh yeah, Mr. Mullins. They’re doing just fine. Thanks. Just a second and I’ll buzz Mr. Cummins.”
Phyllis told Bill Cummins that Charlie had arrived and was on the way up to his office. Charlie walked to the elevator, “Thanks, Phyllis, see ya on the way out!”
Bill Cummins was a senior partner in the Wexler & Santori firm and was Charlie’s principal liaison. Charlie liked Bill – he was competent and steady. Cummins’ secretary was waiting and showed him into his office. “Charlie, good to see you. How was the traffic on the way up?”
“Same as usual, Bill, how are you doing?”
“Fine, thanks. Have a seat. I received the reports the other day. Fred Perkins sent them over.”
“He signed off on them?”
“Yeah, Charlie, I know it must kill him to not find any errors or things to question. He initialed everything, as usual. Sometimes I think he should just initial with a swastika – everybody would know it was him anyway.”
Charlie let a wry smile cross his face but he said nothing. He did not like to encourage comments about others in the company, even among friends.
“OK, Bill, let’s go through the documents and see if you have any questions or changes you think should be made.”
In spite of the fact that Perkins had signed off on all of the reports, Charlie liked to follow up to make sure nothing had been missed. Perkins would like nothing better than to let some error slip through that he could later blame on Charlie to make him look bad with senior management. He would give Charlie one of those “what-are-you-trying to-do-to me?” lectures. Charlie had seen those lectures with other employees. Fred would accuse the object of his wrath of trying to embarrass him with senior management by purposely overlooking an error in the report. He would rant that the employee was bucking for promotion at his expense and then go into his “who-do-you-think-you-are-anyway?” spiel, finishing with a scathing comment about how presumptuous and stupid the employee must be.
So, Charlie would make sure that once Fred Perkins had signed off, he would double check with Bill Cummins to make sure all was in order.
“Let’s go through the reports. You want some coffee?”
“Sure Bill, coffee’s fine.”
Cummins pushed the intercom button on his desk, “Myrna, would you be good enough to order some coffee for me and Mr. Mullins, please?”
“Yes sir, Mr. Cummins.” In a couple of minutes a white-jacketed kitchen employee entered the office with a hot pot of coffee and two porcelain china cups, matching sugar bowl and creamer with real cream. He served Charlie and Cummins and then departed as discreetly as he had entered. This was the service reserved for long-standing and well-regarded clients at Wexler & Santori. Those dealing with the junior auditors got their coffee from the Mr. Coffee coffeemakers that were scattered around the labyrinth of small offices on the second floor. They drank it in Styrofoam cups and used powdered creamer.
Cummins went to his large and expensive walnut desk and picked up a file folder marked “SHAW-2nd QTR CURRENT YEAR”.
“Here we are, Charlie. Everything is in order. I did make a couple of adjustments on the taxes payable calculation because you had a carry-forward from last quarter. It was nothing major, but why give the government more than it deserves, right?”
“OK, Bill, let me see the adjustments.” Charlie went through the changes in the report making sure to initial the changes he saw. “It looks good, Bill. Go ahead and consolidate and send me the statements.”
“Done, Charlie, by the way, Phil Shaw was in here last week. Seems some more investment bankers were after him to go public. Any news in that area?”
“Nah. You know those guys, always looking for a deal. Phillip Shaw is not about to give up family control of this company until he is good and ready. He’s got no reason to. The company is flush with cash. Profits are good. If he went public now, some sharks would smell blood and try a takeover just to get their hands on that money. I’ll bet that before he does anything he will take a couple of poison pil
ls first. He’ll pay out some dividends, take out some loans, and only then go public. He won’t want to see the company dismembered for its cash. Shaw is one of the few companies left that still has a reputation for being loyal to its employees and won’t see them put out of their jobs by some Wall Street sharks!”
“Yeah, it’s not like he needs the money either!” Cummins laughed.
“That’s for damned sure. Old man Shaw worked damned hard to build this company and he’s now got the assets to prove it!”
“Hey Charlie, did you ever think about getting up close to one of the available Shaw sisters? They’re not bad looking and Cecilia Shaw is divorced and they say she is looking around! You’re a good looking bachelor guy. Why not make a pitch?”
“You gotta be kidding, Bill! You know the saying; ‘When you marry for money you really earn it’? I can’t run with that crowd! Weekends in Bermuda, polo ponies, soirees in Washington and New York, private jets and all that. That’s way out of my league Bill. Besides, I suspect that the crowd she runs with would be more than just a bit boring for me. Not my type. I can handle a softball game in Shoreville, but I don’t think I could handle a polo match in the Hamptons!”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right Charlie. That is a fast crowd. Listen, you want to stay for lunch? I can have the kitchen fix something up if you want to stay around for a while.”
“No, thanks anyway Bill, I’ve got some stuff I have to do before I go back to the office. I’d better get going. Will you send me the copies of the changed reports for my files?”
“Sure, Charlie. They’ll go out in the afternoon pouch. You’ll have them by end-of-business today. Good to see you again. Drive carefully.”
Charlie took his leave and headed out to the parking lot. He looked around to see if any of “The Crazy Ladies of Shoreville” were parked nearby. When he was certain that he was not being watched or followed, he got into his car and left the Wexler & Santori parking lot and headed for the Ben Franklin bridge and into Philly. He would stop by Gina’s place before going to the office.
V
Gina Ferrelli and Charlie first met after his divorce. He had looked up some of his old college-day friends in Philly and one evening while he and Joey Esposito were having dinner in a small South Philly trattoria that neither had been to before, Gina walked in with a group of friends. One of Gina’s friends worked with Joey and the group joined Joey and Charlie at the table.
Charlie and Gina hit it off immediately. She had an easy laugh and a relaxed way about her that Charlie found captivating. She was beautiful and sexy as hell but she did not flaunt it. She seemed almost unaware of or perhaps didn’t care about her effect on men – which was considerable to say the least. She possessed the kind of beauty and bearing that causes a restaurant to suddenly get quiet when she walks in as the patrons wonder what movie they had seen her in. She carried herself like the model she could easily have been if she wanted, and her smile was quick and natural. She was a beautiful woman who was comfortable with herself.
When the evening ended, Charlie asked if she came often to the trattoria and she said it was one of her favorite places and she and her friends often stopped in for a glass of wine. Reluctant to ask for her phone number after just meeting her, Charlie said “Great, I’d never been here before. It’s really a great place and I hope I see you here again.”
To his surprise, Gina said “Why don’t you stop by this Saturday night? My friends and I will probably be dropping in about 9-o-clock.”
Charlie could hardly wait until Saturday night to go back to the trattoria and hope that Gina would show up. She did. It was just a little before 9:15 when Gina walked in with a couple and a female friend. She saw Charlie and waved him over to her table. It was all he could do to keep from running to the table.
“Hello, Charlie, why don’t you join us? It’s nice to see you here again.”
“Thank you, Gina. Since you said you would be here tonight, I thought I would stop by. I really did enjoy meeting you last week.”
“Why, thank you Charlie. That’s nice and quite charming. It’s also nice to know you would drive up from Jersey just to see me again.”
“Is she nuts or just toying with me?” Charlie thought, “I’d drive from Alaska in a blizzard just to get a glance at her. God knows what I would do to be with her for an hour or two!”
For the first time in his life Charlie was flustered. He could think of nothing to say but, “Well, I enjoyed myself so much last week that I thought I would treat myself to a repeat.”
Charlie noticed that as soon as Gina had suggested he join her table a waiter was immediately standing nearby with a chair. He mused to himself that beautiful women must always get that kind of attention. Waiters, doormen, taxi drivers, traffic cops, department store clerks, hell, any male of the species will go out of his way to be helpful to a beautiful woman. He couldn’t decide if he thought such deference would be welcome or discomfiting to someone like Gina. Charlie noticed that she thanked the waiter by his first name and did not take such deference for granted.
The evening was a pleasant one. Gina’s friends were interesting and conversational and not at all part of the “fast crowd” that Mary Jo had wanted to run with. The lone female was a psychologist with a small clinical practice in Philly and the couple was part of Philly’s growing artist community that lived in the area known as “So-So” at the far end of South Philly.
Once again Charlie had one of the most relaxing and enjoyable evenings he could remember. The conversation flowed. There was no posturing or phoniness. Nobody was trying to prove anything to anybody else. Charlie could hardly wait for another evening like this one.
However, he was still reluctant to ask Gina for a date or for her telephone number. He was sure that a woman as beautiful as she was constantly being hit on and he did not want her to think he was just one more of the many that probably had tried to get her into bed. Not that Charlie thought that would not be an interesting proposition. He just found her so captivating and fun that he was reluctant to risk seeming to come on too strong. When the evening ended, Charlie once again asked Gina if she would be showing up at the trattoria again the following week. She smiled and said, “Well, if you are going to be here, I’ll make it a point to show up.”
“Deal!” said Charlie, not believing what he had just heard, “See you then, about the same time?”
“OK” said Gina “drive carefully back to Jersey.”
Charlie’s week seemed to drag by. He went bowling on league night with some of the guys from Shoreville, but his mind was in Philly. “Hey Charlie, snap out of it! We need a strike on this one!” Tony Mazza yelled, “Let’s go, you’re up.”
Charlie managed to force himself to concentrate and rolled the requisite strike for his team to win the evening. Later, over beer Tony Mazza asked him, “You’re not takin’ your work home are ya, Charlie? You look like you’re up in the clouds somewhere. No company is worth messing up your bowling average!”
Charlie laughed. “You´re right, Tony I was just daydreaming a little. But, we won, right? Let’s have another beer to celebrate. Hey Mildred, bring us another round, willya?” Charlie yelled to the waitress.
“That all you want is a beer, Charlie?” Mildred yelled back. Tony and Charlie both laughed. Mildred didn’t hide her needs. “Yeah, Millie, that’s all for today at least!”
Charlie poured himself into his work for the rest of the week and he took off again for Philly on Saturday.
He was back in the trattoria at 9-o-clock that night when Gina walked in. She was alone this time. Charlie waved to her from his table and as she started over to the table he noticed that she was wearing a simple black dress and a string of pearls. She was absolutely stunning and he had to work to keep his jaw from falling. Charlie got up to greet her and pull her chair but the waiter was already there holding it for Gina. “Thank you, Johnny.” Gina said. Charlie stood there for a minute before realizing he had to sit down again.
/> “Hi, Gina, how was your week?”
“Hi to you too, Charlie, it was fine. Nice and calm, the way I like it.”
The idea that Gina would like a calm week and could actually have one was something Charlie could not quite grasp. He imagined her having to run from guys following her around the entire time.
“Where are your friends tonight?” Charlie asked. “You look like you just came from dinner at some nice place. That’s a nice dress.” Charlie thought, “Mullins, you are sounding so damned stupid!”
“No, I’m not coming from a dinner. I’m going to one. I thought maybe you might be a bit tired of this trattoria, so I thought you and I might go out for dinner. I hope I am not being too forward. I mean we can stay here if you want, but I thought you might want to vary the routine a little. Is that okay?”
Charlie’s heart was almost in his mouth. He had not expected to be invited to dinner by this marvelous creature sitting across from him. “Why no, I mean, yes. I mean yes it’s okay and no, you are not being forward. Yeah, let’s go to dinner.”
Suddenly Charlie wondered where he should take Gina. Her outfit was appropriate for any nice restaurant but her looks justified only the best. He had no idea what she might be used to. This was not the kind of woman you would take out for a Philly cheese steak sandwich! On the other hand, he did not want to seem to be showing off or seeming to be trying to impress her. After only a couple of meetings, he knew that Gina Ferrelli was not easily impressed and would not be bowled over by the most expensive place in town. He thought, “Where the hell can I take her to dinner that we can eat well and have the right atmosphere without seeming to want to impress?”
He suddenly remembered a very nice restaurant on S. 17th Street. “He asked Gina if she knew the place. She did and liked it.
“I know it, and it’s just fine Charlie. I would just like a quiet evening, a good meal, and some interesting conversation with a gentleman. That OK, Charlie?”
