The Best Laid Plans

‘Well, I’m getting on, but I do the best I can.’

‘You asked to see me, Todd?’

‘Yes, Oliver. Sit down.’

Oliver took a chair.

‘I want you to help me out with a legal problem I’m having in Paris. One of my companies over there is in trouble. There’s a stockholders’ meeting coming up. I’d like you to be there for it.’

‘I’ll be glad to. When is the meeting? I’ll check my calendar and –’

‘I’m afraid you’d have to leave this afternoon.’

Oliver stared at him. ‘This afternoon?’

‘I hate to give you such short notice, but I just heard about it. My plane’s waiting at the airport. Can you manage it? It’s important to me.’

Oliver was thoughtful. ‘I’ll try to work it out, somehow.’

‘I appreciate that, Oliver. I knew I could count on you.’ He leaned forward. ‘I’m real unhappy about what’s been happening to you. Have you seen the latest polls?’ He sighed. ‘I’m afraid you’re way down.’

‘I know.’

‘I wouldn’t mind so much, but …’ He stopped.

‘But –?’

‘You’d have made a fine governor. In fact, your future couldn’t have been brighter. You would have had money … power. Let me tell you something about money and power, Oliver. Money doesn’t care who owns it. A bum can win it in a lottery, or a dunce can inherit it, or someone can get it by holding up a bank. But power – that’s something different. To have power is to own the world. If you were governor of this state, you could affect the lives of everybody living here. You could get bills passed that would help the people, and you’d have the power to veto bills that could harm them. I once promised you that someday you could be President of the United States. Well, I meant it, and you could have been. And think about that power, Oliver, to be the most important man in the world, running the most powerful country in the world. That’s something worth dreaming about, isn’t it? Just think about it.’ He repeated slowly, ‘The most powerful man in the world.’

Oliver was listening, wondering where the conversation was leading.

As though in answer to Oliver’s unspoken question, the senator said, ‘And you let all that get away, for a piece of pussy. I thought you were smarter than that, son.’

Oliver waited.

Senator Davis said casually, ‘I talked to Jan this morning. She’s in Paris, at the Ritz. When I told her you were getting married – well, she just broke down and sobbed.’

‘I – I’m sorry, Todd. I really am.’

The senator sighed. ‘It’s just a shame that you two couldn’t get together again.’

‘Todd, I’m getting married next week.’

‘I know. And I wouldn’t interfere with that for anything in the world. I suppose I’m just an old sentimentalist, but to me marriage is the most sacred thing on earth. You have my blessing, Oliver.’

‘I appreciate that.’

‘I know you do.’ The senator looked at his watch. ‘Well, you’ll want to go home and pack. The background and details of the meeting will be faxed to you in Paris.’

Oliver rose. ‘Right. And don’t worry. I’ll take care of things over there.’

‘I’m sure you will. By the way, I’ve booked you in at the Ritz.’

On Senator Davis’s luxurious Challenger, flying to Paris, Oliver thought about his conversation with the senator. ‘You’d have made a fine governor. In fact, your future couldn’t have been brighter … Let me tell you something about money and power, Oliver … To have power is to own the world. If you were governor of this state, you could affect the lives of everybody living here. You could get bills passed that would help the people, and you could veto bills that might harm them.’

But I don’t need that power, Oliver reassured himself. No. I’m getting married to a wonderful woman. We’ll make each other happy. Very happy.

When Oliver arrived at the TransAir ExecuJet base at Le Bourget Airport in Paris, there was a limousine waiting for him.

‘Where to, Mr Russell?’ the chauffeur asked.

‘By the way, I’ve booked you in at the Ritz.’ Jan was at the Ritz.

It would be smarter, Oliver thought, if I stayed at a different hotel – the Plaza-Athénée or the Meurice.

The chauffeur was looking at him expectantly.

‘The Ritz,’ Oliver said. The least he could do was to apologize to Jan.

He telephoned her from the lobby. ‘It’s Oliver. I’m in Paris.’

‘I know,’ Jan said. ‘Father called me.’

‘I’m downstairs. I’d like to say hello if you –’

‘Come up.’

When Oliver walked into Jan’s suite, he was still not sure what he was going to say.

Jan was waiting for him at the door. She stood there a moment, smiling, then threw her arms around him and held him close. ‘Father told me you were coming here. I’m so glad!’

Oliver stood there, at a loss. He was going to have to tell her about Leslie, but he had to find the right words. I’m sorry about what happened with us … I never meant to hurt you … I’ve fallen in love with someone else … but I’ll always …

‘I – I have to tell you something,’ he said awkwardly. ‘The fact is …’ And as he looked at Jan, he thought of her father’s words. ‘I once promised you that some day you could be President of the United States. Well, I meant it … And think about that power, Oliver, to be the most important man in the world, running the most powerful country in the world. That’s something worth dreaming about, isn’t it?’

‘Yes, darling?’

And the words poured out as though they had a life of their own. ‘I made a terrible mistake, Jan. I was a bloody fool. I love you. I want to marry you.’

‘Oliver!’

‘Will you marry me?’

There was no hesitation. ‘Yes. Oh, yes, my love!’

He picked her up and carried her into the bedroom, and moments later they were in bed, naked, and Jan was saying, ‘You don’t know how much I’ve missed you, darling.’

‘I must have been out of my mind …’