Memories Of Another Day Part 33

"You're confusing love with f.u.c.king. Just because we f.u.c.k great together doesn't mean we have to fall in love."

"But I do love you," she insisted like a child.

"Good," he said. "I want you to love me but don't fall in love with me."

"Do you love me?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered. "But I'm not in love with you."

"I don't see the difference. Are you in love with your wife?"

"No. But I do love her."

"Then I don't see the difference."

"Give yourself time," he said. "You will."

She was silent for a moment. "Why do you stay with her if you're not in love with her?"

"We're the same kind of people," he said. "Same background, same ideas. It's easy. I'd never fit in your society and you'd never be comfortable in mine. And since there's no way we can spend the rest of our lives in bed, it just won't work."

''You're wrong," she said. ''You'd fit in very well anywhere. Uncle Tom is no different from you. He began with nothing and worked his way up. He fits."

"Our basic philosophies are different," Daniel said. "I've seen my whole family die because of men like your Uncle Tom. I've seen too many people hurt and hungry because of something called company policy. I could never be a part of it."

"Maybe if you were you could change it."

He laughed. "Now you're being naive, and you know it. It isn't only your Uncle Tom or any one man that makes the policy. It comes from a lot of places. Banks, Wall Street, something called stockholders' profits. They put pressures on that you either go with or they find someone else to do it. If your uncle tried to change the policy, he wouldn't last a week in his job. He has no more choice to go with what he wants -that is, if he wants to change anything-than the man in the moon."

"I still want to marry you," she said.

He took a hand from the wheel and placed it over hers. "It's beautiful the way it is," he said quietly. "Let's keep it like that."

Her voice was suddenly tense. "I want to f.u.c.k. I saw a sign for a hotel about ten miles up the road. Let's stop there for the night."

"But I have to be in Chicago in the morning."

"I don't care," she saidljj^rshly. "I want your c.o.c.k inside me."

He looked at her, and after a moment he nodded. They pulled off the road, and he didn't get to Chicago until late the next afternoon.

go. Now he's waiting for a strike call so that he can teach the union a lesson."

*'It's that bad, is it?" Murray asked.

Daniel nodded, taking another drink. "Maybe worse."

''How did you find out so much about what he's doing?"

'' From a member of his family.''

''A girl?"

Daniel nodded. ''She also works in his office."

"Does she know who you are?"

"Yes."

"Then why would she talk to you?"

Daniel was silent. He took another drink.

Murray stared at him for a long time. "She could be laying it on you."

"I don't think so," Daniel said. "She wants to marry me."

"Does she know you're married?"

Daniel nodded. "That doesn't bother her. She thinks divorces are easy."

"And what do you think?"

Daniel shook his head. "I'm married. In another week or so I'm going to be a father. I told her that. She says she can wait until I'm ready."

Murray was silent.

Daniel continued. "You said I could go home in time for the baby to be bom. I'm planning to leave tomorrow."

"I don't know whether I can spare you right now," Murray said.

"You gave me your word," Daniel said.

Murray nodded. "I did."

"Then I'm going."

Murray was silent again. His face was drawn and white. He began to tap a pencil against his desk. "I'm under a lot of pressure to call this strike."

"Don't do it," Daniel said. "Remember what you told me a long time ago about Bill Foster. Don't start a strike unless you know you can win it. Now you're ready to do the same thing. And there's no way you can win this one."

'*You really believe that?"

Daniel nodded silently.

''d.a.m.n!" Murray snapped the pencil in half between his fingers. ''Everybody's after my a.s.s. Lewis settled with Big Steel almost a year ago, and they're blaming me for letting Little Steel hang out there so long. Even the membership drive seems to be losing its momentum. The men want action."

"If they want action, that's what they'll get," Daniel said. "But that won't win the strike for them. All it will get them is time in the jails and hospitals."

"Reuther settled with General Motors. That's a big one. Now they're saying we can do it."

"Ford is still out," Daniel said. "Reuther's a long way from home there. And Girdler is just as organized as Ford is."

Murray stared at him. "What do I do?"

"What does Lewis say?"

"He doesn't say anything. Deliberately. He's just laying back there like a fat cat waiting for me to make the move. If we win, he'll jump on the bandwagon."

"And if we lose?"

Murray shrugged. "He can always say that we moved without asking him."

"Then why don't you ask him directly?"

"I tried to. But you know the way he is. There's no way you can get him to talk about anything he doesn't want to."

The bottle was half empty now, but Daniel refilled his gla.s.s again. "Stall," he said.

"I can't stall much longer," Murray replied.

"Two weeks," Daniel said. "I'll be back from the Coast by then. I want to be in South Chicago when it comes. If I can keep the lid on there, it may not be too bad."

''How can you be sure?" Murray asked. "Babies have been known to come as much as three weeks late."

"This one won't," Daniel said. "If it looks like that, I'll get the doctor to do a caesarian. I'll be back here by the middle of March.''

Murray stared at him. "Two weeks?"

Daniel nodded.

"Okay. But I won't be able to hold back much longer. The Commies are already beginning a campaign to get me out of this job.''

"Lewis has to know about that," Daniel said.

"Of course he does," Murray said angrily. "But you know his policy. Hands off. He'll take help from anywhere as long as he can build membership. That's why he let them in when Green wouldn't take them into the A.F.L."

"They're doing good with the Textile Workers?"

Murray nodded. "Hillman's flooding them with support out of New York. They're going to stonewall in the South, but they're a year away from that. Right now they're riding high."

Daniel got to his feet. "I'll be back in two weeks. Thanks for the drink, boss."

Murray rose behind his desk. "Do you honestly think we can't win this one?"

"We haven't got the chance of a s...o...b..ll in h.e.l.l."

Murray held out his hand. "I hope everything goes allright at home."

"Thanks," Daniel said, taking his hand. "I'll give you a call as soon as it happens."

It was sleeting when he came out of the building, his valise in his hand. He peered up the street, looking for a taxi. There was a black Chrysler limousine parked at the curb. Its door swung open and a girl's voice called him. "Daniel!"

He stared for a moment, then walked toward it.

Standing in the sleet, he stared down at her. *'What the h.e.l.l are you doing here?"

''Get in the car," she said. ''It's stupid to stand there in the snow."

He threw his valise into the car and followed it. The door closed and the car began to roll. He turned to her. "You're supposed to be in Chicago."

"I was getting bored there," she said. She leaned over and kissed him. "Surprised?"

"How'd you get here? You weren't on the train."

"Plane," she said. "There's regular service now between Chicago and the East."

"Drop me at the Chelsea," he said. "I've got to get some sleep."

"I have a suite at the Mayfair," she said. "You're staying with me."

"I said I've got to get some sleep."

"You have a two-day train ride tomorrow. You can catch up on your sleep then."

He was silent. "You're crazy. You know that, don't you?"

"I'm in love with you. You know that, don't you?"

"Look, Chris, it was great. But it's no good chasing it. We live in different places. There's no way we can ever get it together."

"I can live in your world. I don't need the family's money."

He looked at her. "What about this car and the Mayfair?"

"We can leave the car, take a taxi and go to the Chelsea. I don't care. As long as I'm with you."

He shook his head slowly. "You shouldn't have come. If your uncle finds out about it, he'll raise holy h.e.l.l."

"I don't give a d.a.m.n about what Uncle Tom thinks. Let him run his steel companies. He's not going to tell me what to do."

The car pulled up in front of the hotel. A doorman opened the door. He reached in and took Daniel's valise, then stood there while they got out of the car.

"Send the bag up to my apartment," Chris said.

''Yes, Miss Girdler," the doorman answered.

Daniel followed her into the hotel. They took the elevator up to the fifteenth floor. She pressed the doorbell. A butler opened it. ''Miss Girdler." He bowed.