Professional Wives
A dark green Lincoln Sedan drew up at the curb of the VIP gate at the JFK terminal. The driver, in a dull brown well creased suit, emerged and dismissed the posse of porters, indicating there was no luggage for them. A couple of paparazzi looked on mildly interested but soon dismissed the vehicle as being too old, not polished enough and the driver not in some ostentatious uniform for the passenger to be of any interest or importance to them. Obviously not photo fodder as was proved when the passenger opened his own door, got out of the front passenger door rather than the rear. This was further confirmed by the appearance of a man in his early thirties, not striking of look and of sombre dress. The two professional onlookers averted their eyes, visibly relaxed and continued with their discussion of last night’s ball game.
“Thanks Jeb. I shall be back in about ten day’s time,” said the passenger, palming some dollar bills to his driver as they shook hands.
“There’s no need for that Mr. Wilson.”
“It’s not for you Jeb, it’s for your wife. How is she?”
“Not too bad Mr. Wilson, thank you for asking.”
“Pass on my regards will you and I shall be bringing back a Mrs. Wilson.”
“I will Sir and congratulations. Shall I collect you both in the stretch limo?”
“No Jeb, this vehicle will do.”
“It took me an hour of driving in rough streets to get it looking as bad as this Sir. Shall I carry your bag to the check-in for you?”
“No, I will do that Jeb. Must keep a low profile,” as James Wilson took the proffered leather Gladstone bag and turned smartly on his heels and marched off towards the automatic glass doors, as the driver jumped back into his seat and drove off without a second look.
Inside the terminal James Wilson switched the Gladstone bag to his left hand which already held his leather brief case and with his right proceeded make a call on his cell phone.
“Hi Alice, I’ve just left Jeb. Please send Mrs. Jeb some flowers and mail me a report of her condition. I’ll be checking my diary in a few minutes. Anything important come up in the last hour?”
“No Mr. Wilson. I’ve arranged the notes in priority order for you to answer and attached a couple of the more interesting reports for you to peruse. I’ve managed to arrange a seat with no one next to you so that you are not disturbed during the flight.”
“Thanks Alice. I’ve a few calls to make before I depart. Please tell Jeb that I don’t want any display on my return, no flowers, you know how effusive he can be.”
“You’re very good to them James but I’ll warn him nearer the time. We are all excited about seeing Mrs. Wilson. You know James, I would marry you like a shot. No need to go half-way around the world to find a wife.”
“Alice, we’ve been through this before. You’re too high maintenance in terms of love and devotion which I couldn’t give you with me flipping about the world. Stick with Brian.”
“He’s boring!”
“But he adores you. You’d get bored with me.”
“How about the new Mrs Wilson? Won’t she get uppity?”
“We’ll see. I’ll call you when I get to London. That will be lunch time over there. Bye Alice and go and see the game tonight with Brian. Oh, another thing, please switch my apartment to the larger suite, the ones with three bedrooms. I will need the extra space.”
“Hello Mr. Wilson. The flight is boarding but you have about ten minutes if you need.”
“Thanks Linda. I need to make a couple of urgent phone calls first. How is your son Ned?”
“Oh, Ned’s fine. He loved the Man. U. shirt you got for him. Use the office Mr. Wilson and if you let me have your bag and passport. I’ll check you in and put the bag on board. I’ll bring you an orange juice too.”
“Thanks Linda and give me a few minutes warning for boarding time,” as James strode to the office, closing the door and placing his brown leather brief case carefully on the desk. Pulling up the office chair with his feet, he unclipped the lid to reveal a screen and keyboard neatly engineered inside. One click brought the hibernating machine into life, and he checked the mail from Alice as he dialled a number from memory on his cell phone. Three phone calls later plus a juice he was ready to be escorted on board.
“Morning Mr Wilson. Good flight? I’ve got the car ready.”
“Hi Harry, how are the kids?”
“Great Mr. Wilson, Bob is enjoying his engineering course at Warwick, and we’ve managed to persuade Julie to go to college at last. Bob wants me to thank you for the sponsorship you arranged for him. Can I take your bag Sir?”
“Harry you’ve got the Jag again!”
“Mr. Wilson, let me explain again. It’s different over here. If you arrive in a banger at the VIP entrance everybody will notice, a Jag blends in with the scenery. Look about, they all have Jags or Mercs leaving the VIP lounge at Terminal 5 here.”
“OK Harry, have it your own way.”
“Here’s the car Sir,” as a valet pulled up jumped out and held the door open for Mr. Wilson to climb in. “I’ve tipped them Mr. Wilson so just relax and we’ll have you at your hotel in a jiffy.” Harry climbed in and calmly drove off, heading for Knightsbridge. “I’ve put a coat there in the back for you Mr. Wilson. It’s a bit chilly in London today and there’s a mobile in the glove pocket if you need it. Not sure yours works over here.”
“Thanks Harry. I need a shower and to change then you can take me to Westminster for a meeting before I catch the Eurostar to Paris at one.”
“Sure thing boss! I’ve arranged you suits and clothing to be put in your suite and also organised a decent breakfast for you, not the disgusting things they serve up on the planes these days.”
“Thanks.”
“I believe congratulations are in order Mr. Wilson.”
“The grapevine’s been working overtime I see.”
“Yes, not half. Jeb called and we are all excited and mightily pleased for you. Will we get a look at Mrs. Wilson on your way back?”
“Probably not this time Harry. We will over fly London but you will get an opportunity soon enough, I’m sure.”
“Thanks Mr. Wilson. I’ll let you get on with the phone calls and get you there nice and easy.” An hour later the Jag pulled up outside a private mansion in Knightsbridge and Harry leapt out to open the door and relieve his passenger of his luggage and rushed up to the door. The door was opened by a beaming lady who could easily be mistaken for Mr. Wilson’s mother, who welcomed James in with a kiss and hug and chided him for working so hard and not visiting often enough.
After a long meeting at Government Offices in Westminster, Harry whisked Mr. Wilson to St. Pancras station to catch the Eurostar to Paris. James unfortunately had to share a table with another businessman who mistook James for an up and coming executive and bored him silly with a dialogue of what was wrong with the economy today and how, as Chairman of his own Company, he would have put it all right, given the proper powers. James was able to escape to the dinning carriage to avoid the worst of the onslaught. The train pulled in to Guard Du Nord exactly on time and Mr. Wilson, some lowly executive, managed to prise himself from the clutches of the pompous ass quickly and disembark to be shouted at, “You’re going the wrong way man, the exit is this way!”
“Bonjour Mr. Wilson, can I take your bag, the car is this way.”
“Bonjour Jacques. Let’s move quickly, I need to get away from a pompous fool.”
“Pardon Mr. Wilson, the train was full and we couldn’t get you a seat all alone. The car is here. We just drive off the platform at the end and through the goods yard. We will be at your Hotel on the Boulevard Haussmann within ten minutes in this traffic. Your suite is all prepared for you as usual. Will you require anything else?”
“Thanks Jacques. I’ve got Dinner at Le Doyen in the Tuilleries at eight. What time will you pick me up?”
“As an honoured guest, it’s your privilege to be late but I will make sure you are there just before so that the Minister can make the grand entrance instead. Your dinner suit has been sent over from London. Also, can I congratulate you Sir, on your forthcoming marriage? Harry rang earlier.”
“Thanks again Jacques. I need to be at the Swiss castle for lunch tomorrow. What arrangements have you made?”
“I’ve arranged a fast helicopter to take you directly there so no early morning rise and you can travel all the way there in private. I will pick you up just before ten tomorrow. Give the Minister hell for me. He’s responsible for the financial mess we are in today. Alice asked that you call her please.”
The car pulled off the avenue into an underground car park of a large and impressive building with expensive boutiques on the ground floors and apartments above. The Manager met James at the lift door and whisked him to an expensively furnished suite where a group of staff were waiting.
“I hope you will allow us to share a glass of champagne with us on this important occasion. We wish you all the best and are all very happy for you.”
“Thank you, Martin, and thank you all for your good wishes. Mrs. Wilson and I will be passing through soon and it will give me great pleasure to introduce you all to her. After all this is my favourite hotel. Salut!”
“Thank you. We will have the presidential suite ready for you then. Thank you everyone, back to your duties. Mr. Wilson has to get ready for a battle with our Finance Minister and his band of crooks tonight. Everything is in order Mr. Wilson, just as you like it. Are the arrangements we made for tomorrow to your satisfaction Sir?”
“Fine Martin. I baulked at the helicopter but Jacques assures me that it was the most discreet and fastest way of moving me from A to B.”
“That’s what we thought. Give me a call when you’re ready for dinner and Jacques will come for you.”
The following morning, after a leisurely breakfast in his suite, James called the Manager to inform him he was ready to leave. Martin the Hotel Manager escorted him down to the underground garage where Jacques was waiting with the car to take him to the helipad on the riverside and onto a castle near Geneva.
“Welcome to the Chateau, James. We have the usual suspects for a light lunch. After all there will be a banquet tonight and we have to pace ourselves.”
“Hi Arnold. You seem to get younger every time I see you.”
“It’s the effect you have on me. I spend most of my time with old fuddy-duddies twice your age, so you are a tonic to me. Come on inside James, I’ve opened a few special bottles of wine from my own vineyard for this occasion. Better get there before the others have finished it off, you know what they are like.”
“We thought you were saving them for your own funeral Arnold.”
“Don’t mock me. I haven’t many bottles left and I only bring it out on special occasions like today.”
“Hello James, I’ve saved you a glass of Arnold’s elixir, come and join us at the table. You know these people, don’t you? All boring bankers the lot of them!”
“Thanks Rickard. They are all lovely people hiding behind Banker’s grey cloth suits.”
“You’re always too kind James. Now tell us what the Minister had to say about the economic situation today.”
“The usual, as an experienced politician, he was more interested what I could do for his personal fortune than the problems of France.”
“They are all the same! I don’t know why we put up with them. We bribe them well to do things for our benefit and then they get airs and graces and get more interested in feathering their own nests than helping us, the ones that put them in power.”
“We should promote them all to high positions where they can spend most of the time preening themselves and gorging down huge dinners. Let the professional Civil Servants run the Country without their meddling, interference and self interest.”
“Bit over simplified but I agree in principle.”
“Now James, let’s get down to the real matters of today.”
“And what is that, Arnold? I thought putting the World to rights was our prime purpose.”
“There you go again, mocking an old man. Now James, listen carefully. All is set up. The wedding took place this morning in the chapel here, with glorious photos and all papers signed. You are now, as from ten this morning, married to a fine lady and you have also a stepdaughter to boot.”
“Did I agree to a stepdaughter?”
“Well, we did talk about it and we need this young girl to get some good experience. We pulled her off the catwalk in Milan. Bright young thing. Very intelligent and far too good to be strutting and deporting herself in front of gawping crowds. Speaks five languages fluently, including Mandarin and Japanese plus an armful of others. Will be ever so useful to you when you open your Far East interests. Rickard, give James the low down on his new wife.”
“Before we do that, how has the current recession hit you? Must have cost you a pretty million or so, eh?”
“More like a few billion, but it’s mostly on the face value, not real money. I got out of the dodgy stuff before the crunch and I’m buying up the spills at fire sale prices.”
“You should have warned us.”
“I did, but you lot were too greedy and followed the rocketing prices, ignoring the banana skins strewn around.”
“You’ve seen the profile on your wife and the video we sent. She’s a bit older than you but passes for ten years younger than her age. She will suit you fine. You need a lady at your side if you’re to deal with our Eastern friends. They look on suspiciously on single and unmarried men.”
“Hey James, I loved the way you got out of the oil and gas market at its peak. You must have made a fortune.”
“Quite a few billion on power and real estate. I hope you guys foresaw the downturn?”
“We did but mostly too late and we all got a good hammering.”
“Now, this young lady will be a good asset for you. She also has plenty of language skills including Arabic. She is also a beauty. They are both preparing themselves for the banquet tonight. You will be astounded. Don’t look so shocked. They dress down well too and will not stand out in public. They are after all, professionals!”
“How did the Madoff and the Stanford affair hit you, James?”
“Wasn’t affected directly but you know how it is when the shit hits the fan. I have had to go back to all my clients including some of you and assure them I’m not using their money just to fund some similar Ponzi scam of my own. Some of them even insisted that I invested some of their money with Bernard and Alan. I haven’t yet the heart to tell them that their money is safe with me and I didn’t follow their instructions.”
“Am I one of them? Put me out of my misery. I will be eternally grateful.”
“Yes, you are Daniel and don’t ever again come to me and tell me what to do with your money. I might even give it all back to you!”
“Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa! Please don’t do that to me. You have made me fabulously rich. Being a banker, I wouldn’t know what to do with all that money of mine!”
“I forgive you Daniel but let that be a warning to all of you. Now Rickard, I am concerned about the past exposure of my new wife in the media etc.”
“No worries there. She was assigned to a recluse for the last ten years and hasn’t seen the light of day never mind being in the media. Nobody knows her. We had to pull her out for her own sake, she was being wasted on that old fool.”
“On that point James, we are fully aware of you need for anonymity and support that. We admire the way you have risen in the financial world without anyone knowing your true worth. Who would suspect that at your age, you are rivalling our famous Warren B. for personal wealth. You don’t have the trappings or the showmanship of the super rich. You don’t own a house, a jet, a car.”
“I do own a car.”
“That old Jensen Interceptor doesn’t count. You don’t own a classy football team or even a yacht.”
“What do I need a yacht for when I can use yours Arnold?”
“Too true and that’s why we admire you. James, there is a position as a Trustee in our organisation which we would like you to consider.”
“Sorry Arnold, I’m not sure I’m qualified as a matchmaker in your dating agency.”
“Now don’t mock me. We think you are superbly qualified. You mix with the right people who need our special kind of service. The last incumbent brought disaster onto us by introducing Sarkozy and Berlusconi. He wanted to branch out into trophy wives and look at the mess it’s got us in, publicity wise?”
“I’ll think about it. I’m still not sure about the second girl though.”
“Look James, officially and to the outside world she will be your stepdaughter and will act as one. Unofficially and in your private domain she will be your second wife and carry out the same duties as the principal wife.”
“But won’t there be jealousies creeping in? I can’t stand squabbling.”
“These are professional women and are trained to cope with all these matters. If it doesn’t work out then a tragic accident will befall one of them and they will be resurrected in another part of our empire, just the same as happened to your first wife.”
“This obviously means that I will have to fund both women?”
“You can afford that, but I know what you are getting at. The principal wife gets the usual million a year plus an agreed allowance and the second, only the allowance. By the way James, the lady in question has expressed that you invest all her money for her. She seems to trust you already. Talking about investments, I or my bank would like to double our investments with you if you will take our money, how about it?”
“I think I could just about manage that for you Arnold.”
“For that I will pay the extortionate fees that we charge for our matchmaking services for you. Where shall I deposit the funds? London?”
“That’s very kind of you but as you have mentioned, I can afford them. Put the funds in Peter’s bank here in Zurich.”
“Peter’s bank? Why Peter’s Bank? Now don’t tell me, you have bought in there haven’t you?”
“Lock, stock and barrel. It’s all mine. The old fool over invested in the American Prime mortgage market and I saw it as an opportunity to get a foothold into your sacred camp.”
“You scheming bugger and the fool didn’t even let on.”
“Oh, he’s on a nice pension and comes into his office and plays with his butterflies all day. And if you ring up, he will talk business with you at length in the old way to satisfy you but will not agree to anything unless I say so. Quite useful really but don’t spread it around otherwise his value will deplete.”
“Well, I never! Never thought you would crack the Swiss Banker’s Mafia?”
“Easy, you didn’t want a scandal and I saved you from one, so now you can deal me into your dirty schemes.”
“How many banks do you now own?”
“One in each of the main financial centres of the World, New York, Washington, London, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Beijing and now Zurich of course.”
“And have you’ve got an exclusive apartment hotel in each?”
“More or less. You’re all welcome to use these excellent facilities on offer. At an extortionate fee of course. That pays for the superb service and true anonymity. Oh, I don’t give discounts. I learned that from the Swiss.”
“An innkeeper, a money lender now and next you will be telling us you’ve gone into politics or worse still, into religion James. What’s the World coming to?”
“An innkeeper and money lender, yes Daniel and a sponsor of politicians but I have yet to consider Religion. Does it pay? Is there a profit out of it or will someone come and overturn my stall if I get too successful?”
“Welcome to the club. Please consider the Trustee position and now I think you should go and get some rest and get ready for the banquet and ball. Your London tailor has rustled up a white suit for the occasion and just another thing, your former wife will be there and please note that she is well looked after. Have a word with her this evening. She is still very fond of you.”
