The Pleasure Boy 31

My father said, "It's not as if we have any choice now. The only question is 'What do we announce?' and 'How?' After that first release, we'll be responding to events."

Judith answered, "Our PR manager saw me today to talk about a press release. His people are working on it, and you'll see it before it goes out. He thinks we should hold a press conference to answer questions, and I agree with him. He and I can do it alone, but we both think it would go better if you were in the room with us."

"Jim suggested that he draft a statement from you to go out with the press release, and I had him do it. By the way, I want to tell you that he's doing an excellent job, both at home with me and as my assistant at the office. The Wodruffe LifeMate Program - the 'WooLMP' we call it - is starting to come together."

"Jim, show your father that statement you wrote."

I went out to the front hall where I had left my briefcase, came back with it to the living-room and gave a copy to Dad. I gave copies to Mom and Judith also, keeping one for myself. When he had read it carefully, my father said, "I'd change the wording in a few places, but this is very good. It says enough, but not too much. No one can accuse us of covering up, or keeping secrets. At the same time it protects my privacy, and Judith's also. (Speaking to Judith), I'll revise it just a little and send you my version tomorrow morning. You can include it with the press release, and I'll attend your press conference to answer questions."

Judith said, "I think we should all be at that conference, just to show our solidarity. Todd, unless you have an objection, I will preside and do most of the talking. If questions get too detailed and personal, I may rule them out, or you may decline to answer when a question is invasive."

From my father, "No objection. As a pilot project, it's your baby. If and when we're announcing a Woodruff Company program, it will be my turn."

Then my mother spoke up, "I don't see why I should be at your press conference. I have no official connection with my husband's business, and we prefer it that way. I'll attend if he wants me to, but only if he asks."

"That's between the two of you," Judith answered. "I'll only say that if you don't make an appearance, I think you'll be conspicuous by your absence. Also, if and when we have a program in place, I can see your company HanaLot under contract to do our training. So you'd be involved that way."

"No," said my mother. "You're already working with LifeMates, Myrna Stiles' company. That's the way it should be. If Myrna wants my participation for any reason, she can always subcontract to me."

"To keep an arms-length relationship," said Dad. "Between husband and wife. That's very funny."

"Love," he said to my mother, "We keep home and business separate, and if it's not business, you're the boss. As a borderline case it's your decision here, but I think Judith is right. If you don't come, it will be taken as withholding support, though I know you won't mean it that way. Not showing up, you'll draw more attention to yourself than if you do."

"You're right," my mother replied. "As a border line case it's my call, and my decision is to do what you want about this. I can see you want me to come, so I will.

"You see," I said to Judith, "that's the way lifemates have a marital argument."

Nothing else got decided that evening. A few minutes later, Mom declared that "Judith and I need some private time," and told my Dad to drive me home. "Take Judith's car," she said, "and come home by taxi. I'll drive her home in our car, a little later."

"You seem happy," he said as we were driving home, "happier than you were with your professor. This new mistress seems to suit you."

"True," I answered. "Judith Arruda is at peace with herself, as Natasha Sorkin never was. It's a pleasure to do as she tells me, and there's only one of her at a time to please."

"Yes," he agreed. "That's how it is between your mother and me. It's easy to obey her, because she always knows what we both need. She's determined to make our relationship work, and what she wants for herself are always clear and consistent with that."

"That wasn't how it was when she went back to geisha work. I remember that you didn't want her to, but she did anyway."

"But she was right that time, just as she was when I tried to control your future. Once you were out of the house, she couldn't just sit around all day while I was running the Company. She needed something to do, something she cared about, and she found a way to be a geisha in a way that I could live with."

He parked in Judith's garage and I called a cab for him. When it came, we hugged and said good night. Then I undressed and sat in the living-room, nude, reading something and waiting for Mistress to come home, just as always when I was expecting her shortly. When I heard her at the front door, I jumped up and knelt there, waiting to greet her as she came in. The door opened and she came in, with my mother right behind her. That took me by surprise. I'd expected Mom to drop her passenger and go home. I hadn't expected her to park the car and come in.

Embarrassed to be seen this way I hesitated for a moment, but Mistress Judith left me no choice. When she stepped out of her shoe and stuck her foot under my nose, I bent and kissed it as usual, with my face burning.

"I see you have him well trained," my mother said.

"Oh no," Judith answered. He was very well trained when I got him. Mistress Charlotte, your partner now, must have done it. He's told me about the program there and at Guild School. All he's done is transfer that good training to me."

"As you suggested, we'll talk with Myrna Stiles, about the mentoring and training that our WooLMP Program will need. We've yet to work out which parts of that we want to subcontract, and which we'll prefer to do in-house. That still has to be decided. Once that's done, we'll surely want to have you doing some of it."

"As I said, I'll be happy to work with you, but through Myrna's company. I don't want direct contracts between HanaLot and Woodruffe Electronics. There's too much chance for conflict that could spill over into our marriage."

"Talk with Myrna now, before you make that decision. I'm sure she will have useful thoughts on what to contract out and what to do in-house. And she won't want your business badly enough to wilfully mislead you. The problem with doing those functions in-house will be finding (or training) the qualified mentors and trainers. Jim can do some of it at the beginning, but you'll need others like him; and most people in his area who could do that work, are already on contract, either with Myrna or with Lotte and me."

She continued, "That's the same problem my husband has staffing up for his NASA contract. There's no shortage of work to do. There's a shortage of people who can do the work that needs doing. There's a shortage of people who might conceivably be educated and trained for the work that needs doing."

Judith hugged Mom, thanked her for the ride and for the evening and they said goodnight. As I was still on my knees listening. Mom bent over and kissed my forehead, saying that she was proud to see how lovingly I served. Then she said goodnight to me and left. As I heard her car pull away, I asked "Mistress, what was that private talk about? You and my mother seem to be getting on like thieves."

"Oh, she's your Mom and she still worries about you. She told me to take good care of you." She stroked my hair. "And I think you need some care right now, for asking rude questions about things that are none of your business. Bring me the hairbrush."

In this way, she violated our customary procedure for the correction of my faults. But this really had been an unusual day.