“Fine.”
The door to the conference room was closed. He let Lara open the door and as she did, forty voices started to sing out, “Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you…”
Lara stood there, stunned. The room was filled with people she had worked with over the years—the architects and contractors and construction managers. Charles Cohn was there, and Professor Meyers. Horace Guttman and Kathy and Jerry Townsend’s father. But the only one that Lara saw was Philip. He was moving toward her, his arms outstretched, and she suddenly found it difficult to breathe.
“Lara…” It was a caress.
And she was in his arms, fighting to hold back the tears, and she thought, I’m home. This is where I belong, and it was a healing, a blessed feeling of peace. Lara felt a warm glow as she held him. This is all that matters, Lara thought.
People were crowding around her, and everyone seemed to be talking at once.
“Happy birthday, Lara…”
“You look wonderful…”
“Were you surprised…?”
Lara turned to Jerry Townsend. “Jerry, how did you…?”
He shook his head. “Philip arranged it.”
“Oh, darling!”
Waiters were coming in now with hors d’oeuvres and drinks.
Charles Cohn said, “No matter what happens, I’m proud of you, Lara. You said you wanted to make a difference, and you did.”
Jerry Townsend’s father was saying, “I owe my life to this woman.”
“So do I.” Kathy smiled.
“Let’s drink a toast,” Jerry Townsend said, “to the best boss I ever had, or ever will have!”
Charles Cohn raised his glass. “To a wonderful little girl who became a wonderful woman!”
The toasts went on, and finally, it was Philip’s turn. There was too much to say, and he put it in five words: “To the woman I love.”
Lara’s eyes were brimming with tears. She found it difficult to speak. “I…I owe so much to all of you,” Lara said. “There’s no way I can ever repay you. I just want to say”—she choked up, unable to go on—“thank you.”
Lara turned to Philip. “Thank you for this, darling. It’s the nicest birthday I’ve ever had.” She suddenly remembered. “I have to fly back to Reno tonight!”
Philip looked at her and grinned. “I’ve never been to Reno…”
Half an hour later they were in the limousine on their way to the airport. Lara was holding Philip’s hand, and thinking, I haven’t lost everything after all. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to him. Nothing else matters. The only important thing is being with him and taking care of him. I don’t need anything else.
“Lara…?”
She was looking out the window. “Stop, Max!”
The limousine braked to a quick stop.
Philip looked at her, puzzled. They had stopped in front of a huge empty lot, covered with weeds. Lara was staring at it.
“Lara…”
“Look, Philip! Look!”
He turned his head. “What?”
“Don’t you see it?”
“See what?”
“Oh, it’s beautiful! A shopping mall over there, in the far corner! In the middle we’ll put up luxury apartment houses. There’s room enough for four buildings. You see it now, don’t you?”
He was staring at Lara, mesmerized.
She turned to him, her voice charged with excitement. “Now, here’s my plan…”
Acknowledgments
I owe a debt of gratitude to those who were so generous with their time and expertise:
Larry Russo, who led me through the arcane maze of the biggest gamblers of all—the real estate developers.
The musical mavens who invited me inside their private world—Mona Gollabeck, John Lill, Zubin Mehta, Dudley Moore, André Previn, and the Trustees of the Leonard Bernstein Estate.
I wish also to express my appreciation to the citizens of Glace Bay for their warm hospitality. I hope they will forgive me for the few dramatic licenses I felt it necessary to take.
The expertise in the book belongs to those listed above. Any errors are mine.
Books by Sidney Sheldon
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
The Best Laid Plans
Bloodline
The Doomsday Conspiracy
If Tomorrow Comes
Master of the Game
Memories of Midnight
Morning, Noon & Night
The Naked Face
Nothing Lasts Forever
The Other Side of Midnight