The Stallion (1996) Read Free Page A

they spent at the hospital, Angelo and Cindy dealt with some of their correspondence and accepted a few telephone calls. He had a call from Lee Iacocca at Ford, who expressed sympathy about his beating, wished him a complete recovery, and suggested he phone him when he came home. Henry Ford the Second sent flowers to the hospital, with a note inviting Angelo to call when he came back to Detroit. The Ford flowers were delivered on the same day as a wire from Bunkie Knudsen warning him to keep his distance from Ford. Ed Cole at General Motors called to suggest they meet. To Angelo’s complete surprise, he received a wire also from Soichiro Honda.
    The most interesting call was from Robert McNamara at the World Bank. He suggested that Angelo consider becoming a consultant in the field of automotive engineering and design. People on the Street, he said, constantly sought insight from people who could offer them sound information and advice about the state and the future of the industry and the corporations in it. He could become an industry analyst.
    Since it was the kind of amorphous enterprise that appealed to both Angelo and Cindy, they determined to explore the idea.
6
    Returning to the States, they went to Detroit and made their duty calls. The Perinos pronounced themselves happy with Angelo’s new face and forever grateful to Dr. Hans.(“But may the good Lord forbid he should ever have to do it again,” Jenny prayed.) They had lunch with Lee Iacocca, dinner with Bunkie Knudsen, and cocktails with Ed Cole—all of whom applauded Angelo’s decision to become an industry analyst rather than join another company and try to build another new car.
    “I understand you’ve got a great new car coming out,” Angelo said to Iacocca. “What are you going to call it? The Mustang?”
    “You’ll make a fine analyst,” said Iacocca wryly. “You know what you’re not supposed to know.”
    “But what will it do for you?” Angelo asked. “Will Hank Ford be grateful and give you academic tenure?”
    Iacocca shrugged.
    “You know better than that,” said Cindy. “If the car’s a success, he’ll convince himself it was his idea. If it’s not, it was your idea. By today, Loren Hardeman the First is sure he never wanted to build the Betsy. And Loren Three is absolutely certain Angelo shoved the idea down the company’s throat.”
    “I’m not quite as cynical as you are, Cindy.”
    She smiled at Iacocca and put her hand on his. “Lee, let’s come back here for lunch five years from now. You will no longer be with the Ford Motor Company.”
    Lee Iacocca grinned. “And you, Mrs. Perino, will be the wife of the president of Bethlehem Motors.”
    In New York, they moved temporarily into a suite in the Waldorf until the Manhattan apartment they had leased could be made ready.
    One evening Cindy came into the bathroom and found Angelo, who had just taken a shower, standing naked at the mirror, staring at his face. “Do you know what happens to men who stand too long in front of their mirrors and study their faces?” she asked. “Staring at your face distracts you from what’s really important.” She reached around him and grasped his penis in both her hands.
    “Well…,” he said. “That part’s not very useful in business.”
    “It’s useful in fucking,” she said. “What’s more, it’s passed the test.”
    “What?”
    “The doctor says—I’m pregnant as hell.”
    “Cindy!”
    “Well, don’t play like you’re surprised. What’d you think would happen when I stopped taking the pill and we went on doing it?”
    Angelo turned around and drew her into his arms—cautiously, as a husband just learning of his wife’s “delicate condition” always does.
    She embraced him tighter. “Hey! I won’t break. It won’t break. When the time comes to back away, I’ll let you know. Right now, I want it!”
    Angelo grinned. “Like you always do.”

II
1973
    Loren Hardeman Number Three knew he was a lucky man.