An Engagement Ch. 01

He was glad that he had. The apartment was much better than those he had been inspecting, yet less costly. He looked at her in wonder. It came to him that of all the girls, Angela was the one to find the correct gift, the proper word, the exact thing. In a moment of revelation, he recalled her first "Not yet Dear." many weeks before. Did "not yet" mean "not now", or "maybe later"?

"Angela mia. I do not have words to thank you. Always you see more than I. What small token have I to give which would bring honor to such kindness?"

Angela for her part was taken back. As with many truly generous people, gratitude always came unexpected. She was enormously fond of Pedro. Like Edith, Patricia was an illusion to her. She had not expected the depths of understanding of her position that she saw here. She looked more closely.

Pedro, and Patricia, had grown noticeably in the last few months. She had seen at once that the simple role that Gretchen had created would not last long. Still, the end of the act still came as a surprise. She examined the situation carefully. To a person such as herself, the kind of blank check Pedro offered could not be taken lightly. To refuse would belittle the offer, but to ask too little would be worse. Then there was the danger of asking too much, and being forced to accept.

She asked, without a hint of irony, "Pedro dear, what would you like to give me?"

"Ah, Angela mia, what would I give for my soul? It is all too poor. I would give you myself, but I am unworthy."

Angela shook her head. "No Pedro. You are very worthy." She kissed him. That quickly, they were engaged, with caveats. "But such a thing is not easily done. What of your family? What of mine?"

"Mia familia, My family will be quite happy if I marry a rich American girl. You are Catholic, no?"

Angela answered, "Yes, my family is Catholic."

"Then I must see your father and your priest."

Angela's smile chided him. "No. First you must become Pedro de la Garza. You must have something to show my father and my priest."

This was language Pedro understood. He read Don Quixote as a child. Angela had given him a quest, to prove his worth. Unstated, but clearly understood, was the time limit. Angela would not be in school much longer. "Si, Angela mia. Pedro de la Garza must become a man."

Chapter 4: Moving

Some things were very easy to arrange. Patricia had mentioned Pedro around her job on several occasions. It did not hurt that the context was in studying English and Banking Regulations. So when Pedro applied for a job at another downtown bank, the buzz had him as diligent, family oriented and bright. In short, like Patricia. The hours were no problem. Pedro applied for late night work, saying he had another job.

Moving out of the hotel proved no more difficult. Patricia and Pedro would be keeping an apartment together. The ladies, who had sponsored him to a room, were quite happy to see Patricia moving in with family. It was all quite respectable. Miss Walker became quite teary eyed. This shocked no few of the girls, who had never moved her with any of their stories. Deirdre and Edith organized a collection of boys to handle the actual move. Exactly who thanked whom, for what, and how would be another story. Sufficient to say that Patricia's now substantial wardrobe was moved with little fuss.

The biggest difficulty proved to be Gretchen. As a senior, trying to squeeze out a respectable grade average, she had been unaware of the preparations. She was more than a little upset that her "discovery" was leaving her. Never mind that she had dumped him―a boy in a dress, in an all female environment, and left him to fend for himself.

Gretchen threatened to call the "Sun" (she never read the "Times") and blow the whole story. Accusations were made, threats were lobbed, and voices were raised before it all settled. All of the girls banded behind Pedro and threatened to tell Gretchen's family all her dirty laundry. In the end, it meant nothing. Pedro shrugged it off as unimportant, which is what carried the day.

Edith and Deirdre exposed Gretchen anyway. It was not hard to get one of Gretchen's parties raided. At that point, she did tell the whole story. No one at the police station wanted to hear it. When she called the Sun, as threatened, the paper sent a reporter. Gretchen found that she had no idea where Pedro was living. Coupled with her recent arrest, she became a joke and cautionary tale. However, it worked out well for her in the end. She married her defense attorney. They had four children before they separated.

Chapter 5: Down to Business

For Pedro, the timing could not have been better. He was barely into his new apartment, when he received his first break. It was a matter of preparation meeting luck. Early in her time in the hotel, Patricia had auditioned for the part of Maria inWest Side Story.Months later, she met the director at the bank. The director needed a fill-in actress and Pedro had an actress looking for a part.

Edith was an English Literature major. Like many such, Shakespeare rolled off her tongue at the slightest cause. She would memorize entire plays before seeing a production. Such is the life of a lonely egghead. Naturally, that changed once she understood that she had the looks for the stage. She started auditioning for parts. Pedro formed JB (Jumping Bean) Productions to act as her agent.

What had been almost an afterthought, JBP quickly arrived. Pedro, as himself, negotiated Edith a three night run inThe Toll of the Clock.It went well. Within a week she had another fill-in role. Within a month, word had filtered out that a Columbia student was a quick study. Patricia began fielding phone calls from her bank desk.

Able to memorize whole acts overnight, Edith was marketable. Pedro was hard pressed to juggle the offers. If she had been willing to abandon her degree, half a dozen parts would have been available. Instead, Edith made her name as a one night fill-in. Pedro was soon forced to defend Edith's time and privacy. He did so vigorously. Edith, under the stage name Eve Connor, became a sought after weekend player, while Pedro developed a reputation as a loyal agent.

Having a hot client was a start, but Edith was a one trick pony. Inquiries started to ask for other clients. Pedro was hiring. He had no time for the stage, but Deirdre was a serviceable actress. Miss Walker turned out to be a natural in any kind of matron role. The twins could not deliver more than a line or two, but identical twins are difficult to find when you need them. Other girls had their hour on stage. They all, and St. Evies, rated an article in the The Village Voice.

It was almost spring when the next break occurred. Edith could take a long term part, once school was out. While she was auditioning for the lead inToy Soldier,Pedro overheard a question about escrow accounts. With his background in banking, he was able to smooth things out. Before long another financial question came up. Edith signed to play Hannah in a road show ofNight of the Iguana.Pedro earned a co-producer credit forToy Soldier.

One Pedro de la Garza was associated with money, things really started moving. Every play has funding issues. Pedro, as Patricia, had many contacts among the wealthy of New York. It did not take long to bring the two together. JPP brokered an uncredited bridge loan forHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.Pedro would claim it as his first Tony Award. There would be many others. He hired the twins to work the phones and Miss Walker to provide security. She would eventually leave the hotel to take the position full time.

To his dying day, Pedro was amazed at the sums of money to be made in entertainment. From his first contract, signing Edith to a three night role, to his goal of respectability took was less than six months. By April, he was so busy Angela had to remind him of their date with her father and priest.

Vicente Molinari turned out to be less of a problem than Pedro had anticipated. Born in the ghettos of Brooklyn, he had helped his immigrant father build a company that bowed to no one. He was not troubled that his daughter brought home an immigrant with accented English. Pedro's young but thriving company was the assurance he required. Father Bernini wanted whatever made Mr. Molinari happy.

Beatrice Molinari was another story. She was from quality stock and wanted her daughter to marry into an elite family. Her husband reminded her that she had once heard her own mother speak the same words, from the same seat, at the same table. The table was a wedding present from Beatrice' mother. Her subtle point was that they had no dining room big enough. Vicente's reply was to buy a house with a dining room big enough to make the table look small. Being reminded of her own choices did not improve Beatrice's disposition, but it did quiet the argument. The discussion about the wedding plans went on somewhat longer.

It was after midnight that they finally retired. Pedro had thought the hotel's 12'x15' rooms expansive. The guest room had a closet that size. He was composing himself for sleep when a half seen figure slipped under his covers and fumbled with his cock. Knowing better than to cry out, he still threw back the sheets to find Angela, wearing only a bottomless teddy, under his covers.

She put her fingers to her lips, "Sshhh my darling. Several months ago, the night I first saw you, I decided that I would only have you if I could have you here. You have not disappointed me. Now be quiet or mother will find out." At that she took his half alert member into her mouth. Pedro was shocked, flattered and humbled, but he could not let that stand.

He said, "No Angela mia. Let us first greet each other as a man should greet his wife."

He took her in his arms. Stroking her hair and calling her an angel, he kissed her. She answered. For several long moments they embraced and the kisses lingered. When the kisses became more urgent, Angela began to explore his body with her hands. She stopped to pull the teddy over her head, but when Pedro kicked off the shorts he wore in bed, Angela laughed. Pedro was a little startled that she laughed while looking at his penis, but it was a kind laughter.

Taking Pedrito's length in her hand, she whispered, "No, Pedro my love, you do not disappoint me at all."