“As for connections,” I continued, “look around this restaurant. See that man in the corner booth? He’s the mayor of this city. He dines here twice a month. The woman by the window? She’s a superior court judge. The group at the large table are executives from the biggest corporation in the state.”
“All of them know me. All of them respect me. Not because I have money, but because I built something valuable, and I did it with integrity.”
Michael had slumped into a chair, his face in his hands, his shoulders shook with silent sobs.
“But do you know what’s the most ironic part of all this, Marleene?” I said, leaning slightly toward her. “That promotion Michael is waiting for—the one your uncle is supposedly going to get for him—I could make one phone call and secure it in five minutes.”
I saw Marleene’s face tighten.
“The CEO of that company dines here every Friday. I’ve known him for six years. But I never did it because I believed Michael should earn things for himself just like I did.”
Marleene looked dizzy. She held on to the back of a chair for balance.