I laughed at this seriousness. “Maybe we won’t have to go that far. The negative virtues usually shine through all on their own. The minute you draw attention to them you create suspicion: people are generally pleased to suspect the opposite of every avowal.”
“You talk just like my analyst.” And I felt that I had won, briefly, Paul’s admiration. “Anyway, you go to Spokane; talk to Iris; tell her to lay off ... in a tactful way of course. I wouldn’t mention it to him: you never can tell how he’ll react. She’ll be reasonable even though I suspect she’s stuck on the man. Try and get your piece done by the first of December. I’d like to have it in print for the first of the New Year, Cave’s year.”
“I’ll try.”
“By the way, we’re getting an office ... same building as this. The directors okayed it and we’ll take over as soon as there’s some furniture in it.”
“Cavites, Inc.?”
“We could hardly call it the Church of the Golden Rule,” said Paul with one of the few shows of irritability I was ever to observe in his equable disposition. “Now, on behalf of the directors, I’m authorized to advance you whatever money you might feel you need for this project; that is, within ...”
“I won’t need anything except, perhaps, a directorship in the company.” My own boldness startled me. Paul laughed.
“That’s a good boy. Eye on the main chance. Well, we’ll see what we can do about that. There aren’t any more shares available right now but that doesn’t mean.... I’ll let you know when you get back from Spokane.”
Our meeting was ended by the appearance of his secretary who called him away to other business. As we parted in the outer office, he said, quite seriously, “I don’t think Iris likes him the way you think but if she does be careful. We can’t upset Cave now. This is a tricky time for everyone. Don’t show that you suspect anything when you’re with him. Later, when we’re under way, and there’s less pressure, I’ll handle it. Agreed?”
I agreed, secretly pleased at being thought in love ... “in love,” to this moment the phrase has a strangely foreign sound to me, like a classical allusion not entirely understood in some decorous, scholarly text. “In love,” I whispered to myself in the elevator as I left Paul that evening: in love with Iris.