New York - The Novel

carry on the family name. Martin has to tell them sooner or later, but I’d better be around when he does. Everybody’s going to need me. Especially Martin.” She smiled. “I’m always there for my brother.”
    Gorham nodded. There was more to this attractive lawyer than he’d guessed.
    “The family’s a powerful thing. I feel this huge responsibility to restore my family to what it used to be, but I have to admit that I chose it. My father never did. Do you have anything like that?”
    “I don’t feel a duty to the past, but I do feel a duty toward myself. My mother was always very strong about that. She was forever telling me Icould be anything I want, and that I should have a career. Get married, she said, but never be dependent on a husband. She’s a schoolteacher.”
    “Has there been friction between her and your father?”
    “No, they’re devoted to each other. It’s just what she believes in.”
    “I know quite a few women lawyers who did really well, but then stopped working when they had children.”
    “Not this girl.”
    “You think you can have it all?”
    “Do it all, have it all. Sure. It’s an article of faith.”
    “It may not be easy.”
    “Good organization will be critical—I’m a great organizer. But I’m afraid I’d be a terrible corporate wife.”
    “You’d better marry a lawyer, then. Someone who understands what you have to do.”
    She shook her head. “No way.”
    “Why?”
    “Competition. There’s always going to be competition in any profession. Somebody’s going to win and somebody’s going to lose. Put that in a marriage and I think it would be too difficult.”
    “You don’t intend to lose?”
    “Do you?”
    “I guess not,” said Gorham. “So what’s your plan?”
    “No plan. Just hope I meet Mr. Right. Someone who thinks life’s an adventure. Someone who wants to keep on growing—professionally and personally.”
    Gorham considered a while. This lawyer was quite a challenge.
    “What did you think of my friend Juan? You seemed to be noncommittal after he gave the big speech about the Young Lords and the Panthers.”
    “No, I was just thinking about what he said. I thought he was quite admirable actually.”
    Gorham nodded. He’d met plenty of women in New York who wanted successful careers. But in Maggie he sensed not only intelligence and determination, but a warmth that he found attractive. Behind her lawyer’s caution, he realized, there was also a free spirit.
    They were just sitting quietly when the telephone rang.
    “Hi, Gorham.” It was Juan. “Have you seen what’s going on?”
    “How do you mean?”
    “I guess it’s quiet down there on Park.”
    “Pretty much.”
    “Well, stay indoors, buddy. I discovered what happened, by the way. Lightning strikes destroyed some of the power grid—they have lights in New Jersey, but almost the entire five boroughs are down. Things are heating up in El Barrio, and if the lights don’t come on soon, there’s going to be a lot of action in Harlem tonight. I already saw one store broken into just up the street.”
    “You mean there’s looting?”
    “Of course there’s looting. The stores are full of things people want, and nobody can see what’s going on.” His voice sounded almost cheerful about it. “Gorham, if you had a bunch of kids and no money, you’d be looting too. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you to stay indoors. This could spread downtown as well, the way things are looking.”
    “What are you going to do?”
    “Well, I may go out and take a look. But this is home territory for me, if you know what I mean.”
    “Stay out of harm’s way, Juan.”
    “Don’t worry, Gorham, I will.”
    Gorham hung up, and told Maggie what Juan had said.
    “Maybe you’d better stay here,” he said. “There’s a spare bedroom.”
    She gave him a cynical look. “Nice try.”
    In normal circumstances, he supposed he might have made some careful moves to see which way the evening would go. He was starting to get really interested in Maggie, but now wasn’t the time.
    “No,” he said quietly, “much as I like your company, Maggie, I wasn’t trying to make a move. What I am going to do, though, is take you safely to your door in a little while. If Juan thinks it could get rough out there, I’m not taking any chances.”
    “Okay. That’s nice of you.”
    They talked for a short while after that. He asked if he could give her a call, and she said yes, and gave him her number.