Alma Mater Read Online Free Page A
Author: Rita Mae Brown
parents had been members and their paternal grand· parents had been founding members.
"We might have to drop our membership."
"Don't do that, Orgy. Big mistake. Not only are those our friends, think of the business contacts."
"Well, I'm not in business, and Frank is a good lawyer. People know he's solid. He is what he is."
"Maybe you and I could go into business."
R. J. pulled rhythmically against the light current. She noticed creamy cumulus clouds building in the west. "Bunny, we've been over this."
"You've got to do something and so do I. I want to do something . purposeful."
" 'Bacca."
"Tobacco is labor intensive plus all the paperwork just to keep the allotments alive."
"I do it every year," R. J. reminded her.
"I know you do the paperwork, but you don't put in much of a crop because you can't and we can't. There aren't many people left around here who know 'bacca, and sooner or later all this smoking-is hazardous-to-your-health stuff will bite us in the ass."
"Hmm. Peanuts."
"Orgy, just keep the land in hay and timber. Trust me."
R. J. did trust Bunny, who possessed a sharp business mind. Every thing Bunny suggested paid off. She read voraciously, not just about the auto industry, but about the economy in general.
All of Bunny's work benefited her husband. People knew Bunny was behind it, but still, he was the front man ; he got the lion's share of the attention. She had more freedom than he did, but she felt adrift. She wanted structure, a business in her name.
"Sometimes I feel ambushed by life. Surprised. But . . ." R. J.'s voice trailed off as she glanced over her shoulder to see how she was coming in to the dock.
They hit it with a slight thud. Bunny grabbed the mooring and quickly wrapped the tie line around it. She hoisted herself out as R. J. arranged the oars.
Bunny leaned over, hand outstretched.
R. J. took it and swung herself up. Standing in the sunlight, the two of them were clearly close relations. It wasn't so much a physical re-
semblance, because they took after different branches of their family. It was the way they moved, their gestures, their physical comfort in one another's presence.
"Listen to me." Bunny's voice was commanding. "You don't know if Frank can make the money back. If he does, it will take years. Remem ber last time? You've got to go beyond what you've done before. It's a new day. Let's hope that Vic marries Charly. God knows that won't hurt. But let's go into business. I mean it. Don can give me the seed money—and he will. One, I've earned it. Two, he's still guilty about his little affairette. Three, there's a part of him that would get a kick out of seeing us succeed. Four, I'll pay him back just because I want to do that. Over time, of course. Five, Surry Crossing has been in our family since Charles the First gave us the land grant, and by God, it's going to stay in this family. Sometimes I wish I'd never left here, but Don wanted to be closer to town and we'd just married. I couldn't much see the point of being around Mom and Dad then."
R. J. draped her arm around Bunny's shoulder. "I miss them, too." "Let's do this. Not just for you, but for me as well. Let's go into business."
"What do you have in mind?"
"A plant nursery. We've got the land. People are building houses in this county all the time. And if you ever decide to develop 'intelli gently,' " —she mimicked her sister's voice— "we'll have all the nursery stock to make it the best landscaped development in Virginia."
"You're serious."
"As a heart attack."
"Maybe you've hit on the right formula this time. There's so much to think about. But the first thing I've got to do is get Frank off the deed." R. J. kissed Bunny's suntanned cheek.
Bunny pointed to a dust cloud about a quarter of a mile away. "Vic." She lifted her binoculars, catching sight of the 1961 aqua-and white Impala convertible, top down. "Yes, it's your eldest, with Jinx. And someone else, a girl. Very blonde. Very
"We might have to drop our membership."
"Don't do that, Orgy. Big mistake. Not only are those our friends, think of the business contacts."
"Well, I'm not in business, and Frank is a good lawyer. People know he's solid. He is what he is."
"Maybe you and I could go into business."
R. J. pulled rhythmically against the light current. She noticed creamy cumulus clouds building in the west. "Bunny, we've been over this."
"You've got to do something and so do I. I want to do something . purposeful."
" 'Bacca."
"Tobacco is labor intensive plus all the paperwork just to keep the allotments alive."
"I do it every year," R. J. reminded her.
"I know you do the paperwork, but you don't put in much of a crop because you can't and we can't. There aren't many people left around here who know 'bacca, and sooner or later all this smoking-is hazardous-to-your-health stuff will bite us in the ass."
"Hmm. Peanuts."
"Orgy, just keep the land in hay and timber. Trust me."
R. J. did trust Bunny, who possessed a sharp business mind. Every thing Bunny suggested paid off. She read voraciously, not just about the auto industry, but about the economy in general.
All of Bunny's work benefited her husband. People knew Bunny was behind it, but still, he was the front man ; he got the lion's share of the attention. She had more freedom than he did, but she felt adrift. She wanted structure, a business in her name.
"Sometimes I feel ambushed by life. Surprised. But . . ." R. J.'s voice trailed off as she glanced over her shoulder to see how she was coming in to the dock.
They hit it with a slight thud. Bunny grabbed the mooring and quickly wrapped the tie line around it. She hoisted herself out as R. J. arranged the oars.
Bunny leaned over, hand outstretched.
R. J. took it and swung herself up. Standing in the sunlight, the two of them were clearly close relations. It wasn't so much a physical re-
semblance, because they took after different branches of their family. It was the way they moved, their gestures, their physical comfort in one another's presence.
"Listen to me." Bunny's voice was commanding. "You don't know if Frank can make the money back. If he does, it will take years. Remem ber last time? You've got to go beyond what you've done before. It's a new day. Let's hope that Vic marries Charly. God knows that won't hurt. But let's go into business. I mean it. Don can give me the seed money—and he will. One, I've earned it. Two, he's still guilty about his little affairette. Three, there's a part of him that would get a kick out of seeing us succeed. Four, I'll pay him back just because I want to do that. Over time, of course. Five, Surry Crossing has been in our family since Charles the First gave us the land grant, and by God, it's going to stay in this family. Sometimes I wish I'd never left here, but Don wanted to be closer to town and we'd just married. I couldn't much see the point of being around Mom and Dad then."
R. J. draped her arm around Bunny's shoulder. "I miss them, too." "Let's do this. Not just for you, but for me as well. Let's go into business."
"What do you have in mind?"
"A plant nursery. We've got the land. People are building houses in this county all the time. And if you ever decide to develop 'intelli gently,' " —she mimicked her sister's voice— "we'll have all the nursery stock to make it the best landscaped development in Virginia."
"You're serious."
"As a heart attack."
"Maybe you've hit on the right formula this time. There's so much to think about. But the first thing I've got to do is get Frank off the deed." R. J. kissed Bunny's suntanned cheek.
Bunny pointed to a dust cloud about a quarter of a mile away. "Vic." She lifted her binoculars, catching sight of the 1961 aqua-and white Impala convertible, top down. "Yes, it's your eldest, with Jinx. And someone else, a girl. Very blonde. Very
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