Thirty minutes later Howard Keller was in a conference with Vance.
"What do you think about it?" Vance asked.
"I think the lady's on to something. I like her idea about a boutique hotel."
"So do I. The only problem is that she's so young and inexperienced. It's a gamble." They spent the next half hour discussing costs and projected earnings.
"I think we should go ahead with it," Keller finally said. "We can't lose." He grinned. "If worse comes to worst, you and I can move into the hotel."
Howard Keller telephoned Lara at the Stevens Hotel. "The bank has just approved your loan."
Lara let out a shriek. "Do you mean it? That's wonderful! Oh, thank you, thank you!"
"We have a few things to talk about," Howard Keller said. "Are you free for dinner this evening?"
"Yes."
"Fine. I'll pick you up at seven-thirty."
They had dinner at the Imperial House. Lara was so excited that she barely touched her food.
"I can't tell you how thrilled I am," she said. "It's going to be the most beautiful hotel in Chicago."
"Easy," Keller warned, "there's a long way to go." He hesitated. "May I be frank with you, Miss Cameron?"
"Lara."
"Lara. You're a dark horse. You have no track record."
"In Glace Bay..."
"This isn't Glace Bay. To mix metaphors, it's a different ball park."
"Then why is the bank doing this?" Lara asked.
"Don't get me wrong. We're not a charitable organization. The worst thing that can happen is that the bank will break even. But I have a feeling about you. I believe you're going to make it. I think there could be a big upside. You don't intend to stop with this one hotel, do you?"
"Of course not," Lara said.
"I didn't think so. What I want to say is that when we make a loan, we don't usually get personally involved in the project. But in this case I'd like to give you whatever help you might need."
And Howard Keller intended to get personally involved with her. He had been attracted to Lara from the moment he had seen her. He was captivated by her enthusiasm and determination. She was a beautiful woman-child. He wanted desperately to impress her. Maybe, Keller thought, one day I'll tell her how close I came to being famous...
Chapter Eight
It was the final game of the World Series, and Wrigley Field was packed with 38,710 screaming fans. "It's the top of the ninth, with the score Cubs one, Yankees zero. The Yankees are up at bat, with two outs. The bases are loaded with Tony Kubek on first, Whitey Ford on second, and Yogi Berra on third."
As Mickey Mantle stepped up to the plate, the crowd roared. "The Mick" had hit .304 for the season and had forty-two home runs under his belt for the year.
Jack Brickhouse, the Wrigley Field announcer, said, excitedly, "Oh, oh...it looks like they're going to change pitchers. They're taking out Moe Drabowsky...Cub Manager Bob Scheffing is talking to the umpire...let's see who's coming in...it's Howard Keller! Keller is walking up to the pitcher's mound, and the crowd is screaming! The whole burden of the World Series rests on this youngster's shoulders. Can he strike out the great Mickey Mantle? We'll know in a moment! Keller is on the mound now...he looks around the loaded bases...takes a deep breath, and winds up. Here's the pitch...Mantle hauls back the bat...takes a swing, and misses! Strike one!"
The crowd had become hushed. Mantle moved forward a little, his face grim, his bat cocked, ready to swing. Howard Keller checked the runners. The pressure was enormous, but he seemed to be cool and composed. He turned to the catcher, looked in for the sign, and wound up for another pitch.
"There's the windup and the pitch!" the announcer yelled. "It's Keller's famous curve ball...Mantle swings on and misses! Strike two! If young Keller can strike out the Mick, the Chicago Cubs will win the World Series! We're watching David and Goliath, ladies and gentlemen! Young Keller has only played in the big leagues for one year, but during that time he has made an enviable reputation for himself. Mickey Mantle is Goliath...can the rookie Keller beat him? Everything is riding on this next pitch.
"Keller checks the runners again...here's the windup...and here we go! It's the curve...Mantle bails out as it curves right over the heart of the plate...Strike three called!" The announcer was screaming now. "Mantle is caught looking! The mighty Mick has struck out, ladies and gentlemen! Young Howard Keller struck out the great Mickey Mantle! The game is over - the World Series belongs to the Chicago Cubs! The fans are on their feet going crazy!"
On the field, Howard Keller's teammates raced up to him and picked him up on their shoulders and started to cross the...
"Howard, what in the world are you doing?"
"My homework, Mom." Guiltily the fifteen-year-old Howard Keller turned off the television set. The ball game was almost over anyway.
Baseball was Howard's passion and his life. He knew that one day he would play in the major leagues. At the age of six he was competing against kids twice his age in stickball, and when he was twelve, he began pitching for an American Legion team. When Howard was fifteen, a scout for the Chicago Cubs was told about the young boy. "I've never seen anything like him," his informant said. "The kid has an outstanding curve, and a mean slider, and a change-up you wouldn't believe!"
The scout was skeptical. Grudgingly, he said, "All right. I'll take a look at the kid." He went to the next American Legion game that Howard Keller played in, and he became an instant convert. He sought out the young boy after the game. "What do you want to do with your life, son?"