Why I Hated The Guy From The FBI Ch. 08

Note: All places, and persons used in this story are fictitious, and in no manner of men to detract from any particular region of the world. The author retains the right to this story.

26. Celeste gets bitten.

Celeste was used to waking up in a strange bed after a night of partying, but she was used to seeing a strange man sleeping next to her. However, Philip was not there. He had laid out a dressing gown for her at the edge of the bed and a note telling her he would be on the veranda waiting for her when she awoke. She took a quick shower and put on the gown and when she left the room, a maid was there and directed her to him. He was smartly dressed in riding pants, boots, and a blue shirt with an open collar. He was having coffee and reading the Sunday paper, when she walked onto the veranda. As soon as he saw her, he stopped what he was doing and turned all his attention to her. She looked glorious in the diaphanous gown she had on.

"Good morning Celeste, I hope you slept well."

"The little sleep you allowed me was very good. What you gave me before the sleep, was even better."

"I was enchanted myself, my dear. There is something about you that allowed me to put my heart and soul into what we gave each other last night. I am hoping that we have many more nights together."

"Philip, I am like a butterfly. I float from one place to another, never staying long in any one area. There are many flowers and I love each one for a time."

Then, for whatever time you will allow me, I will love you as fiercely as I can."

"That would be magnificent Philip. I would enjoy that very much. I see that you are going riding, may I come along?"

"Absolutely! I am sure my sisters will have something that can accommodate you. What type of horse would you like? We have everything from Arabians to American quarter horses."

"I have never ridden an American quarter horse. I think I will try one of those with a western saddle."

"Celeste, you could not get an English saddle on an American quarter horse. They are a little too stout around the middle for it."

She grinned at Philip and asked "Will my legs fit around it?"

Philip laughed, "I am sure you will find a way."

For the next three hours, Philip showed Celeste around his property, including his vineyards, his herds of cattle, and sheep grazing lazily in the pasture. They stopped at his winery and tasted some of the wines still aging in their oaken casks, before they headed back to his estate home. He asked her to spend the rest of her time in Milan, with him, instead of with Antonia and Frank. He explained that they would be in school all day during the week, and studying at night. They could get together on the weekend with them, and go out together.

Celeste thought about rebuffing this idea, however, she said she would talk it over with Antonia, before making her final judgment.

When Antonia answered the phone, she sounded out of breath. Celeste laughed and said, "Did I catch you in the middle of something?"

"No, Celeste, Frank was just trying to do the laundry."

"Then why are you huffing and puffing?"

"He was trying to put me in the washing machine."

Philip saw Celeste drop the phone and laugh. He ran over to her to find out what was going on. He took Celeste by the shoulders, because she could not stop laughing and asked her, "Is everything alright?"

Celeste cried, "I do not know what she did, but Frank is trying to put her in the washing machine."

Philip picked up the phone and yelled, "Frank stop it. Frank, if you can hear me stop it."

Frank yelled back, "I told you I was going to kill one of those two women, and Antonia won."

"What did she do Frank?"

"She peed in my coffee, and left me a note telling me about it."

"How does it taste, Frank?

"It will taste a lot better when I get her into the washing machine."

"Think about the wedding, Frank. It will be awfully lonely without her walking down the aisle."

"I will find another midget to take her place."

"Will the midget be as much fun?"

"No, Philip, no one would be as much fun as she is."

"Have you calmed down now, Frank?"

"Yes, Philip, now I will only shoot her."

"Celeste has to talk to her first. Give her the phone."

"I have to pull her head and arms out of the washing machine first, Philip. Then I will give her the phone."

"Do it now Frank, right now."

"Philip, some days you ruin everything for me."

"Give her the phone, Frank. Now!"

Completely out of breath, Antonia said "Hello Celeste."

"You peed and his coffee? Why did you do that?"

"He would not make love to me last night. He said I was being punished."

"In that case, you should have taken a shit in his coffee."

"I did not have to go."

Celeste laughed at her friend. "I am spending the week with Philip. We will get together next Friday. We will go out and party next weekend, if that is okay with you."

"I think that is a marvelous idea. I hated the thought of leaving you alone all week, while Frank and I were in school. I knew you would keep yourself occupied, but with Philip I know you will be in good company."

"Yes, very good company."

"Celeste, there's a tingle in your voice."

"There is not. I have already told Philip that this is a short time thing."

"You are lying to yourself, Celeste."

"Mark my words Antonia; I will be gone in two weeks."

"Will he be with you?"

"Listen, you little witch, you are a hopeless romantic. Take your dreams and put them in someone else's coffee. They will not work on me."

"Celeste, aren't we being a little defensive today?"

"When I see you again, I am going to spank you."

"Promises, promises, mistress."

"I hate you Antonia."

"I love you too, Celeste. Go kiss your boyfriend for me. I will talk to you later. Bye."

"You are incorrigible."

"There you go being defensive again. You better be careful, some one might think something is happening between you two."

"Goodbye brat."

The following Friday, Gloria and Philip Gennaro drove up to Milan, and transferred the $500,000 that was in the safety deposit box, from Tony Caruso into one of their own. They wanted to put it into an instrument that would gain them interest, with the rest of their money, but were unsure how to go about it, with the European trading laws. They stopped by Antonia and Frank's to say hello and ask them if they knew anyone who could help them. Frank asked them to stay until Celeste arrived, because she would have more information about wealth management, then anyone else they knew.

When Celeste arrived, everyone sat down for some wine and coffee. Frank asked her if she would help his father in that matter. She asked Mr. Gennaro, how much money was he talking about.

He said, "$1.5 million."

Celeste stunned everyone in the room when she replied, "Oh, is that all."

Philip said, "Celeste, be nice. People work their whole lifetime and never get close to that amount of money."

Celeste replied, "I am sorry, Mr. Gennaro, I meant no insult. Sometimes I forget other people's sensibilities, because I have so much money. First, do not put your money into the stock market. It is about to fall apart. Second, do not put it in to land purchases. Values are about to fall through the floor. There are very few safe options at this moment. I have just finished putting all my money into liquid options. If you wish, I can pool your money with mine. When the time is right, my people will start buying depressed assets, at bargain basement prices. It could be two or three years before my people believe that they are supposed to start to come back. However, when it does, we will be in on the ground floor and your money, and mine will take off like a rocket. Your money could increase in value by 10 or 12 fold four years from now. However, patience is the key to this growth."

Antonia said, "I knew it. Everything I tracked pointed to this. Banks are going to fail. Brokerages are going to fail. Mortgaged houses are going to fail. People's homes are going to go into foreclosure because their mortgages are going to go upside down."

Celeste looked at her. "How did you know Antonia?"

"I have been keeping this secret from my father and everyone else for a very long time. If my father knew about it, he would never have let me out of his site. I read the financial papers; I listened to the financial news, and read the arcane minutes of the Federal Reserve Board and European counterparts. When they used the term, 'Irrational Exuberance' in front of Congress several years ago, I knew things were going into the tank. I kept watching and the gains were unsustainable. It was only a matter of time for the bubble to burst. I think it will happen right after the New Year."

Celeste smiled. "My people think it will be April or May before it happens. That is why they sold off my holdings now, to maximize my profits."

"Dad, what do you think? Do you want to pool your money with Celeste's and wait out the coming financial disaster, or do you want to keep your cash in the bank?"

Phil asked Gloria what she thought, because half of the money was hers.

Gloria replied, "There is safety in numbers, and her numbers are larger than ours. If Frank and Antonia trust, Celeste, I would say to put most of it with her and save some for rainy day."

"How much do you want to keep for rainy day, Gloria?"

"Is $200,000 okay with you Phil?

"Yes, it is."

Frank asked Celeste, if Antonia could put in a little money of her own, with his father's."

Antonia looked at him and said, "Frank, I have $3000 in my checkbook. I don't think Celeste would be interested in that amount of money."

"Antonia, one day you are going to look at our bank statement. For young woman who can figure out what the stock market is going to do years in advance, you cannot figure out how much money you have in your checkbook."

"Frank, where is your gun. You have that look in your eye, again. I still owe Philip one shot in his leg. I might as well shoot you at the same time."

"Don't worry, Philip. I have the guns at a height of 5'7" and above. She will never reach them, even if she jumps."

"I hate you Frank. I really, really hate you."

"Now we are getting somewhere. Celeste, can you assimilate $70 million into your accounts?"

Antonia yelled as she attacked Frank, "You bastard. You have been rich all this time, and you have been keeping me on a budget."

Celeste said, "70 million will not be a problem, Frank. Where did you get the funds?"

"Antonia's father sent them to her."

Antonia's head popped up and asked, "What? My father sent me $70 million. Was he sick or something? Why did he do that?"

Philip answered the questions for him. "Antonia for a smart woman, you have forgotten the entire plan."

"What plan? Oh, those plan. How did that plan, get me $70 million?"

"It was very easy. Frank had to call your father, and told him about the wedding. Knowing that your father's telephone was tapped, by the FBI, he had to do a little ad-libbing. He explained about his visit to Camp Darby, and the operation to remove the shrapnel from his spine. He explained about the attacks on you and the cost in lives to the men on both sides. He said to your father, that my grandfather was going to require restitution for the costs that he incurred and payment to the families of the men for their lifetime. He then said to your father, the cost would be in the high eight figures, and that he should send it to your checking account. He could distribute it, when he arrived here for the wedding. The FBI could not stop a transfer between a father and a daughter. All the appropriate fees and licenses were obtained and the transfers were completed. The FBI now has to wait until the transfers happen between two criminal enterprises, before they become illegal. That will never happen, because my grandfather never asked for the money. You will pay all your father's bills from here, and he will receive his spending money, in cash, via currier."

"You bastard, Frank. I told you that you had that look in your eye, again. I get fucked without the pleasure of being fucked, again. How much money is there in my account, and don't you dare tell me to look at the bank statement?"

"I left $20 million in the account for you to play with Antonia."

"I never knew my father had that much money."

"It is not his money. He took it out of the organization's funds. His money is still wherever he has it buried. However, I can guarantee you that it is not in Tunisia, and he will have a very hard time accessing it. The FBI will make sure of that."

"Dad, I just thought of something. Tony may try to sell the vineyard where you have your home. You may be able to buy the whole thing for a song. Philip do you think you could show my father how to grow grapes?"

Philip laughed. "Tony's property and mine have a mutual border. It would be my pleasure to teach your father how to grow the same grapes that grow on my property. I will purchase them at market price, and turn them into the best wines in the Valley."

Gloria looked at Phil, "The people back home will not believe that we are going to be wine makers."

"Let's not jump the gun, folks. Several things have to happen before you own a vineyard."

Gloria said, "Yes, Frank, but it is such a wonderful thought."

After spending another glorious weekend together, the two couples separated Sunday evening and headed to their respective domiciles. Frank pulled an all-nighter because he had a paper due the next morning, which he had forgotten about, and Antonia would not help them, because she had been punished. To make matters worse, she walked around the kitchen, butt naked, bending, stretching, putting her fingers into her vagina, and then licking them.

Frank groaned as he tried to concentrate and asked her, "If I fuck you, will you leave me alone?"

Antonia replied, "No Frank, I am being punished." She turned and wiggled her bottom as she left the room, only to return 10 minutes later to repeat the same actions as before. However, this time, Frank got up and chased her back into the bedroom. She barely made it in time to close the door, and lock it.

He told her the next time she came out of that room, she would not be so lucky. He would catch her, tie her up, attach her to a ceiling fan, and turn it on.

Antonia did not like the sound of that idea at all. She was unsure if the ceiling fan would hold her weight, but even worse, she was sure he would do it. She stayed in the room for the remainder of the night. She hated it when he did not fight fair.

During the following week, Philip and Celeste were inseparable. She even went to church with him, during the week. She had not been inside a house of worship in her entire life. Her father did not believe in any form of religion, except one. Money was his God, and he worshiped it every hour of every day.

She asked Philip hundreds of questions about what she had seen and heard, while they were there; what it meant to him; and why he believed in things that were so foreign to her way of thinking.

Philip asked her how long she was going to be here, because this has been my religion since I was born. It has been my family's religion, for as long as anyone has kept records. It would be like asking you to count your money in pennies. The simple answer is, "Faith." When you climb into an airplane, you have faith that it will stay in the air and land at its destination. When you get on an ocean liner, you have faith that it will get you to your destination safely. I have the same faith in my religion. It makes me feel safe. I love my God, as much as you love your money. However, when I die, I will leave my body here, however I know my God will take my immortal soul to his bosom. When you die, you cannot take your money with you. It will go to wherever you have directed, but it will stay here while your body rests in its grave. You will have no knowledge of what happens next, if anything, because you have not prepared yourself. My God may take you to his bosom, also, because you have led a good life. He does not discriminate between religions or people. This was the religion that I was born into, and I am very comfortable with it, and its teachings, because I have "Faith."

Celeste was tongue-tied. For someone who was always quick with an answer, this time she had none. She turned and walked away from Philip, deep in thought. Philip did not disturb her. He stayed several feet behind her and let her mull over what he had said. He had not intended to upset her, but apparently that was what his speech had done.

After several moments, he walked up to her and found her with tears flowing down her cheeks. He took her into his arms and held her to his chest. He apologized for upsetting her and told her that was not what he wanted to do to her. He told her that religion was a very tough subject to talk about. He said religion had caused more wars, and deaths over the eons, than any other cause had ever done. It was not a subject to be taken lightly, and one little talk was not meant to change her or her mind about it.

Celeste thanked him for that explanation, and said she still had a lot of thinking to do. She asked him if they could go for a ride, so she could clear her head.

They headed out towards the barns and saddled their horses and went around the property again, as they did previously. When they came back, Celeste was in a much better mood, or so Philip thought.

That evening, Celeste spent a lot of time on her cell phone, prior to going to bed. They made love like there was no tomorrow. The following day, Celeste told Philip she had to go have the dresses she put on hold, fitted and she would be back later in the day. He thought nothing of it, because he had work to do at the winery. When she did not return by 7 PM, he began to worry. He called Frank to find out if she was with them. The answer was, "No." Antonia gave him the name of the shop they bought their dresses at and when Philip called, it was closed.

Shortly after 8 o'clock, a courier arrived bearing a letter for him. He opened it and it broke his heart. "Darling Philip, by the time you read this, I will be many thousands of miles away. I am so confused. I had to get away from everyone and everything. Please do not try to find me, because I must find myself first. The things you talked about today struck a chord with me that never entered my mind. No one has ever spoken to me like that before. It was so beautiful and so simple, that it complicated my entire life. My life was so free and easy, and I used the world, as my playground. I never gave any of what you said a second thought. My father instilled that in to me, and now I am wondering if he was right or are you right. Money is tangible, your God is not. You say your God will take care of you in the next life, if there is one. I will never know if there is one or not. "Faith, "what a marvelous word. I have to find out if the faith I have in my principles, are as important, as the faith you have in your God.

Please explain to Antonia and Frank I may not be there for their wedding. My people will take care of their money as if it were my own, but I have to find out who I am, before I can continue with my life. All my love, Celeste."

Philip was heartbroken. He had had many lovers, since he was a teenager and now, at the age of 23, a woman had stolen his heart and run away with it. His staff had never seen him like this, and did not know what to do for him. He did not eat or sleep for days. He did not take care of his personal hygiene, which was totally out of the normal for him.

On Sunday, his chief of staff called Frank and asked him to come to the estate and help Philip.

Frank asked, "What is wrong with him?"