Pike's Folly by Mike Heppner

these were all points he’d made before, to college friends, to girls he was trying to impress.
    Changing the subject, Pike asked Allison, “So, what have you been doing with yourself lately?”
    She glanced at her father, then said, “Looking for a job, I guess.”
    â€œWhy don’t you work for your old man?” he suggested. “Hell,
I’d
hire you.”
    She briskly discarded the idea. “I think I’d rather work for my father, Mr. Pike, but thanks. Actually, I’m considering taking the year off.”
    Turning to Gregg, Pike asked, “What do you think of that?”
    â€œWhatever she wants is fine with me,” Gregg said. “I won’t pressure her. Just as long as she gives something back to her community. That’s what this family has done for generations, and when I go, Allison will be there to take my place.”
    Warmed by the alcohol, she reached for her boyfriend’s hand. “We both will.”
    The whole room turned toward Heath, who, ever since sitting down, had become gradually more self-conscious about Allison’s being in his lap. “I guess I’ll try,” he said, staring at her fingers interlocked with his own.
    Pike came to the rescue. “You’re scaring the kid, Gregg. Surely he doesn’t want to go to fund-raisers for the rest of his life.”
    â€œHeath doesn’t mind fund-raisers,” Allison maintained.
    Heath considered what to say for himself, then decided. “It depends what it’s for.”
    That settled, Pike reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a business card. “I should take you with me when I go up to New Hampshire next month, Heath. I’d like to shoot a little documentary before I get to work on that mountain. Have you got a decent camera?” Before Heath could answer, Pike handed him the card. “I’ll buy you one. Nothing fancy—maybe a Beta-cam SP. All of my old shit’s out of date.”
    Allison snatched the card away. “I don’t like this,” she said.
    Pike smiled. “But Allison, this is a great opportunity for him. Besides, don’t you want to see what I’m doing up there?”
    The smug look on his face infuriated her. “Not really. Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s disgusting. You’re not proving anything to anyone, you know. So you’ve got a lot of money, so what? So do we. At least we give our money to people who deserve it.”
    â€œDon’t be so certain about that. There’s more than one way to spend a dollar. Me, I prefer to spend it on myself.”
    â€œWhatever.” Shaken up, she got to her feet. “This wine isn’t any good. I’m gonna open another bottle. Heath?”
    Reluctantly, Heath followed Allison out of the room. With his daughter gone, Gregg saw fit to help himself to another splash of Scotch. He offered the bottle to Pike, who grunted and said, “Just a swig. I’m due at Mediterraneo in under an hour.”
    Pouring, Gregg felt compelled to fill Pike’s glass all the way to the top. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to get him drunk. “I don’t see where you get the money to do these things,” he said, thinking of the land Pike had recently acquired in New Hampshire.
    Pike laughed. “Now, Gregg, don’t go lecturing me about money. You’re not exactly frugal yourself.”
    Gregg nodded judiciously. There was truth to this: whatever stunt Nathaniel pulled, however wasteful or eccentric, Gregg countered it with a very public act of generosity. He thrived on the idea that, in the twenty-plus years that they’d known each other, he was undeniably, unambiguously, on the side of the right. Inside, however, another Gregg Reese, the one who sometimes found his own family history too much to bear, watched with envy as Pike spent millions on unworthy causes, getting away with things that would’ve sunk the