The Coaster by Erich Wurster Page B

nine-to-five job where I had to show up and work all day, she wouldn’t have been free to concentrate on all the Sarah stuff she likes to do. And as far as I knew, her mother thought when I was at work I was hard at work. I don’t think she could even imagine anything else.
    â€œDon’t worry about it,” Lang said. “It’s going to be pretty busy at first, but in a month or two it’ll settle down. Trustee of this trust is not a full-time job.”
    I knew that by my standards it was far more than a full-time job, but what could I say? “Well, I’ll have to make sure we’ve got everything covered at my business. We may have to move some meetings around, that kind of thing—”
    â€œSam didn’t think it would be a problem for you.”
    â€œWell, I’m glad he had confidence in me.” But he didn’t know me like I do.
    Lang started to gather up his papers. “Oh, one more thing. Sam and I also discussed the trustee’s compensation for the exercise of his duties. I suggested a significant salary because the trustee would be responsible for quite a large estate, the administration of which would occupy a good portion of his time.”
    â€œReally?” I asked. Old Lang finally coming through. “What’s a trustee pull down these days?”
    â€œIt can be in the high six figures for an estate of this size.”
    â€œIt can be but isn’t, I take it.”
    â€œThat’s correct.”
    â€œHow much?”
    â€œNothing,” Lang said with what I read to be a phony pained expression on his face. He was secretly enjoying this part. “I’m sorry. The trust specifically states that the trustee will receive no pay. Sam thought you’d be insulted if he even offered it.”
    I told you no one knew the real me.
    ***
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” Sarah asked me on the drive home from Lang’s office.
    â€œWhat do you mean? Nothing’s wrong.”
    â€œYou haven’t said a word since we got in the car.” Sarah thinks she can tell my mood by how I’m acting. She’s usually way off base but that doesn’t stop her.
    â€œI’m just thinking,” I said. “I’m quiet in the car all the time. You always have your nose buried in your laptop so you don’t notice.”
    She gave me one of those It’s cute that he thinks I can’t read him like a book female looks and said, “What are you thinking about?”
    â€œI don’t know if I can do it.”
    â€œDoes it bother you that you won’t be getting paid?”
    â€œNot really. I’d like to be fairly compensated for my services, but since I don’t know what I’m doing, a salary of nothing seems about right. Plus I’ll be overseeing an estate that eventually will go to you, so it’s not like I don’t have a vested interest in helping in any way I can.”
    â€œThen what’s the problem?”
    â€œI can’t understand why your father would pick me as trustee.”
    â€œI told you,” Sarah said. “Dad respected you more than you think.”
    â€œI think he respected me to a degree,” I said. “But it still doesn’t make sense. I’d think you’d see it more than anyone.”
    â€What do you mean?”
    â€œI’m not the one he’s been grooming since birth to take over his business. I’m not the one with all the Ivy League degrees or the features in magazines about the top young executives in the country. I’m not the one Sam would have trusted to run everything in his absence. He clearly didn’t want to bring me into the family business.”
    â€œThat doesn’t mean he didn’t have confidence in you.”
    â€œMaybe he did,” I said. “And I’d be an excellent choice compared to ninety-nine percent of the population. But what I don’t understand is how I’m a better choice than his