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?"
