The two continued their discussion about the bulk retail supermarket, where they agreed that it would be ideal to set up a children's play area in the rest zone, making it easier for parents to drop their kids off and go about their business.
Don't think that parents nowadays can handle four or five children at once—they get just as frustrated as anyone else. The difference is, they don't have the same pressure to push their kids to excel. As long as the kids are fed, dressed, and sent to public school, life is pretty much set.
Some might argue that this would result in people just hanging around the rest zone all day, buying one thing but sitting there for hours. But that mindset is outdated. Wilkie wasn't afraid of people sitting around. He was more concerned about no one showing up. Running a supermarket wasn't purely about holding onto money or making a profit—it was about reputation and word of mouth.
Even though the goal wasn't pure, the business itself was definitely charitable. As long as they weren't losing money, they'd keep the operation running and even consider expanding, opening branches in different areas of New York. There were so many districts and ordinary families that it made sense to have more than one location.
After finishing their tour, Wilkie went to use his connections to try and acquire the nearby abandoned polo club. Unfortunately, back in those days, there were no mobile phones, so he had to head back to the city to make a call. Otherwise, he could've probably gotten started right then and there, tearing down the polo club.
"You guys have a club in your trade association, right?" asked Nair, sitting in the backseat with Wilkie.
"Yes, we do, but everyone's so busy. It's rare to even schedule a dinner meeting," Wilkie responded. He had been in the legal profession long enough to know this well.
In the U.S., lawyers could be seen in two ways. On the positive side, they could be viewed as defenders of justice, upholding fairness in the legal system. On the negative side, there were plenty of dirty aspects, with too many to count. But regardless, most lawyers were busy, especially top-tier ones like Wilkie.
They not only had their own firms but were often employed by large companies as legal advisors, handling all the potential legal issues for capitalists. Many movies and TV shows had depicted this. Even though these high-profile lawyers earned fame and fortune, their lives weren't as simple as sipping coffee, reviewing documents, and occasionally attending court. It was said that many of them became addicted to stimulants, occasionally giving themselves a shot to stay alert.
Wilkie, for instance, was constantly on the move. He had very little free time. It wasn't until he became his own boss, building a team of top lawyers and turning into a capitalist, that he would have any chance of slowing down.
Back at the firm, after Wilkie signed a check for $1,200 to resolve a court matter, he was still waiting for confirmation about setting up dinner with Taft and Fiorello. It was planned for Friday evening, but even Taft couldn't guarantee it.
By Thursday afternoon, Taft arrived at Wilkie's office, though not specifically for the meeting. He was delivering land documents for the polo club.
Nair finally met Taft, the politician from a presidential family. His first impression was a mix of surprise and confusion. Taft's father had weighed 320 pounds, but Taft himself was a slim middle-aged man. His face wasn't too full, and he wore small-framed round glasses. His eyes were sharp, but his hair—well, compared to Wilkie's full head of hair, Taft's looked completely bald, perfectly fitting the image of someone who had worked hard in the profession for years.
In the 1940 election, Wilkie's main rival within the party had been Taft. Politically, Taft had more resources than Wilkie, but his personal image was much less appealing. He wasn't as charismatic as Wilkie, who could captivate audiences with his eloquence, easily winning over voters, especially the women.
Wilkie, in the end, became the Republican candidate, even though Taft didn't bear any grudges. He supported Wilkie's campaign, helping to gather votes, especially in Ohio, where the state's electoral votes were crucial. Though Roosevelt had won the election, it was by a very slim margin. Many states had narrowly voted in favor of Roosevelt by just a few thousand votes.
The three men exchanged pleasantries. Nair didn't interrupt; he just quietly observed. Wilkie and Taft, old acquaintances, chatted for more than 20 minutes—a rare occurrence for both of them.
They arranged to meet the next evening at a specific restaurant. Wilkie saw Taft off downstairs before heading back to his own business.
"Good thing he's helping," Wilkie said, taking a sip of water.
"Taft doesn't seem to talk much, huh?" Nair observed, having noticed that most of the conversation had been driven by Wilkie.
"Yes, he's even less talkative than his wife, Martha," Wilkie agreed, nodding.
In many campaign events, Taft himself didn't speak. Instead, his wife, Martha Bowers, would stand in for him, giving speeches. Martha had great diplomatic skills and enjoyed socializing, which really helped Taft's political career.
"No wonder," Nair mused. It made sense that, with all his political resources, Taft was relegated to assisting Wilkie's campaign.
Indeed, this was a friend worth having. He had resources but wasn't fit for a public campaign. When it came time for speeches or radio debates, he probably wouldn't even be able to handle those. But as a close ally, he was invaluable.