to give him the benefit of the doubt here, at least for the time being. I mean after all, it was you who allowed him to remain in your life.”
Yes, I was being a good friend. But equally important, I needed her to get past this for now. Quickly. There was work to be done.
“Am I wrong?”
“No. I know, I’m probably just acting crazy. But it’s just this sense I have. I know when he’s not acting like himself, when he’s up to something.”
“Perry, why make yourself nuts like this? You two have been through a lot in a short amount of time. I imagine you’re not always exactly the same person he married either.”
She looked at me sharply.
“Again, am I wrong?”
She grabbed her lemonade and took a long sip.
“I guess not. You may be right.”
Manipulating her in a way I often used to with people, almost as a personal challenge, I could feel it. She was ready to talk business. Which brought me to my next challenge, the game at hand for approximately the next twenty-four hours. Until the next morning in Tommy’s office, it was Perry, Jake, and I against one another in coming up with the perfect prospect. Why was I looking at it as a game? Because I knew Perry and Jake were also. We all love outdoing one another. We all appreciate the fact that it is this type of friendly, competitive behavior that always brings out our best. As much as we all love to impress Tommy, we love to impress one another.
“So, any ideas about who may fit the bill?”
“Absolutely.”
“Let’s hear it?”
“I don’t think so, Jonah. I think it’s best if we all stay on our own until tomorrow morning.”
“Why? Let’s get a jump on some strategy.”
Perry laughed.
“Please, I know you Jonah. You probably worked on this last night, even though we hadn’t talked about it, and already think you’re the only one to have it figured out. So you think, I must add.”
“So I think?”
“That’s right, smart ass. It would be foolish of you to think that no matter what’s on my mind, I’m not focused here. I knew who our top prospect in Manhattan was for this type of deal the moment you laid it all out on the table.”
“Is that so?”
“Damn right. My mind may be doing some serious juggling right now, but that doesn’t mean I’d let anything get in the way of a deal like this.”
It was nice to know her killer instinct was intact no matter how torn up she was inside. I was sure Perry was dead serious when she implied she had thought of the perfect prospect.
Chapter 8
At 7:30 p.m . I met my father at Harry Cipriani, a tiny, East Side Venetian power spot in the Sherry Netherland Hotel, for a drink. I was meeting some friends on the Upper East Side for dinner a bit later, so figured I had some time to catch up with Pop. We sat at the bar amid the diamond-dripping, air-kissing clientele. He had already placed our order with Sonny. I had a Sapphire and tonic coming while he went with his usual Jameson on the rocks.
Our drinks were placed down in front of us. My father took one look at his, pointed his finger at it and called to the bartender.
“Sonny.”
The barkeep swung his eyes back to us.
“Sonny, what the fuck is this? How about pouring me a little booze over this ice?”
Sonny picked up the drink.
“Of course, Mr. Gray. I’m terribly—”
“Get us some fried zucchini out here also. I haven’t eaten a goddamn thing all day.”
“Of course,” Sonny cowered, “right away.”
Pop returned his attention to me.
“Fucking crooked—”
Without asking he reached out and adjusted my necktie. I checked out the vintage Omega Seamaster on his wrist as he did.
“You ever going to let me try that watch on?”
Pop smirked. It was the only one from his collection I’d never touched. The truth is, after so many years of asking, it wasn’t the watch I was interested in anymore. It was if he’d say yes. As usual, he changed directions.
“What did Andreu say when you accepted?”
“That he
Yes, I was being a good friend. But equally important, I needed her to get past this for now. Quickly. There was work to be done.
“Am I wrong?”
“No. I know, I’m probably just acting crazy. But it’s just this sense I have. I know when he’s not acting like himself, when he’s up to something.”
“Perry, why make yourself nuts like this? You two have been through a lot in a short amount of time. I imagine you’re not always exactly the same person he married either.”
She looked at me sharply.
“Again, am I wrong?”
She grabbed her lemonade and took a long sip.
“I guess not. You may be right.”
Manipulating her in a way I often used to with people, almost as a personal challenge, I could feel it. She was ready to talk business. Which brought me to my next challenge, the game at hand for approximately the next twenty-four hours. Until the next morning in Tommy’s office, it was Perry, Jake, and I against one another in coming up with the perfect prospect. Why was I looking at it as a game? Because I knew Perry and Jake were also. We all love outdoing one another. We all appreciate the fact that it is this type of friendly, competitive behavior that always brings out our best. As much as we all love to impress Tommy, we love to impress one another.
“So, any ideas about who may fit the bill?”
“Absolutely.”
“Let’s hear it?”
“I don’t think so, Jonah. I think it’s best if we all stay on our own until tomorrow morning.”
“Why? Let’s get a jump on some strategy.”
Perry laughed.
“Please, I know you Jonah. You probably worked on this last night, even though we hadn’t talked about it, and already think you’re the only one to have it figured out. So you think, I must add.”
“So I think?”
“That’s right, smart ass. It would be foolish of you to think that no matter what’s on my mind, I’m not focused here. I knew who our top prospect in Manhattan was for this type of deal the moment you laid it all out on the table.”
“Is that so?”
“Damn right. My mind may be doing some serious juggling right now, but that doesn’t mean I’d let anything get in the way of a deal like this.”
It was nice to know her killer instinct was intact no matter how torn up she was inside. I was sure Perry was dead serious when she implied she had thought of the perfect prospect.
Chapter 8
At 7:30 p.m . I met my father at Harry Cipriani, a tiny, East Side Venetian power spot in the Sherry Netherland Hotel, for a drink. I was meeting some friends on the Upper East Side for dinner a bit later, so figured I had some time to catch up with Pop. We sat at the bar amid the diamond-dripping, air-kissing clientele. He had already placed our order with Sonny. I had a Sapphire and tonic coming while he went with his usual Jameson on the rocks.
Our drinks were placed down in front of us. My father took one look at his, pointed his finger at it and called to the bartender.
“Sonny.”
The barkeep swung his eyes back to us.
“Sonny, what the fuck is this? How about pouring me a little booze over this ice?”
Sonny picked up the drink.
“Of course, Mr. Gray. I’m terribly—”
“Get us some fried zucchini out here also. I haven’t eaten a goddamn thing all day.”
“Of course,” Sonny cowered, “right away.”
Pop returned his attention to me.
“Fucking crooked—”
Without asking he reached out and adjusted my necktie. I checked out the vintage Omega Seamaster on his wrist as he did.
“You ever going to let me try that watch on?”
Pop smirked. It was the only one from his collection I’d never touched. The truth is, after so many years of asking, it wasn’t the watch I was interested in anymore. It was if he’d say yes. As usual, he changed directions.
“What did Andreu say when you accepted?”
“That he
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