by Peter Fang
One of their main targets was at the party today without his wife. The man was a father of four, Vice President of the bank, and he had a lot of oversight authority. His personality profile also showed that he showed tendencies to hit on girls at work. Nothing serious ever happened, or at least was reported. All they needed was to get him to cooperate on creating a shell account for them to help transfer a larger amount of a transaction offshore. Everything was ready. They even were going to wire a good chunk of money into his personal account. So if anything went down not as planned, they would make sure this guy was charged with bribery.
Finley's car made it to the valet parking lot. He suddenly said, “Are you forgetting something?”
Elise stared, noncompliant. “No—I have everything.”
Finley shook his head, then stared at Elise's tits. “You are wearing a bra. You should it take off.”
Elise's eyes widen. “Are you serious?”
Finley nodded. “You remember Craig’s profile? The more uptight the guy, the more pervy he is.”
Elise rolled her eyes.
They made their way into the grand hall. There was a large, beautiful chandelier and thick, supple carpet that ran on forever. They went to the reception desk, checked in, and then went inside the large ballroom. A cold breeze blew in from the entrance, sensitizing Elise's nipples against her gown. She regretted to take her bra off at the behest of Finley's request. Once they stepped inside the large dining room, it felt like an amalgamation of perfume, food, and alcohol. The scent of cooked chicken, beef, fish and different mixtures of delicious sauces hung richly in the air.
Finley texted Ansen to let him know they were inside the ballroom. Seconds later, Ansen texted back. Table 2, near the center right of the ballroom.
Elise walked into the room and was just enjoying the view of the whole ballroom, taking it all in. She had been to the Four Seasons a few times in the past with friends for different venues, but somehow every time she came here, it was a different experience. Of all the prior events, this one was probably the most impressive. The decor was elegant without being gaudy. Everything was just about right. The room’s lighting had been dimmed, and the live band started to play a jazz tune. The red gown that she was wearing had embedded white sparkles that shimmered under the ballroom light. The table seemed to be numbered almost randomly, so it took the pair a while before they came to Table 2.
Elise first approached the table and spoke up against the background music, “I’m sorry to bother you all, but I can’t find Table 6. Do you mind if we sit down for a few minutes?”
The old man at the table was first surprised by the question, but after one look at Elise's face and her figure, he decided to let her stay. “Why not? We had a few guests that had to leave early, so why don’t you join us?” He waved at the waiter over and asked for a few more dishes for the table.
“Please, help yourself to the food. There’s plenty to go around.” The old man smiled. The wrinkles around his eyes were visible even under the dimmed light. “Which department are you with?”
“I’m just a guest, here with Finley. I think Finley knows someone here, but I’m not sure,” Elise replied. She then looked across the table and locked her eyes with Ansen for a few seconds, then at Maria. “Hi, I’m Elise. Nice to see you all.” Elise nodded and smiled at everyone across the table.
Maria, Ansen, and the rest of the guests nodded back.
“I’m Finley. Nice to meet you all.” Finley raised his right palm and greeted the table. He sat down and tugged on his suit, feeling a little tight around the waist. This type of social venue always bothered him. Tonight especially, he needed to do well. He had to play his part well tonight to make the sell to the person sitting across from him.
Finley reached down and tapped Elise's leg, then drew a line towards the guy across.
“So, what do you do for a living?” The old man broke the ice. His eyes fixated on Elise.
Elise felt his stare boring through her facade. “I am a consultant with Bane and Bexter. I’m taking some time off right now to pursue my hobby in brewing. Hoping one day to start my own business.” Elise answered without thinking. Things rolled off of her tongue from good preparation.
The old man nodded, then turned to Finley. “What about you?”
“I have my own business already in importing and exporting toys,” Finley replied with a short but crisp answer.
“Very good.” The old man smiled. He then pointed over to the man to his right. “This is Craig Williams. He’s playing bachelor, so he may need some good company to chat with. Don’t let his austere look fool you; he’s quite an animated one once he loosens up.” The old man chuckled and slapped the man’s back. He then pointed to his left and gestured at Maria and Ansen. “You may find more interesting things to say with this two. I’m just an old man who thinks about work too much.”
The live band started a slow, romantic melody, and the DJ was encouraging the couples to come to the dance floor.
Maria observed Elise from across the table and thought she knew Elise from somewhere. She nudged a co-worker on her right, and then she whispered, “Do you know this couple?” The coworker shook his head lightly, trying to be discreet.
“Elise, Finley, do you know someone from our team?” Maria was never too shy to ask a question.
Elise looked at Maria and smiled. “Oh, not directly, but we know a friend that has a cousin in your department. Janice Dearborn? She is in Legal?”
Maria nodded.
“She doesn’t talk about work much when we get together. I think she should be arriving here shortly, but I haven’t seen her yet.”
“Hmm, I thought she was in Europe?” Maria eyed her coldly, but something about Elise's face reminded her of someone she knew. Something about Elise felt so familiar to her, but she didn’t know what it was.
Elise tilted her head. “That’s odd…she didn’t mention anything about a Europe trip.”
Ansen suddenly grabbed Maria’s arm and whispered, “I’m getting a little stiff here sitting here. Would you care for a dance?” Ansen didn’t wait for Maria to reply and just stood up, offering his right hand to Maria.
Maria looked up at Ansen with a blissful smile. “I always thought dancing was not your thing.”
“Well, my dear, I’m full of surprises.” Ansen held her hands and neatly guided her up from the table. He then regarded the people around the table with a nod. “Excuse us.”
“Have fun!” The old man raised his glass slightly and encouraged the couple to the dance floor. After the couple left, the old men elbowed Craig next to him. “See, you can tell when a couple is in love.” He saw Craig staring at Elise under the dim light. “Hey boy, slow down. Don’t forget you are still married,” he whispered in Craig’s ears.
Craig gazed back with sheepish smile. “Yes, sir. I was just admiring her dress.”
The old man snickered. “Good, good, I’m sure you were.” He stole a private glance at Elise and was surprised that she was secretly looking at Craig between drinks. Finley, on the other hand, was starting to look away from the table and out on to the ballroom’s dance floor. By now, more couples had joined Maria and Ansen on the floor.
As Maria and Ansen made their way to the middle of the ballroom, Maria held Ansen's hand and kissed it gently with her lips. She then looked up at Ansen. “You are smitten by Elise, aren’t you?”
Ansen looked back at Maria in a moment of panic, then recovered quickly. “She is a very attractive girl, but why would I care much when I have you with me?”
Maria squeezed his arms lightly with her fingers. “Liar, I’ll kill you one of these days.” She gently let go of his arms, wrapped it around him and pressed her head next to Ansen's chest. She could feel his heartbeat—a little bit elevated like someone had just finished jogging.
The melody of the music was so familiar, yet Maria could not remember the lyrics. She allowed the melody to drown out her thoughts and just enjoyed the moment.
The old man stretched his back. “Oh––my back, I need to get out of this chair and check out the cigar room. Are you coming, Craig?”
“No, sir, I quit smoking. But please enjoy your cigar. I’ve heard they are bringing the Montecristo No. 2 back this year. Can’t miss that.”
“Oh, right, I’d better get there early before it runs out, then.” The old man stood up grudgingly, like pulling roots off of his chair. Two assistants appeared from the next table and stood promptly ahead of him to assist him, one from each side. “Stop it; I’m not that old.” Before he made his final departure, he turned and said in a low monotone, “You kids behave now. I don’t want to have to fire anyone tonight.” He then laughed and walked away.
Elise stared at Craig and saw him staring back at her. She suddenly felt a creepy feeling about the way he was looking at her. It was not a typical man’s lustful look, or the pitiful, thinly veiled neutral look of someone who tried to imagine what she looked like naked. It was an almost clinical stare, like he was dissecting her, and boring right into her soul with that pair of ink-black eyes. Elise tried to remember everything she studied about Craig: married, but no kids. Has an MBA and Law degree from Princeton, and that recent book that he ordered online was interesting…Elise's concentration suddenly was interrupted by a squeeze from Finley's right hand––a signal that he was going to leave the table, so she could work on Craig.
“I’m going to check out the bar. You need anything?” Finley stood up and asked Elise almost as an afterthought. He didn’t even wait for Elise's reply before walking away towards the bar.
Elise laughed as Finley left. She looked and there was only Craig at the table. “Awkward, isn’t it?” She tried to point out the obvious, hoping to deflect Finley's rude behavior. “Finley loves the bar.”
Craig muttered something, but Elise couldn’t catch the beginning and the end from him. “Excuse me?”
“…you want from me?” Craig said it louder.
“What?” Elise replied. She almost had to yell, as the music from the band suddenly had switched to a more up-beat rhythm.
Craig shouted, “What—do—you—want—from—me?”
Elise knew she had about two seconds to respond before she might lose Craig. The script was supposed to give Craig the impression that Elise and Finley were a couple with a questionable relationship, and that led Elise to send out the vibe to Craig, but it didn’t work as planned, or did he figure things out already? By instinct, Elise said the only thing she could think of. “Can you buy me a drink? I’m getting bored with this wine.” Elise caressed the wine glass’s long stem, slowly moving her fingers up and down the stem as she stroked the glass. She made sure she looked down at the table and then slowly looked up at him with a mysterious stare.
Craig’s faint inquisitive gaze was almost analytical, without a hint of lecherous desire––there was no other noticeable expression on his face. He squinted his eyes at Elise and finally stood up. “Why don’t we go to the bar and join your friend, Finley?” The way Craig said it was almost like a command, instead of a question.
Elise was more than happy to comply. Craig led the way through the crowd and approached the bar; Elise followed closely behind. When they got to the bar, they could not find Finley. Elise looked around and found that Finley was talking to two blondes. Elise sighed, then tugged at Craig’s shoulder. “Finley is there, talking to the girls.”
Craig turned, followed Elise's gaze and saw Finley's face beaming and his hands and arms waving in air, describing something very vividly. The two blondes laughed as he closed his arms around his chest––some joke he was describing.
“I’m sure he is talking about the story in France. He always does that to impress the girls,” Elise said almost in a whisper. She gazed absently at the bar’s neon lights.
A skinny bartender making his rounds behind the bar stopped by. “Can I get you two something? The lines were crazy. Sorry if you had to wait.”
Elise looked at Craig. “How about a gin and tonic?”
Craig shook his head. “Not for me. Gray Goose Martini with a twist, please.”
“A martini man.” Elise smiled.
“So, tell me why you are here and trying to get my attention?” Craig stared at Elise; his dark eyes glistened under the neon lights.
Elise just realized how tall Craig was; he must be at least six foot three. She had to tilt her head and look up at Craig. She noticed a three-inch scar beneath his nose and stretched upwards to the right cheek. It was not too deep, but definitely noticeable. “Well, I don’t know. Somehow you caught my eye. I didn’t want to come, but this was Finley's idea. I was hoping my friend would be here today, but perhaps she is sick.”
“Did you text her?” Craig asked casually.
“Well, the weird thing is, I forgot my phone today. I never leave my phone, but somehow I forgot.” Elise was not exactly lying. She did forget her phone, but Finley gave her a backup phone, along with a GPS locating device to put inside her purse.
The bartender came back with their drinks. Craig threw the bartender a twenty. “I got this one.”
Elise nodded and reached for the cold glass. The icy cold surface tingled under her grasp. Under her innocent smile, she was going over the agenda and the playbook, looking for the right angle to work on Craig. It disturbed her that she couldn’t really read Craig.
Craig picked up his martini with a meticulous move; he brought the rim to his lips, took a small sip, tasted it, almost savoring it, then put it back down on the counter. “So, I could tell you what is interesting about me, or would you rather join Finley's conversation there?”
Elise looked over her shoulder at Finley, then rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry about him. He’s just having a good time by himself.”
“Doesn’t he get jealous of you talking with someone else?”
“No…not really. He already met you, so you are on his white-list.” Elise tried to act casual, but she felt her voice was getting a bit high-pitched, so she tried to slow down. “So, what keeps you busy after work? Sailing? Hiking? Or are you into more cerebral types of exercise? Playing chess, reading books?”
“I do like to sail sometimes, when I’m not getting sea-sick. I prefer doing most of my activities on land.”
“Likewise.” Elise laughed. “Dry land is much safer—feet on the ground.”
“So, you said you are between jobs? How do you occupy your time?”
“I really just try to learn things. I’m interested in all kinds of things, and recently I’m into brewing my own beer. By the way, do you want to get out of here? This place is getting a little stuffy. I know this new place in Chinatown that serves great Chinese dim sum. That is, if you like dim sum.” From the garbage collected from Craig’s house, Elise knew that he visited Chinatown often and liked dim sum.
Craig’s face showed a flash of surprise, but he quickly snuffed it with a smile. “I don’t know you and you don’t know me yet. Are you not afraid of strangers?”
“Friends call me Ms. ESP. I can tell you are a stand-up person and a gentleman.” Elise put that out there just to see Craig’s response, but again, there was no emotion feeding back from Craig, not even a nervous smile.
“I’m sorry, Elise. I just want to have a good chat with you and enjoy a good martini.” He took a good swig and downed the martini; then he dabbed his lips with the tissue paper. “Excuse me, I need to go to the men’s room.” Before Elise could say anything, he just left.
Elise bit her lips and felt dejected. The whole plan didn’t work, and instead, her aggressiveness pushed Craig away. Although she could not read Craig’s face, she knew that he was not coming back to the bar. What to do now?
“Having some problems?” It was Maria as she approached Elise.
Elise shuffled her body around and forced a smile. “Oh, it’s fine. We were just chit-chatting.”
“Someone should have given you warning that Craig is not a big talker. He’s somewhat of a loner a
t work. I don’t know why you picked him to talk to. By, the way, where is Finley? Isn’t he your date?”
Elise snickered. “He sure is.” She pointed in Finley's direction and his animated body. He looked even more excited now and was surrounded by two more girls. Elise could almost see his veins on his forehead. His face was flushed with a sheen of sweat on his forehead. “Don’t know what those girls really see in him.” Elise shook her head.
“Good with the ladies?” Maria took a stool next to Elise.
Elise rolled her eyes. “My life is a pitiful parable of hooking up with the wrong guys.”
Maria let out a loud laugh. She felt instantly close to Elise and a warm relief that she found someone easy to talk to. “What are you having there? Gin and Tonic?” Maria asked.
Elise nodded. “Except this is a special version I requested the bartender to make. I’m a bartender myself. It is actually quite good.”
“May I?” Maria gestured at Elise's drink.
Elise offered the drink to Maria, and Maria took a sip.
“Oh––it is strong, for sure.” Maria dabbed her lips with a napkin, then looked up at Elise. “This is not a come-on, but have we met before? I feel like I have known you from somewhere…”
Elise looked into Maria’s eyes and thought she saw something familiar, someone that she may have met before, maybe in college? “Ah—by the way, I never caught your name at the dinner table—”
“Hey, what’s going on here?” Ansen suddenly barged in. “Are we moving the party to the bar?” Ansen found an empty stool and sat down next to Maria.
“Actually, why don’t you go join Finley over there. We are having girl-talk right now.” Maria gave Ansen a go-away sign.
Ansen put up a hand and raised his eyebrows. “Okay, I’m gone.”
Elise waited for Ansen to get out of earshot, then whispered to Maria. “You want to know a small secret? We have an open relationship. He wanted to come to meet new girls.”