by M T Stone
“No. A beautiful blonde and a gorgeous brunette will be joining me shortly. They were still in the shower when I left.” I give him a wink and he returns a look that is priceless. I’m sure he’s never had one girl in the shower, much less two.
Scanning the horizon, I’m glad I chose to eat up here, instead of that stuffy restaurant on the lower level. This place is classy, but modern and the views are the best in the city. It’s the type of place that my father would detest. He always took us to the most conservative and staid restaurant available, thinking it would enlighten us. In reality, the waiters would look down upon us kids and trip over themselves to cater to the one who appeared to possess the largest checkbook.
Liv is another one who lives for that type of snobbery and decor. She’s not going to be happy when she finds out I chose Japanese-Fusion over the epicurean inspired cuisine that is offered below. I call the room to check on their progress and Liv assures me they are on their way out the door. Knowing Liv, I have at least another fifteen minutes to kill.
I pull up Facebook on my phone. Searching through Liv’s friends, there doesn’t appear to be anyone named Mandy among them. Stoked by curiosity, I type “Mandy Gray CA” into Google. There are one hundred and seventy eight women named Mandy Gray in California. Looking through Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Mountain View and several others, I decide that my search is futile until I have a little more information about her.
My mood improves once the two of them come bouncing through the door and are escorted in my direction. Liv is looking good, but Mandy is downright stunning in a short black dress and matching high heels. I have to wonder how she gets her dresses to form to her body like that.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she says with a smile as they approach the table. She seems to have recovered from her earlier embarrassment.
“Oh, he’s used to waiting.” Liv wrinkles her nose and shrugs her shoulder at me.
“She’s right. I really hate waiting, but she insists on making me practice.” I rise to pull out a chair for each of them. “I want one of you on each side of me.”
“Just to make sure we don’t get out of line again?” Liv pipes up.
“Exactly! I don’t want you sick two days in a row,” I reply, pushing her chair in for her.
“Have we decided on a beverage or appetizer to start out?” The waiter asks, wasting no time getting things started, once the two of them are seated.
“We’ll start with some Mijiu and Saki. Bring us a bottle of each and we’ll see which one they like best,” I suggest, not knowing Mandy’s tastes.
“Is there a brand you prefer?” he asks.
“Bring us your favorites,” I reply, not having any particular preference. “Also, bring us your three favorite salads along with the Sweet Shrimp Sashimi, Yellowtail Sashimi and whichever Sea Bass Sashimi you prefer.”
The waiter suddenly lights up. “Very good, sir. I’ll take good care of you.”
Mandy
Looking over the menu, I’m glad Trey is taking the initiative and ordering for all of us. I can tell that Liv is just as lost as I am, even though she won’t admit it. She likes to pretend that she is as worldly as Trey, but I can tell she doesn’t have a clue. It’s funny to watch her face as she tries to figure out what is in the appetizers.
“Thanks for ordering. I had no idea what to try.” I set down my menu in relief.
“I’ve learned that the best way to have an amazing dinner is to let the waiter make some of the decisions for you,” Trey replies, closing his menu for the moment. ‘According to everything I’ve read, this is the best restaurant in Geneva, so I’m hoping they will blow us away.”
“Mmm, I can’t wait.” I always love trying new things.
“Don’t they have normal drinks?” Liv seethes in frustration, tossing her menu aside.
“I’m sure they will make anything you want. What would you like?” The expression on Trey’s face makes it obvious that he is trying to be as accommodating as possible.
“I don’t know… something that’s not made from rice!” She shakes her head and makes a face like my seven-year-old niece does when she doesn’t like something.
“I’ll order you a margarita when he comes back. Maybe a little hair of the dog will put you in a better mood.” Trey chuckles.
“Whatever.” She sulks and begins fussing with her napkin.
“So what do you think of Geneva so far?” Trey asks, looking back and forth between Liv and me.
“It’s pretty,” Liv replies flatly. She doesn’t look up, but remains focused on playing with the edges of the black cloth napkin.
“I think it’s amazing,” I respond, thinking at least one of us should show a little appreciation. “The lake is so gorgeous with the Swiss Alps in the background. The buildings have so much character too, but this hotel is a little over the top. I keep expecting Queen Elizabeth to come around the corner. I’ve never seen anything so…”
“European?” Trey asks, trying to help me finish my thought.
“Not just European, but so extravagant. This terrace is the about the only part of the hotel that’s not made from granite and marble with diamond chandeliers. It’s a little crazy.” I struggle, trying to express my thoughts without sounding uneducated. The whole city exudes wealth beyond anything I have ever seen, but this hotel is simply indescribable.
“Yeah, this is one of the fancier hotels I’ve stayed in,” Trey says, sounding totally nonchalant. “Geneva in general is a little over the top. Many of the world’s richest people store their money here, so everyone wants to make them feel secure.”
“Yeah, I suppose a Motel 6 probably wouldn’t give off the same vibe.” I snicker, giving him a raised eyebrow.
“Maybe not, but at least they would leave a light on for you,” Trey replies, instantly getting my humor.
“What are you two talking about?” Liv scoffs, scrunching up her face.
“You never heard the Motel 6 commercials as a kid? This is Tom Bodett and we’ll leave a light on for you.” I mimic, before laughing out loud. “We stayed in several of them as a kid when we would go on family road trips.” I foolishly admit.
“Where did you grow up?” Trey asks.
“I was born in New York actually, but we moved to Lynchburg, Tennessee when I was seven.”
“Ah, the home of Jack Daniels,” he immediately responds. “What do your parents do?”
“Dad actually went to work for Brown-Forman which is why we moved there, he’s the head of marketing. He always used to point out how clever those Motel 6 radio ads were and tried to come up with something just as clever for Jack Daniels. I honestly think that’s why we stayed at Motel 6. He was trying to tap into the vibe.”
Trey smiles. “We’ll age a bottle for you!”
“Exactly… he was obsessed,” I tell him emphatically. “He would run jingles past my sister and me all the time when we were kids. We were rarely impressed.”
“Do they still live there?” Trey asks, seeming genuinely interested.
“Yeah, they’ll never leave. My mom’s family lives there too,” I explain, even though I’m not so sure Dad is as happy there as Mom.
“What’s your dad’s name?” he asks, catching me a bit off guard.
“Ray,” I reply, not immediately seeing the harm in giving him that tidbit of information.
“Ray Gray?” He cocks his head and furrows his brow.
“Uh, yeah. Kind of funny, huh?” Shit. I didn’t think that one through.
“Why didn’t you pick up a southern accent?” Liv turns to me, finally joining the conversation.
“Oh, I did. It didn’t take me long to lose it though once I got into Berkeley. Sometimes people judge you based on how you sound, so I tried hard to change it. When I was in my teens, I would say y’all a dozen times a day.”
“I’ve always thought a southern accent was sexy as hell.” Trey counters.
“Really?” Liv scrunches up her face again and looks at hi
m as if he’s an alien. She really shouldn’t do that with her face.
Luckily, two servers arrive with our drinks and appetizers so the whole line of questioning is dropped. The first server pours each of us a glass of Saki and a small glass of Mijiu. “Would you bring Liv a Gran Patron margarita on the rocks, please?” Trey asks.
“Sure thing, Mr. Addison.” He smiles at both him and Liv before hustling off.
The second server sets down a salad in front of each of us. The one he places in front of Liv is a Tuna Tataki Salad and based on the color of the fish it looks extremely fresh. Liv, however, is visibly upset that the tuna is served raw. “Don’t they even sear it?” she fumes.
“Apparently not. Here take this one.” Trey quickly trades with her, giving her a lobster and baby spinach salad. She takes a sip of the Mijiu, which is a rice based Japanese wine and once again gives us her sour face. “Just have a few sips of water. Your margarita will be here shortly.” He rubs her arm trying to pacify her.
“You always pick such freaky restaurants! Don’t they cook anything here?” she continues, as the three variations of Sashimi arrive, each containing a different type of raw meat or fish. Another waiter sets a plate of Octopus Carpaccio down in front of her and she completely loses it. “I can’t do this!” She jumps up and glares at the two of us.
“I can order you a beef fillet,” Trey offers. “You can order it as well done as you like.”
“No! I’ve completely lost my appetite!” She picks up her margarita and takes a sip. “I’ll just take this back to the room.”
She continues to look back and forth between us, but neither Trey nor I object to the idea of her going back to the room. She scowls at both of us before turning her back and walking away.
“Were we supposed to stop her?” I ask Trey, looking for a little direction.
“Yes. I’m supposed to drop everything, pay the bill and take her to that stuffy restaurant on the lower level, because that’s where she wanted to eat. Unfortunately for her, I really want to try all of this stuff. So you can either help me eat it or go back to the room with Liv.”
“After spending the entire day with Liv, I would much rather have dinner with you.” I pick up a piece of tuna, dip it in the sauce and slide it onto my tongue. “Wow, that sauce is amazing!”
“Japanese-fusion is one of my favorites and this place is supposed to be one of the best in the world. Unfortunately, Liv is never up for trying anything new, unless of course it’s suggested by one of her snobby friends.” Trey sighs before tossing a piece of octopus into his mouth. “Mmm, that’s amazing too.”
When the waiter comes back to check on us, Trey asks him to send another margarita and a filet mignon to the room. “Please make sure it’s cooked medium-well. All this raw sashimi seems to have sent her over the edge.”
“I will see to it, sir,” he replies with a gracious nod.
I’m impressed that even after Liv acted like a spoiled teenage brat, he took the time to order her a dinner that he is sure she will like. Hell, he’s even sending her another margarita. Of course if I were in his shoes, I would probably keep her liquored up the whole trip.
Trey
As Mandy and I try all three salads, devour the sashimi and order a second round of drinks, a strange sensation comes over me. I suddenly recall the feeling that I had on my very first date. I was seventeen at the time and it was my first official date with the only girl I have ever loved. It was an amazing night that should’ve been the beginning of an incredible new chapter in our relationship. However, it wasn’t meant to be.
“Are you okay?” Mandy asks, apparently sensing my distraction.
“I’m fine.” I pick up my glass and take another shot of Saki.
“You look so sad,” she presses, with a concerned look in her eyes.
“I’m sorry. I was having a good time and it suddenly reminded me of someone.” I pick up the menu and create a distraction by looking through the main courses.
After a long pause, Mandy finally asks the question that has apparently been on her mind all day. “Why are you and Liv together?”
Her question catches me a little off-guard. “Why am I with Liv? It’s complicated,” I tell her, not really wanting to explain myself to a complete stranger.
“I’ll bet it’s not that complicated,” she asserts with a look of confidence. “She’s hot looking and you’re rich. The problem is, you make each other miserable.”
“I’ve made some mistakes that I will probably never recover from,” I confess. “So, why do you think it’s me who makes Liv miserable?”
“She knows you don’t love her and that one day you will leave her behind. She’s not getting any younger,” she replies, tilting her head and giving me a glare.
“She’s only twenty-four for god sake. Don’t tell me her clock is already ticking,” I gasp, revealing a lack of understanding.
“Our clocks are always ticking, because our mothers are always asking when we are going to bring home the one,” she replies, picking up her glass and downing the rest of her Mijiu. “My mom was more upset than me when I broke up with my last boyfriend.”
“Why did you break up?” I ask, curious as to who initiated it.
“He couldn’t handle my schedule when I was working at the same time as finishing law school.” Her pupils immediately dilate, indicating that she didn’t intend to share that fact with me.
“Law school? You’re an attorney?” I ask, completely shocked by the fact.
“Yeah, I just have a government job at this point,” she says sheepishly.
The government? Seriously? “What do you do for the government?” I ask, my suspicions growing stronger by the second.
“I’m basically a case worker,” she replies, trying to downplay the importance of her job.
“A case worker, huh?” I pause to take a long sip of Saki. “What kind of cases do you work on?”
“You know California.” She shrugs. “There are always plenty of legal issues.”
“Oh, like immigration issues or something?” I ask, expressing some wishful thinking.
“I’m just starting out, so it’s nothing overly exciting. What do you do in addition to flying around the world and acting important?” she asks, once again seeming very eager to change the topic.
“I’m an entrepreneur. I invest and consult for some of the most successful biotechnology companies in the world.” I tell her, making it sound completely legitimate.
“That sounds exciting, but that’s a very risky industry,” she says, echoing my father’s sentiments.
“Have you been talking to my Dad?” I ask, giving her an intentional glare.
“No. I haven’t had the chance to discuss your career choices with him yet.” She gives me a little smirk that compliments her flushed cheeks.
“According to my father, Addison’s don’t make mistakes, so I have to choose my investments wisely,” I tell her, feeling more than a little resentment. “Since I have already made a few mistakes, I am now only investing in great people who I know I can help.”
“How do you help them?” Her demeanor suddenly shifts from flustered to inquisitive.
The most valuable skill I have learned from my father is how to read people. He always says that being able to read people has been the key to his incredible negotiating skills. The shift in her demeanor was a huge signal that it was time for me to regain control.
“How did you and Liv meet?” I ask, turning the conversation around.
“We go to the same Pilates class. We just hit it off, I guess,” she replies quickly with a flip of her hand.
“How long have you two known each other?“ I continue to press.
“Ummm, a few months, I guess.” She goes back to eating her salad, probably wondering why I am suddenly asking her such pointed questions. It’s another part of the strategy that Dad taught me. Whenever someone is asking you questions that make you uncomfortable, simply turn it around and start asking the ot
her person questions.
“Why were you in New York this week?” I ask after several seconds of silence, trying to act nonchalant.
“I went there for some training and to meet with a new client,” she replies while continuing to pick at her salad.
“A client? I thought you worked for the government?” I counter, sensing another gaping whole in her story.
“Yeah, this guy just has a vested interest in a case that I have been working on,” she explains calmly. “I guess I shouldn’t refer to him as a client,” she adds, recovering nicely.
“I find it odd that Liv never mentioned your name before last week.” I continue my probe while looking for clues in her facial expressions, but she doesn’t look up.
“We’ve definitely gotten to know each other better in the last few weeks, I guess.” She grabs the menu and begins to scan it nervously.
“See anything you would like to try for a main course?” I ask, not wanting to rattle her any further. Dad also taught me that you get more valuable information from someone who is relaxed and calm. Right now, Mandy is neither of those.
“I’ll split whichever one you like, as long as you quit grilling me.” She now looks directly at me while taking a sip of Saki.
“Hey, you started it. Are you done questioning me?” I ask, knowing full well that she still wants an answer to the last question she asked.
“You never told me how you help people?” The inquisitive look returns after she picks up right where I cut her off.
“I have a huge network of friends in the industry. I know everyone who is anyone in Biotech.” I tell her after having time to think about my response. “That creates an information flow that is incredibly valuable to a business owner.”
“Information flow… I see. So you show them how to capitalize on the weaknesses of their competitors? That makes sense.” She sits back in her chair seeming satisfied with my answer.
“I have one last question for you too,” I tell her, shifting forward in my chair.