Read Online King of New York by Diamond R. James - Free Book Online Page B

position. Although she’d
said she would not use her father’s connections, on her arrival after having
settled and laid eyes on Chad Perry, she’d met an old acquaintance of the family.
He is a good friend of her father who had secretly admired the nineteen-year-old
Sierra the first time that she had visited the States.
    He has
silver-black hair and is very charming. Ironically, she is very happy to see
him and gives him a warm embrace. His green eyes sparkle as he stares into her
eyes.
    “It
has been so long since we last saw each other. What a pleasure to see you once
more, young lady! What are you doing in New York of all places?” he enquires of
her.
    Sierra
refers to him as Uncle Danny, out of respect even though they have no blood
relations.
    “Oh!
Uncle Danny! You are the last person I expected to see in this city. What are
you doing with all these shopping bags? I thought you had a personal shopper
for all this hassle.”
    He
smiles and demands they have a sit by the bar round the corner for some drinks.
She gladly oblige and follows his lead to the sophisticated bar with an outdoor
sitting area fit for rock stars. The ambience and atmosphere is electric with
celebrities flocking in and out every passing minute.
    Uncle
Danny is a friend of Sierra’s father, who used to work for the Bank of England
but had resigned a few years before the sovereign debt crisis erupted. He is now
into equity banking with a prestigious Wall Street firm whose name is hardly
ever heard but controls stocks worth tens of billions of dollars, mostly locked
up in accounts in the Cayman Islands.
    Uncle
Danny was always charismatic as far as Sierra could remember and can still
attest to.
    Although
he is American by birth, he has an accent that differs from his birth
certificate. He does not pronounce the “R” that the typical American twang
possesses, instead he has an accent that is a cross between an Oxford graduate
and a Yale alumni, as those are the two universities he had attended. His
speech sounds sophisticated and eloquent just like Sierra’s father. There is
never an ounce of slang in his vocabulary.
    He
somewhat intrigues Sierra and she feels odd about that. She asks where he stays
as it has been a while since she had last seen him and she wants to make
conversation.
    “I
live not too far away from here. To what do the Americans owe the pleasure of
your presence?” he asks.
    “I’m
looking for prospects to make a new beginning; good old London simply bores me,
Uncle Danny.”
    The
middle-aged gentleman laughs heartily, showing his perfectly placed veneers. If
there was one thing the American’s took pride in it has to be their teeth, thinks
Sierra, as all the Americans she had come across had beautifully whitened
smiles compared to that of the Brits. Possibly one of the reasons why certain
New Yorkers felt she was not British, because her smile is far too white.
    “The
aspiration to assemble one’s own wealth is particularly commendable. What say I
request your attendance at a function that will be hosting a number of influential
men and women of this city? You will be my companion, so fear not the unknown.
Maybe in the coming days I can show you the enigmatic landscapes of New York
that only a certain few are accustomed to, or perhaps another city if you so
wish.”
    Sierra
accepts and says yes to his offer as she needs to make new contacts and rub
shoulders with the high and mighty of the city. She also wants to cross paths
with Chad Perry as he is also part of the city’s high society.
    “I
would love to,” she replies cutely, her chocolate brown eyes getting darker
with mischief as she imagines seeing Mr Perry at the event.
    “Splendid.
I shall purchase an additional seat. What a pleasant surprise to have stumbled
into you on such a fine day.”
    Uncle
Danny asks her what her job prospects are as the waiter brings out a glass of
martini for Sierra and vodka on the rocks for him. She tells him she is waiting
for