Read Online The Black & The White by Evelin Weber - Free Book Online Page B

voices were drowned
out by the noise inside the restaurant.
    Kim explained that his wife had long,
straight blond hair and was slightly shorter than Kim. She liked
that she was taller.
    “ She wore khaki pants and a
button-down sweater, for God’s sake! And the pants were fucking
huge. For all the time she has, you’d figure she’d get it
tailored,” Kim said. She described her jewelry: a pearl necklace
hanging on her neck and earrings encrusted in diamonds.
    “ Typical banker wife!” she
said. “Translation: boring!” Kim laughed.
    Carin and I just looked at each other
wondering what was funny.
    “ Wait a second. I’m blond,
and I’m on Wall Street. Oh, my God! Am I boring?” Carin
asked.
    “ Shut up. You’re not a
wife,” Kim said.
    “ My only saving grace.”
Carin said as she sipped her drink
    “ You could tell she is not
getting laid,” Kim said, referring to M.D.’s wife.
    “ That was bitchy,” I said.
Carin nodded. Kim’s hurt was spewing out in vile words.
    “ What?” Kim
shrugged.
    “ Alright. Who is this guy?
Why the secret?” Carin insisted.
    “ Shhh!” Kim hushed. “He’s
going to hear you.”
    Carin placed her hand to her
mouth.
    “ Oops. He’s here? Is it Ben?
Eric?”
    Kim and I nodded.
    “ Yeah, he’s hot. I would
have never guessed.”
    Suddenly, M.D. moved over to our end
of the table and leaned over Kim’s shoulder.
    “ What are you girls
gossiping about over here?” he asked, smiling, making his dimples
more prominent.
    “ None of your business. Just
girl talk,” Kim said.
    Finally, the waitress arrived at our
table to take our orders. It was time. I was starting to get too
drunk because of my empty stomach.
    Kim ordered without looking at the
menu. “Miso-glazed cod and the octopus salad.” Then she turned to
me. “We’ll do it family-style, but I recommend that you get the
yellowtail with the jalapeno slices and ponzu sauce. That is one of
my favorites. Or try the creamy spicy crab.”
    “ That sounds tasty,” I
responded. What was Ponzu sauce?
    M.D. sat down. Seeing me struggle with
ordering, he asked from across the table if he could help. He
recited a list of entrees. Like Kim, he hadn’t looked at the menu.
The waitress bowed and left but M.D. beckoned her back and gestured
by twirling his pointer fingers for four more bottles of the same
sake. I looked over at Kim and mouthed the word “four?” She just
nodded and smiled.
    The delectable entrees came in a
simple Japanese presentation. The food was fabulous, a perfect
texture and taste combination.
    Zozo, at the other end of the table,
wasn’t eating.
    “ Shit, I’ll take her share,”
Carin said. “This is Neo-Nippon at its best!”
    Kim and I watched Carin struggle with
her chopsticks. Being Asian, we both chuckled at the
effort.
    “ That girl never eats,” Kim
said, pointing to Zozo with her eyes. “She’s a model. Cocaine is
her food, and that guy”—Kim indicated David with her eyes— “is the
chef that feeds her. But whatever, we all like having her around.
She’s not so bad on the eyes, and she gets us all into the clubs.
And apparently, she gives good blow jobs.”
    “ Kind of like the Blow for
Blow program?” Carin said.
    “ At least she has added
value,” I said. I caught myself talking as if everything was
transactional.
    When the bill came, I knew not to
offer to pay for my share of the meal. Andrew had taught me that
such dinners were ordinarily company expensed.
    “ Oh, God. I can only imagine
what that bill is like,” Carin said.
    “ Don’t worry about it. Was
it good?” Kim asked Carin.
    “ Oh, my God. Soooo good,”
she said. “Makes my deli sushi look like a bad idea.”
    “ Then that’s all you have to
know. That guy there”—Kim gestured at M.D.—”he’s
funding.”
    “ I want a funder! God, my
boyfriend hardly takes me out. I could get spoiled hanging out with
you, Kim.”
    “ And you should!” Kim
said.
    We all had been drinking our fair
share of