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“Did you grow up here in the city?” I ask.
“Oakland. What about you?”
“Atherton.”
“I’ve heard of Atherton. Isn’t that the most expensive zip code in the country?”
“Off and on.”
She doesn’t look that impressed. The food, however, is a different story. She goes back for seconds.
“This is the most amazing dim sum I’ve ever had,” she says after finishing a bite of the bao. A little bit of sauce clings to the corner of her mouth, and if I weren’t so far away, I’d be tempted to wipe it for her.
“Though Mrs. Wang from my preschool made a mean steamed bun with ground pork,” she continues. “Those buns were to die for.”
“You like food,” I observe.
“Who doesn’t?”
As if in answer to her question, Kimberly appears. Kimberly is your stereotypical model who only eats lettuce.
“Eric wanted to talk to you,” she explains.
As if he never saw Bridget, Eric sits on the coffee table right between us.
“You might have heard that the Drumms are thinking to bring our brand of luxury resorts to Northern California,” he says.
“What about it?” I ask, annoyed that he’s cut off my line of sight to Bridget. Strangely, I like watching her eat.
“We’ve decided to open up opportunities for partners.”
“I heard Tony Lee turned you down.”
Eric bristles. “That was…things got personal for Tony. Honestly, I don’t know what his deal was.”
Tony Lee is from a different part of the Lee family and a distant relative. He used to run with the Vietnam branch of the Jing San but is now trying to live on the straight and honest path. We met up at a BDSM club in Hanoi twice when I was visiting. I’ve invited him a few times to The Lotus, but he prefers to play at The Lair.
“You try Ben Lee?” I ask.
Eric practically rolls his eyes. “Like Tony, he’s the other side of the Lee clan, right? Your side is more adventurous. You know a good business opportunity when you see it.”
While Eric launches into a description of his vision for the resort, I can hear Kimberly talking to Bridget.
“Where’s that sweater of yours?”
I lean to one side to look around Eric to check if Bridget is holding a drink. Bridget looks over to the sofa, where Amy and JD sit. Her sweater is draped over the arm near Amy, who has her legs on JD’s lap.
“Where did you find that thing?” Kimberly.
“Goodwill,” Bridget replies.
“That explains it.”
“What?”
“You took it off, though. Smart move.”
“I know it’s not the most glamorous clothing item, but it keeps me warm.”
