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“No way! What’s he here for?”
“Business with JD.”
Manny presses his lips together. “What kind of business?”
I shrug.
Manny’s brow furrows in thought. “Why does JD get all the top opportunities? I’m just as good as he is.”
One of Manny’s favorite topics is griping about JD. I’ve heard it all before, so I make my way up the stairs.
Manny follows me. “I mean, I know he’s your cousin, but wouldn’t you agree? Just ’cause I don’t have a fancy degree from UCLA doesn’t mean I’m not a good businessman.”
“Take it up with Hao Young,” I suggest as I sit down. “He’ll be back through San Francisco when he’s done with LA.”
“I will. Maybe after I get things going with Tran. Then they’ll see that I’m a real asset. Better than JD.”
“Better than me at what?”
Manny whips around to face JD.
“Nothing,” he mutters as he brushes past JD and heads down the stairs.
“Manny jealous again?” JD asks me.
“Yeah,” I answer. “He saw Lee Hao Young walk out.”
“I don’t know why we don’t just dump Manny’s ass.”
“Cut him some slack. He just wants to be like you.”
JD snorts. “He can wear all the Gucci suits he wants, he’ll never be me. Anyway, Drumm and Kimberly are here. They should be up any minute.”
“About Drumm. We should talk.”
Before I can say anything more, I see Drumm coming up the stairs.
“Jesus, it’s freezing out there,” Drumm says. “Where the hell’s the sunny California weather?”
“People confuse Northern California with Southern California,” JD replies. “We’re in between the sunny beaches and the Pacific Northwest.”
“You should all come out to Florida. We’re the Sunshine State for a reason. So you guys in on the resort?”
“One of our good friends is in construction. You think you can hook him up on this project?”
“’Course I can,” Eric says. “I get to call all the shots. I’ll work your friend in.”
I narrow my eyes. “Don’t you want to know the company’s credentials first?”
“If JD vouches for ’em, that’s good enough for me.”
I know the construction company JD is referring to. They’ve only landed a few smaller projects, nothing on par with a Drumm resort, and most of which were related to residential parking structures. Either Eric is shining JD on, or he’s not a careful businessman.
“Your family doesn’t seem to work with the larger construction companies,” I say. “Why is that?”
Eric grins. “We like to give the little guys a chance.”
“It’s not because they’re easier to push around?” I challenge, ignoring JD’s stare. “There are over a dozen lawsuits from firms you’ve contracted with who say they haven’t been paid the full amount for their work.”
