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“Yes.”
He nods his approval. “You are a good son, Darren. You have respected your mother’s wishes for many years now. Perhaps it is time you respect you father’s wishes. He could have reduced his sentence by implicating other members, but the Jing San was his family. You, his son, are part of the family. You cannot live the rest of your life for your mother. You have to live for yourself.”
For the umpteenth time, Bridget tugs on my mind.
“A bright young man like yourself needs more than a club to fulfill you.”
“But will running the counterfeiting division be that much more fulfilling?”
“Run it well, and the opportunities for advancement are plentiful.”
“I’m sure there are others in the triad equally capable of taking on the counterfeiting division.”
“This is a position we are offering to you because we feel we owe your father. And because many speak well of you. That you have your father’s fortitude, his intelligence. You just need some of his ambition, too.”
“Maybe I’ll be ready to accept later.”
“What if we cannot wait?”
“Then you’ll have to find someone else.”
Hao Young chews his food slowly, then says. “I think we can wait a few months. We may want to phase out of some of our older activities, and our new endeavors can wait until you are ready.”
“I appreciate it.”
The rest of the time is spent on less significant topics, and I don’t think about Bridget again for the rest of lunch.
* * *
“How was your flight?”I ask the following evening as JD takes a seat across from where I sit on a sofa on the second-floor balcony of The Lotus.
“I hate flying,” he answers. “Got Amy into the Mile High Club, though.”
“I figured you guys would have done that on the flight over.”
“Amy got air sick, remember?”
“So how’d it happen this time?”
“I had her smoke some weed. Speaking of weed, you got any?”
“Just received a new product of pre-rolls in cigar tubes. I know you like to roll your own, but these supposedly contain quality cannabis.”
“I guess I’ll give it a try.”
I motion to a server standing by and instruct her to bring the humidor.
“Any pussy joining us tonight?” JD asks.
“Amy’s not coming over?”
“Jet lag. Plus, I could use a break from her. I mean, I spent over a week with her. Could have had me some Ivy League pussy if I’d gone stag, like you were going to do. I still can’t believe you brought Ugly Sweater Lady with you. Though it was fun watching her beat-down of Mok with her shoe. I wish I had caught it on camera.”
The memory both amuses and angers me. I still wish I had kicked the shit out of Mok. I would have gladly spent the night in jail for that. Instead, all I got in was a broken nose for what he did to Bridget.
“What did your dad think of Amy?” I inquire.
JD shrugs. “I’m sure he thought she was cute, but he doesn’t keep tabs on who I’m pounding. He almost mistook her for Ava.”
