“Ah, yes, of course,” Mirko said, tilting his head. “You’re here for the pocketbook. It’s always the pocketbook, isn’t it not?” He looked at me, leaning forward. “I’m guessing you now something of this, of wanting to be used.”
“I’m not sure I know what you mean,” I said, shifting slighting in my seat, suddenly cold and uncomfortable. A breeze came down off the buildings and stirred some leaves off the ground. Nearby, cards honked, shrill and difficult, and Mirko’s gaze pinned me there, unflinching. “I don’t have any money.”
“No, but you have other things that men want.” Mirko’s tone was lascivious and suggestive, and I leaned back away from him, trying not to let my outrage show. I was a god damn lawyer—or at least I’d gone to law school. Yes, men treated me like I was some toy they wanted to fuck, but that didn’t matter, men were men, and some were pieces of shit, like apparently Mirko was.
“Enough,” Rees said, before I could speak up, surprising me. “You don’t need to talk to her that way, Mirko. We can be civil.”
“Civil,” Mirko said, grinning again like he hadn’t said something inappropriate. “Yes, of course, of course. I went too far, and for that, I apologize.”
“She’s off limits,” Rees said, his tone firm, and I wasn’t sure what he meant, but I got the sense I wouldn’t like it if I did. “Do you hear me? This one’s very off limits.”
“Fine, fine,” he said, shaking his head. “Whatever you say. I make one joke, and you Americans lose it.”
“We’re here to talk investments,” Rees said. “I know you have the capital, since your last gamble paid off. We all heard about that nasty little piece of business.”
Mirko beamed and shook his head, like a school boy caught stealing liquor from his parents. “Ah, well, finance, yes? It was a good trade, I think.”
“A damn good trade for you,” Rees said. Again, I was lost, but I let the men hash discuss it on their own: some arcane derivative Mirko had cooked up and made a fortune selling over the last six months. I sank back on the bench, thinking about the way Mirko had looked at me, and his disgusting comment.
Rees could’ve let it pass, but he hadn’t, and I appreciated that. I could handle myself and fight my own battles, but I liked that Rees stepped in. Some part of me wondered if he’d done it because he cared about me as a n actual person—or if because it was what his character would’ve done if a man hit on his girlfriend. The layers of deception were confusing, and I’d have to work hard to keep them separate if I wanted to survive this trip.
“The SPAC is going to work,” Rees said, gesturing with his fist, hitting it into his open palm. “It’s not fancy, and it’s not exciting, but I have some companies in mind already. Electric cars, solar panels, that sort of thing.”
“Green energy,” Mirko said, nodding. “All the rage.”
“The future,” Rees said. “Whether we like it or not. Come with me, give me money, and I’ll make sure you profit.”
“I don’t know,” Mirko said and glanced toward me. “I’ll admit, I’m tempted, and flush at the moment. Perhaps I could invest, but perhaps not. I’ll tell you this, I will consider it.”
“That’s all I can ask.”
“Come back tomorrow, and I will have answer for you, yes?”
“Fine.” Rees stood then, and I realized the meeting was over. We’d barely talked specifics, and there’d been almost no convicting. I thought we’d have to sell him more on the structure and the company and all that crap, or at least push the narrative that he’s dating me and we’re a happy couple and whatever, but instead it was finished. We shook hands, and left back through the house.
“What the hell was that back there?” I asked Rees once we were out front again. I felt dizzy, like something spun me in circles, and left me there to catch my breath. “You barely talked about the SPAC or whatever the hell it is.”
“I know,” he said, his expression clouding. The town car waited a few feet away, but he didn’t move to get inside. “I told you, Mirko’s a strange one. You can’t talk too much business.’
“You talked about that weird trade he made plenty.”
He frowned a little and shook his head. “Buttering him up. Trust me, the next time we go over, that’ll be the real thing. This was a dress rehearsal.”
“I don’t understand,” I said. “And what the hell was that comment?”
He winced slightly, eyes shut like he’d be slapped in the face. “Mirko has a penchant.”
“For what?” I asked, but I already knew the answer. Women half his age, especially ones that were out of reach.
“Just, don’t go anywhere alone with him, okay?” He stared at me and I was surprised by the intensity. “I don’t think he’d hurt you, but I don’t want to take the chance.”
“Are you worried about me?” I asked, genuinely curious. He didn’t seem like the type to worry—in fact, he seemed like the type to push me into a compromising situation, if it meant that he’d get what he wanted.
“Yes,” he said. “Now let’s get back to the hotel. We have to decide where we’re sleeping.”
“I don’t know the sound of that.”
He smirked slightly and opened the door for me. “Since we’re dating, I only got one room.”
I groaned and climbed into the car. Of course he only got one room, even though nobody remotely involved in all this would be at the hotel, and nobody would look twice if I had my own space.
“You’re on the couch,” I said, as he got in and shut the door. “Or on the floor. Whatever you prefer.”
“If that’s how you want to play it,” he said, shrugging a little, and the driver pulled out into traffic.
