King of New York (8 page)

A
smartly dressed waitress brings his drink, which he quickly downs, and he proceeds
to order another. The waitress brings it with a seductive smile on her face,
but he pays no attention as his mind is still concerned with Sierra and how she
had abruptly decided to go to New York without telling him. He had only found
out when he bumped into her brother a few days back on Sloane Street. He had
gone shopping on the street that had most of the high-end boutiques London had
to offer. With thoughts of Sierra on his mind and nothing specifically to buy,
he bumped into Sierra’s eldest brother who had attended Oxford during the same
time as he was there.

The
two guys spoke and chatted for a while. Out of curiosity Sebastian asked how
Sierra was doing. To his utter shock, her brother told him she had gone to New
York to live permanently because she felt the need to start afresh and make
something out of herself rather than just depending on her parent’s wealth. He
was shocked but did not want to act too interested in her matters, so just
said, “Oh really, is that so?” And he left the conversation there.

The
two university friends spoke some more about their favourite football team,
Manchester United, and the match they had played against their arch rivals Manchester
City, which City won 3–2. Both were disappointed but just laughed it off,
saying that maybe the manager should have kicked a boot at some players like he
had supposedly done to the old team’s captain back in the early 2000s. They
laughed out loud at their joke, gave each other manly hugs before saying
goodbye.

After
Sierra’s brother left, Sebastian could not get his mind off why she had decided
to go to New York when he was in London wanting and needing her. He went into
lots of boutiques spending ridiculous amounts of money on things he did not
need or already had in an attempt to get Sierra out of his mind, but he still
could not shake the thought of her. She was a permanent fixture in his mind and
he wished amnesia would erase her from his memory, but it refused and she
stayed in his head. His need for her just got greater the longer he was unable
to see or speak with her.

So
here he is in Westferry Circus eating his steak when he sees the international business
issue of the
Canary Wharf
Enquirer
business magazine. Once in a
while they have stories of businessmen other than those in the country. In the
issue he is reading he sees a dashing young man named Chad Perry, dressed in a ridiculously
expensive ensemble, from his clothing to his jewellery, most especially the
Rolex on his wrist which glitters with yellow diamonds. Money reeks from Chad
Perry, and Sebastian looks at him as if he can smell him. Although he does not
want to admit it to himself, he feels a little jealous at how successful and
good-looking the man in the magazine is. Maybe he too should move to the United
States of America, he thinks, laughing to himself.

The
waitress brings his dessert after he has finished his main with a new glass of
champagne and proceeds to make small talk with him. His lack of interest in her
is not because she’s unattractive, but because his mind is preoccupied with
another female who is thousands of miles away. His mind suddenly succumbs to
the thought of “What if Sierra bumps into the handsome stranger in the magazine
whilst in New York”. The thought devastates his mind, but he tries to brush it
aside by making himself believe that there are too many people in New York for
Chad Perry to be the specific man that Sierra would bump into.

Sebastian’s
green eyes light up with envy as he fights to diminish the thoughts in his
head.

Perhaps
he will end up going to New York after all in pursuit of his love interest, he
thinks to himself, before paying for his dinner and exiting the restaurant.

****

On the other side of
the Atlantic, Sierra, whom Sebastian was losing his sanity about, has started
to settle into her new life in the Big Apple and is waiting for confirmation
from the director general of the firm she had applied to, as to whether she
would get the position or not on the infamous Wall Street. Even though she did
not feel well-qualified, she had still applied for the position. Although she’d
said she would not use her father’s connections, on her arrival after having
settled and laid eyes on Chad Perry, she’d met an old acquaintance of the family.
He is a good friend of her father who had secretly admired the nineteen-year-old
Sierra the first time that she had visited the States.

He has
silver-black hair and is very charming. Ironically, she is very happy to see
him and gives him a warm embrace. His green eyes sparkle as he stares into her
eyes.

“It
has been so long since we last saw each other. What a pleasure to see you once
more, young lady! What are you doing in New York of all places?” he enquires of
her.

Sierra
refers to him as Uncle Danny, out of respect even though they have no blood
relations.

“Oh!
Uncle Danny! You are the last person I expected to see in this city. What are
you doing with all these shopping bags? I thought you had a personal shopper
for all this hassle.”

He
smiles and demands they have a sit by the bar round the corner for some drinks.
She gladly oblige and follows his lead to the sophisticated bar with an outdoor
sitting area fit for rock stars. The ambience and atmosphere is electric with
celebrities flocking in and out every passing minute.

Uncle
Danny is a friend of Sierra’s father, who used to work for the Bank of England
but had resigned a few years before the sovereign debt crisis erupted. He is now
into equity banking with a prestigious Wall Street firm whose name is hardly
ever heard but controls stocks worth tens of billions of dollars, mostly locked
up in accounts in the Cayman Islands.

Uncle
Danny was always charismatic as far as Sierra could remember and can still
attest to.

Although
he is American by birth, he has an accent that differs from his birth
certificate. He does not pronounce the “R” that the typical American twang
possesses, instead he has an accent that is a cross between an Oxford graduate
and a Yale alumni, as those are the two universities he had attended. His
speech sounds sophisticated and eloquent just like Sierra’s father. There is
never an ounce of slang in his vocabulary.

He
somewhat intrigues Sierra and she feels odd about that. She asks where he stays
as it has been a while since she had last seen him and she wants to make
conversation.

“I
live not too far away from here. To what do the Americans owe the pleasure of
your presence?” he asks.

“I’m
looking for prospects to make a new beginning; good old London simply bores me,
Uncle Danny.”

The
middle-aged gentleman laughs heartily, showing his perfectly placed veneers. If
there was one thing the American’s took pride in it has to be their teeth, thinks
Sierra, as all the Americans she had come across had beautifully whitened
smiles compared to that of the Brits. Possibly one of the reasons why certain
New Yorkers felt she was not British, because her smile is far too white.

“The
aspiration to assemble one’s own wealth is particularly commendable. What say I
request your attendance at a function that will be hosting a number of influential
men and women of this city? You will be my companion, so fear not the unknown.
Maybe in the coming days I can show you the enigmatic landscapes of New York
that only a certain few are accustomed to, or perhaps another city if you so
wish.”

Sierra
accepts and says yes to his offer as she needs to make new contacts and rub
shoulders with the high and mighty of the city. She also wants to cross paths
with Chad Perry as he is also part of the city’s high society.

“I
would love to,” she replies cutely, her chocolate brown eyes getting darker
with mischief as she imagines seeing Mr Perry at the event.

“Splendid.
I shall purchase an additional seat. What a pleasant surprise to have stumbled
into you on such a fine day.”

Uncle
Danny asks her what her job prospects are as the waiter brings out a glass of
martini for Sierra and vodka on the rocks for him. She tells him she is waiting
for the executive of a firm she has applied to, to get in contact with her, but
she is still waiting for the call. To her amazement, Uncle Danny tells her that
he and the executive that she had sent her application to are best of friends.
He tells her she should have no doubt in her mind that the job at hand will
definitely be hers.

Excitement
and happiness flows through her body; she leaps up like a child and flies into
the arms of Uncle Danny with gratitude and appreciation. Uncle Danny hugs her back
and tells her how excited he is to have seen her.

“How
are your parents, Vincent, and the lovely blonde Lynette?”

He
was so caught up in talking to Sierra that he had forgotten to ask about his
old friends.

“I
spoke to them this morning. They have now made it a habit to constantly check
up on me and I must admit they are doing very well. I’ll tell father I spoke to
you and that he should give you a call.”

“Please
do. I have not spoken to that old rebel for a while now. Oh how I miss my dear
old friend.”

“I’ll
definitely tell father I saw and spoke with you,” replies Sierra happily. Uncle
Danny seems happy at the prospect of getting back in touch with his Oxford
University friend and old business partner.

Their
time at the bar comes to an end and Sierra softly kisses Uncle Danny’s cheek,
waves goodbye, and proceeds to hail a yellow taxi home.

****

Dressed in an elegant long pale-pink
dress with an enticing slit up the legs, a svelte looking Sierra makes her way
to the function Uncle Danny had invited her to. The function is organised by
New York’s wealthiest investor; who also happens to be a very good friend of
Uncle Danny.

As she makes her
way up the stairs, the eyes of rich and powerful men gaze admiringly at her,
cameras flash and someone even whistles as she finally makes her way to the top
of the stairs. She looks around, hoping to see Chad Perry. Some women glance
hatefully at her, but she dismisses them as she takes a glass of champagne and
quickly downs it.

The venue is
beautiful: it is the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with the most expensive
champagnes and wines flowing freely. Sierra sees one of the greatest thinkers
of the 21st century and she suddenly becomes awestruck as she had read her
works while at university, most notably her theory on universality. Her writings
had intrigued Sierra and broadened her thinking, so she thinks it only right
she tells her.

“Hi there, sorry
to disturb you, but I am a huge fan of yours and I couldn’t pass up on the
opportunity to tell you. Your mind is truly amazing.”

“Why, thank you
very much. It truly humbles me to know that the younger generation is keen to
explore the fundamentals of society and the mind,” replies the old but exquisitely
beautiful African-American woman.

“I admire you so
much, especially being a woman and having made it in a field that is mainly
reserved for men, you’re an inspiration for all women.” The woman, clearly
filled with gratitude, hugs Sierra and renders her a few philosophical words
before Sierra leaves to go find Uncle Danny and hopefully catch a glimpse of
Chad.

She sees Uncle
Danny huddled among the city’s wealthiest men. Shyly, she walks towards the men
and they all turn and stare at her with admiration. Uncle Danny seems excited
as he gladly introduces Sierra to his friends who seem jealous of the fact that
he is the one that knows her and not them.

“This, gentlemen,
is Sierra, daughter of my dear friend Vincent Malcolm.”

“Good evening
gentlemen, it’s a pleasure to meet you all,” she says, before an old man with
distinct green eyes and a slight scar interrupts her. She does not take in his
face properly and will probably forget him if she sees him again, however his
green eyes are very captivating.

“Pleasure is all
mine, please ignore all the old fools. This is my event, so they don’t matter,”
he says playfully as he kisses her hand. The green in his eyes is potent and
gives him an aura of power.

“This rather old
fool is the man that has put all of this together. This is his event; he is the
wealthiest investor in New York and owns multiple firms around the country,”
interrupts Uncle Danny.

Before Sierra
could personally greet him, he abruptly leaves, and as she looks back she sees
a young and pretty blonde woman looking angrily at her as she addresses him.
Sierra laughs quietly to herself, as one of the most powerful men in the city
is being told off by a young lady, most likely because he has been talking to
Sierra.

“Excuse me,
gentlemen,” she says to Uncle Danny and his friends, before taking a walk
around the venue in the hope of seeing Chad. She looks and looks but he is
nowhere to be found, and Uncle Danny is far too busy with his friends to keep
her company. She stays at the event for about an hour, making idle conversation
with men that show keen interest in her. Finally she decides to leave as she
loses interest due to Chad’s absence. She slowly makes her way to Uncle Danny.
“I have to go now, but thank you so much for having invited me.”

Uncle Danny
walks her towards her waiting car. “I have another event to attend and would
love for you to attend it with me, and I promise to properly engage you.
Furthermore, the job is definitely yours, just be patient. Goodbye, kid!” He closes
the car door and Sierra is driven away with thoughts of Chad plaguing her mind.