The Money Is Green (3 page)

Cho, wearing a gray business suit and holding a legal pad, stood silently by Mei’s side, ready to start scribbling should she begin to talk. She turned and looked at Cho. “You may go now. I need to get
ready for the party, so instruct Xie Tung to draw my bath. Send that memo out right away.”

Pushing her glasses back, Cho bowed and headed for the door, writing furiously as she walked and calling out for the personal valet. Mei followed her back into the suite and hurriedly threw off her clothes. This is going to be fun, she mused. I can’t wait to see Mr. Wilson again.

♦

Mei stood at the landing on top of the marble stairway and slowly made her way down to the grand ballroom at the Royal Polo Club. The room was capable of holding over a thousand people at any one time, and this was one of those times. The light-stained parapet floors shined from the recent waxing. A large crystal chandelier hung from the ten-foot ceiling, which had twelve-inch white box beams set in a checkerboard pattern across the room. Large floor-to-ceiling windows surrounded two exterior walls overlooking a lush garden with a fountain and koi pond.

Mei paused halfway down the stairs as she took in the scene below her. It brought back memories of the days her father had brought her to Party events here. The difference was back then there was nothing ornate or special about the festivities. Everyone dressed the same and looked the same. There were very few decorations, other than Communist flags, which were hung everywhere around the room. She smiled and continued down the stairs, her head held high. Servers in black slacks, white blazers, and white gloves carried silver trays of salmon mousse, stuffed mushrooms, and enormous shrimp, along with other tasty appetizers from the club’s world-famous kitchen. In all four corners, bartenders furiously tended to drink orders.

Mei took in the circular tables with white tablecloths, white rose centerpieces, and expensive bone china. The full orchestra, dressed in black tuxedos, on the stage in the center of the room, played music
softly as directed by a balding conductor. Women in long flowing dresses with diamonds dripping off their necks and ears flitted from one group of tuxedoed men to the other, their laughter and conversation filling the room with merriment.

Mei stood at the entrance to the room and waited to be recognized. Her full-length white evening gown fit her curves neatly and showed enough cleavage to get attention, but not enough to be scandalous. Her diamond necklace sparkled as she moved, bouncing the light around the room.

Mei spotted David Wilson across the room talking to Blake Keel, the US Ambassador to Hong Kong, and his wife. She walked gracefully and deliberately towards them, stopping to greet the prominent citizens of Hong Kong as she came across them. Her conversation was light and carefree, her laughter controlled and deliberate. Eventually, she arrived at David’s side and gently tugged at his arm.

“Ah, Mei, my favorite Communist,” he said with a smile as he bent over and kissed her gloved hand. “You look splendid, as always. Do you know Ambassador Keel and his wife?” He held his arm out in the direction of the Ambassador.

Mei gave a slight curtsy. “Of course we have met, many times. Nice to see you, Blake, and you also, Loren.”

The ambassador bowed and turned to David. “Excuse us, I just spotted Congressman Gordon, and I need to speak to him before he gets away. Nice to see you again, Mei. Say hello to your husband for me.”

Mei forced a slight smile and watched them as they wandered off. She turned back to David and looked up at him. “How long will you be in Hong Kong? Will I be able to get the dinner you promised me?” She playfully pulled at his sleeve, pouting her lips. Her red lipstick glistened in the light.

“As a matter of fact, I’m going to be here for a week, so if you can find time in your busy schedule, I would love to take you to dinner.
Speaking of busy, how is the green energy business treating you?” He took a sip of champagne as he gazed into her eyes.

“It’s going well. Now that the United States government has set aside billions for renewable energy projects, my factories are busy operating twenty-four hours a day to keep up with the demand. You watch, by this time next year Soltech will be the largest photovoltaic panel maker in the world!” Her eyes narrowed as she put her arm inside his. “Wouldn’t you like to be part of that, David? I could make it happen.”

“Really?” he responded in an amused voice. “Why would I want to get involved in a solar company when I have ten thousand hotel rooms to look after and another three thousand to build in the next two years?”

She looked over her shoulder and then spoke in a soft tone, barely enough to be heard above the noise from the orchestra and the crowd. “Because, I have reliable information and an inside track on some of the largest solar farms being built in the world. My company will make billions in the next few years while you’ll be busting your fanny to make a few million.” She leaned back, a smug look on her face. “That’s why.”

“Okay, I get that,” he said, suddenly more interested. “But why do you want me to be part of this? You’ve got the Chinese government on your side, and from what I’ve heard, they’re subsidizing your company so much that no one can compete with you. What would I bring to the table?”

“David, you’re a successful real estate developer who builds multi-million-dollar resorts. You have the ability to navigate through complicated deals, and you know how to get things done.” She winked at him and a wicked smile crept across her face. “Besides, real estate is a great way to hide lots of money.”

She grabbed his elbow and guided him towards the other side of the room. “Come sit with me, David. There are many reasons I would like you to join up with me.” As they walked, she acknowledged
people as they passed. She slid into a booth toward the back of the room and patted the seat beside her. Once David got settled, she put her hand through his. “Let’s see. Where was I? Oh yes. Because of my husband’s high position in the government, the powers that be allow me to run my company as I see fit and take advantage of the subsidies the government makes available. But if my company is as successful as I know it will be, the government will never let me keep all the money. That’s where you come in.”

They came to a table where four other couples were already seated, and David held out a chair. Mei acknowledged the other couples and continued, speaking in a hushed tone. “I want to have a partner help me keep all of the money my company’s going to make, preferably here in Hong Kong.” She looked into his eyes and slid her hand down under the table to his lap, playfully giving him a squeeze. “Besides, there might be other benefits, too.”

David let a smirk come across his face and then leaned in next to her ear. “I might be mistaken, but are you not already spoken for and is not your husband the third highest member of Communist China’s government? I don’t think playing in that shark tank would be healthy for one’s longevity. I realize we went down this path once before, but I didn’t think you or I wanted it to be a long-term affair. It would increase the chances of getting caught.” He raised his eyebrows at her.

Mei batted her eyes at him with and waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, David, don’t be such a wimp. Ho knows only one life and that is the Communist Party. Outside of the Party, he does what I tell him to and he knows that what I do with my life is none of his business.” She reached for her glass of champagne and took a sip. “Think about my proposition. I know you’re already wealthy, but you can never be too rich.”

Picking up a dinner roll, David broke it in half. “I’ll give it some thought and let you know.” He patted her thigh under the table. “You’re making me a tempting offer. I may find it hard to refuse.”

T
HREE

F
our cars sat ahead of Janine, their engines idling while their drivers waited for the school bell to ring and unload the students from the classrooms and out to the waiting parents. Janine, on her cellphone with her administrative assistant, watched the first door of the school building up the walkway twenty yards away.

“I like the concept, Kristin, but I’ll need to see it when I get back to the office. Run it by Patrick and get his thoughts.”

Suddenly, a loud bell rang, every door from the building burst open, and students with multi-colored backpacks poured out, yelling and laughing as they made their way toward the parking lot. Scanning the students, Janine searched nervously for Crystal, this being the first day of her father’s trip and the first day of their week together.

“Kristin, I have to go. I’ll see you in the morning.” She set the phone down. I hope this goes well, she thought. Jason is depending on me, and Crystal is such a handful. I can’t seem to get past her disdain for another female, other than her mother, in her father’s life. Well, I guess this is as good of a time as any to get to know each other if we are ever going to bond.

She spotted Crystal walking and talking with another girl as they headed toward the car.

Should she honk the horn to get her attention? She started to press the horn, but just then Crystal looked up. She immediately slowed down. The cars in front of Janine had picked up their passengers and moved on, so she inched the car forward to the front. Crystal tossed her backpack in the back and jumped into the passenger seat. Janine put the car in gear and pulled out of the parking lot. “How was school today?” she asked nonchalantly. “Did you learn anything interesting?”

Crystal sat silently, her arms folded across her chest as she stared out the window. After a minute she answered. “Look, I know you don’t want to be here anymore than I want you here. Let's not pretend we’re friends or that you give a crap about me. The less said to each other the better.”

So much for getting off to a good start, Janine thought. This is going to be tougher than I thought. Oh well, I get to drop her off at her soccer practice and then she can be on her own again for a while. Jason, you’re going to owe me big time for this.

They drove in silence until they came up to a large park that doubled as a soccer field. Janine pulled up to the curb and Crystal jumped out, not saying a word.

“You’re welcome, Crystal,” Janine shouted at her.

Crystal turned, gave a blank stare, and then moved on toward a group of girls who were kicking balls back and forth in the middle of the field. Janine steered the car back on the street and headed to her workplace. Her cellphone rang and she attached the Bluetooth in the console to her ear. She recognized the number of her best friend Melany.

“Hey, Mel, what’s up?” she answered as she moved onto the freeway onramp.

“Hey there, miss chauffeur,” Melany’s cheerful voice came through the headset. “How goes the babysitting? Are you two bonding like sisters?”

Janine signed and looked in the rearview mirror. “Not exactly, but we’re going to give it the college try and hopefully this will be an uneventful week.” She pulled into the fast lane and accelerated to keep up with the traffic. “I haven’t been around a fifteen-year-old for a long time and it’s going to take some adjustments on my part.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll win her over, I know it,” Melany said, a happy ring to her voice. “She’ll warm up to you, just wait and see. Like I told you the other day: Be yourself. Don’t try to bend over backward for her since she’ll see it as a sign of weakness. Treat her as if she were any other teenager you know.”

Janine laughed nervously. “That’s easier said than done, and she’s not just some random teenager. She’s the daughter of the man I love and she’s my responsibility while he’s out of the country. I wouldn’t put up with her attitude if she were my child.”

Mel paused a second. “Speaking of Jason, how are things going with you two love birds? Has his absence made your heart grow fonder?”

Janine hit her blinker and headed toward the upcoming off ramp. “Of course I miss him. He and I are getting along great. I know he loves me and wants to be with me, but he’s so scared of how his daughter is going to feel and act, and sometimes that puts me on the outside looking in. I think in time I can win Crystal over, but it’s not going to be easy.”

“Jason is a wonderful guy, Janine, and it sounds like you two are good for each other. Hang in there with him; it’ll work out.”

She eased the car into an open spot in front of the three-story office where she worked and shut off the engine. “Thanks for the encouraging words, Mel. I’ll do my best to get to know Crystal, but I think it’s going to get tougher before it gets easier.”

♦

Two hours later, Janine stood by the kitchen counter of Jason’s apartment. Reaching for the first of the dirty dishes that sat in the bottom of the stainless steel sink, she started the water and began scrubbing. After fifteen minutes she had finished and was wiping down the sink. Crystal sat at the breakfast table behind her, her face buried in her math textbook. Janine wiped her hands with a small towel, set it on the counter, and sat next to her.

“Crystal, can we talk for a minute?” she asked in a hushed voice.

Crystal shut the book, rolled her eyes, and placed her elbow on the table, resting her head in her hand.

“What?” she asked.

Janine rubbed her hands together under the table nervously. “I know you aren’t happy that your dad is dating me and that we’ve become close. I realize I’m not your mother and have no intention of trying to step into her place.” She looked at Crystal, who was staring at her with a glazed-over expression. “You’re a big girl and I’m sure you think you can take care of yourself, but that’s not your decision. While your dad is gone, I’ve been left to watch over you.”

Crystal stood up, got a glass of water from the faucet, and plopped back down. “Can you get to the point? I’ve got a lot of homework to do.”

Janine took a moment. “I’m not asking to be your new best friend, Crystal. I’m only asking that you treat me with respect and understand that I have a job to do. I’ll try to make this as easy as possible and stay out of your way.” She reached out to touch Crystal’s hand “Can you at least try to meet me halfway and not make this week a miserable time for both of us?”