Saving Aurora

Chapter 2

Dexter

The massive, solid-wood door is pushed open by the small doorman. My host Robert Ban greets me jokingly as I enter the chilly inside of the McMansion’s spacious entryway, saying, “Mr. Malone, I’m so glad you were able to make it.” It’s crucial that I meet Robert and get to know him, even though I don’t want to be at a brothel in Hong Kong. Regardless of how repulsive I may perceive my surroundings. I tell him to call me Dexter and extend my hand to shake his chubby hand firmly. A person’s handshake can reveal a lot about them, including whether they are aggressive and overconfident or weak and easily influenced. Robert’s handshake strikes a balance.

“After taking care of business, we can unwind and take in the entertainment for the evening.” He grins as he ushers me into a tiny living room and collapses on the crammed couch. I try to unwind by settling onto the chair kitty-corner to him. Robert, who is currently the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of his family’s IT company, Ban and Sons, was introduced to me by my business partner Peter Stone, who said he would be a great contact for the private deal we have been working on. Since our time at Cambridge, Peter and I have been friends, and we have recently been attempting to combine some of our business interests. His uncle,who he had been like a son to, died five years ago, but he had quietly and verbally assured Peter that he would have a share in his business, Stone International. Our attempts to merge are made more difficult by the new CEO’s limitations on Peter’s authority, despite the fact that he is now a significant shareholder and board member. My transportation business would be a great fit for the company’s manufacturing holdings, and our objective has been to merge them into a new, bigger, more powerful firm.

We haven’t given up. After several years in spite of the challenges, we have gathered the necessary funds and are searching for any manufacturing companies that are in trouble so that we can acquire them at a reduced cost. In order to track our products more effectively from manufacturing to transportation and distribution, our new business also needs a cutting-edge tracking system. Robert and his business can help with that. But I’m tired right now. The past two days have been spent traveling and attending meetings nonstop since I left Boston. Beginning with a heated brunch in Washington, DC, with a number of overpriced attorneys, followed by fruitless cocktails in Chicago, a red-eye to San Francisco, and then a flight here to Hong Kong, only to be drawn into more mind-numbing meetings where nothing ever seemed to be done.

After meeting with the CEOs of a number of companies over the last two days, I am starting to have major doubts about their survival. Unless I was willing to give them carte blanche, these men showed very little interest in really talking about anything business-related. Rather than engaging in negotiations, they tried to impress me with their golf handicaps. You shouldn’t take your business too seriously if you have the time to play enough f*****g golf to have such a good handicap. Furthermore, I will not hire you to work for my business or give you any of my filthy money.

It should come as no surprise that the women-owned textile companies I spoke with this morning over breakfast were the ones who were prepared to engage in meaningful negotiations. I was able to close a number of profitable business with them. Since any astute businessperson understands when to take shortcuts, they most likely went out to get imitation shoes and purses after that, and I prepared too meet Robert at this fuckin overpriced brothel. This isn’t your normal low-rent place. You aren’t even given your location for privacy and security reasons. You are picked up from your hotel by a driver, who then takes you to your destination in a dark sedan with blackened windows. I would likewise own several homes throughout the city if it were my business and I wanted to hide from detection. In this manner, I could move at random times without having to stop running my business as usual. I would never run a brothel, really. Despite my many facets, I am not a whoremonger.

We swiftly get to business after a waitress, who Robert assures me does not speak English, serves us drinks. According to Peter’s information, Robert’s business is in negotiations with our main rival. It is my responsibility to pique his interest in our startup and persuade him that there is greater room for expansion with us. Ban and Sons is equipped to meet our needs in terms of both infrastructure and technology.

Our meeting isn’t long and I’m impressed by my host’s diligence and intelligence when we talk business. He genuinely showed there eager to engage in constructive dialogue and compromise. Even though we haven’t reached a final agreement, I’m making good progress in persuading him that his business should collaborate with me. I already like him. After our meeting, we enter a spacious lounge that is thick with cigar smoke and proceed down the corridor. It surprises me to find the CEO of LDC Limited, one of the biggest subcontractors of my business, present with a number of his colleagues. As near to the action as possible, they are seated on the big, plush leather couches and chairs in front of a tiny elevated platform where a number of women are dancing.I pick the couch that is closest to the long bar that spans the length of the space and the one that is farthest away. Robert descends beside me and surveys the space with anticipation. I look at my watch casually and wonder when I can leave without upsetting my host. I had a productive, private meeting with Robert, which was what I had come for. It’s time to go now. “Mister. A small woman exclaims in Mandarin, “You are back,” and trots over as quickly as her heels will allow. She encircles Robert’s body with her thin arms and sits on his lap. He flushes from the attention, and I see his face light up. The tart has enough cosmetics applied for ten people and is hardly clothed. Not my type, for sure. I like my women to seem natural. A gentle, trembling feminine voice asks in flawless English, “What can I get you, sir?” grabbing my entire attention, my head snaps up, and I turn to face its owner. Nervous green, familiar eyes stare back at me from beneath the heaps of thick makeup. f**k! Still not believing what—whom—I see standing in front of me, I shake my head. There is no way that it could be Peter’s cousin. I have seen numerous photos of her over the years, and there is no denying how much she resembles my acquaintance. My friend would have informed me, and there have been no reports of her being missing. Is Aurora Stone actually here? To be sure, I have to figure out how to get this chick to leave me alone. “Mister?” “One ice cube, but a scotch.” I inhale deeply and stifle the escalating rage inside of me. Though I don’t often do it, I would wager money that Aurora isn’t here because she wants to be. I can’t get out of here now, f**k! Peter was aware that I couldn’t possibly go without her. This crazy, fast-paced journey that Peter forced me to take is beginning to make perfect sense. Robert surprises me by saying, “I have never seen an American here before,” in flawless French. I can tell he thinks something is wrong because of his serious expression and abrupt turn to a language that probably many people around us don’t understand. I respond in the same language, "Don't worry.” “I will ensure her well-being.” He seems pleased with my response as he nods his head, but the woman on his lap, who is kissing his neck and caressing and stroking his chest, soon diverts his attention. I cross my legs to deter any more efforts by gently pushing the other tart off when she tries to sit on my lap.

Aurora soon reappears next to my chair holding a tumbler of my favorite amber liquid.

‘Thank you’ I say politely as Aurora hands me the drink. When our fingertips touch, a warm spark floods through me. I K ow it’s not the alcohol. I have yet to even take a taste. I see her staring down at my left hand as though searching for something as I look up. This is not the first time I have seen a woman inquire about my marital status. Most of the room is visible from where I am standing. Like the other guys, I allowed my eyes to follow Aurora throughout the room while feigning to be enthralled with the show on stage. Men seldom recognize her when she delivers them beverages. For those that do, she expertly avoids their straying hands. I no longer conduct business with a number of the men that f*****g try to molest her on a casual basis. I deliberately avoid her. With some of these competitive jerks, you never know when they might see my interest and decide Aurora is worth getting. Even worse, they might be able to identify her. A number of them have interacted with her late father’s business. Hopefully, none of them have been acknowledged by her either. If she is just another tart to them, then everyone is safer. Anonymity with the management was funded in part by the astronomical entrance charge. Robert promised me that only the people there, whom I already knew, would be aware of my identity as he planned our night out.After Aurora leaves the room for a few minutes, she comes back with a dish of crab cakes, and I watch with a smile as she gobbles up one right away. I’ve had a few myself, so I can attest to their deliciousness. I decide it’s time to find a way to get Aurora alone after wasting far too much time defending myself against the other ladies who are hurling themselves at me, their sickening perfume making me lightheaded as they continually try to grope me.I get up and approach the man who is observing things from the corner. After a brief exchange of money and learning that private entertainment was not included in my entrance charge, I head back to finish my drink with the knowledge that Aurora will be waiting for me in a room upstairs when I’m ready. I pick up my glass and take one last sip.Out of the corner of my eye, I watch as the overseer roughly pulls Aurora’s arm and pulls her aside. He is undoubtedly informing her that she has a client for the evening. As he leaves her, Aurora glances around the room and appears anxious before hastily departing. As the evening wears on, a number of the men—including Robert—have begun to disappear upstairs with the women. They shake hands too forcefully and make promises for further meetings as they bid each other good night. I wait patiently so as not to appear eager or involved in their actions. silently watching.