One Indian Girl(31)

‘It’s my first real one. Of course I am happy,’ I said, trying not to reveal too much.

‘I am sure they paid you really well. They love you here,’ Craig said. I wondered if he had a hint of snark in his voice. I couldn’t tell.

‘Hey, is that Jonathan’s wife who just arrived?’ I said, deflecting the topic. I pointed to the Harry’s entrance. I recognized her from the pictures on Jonathan’s desk.

‘Yeah, that’s Clara,’ Craig said.

Clara, a tall American blonde who worked in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was wearing a long purple dress.

‘You have someone coming too?’ I said.

‘Amanda is coming in a few minutes,’ Craig said. I remembered him mentioning his girlfriend to me once. She was an aspiring actress, working in an off-Broadway theatre production.

‘How about you?’ Craig said.

‘I have a friend coming,’ I said.

‘Friend?’

I laughed. ‘Okay, boyfriend. Sorry, I just haven’t told anyone in the firm.’

‘I didn’t know you have a boyfriend.’

Craig raised his glass and touched it to mine. I took another sip of my champagne.

‘I never mentioned him,’ I said.

‘Well, today we’ll get to see him,’ Craig said, ‘the boyfriend of our superstar associate.’

‘I am still a lowly minion,’ I said.

‘You are good. I hate to admit it, but you are better than me. They will make you VP in six months. You wait and see.’

‘I don’t know. . .’

‘Amanda is here,’ Craig said in a higher pitch.

A gorgeous blonde with grey eyes entered the bar. Everyone in the group, men and women, paused their conversations to look at her. She had curly golden hair, and her make-up was impeccable, oxblood lipstick and smoky eyes.

She came and hugged Craig. For a few seconds, despite being an associate, Craig became a superstar in the room.

I checked my phone.

‘Still stuck at work. Sorry,’ Debu had messaged.

‘Come soon. Everyone is here,’ I replied.

Craig introduced me to Amanda. The waiter gave us another champagne glass each.

‘I have heard so much about you,’ Amanda said.

‘You have?’ I said.

‘Craig mentions his deals, and how you are a tough negotiator. And that you are really good,’ she said.

I laughed.

‘I am not. I get lucky sometimes,’ I said. Well, that is how I take compliments. I don’t say thank you. I just deny the compliment.

‘I love the colour of your skin,’ Amanda said.

‘Really? I wish I had yours,’ I said. She laughed. All the men around us noticed her laugh.

‘So I hear you are an actor?’ I said.

‘Yeah. Doing a small theatre part right now. Auditioning for television and movies. It’s hard, though. So I also work as a part-time piano teacher.’

‘You are so pretty. I am sure it will work out,’ I said.

‘Too many pretty women in New York,’ Amanda said.

‘But you are the prettiest,’ Craig said and kissed her on top of her head. She giggled. Craig introduced her to Jonathan and a couple of other VPs. All the men listened to every word Amanda had to say.

I wanted to be Amanda. I don’t know why. I scolded myself for thinking that way. Amanda didn’t have a real job. Amanda didn’t know how to make financial models. Amanda couldn’t close a financial deal. Amanda didn’t make 270,000 dollars a year. But Amanda is so hot. Amanda also has men hovering around her, hoping to get her a drink. Where is my one and only man?

‘Debu, where are you?’ I sent a message again.

He didn’t reply for an hour. Meanwhile, I met the better halves of everyone in the distressed debt team. I finished three glasses of champagne. The wooziness in my head told me I needed to slow down a bit.

Debu called me at 9.30.

‘Where are you, Debu? Everyone is leaving. Did you get my message?’ I said.

‘Yeah. Shit happening at work. I will tell you about it later.’

I could hear crowd noises around him.

‘Where are you now?’ I said.

‘I came downstairs for a drink with my team.’

‘Debu? You were supposed to come to my office party for drinks tonight. I wanted to introduce you to everyone!’

‘Stupid politics happening. I have to talk to people. I will come.’

‘When?’

‘In an hour?’

‘It’ll be over. Really, Debu? You had to do your office stuff on the one day I call you?’

‘I got stuck. I can’t tell you the backstabbing that happened here.’

‘Debu,’ I said, my voice confident after the champagne, ‘I don’t care about your office right now. You said you would come.’

‘I thought I might. Listen, it’s just bankers, right? It’s anyway not my scene.’

‘Really? I am a banker too.’

‘You are different. But they talk about money and deals and. . .’

‘Debu, they are people too. Today, everyone has come with their significant others. I told Craig you are coming. What do I tell him?’

‘That I am stuck at work. What else?’