“Is that the best use of your talents? Playing babysitter to spoiled brats? Jesus, Harris, you were number two in our class. You need to leave the amateurs. Come work for me, and this whole stinking borough can be yours.”
I cut my eyes at him. “Careful. That’s my family. And the only reason I was number two was because you cheated. Why don’t we compare our bar exam scores, see where that gets you?”
“You’re still a competitive fuck, aren’t you? I like that.” He eyed me from head to toe as if he were evaluating me. “I can see Duncan’s treating you good, but I can treat you better.”
I shook my head. “Vinnie, what are you doing here?”
“My family’s contributed a lot of money to the councilman’s campaign. My father thought I should pay my respects. This thing with his son may be just what he needs to cruise to the finish line. Big-time sympathy play. Unfortunate, but great if you’re trying to win an election. We like to be on a winning team.” He leaned against a car that was parked on the sidewalk. “So, did you think about my offer?” he asked. “It’s a sweet deal, and you’d be running the show without interference from us.”
“I did, but the answer is still no. I’m a Duncan, Vinnie. They’re not my employers. They’re my family. And I’ve already got a pretty sweet deal now.”
He chuckled. “Harris, Harris, Harris. You’re only a Duncan by marriage. We both know about your real family.” Vinnie smirked. “And you know how clannish the Duncans are. You’ll always be second, third, or even fourth place in their eyes when it comes down to it. Need I remind you of the old saying, ‘Blood is thicker than water’?”
“Maybe, but I’m obviously the wrong color for your organization,” I said, holding my hand up and placing it near his face. “I mean, you may have a nice tan, but my melanin’s a little stronger than that.”
“Didn’t you hear? It’s a new day. Black president. Yes We Can and all that candy-ass, Oompa-Loompa bullshit.” He laughed, then said, “Black is beautiful.”
“In other words, you want this nigger to open doors in the black community for you and your people. And maybe help you move in on LC’s business.”
“First of all, I resent the fact that you used the N word in association with anything I do, especially since you know how fond I am of black people.”
This time I had to laugh. “Black * maybe.”
“That, too, but on the serious side, we don’t give a damn about LC Duncan’s business. He’s a small fish in a big pond. But there is a lot of money to be made in the black community, and history has shown us that it’s best to have a black face deal with black people,” Vinnie said with actual sincerity.
“I hear you, but I’m not turning my back on my family, Vinnie. They need me.”
“Yeah, LC sure proved that when he passed you over for the big chair. I mean, I could see if it was Vegas, but Orlando? That kid’s gonna run that business into the ground.”
“LC’s not going anywhere,” I said, chuckling for his benefit. I was rattled that maybe somebody within our organization had told him about LC’s pending retirement.
“Maybe, but if he doesn’t leave or croak, where does that leave you? Stagnant. Come work with me, and you’ll make more money in the first five years than you can in a lifetime with Duncan. There’s more to life than those stupid car dealerships.”
I cut my eyes at him, the head of competitive business interests in the New York area. At the same time, knowing I despised him, I was always willing to listen. Opportunities in life often came from unexpected quarters. I was a living, breathing testament to that.
Vinnie looked at his Rolex, lifting himself off the car. “Harris, I’ve got to go pay my respects, but I just want to remind you that you got a beautiful wife and lovely daughter to think about in this competitive market. Are you going to be the man of your household or forever beholden to your in-laws?”