"I'd like two bottles of your best champagne." I said quietly to the waitress who nodded her head.
"That would be our Dom Perignon at one hundred fifty dollars a bottle, sir. Shall I bring them out?"
"Please do." I replied.
"Dom Perignon? You really don't have to go through all the trouble." Diamond said smiling sweetly. "We're happy with...with..."
"Some Mad Dogg and two straws." Natasha said sending the girls into a fit of laughter. I had to smile, too. They were fun. This kind of banter continued throughout the night as we sipped champagne and they entertained me with stories of bad dates, bad jobs, great weekends and what they considered to be great adventures. To them, a trip to the suburbs, stopping at a honky-tonk for a beer and karaoke was one for the ages.
There was something splendid about the simplicity between Natasha and Diamond that made it even harder for me to do what I had to do next. Like I knew would happen, Natasha got up to go to the bathroom, leaving Diamond sitting at the table with me. Luck was always in my favor. If things didn’t go as planned they would inevitably unfold even more to my advantage if I just paid attention.
"I can see why you guys are such good friends." I said.
"Yeah? Well, Nat is a great girl. She is the yin to my yang. We complement each other. And I’m not telling you anything you don’t know but she’s been giddy as a school girl since you met. It was really great what you did. You know, helping her get a job. She’s a good worker. Her bad luck with the last place she was at was jealousy. Believe me.”
I nodded my head.
"I don't know if she's told you that we've made love."
I watched the expression on Diamond's face as she nearly choked on the last sip of her champagne and her cheeks turned a bright pink.
"Uhm, you know, we're grown women. We don't need to get anyone's permission or approval for that kind of stuff and so...thanks for sharing." She rolled her eyes at me. It was disrespectful. Here I was trying to make things easy for her and she’s being ungrateful.
"I'm really glad you see it that way.” I said, letting her bad manner slip by. “So even though I couldn't make love to you because that is what I do with Natasha, I'd be happy to screw you."
The look on her face was priceless.
"What did you just say?"
I grinned.
"Like you said. We're all adults here. We don't need permission or approval. I'm just talking about a good time. An adventure. From what I've gathered just sitting here you're a girl who likes a little adventure."
Now the odds of this situation going in the direction it did were so much in my favor it was almost like cheating. I had no doubt in my mind that if money could be put on this kind of bet I’d make another billion within seconds. I would tell my future protégé that when presenting a girl with an option, any option, she will either be thrilled or disappointed. Be prepared with a response for both.
The wheels were turning in Diamond's mind and I could see she was contemplating my offer. But, as I had expected she let her false morality and faithfulness to her friend win out. Without another word to me she grabbed her jacket and coat, slid out of the booth we were sitting in and headed out the door. Just then Natasha returned looking around for her.
"She and I exchanged words." I said.
"What? What did you say to her?" Natasha looked angry. It was that false feminism that crept into every woman now and then when they think they know what they want. The truth is no woman no matter how independent, will not accept her place lower on the totem pole if it means a lifestyle free of worry. I was a man who could actually make good on that kind of offer.
"I told her how I felt about you and that it might mean you won't be seeing much of each other in the future."
"Why would you say something like that?" she sat down but didn't cozy up to me as she had before. “That shouldn’t make her just leave without saying good-bye.”
"Well, I’ll tell you why she left. Money.”
“You’re crazy. Diamond isn’t like that.”
“Really, have you ever loaned her money?”
“No. She’s never asked for any.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“Because I never have any.” She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.
“No. It’s because asking a friend for money is a sure way to lose that friend.”