This guy had gone far past annoying. I was only putting up with it because he’d said I owed him. I didn’t know how Sushmita afforded a Mercedes. Or did I? Was I as big a jerk as Harlan? I had to admit to myself that I’d assumed the car was Willy’s, not hers. And the flat, too. He’d probably paid for the beautiful saris and the servants. Everything. Maybe I shouldn’t judge Harlan as harshly as I did. The only difference between us two gore was that I wanted to sleep with her, and he didn’t.

But actually, I wanted more than that from her. With her. She was clever, sexy, and … complicated. I’d always had a thing for complicated girls. Easy had never interested me.

“She’s rich,” I said. “She said so last night.”

“Sure. But how did she get rich? If you ask me, she’s got a sugar daddy bankrolling her.”

“Russ, I have no fucking idea. She said she was rich. I thought you didn’t like the dark ones anyway.”

“Take it easy, friend. Forget I asked. Tell me how your work is going instead.”

“Look, Russ,” I said, faking a yawn. “I’ve got an early start tomorrow. Would you mind if we continued this another time?”

“You’re working on a Saturday? That’s downright un-American. But, come on, Dan. One more.”

With his exit nowhere in sight, I decided to turn the tables and ask him some questions.

“So, Russ, are you from St. Louis originally?”

“Fayetteville, Arkansas,” he said. “Home of the Razorbacks.”

“What’s that? A mascot?”

“University of Arkansas Razorbacks. Don’t you follow college football?”

I told him no, even though I did. Hell, I’d played football at Yale. But I wasn’t about to admit that. He’d talk my ear off for hours if he thought I was a fan.

“You look like maybe you played sports.”

“Sorry,” I said.

“Well, a handsome, athletic boy like you should sow some wild oats. Go find yourself a girl.”

“Yeah, the ladies aren’t exactly breaking down the door to have their way with me.”

“Maybe that’s for the best. You don’t want any little Dannys running around out there.” He sipped his drink. “Leastwise not any brown ones.”

He apologized at least ten times on his way to the door after I told him to get the fuck out of my flat. Then he got all quiet and contrite.

“Truly, I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’ll go, Dan, but let’s not leave it on an ugly note.”

“Russ … If you could stop being an asshole for ten minutes, maybe we could be friendly. But, frankly, I doubt it.”

“Fair enough. I rub people the wrong way. Folks tell me I make a good first impression and a horrible second.”