Part 23 (1/2)
A lot of people thought George Han was a monster. Mary knew it wasn't true. Her brother-in-law was basically a good guy whose biggest flaw was he wanted to make a lot of money and didn't much care how he did it.
Mary had just started cleaning her last table at the coffee shop where she worked when George appeared in the doorway flanked by two bodyguards. Straightening her back tiredly, she stood motionless as he walked toward her in the same wary, hesitant way he had since childhood.
Some things never change, she thought.
He stopped in front of her. ”h.e.l.lo, Mary.”
”h.e.l.lo, George.” She put the rag she held in her hand on the table. They hardly spoke these days.
”Can I give you a ride home?”
She looked around the empty room. ”I still have some cleaning up to do in back.”
”I've taken care of that. I've talked to s.h.i.+ge.”
s.h.i.+ge was Mary's boss. She nodded as she took off her ap.r.o.n. ”Let me tell my ride I'm leaving.”
When she stepped out of the restaurant, George greeted her from the back seat of his car where he smoked a cigarette. ”How are things going?” he asked as she got it in. One of George's body guards closed the door behind her.
”Same old thing.” She stared out the window. It was a hot, muggy night. The termites had swarmed earlier in the evening. As if her job were not difficult enough, she'd spent the night running around, turning off lights, and putting out buckets of water for the pests to drown in. It had been exhausting. Even now she could still see termites hypnotized by the lights. Their dead bodies and sheer wings lay in the street and the crevices of the car. She ran her finger along the edge and picked up one frail body.
”You look tired.”
Mary looked at George, but his face was shrouded in darkness. ”It was busy, despite the termites. The tips were pretty good.” She made twelve dollars that night and thought it had been a really great s.h.i.+ft. But it was small change to George. ”How's your family, George?”
”The same.” He nodded to his driver who started the car. ”I really needed to see you.”
”Why?”
George stubbed his cigarette in the door's ashtray. ”It's about Mark's gambling,”
”Oh.” Mary looked down at her hands.
”How bad has it really gotten?” he asked her.
Mary thought of all the times she considered leaving Mark. ”He borrowed from his mother and refinanced the house to the hilt. We have no cash. I don't know how much he owes.”
George looked out the window, his fingers tapping on the armrest. ”He owes Vegas $20,000.”
Mary put her hand to her throat. ”What! I know he likes to gamble but...” Her voice trailed as her hand fluttered down. She knew it was true. Every morning for the last two weeks Mark checked under the hood of his car before starting it. She thought it strange, but Mark said he liked to make sure everything was in working order. ”It's those Las Vegas junkets. Free trips, nothing. Mark says they treat him like a king. Free plane trip, free booze, free hotel, and I know there's free girls. Don't bother denying it. I wish you never started junkets.”
”The boys in Vegas held off only out of respect for me. I've promised to pay his debts. These guys don't fool around, Mary. You have to help me convince Mark, no more gambling.”
”How can we repay you that much money? We don't have any equity left in the house.”
”He's my brother.” George cleared his throat.
Mary straightened. ”Don't worry, we'll pay you back. No matter how long it takes. And there will be no more junkets.”
”I don't know if I'll always be able to cover for him. I don't know if my name will always mean something.” George shook his head. ”I want to get out of this business.”
”Good for you.”
”The money's tempting, but so many other groups are cropping up now. Some of them are crazy and gun happy. It scares me. I have enough money to live comfortably. The new guys have ice water in their veins. I'd rather quit while I'm still alive.”
They pa.s.sed under a street lamp; Mary could see George's face. New lines had sprouted around his eyes and mouth. He looked tired. ”Can you walk out just like that?”
”I don't know.” George scratched his head. ”I've been thinking of opening a restaurant. You can run it for me. I have a s.p.a.ce in Waikiki, near International Marketplace.”
”I'm just a waitress,” Mary protested. Still, she couldn't help but think it was a great location. But, she didn't know if she was capable of running it.
”The most important thing in opening a restaurant is to have family you trust. You're smart and honest. I'll give you a percentage of the gross so you won't miss the tips you make.”
”I'll have to discuss it with Mark.”
George looked at her for what felt like a very long time. ”Of course,” he finally said.
Mary felt uncomfortable under his scrutiny. George rarely looked at her these days. Now that he did, she wondered what he was thinking.
”What do you think you're doing?” Mark burst into his brother's office.
George leaned back in his chair. ”What's your problem?”
”How dare you talk to my wife about me,” Mark spat. ”You made me look like a fool.”
”You did that to yourself.” George lit a cigarette. ”I didn't have to do it for you.”
Mark slammed his fist on the table. ”Just who the h.e.l.l do you think you are?”
George blew smoke in Mark's direction. ”Seems to me you should be thanking me instead of cursing me.”
”For what? Stop trying to run my life. Stay out of it.” Mark leaned over, his knuckles on the desktop.
George leaned forward, elbows on his desk. ”If I had done that, you would be dead. Vegas doesn't give second chances.”
Mark stood back, then flopped into a chair. ”I would have paid them.”
”How were you going to do that?” George followed his brother's actions and relaxed in his chair. ”You're already hocked up to your neck.”
”How do you know?”
”I've got my ways.” George flicked ashes into an ashtray. He needed to quit smoking and coffee because he was getting jittery.
”Yeah, you and your big shot ways.” Mark kicked the desk. ”What about this restaurant idea? I can take care of my family without your help.”
George locked eyes with his brother. ”Do you enjoy seeing your wife slaving to pay off your debts?”