“Yeah, him. Well, not counting that bill, I made even less than a million.” And her routine expensesmade it less lucrative. She earned very little from that, when she thought about it.

Carlos smiled at her moping tone.

“I’ll lend you my private booth. Have fun at the dinner.”

“On second thought, maybe I should go somewhere cheaper. What if Elmer rips me off again? Hemight invite me to sign another contract. I don’t want to get stiffed every time the work ends.” A dinnerat Orchid

Private Club was as expensive as eating on the fifth floor of the

Alioth Building. Debbie realized it was a bad decision.

A N G E L A ‘s L I B R A R Y

“Take my advice. Go to Orchid Private Club Carlos insisted.

His insistence sounded suspicious to Debbie’s ears. She could tell he was up to something. But shecouldn’t figure out what.

“ALL right.”

Debbie decided to follow his advice. After hanging up, she returned to the booth.

As soon as Carlos was off the phone, he got a call from Stephanie

“Carlos, who were you on the phone with? I’ve been trying to get through for awhile,” she said, tryingher best to sound casual.

“A client. What do you need?” Carlos’ tone was nonchalant.

“I have an important dinner tonight. I want to entertain some clients and I’m thinking of doing it atOrchid Private Club. Can I use your booth?”

Carlos got her point even before she finished

And Debbie had just called him, asking for the same thing. And now he knew why she asked him that.‘Clever girl!’ he thought, smiling. Then he said to Stephanie, “Sorry, it’s already spoken for. I can getyou another one, though.”

“Oh, I see.” Disappointed and embarrassed, Stephanie bit her lower lip tightly. Her friends werecounting on her. To spare herself humiliation, she tried again.

“Can you ask them to use another booth?” she asked Carlos quietly.

“I can’t. I’l arrange another booth for you. It’s the same. I’m ina meeting. Bye.”

Carlos hung up without even waiting for Stephanie to respond. Listening to the hang-up beep, sheslowly put her phone down, face pale.

Her friends walked over and asked, “We all set?”

Taking a deep breath, Stephanie feigned a relaxed tone and said with a forced smile, “Carlos’ privatebooth isn’t available tonight. I was a little late. He loaned it to someone else. But don’t worry. He got usanother booth.”

“Oh,” her friends responded. Disappointment was plain in their voices and faces. The look in their eyeshad changed when they looked at her.

But deep down, they were still happy because they were going to eat at

Orchid Private Club. So they all dropped it, and contented themselves with thinking about how nom itwould be.

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