Gemsicuted

Written by Julian Robov

Six

Chu Linthong, a gem broker, with a few rough rubies from a client accosted Tito on Silom Road, as he was returning to his office in Sita Building. He owed her a lunch. After careful thought, he had a last minute change of mind. He decided to look at a parcel of rubies from Chu at the Silom Restaurant on Silom Road, opposite his office.

After a brief discussion with the waitress, they got a table facing Surasak Road.The skylight was good. Tito saw the colors of rubies better. He wasn’t happy with the parcel. Tito saw her icy stare. Later on, she decided to lunch with him on condition that he looked at another parcel of rubies from Vietnam, at his office.
“Today we have something very special.” The waitress arrived with the menu.
“Like what?” Tito asked abruptly.
“Would you like to see the special menu?” The waitress reminded gently.
“What’s your name? You look beautiful!” Tito became inquisitive.
“Jimbo! That’s my nickname,” the waitress replied with a cute smile.
“That’s a good name. Jimbo!” Tito complimented her.
“Thank you!”
Chu poked fun at him by the way he asked Jimbo the questions. But she knew he didn’t mean anything.
“This special menu reads like a novel to me. What do we have? Let me read. Okay give me, poached cod with tomatoes and prunes, salmon in papillote with lime, poached fillet of sea bass with olive oil and lemon. Then……oh, rabbit stuffed with bacon and rosemary with the wine, Lindeman’s semillon chardonnay ‘bin 77’, please.” Tito returned the menu to Jimbo.
“And for you madam?” Jimbo asked Chu.
“I think I’ll go for asparagus with cracklings and black olive caper vinaigrette, linguine with green beans and lemon sauce, and tagliatelle with prawns. The wine, masi valpolicella classico, red, please,” Chu said, looking satisfied. Chu knew Tito would swear in all dirty words after the lunch for ordering an expensive wine. She saw the rage on his face. Tito later settled quietly without saying much, while glancing at her with a wicked smile.
“The rabbit stuffed with bacon and rosemary, sir.” The service was fast.
“Great! How would you like it?” Jimbo asked Chu
“Is it treated?” Chu asked.
“How about simonsig shiraz, sir?” Jimbo asked Tito.
“Oh, the South African, right? I love the wine,” Tito replied, knowing the bill was going to wipe out the little profit he had made just a few minutes ago from a quick deal. He cursed himself quietly for taking her to this expensive restaurant. He shouldn’t have met her in the first place.
“One masi valpolicellaa classico, red!” Chu reminded.
“Cheers!”
“Tito, how is Miko doing? I hear some rumors,” Chu asked, knowing his unpredictable answers.
“Like what?” Tito looked outside the window at a leggy woman cross the road.
“Some big ones orbiting the streets,” Chu added.
“Really?” Tito pretended as if he knew nothing.
“Ruby! Don’t you understand? You’re pretending, aren’t you?” Chu shot back at him.
“How do you know that?” Tito asked surprisingly.
“Information! My informant tells me that Rubyhall’s are into it. Lam is very upset. It’s a lot of money, isn’t it?” Chu said.
“Screw, Lam. Business is business. Ruby is innocent. They will end up with whoever deserves it. If the price is right the stone belongs to them. What’s wrong with that?” Tito answered.
“But you don’t have the money,” Chu said, expecting a rude reply.
“It’s not that cheap, but not that expensive. You see the point,” Tito reminded her. She was wrong this time.
“Who puts the value?” Chu added. “The food is great, Tito.”
Tito wanted to say something about her cunning remark, but swallowed immediately.
“The market, of course, who else? If there is a demand and if the market thinks it appropriate, then that’s the price,” Tito continued.
“There is a difference between value and price, Tito,” Chu countered his suggestion.
“Who cares? For me money is everything, value and price. It’s for the experts to define the terms. I’m least bothered,” Tito replied.
“You should expect a trap when you approach people like Rubyhall, Sanders and David. They know you guys don’t have the balls to handle pieces like that. They will cut your profits and balls at the same time. Are you aware of that?” Chu sounded like his mother.
“I’ve brought the wine, sir,” Jimbo reminded them politely.
“It’s for me,” Chu thanked Jimbo.
“You’ll hear all sort of rumors, there is a lot of chaff. We’ll find the right buyer. It’s all fenced appropriately,” Tito said confidently.
“Do you think Lam will sit quietly and watch his ass and balls getting heat-treated? You must be kidding. His future and reputation are now hanging on this mysterious ruby of 37carat, a Burmese one!” Chu reminded.
“Hell with Lam. I don’t care a bit of what he thinks. If his ass and balls are burning because of this piece, then that’s his problem. We all have to work to survive. The fittest will survive. The jungle law,” Tito replied, like his father. His father used to remind him all the time when he did something stupid. Now he was imitating his father. He hated that, but at times it came out of his mouth spontaneously.
“How about some black pepper with cottage cheese, sir?” Jimbo asked.
“Not now, Jimbo!” Tito replied.
“The linguine with green beans and lemon sauce?” Jimbo reminded.
“Yep. Please get us some more brown bread,” Tito said.
“In a few seconds, sir.” Jimbo rushed back to the kitchen.
“So what’s the hook? Who will buy?” Chu asked.
“You want to know who will buy? The highest bidder that simple,” Tito replied in a cool way.
“And the money, where is it coming from for you guys?” Chu asked.
“From heaven! What should I say?” Tito said laughingly. He wasn’t so interested in replying to her question.
“Be more realistic, Tito. Melvin Sanders is your bank, where else can the money come from knowing your reputation,” Chu said, poking fun at him.
“We’ve a very small reputation. There are some unwritten rules. We follow that. They know that. We’ve always kept that tradition, and we’ll continue to remain that way,” Tito commented.
“So he is going to chip in a million or two, right?” Chu quipped.
“Quite likely, but it is still under negotiation,” Tito added.
“How will you be privileged to share the profits from this deal with me?” Chu asked.
“In bricks!” Tito replied sarcastically.
“What do you mean by bricks?” Chu asked eagerly.
“Bricks are bricks. The bricks you see over there for those tower blocks, “ Tito said, pointing his finger at the new building under construction across Surasak Road.
“That was mean of you, Tito,” Chu grinned.
“That’s all I can afford at the moment,” Tito concluded, giggling intermittently.
“Sir. Can I clear the table? I hope you enjoyed the meal,” Jimbo said, awaiting their compliment.
“Delicious, Jimbo!” She felt happy. She was looking for a large tip. Tito read the message in her bulging eyes.
“You know what? The way you have dressed today looks like…….” Tito remembered something, but retracted to avoid another explosive debate. He didn’t want to make her cry, even though she killed him this time with an expensive lunch.
“Say something, Tito. I know you’re good at making fun of me in front of others. Now you have found my dress distasteful, right? It’s not that bad. It’s a Thai design, a creative one. It’s not that cheap, “ Chu said.
“It’s horrifying,” Tito answered, and then laughed loudly.
“The poached cod with tomatoes and prunes is ready, sir.” Jimbo arrived in time to break up the heated conversation.
“Let me taste it. Delicious, Jimbo!” Tito complimented.
“So where is Miko now?” Chu asked.
“He is busy with his customers. Business! No women! This time dead serious. He can’t fool around. It will cost us dearly. Once in a while it is okay. But not everyday,” Tito said repeatedly.
“Can I interrupt? We have some special desserts today,” Jimbo said politely.
“Okay, give me one almond macaroon!” Tito answered.
“And for you, madam?” Jimbo turned her attention to Chu.
“Blackcomb mountain special, please,” Chu replied.
“And also, I forgot. One espresso creme brulee!” Tito reminded Jimbo.
“I would also like to have the same, please, “ Chu said, glancing at Tito and settled with a crafty smile. Tito knew she had squared him again this time.

After the meal, they sat and discussed the ruby parcel she wanted him to look at it and, if possible, buy so that she could get more, if the price was right. But having known her for quite sometime, he didn’t wanted to disappoint her. Sometimes he bought from her, if he had clients lined up for a specific quality, and at times he had to keep them for a while in his custody, and then return them if he couldn’t sell. They had a good working relationship and the partnership created good business. She had a knack of meeting the miners and traders from Mae Sot, Mae Sai, Bo Rai and Chantaburi, who had offices in Bangkok. But now she had picked up the news regarding a 37carat ruby, and the ruby had all the reason to be the talk of the town. This scoop gave her a reason to get attention when showing rubies to other dealers and the trade loved gossip. After paying the bill, they returned to his office.