Page 39 of Brutal King

“I try to go... at least once a year. Last time I went I spent three weeks in southern Thailand; good food, great beaches and interesting island hopping.”

“What about your family? Are they still out there?”

“No. We all came back here about four years ago. First to New York, then a year in Chicago, and finally here. Then I was hired to run Ginger and I knew I’d found my place. After all, with a place like Ginger, I get a taste of Asia. I couldn’t ask for a better gig.”

“Hmm,” I said with a chuckle. “I like that. In fact, I love that.”

“What? What do you love?”

“What you just said. ‘Ginger; get a taste of Asia’. What a great slogan.”

He smiled. “It’s yours if you want it.” He clapped his hands and stood. “Talk of all this Asian food has me a little hungry. How about you?”

“Starving,” I said. “What do you suggest?”

“How about we grab some lunch and come back and continue working on a full stomach?”

“Great.Where?”

“There’s an Asian fusion place about half an hour from here. How about we go and scope out the competition, all while enjoying a delicious meal, of course?”

“Sounds a little devious, but I like it. Let’s go.”

He drove us out there, all while telling me about the area. Once at the restaurant, we were seated at the back.

“Cute,” I said of the simple décor.

“Adequate, I would say,” Trent countered.

I ordered a noodle bowl while he tried the Asian salad.

“This is good,” he said after his first bite. “Looks like we’re going to have some stiff competition.”

My noodles were tasty as well, but I knew we could do better.

“So, tell me, Trent, what was it like growing up blond and blue eyed in Japan.”

“There were highs and lows. At school, most kids saw me as some sort of oddity and one kid once tried to turn my hair black with fingerpaint.”

“Oh, my,” I said with a snicker.

“Yeah. My mother didn’t think it was funny. She had to take me outside and hose me off. Black water trickled down my body leaving nasty streaks. It was kind of horrible. The paint had dried and was caked in areas. I spent the rest of the week with dull blond hair with splotchy patches of dishwater gray.” He laughed at the memory.

“That was really nasty.”

“Ah,” he said with a dismissive wave. “I had fun.”

“What did you enjoy the most about Asia? Did you ever have the chance to take in the sights?”

He nodded. “The most memorable were the temples in Thailand. I was about eighteen at the time and kind of jaded... well, I was hard to impress... you know, acting cool... like I’d seen everything... like I knew everything. Anyway, I was blown away. Each temple was more spectacular than the last.”

I nodded. “I know what you mean. I still remember virtually every detail of the blue temple. I was mesmerized by it.

He smiled knowingly.

“Excuse me,” the server said as he came up to the table. “Not that I want to rush you out, but... well, would you like to order anything from the dinner menu?”

“The dinner... huh?” I said. I looked at my watch. “Oh, my God. Look at the time. Oh, Trent. We have to go back and get to work.”