“I understand,” he said, though in truth he was surprised.
“I am certain you are wondering why I invited you to dinner.”
“Yes, it did cross my mind,” replied Nash.
She looked over his shoulder and nodded.
A few moments later the hostess came forward with two small glasses and a bottle.
“Baijiu,” said Steers. “The light variety, for you. It is a very high alcohol content.”
The woman poured out small quantities and left them.
Steers raised her glass. “It is commonly used to toast, Mr. Hope.”
He raised his glass. “What are we toasting?”
“Perhaps a new understanding between you and me?”
“How so?” he said warily.
“I will be frank. I have no friends, Mr. Hope. I have people who work for me. And people who work against me. I have people I pay, and pay off. I have people who hate me, despise me, want to kill me. I only have one who loves me, truly, and seeks nothing from me in return.”
Nash knew she was not referring to her mother. “Hiroko is a good soul,” he said.
She smiled—a bit sadly, Nash thought.
“Your intelligence shines through once more. And Hiroko-san is also awisesoul.”
“What do you want from me, Ms. Steers?”
“I will call you Dillon-san if you would honor my request to refer to me as Victoria-san.”
This stunned him, but then the dinner invitation and her words were clearly leading up to something changing between them. Apparently, whether he wanted it to or not.
Which I don’t.
He said, “I’m not sure how your protection detail will take that. They hate me enough already.”
“This does not concern them at all. Now, my mother does not call me Victoria-san even though it is expected between a mother and her daughter. Hiroko calls me that because I want her to. As I want you to, Dillon-san.”
He said, “All right. . .Victoria-san.”
“You, I am sure, have thought of the reasons why I had you remain here. Why I pay you so much money. Why I have you guard my mother.”
“You want someone you can thoroughly rely on. Not just because of the money. Not just because they fear you.” He glanced over his shoulder at her protection detail. “You want someone around who has your best interests and who can’t be bought off.”
“Then we understand each other, yes. Loyalty is a fragile thing if its foundation is precarious.”
She looked down at the liquid in her glass. She tipped the glass to the left and right and watched as the baijiu swirled and pitched in the small vessel.
“When one’s existence is stable, it is flat, like when I set this glass down and the liquid settles.” She tipped it again. “But when one’s existence is uncertain, then nothing is settled. Everything is moving, and no one knows whether it will ever settle right again.”
“I guess that’s why life has to be lived. To find that answer.”
“But life can be very short, Dillon-san.”
“You are a young, healthy woman.”