Chapter 47

AP was talking to the Day Manager of Sin City when the call came on his cellphone.

"You're not supposed to use your cellphone on international flights."

"I'm in the toilet. And I'm using an Iridium." Lena's voice was surprisingly clear and sharp even below the drone of the aircraft engine.

"Our two lovebirds are already on their way. How's the new boy doing?"

"He's a doll." She scanned her face in the mirror. A little more eye shadow ... there, that was perfect. "Just wind him up and he does what you want."

"Lena." He sighed. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Have I ever? Never plan ahead, that's my motto, AP, you know that."

"Yes, but this is big. If it gets out of control, it could blow up in our faces big-time. Remember Frankfurt?"

"Forget Frankfurt. This isn't a scam. It's the real thing. These two innocents abroad are the only way we can cut out the competition. Unless we wrap Myanmar in cellophane and stack him on a shelf, he's going to be a major thorn in our side."

He rubbed at a vertical wrinkle between his eyes. "All right. But I just worry that maybe you're getting personal about this. I know how thick you and Myanmar were in the beginning. That may be clouding your judgement."

Her reply was sharp and painfully clear over the satellite connection. "AP, my judgement is as clear as the sky over Haryana right now. I'm telling you, Arif and Merlyn are our tickets to shutting down Myanmar and getting back the clients we lost."

"Okay, okay. Point taken. I'll take care of my end, you take care of your's. BTW, Steven and Merlyn are really cooing and billing like a pair of pigeons."

"Hmm." She looked out the tiny port window. Bombay lay behind and below under a bank of wispy clouds. "Falling in love. I've forgotten what that feels like."

AP laughed. "Lena, you've never known what it feels like."

She laughed too. "I'll call you from Frisco. And AP?"

"Yeah?"

"There's this supermodel who'll be frantically asking for me. John."

"He's been burning up my direct line all day. What did you do to him?"

"The usual treatment. Listen, don't shut him out. Keep him on hold. I haven't finished playing with him yet, okay?"

"Lena, when you finish playing with someone, they're finished playing, period. Like I'm sure you're going to do to Arif once he's done what you want him to do."

"How true." Her tone was somewhere between sarcasm and honesty. "Just like what you're doing to Merlyn, AP.

The only difference is, I'm not going to break his heart."

"Aren't you?"

"No, I'm just going to squeeze his balls dry, that's

all."

And he distinctly heard the sound of her urinating in the airplane toilet.