While Uncle Tony was telling Black how he should handle Rodrigo Iñíguez, Shy had just arrived at Jean-Georges for dinner with her aunt and cousin.
Earlier in the day, Shy was out shopping for the occasion and ended up buying two new outfits and a Nylon Akris ‘Ai convertible tote with a tulip-print because it was big enough to hold her Beretta and the PLR-22.
Jean-Georges was a sophisticated French eatery located at Central Park West, that was famous for their impeccable service, tableside preparations, and floor-to-ceiling windows that provided stunning views of Central Park.
“Cassandra Black, I have a reservation.”
“You’re the first of your party to arrive,” the hostess said and asked Shy to follow her.
“I’ll be at the bar, Mrs. Black,” Toussaint said.
With Napoleon assuming the responsibility of running the day-to-day operation in Freeport, Shy needed a new bodyguard and Napoleon personally chose Toussaint. Napoleon first became Black’s bodyguard when Kevon was killed. He begged Black for the job to honor his best friend’s service. In much the same manner, Toussaint, who was also a childhood friend of Kevon’s, wanted to honor that service and begged Napoleon for the job.
Shy had been seated long enough to order and be served a cocktail when her cousin, Victoria arrived at Jean-Georges and she was escorted to the table. Victoria looked very nice in the silk blouson dress with a grand hedge floral print she was wearing.
Shy stood up to greet her.
“Hi, Sandy,” Victoria said, as she rushed up and hugged her.
“It’s so good to see you, Vickie,” Shy called her even though Natie told her that she doesn’t like to be called Vickie anymore.
Shy hadn't seen Victoria since her high school graduation party. At the time, she was a freshman at Syracuse. Shy hugged her again and the ladies sat down.
“You look great.”
“So do you,” Victoria said as their server arrived at the table and introduced herself to Victoria.
“Can I bring you something from the bar,” she asked as she filled Victoria’s glass with water.
“I’ll have a Manhattan.”
“I’ll bring your drink and I’ll serve your meal as soon as your other guest arrives,” Priscilla assured, and then she left to get Victoria’s Manhattan.
“Aunt Evelyn is coming, right?” Shy asked remembering that Evelyn would sometimes have to cancel at the last minute because she’d have to travel for one reason or another.
“Yes, she is,” Victoria assured. “I talked to her a couple of hours ago. She said she was getting in a cab at the airport and going to her hotel.”
“Does she still live in Boston?”
“Winthrop to be exact, but yes.”
“I’ve never heard of that.”
“It’s an ocean-side suburban community just outside Boston, near the north entrance to the harbor and close to Logan Airport,” Victoria said and then an uncomfortable silence slipped in between them.
Although they were cousins and were about the same age, they never were close. Victoria knew that Shy was selling weed and she disapproved of it. Shy was always closer to her younger sisters, Natasha and Kathryn.
“How’ve you been, Vickie?” Shy asked, to break the silence.
“I’m doing great. I’m married to a wonderful man; his name is Harold and we have two sons.” She took out her phone, quickly got to her pictures, and handed the phone to Shy. “Harold Jr., he’s six, and Treven, he’s five going on twenty-five.”
“Your boys are so handsome.” Shy said looking at the adorable boys before handing over the phone.
“Thank you.” Victoria put away her phone. “What about you, Sandy? What’s it like being married to Mike Black?” Victoria asked and then she saw her mother being escorted to the table. “There’s Mommy.”
Both Shy and Victoria got up.
Evelyn was smartly dressed in an off-white cropped double-face suit, trimmed in gray with a shawl collar.
“Hi, Aunt Evelyn,” Shy said excitedly and hugged her.
“It’s so good to see you, Sandy. I tried but can’t remember the last time I saw you.”
“I think it was at Victoria’s graduation party, wasn’t it?”
“I think you’re right,” Evelyn said and hugged Victoria.
“How are you Victoria?”
“I’m fine, Mommy. How are you?” she asked and the ladies sat down.
“I’m fine,” Evelyn said as Priscilla returned to the table with Victoria’s drink.
“Great! We’re all here now.” She placed the Manhattan on the table. “My name is Priscilla and I’ll be taking care of you this evening. Can I bring you something from the bar?” she asked as she filled Evelyn’s water glass.
“I’ll just have a Chardonnay.” The server handed Evelyn the wine list. “Can I bring you another Don Q Gran Añejo, Mrs. Black?” she asked as Evelyn looked over the wine list.
“I’m fine, Priscilla. Thank you.”
“The Lewis Vineyards,” Evelyn said.
“Excellent choice,” Priscilla said as Evelyn handed the server the wine list. “I’ll have your Chardonnay in just a few minutes, and your first course will be served shortly, Mrs. Black.”
“Thank you, Priscilla.”
“Out shortly? I haven’t even seen a menu,” Evelyn said.
“Sandy took the liberty of ordering a six-course-meal for us.”
“I hope you don’t mind?”
“Not at all. I hear everything is excellent here. What are we having?”
“I selected the Jean-Georges’ menu; it’s an assortment of Chef Vongerichten’s signature dishes. You’ll love it.”
“You’ve been here before, I take it?” Evelyn asked.
“Yes. My husband, Michael, and I have been here a few times,” Shy said and glanced toward Victoria. She wasn’t sure if her Aunt knew who she was married to or what she used to do and hoped that the subject wouldn’t come up. But having a feeling it would.
Priscilla returned to the table with a glass of Lewis Vineyards Chardonnay for Evelyn and as promised, the first course was served. Their meal began with egg caviar, diver scallops, caramelized cauliflower, and caper-raisin emulsion. Then there was young garlic soup with thyme and sautéed frog legs, Turbot with Château Chalon sauce. All topped off with a chocolate dessert tasting.
While they enjoyed their meal, Evelyn and Victoria each shared parts of their lives with Shy. Evelyn talked about her recent research of the sixteenth-century Protestant thinkers and Natasha’s wedding and Victoria talked about her husband, their children, and her growing medical practice. There were times throughout the evening that Shy felt left out of the side conversations between mother and daughter that she knew nothing about.
As for her, Shy’s conversation, for the most part, was pretty much like Victoria’s. She talked about her husband, Michael, their two amazing children, including pictures.
“Your daughter looks like you did when you were her age, Sandy,” Evelyn commented.
“And your son, he looks just like his father,” Victoria began. “And that smile, he’s gonna drive the girls crazy.”
Shy decided not to address the fact that Easy wasn’t her biological son or the fact that his mother was killed in a drug deal. Instead, she smiled and said, “Thank you.”
Shy talked about her new import-export business, the other legitimate businesses that they owned, and their life flying around the world in their jet.
“There is one thing that I’ve always wanted to ask you, Sandy,” Evelyn said.
“What’s that?”
“How does it happen that you died and came back from the dead?” she asked as she enjoyed her dessert. “Because to my knowledge, so far, I only know of one person that has been able to do that.”
Victoria glanced quickly at Shy and then she focused her attention on her dessert.
“It was a case of mistaken identity,” she said and hoped it would fly, but knowing it wouldn’t.
“Did it have anything to do with your husband?”
“Excuse me.”
Evelyn put down her fork. “Come on, Sandy. Your last name is Black and you’ve been talking about your husband, Michael all night. Remember I used to live in the Bronx too; I know who Mike Black is.”
Shy took a deep breath and looked directly at her. “Yes, Aunt Evelyn, I was kidnapped and held on an island in the Caribbean for three years because of something Michael was involved in. As a matter of fact, I’ve been kidnapped twice. Do you want me to tell you about it, Aunt Evelyn?”
“I know I do,” Victoria said quickly.
“Only if you want to tell me. Your mother certainly wouldn’t. When I asked, she made up a reason to get off the phone. I’m still waiting for a call back.”
Shy laughed. “I don’t mind telling you.”
She took a sip of her drink and then she made eye contact with Priscilla. When Shy pointed to her glass, Priscilla knew that she was ready for another drink.
“When I said that it was a case of mistaken identity, I was telling the truth. I was taken and a woman who looked like me was beaten and then shot,” Shy said and told her family who she used to be when she met Black, and the events that led up to each of her kidnappings and the years she spent in captivity.
“That was quite an ordeal. I am glad you survived,” Evelyn told her niece.
“But that life is behind us now. Michael and I are living the quiet life in Freeport, focusing on raising our children and running our legitimate businesses. So don’t judge me too harshly for what I’ve done.”
“I can’t judge you, Sandy. That’s a job far above my pay grade. What I can tell you is that I’m proud of you for having lived and almost died the way you did and for you and Michael to make the commitment to change.”
“Thank you, Aunt Evelyn. That means a lot to me.”
“I got a question,” Victoria said, “And then I gotta run.”
“What’s that?”
“Are you bringing him to the wedding?”
“Of course, Michael is coming with me, and so are the children and my mother.”
“Really? It will be nice to see Aunt Joanne,” Victoria said and then began to gather her things to leave. When she did, Evelyn did the same.
When Shy signaled for Priscilla to bring the check, she saw Carlo DeSalice having dinner with a group of men. She met him at an import-export conference in Atlantic City. He held up his drink when he saw Shy looking.