50 EXCERPTS: #2

...I returned to the subject of the watch and asked, "So what's the verdict?"

"Nice," he said, rolling it slowly through his fingers. "Just don't get it wet or drop it."

"Is it that fragile?"

"Yeah. But only because it's probably some five dollar knockoff, not the real thing."

"I assumed one of his ladies gave it to him."

Jamie raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Maybe." He paused, then added, "But did you think to ask yourself why Michael would give you a watch worth... well, for the sake of argument, let's say he didn't find it on Canal Street, and it's really worth thousands of dollars. Why would he hand it over to you?"

"Good question. I suppose if he has a few good watches and thought I needed one..."

"You're overestimating the generosity of Michael DeVries. If Michael thought he had too many Cartier watches, he'd want even more Cartier watches." He handed the watch back to me. "Still, on the outside chance it's real, congratulations."

"Well... it looks real." I strapped the watch around my wrist. It did look real. To me, at least.

"Yeah, it looks real." He let out a bitter laugh. "Story of our life, right?"

I ignored the comment, even though those might have been the most truthful words I had heard all day.

from Trust Fund Boys

Kensington Publishing Corp.
June, 2004

Buy it at Now Voyager

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