On a Friday evening, a group of us have left the oɽce early,ɹnding ourselves at Harry's. Group consists of Tim Price, CraigMcDermott, myself, Preston Goodrich, who is currently dating atotal hardbody named, I think, Plum—no last name, just Plum, anactress/model, which I have a feeling we all think is pretty hip.We're having a debate over where to make reservations fordinner: Flamingo East, Oyster Bar, 220, Counterlife, Michael's,SpagoEast, Le Cirque. Robert Farrell is here too, the LotusQuotrek, a portable stock-quotation device, in front of him on thetable, and he's pushing buttons while the latest commodities ɻashby. What are people wearing? McDermott has on a cashmeresport coat, wool trousers, a silk tie, Hermès. Farrell is wearing acashmere vest, leather shoes, wool cavalry twill trousers, GarrickAnderson. I'm wearing a wool suit by Armani, shoes by AllenEdmonds, pocket square by Brooks Brothers. Someone else has ona suit tailored by Anderson and Sheppard. Someone who lookslike Todd Lauder, and may in fact be, gives thumbs-up fromacross the room, etc., etc.Questions are routinely thrown my way, among them: Are therules for wearing a pocket square the same as for a white dinnerjacket? Is there any diʃerence at all between boat shoes and TopSiders? My futon has already ɻattened out and it's uncomfortableto sleep on—what can I do? How does one judge the quality ofcompact discs before buying them? What tie knot is less bulkythan a Windsor? How can one maintain a sweater's elasticity?Any tips on buying a shearling coat? I am, of course, thinkingabout other things, asking myself my own questions: Am I aɹtness junkie? Man vs. Conformity? Can I get a date with CindyCrawford? Does being a Libra signify anything and if so, can youprove it? Today I was obsessed with the idea of faxing Sarah'sblood I drained from her vagina over to her oɽce in the mergersdivision at Chase Manhattan, and I didn't work out this morningbecause I'd made a necklace from the bones of some girl'svertebrae and wanted to stay home and wear it around my neckwhile I masturbated in the white marble tub in my bathroom,grunting and moaning like some kind of animal. Then I watcheda movie about ɹve lesbians and ten vibrators. Favorite group:Talking Heads. Drink: J&B or Absolut on the rocks. TV show: LateNight with David Letterman. Soda: Diet Pepsi. Water: Evian. Sport:Baseball.The conversation follows its own rolling accord—no realstructure or topic or internal logic or feeling; except, of course,for its own hidden, conspiratorial one. Just words, and like in amovie, but one that has been transcribed improperly, most of itoverlaps. I'm having a sort of hard time paying attention becausemy automated teller has started speaking to me, sometimesactually leaving weird messages on the screen, in green lettering,like "Cause a Terrible Scene at Sotheby's" or "Kill the President"or "Feed Me a Stray Cat," and I was freaked out by the parkbench that followed me for six blocks last Monday evening and ittoo spoke to me. Disintegration—I'm taking it in stride. Yet theonly question I can muster up at ɹrst and add to the conversationis a worried "I'm not going anywhere if we don't have areservation someplace, so do we have a reservation someplace ornot?" I notice that we're all drinking dry beers. Am I the only onewho notices this? I'm also wearing mock-tortoiseshell glasses thatare nonprescription.On the TV screen in Harry's is The Patty Winters Show, which isnow on in the afternoon and is up against Geraldo Rivera, PhilDonahue and Oprah Winfrey. Today's topic is Does EconomicSuccess Equal Happiness? The answer, in Harry's this afternoon,is a roar of resounding "Deɹnitely," followed by much hooting,the guys all cheering together in a friendly way. On the screennow are scenes from President Bush's inauguration early thisyear, then a speech from former President Reagan, while Pattydelivers a hard-to-hear commentary. Soon a tiresome debateforms over whether he's lying or not, even though we don't, can't,hear the words. The ɹrst and really only one to complain is Price,who, though I think he's bothered by something else, uses thisopportunity to vent his frustration, looks inappropriately stunned,asks, "How can he lie like that? How can he pull that shit?""Oh Christ," I moan. "What shit? Now where do we havereservations at? I mean I'm not really hungry but I would like tohave reservations somewhere. How about 220?" An afterthought:"McDermott, how did that rate in the new Zagat's?""No way," Farrell complains before Craig can answer. "Thecoke I scored there last time was cut with so much laxative Iactually had to take a shit in M.K.""Yeah, yeah, life sucks and then you die.""Low point of the night," Farrell mutters."Weren't you with Kyria the last time you were there?"Goodrich asks. "Wasn't that the low point?""She caught me on call waiting. What could I do?" Farrellshrugs. "I apologize.""Caught him on call waiting." McDermott nudges me, dubious."Shut up, McDermott," Farrell says, snapping Craig'ssuspenders. "Date a beggar.""You forgot something, Farrell," Preston mentions. "McDermottis a beggar.""How's Courtney?" Farrell asks Craig, leering."Just say no." Someone laughs.Price looks away from the television screen, then at Craig, andhe tries to hide his displeasure by asking me, waving at the TV, "Idon't believe it. He looks so ... normal. He seems so ... out of it.So ... undangerous.""Bimbo, bimbo," someone says. "Bypass, bypass.""He is totally harmless, you geek. Was totally harmless. Justlike you are totally harmless. But he did do all that shit and youhave failed to get us into 150, so, you know, what can I say?"McDermott shrugs."I just don't get how someone, anyone, can appear that way yetbe involved in such total shit," Price says, ignoring Craig,averting his eyes from Farrell. He takes out a cigar and studies itsadly. To me it still looks like there's a smudge on Price'sforehead."Because Nancy was right behind him?" Farrell guesses,looking up from the Quotrek. "Because Nancy did it?""How can you be so fucking, I don't know, cool about it?"Price, to whom something really eerie has obviously happened,sounds genuinely perplexed. Rumor has it that he was in rehab."Some guys are just born cool, I guess." Farrell smiles,shrugging.I'm laughing at this answer since Farrell is so obviously uncool,and Price shoots me a reprimanding look, says, "And Bateman—what are you so fucking zany about?"I shrug too. "I'm just a happy camper." And I add,remembering, quoting, my brother: "Rocking and a rolling.""Be all that you can be," someone adds."Oh brother." Price won't let it die. "Look," he starts, trying fora rational appraisal of the situation. "He presents himself as aharmless old codger. But inside ..." He stops. My interest picksup, ɻickers brieɻy. "But inside ..." Price can't ɹnish the sentence,can't add the last two words he needs: doesn't matter. I'm bothdisappointed and relieved for him."Inside? Yes, inside?" Craig asks, bored. "Believe it or not,we're actually listening to you. Go on.""Bateman," Price says, relenting slightly. "Come on. What doyou think?"I look up, smile, don't say anything. From somewhere—the TV?—the national anthem plays. Why? I don't know. Before acommercial, maybe. Tomorrow, on The Patty Winters Show,Doormen from Nell's: Where Are They Now? I sigh, shrug,whatever."That's, uh, a pretty good answer," Price says, then adds,"You're a real nut.""That is the most valuable piece of information I've heardsince"—I look at my new gold Rolex that insurance paid for—"McDermott suggested we all drink dry beers. Christ, I want aScotch."McDermott looks up with an exaggerated grin and purrs, "Bud.Long neck. Beautiful.""Very civilized." Goodrich nods.Superstylish English guy Nigel Morrison stops by our table andhe's wearing a ɻower in the lapel of his Paul Smith jacket. But hecan't stay long since he has to meet other British friends, Ian andLucy, at Delmonico's. Seconds after he walks away, I hearsomeone sneer, "Nigel. A pâté animal."Someone else: "Did you know that caveman got more ɹberthan we do?""Who's handling the Fisher account?""Screw that. What about the Shepard thing? The Shepardaccount?""Is that David Monrowe? What a burnout.""Oh brother.""For Christ sakes.""... lean and mean ...""What's in it for me?""The Shepard play or the Shepard account?""Rich people with cheap stereos.""No, girls who can hold their liquor.""... total lightweight ...""Need a light? Nice matches.""What's in it for me?""yup yup yup yup yup yup ..."I think it's me who says, "I have to return some videotapes."Someone has already taken out a Minolta cellular phone andcalled for a car, and then, when I'm not really listening, watchinginstead someone who looks remarkably like Marcus Halberstampaying a check, someone asks, simply, not in relation to anything,"Why?" and though I'm very proud that I have cold blood andthat I can keep my nerve and do what I'm supposed to do, I catchsomething, then realize it: Why? and automatically answering,out of the blue, for no reason, just opening my mouth, wordscoming out, summarizing for the idiots: "Well, though I know Ishould have done that instead of not doing it, I'm twenty-sevenfor Christ sakes and this is, uh, how life presents itself in a bar orin a club in New York, maybe anywhere, at the end of the centuryand how people, you know, me, behave, and this is what beingPatrick means to me, I guess, so, well, yup, uh ..." and this isfollowed by a sigh, then a slight shrug and another sigh, andabove one of the doors covered by red velvet drapes in Harry's isa sign and on the sign in letters that match the drapes' color arethe words THIS IS NOT AN EXIT.
AFTERWORD
I am really happy to announce that I finish volume one of businessman series..... It was so much as a challenge of doing 60 chapters.... our basically writing the entire story in 2 months and it was successful and really thankful for you guys for helping me out and was wonderful journey don't worry this week is not over there is still to move volume to have to be published but those will take some time maybe at think around September around I will release it..... It can be the earlier husband but we will see how this post.... Thank you to my Friend/Editor SDK for helping me out....
Thankyou
BHARATH_SHYAM