"That's simple to state if you're coldblooded. My heart's been broken. How else am I s'posed to feel?" KY wails.
"Your heart's not broken, sweetheart. Believe me, you'd know if it were. Put your energy into getting angry."
"And what's that gonna do?"
"It'll make you feel better." He flicks his smoke and grinds it out with the heel of his handmade Italian shoe, then walks back to the KASH MANCHESTER.
While he's walking, he passes by TENZ JER'SEY's orange Lamborghini, and KY hears the awful jagged screech of metal on metal like fingernails on a chalkboard. And KY knows that he's just keyed TENZ JER'SEY's new car.
There's something in it that makes him appear almost human instead of a person who's cold and unreachable.
KY's mouth corners curve up.
And, for a moment, KY lets a smile replace the pain in KY's broken heart.
ISAAC sits down with VINCENT DANZA in the back office at MANCHESTER LED a week later.
The IRS are all over the KASH MANCHESTER," VINCENT DANZA grits out. "They're looking for any discrepancy to nail us on. I need you to help me make sure everything's squared away and loose ends are tied up."
ISAAC nods. "If the IRS find anything at the KASH MANCHESTER, then they'll have grounds for getting warrants to search other KASH MANCHESTER businesses. And that would be an absolute disaster.
The KASH MANCHESTER is the only one of its kind in downtown New York, and it's a hugely important part of our business. Casinos are prohibited here by state law, but VINCENT DANZA's a bloody genius and was able to have a Native American tribe claim a downtown lot as part of their tribal territory. Now he runs the KASH MANCHESTER here in partnership with them, and it's a win-win situation for all parties involved. But if the IRS gets a whiff of anything amiss, that would torpedo the whole operation.
They start to work out a plan of what has to be done.
ISAAC walks into the main room of the KASH MANCHESTER which is its typical lively self. ISAAC's mind goes back to the evening of TENZ JER'SEY's wedding and to what happened to KYOLINE DIEGO.
ISAAC shakes ISAAC's head. Why is ISAAC pondering this, and why does ISAAC even care?
ISAAC does not have an answer to that question, and that makes ISAAC even angrier. But no one deserves to be treated like she was. That is the sum of ISAAC's interest. ISAAC is not interested in her. Guys like ISAAC do not get to feel that way.
ISAAC sighs deeply. ISAAC hates being in this city. And ISAAC could really use some caffeine to get ISAAC's mind off of it. Praise the Lord that they have coffee at the KASH MANCHESTER. Making my way to the bar section, it's impossible not to spot KYOLINE DIEGO. For not only is she glowing like a light with her radiant smile and her glittery, gold dress—no doubt another theft from some poor, unsuspecting boutique owner—but she also has some sleazy guy hitting on her. As the man turns profile to the side, ISAAC recognizes him as VINCENT DANZA's captain, Domenico. KYOLINE DIEGO is giggling at something she's just been told.
For some reason, ISAAC gets a sick feeling that rocks ISAAC for a moment. What is he doing talking to her? ISAAC takes a seat in a chair facing the bar.
KYOLINE DIEGO's eyes widen slightly as she sees ISAAC. ISAAC guesses she was not expecting to see ISAAC again. "I'll be right back," she says to Domenico. "What would you like to drink?" She smiles professionally at ISAAC.
And for a reason ISAAC cannot quite identify, ISAAC would rather she were out of Domenico's grasp for more than a few seconds. "I'll have a grande caramel macchiato in a venti cup, half whole milk, one quarter almond milk, one quarter non-fat extra hot, quad shots, one and a half decaf and two and a half regular, caramel wall in the cup, with whip, no caramel drizzle on top, two packets of Splenda, one sugar in the raw, two dashes of vanilla syrup, and three short sprinkles of cinnamon. Please." ISAAC gives her a smug grin. ISAAC's order should keep her busy for a good ten minutes. But when the corners of her mouth sink ever so slightly, ISAAC finds ISAAC'sself involuntarily regretting ISAAC's order. And ISAAC doesn't know why. Not until ISAAC realizes it's because… ISAAC'd rather she were smiling. When ISAAC saw her smile a while back, it made her glow and one-of-a-kind, and it did something to ISAAC…
TENZ JER'SEY arrives at this moment, in a bad temper by the looks of how he's glaring at his suit. "Can I get my usual coffee?" TENZ JER'SEY yells to KYOLINE DIEGO, interrupting her as she's getting ISAAC's order.
"You don't look like a man in the first throes of love," ISAAC says as ISAAC watches him sniffing at the sleeve of his jacket.
"CAT M'NOO is always complaining that I smell of fish," he complains as he sniffs at his arm once more.
KYOLINE DIEGO puts a cup of filter coffee in front of him but otherwise pretends he doesn't exist, and he goes to the back office, still holding his nose against his shoulder as if he's trying to locate the source of the smell.
KYOLINE DIEGO gets back to making ISAAC's coffee.
"ISAAC," says Domenico by way of hello.