by Alexia Praks
A few hours later, once they’d finished with their meals and were now just chatting about men, Soriya brought up the name Jeremy White again. She was very persistent where her sister’s love life was concerned.
“What is this?” Nikki cocked her head to one side, giving Chan a look. “You went out on a date and didn’t tell us. You never go out on dates.”
“Just one. Just last week,” Chan said in defense. “And there was nothing really to tell.”
“But we can totally tell,” Dara said, “that he’s really into you.”
“Agree with that one,” Soriya said. “He is so going to ask you out again. I can feel it in my belly.”
The girls laughed at her comment.
“Your belly, huh?” Isabella asked, cocking her head to one side.
Just then, Chan’s phone rang loudly. She glanced at it and frowned because, apart from her sisters and friends who were currently surrounding her, no one had her new number yet.
Soriya leaned over to look at the name on the screen and said, “Holy shit! Speaking of the devil.”
“Oh my God! It’s Jeremy. Pick it up. Pick it up,” Dara demanded.
Nikki got excited and tapped on the table. “Talk to him, Chan.”
Chan was too shocked to register what was going on. At first, she’d thought either Dave or Amie had found out about her new phone number and was now calling her. But once she realized it was Jeremy, she sighed in relief.
She took a deep breath and said into the phone, “Hey.”
Dara, Soriya, and Nikki leaned in, trying to listen. When Isa frowned and slapped at Nikki’s arm to mind her own business, the three girls reluctantly gave Chan some space. Georgie and Alex looked at each other and laughed. Ruby shook her head.
On the other end of the line, Jeremy said, “Chan? Hi, what are you doing now?”
“I’m out with my friends,” Chan said.
“Sounds like fun.”
Chan looked up at her friends. Alex, Ruby, Georgie, and Isa were talking about Andy now. Nikkita, Dara, and Soriya were still watching her.
“Yeah, they’re great.”
She heard Jeremy clearing his throat and then pause. “So anyway, I was just wondering.”
“Yes, Jeremy?”
“I was wondering if you would like to come out with me again this Sunday.”
“You mean tomorrow?”
“Yeah, tomorrow, for dinner at The Twilight.”
“The Twilight?” Chan asked. “The Twilight Restaurant?”
At the mention of this fancy eatery, the girls looked at one another, excited.
“Yeah. Are you keen?”
“Jeremy? Is it all right if I call you back?”
A long pause and then, “Sure.”
“Okay, bye then,” Chan said and hung up.
“What was that?” Nikki asked. “You say yes the moment a guy asks you out. Unless, of course, if the guy happens to be a dick.”
“I don’t know, but I told him I’ll call him later,” Chan said.
“Are you playing hard to get?” Isabella asked.
“Chan doesn’t have time to play hard to get,” Soriya said. “The guy is perfect. He’s rich and hot. I’ve met him.”
“Oh-la-la, Chan darling, he sounds like a catch,” Ruby said, winking.
“Come on, guys,” Chan said. “Can we change the subject now?”
“The subject, darling,” Nikki said adamantly, “isn’t going to change until—Holy Shit!” She swore loudly and then disappeared under the table.
The girls blinked in surprised, wondering what Nikki was doing.
“Nikki?” Alex laughed. “What the hell are you doing?”
Nikki whispered, “The door!”
The girls looked at one another, expecting the other to kindly tell them what was going on. When no one seemed to know what Nikki was on about, they all turned to look at the door. There they stared, awestruck. Because standing there at the entrance of the restaurant was a hunky Asian. He was tall with bronze skin and jet-black hair, with a body and face to die for. He was gorgeous!
“Oh my God. That guy is like an Asian god,” Dara said.
“Nikki,” Chan asked, “Why are you hiding?”
“He’s Ethan Taylor, my asshole boss,” Nikki whispered. “If he knows I’m here, I’m screwed.”
Georgie said, “Your asshole boss Ethan Taylor is super hot, Nikki. You fall for all the hot dudes. Why not this one?”
Isabella chuckled enthusiastically. “I think it’s just like Ruby said. It’s fate they somehow have to encounter one another again here and now.”
Ruby commented, “I can’t wait until he sees her.”
Nikki was pissed. “Oi! Whose side are you on? I’m your friend here and need help pronto.”
“All right, Nikki. I’ll call out to him for you. Just hold on to your pants,” Ruby said jokingly.
Nikki glared, and Chan asked, “So you’re telling us you sneaked out of work without telling him?”
“Yes,” Nikki said. “I asked like a week ago for a day off. The bastard wouldn’t let me. So what was I supposed to do? It’s our first reunion in years. Besides, it’s also Chan’s belated birthday dinner party. I’d do anything to be here. I haven’t seen you for ages. I’ve missed you so much, and that bastard is not going to stop me from coming to your party.”
She took another peek and saw the hot Asian was coming in. “Shit!” She ducked below the table again.
Ethan Taylor met with his friends a few tables down, and Nikkita cursed. “I want to die, like right now,” she said in frustration.
The girls laughed. They found her precarious situation amusing.
“How about we continue this reunion somewhere else?” Alex suggested. “What about the bar at the hotel.”
“Yes,” Soriya said. “Let’s go.”
The girls were just getting off their seats to go and pay when Nikki grabbed Chan’s arm and said, “Please, shield me.”
Chan smiled. “All right. Just walk behind me and make sure he doesn’t see your pretty face and sexy body, because you know he might just change his mind once he sees how delicious you look right now.”
Nikki raised a brow. “Change his mind about what?”
Chan chuckled. “From being a bastard boss to a nice boss, because you are kickass sexy.”
Nikki snorted in disgust. “Like that will ever happen.” She proceeded to hide behind Chan.
Isabella shook her head in amusement, and Alex said, “I’ll pay for you.”
Chan gave Dara her credit card and said, “Here, go and pay while I hide Nikki unsuccessfully from her boss.”
“Huh?” Nikki looked more than a little startled at the teasing.
Alex chimed in. “Don’t worry. I got it. Dinner is on me.” That said, she headed off to the counter to pay for everyone. A chorus of thank yous from her friends followed.
Nikki pulled Dara’s arm to cover her on the other side as they headed toward the door.
“Feeling safe now?” Isa asked, laughing. “That’s what you get when you lie.”
“Shut up, Isa,” Nikki whispered.
They managed to get out of the restaurant without Ethan noticing Nikkita, and she sighed in relief. As they were strolling along the streets toward the hotel, they were chatting and laughing at the silly situation Nikkita was in, which of course, she didn’t appreciate.
Soriya was, as usual, being her baby self and came to hook her arm around Chan’s. “Chan, can I have one of your scented candles Nikki gave you?”
Chan laughed. “No, you may not.”
“But why not?” She looked pleadingly at Chan with a puppy dog face. “Please?” She rested her head on her sister’s shoulder.
Chan laughed. “All right.”
“You’re spoiling her,” Dara said.
Soriya poked out her tongue at her sister.
“I can’t believe that was your boss, Nikki,” Ruby said. “I would have thought you’d be all over him, being you.”
Actually, Nikki thought, Ruby’s right.
She had been all over him, what with him being such a hunk and all, and most importantly, an Asian. It was her dream to date and wed an Asian hunk. But then the damn man had to go and mistake her for her half-brother Nick and told her he’d take her under his wings, because for him, she was like a brother he never had. Yes, she might behave like a boy most of the time, and yes, she might dressed and looked like a boy most of the time, but that didn’t mean she wanted to be treated as one where he was concerned.
Nikki was so pissed by his misunderstanding and his kind manner toward her that she started resenting him and disobeying his every order. Besides, she was also pissed with her dad, who’d never given a shit about her or her dead mom. And now? He suddenly worried about her bleak future?
Furthermore, she’d found out it was all Kelly’s idea, cunningly persuading her dad it was a good idea for Nikki to learn the ropes of managing a farm and all that shit, since she was a tomboy and farm work suited her best. Like she’d ever want a farm, for God’s sake.
“Well, at least I’m safe now,” Nikki said, nodding her head. But it wasn’t long, because a few moments later, they saw Ethan again, with those guys from the restaurant.
Nikki wanted to die. “Shield me!” she demanded, hiding herself amongst her friends.
Once they safely got into The Harrington, Nikki sighed in relief, and Chan couldn’t help but laughed out loudly.
They headed across the lobby while they all chatted about Nikki’s misadventure. When they reached the other side of the massive, grand hotel, Nikki grabbed Chan by the arm and said, “I need to pee.”
“Oh, okay,” Chan said. “We’ll see you guys there,” she called out to her sisters and friends.
The girls nodded and headed off toward the restaurant and bar. Chan and Nikki headed in the opposite direction across the corridor, toward the bathroom for guests.
Once inside and alone, Nikki said, “Okay. Make that call.”
“What?” Chan was confused. “I thought you needed to pee?”
Nikki laughed. “Of course not.”
It was then they heard a very frustrated, angry growl echoing within the space. Chan and Nikki looked at each other, not knowing what to think.
Nikki made a face to ask Chan if the woman was okay or something. Chan shrugged to tell Nikki she didn’t know.
They were about to return to their conversation when the woman came out of one of the cubicles, and Chan gasped in shocked surprise. It was the woman she’d seen with Lilly and her father last Sunday at StarFish Café, the woman she assumed was Lilly’s mother.
She was now strolling elegantly toward the basins. She appeared pissed and grumpy, though she still looked as beautiful as ever with her hair all curled up into the classic style of the twenties, her face made-up beautifully, and her cocktail dress… God, it was to die for. A perfect rich blue with simmering gold and silver about the waist and bust. Her heels looked like they cost an arm and a leg.
Nikki cocked her head to one side and asked the woman, “Err… is everything okay there?”
Nina Pearson jumped at the sudden inquiry and turned to glare at the girls.
“We heard noises,” Nikki said. “Are you okay?”
Chan noticed the woman looked like she had trouble trying to control her emotions and her facial expression. Mostly, those emotions were anger and frustration.
“I’m fine,” she snapped. Then she returned her attention to washing her hands, dismissing Chan and Nikki completely.
Nikki turned to give Chan a weird look, while the woman continued to mutter under her breath.
“What a stupid night. So fucking boring. All they talk about is business. Shit! Shit! Shit! He hasn’t even looked at me once tonight. What the fuck is wrong with him? I went to all that trouble to look this good and what? He doesn’t even notice? What a waste of my time. What a fucking waste!”
“Hey,” Nikki whispered to Chan. “What do you think she’s talking about?”
Chan didn’t know and shrugged.
“Probably a guy,” Nikki said and snickered.
At that, Chan’s mind wandered toward Lilly’s dad. If this woman was here, did that mean Lilly’s dad was here, too?
Her heart skipped a beat and then began to race. What was the chance of them meeting here? Probably zero, of course, and she definitely hoped they weren’t going to meet tonight, or ever again for that matter. It was hard enough trying to forget about him with just that one incidental meeting. And she hadn’t even seen his face properly at all. That was, of course, insane indeed. How could she be falling in love with a guy she hadn’t seen properly?
Nina was finally done and then stalked out of the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.
Nikki pulled a face. “Wow! What was all that about.”
Chan didn’t want to think about it and was about to leave as well when Nikki held her back.
“Call him,” she said. “Call Jeremy. Your date. You’re waiting to get time alone to call him, aren’t you?”
Chan just laughed at that statement. Nikki wasn’t giving it up, was she? She sighed and said, “I can call him when we get home.”
“Oh my God. I can’t believe you’re going to make him wait.”
“It’s not that,” Chan said, staring at the bunch of white roses in a vase on the bench-top near the basins.
Nikki raised her brows, and when she saw the painful expression on Chan’s face, she understood.
“Shit. I’m so sorry, Chan. I guess I was just so glad you and your sisters got out of all that mess with that bastard Dave and your ex-stepmother and everything, I didn’t think. I mean, you’re the one who is most affected.”
“You know, I’m trying very hard to move on. I think I did forget about him. But lately, he’s back.”
“What do you mean?”
Chan suddenly felt tears in her eyes. “He’s been sending me threatening messages. I mean, I’ve changed my phone number and email address and everything. But it just kind of freaked me out, you know?”
“Bastard!” Nikki said and gave Chan a tight hug. “You know what, darling? It’s over. He’s not going to find you. And if he does? So what? Call the police. That’s what you need to do.”
“I have, back in New Zealand before we moved here,” Chan said.
“Good for you,” Nikki said. “And you know, if dating this Jeremy is too early for you, then don’t.”
“Actually, Nikki, I’ve already decided Jeremy is really nice and I should give him a go.”
Yes, she needed to move on. She needed to give life a go and live freely—live life the way she wanted, the way that pleased her, not other people.
Nikki laughed. “Then give him a call.”
“I thought I’d just wait until I get home.”
“You can’t let him wait too long, my love. And of course, I just figured out you can’t call now because you’re upset. Here, give me the phone.”
Nikki took the phone from Chan and started texting. A moment later, she said, “There, done.”
Chan looked at the screen and saw Nikki had sent Jeremy a text message.
Dinner sounds great. See you tomorrow, then.
Chan laughed. Nikki was still Nikki. She’d never change.
“Right. You, darling, need to make yourself look gorgeous, and I’m really going to pee now. The girls are waiting for us.”
“Me? Gorgeous?” Chan remarked, chuckling.
As Nikki headed toward one of the cubicles, she turned her attention to the mirror. Sure enough, she looked a little disheveled. She sighed, grabbed a Kleenex from the bench, and began to tidy herself up.
* * * * *
CHAPTER 20