by Lise Gold
“Anything interesting?” Mel asked. She put down a plate of fresh fruit, a bowl of noodles, a green tea cake and a bowl of congee, topped off with deep-fried fish skin. Sophie shot her an amused look, staring at the display of food on the table.
“Well, I’m afraid I wouldn’t know as the newspapers you brought with you are all in Chinese.” She pointed at the congee. “Are you feeling adventurous today?” Mel nodded.
“Of course I’m feeling adventurous. I’ve never been here and I need to try this. All the Chinese people inside are eating it so how can I not?” She lowered her voice. “I’m a sucker when it comes to new foods. I have to put everything in my mouth that I haven’t tried before. You should know this about me.” She took one of the newspapers from Sophie and held it up in front of her. “Even this is fascinating to me. It’s one big mystery, and I’m determined to figure out what the big story of today is.” She laughed. “I don’t care if you think I’m a loser.” Sophie stood up and nudged her.
“I don’t think you’re a loser. But I also don’t think you’ll be able to finish all of that without getting sick. If you managed, I’d seriously question your mortality.”
“Feeling sick yet?” Sophie enquired. Mel shook her head. She didn’t seem the slightest bit affected by her breakfast. They exited the footbridge that spiraled over the motorway and entered a no-traffic zone. The mirrored facades of the modern high-rise buildings reflected the bright morning light and people were seeking shade on wooden benches underneath large trees or drinking coffee on the terrace, lined with red parasols. It was busy, but no one seemed in a hurry.
“What a beautiful day.” Mel sighed. “Oh look at all those cute little cartoons. They’re everywhere.” She pointed at a shop front with an illustration of two bunnies under a rainbow, surrounded by dollar signs. “This looks fun.”
“That’s actually a bank,” Sophie grinned. “But we can go there later if you want. They open at midday.” Mel laughed.
“Okay, so what about that one, the one with the thing that looks like a poo?” The sign above the shop front was questionable, indeed. Sophie had to agree with that. It was a poo-shaped thing with eyes and a big, happy smile. It even had dimples; she noticed as she approached the window.
“Ah, I think I know what this is. But it’s new, so I can’t be too sure. See those chairs there? They look like dentist chairs.” Mel nodded, pressing her face against the window. She covered her forehead with her hands to block out the bright morning light. “Well,” Sophie said, “it kind of looks like a beauty salon, so I guess the poo thing is actually a placenta, which would make this shop a placenta beauty clinic.” Mel looked puzzled.
“What do you mean? Do they make you eat placenta?”
“No,” Sophie laughed. “They use creams and serums made of the placenta. It’s quite big here. Apparently, it regenerates the skin and enhances the release of stem cells, making your skin look younger and smoother.” She turned to Mel. “But I’ve never tried it; it’s quite expensive.”
They passed numerous bakeries and coffee shops until they reached the large square in front of the office entrance, decorated with palm trees and fountains.
As soon as they walked into the office, they were both greeted with tea and welcome hugs from all the staff. Sophie glanced around the industrial L-shaped space with its low ceilings and at least a hundred cubicles lined up in neat rows, running through the names of the employees in her mind. She knew them all, including the receptionist and the cleaner. The polite formalities only lasted for about twenty minutes though. The crowded room seemed even smaller than usual now that the word of Maggie’s leaving had gotten around and her developers wanted to know exactly what was going on. They had so many urgent questions and were hovering around her, trying to get a word in edgewise. Sophie suddenly remembered she was the one in charge now. She got up on a chair and waved her hands for everyone to listen.
“Hi, everyone! It’s so nice to see you all again. I’ve missed you guys, and we’ll take you all out for lunch today. I hope you can all make it. First of all, please let me introduce you to Mel. She's our new designer. Unfortunately, Maggie decided to leave the company, and I’m personally quite upset by that, as I’m sure many of you are too. She sends her love to all of you, and she’s very sorry she wasn’t able to say goodbye.” Sophie paused for a moment to emphasize the sincerity of her words. “Thankfully, we have found a great replacement for her in Mel. It’s her first day at work today so take it easy on her and don't scare her away, okay? Now, let’s set up two offices. One for me and one for Mel. We can use the two meeting rooms next to reception if they’re available. Can we do that?” The floor manager nodded. “Great. We'll gather in fifteen minutes in separate groups. Everyone okay with that?" The staff nodded, relieved that someone was taking charge. Everyone went to work moving chairs, tables, and laptops.
Mel winked at Sophie as they lifted a table together. “Thanks,” she said. “I love you already.”
It was a hectic day. As expected, the lunch took forever. They couldn’t really afford to lose the time but it was a courtesy to the staff, and it was the right thing to do. They had been working hard for the last couple of months to get their samples ready, so Sophie didn’t rush to get the orders out. Gathered around the larger-than-life round table at the dim sum restaurant opposite the office, she noticed how good Mel was with people. They all seemed to love her and laugh at her jokes. She was completely relaxed around them. And most of all, she was incredibly respectful and had clearly looked up the etiquette for Cantonese dining before she came. She knew how to use her chopsticks, she drank her tea, tapped two fingers to thank the server for the refill, turned the table after serving herself, tried all the dishes and was unfalteringly polite. Sophie watched Mel nibbling on a chicken foot. She tore the skin off the bones with her teeth, then swallowed it, promptly followed by a large gulp of tea.
“Not bad,” she laughed, turning the table for her neighbors to get stuck into them. Everyone was clapping and cheering. Sophie smiled at her. She had gone through the challenge of chicken feet twice, but she would never admit that she actually quite liked them from the start, because the staff needed their entertainment. Sophie sometimes wondered if it was some sort of initiation ritual for Westerners arriving in Hong Kong for the first time. Whatever it was, Mel was doing fine. She didn’t need to save her or entertain her or keep her busy in any way. Sophie had checked on her a couple of times that morning during the meetings, but Mel seemed to be comfortable making decisions and quite confident with the product. It left her feeling both reassured and intrigued. Mel was chatty and loud, asking question after question. When they asked her if she had a boyfriend, she answered honestly.
“No I don’t, and I prefer girls.” The ladies next to her giggled and pointed at Suki, the Japanese receptionist. Suki was the bravest of the bunch, and they were poking her, encouraging her to say something. Suki laughed.
“They say Candy from the night shop opposite the office likes girls too. They say maybe you can take her.”
Mel laughed. “Take her, huh?” She shook her head. “I’m quite happy by myself, thank you. But I’m sure Candy is really sweet. I hope she finds a cute girlfriend.” That comment led to even more laughter. Sophie’s eyes met Mel’s for a couple of seconds. They lingered on hers and seemed to challenge her, saying; ‘Hey, I can do this, watch me.’ Another burst of laughter brought her back to the table. Remembering that Debbie wasn’t there, she got up and gave her rehearsed speech, congratulating Ken with his new baby, Apple and Diamond with their recent promotions and Suki with her engagement.
“That was fun,” Mel laughed when they finally left the office. They took a detour and passed restaurants, bars, a basketball court and a park where groups of seniors gathered to perform tai chi. It was nine pm and already dark.
“Fun?” Sophie sauntered behind the crowd of office workers who were making their way to the tube station. “I expected you to be stressed and tired
today. But instead, you seem chilled.”
“Well, I am. Your colleagues are great. Our colleagues. They’re lovely and professional and honest. I'm so happy I came to work here. I am tired though; you were right about that.” Sophie glanced at her and decided to be honest.
“You surprised me,” she said. Mel frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you’re great. You know, with people. You’re good with them. I admire you in that way.” Mel laughed and waved it off with a casual gesture.
“People are just people. My mother always told me ‘treat people the way you want to be treated, and you’ll have nothing to worry about.'”
“I know,” Sophie said. “But still, I wasn’t like this the first time I came here. I felt alien and taken aback by the smallest of things.” Mel laughed.
“If that was the case, you’ve come a long way.” She took her phone out of her bag and started snapping pictures of the buildings and signs that Sophie had passed at least a hundred times before.
It was fun to be with someone who saw everything for the first time, still fascinated by the fountains on the square in front of the office, the tiny night shops, and the food stalls. For Sophie, it was like seeing Hong Kong through new eyes again, appreciating everything that was so different from back home. She waved at the lady in the 7eleven where she always bought her magazines and smiled at a group of busking teenagers. She felt a funny sense of pride and a need to show Mel around, but she was also exhausted. Mel clearly felt the same as she yawned and rolled her shoulders.
“Hey, I don’t know about you, but I feel jet-lagged, and I could do with some food. And as much as I’d like to explore the city, I don’t think my body could handle it tonight.” She gave Sophie an apologetic look. “Shall we get some room service in my room?”
Sophie couldn’t have been more surprised with her joyous reaction. Usually, she would have gone to her own room, happy to be alone. Now, she wanted to spend time with her new colleague. Mel was like a drug, someone who gave her joy and energy. Maggie had been great to travel with, but Sophie was pretty sure she hadn’t felt this before.
“Sure,” she heard herself say. “Sounds great.” They crossed another network of footbridges over the motorway and passed through a shopping mall that housed a mixture of funny beauty clinics and toy stores. The air was warm and humid, promising rain later that night. Sophie broke the silence.
“I feel like pizza and a movie. You?” Mel chuckled.
“Perfect. I love pizza. So what kind of movies do you like?”
“Honestly,” Sophie grinned, “I’ll watch anything, but I really like horror movies, especially Japanese ones.” Mel broke out in hysterical laughter, and Sophie frowned, laughing along with her.
“Why is that so funny? Have you never watched one?” Mel shook her head, trying to catch her breath.
“God, it’s too warm to laugh right now. And no, I’ve never watched a Japanese horror movie. I don’t know why I find it so funny; it just seems really random coming from someone like you. I thought you’d prefer white girl movies like…I don’t know…Notting Hill or something like that.” Sophie pretended to be offended and raised an eyebrow.
“Well, as a matter of fact, I don’t. And I think you should give horror movies a try if you haven’t already. You might like it.” She bounced the question back at Mel. “So what kind of movies do you watch? Wait, let me guess. I bet you binge watch soppy Disney movies and sing along to all the songs. Am I right?” Mel giggled and punched her in the side.
“I do not like Disney movies. I’m actually quite insulted you think that’s my kind of thing. No,” she announced, spreading her arms and spinning around. “I like dance movies.” She ended the spin with two waving jazz hands, and now it was Sophie’s turn to laugh.
“Yeah? You like those? The ‘follow your dreams’ movies? Oh my God Mel, I can’t believe you fall for that crap.”
“It’s not about following your dreams,” Mel protested. “I like dancing myself, so I love to watch other people dance.” Sophie tried to ignore the visuals that were now taking over her headspace of Mel dancing. Stop it. You’re not a teenager anymore. She took a deep breath.
“Okay, I have a proposal. How about you watch a horror movie with me and then I’ll put myself through the torture of watching a dance movie with you? Or the other way around, whatever you want.”
An hour later, they were on Mel’s bed, sharing a giant pizza. A bottle of red wine rested between them. Sophie dimmed the lights and turned up the volume.
“It has to be dark, or you won’t get the full experience needed to appreciate this masterpiece,” she said wide-eyed, scrolling through the pay-per-movie channel, looking for Ringu. Mel didn’t look convinced but went along with it anyway, pouring them both a second glass of wine.
“Bring it on, woman. I’m not scared. Nothing scares me!” Sophie wondered again why she wasn’t in her own bed, enjoying some time alone with a book and a cup of tea. Just the way she liked it. Maybe because I like this more? She watched Mel’s eyes grow bigger by the minute as the movie played, and laughed when she eventually put her pizza aside and slipped under the covers, pulling them up over her nose.
“I don’t think I can take this anymore,” she said with a tiny voice as the spooky video tape scene that had made the movie famous played on screen. She moved closer to Sophie and leaned into her. “Get under the duvet, dude. How am I supposed to cover my face if you’re sitting on it?” Sophie hesitantly moved underneath the covers too, by now very aware of the lack of space between them. She could feel Mel’s body heat radiating beside her, so close. She tried to watch the movie, but her concentration span was broken. She moved away, just a little bit, afraid that Mel could hear her pounding heartbeat over the sound of the movie. She knew this was ridiculous, but it beat so violently, she could feel it in her throat. Mel had changed into a pair of gray sports shorts and a white vest top, and ever since she’d returned from the bathroom, Sophie had not been able to keep her eyes off her.
What is going on with me? Why am I so aware of my own body? And why does this make me so nervous? Sophie was brutally torn away from her train of thoughts when Mel screamed and swung her arms around her waist, burying her face under the sheets against Sophie’s chest. In a reflex, Sophie put her arm around Mel, protecting her from the ghost that was about to crawl out of the T.V. Then she laughed.
“Do you want me to switch it off?” she asked, teasing. “If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think that you were…scared?” Mel stuck her head above the sheets and shot her a grin.
“I’m not scared. I was just cold.” She smiled. “Okay, maybe it creeps me out a little bit. I mean, this movie has ruined me now. If I don’t watch the end, I won’t be able to sleep, and if I do watch the end, I’ll be up all night too.” She sighed and sat back up straight, leaning against the pillows, still covering her face with her hands.
“It’s okay; you can look now, Sophie said when the subtitles came up on the screen. “I’m sorry I put you through this, but I thought you could handle it. Clearly, you couldn’t.” Mel hit her playfully with one of the pillows and Sophie fended her off by throwing her on her back. She held Mel down with both hands until she realized what she was doing. It wasn’t a normal situation between two adults who worked together and had only just met. They both knew that. It wasn’t a normal situation in general. They were technically too old to watch a movie in bed together. Sophie moved away slowly, pretending she needed the bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror, she splashed some cold water on her face and glared back at her flustered reflection.
I need to leave. This wasn’t friendly banter anymore, but it wasn’t flirting either. It was something in the middle, something that balanced on the dangerously thin line that couldn’t be crossed. She wiped her face on the towel and got a faint waft of Mel’s sweet perfume. Without thinking, she buried her face in it, inhaling deeply. I have to go back to my room. Now. But even as s
he thought this, she stayed there for just a little bit longer.
“Are you okay? You look a bit flustered,” Mel asked when Sophie came back from the bathroom. She was lying on her stomach, cupping her chin in the palm of her hand. Her feet were tapping restlessly behind her on the mattress. Sophie rubbed her face.
“I’m okay. Just tired. Think I need some sleep. Can we watch your movie next time? I’m not making up excuses here,” she added, grinning. Standing next to the bed, she looked down at Mel, unconsciously focusing on her lips. Mel nodded.
“Sure. I think I need some sleep too. That is, if I’m not too terrified to close my eyes.” Their laughter suddenly sounded too loud, and strangely artificial as it echoed through the room. Sophie shuffled on the spot, waving clumsily with two hands before she turned to the door.
“Well, goodnight then. See you tomorrow.”
9
By the time they sat down for their meeting in the factory the next day, everything was back to normal. Breakfast had not been uncomfortable, but Sophie had noticed that Mel was more reserved than before. Although she was sweet and polite, there wasn’t the physical interaction they’d had the day before. The little touches, the closeness, the winking. Sophie hadn’t slept very much. She’d been thinking and thinking and then overthinking some more. One minute she’d tried hard not to think about Mel, the other she’d desperately tried to recall every second of their evening. In the end, she had given up, exhausted and confused. Now they were on opposite sides of the table with a pile of garments in between them. It was freezing in the air-conditioned office, and Sophie was shivering, cursing herself for not bringing a jacket. Mel was cold too. She could tell by the goose bumps that covered her arms each time she reached for a garment on Sophie’s side of the pile. Sophie had changed at least five times that morning but not a single time had she thought about layering up. First, it had been jeans and a t-shirt, her standard outfit for a factory visit. It always worked for her before, but this morning it had bothered her. Then she had changed into a skirt with an over the shoulder top, which she quickly disposed of. Too girly. She wanted to wear something cool. Something more casual. In the end, she wore a pair of blue denim jeans, chunky leather sandals, and a black vest top. Mel however, was looking girlier than before with a tiny little ditsy floral ruffle dress. It was cute. Really cute. Not to mention how it showed off her legs each time she walked around the table. Sophie swallowed hard when Mel put her feet up on the chair next to her, leaning back and rolling her shoulders with an arrogant nonchalance. She looked picture perfect sitting there. As if Mel could sense that she was thinking about her, she turned her attention to Sophie while drawing new seams, darts and other notes on a silk blouse.