by J A Fielding
With her increased faith in Bruce, she was able to take some more time for herself. She and Ken managed dinner together several times, finding small quiet romantic cafés for long dinners with candlelight and wine.
The day before the grand opening, Leslie and Ken were in the screening room preparing for the premiere of the film. Each had worked hard to have everything ready on time, and their hard work had paid off.
Ken was pleased to report that everyone was moved in and the shops had all received their first deliveries of merchandise. There had been some issues but that was to be expected in a new building and they had been solved quickly and quietly by the highly competent building staff.
Leslie had created what she considered to be her best piece of work. Along with her crew and Bruce they had something to be proud of. The credit was not hers alone, everyone had worked hard and would be adequately honored in both the credits and at the premier.
“Ready to see your work on the big screen?” Ken asked, as the film was loading into the projection equipment.
“I can’t believe how nervous I am. But I’m ready.”
As if on cue, the opening music began to play and there on the big screen was the story of Paradise Towers. They watched in silence as the film played on the screen. Ken’s vision had come to life under Leslie’s brilliant production. Her voice had been perfect as the narrator, bringing a soft quality to the film.
When it was over, Leslie had tears in her eyes, so thrilled with the final product she wanted to cry. All her hard work had been worth it. With a cry, she threw herself into his arms and sobbed. He held her while she cried, letting all the worry and emotion of the last few months out.
She hadn’t realized how much emotion she had been bottling up. Between her new feelings for Ken, the trip home to see her family, and finishing the documentary her emotions had been on overdrive for weeks. It felt good to let some of it out, and with Ken she knew she could.
Finally able to dry her tears, she looked up and him and said, “I’m sorry, it was just such a relief to see that all our hard work was worth it, and then I just couldn’t hold back the tears.”
“You’ve had a lot going on in your life, sometimes you just need to let go. Men like to hit things and women like to cry. When my mother gets all bottled up she watches sad moves to make herself cry. She’s always better after.”
“I’m one lucky woman, I love you,” Leslie said, then realizing what she had just confessed, sucked in her breath and blushed.
“I wondered how long it would take you to figure that out. I love you too, Leslie. Let’s go home. It’s finally time to celebrate our accomplishments and I have a few idea about just how we can do that,” he said, running his hand up her legs to the juncture of her thighs and rubbing her the way she liked.
The next morning Ken and Leslie were awoken by a sharp knock on the door. They had spent the night at Ken’s house because it was closer to the towers. They had planned to sleep in knowing it would be a late night tonight.
All the preparations for the grand opening were in capable hands, and Ken was taking his own advice and letting his staff handle the details. Struggling awake, Ken grabbed his robe and headed for the door, grumbling under his breath the entire way.
Leslie pulled the covers up over her head, planning to go back to sleep when she heard a woman’s voice. Curious, she crept out of bed and listened at the door.
“Mother, what are you and Father doing here? You didn’t tell me you were coming,” she heard Ken say.
“Well, you didn’t think we would miss the opening of your Paradise Towers, did you? Your father had been wanting to come over and visit for a long time and we decided that now was the time. What are you still doing in bed? It’s your big day, shouldn’t you be running around getting things ready?” his mother asked, frowning.
“Mother, I have plenty of people to do that for me, and they’re happy to do it. I still can’t believe you’re here,” Ken said, panicking because Leslie was in the bedroom and his very proper parents were in his entryway.
“Go get dressed and let’s have some breakfast,. Your father and I haven’t eaten yet. Point me in the direction of the kitchen, you better have some food in this house,” his mother said, grabbing the wheels of his father’s wheelchair, ready to push him to the kitchen.
Realizing that this was the perfect opportunity to get Leslie out of the bedroom, he showed his mother to the kitchen, glad that he’d had groceries delivered yesterday. There was plenty of food to keep his mother occupied for a while.
Stepping into the bedroom, he saw Leslie coming out of the bathroom. She was dressed and looked fresh and ready to go. “I take it your parents have made a surprise visit?” she whispered, putting on her shoes.
“Surprise is an understatement,” he whispered. “Look, I’m really sorry, but...”
“Don’t worry, I certainly don’t want to meet your parents coming out of your bedroom. What’s the plan?”
“Okay, they went into the kitchen to fix breakfast. Since you can’t see the entryway from the kitchen, we’ll just pretend you just came over,” he said, hurriedly getting dressed.
“That works for me.”
He stopped suddenly and said, “I can’t believe I’m sneaking around like a teenager. I’m 43 years old, for heaven’s sake.”
“Ken, the last thing we need is for the first time I meet your parent be a disaster. You and I both know that this is going to be a bit of a shock for them. We can wait to tell them if you want. It doesn’t have to be today,” she said, wanting to keep the day a happy one and afraid of what his parent’s reaction to their relationship might be.
Taking her into his arms, he said, “No way. I have waited a long time to find you and I’m not going to hide you from my parents. They are going to have to adjust to my new future, which includes you.”
Giving him a quick kiss, she grabbed her purse and they slipped out of the bedroom door. Ken made a big show of coming into the kitchen to distract his parents so they wouldn’t hear the door open. Leslie rang the doorbell and Ken brought her to the kitchen as if she’d just arrived.
Sharing a smile, Ken introduced her to his parents. “This is Leslie, she produced the documentary about the towers. I told you about her.”
Leslie saw his mother’s eyes widen a little bit when she saw her, but she recovered quickly and said, “It’s nice to meet you. Ken says you are very good at your job.”
“That’s good to hear,” she said, sensing some coldness in his mother’s voice.
“Breakfast is ready, please sit down. Ken, will you get another place setting? I didn’t know there would be four of us. I hope I made enough food.”
Leslie sat down at the table next to Ken’s father. He had been silent the entire time and continued to be silent. She could feel the weight of his disapproval and had no idea how to fix the situation. She sent Ken a help me look, and he joined them at the table.
She could see that Ken too felt his parents disapproval. He was tapping his foot, a sure sign he was upset. Wisely, Ken kept the conversation limited to his home and family back in China, easily filling the time. When breakfast was over, he finally steered the conversation to the grand opening that evening.
Ken and Leslie would need to be there hours ahead of time to ensure that everything was ready for both the official opening and the screening of the documentary. Leslie would need to go home and change. She had a beautiful dress that she had been saving for just this occasion; she’d found it when she bought her Emmy Awards dress.
She would meet Ken at the towers later than afternoon to be at his side when everything began. There would be press interviews, pictures, and all the usual hoopla. Ken would be giving a personal tour for some of the investors and those who had donated so much of their time. Knowing she would be on her feet for hours, she had talked herself out of her usual four inch heels and settled for two inches.
Ken volunteered to walk Leslie to her car after she made he
r excuses to leave. His parents had seemed relieved to see her go and waved her off with a nice to meet you. Once outside, Ken took her in his arms and held her for a long time.
“I’m sorry about that. I don’t know what to say,” Ken apologized.
“Ken, don’t worry about it. We knew this wasn’t going to be easy. But let’s not spoil today, we’ve worked too hard. Go back in the house and talk to your parents. I have a feeling they have a lot to say to you. I’ll see you at the towers and don’t forget I love you, we’ll work this out, you’ll see.”
“You’re right, I’ll see you later. I love you too.”
When Ken got back up to the apartment, his parents were waiting for him in his living room. His father looked tired, but he knew this conversation was going to have to happen now.
“Son, your father and I are concerned about the choices you are making. It is more than clear to us that you are involved with this Leslie person. How can you even think of associating with someone like her?”
“Mother, I never thought you would be racist, Leslie is a wonderful person. She’s smart and hardworking. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman.” Ken was fed up with his parents trying to run his life.
“She’s not Chinese,” his father said.
“No, she’s not, and she never will be, but she’s important to me. I hope she will be in my life for a long time, and I also hope that you can learn to love her as well,” Ken said, determined to make his point clear.
“Love her? You love her?”
“Yes, Mother, I do. I love her more than I’ve ever loved any woman. We’re perfect for each other.”
“Well, I can see that your mind is made up. Your father and I are staying at a hotel downtown. Please have a driver pick us up and bring us to you at the opening,” his mother said, rising to her feet. “Our driver is waiting downstairs, will you walk us out?”
Ken was at a loss for words. His mother had completely shut the conversation down with those words and he knew that there was no further discussion possible. His father’s silence was definitely not a good sign. He obediently helped them outside to their waiting car and saw them on their way.
Ken had insisted on sending a car for Leslie, he wanted her to arrive in style. He was there to offer her his hand when the car door opened. He paused a moment when he saw her in the strapless black dress.
“You look beautiful,” he said, offering her his arm.
Taking his arm, they walked the length of the red carpet into the front doors of Paradise Towers. Leslie was more nervous for the screening of the documentary than she had been about the Emmy Awards, but knew that what she and her team had created was really good.
Ken looked wonderful in his tuxedo; looking at him made Leslie’s heart skip a beat. If they were alone, she would enjoy taking it off piece by piece. Almost as if he could read her mind, her wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close.
“I should be thinking about the things that could go wrong tonight but instead all I can think about is peeling that dress off you,” he leaned in and whispered.
“I’d say that you’re terrible, but I was thinking the same thing about that tux,” she whispered back. “Now you’ve got me totally frazzled, are you proud of yourself?”
“Very proud, and I’m going to remind you of that later. Come on, we’ve got a show to put on. Are you ready?”
“I’m right by your side,” she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
The next few hours flew by in a flash, there was so much going on and so many people Ken needed to connect with. His tour of the towers was met with enthusiasm, everyone was more than pleased with the final product.
The businesses were all open and doing a brisk business, residents and the public enjoyed a free concert in the atrium, and there was food for everyone. As the time approached for the screening, Leslie began to get excited, the only thing that would take away from the night was the fact that Ken’s parents would be sitting with them.
Chapter 10
As the lights began to dim in the theater, conversation died, leaving silence. The curtain rose, and the opening music began to play. Ken reached over and took Leslie’s small cold hand in his large warm one. He gave her hand a squeeze, and mouthed, “Ready?”
She nodded her head yes, feeling not all that ready after all. She knew that Ken’s mother would be watching and hoped that she would like it. She had poured her heart as well as her love into the film and she hoped that it showed.
Once the film began, all of Leslie’s worries disappeared as her masterpiece played in front of her. She lost herself in the film, enjoying seeing the product of all her hard work. The audience responded just the way she had hoped.
She had tried hard to avoid the typical dry and boring documentary in favor of something far more entertaining. She’d had a wealth of footage as well as some very entertaining interviews at her disposal and she had used every ounce of her skill to create a whimsical look at the creation of the towers.
She looked over her shoulder where her crew had some of the best seats in the house. They all had proud looks on their faces and seemed to be as pleased as she was with the result. She was sad that their time together on this project was finished but would still be working with many of them since she had brought them with her on the project.
Leslie was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn’t notice the effect the film was having on Ken’s parents. She missed their rapt attention and the pride that began to show as the film neared its end.
Ken’s parents had been prepared to hate the film, after all it had been made by Leslie, who was probably a perfectly nice person but she wasn’t Chinese. What could she possibly know about Ken’s hopes and dreams? But as they watched they began to realize that not only did she know a side of Ken they had never seen, but that she did in fact know him.
With a sinking heart, his mother realized that Leslie was in love with Ken. She had hoped that Leslie might just be a passing fancy, one that would disappear once the towers were open and Ken returned to his normal life. But several things had become clear to his mother over the last few hours.
The first was that, Ken’s home was now here in America. He would never return to China as she had hoped. She had known that this was a possibility when they sent him here to school at such a young age, but her husband had insisted and she had given in to his wishes on the issue.
The second was that Ken was just as in love with Leslie as she was with him. She knew that look only too well; she’d once had that look on her face when she’d been young. Thinking back to that time in her life, she realized that had her parents not stood in the way of her being with her one true love, her life would have been much different.
She loved her husband and her children, but she would mourn the loss of the love of her life for the rest of her days. It had been a forbidden love, because of a long standing feud with his family. They had never even been supposed to meet, but a freak rain storm had brought them together and the rest had almost happened on its own. Of course when their parents found out, they had both been sent away. She had spent several long months at an ancient aunt’s house, only returning home to marry.
Thinking of the pain she had suffered, she realized that she was behaving no differently than her parents had. Given the choice between losing her son, because there was no doubt that she might, and learning to accept Leslie, she’d learn to accept Leslie.
Anyone who loved her son as much as this woman obviously did couldn’t be that bad. She would spend some time with her, get to know her, and maybe teach her a little about what it meant to be Chinese. Feeling a renewed sense of purpose, she watched the rest of the film, truly amazed at the quality of the documentary.
The film was a huge success. The audience loved it and cheered wildly when it was over. Leslie was pleased beyond words, more so than if she’d won that Emmy. As they were making their way out of the theater, Leslie was surprised when Ken’s mother gave h
er a hug and thanked her for making the film.
She said nothing more, just followed Ken’s father out of the theater. Ken left Leslie with the crew to accept congratulations and field requests for copies of the film, so he could help his parents to their car. He promised his mother that he would call in the morning, but she knew it would be afternoon before he did so.
He had much to celebrate as did Leslie and they were still young, let them have their fun, she could be patient. She and Leslie needed to have a long talk, it was time she knew what she was getting into. No matter how long Ken lived in America, at heart he was still Chinese and as his mother it would be her responsibility to introduce Leslie to that part of his life.
Ken and Leslie were both exhausted and ready to go home, it had been a long day. Everything had gone perfectly, but Leslie’s feet hurt and Ken was beginning to feel strangled by his tie.
“I think I smiled more today than I have in my entire life. How do celebrities do it?” Leslie asked in the car on the way home.
“It’s exhausting. Let’s go back to your place, I don’t think my mother is going to pay another one of her surprise visits but you never know. I want to make love to you and then sleep for eight straight hours.”
He’d said it so off handedly that Leslie wasn’t sure she had heard him right. “What?”
“I said, I want to make love to you then sleep for eight hours.”
As his words penetrated her tired brain, a shiver of desire ran through her body. “Oh yeah, and do I get a say in this?”
“Well, I suppose I could ask, but that’s not very much fun. Instead let me see if I can convince you in another way,” he said, sliding across the seat and putting his arm around her.
“Have you ever made out in the back seat of a car?” he asked, running a finger across the top of one of her breasts.
“As enticing as that sounds, it’s a little crowded here,” she said, blushing.
With the push of a button, the window between the driver and them slowly went up, cutting them off from the world.