by Tia Wylder
“Hello?”
“Tanya, is Zhang with you?” Anderson asked.
“Yes, are you ready for him?”
“I am, send him up. By the way, does he seem angry with me?”
I looked over at Zhang who stood calmly waiting for me to finish my call.
“No, everything’s fine. I’ll let him know you’re ready.”
I hung up the phone and placed it back into my pocket.
“Anderson will see you now. It was a pleasure Zhang; I hope you are satisfied with our new servers.”
He nodded. “The security on them could be better, but otherwise I was happy with the performance I saw. Listen, before you go, I was wondering if perhaps I could repay you for your hospitality? I can book us a table at Le Bernadin? They have an excellent seafood menu.”
Once again he took me off guard with his confidence.
“Wow, that’s very generous of you, but I don’t know what I would wear. The pay here doesn’t leave much room for fancy dresses,” I said.
Zhang nodded. “Of course, I’ll have my tailor deliver something. Type in your address here. I’ll pick you up at seven?”
He handed me his phone to enter my address.
“I haven’t said yes,” I said.
“No, but you will, won’t you?”
He was good.
I typed my address into his phone and handed it back to him.
“Excellent, I’ll see you at seven.”
He walked away without another word and I was left with butterflies furiously crowding my stomach. A few hours ago I was going to quit my job and dive head-first into the world of the unemployed. Now I was going to have dinner with one of the most powerful businessmen in the world.
It’s amazing how things can change in a moment.
Chapter Three
I expected a fancy car, but not a limousine, or a chauffeur for that matter. I should have expected both when I saw the dress he sent me. A young Asian man, probably in his early twenties, showed up at my door shortly after I had gotten home from work. He was dressed in a suit and tie, something you didn’t see often in the neighborhood I lived in.
He introduced himself as Phiet and informed me that he was Mr. Wu’s personal driver. He asked if I was Tanya Bates and I told him I was. That’s when he handed me a white cardboard box and told me he would return to pick me up at seven for my engagement with Mr. Wu. It was all very formal. I took the box to my room; a short journey across my tiny apartment. I pulled the top off and almost fainted at the sight of the dress within. It was soft as silk, with black straps and a flowing purple interior. It shimmered in the orange sunlight coming through the window. I picked it up by the hanger and draped it over me as I turned and looked in the mirror.
The shimmering purple paired perfectly with my caramel colored skin. I always loved purple, I felt like it made the emerald in my eyes stand out. However, it had been so long since I could afford to wear something this beautiful, let alone enjoy myself.
I undressed and took a hot shower. The steaming water relaxed the tense muscles in my back. As I lathered myself with soap, I closed my eyes and thought of Zhang. I remember the way it felt when he spoke to me. He was so confident; his presence was both overwhelming and consuming. Being away from him, all I could think about was when I would see him again. He was infectious.
Perhaps it was the mystery about him, or maybe I was just a woman who appreciated a man that exudes that kind of assuredness without coming across as arrogant. I climbed out of the shower and toweled off. After applying a thin layer of lotion to my taut and dry skin, I finally put on the dress Zhang had sent.
Standing in the mirror I felt tears welling up behind my eyes. I was a slender and sleek woman, but it had been so long since I felt beautiful. Until that moment, I was just someone the world had chewed up and spit out. Seeing myself in the mirror, watching the way the dress fell over the curvature of my breasts and how it hugged my backside and hips, I felt more than beautiful: I felt gorgeous.
I paired light makeup with mascara and a deep crimson lipstick that helped my thick lips stand out from the rest of my face. I felt incredible, like I could take on the world.
Then the doorbell rang, and I felt my heart stop.
This is it, don’t mess it up!
Great internal advice as always. I put the finishing touches on my makeup and made my way to the front door. My shaking hands fumbled with the lock until I finally got it open. Phiet stood in the doorway with a blank expression on his face.
“Are you ready, Ms. Bates?” he asked.
“I believe so, how do I look?”
His eyes quickly scanned my dress.
“You look wonderful Ma’am, very beautiful.”
“Oh, you’re too kind, Phiet. Lead the way,” I said.
I locked the door behind me and followed Phiet out onto the busy city streets. It was a humid night. The crescent moon’s light was drowned out by the artificial light from the street lamps that lined the road. A stretch limousine sat idling in front of me. It was more extravagant than I expected. Phiet stepped forward and opened the back door for me. I climbed inside and sat down on the leather seat within.
Zhang sat to my left with a beaming smile on his face. I felt his eyes wander from my head to my toes and back up again.
“Incredible. You look stunning, Tanya,” he said.
“I can’t thank you enough for this dress, it’s gorgeous.”
Zhang nodded. “It was made for you, I can see that now. My tailor is very talented.”
He turned and plucked a bottle of champagne from a bucket of ice. He poured it into two glasses situated beside the bucket and handed me one.
“Thank you,” I said.
“So, Tanya, tell me more about yourself. A woman of your intelligence and beauty shouldn’t be working as a secretary,” Zhang said.
I felt myself blushing and took another large sip of the champagne. The bubbly liquid sloshed down my throat as I tried to formulate an answer.
“I couldn’t agree with you more, but without a degree I can’t do much in this city, or any city for that matter.”
Zhang took a sip of his champagne.
“I don’t know about that, I made it where I am today without any formal education. Sometimes you’re born with the skills you need,” he said.
“Well, be that as it may, I don’t know of any skills I was born with that could help me become the C.E.O of a massive corporation,” I said, taking another swig from my champagne.
“I think you’re not giving yourself enough credit, Tanya. I believe you have the skills to be as successful as you want to be, you just need the right opportunity placed before you,” Zhang said.
I almost choked on my champagne. Was he offering me a job?
“Really? And what opportunity would that be?” I asked.
Zhang finished his champagne and set the glass back into the receptacle beside the ice bucket.
“I don’t like to talk business before dinner. We’ll discuss your future after we’ve eaten. Phiet, how much longer?”
“Less than three minutes, sir.”
Zhang sat back into the leather seating and smiled.
“Very good.”
Zhang was calm as could be, but my head was swimming with thoughts about what he was going to say after dinner. I had to concentrate on the moment, but the anticipation was killing me.
I turned my thoughts to dinner and started to think about what I would order. I wasn’t much of a seafood person, but tonight I would be.
Chapter Four
Dinner went well. I found Tanya to be unique and rather enjoyable company compared to most women I came across. In those cases, all they cared about was the money I could offer them. They were blinded by it, but Tanya seemed to care about something more. She was grateful for even the smallest of gestures, to a point where she was far more genuine than I thought possible.
Her assistance earlier in the day was invaluable. I needed a way into
that server room, and she blazed a trail for me. Even when it seemed that the illusion would shatter, she deftly handled the situation. Were it not for her, I would most certainly have been caught. As technology marches onward, my trade becomes more and more obsolete. I am being replaced by computer programs and hackers who do my work from the comfort of their home.
If I was to continue, and at this point I had no other choice, I would need her assistance. As we were seated at the restaurant, I thought about how I would broach the subject after dinner. I had to be delicate so as not to scare her off, but I also needed it to be worth her while. Perhaps it was just me, but I felt a chemistry brewing between us. There was a connection there, one that I could use to convince her.
I couldn’t help but notice the way the dress she was wearing complimented her body. I was a man of exquisite taste. An abundance of wealth seemed to do that to a person. I was extremely discerning when it came to women, and most often our revels were not fueled by something as poetic as love. No, typically my women were only interested in the luxuries that my lifestyle could afford, and the physical ecstasy that came with it.
Passion, true passion, was an emotion foreign to me. Could Tanya perhaps be the one to show me what it was like?
You of all people should know not to mix business and pleasure. The two could co-exist, but they had to be mutually exclusive. When you let your feelings bleed into your work, you start making bad decisions.
We ordered drinks and food. I decided on the stuffed lobster tail. Tanya was unsure of what to order. I recommended the bacon-wrapped scallops, to which she agreed. All was going well, but I could tell she was nervous. Normally that wouldn’t bother me, but I knew how valuable she was. I had to make her feel more comfortable.
“I want to thank you for earlier. You didn’t have to cover for me while I was in the server room, but your assistance made my job a lot easier,” I said.
Tanya took a sip of her wine. “Of course. I just figured that people should respect you. Obviously you wouldn’t be stealing information, that’s just ridiculous.”
“Right, of course.”
I took a large swig of the wine from my glass. I couldn’t remember the last time a woman made me nervous, but Tanya seemed to cut right through my resolve despite her hesitations.
“So, how long are you in town for?” she asked.
“Until tomorrow, I have a flight that leaves in the afternoon.”
Tanya seemed offended by my answer. She averted her gaze for a moment and I saw her lips tighten.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“I’m just trying to figure out what the angle is here. You invited me to dinner, bought me a fancy dress, and mentioned something about an opportunity, but you’re leaving tomorrow?”
“I just wanted to thank you for your help earlier,” I said.
Tanya shot me a gaze that tore through my white lie.
“We both know it’s more than that.”
“Yes, I suppose it is. I wanted to wait until after dinner before we discuss business,” I said.
“I think we would both enjoy our food a bit more if you just told me what’s going on now.”
I nodded. “Very well, I can’t argue with your logic. The truth, Tanya, is that I was stealing files from those servers.”
She sat up straight and leaned back into her chair.
“You’re kidding, right? That’s illegal!”
I placed my hand over hers across the table. She didn’t pull back, so I still had a chance.
“Please, keep your voice down. I’m fully aware of my actions, but I also think it should be illegal for them to pay you as little as they do and treat you like dirt. Wouldn’t you agree?” I asked.
Tanya shook her head. “Those are two very different things.”
“Are they? Businesses ruin the lives of people like you. Meanwhile, they cash their massive checks and remain unpunished? It’s time we leveled the playing field, don’t you think?”
Tanya seemed to be curious, I had her attention now.
“So what exactly is it that you do Zhang?”
“I can’t tell you here, it’s not safe. What I can tell you is that I need your help,” I said.
“You want me to help you do something illegal?” she asked.
“Don’t look at it that way. I’m onto something big Tanya, and with your help I may just be able to achieve it. I assure you, every need or desire you have will be taken care of. You won’t have to live like this ever again. You don’t need to answer me now,” I said.
The waiter arrived and placed the dishes in front of us. Tanya seemed to be in shock. I couldn’t read her or predict what she would do next.
“Listen, Zhang, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but I don’t know how to take all of this.”
“I understand, I only ask that you take some time to think it over,” I said.
Tanya cut into one of the scallops on her plate and took a bite. I hesitantly took a bite of my stuffed lobster tail. Normally I would relish in the flavors, but in that moment I was only focused on Tanya, on what she would say or do next.
“Perhaps we can talk about something else?”
Tanya nodded, but she didn’t say a word.
“Do you have any family here? A brother or sister? Perhaps parents?”
Tanya shook her head. “No siblings. My mother and I don’t speak; I haven’t heard from or seen her in almost ten years.”
“What about your father?”
“Never met him.”
I finished my glass of wine and took a large bite of the dish in front of me. Sweat was pooling on my forehead. I could tell she was conflicted and her stress was bleeding over to me. I wasn’t incapable of empathy, but I never saw the need for it until now. Why was she affecting me like this?
“What about you? Anyone else in on this game of yours?” she asked.
“No, it’s just me. I’ve never trusted anyone enough to let them in,” I said.
She softened a bit; perhaps more of my story would give her the context she needed.
“I was born in Hong Kong, but I never met my parents. I grew up an orphan,” I said.
Tanya paused for a moment and took a sip of her wine. She looked up at me and our eyes met. Curiosity was taking hold; I could see it reflected in her gaze.
“How does one get into your line of work, Zhang?” she asked.
“Well, let’s just say it’s not something I applied for. The type of work I do is something you fall into. The wrong place at the wrong time as it were. I’m just trying to make the best of the situation,” I said.
We finished our meals and another two glasses of wine between the two of us. The drinks seemed to soften Tanya’s sharp edges. She was less reserved and more reasonable.
“Did you leave room for dessert?” I asked.
“No. I’d like to go home now if that’s alright with you.”
“Of course, just let me get the check.”
I waved the waiter over and paid for the food. I wanted to ask her for an answer, but I didn’t.
Not yet.
Chapter Five
On the ride back to my apartment, Zhang closed the border between the driver’s cabin and the rest of the limousine. It was time to talk business, but I didn’t know where to begin. At the beginning of our date I thought I was being wined and dined by one of the most successful businessmen in the world, but now I felt like I was sitting in the car with a criminal.
“Tanya, before we arrive, I’d like the chance to explain,” Zhang said.
“By my guess, in this traffic, we’ve got about five minutes. Shoot.”
“The only simple way to put this is that I’m a double agent. I was taken in by the Chinese government when I was a kid after hacking and stealing secure files from their servers from a library computer. They put me to work as an agent of corporate espionage. Trade secrets, insider trading, you name it. I made money, for myself, and for them. They gave me my own shadow corpora
tion to run so I wouldn’t get caught, but I got sloppy. The CIA caught me in a lie and threatened to lock me up and throw away the key. I took immunity, and in return they had me start feeding them everything I sent to the Chinese. Pretty soon I started putting the pieces together, and that’s when I realized what they’re both planning.”
It was a lot to take in, too much really.
“So, what’s the big plan?”
“Economic collapse. The U.S. doesn’t want to pay their loans to China, and China is tired of waiting. They both want to pull the rug out from the other. What they don’t realize is how it will destabilize the economy. Worse, there’s something going on in the shadows, something they either don’t know about or, something they’ve chosen to ignore. The information both sides want is enough to destroy the financial future of everyone in the middle class. However, this other party, this shadow government, is poised to take it one step further if America or China have their way. They will step in and do something, I don’t know what, but I know they want to collapse the entire world economy. They want it all to burn. I can’t let that happen, so I’ve stolen the documents myself,” Zhang said.
So that’s the illegal part.
“You stole them? Where are they?” I asked.
“I can’t tell you, it’s too dangerous. If you decide to help me, though, I can steal the last piece and prevent all of this from happening. After this is done, I’m cashing out. If you come with me, you’ll spend the rest of your days living in paradise. One last job, what do you say?”
He was either absolutely right or entirely delusional. Either way, he was offering me something that would take me away from all of this. How could I say no to that?
It’s dangerous, but you feel something for him.
It’s true, Zhang had an allure that I couldn’t deny. Even so, I wasn’t cut out for corporate espionage.
“I don’t know Zhang, I want to help, but I just don’t think I’m cut out for all of this,” I said.
I could see his heart sink, and I felt terrible. I didn’t know what else to say.