It’s dangerous. You could be killed one day.”
“Come on, sis, you’d probably be glad to get rid of me.”
I wink at her, but she responds with a scowl.
“Don’t joke about things like that, Elle. I’m worried about you. Promise me you’ll be careful, okay? Don’t go too fast.”
“Uh-huh.” I sit down, hiding my grin behind the menu that I’ve snatched off the table.
The waitress appears, and Rose asks me, “So, are we having the usual?”
I nod, and she rattles off our favorite dishes—laksa, Hainanese chicken rice, and beef satay—while I take a few sips of water. I look at my sister’s immaculate white blouse, which is buttoned up to the top. She’s actually very pretty, with her big eyes and delicate features that she hides behind glasses, and her slim but shapely body that she likes to cover up. Even though she is the complete opposite of me, both in appearance as in attitude, she’s always there when I need her.
“I almost forgot.” I pick up my backpack and pull out a plastic bag with the clothes I borrowed from her. “Thanks for this.”
“You’re welcome. So, how did it go?”
“It went really well. We managed to shoot a video of the CEO of the Bank of the USA while he was having breakfast.”
She scrunches up her nose. “Poor man. Was it just you or did one of your friends help you?”
“There were three of us.”
“What? That’s a bit unfair, don’t you think, three against one? When all he’s trying to do is enjoy his breakfast in peace.”
“He wasn’t by himself. He was having a meeting with his fund manager, this De Luca guy, undoubtedly to discuss how to make even more.”
Damn, I didn’t mean to mention his name. But it’s unlikely Rose has ever heard of him.
Wrinkling her forehead, she looks up to the ceiling. “De Luca, did you say? It wouldn’t be that fund manager billionaire, would it?”
“How would you know? We could hardly find any intel on him on the net.”
“Remember Alice Ho? My friend who got a perfect score on her SATs?”
Of course I know her—Rose always goes on about her straight-A genius friend who won full scholarships to three Ivy League schools.
“Yeah?”
“Well, she was an intern with his company. I still remember because she couldn’t stop harping on and on about it, even when we were supposed to have a fun day out shoe shopping. It used to drive me crazy.”
I take a big gulp of water. I can’t believe Rose actually knows of him; this is my chance to find out exactly how much.
My voice cracks a little even though I’m trying my hardest to contain my excitement. “So what did she say? What’s he like?”
“She couldn’t stop gushing about him.”
“Why, did she date him or something?”
I feel an irrational feeling of jealousy bubbling up. Ryder couldn’t possibly be interested in Alice Einstein. She’s not just smart, she’s pretty, too. Damn.
“No, I don’t think so. I’m sure she’s tried, judging from how she kept on raving on about how hot he is, and brilliant, too. But apparently he doesn’t date— at all . With the money he has, women are probably falling at his feet. He must be going through them one or two a night. Or he’s gay, who knows?”
Rose covers her giggle with a napkin while I let out a relieved breath. If I’m sure about anything, is that Ryder’s not gay. But as for him not dating? I’m pretty sure that’s what we did—over two nights, we had drinks, we danced, played games, shared dinner, had a picnic. I’ve never wanted to label them as dates, but that’s exactly what they felt like, even if I’ve never had one before, not even in high school, and my drunk college hookups certainly don’t count. I’m quite sure that if the breakfast incident hadn’t happened, he would have asked me out again.
“I bet he’s your typical rich bastard—you know, private jet, mansion, servants.”
She shakes her head. “No, that’s what was so
“Come on, sis, you’d probably be glad to get rid of me.”
I wink at her, but she responds with a scowl.
“Don’t joke about things like that, Elle. I’m worried about you. Promise me you’ll be careful, okay? Don’t go too fast.”
“Uh-huh.” I sit down, hiding my grin behind the menu that I’ve snatched off the table.
The waitress appears, and Rose asks me, “So, are we having the usual?”
I nod, and she rattles off our favorite dishes—laksa, Hainanese chicken rice, and beef satay—while I take a few sips of water. I look at my sister’s immaculate white blouse, which is buttoned up to the top. She’s actually very pretty, with her big eyes and delicate features that she hides behind glasses, and her slim but shapely body that she likes to cover up. Even though she is the complete opposite of me, both in appearance as in attitude, she’s always there when I need her.
“I almost forgot.” I pick up my backpack and pull out a plastic bag with the clothes I borrowed from her. “Thanks for this.”
“You’re welcome. So, how did it go?”
“It went really well. We managed to shoot a video of the CEO of the Bank of the USA while he was having breakfast.”
She scrunches up her nose. “Poor man. Was it just you or did one of your friends help you?”
“There were three of us.”
“What? That’s a bit unfair, don’t you think, three against one? When all he’s trying to do is enjoy his breakfast in peace.”
“He wasn’t by himself. He was having a meeting with his fund manager, this De Luca guy, undoubtedly to discuss how to make even more.”
Damn, I didn’t mean to mention his name. But it’s unlikely Rose has ever heard of him.
Wrinkling her forehead, she looks up to the ceiling. “De Luca, did you say? It wouldn’t be that fund manager billionaire, would it?”
“How would you know? We could hardly find any intel on him on the net.”
“Remember Alice Ho? My friend who got a perfect score on her SATs?”
Of course I know her—Rose always goes on about her straight-A genius friend who won full scholarships to three Ivy League schools.
“Yeah?”
“Well, she was an intern with his company. I still remember because she couldn’t stop harping on and on about it, even when we were supposed to have a fun day out shoe shopping. It used to drive me crazy.”
I take a big gulp of water. I can’t believe Rose actually knows of him; this is my chance to find out exactly how much.
My voice cracks a little even though I’m trying my hardest to contain my excitement. “So what did she say? What’s he like?”
“She couldn’t stop gushing about him.”
“Why, did she date him or something?”
I feel an irrational feeling of jealousy bubbling up. Ryder couldn’t possibly be interested in Alice Einstein. She’s not just smart, she’s pretty, too. Damn.
“No, I don’t think so. I’m sure she’s tried, judging from how she kept on raving on about how hot he is, and brilliant, too. But apparently he doesn’t date— at all . With the money he has, women are probably falling at his feet. He must be going through them one or two a night. Or he’s gay, who knows?”
Rose covers her giggle with a napkin while I let out a relieved breath. If I’m sure about anything, is that Ryder’s not gay. But as for him not dating? I’m pretty sure that’s what we did—over two nights, we had drinks, we danced, played games, shared dinner, had a picnic. I’ve never wanted to label them as dates, but that’s exactly what they felt like, even if I’ve never had one before, not even in high school, and my drunk college hookups certainly don’t count. I’m quite sure that if the breakfast incident hadn’t happened, he would have asked me out again.
“I bet he’s your typical rich bastard—you know, private jet, mansion, servants.”
She shakes her head. “No, that’s what was so
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