until we actually have the money and Chi-Tze is finished and we know for sure that Suki will be okay with the decrease in her profit-sharing percentage.”
“Back to being cautious?”
“It’s my nature and I can’t be any different. You know that once I make a decision I commit to it completely, regardless of the possibility of a negative result, but I hate creating expectations. Once we know that Suki is in agreement and that we’re going ahead with the Po deal, then we’ll talk synergy.”
“You’re right, of course. I’m just a touch excited by all this.”
“Me too. Now let me call Xu.”
“When?”
“As soon as we hang up.”
“And I’ll phone the girls. Amanda and Chi-Tze can handle the Pos, but I’ll have to sit down with Suki. Do you want to join me?”
“No, you and she have a great relationship. It should be easier if you’re one-on-one.”
“Like you and Xu.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, after you left the bar I thought about our dinner with him. It seemed to me that his sole interest was in how you were reacting to his proposal.”
“I didn’t get that feeling.”
“For someone who’s as sharp as you are at reading other people, you can be completely oblivious to the effect you have on them. He was fixated on you. His eyes hardly left you.”
Ava felt her face flush. “He knows I’m a lesbian,” she said.
“The attraction doesn’t have to be sexual. Look at you and me.”
“I wish you hadn’t said that. I mean about Xu, not us.”
“What does it change?”
“I need this to be just about business,” Ava said.
“And so far that’s all it’s been. There’s no reason we can’t keep it that way.”
“Uncle didn’t come to your room last night,” Ava said under her breath.
“What are you mumbling?”
“Nothing.”
“You’ll call him?”
“Right away.”
“I have to say I have a very good feeling about this.”
Ava looked at her notebook and her list of pros and cons. The word triad suddenly seemed more ominous. “Me too,” she said.
( 12 )
Ava showered, dressed, downed another coffee, and then looked through her bag and found the card Xu had given her the night before. She dialled his home number.
“ Wei ,” he answered.
“I hope it isn’t too early for me to call,” she said.
“Not at all. I have been up for a while.”
“May and I just finished talking about your offer.”
“Yes?”
“We’ve reached a decision —”
“That is either wonderful or dreadful,” he interrupted. “But whichever it is, I do not feel comfortable speaking about it over the phone.”
“What do you suggest?”
“Have you had breakfast?”
“No.”
“Then why not join me?”
“May has other plans.”
“We do not need May.”
“I’m not sure that’s a great idea.”
“ Mei mei , I would like you to see my home, and my housekeeper can make us breakfast.”
“I’m not your little sister.”
“No, but you are the closest thing I have to one. Besides, I think you might like my house. It is in the French Concession, not too far from you. Have you been to the French Concession?”
“No.”
“Then you must come. It is like no other part of Shanghai, like no other part of China.”
He spoke in the matter-of-fact way she had come to associate with him, and she felt slightly foolish for having let May’s opinion colour her own view of him. “Is it within walking distance?”
“Yes, but it is a complicated route that has many twists and turns through small streets. I will send my driver for you. He will be in a silver Mercedes.”
“Okay, tell him I’ll be at the front of the hotel in half an hour,” Ava said. “I’ll be wearing a black T-shirt and Adidas training pants.”
“I am sure he will find you. Now, the housekeeper has a pot of congee on the stove. Will that do?”
“That’s perfect.”
“See you then.”
Ava hung up and pushed her chair back from the desk. So far in their relationship, it seemed to her
“Back to being cautious?”
“It’s my nature and I can’t be any different. You know that once I make a decision I commit to it completely, regardless of the possibility of a negative result, but I hate creating expectations. Once we know that Suki is in agreement and that we’re going ahead with the Po deal, then we’ll talk synergy.”
“You’re right, of course. I’m just a touch excited by all this.”
“Me too. Now let me call Xu.”
“When?”
“As soon as we hang up.”
“And I’ll phone the girls. Amanda and Chi-Tze can handle the Pos, but I’ll have to sit down with Suki. Do you want to join me?”
“No, you and she have a great relationship. It should be easier if you’re one-on-one.”
“Like you and Xu.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, after you left the bar I thought about our dinner with him. It seemed to me that his sole interest was in how you were reacting to his proposal.”
“I didn’t get that feeling.”
“For someone who’s as sharp as you are at reading other people, you can be completely oblivious to the effect you have on them. He was fixated on you. His eyes hardly left you.”
Ava felt her face flush. “He knows I’m a lesbian,” she said.
“The attraction doesn’t have to be sexual. Look at you and me.”
“I wish you hadn’t said that. I mean about Xu, not us.”
“What does it change?”
“I need this to be just about business,” Ava said.
“And so far that’s all it’s been. There’s no reason we can’t keep it that way.”
“Uncle didn’t come to your room last night,” Ava said under her breath.
“What are you mumbling?”
“Nothing.”
“You’ll call him?”
“Right away.”
“I have to say I have a very good feeling about this.”
Ava looked at her notebook and her list of pros and cons. The word triad suddenly seemed more ominous. “Me too,” she said.
( 12 )
Ava showered, dressed, downed another coffee, and then looked through her bag and found the card Xu had given her the night before. She dialled his home number.
“ Wei ,” he answered.
“I hope it isn’t too early for me to call,” she said.
“Not at all. I have been up for a while.”
“May and I just finished talking about your offer.”
“Yes?”
“We’ve reached a decision —”
“That is either wonderful or dreadful,” he interrupted. “But whichever it is, I do not feel comfortable speaking about it over the phone.”
“What do you suggest?”
“Have you had breakfast?”
“No.”
“Then why not join me?”
“May has other plans.”
“We do not need May.”
“I’m not sure that’s a great idea.”
“ Mei mei , I would like you to see my home, and my housekeeper can make us breakfast.”
“I’m not your little sister.”
“No, but you are the closest thing I have to one. Besides, I think you might like my house. It is in the French Concession, not too far from you. Have you been to the French Concession?”
“No.”
“Then you must come. It is like no other part of Shanghai, like no other part of China.”
He spoke in the matter-of-fact way she had come to associate with him, and she felt slightly foolish for having let May’s opinion colour her own view of him. “Is it within walking distance?”
“Yes, but it is a complicated route that has many twists and turns through small streets. I will send my driver for you. He will be in a silver Mercedes.”
“Okay, tell him I’ll be at the front of the hotel in half an hour,” Ava said. “I’ll be wearing a black T-shirt and Adidas training pants.”
“I am sure he will find you. Now, the housekeeper has a pot of congee on the stove. Will that do?”
“That’s perfect.”
“See you then.”
Ava hung up and pushed her chair back from the desk. So far in their relationship, it seemed to her
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