The Expat Diaries: Misfortune Cookie (Single in the City Book 2) (24 page)

‘Yes please.’ My stomach is churning, and it’s not hunger. Maybe it’s because I know I have to talk to Sam. Maybe it’s because today isn’t all I hoped it would be. I expected the worry to be swept away once he arrived. Instead, it’s intensifying with each moment that passes. I’ve got to talk to him.

The restaurant isn’t far away, housed in a beautiful two-story colonial building with wide verandas on Stanley’s bay front. Mounting the stone stairs to the black and white tiled veranda feels like walking into the nineteenth century.

‘How’s your family, by the way?’ Sam asks once we’ve ordered. ‘Your mom?’

Sam never asks me about my family. It’s not a thoughtless oversight, but a thoughtful one. He knows how much she drives me crazy about living here. ‘She’s fine, thanks. Why do you ask?’

‘Oh no reason really, I talked to my mom last night, that’s all.’

‘Is yours okay?’

‘Yep, she’s fine.’

‘I mean about your move. I’ve never asked, have I? Does she mind that you’re here? In Vietnam, I mean?’

‘Nah, I don’t think so. She knows it comes with the territory when your family are all academics. Is your mom any more comfortable with your move?’

‘No.’ Plus, she refuses to accept that I might actually like living in Hong Kong. No matter how many emails I send describing how great it is here, how much fun I’m having with my friends, she thinks I’ll run back to the US if Sam and I break up. Which is definitely not true. ‘I don’t think I’ll ever win that battle.’ It’s an unwelcome line of thinking. ‘So what else is there to see around here?’

‘I’m not sure. I think it’s just the market and the beach.’

‘I’m not really up for the beach. Besides, I don’t trust those shark nets.’ Hong Kong’s beaches are cordoned off to keep the predators from picking off the tourists.

‘You don’t have to worry. They’re very strong nets.’

‘That’s not the point. I don’t like the idea that they have to have nets. It’s like drinking gallons of water and popping aspirin before a night out to stave off a hangover. Isn’t it just better not to drink too much in the first place?’

‘You can’t seriously be equating a hangover with man-eaters!’

‘Right, exactly my point. Why would I risk being eaten by a shark when I don’t even usually risk a hangover?’ I’m pleased to have made my point.

‘Right…’ Sam looks unconvinced. ‘Anyway, we won’t swim today– ’scuse me a sec,’ he says as his phone rings. ‘Hello? Hi. That’s okay, what’s up? You’re kidding! You are kidding. That’s great. No, it’s super. Of course. Fantastic. Absolutely. Thanks, no, thanks for calling. I’ll see you Monday. Bye.’

I wait to hear what’s so great-super-fantastic. 

‘That was Li Ming – we got the grant!’ He beams.

‘Wonderful! What grant?’

‘I’m sure I mentioned it. She, we, she really, applied to the World Bank for funding for a two-year-long project. And we got it! Isn’t that great?’

‘Super, fantastic… Where is the project?’

‘It’s here, Han, in Hong Kong.’ Now he’s grinning even more.

Gaahh! ‘That’s so wonderful, Sam! That means you’ll be back here? Soon?’

‘As soon as this project finishes, yep, I’ll be back in Hong Kong for the duration of the next project. Han, I told you this wouldn’t be forever.’

Forever. That’s what I hear. Forever. Sam is coming back. I’m dizzy with relief. This is going to be okay.
Following your heart will pay off in the near future
. The near future.

Girlfriend, not girlfriend, the label doesn’t matter. It’s what’s inside the can that counts.

Chapter 14.

Hong Kong sparkles these days, maybe because I know that Sam is definitely coming back. It’s certainly not because the weather is improving. The sky turns from pale blue to near black in minutes, and stepping from air-conditioned buildings is always like being hit in the face with a warm wet washcloth. It’s raining nearly every day now, in short but startling bursts. A monsoon’s worth of rain can fall from the sky in less time than it takes to duck for cover. The pavements run with water and the streets fill within minutes. Short of a jet pack it’s impossible to keep my feet dry, so at some point in the day they’re going to look like I’ve fallen asleep in the bath. Also, this season makes everyone smell of laundry that’s been left in the washing machine overnight.

Even so, I love it. I love the shining new buildings and the sleek rooftop bars and the crush of people and dangerous taxis and even the street markets. What a difference a day makes. Or a week, in my case. Sam’s announcement turned out to be that reset button I was searching for, making me realize that he probably wasn’t acting differently at all. My perception was making me view our relationship differently. What mind games we play with ourselves sometimes. 

‘Almost ready?’ I ask Stacy, who’s applying another coat of mascara (waterproof, given the forecast). ‘We’ve got to meet Josh at the pier in half an hour.’

‘Ready,’ she sings, clearly far from it. ‘Oh, Chloe called while you were in the shower.’

She’s always doing this. ‘Why didn’t you tell me when I got out of the shower, two hours ago? Now I haven’t got time to call.’

‘I forgot,’ she says, shrugging.

‘You did not. Stacy, why do you still have such a problem with Chloe? Get over it. You don’t like her. I get it. But I do like her, so please be an adult. I don’t keep your messages from you.’

‘Only because nobody calls me on the home phone. Besides,
pot
, you’re one to call this kettle black. You’re not exactly nice about Pete.’

‘Pete again, really? You don’t see why I dislike someone who was rude to me? Who clearly doesn’t think I’m good enough for his friend, and said as much when we first met? He’s a dick, Stace. I don’t know why you’re bothering to spend time with him, because he’s a dick.’

She stares at me. ‘So you have that little faith in me. You think I’d be friends with a dick? And what about Sam? I thought they were supposed to be best friends? Long-time and best friends. His judgment is obviously wrong too then. It must be, or they wouldn’t be friends. Or roommates.’

Well, she’s got a point there. Here is my best friend, and my boyfriend, and both think this guy is worth spending time with. But then again, don’t we all have friends that others don’t get along with? Chloe is a perfect example. I know she’s an excellent friend and a good person. Stacy can’t stand her. That doesn’t mean she’s a bad person, only that she rubs Stacy the wrong way. So that proves my point. Wait a minute. No it doesn’t, it proves Stacy’s point.

‘All right,’ I say. ‘If I’m prepared to give Pete another chance, will you promise to be nicer about Chloe? It’s not like she’s coming to live here, or that you’ll probably ever even see her again. You can afford to be gracious.’

She sighs, actually looking contrite. ‘That’s fair. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you she called. I won’t do it again.’

‘Thanks. And I won’t say anything bad about Pete.’ I can’t promise I won’t think it though.

‘You can do better than that,’ she says, slyly. ‘We’re meeting up tonight. Want to come?’

I do not. I definitely do not. ‘Sure.’

Josh has rented an even bigger boat today, and it’s rammed with people. ‘Hello, welcome aboard!’ He calls when he sees us peering uncertainly at the mayhem. ‘You’re just in time. The margaritas are ready!’

It’s 10.30 a.m. We accept our drinks, kissing our host hello and bracing for a very long day. ‘We’ll leave in a few minutes to get a good spot,’ he says. ‘You’re going to love this.’

A wave of excitement washes through the boat as its engines start and we pull away from the pier. I jumped at Josh’s invitation today. Brent and Stuart rave about the dragon boat races, and we get to see them by boat! That’s the holy grail of the day, apparently. I’m not sure why yet, but I feel lucky already. We’re not the only ones with the idea though. Dozens of boats are motoring alongside us towards Stanley’s bay. Most look like they’re on their way to do a swimsuit shoot. Perfectly formed bikini-clad Chinese women are draped across most flat surfaces. Normally this would cause me a bit of competitive angst, but I felt about ten pounds lighter after Li Ming called Sam with her news. Metaphorically, I mean. Even ten pounds lighter I wouldn’t look like those Chinese women. But I’m not jealous of them. And I should never have been jealous of Li Ming. Clearly she’s just a good boss. What generosity of spirit I’m showing! Every insecurity flew out the window when Sam announced he was coming back to Hong Kong. Or… nearly every insecurity. There is one teeny tiny thing that’s been bothering me. It’s hardly even worth mentioning. Which is why I haven’t told anyone, even Stacy.

Sam and I had a virtually perfect weekend together. Pete was out of town, thankfully, so we cooked dinner at his apartment. It’s not somewhere I’d willingly spend a lot of time, but it could be made livable with a woman’s touch. And a deep clean. We drank a lot of wine and cuddled on the sofa. Until he fell asleep. Playfully I stroked him. He smiled and shifted position on the sofa, but didn’t wake up to put a happy ending on our evening. So I did what any normal girl would do. I shoved him awake, then pretended I hadn’t. ‘Hi,’ I’d said.

‘Hmm? Time for bed?’ he asked. Definitely! We brushed our teeth, snuggled under the sheets and started kissing. For about a minute. Then he said, ‘Sleep well darlin’.’ And he went back to sleep. So we had no sex last weekend. I don’t think it’s a big deal, because sometimes couples just want to cuddle. At most, it’s a tiny deal.

We maneuver into position in Stanley Bay. It’ll be a miracle if we don’t witness a drowning today. Imagine the first day of the Selfridges sale, or opening doors on Black Friday. Then put that chaos into long, narrow rowing boats, in a choppy bay, and add dozens of pleasure craft vying for the best position closest to the racecourse buoys. ‘This is insane!’

‘I know. It’s great, isn’t it?’ Josh grins. ‘It’s even more fun to row.’

‘You’ve done this?’

‘Sure, for a few years. It’s not as hard as it looks. Well, it’s hard to see from here. You should be closer to watch… I’ll just be back in a mo’.’ He trots off to the bow.

‘This is incredible!’ Stacy gushes. ‘Stuart was absolutely green when I told him we were coming today. The bank cancelled the boats they usually hire. Apparently because there’s a recession at home we’re not allowed to have any fun out here.’ She makes a face.

‘I guess they’ll be over on the shore then.’ I can make out the crush of people on the shore. Poor landlocked suckers.

Josh returns, grinning. ‘All right, ladies, let’s wander over to another boat. You can bring your drinks.’

‘Sorry, Josh,’ Stacy interjects. ‘Wander over to another boat? What are we, Jesus?’

He chuckles, leading us to the rail to wave over an approaching boat. ‘My friends are on another boat, over there. This man can ferry us over. Ready? Just step down.’ The rickety little craft that I’m aiming for sits at least four feet below ours, bucking in the choppy water. ‘Here, I’ll hold– You’ll have to let go of the rail. No, just–’ He sighs. ‘Hannah, hold still.’

Eventually the captain grabs my arm and yanks me into his boat to join two couples already aboard.

‘Very smooth, Han,’ says Stacy, swinging herself into the boat with acrobatic precision.

Slowly we chug between the yachts, picking up and dropping off passengers until finally, Josh stands. ‘Here we go.’

The boat we board is even bigger than ours. It’s also more crowded, as you’d expect for its position right beside the orange and grey pontoons marking the course’s edge. It’s overcrowding like this that makes news items ending with ‘rescuers are still searching for survivors’.

Josh wrestles a few people aside, in the nicest way possible, and installs us along the bow’s rail. ‘I’m just going to say hello to my friends. Don’t lose your spots – this is prime real estate. I’ll be right back, okay?’ We assure him we’re fine.

‘I wonder how many of these people actually know each other?’ Stacy muses. ‘It looks like one of those house parties we went to in college.’

She’s right. Back in school, news of parties spread within hours. Hundreds of students turned up at the bashes, hosted by complete strangers. I was always struck by the generosity, and stupidity, of the renters who willingly risked their security deposits. The level of destruction made a Category 5 hurricane look like a stiff breeze. I haven’t been to a party like that in years.

Inside the boat, I begin to hear chants of ‘drink, drink, drink, drink’ getting louder. I spoke too soon. I’m at a party like that. I just hope they’ll get their security deposit back. 

Drumbeats start to float across the water, slow and rhythmic. ‘Just in time.’ Josh appears at my shoulder, pointing. ‘They’re getting ready for the next heat.’

Six laden boats make their way from the faraway shore. As they get closer I spot something odd. Each boat comes equipped with a giant kettledrum, wedged between the knees of a girl sitting at the bow. She faces the crew, keeping time for the nine pairs of rowers packed closely together. The boat is no wider than the rowers, and sits dangerously low in the water. At each stern a man stands, steering with what looks like a gondola paddle. ‘How does he not fall in?’ Stacy wonders. He looks perfectly comfortable despite being on a boat that’s bouncing along the waves.