Deming pulled out the chair for Evelyn then took the seat next to her. Uncle Wai took the seat across from Deming. Immediately a waitress brought over three menus and water for the table. Everyone muttered their thanks and the waitress backed off to stand in front of the door with her hands clasped in front of her.
"What looks good to you?" Uncle Wai asked Evelyn. She lifted up her Long Island Iced tea and spared a glance up just long enough to say, "this looks good."
"Xiaoli," her father reprimanded. She took a sip to hide her laughter. Uncle Wai just laughed.
"Always sarcastic, just like your mother," Uncle Wai said. Evelyn beamed.
"Wai, don't encourage her," Deming groaned. Evelyn flashed her father a toothy smile before taking another sip of her drink.
"What do you guys want?" she asked them.
"Hibachi steak," they answered in unison. She laughed. "So your usual," she commented. They nodded.
"I want the salmon lover roll and the spicy shrimp roll," she said.
"Shrimp tempura?" Uncle Wai asked. Deming nodded. "And a side of calamari." Deming said. Evelyn agreed with the appetizer choices and the waitress took their order then left, closing the door behind her.
"I still remember you used to hate calamari," Uncle Wai said. Evelyn looked at her father in surprise.
"You did? I can't remember a time you didn't like it," Evelyn said looking at her father.
"Your father wanted to impress Xiulan, so he pretended to like it. Eventually he came to like it," Uncle Wai said. Evelyn widened her eyes.
"You pretended to like something to impress Ma?" Evelyn asked. Deming nodded. Evelyn laughed.
"Love makes someone do crazy things," Uncle Wai said laughing. Deming joined him but Evelyn cast her eyes at the table.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Uncle Wai said seeing Evelyn's reaction. She forced a smile on her face and shook her head.
"I'm fine," she reassured him.
"So what is it you wanted to tell me specifically?" she asked him, changing the subject. Uncle Wai sighed.
"We can't even enjoy the meal first?" he asked her. She looked at him with one perfectly shaped eyebrow raised.
"Oh fine. She gets her lack of patience from you," Uncle Wai said giving a pointed look at Deming.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Deming replied. Uncle Wai took a sip of his water before telling them what he wanted to share.
"I trust that you've both seen the video that was released this morning?" Uncle Wai started. Deming and Evelyn nodded.
"Alright well, it clearly showed that Shawn had an extra marital affair. That is grounds for divorce as stipulated in the prenup. You previously wanted to contest his divorce suit with your pregnancy. But the terms are too ambiguous. It would be difficult to guarantee a victory." He stated, Evelyn nodded.
"But with this, and when I consolidate the case then your chances of winning shoots up exponentially," Uncle Wai said.
"The terms are agreeable to me but I want to see the drawn up summons and complaint," Evelyn said. Asking for the documents that commences a lawsuit. Uncle Wai smiled. He wasn't offended that she wanted to see the document. In their line of work, you learn quickly that you read every word before you sign anything.
Uncle Wai pulled out a portfolio from his briefcase and handed it over. She took it from him gently. She took another sip of her drink before she opened it to review the contents.
From her bag she dug out her special pen. Her father saw it and commented, "You still have that?" he asked her. She looked at the pen.
The pen was a soft touch ball point pen with a rose gold casing and adorned with diamonds. Engraved were the words, 'Eternal,' in Chinese and English calligraphy. It was the last thing her mother ever gave her. It was to remind Evelyn that the words she wrote with were eternal. That something was everlasting when her mother's life was fleeting.
Her siblings had each received a similar pen. Ben's was black with gold. One diamond was on the tip where you push the pen. On it was the word 'Trust' also Engraved in both languages. Chloe's was white with a pink marbling effect with diamonds similar to Evelyn's pen. On Chloe's pen were the words 'Hope,' in both Chinese and English as well. Each had a special meaning to each sibling.
"Of course, I sign all my important documents with it," she said. She began to read the document in front of her and ignored her father and uncle as they chatted. When the appetizers came she briefly glanced up to say thank you then went back to reading.
Evelyn wanted to let this go, to not fight with Shawn. She had thought about it. But she couldn't allow the disrespect- the betrayal- slide. It was the Wei in her. Her father and grandfather taught her, "A Wei, is not to be disrespected."
She recalled the way Shawn cold heartedly called her infertile to the press. It was one of her biggest fears. After all the failed attempts to have a baby, she was afraid that she would never have a one of her own. He alone knew her fear, and he still used it against her. She would never forgive him for that.
When she finished reading through the document and deemed that it complied with what she wanted she clicked her pen and signed her name. She'd signed her name with this pen a thousand times before. On the prenup, on her marriage certificate, on countless documents while she was at CGC, but this one brought the most bitterness to her. She handed it back to her Uncle just as their entrees arrived.
She picked up her chopsticks and had a piece of shrimp tempura and calamari. Then she dug into her meal as her father and uncle did. They ate, chatting merrily together. Evelyn's heart remained heavy.
When they finished it was already 8:30. They left to get their cars together. Her father and uncle made plans to play golf this weekend and her uncle promised to get the documents filed as soon as possible. When the vlaets brought the cars, Evelyn felt the hairs on her arm stand up. She was being watched. She surreptitiously glanced around.
"What's wrong?" Deming asked. Because she couldn't pinpoint the source of the stare she told him nothing was wrong. When Deming and Uncle Wai drove off in their respective cars the feeling intensified. Evelyn kept trying to pinpoint the source but failed. The valet finally brought her car out and she got in immediately. She felt slightly safer in her car but she wasted no time and drove off.
The feeling of foreboding settled in her stomach. She reached the end of the street and stayed on the big roads to get to the highway. The feeling went away after she got on the highway. She sped the entire way to get into the comfort of her own home.
When she got into the parking lot she felt safer. Security here was really tight. She had turned and just locked her car door and started to walk toward the elevator when she heard her name being called.
"Hey Evelyn!" Zain's voice said followed by the sounds of barking. Evelyn was still feeling on edge and Zain's presence made her jump and gave a short yelp. She turned around. Standing next to Zain's car were Zain and Jinhai. Between them was a German Shepard on a leash. In Zain's arms was an adorable orange kitten.
"Why are you so jumpy?" Jinhai asked picking up on her movement.
"Nothing, you guys startled me," she replied.
"What happened?" Jinhai didn't buy that they simply started her. The dog paddled over to her and nudged her leg. She bent down and rubbed its head. The dog's tail was wagging happily.
"Evelyn," he said again. She sighed but straightened up before she answered him.
"I had this feeling like I was being watched earlier tonight. Right after I left the restaurant. I raced back here," she told them. Jinhai and Zain exchanged concerned looks at each other.
"Do you still feel like you're being watched?" Zain asked. She shook her head.
"I felt fine once I got onto the highway," she said. They didn't comment further and trusted that she felt okay now.
"Do you want to head up?" Jinhai asked.
"Uh my apartment isn't pet proof," Evelyn said giving a pointed look at the pets.
"It will be," Jinhai said and marched toward the elevator. The German Shepard, he was holding however had different plans. It refused to budge even when Jinhai gently tugged on the leash. Evelyn laughed, petting the dog's head.
"I don't think it likes you," she said. He smirked.
"Oh he liked me fine, until you showed up," he joked back.
"She is prettier than you are," Zain chimed in. Evelyn rolled her eyes but smiled.
"No arguments there," Jinhai said and Evelyn looked at him. They shared a brief moment before she broke eye contact and followed him toward the elevator.
The German Shepard was all too happy to follow her. Zain brought up the rare with the sleeping kitten in his arms.
"What's his name?" Evelyn asked Jinhai when they walked in through the door. They took their shoes off and went to the couches. She took a seat and the dog settled his head right into her lap.
"Coffee," he answered with a smile. She looked up at him while she rubbed the top of Coffee's head.
"Seriously?" she asked him. He nodded the smile still on his face. Zain sat down with the kitten in his arms gently.
"Yup, I figured you'd like it," Jinhai responded.
"That and this one was the only one willing to go near him," Zain said laughing. Jinhai kicked his brother.
"Hey! It's not my fault you still manage to look like unapproachable jackass after all these years," Zain said. Before Jinhai could reply Evelyn defended him.
"I find him very approachable," she said not looking at either of them.
"Who? Jinhai or the dog?" Zain said.
"Jinhai," she replied just as Jinhai was getting ready to kick Zain again. But Evelyn was defending him and he couldn't care less anymore what his brother was saying. Jinhai took a seat on Evelyn's other side, petting Coffee alongside her.
"Meow," the kitten beside her meowed while stretching.
"Well hello, little one," Evelyn said shifting her attention to the kitten. She was sure to keep one hand on the dog as she held her palm out to the kitten.
It crawled from Zain's lap over to her's. Coffee lifted his head up to stop from being stepped on.
"What's your name?" she asked the kitten.
"Garfield," Zain said. Evelyn laughed.
"So do you like coffee, hate Monday's, and love to sleep?" She said smoothing a palm along Garfield's back.
"Woof," Coffee barked when he heard his name. Garfield meowed back at him.
"No idea, he's still a baby. Twelve weeks old. He was the last one in the litter," Zain said. She picked up the kitten in her arms.
"Well that just makes you the best one," she said nuzzling Garfield's nose. Garfield tried to poke her face with his wet nose.
Coffee began to whine from the lack of her attention. Jinhai began to scratch him behind the ears.
"I didn't know you guys wanted new pets," she commented.
"Coffee is for you," Jinhai said. She settled the kitten in her lap and it curled up.
"What?" She asked looking at him.
"I got Coffee for you," Jinhai said, Evelyn smirked. "Where's my iced coffee?" She asked. Jinhai rolled his eyes. Coffee turned his attention to her again.
"He's going to get confused fast. He's never going to know when I'm calling his name or when I want my favorite drink," she said. The guys laughed at that.
Zain tried to coax Garfield back to him but he wouldn't bulge and actually swiped its paw at Zain.
"You stole my cat," he accused. Evelyn looked him. "No I didn't," she said. Zain tried again and the same thing happened. Zain sighed heavily.
"Garfield likes you more than me," he pouted. Garfield curled up in her lap and began to nap again. "Do you want him?" he asked.
"He's yours though," she said although she did look at Garfield longingly.
"I don't have anything for a cat or dog," Evelyn said.
"Right it's in the car," Zain said getting up to go downstairs.
"I'll help you," Jinhai said. As Evelyn watched them leave she thought 'Please don't pee on my floors,' as she looked at Coffee and Garfield.