Liliah blocked my way again the next day when I was going to the pantry to make coffee for the team. We are exhausted and being the least experience, I offer to do all the photocopying and coffee run which they appreciate a lot.
"There you are YaoYao, I have been looking for you all day long,"Liliah exclaimed.
I swear she has more flair in being an actress than an architect and why wouldn't she leave me alone!
"Ms. Tang as you so clearly define how detached our relationship was yesterday, I think we should maintain our distance from each other,"I reminded her.
"That's just a joke, don't take it too seriously,"she laughed. "Anyway, the class reunion is coming up next weekend and I've told everybody how we are working together again so they have been asking you to join even though you didn't actually graduate."
The way she put it, was as if she is doing me a favor. She gets on my nerve but at the same time, it gives me an opportunity to reconciled with my old classmates of whom I have grown apart due to the difficult time right after my parent passing.
"Right so when and where is the reunion?"I relented.
"Great! I will be happy if you were to join. It's going to be at Hans Dynasty restaurant and the booking is under my name as the organiser,"Liliah looks like a child who finally got a lollipop.
My best friend has won a scholarship for a Master program in Sustainable Architecture in Canada. She did attend my parent funeral and call me a couple of times but I know she work her ass off during the last year of our course. I full heartedly encourage her to do so and made her promised to work for both of us. She has been gone for 2 years now and I missed her like crazy. One way or another we have lost contact and I hope someone in the class might have her latest information.
Work has been hard but good. Nowadays it's my mental strength instead of psychical strength which is being tested. It's quite satisfying. Best of it all, Steven was waiting on the front of my office when I went down. He is like a shining star in the evening.
"You are back!"I exclaimed happily.
"Miss me" he grinned and took my hand in his.
"What have you been doing? More stuff for the project? Did it get all the approval necessary?"I went on while I pulled him off the expensive car that he was leaning upon. We will be in big trouble if it belongs to one of those high priority clients upstairs.
"All the agreements are done. We need to setup a proper office for the joint cooperation between Emperor Empire and Lee Group so their team can come to directly collaborate on the project"Steven explained as he open the car door for me.
"This is your car?"I was surprised.
"Yes, delivered to the airport and I drove to you straight. My luggage is still at the back, you wanna check?"he joked.
I hit his arm,"Seriously, I don't know anything about you beside being the manager of the Emperor Empire City reconstruction team."
"I told you about my parents, my brother and my aunt's family and my cousin,"Steven defend himself.
"Yes,"I was cut off there.
"That's all that is important. The rest are superficial,"Steven sound reassuring.
I went into the car anyway.
"What have you been up to?" he asked as he start the engine.
So I told him that I have yet to talk to my grandparents about moving and how nervous I am about the up and coming class reunion.
We stop in front of a very classy restaurant twenty minutes later.
"It's fusion cuisine here but within similar group of Hans Dynasty. You can have a feel how it will be. Hope it helps to calm your nerves,"he gave me one of his charming smile.
I swear he can just flash one of his smile and birds will fly down from the tree for him. We went through a security check and the reception was grand with private escort.
"Are you sure, we are going to have dinner here? I don't think I have enough money on me,"I whispered.
"Don't worry, they don't accept money or standard credit card,"Steven whispered back.
What was that supposed to mean? I can only wonder. A moment later, my eyes shocked wide and my heart threatened to burst out from my chest, I flip the menu closed. "Steven, we have to go. This is not a restaurant! It's robbery!" I was pulling him up from his sit. I don't care if the attendant was giving me weird stares but I would rather spend this kind of money on something really matters.
"Wow, slow down love. You worry too much. You have me now remember. I will never humiliate you. If I bring you in means I could afford it. You promised to be mine so trust me," the attendant went to place our order after Steven named a few dishes offhand.
He pull me into his lap when there is only us in the room. He hug and take a long breath on my chest,"I missed you. We will go and talk to your grandparents together. I have settled lots of stuff back home to relocate here. I have also mentioned to my family about you. They are excited. Please ignore them if you found them too overbearing especially my brother. Just heads up in case they decided to come visit without invitation. As I mentioned, my family is close and we are always at each other neck but will gladly wear in each other shoes if need be."
Steven release me back to my seat when the attendant return with our first dish. I learned about utensil positioning and their usefulness. Some I haven't even seen before like a small but long metal to scoop out shellfish and crab meat. Never realised eating in a classy place would need a lesson in itself but Steven was pro at it and sutley reminding me this and that. When the bill comes, he hand me a black sparkly card.
"It's yours, the code is your grandparents birth year together. It's very handy and will give you access to everything. Now this meal is on you,"he indicate that I should pay the bill with my new card. Hard to reject when he look at me as if waiting for a gift appreciation. I hand the card to the attendant whose hands starts to shake and look hard and long at me.
"Is there something on my face?" I asked Steven in a low voice.
"No, she is just wondering who you are? That card is a limited edition,"Steven answered calmly.
Another mystery for me.