Chandra withdrew her hand from Lilly's cheek to her side and turned her attention to the show before them. They continued to watch, and all the time, Chan was very aware of Lilly's father behind her and, sometimes, his gaze on her. Her heart never stopped racing, and neither could she concentrate on the show. Finally, it was over, and a big applause followed.
"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen," the ringmaster said to the audience. "If you've enjoyed our little show, please do give a donation." He gave his tall black hat to his dog. The canine took it between its teeth and obediently started heading around the crowd. When it came to stand in front of Chan and Lilly, Chan put in five dollars.
Lilly petted the black beast fondly. Then she looked rather upset when it moved away and even more so when she saw another little girl placing some golden coins into the hat. Chan realized Lilly also wanted to give a donation and looked as though she was about to cry. She couldn't help herself and held out her other five dollar note to Lilly.
Lilly looked at her with large, adoring eyes, pleased. "Can I really?"
Chan just wanted to pinch her cheek. Lilly was just too cute. But she couldn't really because the girl's father was just behind her, guarding his daughter like a mother hen. So she resigned to simply giving Lilly an encouraging nod and smile instead.
"Can I, Daddy?" Lilly looked up to her father, her eyes large.
In a flash, he was on his knees beside them, and Chan's heart started to jump into a silly rhythm again. Damn! He was so near she could feel the heat of his body. She felt like a dwarf next to him.
"Since the pretty lady is being very nice, yes," he said smoothly.
Chan picked up an American accent and wondered if he and his family were here on vacation in the Gold Coast, like the majority of the people in Surfer Paradise.
"Thank you, Daddy," Lilly said.
"What do you say to the pretty lady?"
Lilly turned to Chan and said, "Thank you, pretty lady."
Chan laughed. "You can call me Chan."
"Thank you, Ch… Cha… Chan?" she said, having a little difficulty pronouncing the name correctly. Then she proceeded to take the five dollars.
She waited patiently for the dog to come back to her, and when it did, she petted the canine again and then placed the money into the hat. "You're a very good pup," she said.
By this time, the crowd had dispersed, and Lilly rushed up to her dad behind Chan.
Chan was about to stand when her cell phone rang. She quickly searched for it in her bag as she got up. When she found it, she put it to her ear as she lifted her head.
"Hello?" she said as she stared at the brick wall of chest that belonged to Lilly's father in front of her. He was wearing a white shirt, the expensive type that men wore to the office. He had it parted at just the right spot, exposing a very enticing muscular, tanned chest. She licked her lips, wondering why her heart was pounding so hard and her stomach fluttering so badly.
As she listened to Amie verbally abusing her as to why she'd resigned from her job with such short notice and she and her sisters had moved away without telling her, Chan dreaded the moment she finally had to meet Lilly's dad face-to-face. She could feel him watching her, patiently waiting for her to look up at him. Suddenly, she knew she just couldn't do it. It was as though she couldn't find the strength to lift her face just a little more.
Before she could stop herself, she turned around and walked away. She knew it was rude of her, but she felt as though she wasn't ready to talk to people she didn't know yet, especially this man who, oddly enough, fascinated her beyond belief. Why? She hadn't even seen his face. But oh, his voice. It was to die for, and she didn't understand why she was attracted to him without even seeing his face. And his chest? Her palms itched, and a warm sensation coursed through her being.
Amie continued to tell her off as she headed farther away from Lilly and her father.
"Bye, Chan." Lilly's voice drifted to her.
She just kept on walking, and in the distance, Lilly said, "Maybe she didn't hear me." The little girl sounded disappointed, and Chan's heart cried out to her.
I'm sorry, Lilly, Chan said to herself. Why are you such a bitch, Chan? Why?
"She's busy on the phone, sweetheart," the dad said.
Chan took a deep breath, feeling her heart quivering.
"Chandra! Do you hear me? Do you know how much work you've put me through, you irresponsible little piece of shit! You have to come back here and sort this all out."
Chan released a big sigh and controlled the urge to tell Amie to go piss off. Instead, she said, "What more do you want, Amie? What more? I don't have any more to give you. You've got everything that belonged to Dad."
"Not everything, you bitch. Not everything. That house on the Gold Coast along Bay View Avenue, that belonged to Michael."
"Yes, it did belong to Mom and Dad, and now it's ours, mine and my sisters'. It's under our name. It said so in Dad's will."
"Don't patronize me, you bitch. Oh, I should have never taken you lot in after Michael died. And now look at what you do to me, you ungrateful piece of shit."
"You've never looked after me and my sisters, Amie. Grandmother did. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other, more important things to do. Goodbye, Amie, and I hope to never hear from you ever again."
Chan ignored Amie's shout of outrage and ended the call. She took another deep breath, and oddly enough, she could still feel Lilly's father's eyes on her, even this far away.
Finally, after a few more deep breaths and throwing the thought of Amie out of her mind, she had the courage to turn around.
From the distance and though she couldn't see their faces properly, she smiled and waved at Lilly, who was now sitting comfortably in her father's arms. Lilly waved back, laughing. Then Chan shifted her gaze to the man who had taken her interest.
Good Lord! He was tall and lean, and well, just everything that was the opposite of her. He looked as though he could take on the world and would come out the winner. He set her pulse racing and her heart fluttering, the likes of which she'd never experienced before. He was watching her; she could feel it, and then she wondered if she would ever see him again. She didn't know, but life, as Grandma Lin had always said, was very unpredictable, but at the same time very predictable. If you're destined to meet someone, no matter how much you try to avoid him, you will still meet him in the most unexpected way.