No matter how hard he tried, Andrew could not get the image of the family portrait out of his head, even after the plane landed in Spain. He was now sitting across the table from the teenager he had flown thousands of miles to visit. Until four months ago, they were meeting one on one every second Wednesday since the teen joined the mentorship program sponsored by SAAB (Schools-Across-All Borders) last year.
After placing their breakfast orders, the young teen spent a few minutes texting on his phone while Andrew checked his email messages on his own phone. When he noticed the teen had placed his phone on the table, he did the same and gave Zac his fullest attention.
“Sorry about that. I promised to text my mom,” Zac explained just as the waitress placed his order in front of him. He thanked her politely in Spanish.
The waitress then placed Andrew’s order in front of him and poured his coffee. To the waitress, he said. “Garcia!”
She smiled at his attempt and walked away.
Andrew turned his attention back to the teen in front of him. “You have a picture of your mom?”
“Yup,” Zac picked up his phone and tapped the screen a few times. Then he flashed an image of his mother in front of Andrew.
“Hmm!” Andrew took a quick glance and his expression remained nonchalant. But if Zac was paying attention to his eyes, he would have seen how his pupils widened at the very first sight of the woman in the photo. “What about your dad? Do you have a picture of him?”
“Nope!” Zac felt a rush of adrenaline to the capillaries in his nose, causing it to itch. He scratched it and then proceeded to take a sip of his orange juice. He felt relieved when a new message arrived on Andrew’s phone and hoped this would put an end to his inquiry about his father. When he noticed Andrew wasn’t going to respond to his text, Zac thought he had better say something to distract him. “Your girlfriend is texting you to check in, aren’t you going to text her back?”
Andrew took a quick glance at the display and smiled as he proceeded to add sugar and cream to his coffee. “I’ll text her later.”
“Lucky girl!” Zac added and started to butter his waffle. Anything to stay away from talking about his father.
“Why do you say that?” Andrew asked out of curiosity and began buttering his own piece of waffle as well.
Zac shrugged. “I don’t know, just a feeling that whoever your girlfriend or wife is, she would be very lucky!” He poured just enough syrup to fill the middle few squares of the waffle and started to spread it with his butter knife until every square was evenly filled. “You are cool!”
Andrew chuckled. “Are you saying that because I’m taking you out from your dorm and buying you breakfast for the next three days?”
Andrew grabbed the syrup bottle and poured some on his waffle. He then picked up his butter knife and started to spread it so every single square was evenly filled with butter and syrup.
The waitress returned to their table to check in on them. “How is everything for you two this morning? Is there anything else I can get for you?”
“I’m good!” Zac acknowledged the waitress in Spanish with a smile.
“We’re good. Thank you!” Andrew responded in English this time.
She turned to Andrew and noticed he was doing the exact same thing as the teen. “Wow, like father like son! You guys spread the waffles the exact same way! That’s so cute!”
“Excuse me!” The guest from the opposite table needed the waitress’ attention.
“Enjoy your breakfast. Let me know if you need anything else!” She turned to serve the gentleman from across.
The teen shrugged in respond to what the waitress just said. Before taking the first bite from his waffle, he casually stated. “My mom says I’m anal every time I do this! She said I got it from my Dad!”
Zac wanted to punch himself by mentioning the ‘D’ word, especially when Andrew almost choked as he bit into his waffle.
The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Zac’s statement brought back memories for Andrew of the time when The Girl from Yesterday said the same thing to him. It was during the time he had breakfast with her 17 years ago. After that, he never heard from her again. This was something he had not been able to figure out all these years. They had parted happily after breakfast and was supposed to meet up in the library later that day. As Andrew looked at the teen, he decided it was time to find out why his girl from yesterday ended up in someone else’s arms. But, that would have to wait until he returned home in two weeks. Meanwhile, he reminded himself he was here for Zac.
“Your 16th birthday is coming up in December, am I right?” Andrew asked casually.
“How did you know?” Zac was caught by surprise.
“I made an educated guess!” One of Andrew’s eye twinkled.
A few hours after Andrew left for Spain, Madam Tang showed up at the Condo Penthouse with her mother who was in her eighties. She was also recently diagnosed with an onset of the Parkinson’s disease.
Megan watched the movement of the tiny woman’s head - Nod Nod - Shake Shake. Yet her eyes were sparkling and she was smiling at her. Shake Shake - Nod Nod.
“This is my mom. You can call her Granny.” Madam Tang made the introduction by speaking loudly into her mother’s ear. “Ma, this is Kimberley!”
“Oh, please call me Megan!” She turned to greet the older lady. “Hello Granny!”
Megan shook hands with her and started nodding and shaking her head as well; it just flowed with the rhythm. Then she heard the old timid woman let go a sound from her behind which even Bebe recognized. Megan looked shockingly at Granny who continued to smile at her innocently, nodding and shaking her head.
Bebe, on the other hand, barked at Granny for smiling shamelessly after letting go of her bodily gas. The old woman pet the dog’s black silky smooth hair on the head and continued to let go another round. Bebe decided to walk away quietly. ‘I’d better get out of here before they put the blame on me. I do let go, but silently; definitely not this loud. Granny, you have to learn to be poise!’
Madam Tang noticed the shock on Megan’s face and eyed her mother to stop. Then she said to Megan. “Don’t worry! Hers are just sound. Silencers are the killers!”
Granny gave out a spoonful of giggles and pointed at Bebe; as if the latter description was directed at the dog. Megan laughed and grinned at Bebe with a heap of love.
Megan watched as her boss settled her elderly mother into the armchair. Then Madam Tang made her way down the corridor towards The Forbidden Room. She unlocked the door and entered. Megan couldn’t believe how this prim and proper woman could be so liberated in her relationship. She wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt and told herself perhaps she was Andrew’s godmother. But if that was the case, why would she allow him to work as a mailroom clerk in her company? While she was still trying to figure out the answer to her own question, Madam Tang came out from the room and handed Megan the foot massager machine who then proceeded to set up the machine for Granny.
After Madam Tang returned from inspecting the room and the rest of the condo, she asked specifically. “Megan, did Andrew not come home last night?”
Bebe perked her ears up, wondering what Megan was going to say. She had never heard her master lie before.
“I…..um…” Megan looked at Bebe and wished for once her dog could talk. “I am not sure. Maybe he came back really late or really early in the morning when I was still sleeping.”
Megan noticed Bebe flexing her ears a few times. It was her way of wondering why her master was not telling the truth. That was if a dog was able to detect a lie.
“Hmm!” Madam Tang gave her mother a smirk. Megan caught it right away and couldn’t help but wonder what it meant. But she was soon fascinated by how cool and techie her boss was when she flipped through her phone for messages. She figured Madam Tang to be in her sixties. When she was done with her phone, she looked up at Megan. “I want you to keep an eye on him. If he brings any women here, you call me right away. Even if it is in the middle of the night. That’s why I have you take the room across, so you know everything that’s going on. I was going to ask you to clean up the room today, but it’s already done. Remind me to get you a spare key to the room. He has a habit of locking it whenever he knows I’ll be coming by!”
At precisely that instant, Megan avoided eye contact with Madam Tang. Just in case she turned out to be a mind reader, Megan didn’t want her boss to know she was already looking for another job because she desperately needed to be out of here as soon as possible. She wanted nothing to do with Andrew or his affairs whatsoever. She most definitely did not want the key to The Forbidden Room.
It was close to noon when Andrew finally responded to the messages he received while having breakfast with Zac.
Megan: Madam Tang asked what color toilet seat you want for the bedroom in suite. Pink?
Megan: BTW I had to lie for u when she asked if u came home last night.
Megan: If she ask again, I’m going to tell her. I won’t lie for u anymore.
Andrew: White toilet seat – make sure it is comfy!
Andrew: You don’t have to lie for me. Just don’t lie to me!
Andrew pressed ‘send’ and smiled. Megan read the message and pouted with a sigh. Then she picked up the photo frame next to her bedside table and noticed the smudges on the glass pane. After cleaning it, she traced her finger on the photo and whispered softly. “I miss you so much!”
Tony arrived at The Riz Bowl at exactly 6:55 PM to find Kalina sitting at a table near the window. There was another woman next to her. Kalina got up and waved to him, so he approached them with a big happy smile.
“Hi!” Kalina extended her hand to Tony as if they were meeting for business. Well, he soon learned this was a business meeting, her business. “Let me introduce you to Kate, she’s your date for tonight!”
His happy smile turned into a shocking frown for a split second that was only seen by Kalina. Being a kind hearted man, he quickly forced his smile back onto his tension-pulled face. Suddenly, he felt as if his face was plastered with crazy glue just so his smile would stay on. Kalina pushed him down into the seat across from Kate.
“This is Tony Ma, your dinner date for tonight. You two are both from the corporate world, so I’m sure you won’t have any problems getting to know each other.” Kalina placed on her charming smile which had been working like a charm for Tony since they’d met. Realizing her charm wasn’t working on him tonight, she quickly excused herself and walked away. “I shall let you two be. Enjoy!”
In the middle of dinner when Kate went to the ladies’ room, Tony sent a quick text message to Kalina.
Tony: I’m sending you tonight’s dinner bill!
Tony: Just ordered the most $$$ wine in the restaurant!
Tony: By the bottle!
He was surprised to get a text back from her immediately.
Kalina: But I’m not charging you for the matchmaking service! Your son asked me to match you up!
Dani was sitting at her desk when Tony walked past. She gave an admirable sigh and held up her chin with her palms. She looked as if she just saw a handsome hero walked by. Tony suddenly turned around, she tried to return to her computer pretending to be working. Unfortunately, the computer timed out on her and the screen saver appeared. She pounced on the keyboard and was attempting to log herself back in.
Tony leaned across her desk. “Thomas told you how I became his dad, didn’t he?”
Dani nodded obediently but Tony could see the fear in her eyes. He was affected by her affirmation, so he stood up. He brushed his hair with his fingers and straightened out his eye glasses by adjusting its temples. Leaning forward again, he gestured Dani to come closer. Feeling as if his glasses were sliding off again, he pushed it back on the bridge of his nose. “If you want to work here, you need to make sure no one else knows I am his dad. Do we understand each other?”
Dani gasped and nodded and then her stutter came out. “Bbbb…uuu bbb…uut wha….t…aaa..bout Andrew?”
Tony stood up and pointed his index finger at her. “You don’t need to worry about Andrew! Worry about yourself first!”
Dani gasped again but her eyes were not on Tony this time. Her focus was on the man of her dreams who was standing behind Tony.
Thomas hooked his arm around Tony’s neck pretending to strangle him. “Is he threatening you, Dani?”
Dani nodded right away, but quickly shook her head.
Thomas continued to act on his pheromones. “Is he telling you that you will lose your job if people find out I’m his….!”
Now it was Tony’s turn to manhandle him. The role was now reversed. Dani got all flustered and panicky. She told them to stop but to no avail. She started yelling on top of her lungs and stomped her feet like a child throwing a tantrum. At least it worked. They both stop dead and looked at her. Tears were about to burst forth in her eyes.
Thomas disentangled himself from Tony and went to comfort her and pulled her into an embrace. “We were just fooling around. Don’t cry!”
“Yeah, don’t worry. I won’t fire you.” Tony added.
When Dani realized all the workers were looking at her in Thomas’ arms, she quickly pushed him away and sat down at her desk and tried to return to work.
A few days later, when Megan came back to the Condo from groceries shopping after lunch, she heard a loud moaning noise coming from the corridor. She looked across the living room and saw that the door of The Forbidden Room was wide open. She recognized it was Madam Tang making the moan and groan noises together with gasps and cries. They were loud and Megan refused to let her mind wonder what could be going on inside that room. Of course she wasn’t going to let her own presence be known to whoever was inside the room with her boss. So she quietly locked the front door.
Just as she was making her way to the kitchen with the groceries, a loud raucous cry came forth from Madam Tang. It was the kind that would make anyone think that Madam Tang had just reached a state of euphoria in bed. Megan’s stomach was starting to churn with acids. She decided to vacate the condo for a few hours after putting away the groceries. But when she heard Andrew’s voice, her knees almost buckled over.
“Okay, are you ready?”
“Wait!” Madam Tang cried out. “Let me get comfy first.”
Megan decided she wouldn’t be able to make it to the kitchen so she placed the grocery bags on the dining table. She was turning to leave when she heard more cries coming from Madam Tang. Megan was so disturbed she felt like barfing.
“Stop!” Madam Tang’s voice flowed from the room. “Don’t go any deeper! … Stop! Ahhhhhhhhhh!”
Just as Megan opened the front door to leave, she heard barking from Bebe who came rushing out of The Forbidden Room towards her. As soon as Bebe dashed out the door, she grabbed the collar leash and shut the door. It was a good thing the elevator was still on their floor. On the way down to the lobby, Megan finally stooped and hugged her dog.
“My poor Bebe! You are trembling so hard!” Megan tried to comfort the canine. “See, this is why I don’t let you and Zac watch those X-rated movies!”
Notes on Chemistry of Love – Pheromones II
Osmology – study of smell has determined that men and women are attracted via selective chemical signals called human ‘pheromones’. When signals of desire, readiness, hormone levels, fertility, and deep emotions are released, certain pheromones work like magic to attract members of the opposite sex.
Some scientists believe pheromones may be linked to the crucial stages of our lives, from the minute we were born to mate selection. Studies have shown breast-fed newborns are able to distinguish breast pad worn by their mother versus one worn by a stranger. In the crib, the baby will quickly turn away from the unfamiliar scent and turn towards the mother’s. Thus one may subconsciously react to pheromones that transmit their genetic compatibility. (Example – The Sweaty T-Shirt Experiment)