298 Flavour of the month

Though the words uttered by Sam were different but they reminded Wei of the first confession of his love which he had written to Jia Li years ago. The intent behind Sam's words was eerily similar to that of his own. He didn't know how to react to it.

To his surprise, he heard himself say these words, "I am meeting Jia Li for dinner at night. Would you like to join in?"

Sam's face lit up and she gave an eager nod of his head. Impulsively, she jumped up to give him a quick hug. Right after, her face reddened as if realising her actions and their import. She ran out of the cabin without a word.

Wei grinned at her reaction and turned towards his desk.

"Wow, you really seem to be the flavour of the month," his father's amused voice filtered through the doorway, as he made his way to the conference room.

It was Wei's turn to flush with embarrassment. He didn't say anything to his father's retreating back.

"I need to put blinds in my cabin," he muttered to himself.

New York

"Ooooh, someone is looking snazzy in that jacket. You do realise that it isn't your wedding, right?" Patricia had walked in to the Xie house.

As promised, Chu had got the dressmaker to take Tang's size for the tuxedo and today was the trial of the same.

Tang gave his physiotherapist a look of long suffering. He was already tired with the trying to wiggle into the jacket and get the correct measurements, again and again. The Italian man who had come for the fitting was behaving as if Tang was the bride, not even groom.

"Every inch should be fitted and exquisitely moulded to the body," that's what he had said when Tang tried to grumble initially.

"Oh Pat! Good that you are here. Can you help the dressmaker in getting the trousers fitted, please?" Chu told the physiotherapist.

Tang balked at the thought and threw a glare at his sister but she was impervious to it.

"Blasted women all around me. They want me to lie down in my underpants while that arrogant Italian tailor touches and prods me all over. Arghhhhh… can someone help me?" he fumed internally.

Pat shrugged and said, "Mr. Tailor, I hope you are ready for an uncooperative hedgehog version of a client because we shall really have to do a lot of pulling and pushing. It may actually get violent at some point. I just want you to brace yourself for it. Don't go into a shock."

The guy looked at her and muttered something rapidly in Italian.

"Uh, I am sitting right here. Can you read the bloody screen where I have written in BOLD font that I refuse to try the pants. They will fit fine and even if they don't, it doesn't matter. It's not as if I am going to be walking in them anytime that evening," he typed furiously.

But both the women chose to ignore the screen fitted on his wheelchair.

"Wait till I get my tongue straightened out. You all are in need of a verbal whiplash which neither of you will forget ever," he thought furiously.

While this was going on in Tang's room, Ethan was in the middle of a conversation with Mr. Xie.

"Do you mean to say that Jia Li went to your house in Shanghai Bund? What did the caretaker tell her?" he asked Mr. Xie.

With bleak eyes, Mr. Xie replied, "he didnt say anything to her except that we were currently living elsehwere and that he didnt know anything beyond it. Those was the instructions which I had left with him. Initially I was of the opinion that Jia Li should not be informed about Tang either. It would complicate the situation and make him feel ashamed, which is why I had cut her call short at the time of leaving from Shanghai. When Tang woke up from coma, he himself was adamant about not letting anyone know about this. Though we had initially kept the news hidden from everyone on the behest of the lawyers but as you know, later it was Tang who issued the diktat for the same to continue."

"So what made you change your mind now. I am assuming that you now think differently," Ethan said.

Mr. Xie's eyes watered.

With a small nod, he replied, "few days ago, Tang asked me to get his stuff collected from his condo in Shanghai and shipped here. I didn't paid much attention to the reason for his request and had done the needful. Two days ago, everything arrived. He locked himself in the room for hours, insisting upon sorting and sifting through all the boxes on his own despite everyone's offer to help."