Oriental Pearl Tower was soon in sight. They crossed the Huangpu River and quickly made their way to the Peninsula.
“Dinner is at seven and the restaurant is about a fifteen-minute walk away. What time do you want to meet in the lobby?” May asked.
“Six forty?”
“Perfect,” May said as the car stopped in front of the hotel.
“Will you need us for anything?” Ava asked Amanda.
“No, thanks. You can assume that Chi-Tze will be here first thing in the morning. I’ll take her directly from the airport to the plant.”
“I’m sure it will go well,” Ava said, leading the way towards the elevator.
She said goodbye to the other women at the fifth floor and walked to her room. Her intention was to grab a quick shower, change her clothes, and then check her email. She went into the bathroom, undressed, and was just about to step into the shower when the phone rang. “Hello?” she said.
“Did you get flowers as well?” May asked.
“What?”
“There was huge a bouquet of roses on my bed, with a note.”
“I haven’t been in my bedroom.”
“Go now.”
Ava carried the cordless phone with her. “What did the note say?”
“I’ll tell you after you check your room.”
Ava opened the door and gasped. “I don’t have roses,” she said. “I have red and purple orchids. The entire bed is blanketed with them.”
“Is there a note?”
She approached the bed and saw an envelope resting on top of her pillow. She ripped it open. “It says Apologies for last night. Call me if you have a chance. Xu .”
“I just got an apology.”
Ava stared at the bed, counting the orchids. She stopped at forty. In Canada it would have cost almost a thousand dollars for that many. “I’ll phone him and get back to you,” she said to May.
She didn’t recognize the number on the card and she assumed it was his mobile. He answered at once with a firm “ Wei ” — an Uncle trait.
“It’s Ava.”
“Welcome to Shanghai.”
“The flowers weren’t necessary,” Ava said. “Even as a kind gesture you went overboard.”
“Buying flowers is something I have not done often in my life. I asked one of my men to look after it. From your remark, I assume he went too far.”
“He most certainly did.”
“Well, I hope the rest of your day was more pleasing.”
“Xu, the flowers aren’t unpleasant. It’s just that receiving flowers is also not something that’s happened often in my life. I’m sorry if I sounded ungrateful.”
“Not at all. I understand,” he said smoothly. “How was your day?”
“We had a business meeting.”
“I trust it went well.”
“Well enough. How about your crisis?”
“It has been managed.”
“Excellent. So we can have dinner with clear minds all around.”
“The reason I asked you to call is that I have made a change in the restaurant reservation and I want to make sure it is acceptable to you and May Ling. Instead of the French restaurant, I have reserved one of the private dining rooms at the Whampoa Club for the entire evening. It has a tremendous view of the Bund and the Huangpu River, and the food is superb. The club is also on the Bund, no more than fifteen minutes from your hotel. Whampoa was my initial instinct, but the room did not become available until earlier today.”
“I’m sure we’ll be satisfied with whatever restaurant you choose.”
“Then it’s confirmed.”
“Will you be alone?”
“Of course. It will be just me, you, and May Ling.”
“And do you want to give me some idea of what we’ll be discussing?”
“Does it have to be something in particular?”
“No, but from our earlier phone conversations it seems you have something in mind, and I don’t want it to be awkward for either May Ling or me.”
“If anyone should feel uncomfortable it is me, around two such beautiful and accomplished women.”
“Oh god, what a load of shit that is,” Ava said, heading for the bathroom.
“Yes and no.” He laughed. “I am
“Dinner is at seven and the restaurant is about a fifteen-minute walk away. What time do you want to meet in the lobby?” May asked.
“Six forty?”
“Perfect,” May said as the car stopped in front of the hotel.
“Will you need us for anything?” Ava asked Amanda.
“No, thanks. You can assume that Chi-Tze will be here first thing in the morning. I’ll take her directly from the airport to the plant.”
“I’m sure it will go well,” Ava said, leading the way towards the elevator.
She said goodbye to the other women at the fifth floor and walked to her room. Her intention was to grab a quick shower, change her clothes, and then check her email. She went into the bathroom, undressed, and was just about to step into the shower when the phone rang. “Hello?” she said.
“Did you get flowers as well?” May asked.
“What?”
“There was huge a bouquet of roses on my bed, with a note.”
“I haven’t been in my bedroom.”
“Go now.”
Ava carried the cordless phone with her. “What did the note say?”
“I’ll tell you after you check your room.”
Ava opened the door and gasped. “I don’t have roses,” she said. “I have red and purple orchids. The entire bed is blanketed with them.”
“Is there a note?”
She approached the bed and saw an envelope resting on top of her pillow. She ripped it open. “It says Apologies for last night. Call me if you have a chance. Xu .”
“I just got an apology.”
Ava stared at the bed, counting the orchids. She stopped at forty. In Canada it would have cost almost a thousand dollars for that many. “I’ll phone him and get back to you,” she said to May.
She didn’t recognize the number on the card and she assumed it was his mobile. He answered at once with a firm “ Wei ” — an Uncle trait.
“It’s Ava.”
“Welcome to Shanghai.”
“The flowers weren’t necessary,” Ava said. “Even as a kind gesture you went overboard.”
“Buying flowers is something I have not done often in my life. I asked one of my men to look after it. From your remark, I assume he went too far.”
“He most certainly did.”
“Well, I hope the rest of your day was more pleasing.”
“Xu, the flowers aren’t unpleasant. It’s just that receiving flowers is also not something that’s happened often in my life. I’m sorry if I sounded ungrateful.”
“Not at all. I understand,” he said smoothly. “How was your day?”
“We had a business meeting.”
“I trust it went well.”
“Well enough. How about your crisis?”
“It has been managed.”
“Excellent. So we can have dinner with clear minds all around.”
“The reason I asked you to call is that I have made a change in the restaurant reservation and I want to make sure it is acceptable to you and May Ling. Instead of the French restaurant, I have reserved one of the private dining rooms at the Whampoa Club for the entire evening. It has a tremendous view of the Bund and the Huangpu River, and the food is superb. The club is also on the Bund, no more than fifteen minutes from your hotel. Whampoa was my initial instinct, but the room did not become available until earlier today.”
“I’m sure we’ll be satisfied with whatever restaurant you choose.”
“Then it’s confirmed.”
“Will you be alone?”
“Of course. It will be just me, you, and May Ling.”
“And do you want to give me some idea of what we’ll be discussing?”
“Does it have to be something in particular?”
“No, but from our earlier phone conversations it seems you have something in mind, and I don’t want it to be awkward for either May Ling or me.”
“If anyone should feel uncomfortable it is me, around two such beautiful and accomplished women.”
“Oh god, what a load of shit that is,” Ava said, heading for the bathroom.
“Yes and no.” He laughed. “I am
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