July, 2008
Eleven straight days of non-stop rain in July β it had to be a record. Even the concierge at my hotel, who looked like he was pushing 70, could not remember this much rain without any break.
We had been in eight straight days of negotiation when we decided it was time for a break. I was leading the team for a large European software company, and we had been negotiating pretty much non-stop now as we attempted to create a joint venture that would open up new market opportunities in China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. Our potential partner, one of the fastest growing companies in the Chinese tech sector decided that while we were close, the teams were at an impasse and needed a day or two to reassess and rejuvenate.
So as I sat at the bar in Felix, on the 28th floor of the Peninsula hotel in Hong Kong, I heard a voice that sounded so familiar β I suspected it had to be the third gin and tonic playing tricks on my imagination. "Yes, we're making progress, but it's going to take a few more days. I'm pretty sure we'll have it wrapped up by Friday and we'll meet all of our deadlines β they're just dotting every I and crossing every T. No, no major changes. We'll make all of our deadlines with room to spare. Ok. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
I turned in the direction of the voice and couldn't believe my eyes. As she tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear in a gesture that was intimately familiar, I knew immediately that it was my old friend and lover, Kelly. Looking at her, I realized that she hadn't changed a bit in the 8 years since I had last seen her. As my mind flashed through memories of random times together at law school in Chicago, a summer in Boston and a road-trip across the country, I scribbled a quick note on a napkin and summoned the waiter over.
A few minutes later the waiter delivered a glass of champagne and my note. I watched as she sipped the glass of champagne, and without looking around, slowly opened the note. I saw the smile of recognition spread slowly across her face and then saw her start to look around the room β as she finally caught sight of me I raised my glass and waived her over.
Walking over I couldn't help but notice how amazing she looked. If anything, over the years she looked even better than before. She clearly had just come from a business meeting β wearing a grey skirt that said 'professional but sexy' and a white blouse that was unbuttoned just enough to let you know what was underneath, yet covered it up nicely.
After a big hug and a shared mutual amazement of seeing each other we decided to grab a table nearer the windows and enjoy the view and ordered a bottle of champagne to drink while we caught up on old times.
What was even more amazing was finding out that although both of our lives had changed dramatically since we had last seen each other, there were still incredible similarities and a shared 'connection' between us that was evident even after all of this time.
Both of us had been married for a number of years, progressed to executive ranks in our jobs and both had two children. We caught up on shared friends, old times, work, raising children, being married, politics, the economy and every other topic that we used to discuss endlessly during our time together. We had a wonderful time catching up, sipping champagne and reliving old times and as we prepared to say goodnight, I said to Kelly "why don't you come down to my room for a nightcap β I've got an amazing suite here at the hotel and an outdoor balcony with a couple of lounge-chairs β we can finish the bottle of champagne and enjoy the storm." She looked back at me and with that impish grin said "I thought you'd never ask."