The branch office he was visiting this week provided a welcome relief, with no danger of enthralling anyone since there weren't any attractive women around. His colleagues were mostly men and the few women at this branch happened to be older. He found comfort in his routine of meetings full of dry boring charts and spreadsheets, in work where he knew any confusion or uncertainty could be resolved eventually by finding something like a typo or a missing file. It was a comforting, predictable world where everything eventually made sense. There were no curses, miracles, or unknowable mysterious powers. Certainty came from persistence, careful checking, and best practice routines, not from inexplicable hunches or intuitions. His work comforted him, lulling him into a false sense of security. The virus encouraged this. It needed him relaxed, rested, and rejuvenated for tonight.
Two groups of colleagues left for different lunch places together, but he passed on both. He didn't want to be in a group of colleagues in public. He couldn't risk them witnessing something like what happened at the dinner last night. He'd have to back out of a few work dinners planned for the week too. He walked to lunch at a nearby cafe alone, feeling very care-free and relaxed, enjoying the weather.
Then it happened. He looked up from his phone to see a woman walking toward him on the sidewalk. She was a vision, a dream, stunning. Tall and willowy with the most adorable angelic face. Her features were delicate and she moved with a grace that made her seem almost ethereal. In short, she reminded him a lot of Yuming.
It was too late to look away. The miracle, or curse, or whatever it was, was already taking her. Her face flushed and she froze in her tracks, staring wide-eyed at him. Uh oh. Not here. He was just a block from his office. His colleagues could be anywhere nearby on their lunch breaks, and many of them knew his wife. He couldn't risk them seeing this. So he turned and walked into a boutique, continuing all the way to the back, out of sight of the windows, and waited for her.
After a few minutes she followed him in, her heart pounding, and stood near him. "Hi," she said, her voice barely audible. "I-I'm sorry to bother you, but..." Her voice trailed off.
He smiled at her. "Not at all. I'm Jim," he said, switching to Mandarin and holding out his hand.
Her hand was soft and warm in his. "I'm Lily," she said, still in English, looking adoringly into his eyes.
There was a long silence. She was still holding onto his hand, not willing to let go but not knowing what else to do or say. She was trembling, short of breath, blushing, her soulful sweet eyes locked on his, pleading, desperate, squirming in place, her weight shifting back and forth. Jim was overwhelmed by the moment, somehow still not used to it. Lily was a breathtaking, gorgeous, precious angel. It was amazing how it still overwhelmed him, the feeling of this moment. It couldn't feel repetitive. It was all new, each time. This moment wasn't about any of those other women. Lily needed him. They needed each other. It was inevitable now.
"I have something for you," he said in English, reaching into his pocket with his free left hand while allowing her to keep clinging to his right, as if for dear life. "Here," he said, bringing the card to where their hands were joined and replacing his other hand with the card. "I hope to see you soon, Lily," he added, and walked away. She didn't follow.
Again, he marveled at Leizu's forethought making those cards. An absolute chess-master, that girl. He walked to the cafe more carefully, keeping his head down and avoiding eye contact. He ordered his food and sat in the back, out of sight of passersby, and quickly found himself feeling at ease again.
After a relaxing, uneventful lunch, as he left the cafe he saw two beautiful women in short skirts pass by. They didn't see him. He was going the same way so he found himself walking behind them admiring their curves. He was struck by the thought that he could have them if he wanted them. It was an intoxicating thought. It would be so easy. Just catch up, say hello, pass out a couple cards, and Leizu would arrange it. He couldn't take his eyes off their bodies as they walked, imagining what he could soon be doing with them, and he felt his desire rising quickly.
But somehow he resisted. He wasn't even nervous about doing it. He just wouldn't do it. He didn't need to. He wasn't going to go out of his way to make this miracle, or this curse, or whatever it was happen. If it happened on its own he'd see it through, of course. He had to see it through. He believed what Leizu said about them getting desperate and harming themselves if they couldn't have him. But going out of his way to initiate it was crossing a line.
He immediately felt better after this decision. He was in the middle of congratulating himself on his ethics and self-control when one of the two girls happened to glance back, saw him, and stopped in her tracks, staring wide-eyed at him. Oh well, I guess it's plan B, he thought. The other one turned and followed her gaze and reacted the same way. He smiled as he approached and said, "Hi, I'm Jim."
The first girl smiled shyly back at him. "I'm Aimi," she said. "And this is Rei." The second girl nodded in his direction, her cheeks still flushed. Their faces were gorgeous, of course. With those bodies they almost had to be. Young professionals, maybe a couple years out of college. He was getting strangely used to talking to gorgeous women, and realized he didn't even feel nervous. He paused, gazing at each of them again, calmly enjoying their beauty, their intense reactions to him, and the certain knowledge of what it meant.
"I think you might need these," he said, handing them each one of Leizu's cards. "See you later," he said casually, and walked on past.
The girls glanced at each other, then at him, then at the cards in their hands. They seemed a little confused but mostly excited. "Okay," Aimi said, nodding slowly. He looked back half a block later before turning the corner and the girls were in the same spot, staring after him, whispering to each other. One had her phone out, probably already texting Leizu. He waved and continued back to work.
***
After work, Leizu picked him up in her van. This time Xiu was in the front seat instead of Fen. They were looking fantastic in cocktail dresses, and he was a little surprised there was nobody in the back. He had been half expecting to meet a whole new group of recruits.
"Where to?" he asked.
"Just a couple quick stops before the hotel. The modeling agency for your makeover, and then a quick drink at Xiu's yacht club."
"Oh speaking of drinks, here, have this," Xiu said, passing him back a very large, thick smoothie.
"What is it?"
"An all-natural smoothie, custom designed by my friend Qiao for you. Remember her from this morning, the one with the fitness centers for elite athletes? She knows what you need, trust me. Drink up."
He took a sip. It tasted strongly of herbs, fish, nuts, and fruit. He swallowed quickly, trying to get the bizarre combination of flavors out of his mouth and not intending to have more. Then a few seconds later he suddenly craved it. It was like as soon as it hit his stomach, his body realized it was something he really needed. He gulped it down quickly as they drove.
They pulled into traffic but stayed on surface streets instead of the highway they had used this morning. Probably rush hour traffic already, Jim assumed. Leizu turned onto smaller streets, passing a sign for Fudan University. He recognized the name, one of the most prestigious universities in China, extremely expensive and exclusive. It was class change time. Crowds of students filling the sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes, making their progress slow.
Jim was looking out his tinted side window at the pretty scenery (no, the actual scenery, it was a lovely campus) and didn't notice Xiu and Leizu scanning the crowds intently as they made their way slowly through campus. "Ooh, how about her?" said Xiu from the passenger seat.
"Yeah, great eye," said Leizu, pushing the button to open Jim's window and pulling the car over.
Finally catching on to the reason for the empty van and their route, Jim said, "No, no, I'm not looking at anyone, let's just go to the agency."
Leizu turned back toward him and tapped the camera. "Remember, you agreed to play nice, Jim. We can't have you getting bored back there all alone. Just be polite, see where it goes."
He sighed and looked out the window, knowing full well where it would go.
"Excuse me miss," called Xiu from the passenger seat.
The girl they had picked was spectacularly beautiful, a hundred and fifty percent his type. She was tall and slender with an exceptionally narrow waist and a sweet, kind face. Her beautiful eyes radiated intelligence as she turned to look at them, her long flowing skirt blowing in the breeze, highlighting her shapely legs. She looked slightly older and more overdressed than the other students. Maybe a graduate student? Or maybe she had a presentation today or something. "Can I help you?" she asked with a radiant smile.
Then she glanced at Jim, gasped, flushed, and stared. Her reaction had him instantly turned on. He wanted her so badly already. He smiled at her and waved her closer. Her soft little hand shook his with surprising strength as she introduced herself as Mia, her beautiful eyes still locked on his, saying much more.
Jim could only stare into her eyes in wonder, still holding onto her hand, unable to speak. Xiu spoke up again, sounding impatient. "He's Jim, I'm Xiu, and that's Leizu. Hop in if you want a ride."
Mia gulped then nodded, not asking where they were going and never looking away from Jim. He opened the door and got up, moving to the back seat.
She sat in his former seat while the door slid shut and the tinted windows closed, looking uncertainly back at Jim and squirming adorably.
