Insider X (15 page)

22

3Squared

NA WAS OVERWHELMED in every sense of the word.  She must have met twenty people in the first two minutes.  Huiliang kept introducing her to someone new, as they worked their way through all the people laughing and talking inside the restaurant.  The hostess—and there was a real hostess; no self-service here—had given them a warm smile and welcomed them, letting them know where they would be sitting.  A whole separate room had been reserved for “Na’s party”.

She felt like a celebrity as she was greeted by guys and girls alike.  All the smiles and friendly words: 
So nice to meet you, Na…  my name is Han… Lin… I love your dress… You can call me Crush… Where did you get those cool shoes?  Welcome… welcome… where are you staying?  I hope you like sushi… so exciting to meet you, Na… your big first day… you’re going to love this place…

All the salutations and comments swirled in a dizzying array.  There was so much to take in.  All the names.  She was never going to remember them all.  And this place!

So cool!  In the rafters were puffy light fixtures that looked like clouds.  They were changing colors, going from a reddish hue to a bluish white.  There were plush club chairs near a fireplace; the flames which were also changing colors.  In the main space were communal tables with diners sitting around them.

There were no windows in the restaurant that she could see.  The lighting throughout the place was other-worldly, cast on the walls, ceiling, and inside translucent artwork and objects.  It was a restaurant, judging by the sushi boats, noodle dishes, and meat entrees that she could see being served.  But there was definitely also a nightclub feel to the place.

Along one wall was a long bar with lights inside its glass front, which were simulating the effect of water and ice flowing.  Behind that “chilly” display, two bartenders, a very cute guy and an equally attractive girl dressed in tight long-sleeve V-necks, were dispensing chilled drinks to patrons that were sitting or mingling.

Dozens of conversations were in full swing everywhere.  It was like a scene you might see in hip places in Chengdu where the rich passed away evenings.  But this place was definitely different.  The people here weren’t like the patrons you might see in those pricey venues.  No lascivious middle-aged types.  No soft boyish-faced spoiled scions of elites.  And no fat-faced trolls with Politburo connections.  Instead, everyone here looked straight out of a Beijing Style magazine advertisement: young, photogenic, and attractive.

It was the same everywhere she looked—the chefs she could see behind the high counter in the kitchen, the wait staff attending the tables, the hostess, Huiliang, and everyone she was meeting now—they all fit that certain mold, as if everyone had been hand selected based on the same criteria The Party used for the 2008 Olympics.

Na had been much younger when she witnessed that glorious spectacle on TV, but she remembered feeling so proud that this was her country.  It was amazing how in a few short years she saw things a little differently now because of some of her illicit online activities.  She now knew the cold calculations that had been used by “the handlers” to achieve that beatific presentation; how only certain youths were culled for the opening ceremonies—where facial proportions, lengths of legs, the “roundness” of eyes, and all sorts of other ridiculous measurements were the secret deciding factors on who was selected and given air time on TV.

Not all was what it seemed to be.  It never was.  Was that what she was seeing here in this walled city?  Was this some strange social experiment?  Huiliang’s comments about being watched and “the rules” were telltale signs that she needed to be on her guard.

Na knew nothing was ever free.  And she didn’t buy what she was seeing.  That these twenty-somethings wearing these amazing clothes, dining in this fantastic place—just like the condo Na was told was hers, all shiny and glittering—were just perks of the job.  Because really—what could they be doing that was so important and so valued that they were paid enough to afford this lifestyle?

It made no sense to Na.  Something else must be going on.  But what?

Huiliang led Na past two more smiling faces and they entered the room where their large party was being seated.  There was one table surrounded by a cushioned bench seat that went around the table on three sides.  Huiliang and Na slid down to make room for others.  The young man, who’d said she could call him “Crush”, slid around the bench behind them.  Na was bookended by him and Huiliang.  Others slid in without curbing their conversations.

It seemed almost immediately that drinks were being served by waiters.  Wine was dispensed from glass decanters, and water from chilled Evian and Perrier bottles.  Next to her Crush said something that Na couldn’t hear above the
Mandopop
background music and other conversations.

“I’m sorry,” Na said.  “What did you say?”

“Just another typical night around here,” Crush said.  “We’ll do something more fun for you, next time.”

Na couldn’t tell if he was being serious.  She figured he had to be joking.  The lights in their area were more than distracting.  They disoriented her.  Made her unable to read him using her other sense.

The lights had already changed their hue twice.  In the new light, Crush’s lips had turned blue.  Even in the funny light, though, his face was incredibly handsome.  A realization that made her suddenly self-conscious.  She looked down at the table and wished she could check herself in a mirror to make sure she looked okay.

Really, Na?  It was as if she had never seen a cute boy before.

Cute?  Kitty Kat countered inside her head.  Kittens are cute.  This boy was gorgeous. 

Yes, Na reluctantly had to admit, he was gorgeous. 

She forced herself to look back at him; not a tough thing to do.  His lips were no longer blue; the lights in their area had already changed again.  “I’m sorry, remind me again, it’s…?” Na said, knowing his name, but trying to act coy.

“Crush,” he said.

“That’s unusual.  How did you get that name?” Na said, taking a sip from the wine glass in front of her.

“It’s a nickname.  Nothing exciting behind it.  I got it from work.”

“So you don’t crush things?” Na said.

“Well, it depends.  Do you need something crushed?”

Na smiled.  They traded small talk.  He was so cute.  Next to her Huiliang, who was talking with the girl on her other side, was laughing in her little giggly voice.

Appetizers were soon brought and laid on the table.  There were huge trays of exotic foods that Na had trouble recognizing.  Crush began to point some of the things out, telling her what they were.

“So where are you staying?” Crush said, as they served themselves from the trays.

“In the new building,” Na said.  “The tall one that is still under construction.”

Crush seemed surprised.  “Tower Nine?  Lucky you,” he said.  “Which floor did you get?”

“The top one,” Na said.

Crush looked really surprised now.  “You’re kidding?  Now I’m jealous.”

They talked about nothing in particular, but it felt like something; he was witty and charming.  Na tried some of the appetizers.  They were amazing.

Someone yelped.  It came from one of the girls at their table.  All conversations near them seemed to stop at once and everyone looked up.  Two others had walked over to their cloistered area.  A guy and girl that each looked about twenty.

The girl that had yelped with excitement stood up.  She quickly slid out from her seat and went over to the couple.  There were a few other exclamations of excitement, and it seemed everyone was getting out of their seats, including Huiliang who began to slide out to join them.

“Who are they?” Na whispered to Crush, who was the only one who’d remained sitting.

“Friends,” Crush said.  “They’re leaving us.”  His voice had lost its cheer and sounded almost somber.

“Leaving…?  As in leaving this place?” Na said.

“Yes,” Crush said.  “Tomorrow is their last day.  I need to say something to them.  Please… excuse me,” Crush said.  He stood up and slid out to go over to them.

Na watched as the others all said words to the couple.  There were smiles and a few wet eyes.  Hugs were given.  The guy and girl looked so happy; they practically radiated it; their smiles were by far the widest in the group.  They also—Na realized, when she saw the look the guy suddenly gave the girl—appeared to be very much in love.

Crush and Huiliang were among the last to speak with the couple.  The others all remained standing.  The couple said a few more words to everyone and then waved and walked away.  Everyone then lined up to get back in their seats. 

As Huiliang and Crush passed each other, Na saw them exchange a glance.  Huiliang’s smile was gone and her bottom lip seemed to tremble for a second.  Na saw Crush imperceptibly nod his head.  They brushed close to each other, and it almost looked to Na that Crush briefly reached out and squeezed Huiliang’s hand.  A moment later, Crush and Huiliang had slid around and settled next to her again.

What had that been about, Na wondered?  Conversations at their table started back up with everyone talking like before.  Huiliang was smiling again.  She was now engaged in the discussion she’d been having before the couple came.

Na took a sip of her drink.  Crush looked distracted.

“They looked like a happy couple,” Na said.

Crush didn’t say anything, and Na wondered if he’d even heard her.

“Hmm?” Crush said.  He looked at her with a flat expression.  

“The couple,” Na said.  “They seemed very happy.”

Crush tried to force a smile.  “Sorry.  That was Chen and An.  I will miss them.”

“You don’t seem to be the only one,” Na said.  “I saw some tears in eyes.  How long did you know them?”

“Not long enough,” Crush said.  He picked up his wine glass and drained what was left in it.

There was an awkward moment of silence.  Na took some bites from the food in front of her.  It was quite good, but the spice and tactile delight didn’t quite register on her taste buds.  Crush was definitely distracted.  Such a strange place this, Na thought.  Just a few minutes ago, Crush had been smiling and flirting with her.  Now he seemed on another world.

“They each did two tours,” Crush said, finally speaking again.  “They elected not to do a third.  They want to make a life together: travel, get married, and have a child.  They’ve saved enough is what Chen told me.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Na said.  “They certainly looked in love.”

Crush nodded.  “They are.”  His brow knit.  “It’s the rules here.  Marriage is not allowed.  Neither is cohabitation.  That is what eventually drove their decision.  They wanted something more.  They wanted the dream.”

Na realized he said the last two sentences as if they were in the past.  Had that been intentional?  Crush reached for a wine decanter and topped off Na’s glass and filled his own again.

“A tour here is three years,” Crush said.  “I’ve known them since they first arrived, six years ago.”

Na was surprised.  “But they looked so young!”

“They are young,” Crush said.  “They are each twenty-six.”

“They looked younger,” Na said.

“Yes… they have those sorts of faces,” Crush said.  He took a sip from his glass.

“How many tours have you done?” Na said.

“I’ve lost count,” Crush said.

“You’re joking?” Na said.

“A little bit,” Crush said.  He looked at her and gave her a real smile this time.  “I’m older than I look, though.  How old would you say I was?”

Na wasn’t sure now.  She had thought the couple to be twenty or so.  Not twenty-six.  Was that the same case here?  She looked at Crush.  He didn’t seem that much older than her.  But if she had to guess now, based on what he said, he must be quite a bit older.

“I guess the same age as them,” Na said.  “Maybe a year or two older?”

Crush smirked.  “Close,” he said.

“No I’m not,” Na said.  “How old are you?”

“A little older,” Crush said.  “Let’s leave it at that.”

“Not fair,” Na said.  “Okay, how old do you think I am?”

Crush leaned back a little and looked at her face.  He pretended like he was thinking, and put his hand to his cheek.  Then he dropped the act and smiled with his eyes.  “Wouldn’t be fair.  I already know the answer.”

“No you don’t,” Na said.  There was no way he could know.  Na, just like that couple, also didn’t look her age.  She barely looked eighteen, but her real age was twenty.  Of course, “her papers”, the identity she had now, said she was twenty-two.

Crush smirked.  “Yes I do.  You are sixteen.  Am I right?”

Na laughed.  “Yes,” she said with all earnestness.  “And a half.”

“Thought so,” Crush said.  He picked up a sashimi and plopped it in his mouth.  “Mmm… you need to try these,” he said with a mouthful.

Na smiled.  Moments later, Huiliang leaned over.  “How is everything going?”