01 – Lost in Translation

He had to kill her. There was no way around it. Cold-blooded murder was just about the only thing he felt like doing at the moment. He wanted her to suffer like he was suffering. A taxi. A frigging taxi in Hong Kong. Damn, had that woman ever taken a taxi in Hong Kong? Had she ever tried to take a taxi when the driver only spoke bloody Chinese? He doubted it. Why Hong Kong? Why had he chosen Hong Kong? He could've had France. He could already imagine himself charming a lovely little French woman in a bar in Paris's Quartier Latin. She'd have dark blonde hair and a mysterious yet extremely sexy way about her that would just be driving him crazy by now. He could see her blowing smoke out of her lovely red mouth when she was smoking some strange French brand of cigarettes. They would have red wine and dinner and afterwards he would take her home and she would say, in a very sexy French accent: "Do you want to come up?"

But no. He wasn't in Paris, he was in Hong Kong. He'd have to kill his associates, too, for suggesting to expand to the Chinese market. "China is the future, Sawyer" they had said. "Future my ass…" he grumbled and leaned back into the back seat of the taxi. Somehow he'd managed to get the driver driving and he was still hoping into the right direction. He just wanted his assistant to be here right now. How could she have left him alone in this crazy part of the world? She'd been his assistant for more than 8 years now and he really owed her a lot. The lovely middle-aged woman was constantly keeping an eye on him, she was more of a mother figure than an assistant really. Rose Henderson was about the loveliest person he knew. She knew perfectly when he was in need of a strong coffee and she could sense when he needed whiskey instead of the black and hot brew. She managed his meetings with ease, left him alone when he was angry and told him to shut up when he was over-reacting. He loved that woman.

He hated that woman. Why the hell wasn't she here with him? He felt helpless. Ridiculous. He was a grown man, he could manage on his own and after all, it was Rose's wedding anniversary and his soft side just couldn't force her to come with him when that meant she couldn't spend her anniversary with her husband. God, that woman had made him soft. He remembered a time when people were scared of him, when his employees were glad if they didn't have to talk to him. But not Rose. Sometimes he even felt grounded by her. She had a strange force over him, but somehow he liked it. He didn't have any family in New York and not even back home in Georgia and his sloppy side just liked to know that at least someone cared about him.

But now Rose wasn't here and he'd have to manage on his own. A taxi, a frigging taxi. Sawyer sighed heavily and hoped that this taxi ride would soon be over. He could only hope that things would get better in this heated and humid place. He had talked to the assistant of Mandarin Book's boss and he knew that at least she spoke English. Her English had been borderline perfect and he suspected that she must have been to the United States quite a few times. She had a slight West Coast accent about her and he wondered if she was one of those San Francisco Chinatown gals. At home they speak Chinese but when not at home they wear too short skirts and too much make-up. Sawyer smiled to himself. He could use a little female company on his trip. Maybe that Lin Liu guy, the boss of Mandarin Books, had some valuable advice. A knowing smirk that let his dimples appear emerged on his face.



"Bà….." Kate started in perfect Chinese. But the familiar word didn't stop the man on the other end of the phone line. The deep and authoritative male voice kept talking in Chinese and Kate didn't get a chance to interrupt. She knew that when Chan Liu was talking he was not to be interrupted. As usually he was babbling on about duty and professionalism and all Kate could do was lie back in her chair and pop her feet on the table. If her father knew the sloppy way she was behaving he would surely roll his eyes and hiss something about how a decent young woman should behave but luckily for Kate, he wasn't here, but in San Francisco. After 3 years as the CEO of the Hong Kong branch her dad still thought she needed a babysitter. Ridiculous. She was great at what she was doing and he knew it, he just couldn't let go.

"Dad" Kate finally started in English, "you know well enough that I'm the best asset you have in the Chinese market so please, Dad, give me a break!" On the other end of the line her father sighed. "Kate, you really shouldn't talk to your old man like that, but I forgive you, because you're right, damn it. " Kate giggled loudly and put her feet back to the ground. "Dad, don't worry, I'll manage just fine, all right? He's an American not a Sumo wrestler so I know I can take him, okay?" Now it was her father who laughed. "Alright, now prepare yourself for the meeting and see that the guy arrives safely. Oh and Kate? Be nice!" Kate only smiled when she heard her father hang up. She was scribbling something on her notepad when her assistant and best friend Lucy entered her office with a big smile on her face.

"Seems like your dad is giving you a hard time again, huh?" Kate smiled widely. Lucy sat down beside her and offered her a big cup of coffee. "Lucy, you've just saved my day! Thanks! And yes, my dad is nagging again!" Kate said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. Lucy smiled back knowingly: "He doesn't think you can handle the American, right? If he knew how many Americans you've already handled, he wouldn't……" "Lucy!!" Kate exclaimed shocked. "Don't you dare tell him anything from college or I'll have to kill you. Got it? What happens in Berkeley, stays in Berkeley, right?" Now it was Lucy's turn to smile knowingly. "Okay, okay, I won't tell him about Jason, Drew, Peter, Luis and Nick. And I'll definitely shut up about Tom and Andy and Paul. And he won't know about Rick, Kevin and Daniel, so don't worry!"

Kate stared at Lucy with equal amounts of shock and anger. How the hell could Lucy remember all those names when even Kate herself couldn't? But Lucy was damn wrong if she thought she prevailed. So Kate just smirked and started her own list of accusations: "Oh Luce, how could you forget Michael? Or Jin, Jack, Matt and Andrew? Or maybe you've forgotten about Ash and Charlie? And don't tell me you don't remember Eric? Damn, you really did well in that class, Luce!" Lucy only smirked when her phone rang mercilessly. With a roll of her eyes she answered it. "Miss Zhang? This is Rose Henderson, Mr Ford's PA. I'd like to inform you that his plane arrived an hour ago and that he'll probably be on your premises within the next 30 minutes." Rose Henderson's voice was kind and soothing and Lucy had talked to her a few times before and genuinely liked the elderly lady. "Thanks Rose, thanks a lot. I'll be down immediately to make sure he doesn't get lost in translation and I'll inform Miss Liu immediately so that everything will be ready asap." With a kind smile on her face Lucy exchanged greetings with the woman on the phone and hung up.

"Lost in translation, Luce? Are you kidding me?" Kate asked mockingly. "Actually, I'm not, Katie. The guy doesn't speak one word of Chinese and according to his assistant Rose he's as helpless as a baby without her" Lucy said softly. Kate knew exactly what Lucy was implying and somehow the idea appealed tremendously. "Lucy Zhang, I can't believe what you're suggesting! I am truly appalled!" Kate answered with her best shock-mock-expression and her fake British accent. Lucy laughed histerically and got up: "Come on Lin Liu, get over yourself and get down for the American! You know, he's helpless!" Kate joined the crazy laughs of her friend and got up. Together the two women walked to the elevator and began their journey from the 43rd floor to the ground floor.

Sawyer watched the taxi drive away and sighed. Finally, after a journey which had seemed endless he was at his final destination, the Mandarin Books Building. It was a huge glass construction but for someone who lived in New York City it seemed like just another meaningless skyscraper. With a sigh of exhaustion he took his suitcase and made his way towards the giant glass box. When he entered the foyer he felt the cool air hit him and immediately felt relief. The hot and humid August air outside had already been killing him slowly and cruelly and the fact that the whole building seemed to be air-conditioned lifted his spirits enormously. He put his suitcase down for a moment to wipe his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand and took a deep breath.

On the other side of the hall Lucy was wetting her lips with her tongue. Kate was still on her knees beside her rummaging in one of the drawers of the front desk looking for God knows what. "Katie, get up, I promise, you won't regret it" Lucy said in hushed tones. "Luce, just hang on a second, I'm looking for something" Kate answered annoyed. Lucy couldn't understand her friend. A few moments ago the most gorgeous man had walked in and Kate was still rummaging in a drawer. Was the woman out of her mind? "Kate, damn it, we haven't send Zhiyi away for a break for nothing and the hunk of the month has just walked in so please, get up!" At these harsh words Kate looked up at her friend with a smug look on her face.

When she got up and looked into the hall she was speechless. 6 foot and two inches sun-tanned suit-clad prime meat. Kate had never been one to deny herself pleasure but this man was probably the most gorgeous thing she'd ever laid eyes on. Broad shoulders, beach blond hair, gorgeous dimples. Her heartbeat accelerated immediately and she turned towards her friend Lucy: "Luce, didn't you say he might get lost in translation? You know, I think I've just developed a serious case of helper's syndrome!" And with these words Kate made her way through the foyer and towards the oh so lost person standing in the foyer.