Chapter 17: Small World After All
Running back in panic to the safety of her room, she quietly shut and locked herself in. This was not a good situation at all, and Chastity felt like a helpless trapped animal. She couldn't let them find her in Becca's apartment! Why the hell were they here anyway? Breathing quickly but silently, Chastity listened for indication of their location.
"Are you sure Becca's not going to kill you for this little unexpected visit?" Vanness deposited his bags in the growing pile on the floor.
"I'm her brother," Jerry snorted.
"No, he's not heavy. He's my brother. No, he's not a nuisance. He's my brother!" Ken chided appreciatively.
"What now?" Vic interrupted.
"We chill for a day or so. All work and no play make me an angry boy," Ken chanted solemnly. As they boys grabbed food out of the kitchen and settled in front of the television, Becca stormed into the apartment. The guys smiled innocently at her, but their sweet faces fell slightly as Becca glared murderously.
"Jerry Yen! WHY ARE YOU AND YOUR THUG FRIENDS IN MY LOFT?" Becca roared menacingly.
"Sis, whoa. I just wanted to see you for Christmas. Since when have you gotten so territorial?" Jerry spoke plainly, stepping back from his sister as he did so.
"Jerry, you need to grow up. You can't just pop up like this. Why didn't you call me? Why didn't I know you were coming? What if I was busy? Or out of town? Jerry?!"
"I don't know. Come on, you of all people understand how annoying mom and dad can be. So this is like running away for a while, but it's legit and more fun?" Jerry smiled goofily again, hoping to appease his sister.
Becca glanced around the apartment and breathed a sigh of relief. There was no sign of Chastity, so she probably left in time. She helped herself to the drink Jerry had just picked up, focusing on calming herself.
"Ken, what the hell is that you're sitting on?" Vanness was yanking a colorful cashmere scarf from under Ken in a clown-like fashion.
"Hey that looks familiar," Ken announced thoughtfully.
::SHIT:: Becca knew why it looked so familiar to them. It was Chastity's scarf and a favorite one that she wore often.
"You know what? Chastity has a scarf just like this!" Ken said finally, impressing himself.
"Really? She has good taste then," Becca responded, not missing a beat. Taking the scarf from Vanness, she tucked it away.
"See? I told you so," Vanness snorted softly.
"Told who what?" Becca asked defensively. Just what was the boy hinting at?
"I told them that Chastity's freakily like you, and that's why Jerry likes her! OW!" Vanness cried out incredulously. Jerry had moved swiftly and smacked him over the head before erecting a face of innocence. The anguished expression on Vanness's face caused everyone to laugh, easing the tension. A melody sounded in the room, and Becca reached for her cell phone.
"Becca," Chastity's voice was barely a whisper. She had shut herself in a closet to make the phone call.
"Hey, how's it going?" Becca greeted warmly.
"Becca, I'm still in the apartment."
"What's that? O really? I'll see about it. Okay byes." Becca kept her voice as calm as possible, but her mind was formulating all sorts of possibilities.
"Boys? You can't all stay at my place, and since you're all attached at the hip we need to book some rooms," Becca spoke to the group.
"Nah, it's okay. We'll stay at my cousin's. He's on vacation for the summer, and his apartment's not far from here," Ken explained.
"How about we take you to dinner after we get settled in?" Vanness offered. With that the guys started grabbing for their belongings. Only when they had finally departed and Becca saw them get in a taxi, did she knock on Chastity's door.
~
In the taxi, the boys were silent, observing through the window with disinterest. Having lugged everything upstairs, it was Ken who had to make sure of something.
"Jerry, your sister and Chas, got along real well in Canada didn't they?"
"I think so. Why?"
"Because either Chastity's been to her apartment, or Becca took that scarf home from Whistler," Ken blurted finally.
"Maybe she just has a scarf like Chastity's. That's not surprising." Vanness inputted seriously.
"No, you guys don't understand. That was definitely Chastity's scarf. One of the corners was slightly unraveled, and you can see the stitching she put in it to fix the little rip," Ken went on to explain.
"Erm, okay Martha. And that means it's Chastity's because…" Jerry was still unconvinced.
"Because I'm the one who ripped the scarf a few years ago! I watched her sew it back up!" Ken exclaimed furiously, remembering with amazing clarity the afternoon they spent together at a park. Ken kept tickling her, and they were eventually wrestling around on the ground. He caught a thread on his sleeve button, and Chastity was horribly upset by it. The rest of the day was spent in convenience stores, looking for a thread and needle package. He was positive it was Chastity's scarf, and he had figured his best friends would believe him without question. The problem now was, what did it all mean? So it was her scarf, so what?
~
"Miss Tse! What a pleasant surprise! How do you like Boston? Please take a seat," the division manager gushed enthusiastically. Chastity had moved into a hotel room, out of precaution and this morning she was visiting the main office of her father's company. She had spent practically every summer interning and working in the building, and her earnest work ethic as well as impressive skills had made her a popular girl there. Naturally, it was a good idea to treat the boss's daughter with as much reverence as possible, but no one ever fostered any bitterness towards the girl.
"Mr. Brent, how is your family? I haven't seen Liz since last summer!" Chastity referred to Brent Walton's daughter fondly.
"Rebellious as ever, but I'll be sure to tell her you're in town. Is your father still working you hard as ever? He has such high hopes for you."
"I know, and I am trying my best not to gripe about the programming assignments he piles on me." They both laughed at this, and a knock at the office door interrupted their cheery conversation.
"Come in," Brent spoke, his tone and manner immediately shifting back into work mode.
"Mr. Walton, I have those papers from Phoenix you wanted." A twenty-something boy moved towards Brent Walton's desk. He was tall and attractive, but his attitude startled Chastity. He had a confident almost arrogant air that reminded her of another pompous boy in Boston. Surely this boy wasn't the same one that Becca had spoken about.
"Thank you Jonathan. There is a stack of contracts that needs to be faxed by 5 today. See Jessica about them."
"Yes sir. Also, I need a signature on this form please. Excuse me miss." Jonathan had slightly brushed by Chastity's arm as he reached over for Brent to mark the paper.
"Jonathan Chen, this gorgeous girl is Chastity Tse. She's the daughter of President Tse, and with her abilities you can be sure she'll be taking over this corporation in only a matter of years." Brent Walton beamed again, like a proud parent.
"Mr. Brent, you overestimate me. It's nice to meet you Mr. Chen," Chastity extended a hand to the young man. How coincidental for her to meet the very boy Becca was chastising the other day. Even more interesting was this man's likeness to not just Jerry in attitude, but Ken in suaveness.
Jonathan smirked now, flashing a melting smile at Chastity, "Gorgeous you are indeed, and I'm honored."
Brent Walton sighed and buzzed for his secretary. "Jessica? Am I free for lunch today?"
Through the intercom an energetic voice responded, "No sir, you are scheduled to meet the Fujishima party."
"Blasted! I completely forgot about them. Chastity, I'm afraid I can't treat you to lunch like I should. Do you have friends available to take you out? I really am sorry," Brent sighed again.
"Mr. Walton, if it is alright with you and Miss Tse I would be elated to escort her to lunch," Jonathan pepped up considerably, his eyes sparkling.
"Well, I have no problem with it, and I've heard you have a way with the ladies. It's up to Miss Tse," Brent Walton was the admirable sort of supervisor that took the time to get to know his employees. As much as Jonathan had been a disappointment in the office, he made up for it with overwhelming charm and ingenuity. Though he was treading in shallow waters professionally, Brent was confident that Jonathan could entertain the young lady quite successfully. Safety wasn't an issue either, Brent had driven Chastity and his own daughter to kickboxing classes for a couple of years. Now imagining the sly Jonathan trying to make an unwelcome move on Chastity, Brent gave a small chuckle.
~
"Is your cousin really out of town? I was hoping we'd be able to speak with him," Vanness asked Ken across the table at a local café where the boys were having lunch.
"I had to tell Becca something right? He's usually not home being the male whore that he is, but I'll call him about dinner tonight," Ken insisted.
"Who are you to call someone a male whore?" scoffed Jerry.
"No way. Vanness and I combined don't even cut it close to this guy. Jonathan's the kind of cousin that takes you to a strip joint when you turn 16 then gives you a palm pilot for storing numbers only," Ken reminisced about that night with his romance role model.
* * * *
"Jon is this like a black book upgrade?" Ken had asked innocently.
"Haha, you could say that. Technology is the solution to boredom, and it can't help being practical in the process."
"Whatever. You're just trying to make your job sound cool. I never thought my infamous cousin would be a computer geek at heart," teased Ken, secretly approving.
[So how did Becca and Chas meet exactly? And this Jonathan kid…he'll be around some more. The crap hasn't hit the ceiling but suffice to say it's started levitating. Please review.]
Running back in panic to the safety of her room, she quietly shut and locked herself in. This was not a good situation at all, and Chastity felt like a helpless trapped animal. She couldn't let them find her in Becca's apartment! Why the hell were they here anyway? Breathing quickly but silently, Chastity listened for indication of their location.
"Are you sure Becca's not going to kill you for this little unexpected visit?" Vanness deposited his bags in the growing pile on the floor.
"I'm her brother," Jerry snorted.
"No, he's not heavy. He's my brother. No, he's not a nuisance. He's my brother!" Ken chided appreciatively.
"What now?" Vic interrupted.
"We chill for a day or so. All work and no play make me an angry boy," Ken chanted solemnly. As they boys grabbed food out of the kitchen and settled in front of the television, Becca stormed into the apartment. The guys smiled innocently at her, but their sweet faces fell slightly as Becca glared murderously.
"Jerry Yen! WHY ARE YOU AND YOUR THUG FRIENDS IN MY LOFT?" Becca roared menacingly.
"Sis, whoa. I just wanted to see you for Christmas. Since when have you gotten so territorial?" Jerry spoke plainly, stepping back from his sister as he did so.
"Jerry, you need to grow up. You can't just pop up like this. Why didn't you call me? Why didn't I know you were coming? What if I was busy? Or out of town? Jerry?!"
"I don't know. Come on, you of all people understand how annoying mom and dad can be. So this is like running away for a while, but it's legit and more fun?" Jerry smiled goofily again, hoping to appease his sister.
Becca glanced around the apartment and breathed a sigh of relief. There was no sign of Chastity, so she probably left in time. She helped herself to the drink Jerry had just picked up, focusing on calming herself.
"Ken, what the hell is that you're sitting on?" Vanness was yanking a colorful cashmere scarf from under Ken in a clown-like fashion.
"Hey that looks familiar," Ken announced thoughtfully.
::SHIT:: Becca knew why it looked so familiar to them. It was Chastity's scarf and a favorite one that she wore often.
"You know what? Chastity has a scarf just like this!" Ken said finally, impressing himself.
"Really? She has good taste then," Becca responded, not missing a beat. Taking the scarf from Vanness, she tucked it away.
"See? I told you so," Vanness snorted softly.
"Told who what?" Becca asked defensively. Just what was the boy hinting at?
"I told them that Chastity's freakily like you, and that's why Jerry likes her! OW!" Vanness cried out incredulously. Jerry had moved swiftly and smacked him over the head before erecting a face of innocence. The anguished expression on Vanness's face caused everyone to laugh, easing the tension. A melody sounded in the room, and Becca reached for her cell phone.
"Becca," Chastity's voice was barely a whisper. She had shut herself in a closet to make the phone call.
"Hey, how's it going?" Becca greeted warmly.
"Becca, I'm still in the apartment."
"What's that? O really? I'll see about it. Okay byes." Becca kept her voice as calm as possible, but her mind was formulating all sorts of possibilities.
"Boys? You can't all stay at my place, and since you're all attached at the hip we need to book some rooms," Becca spoke to the group.
"Nah, it's okay. We'll stay at my cousin's. He's on vacation for the summer, and his apartment's not far from here," Ken explained.
"How about we take you to dinner after we get settled in?" Vanness offered. With that the guys started grabbing for their belongings. Only when they had finally departed and Becca saw them get in a taxi, did she knock on Chastity's door.
~
In the taxi, the boys were silent, observing through the window with disinterest. Having lugged everything upstairs, it was Ken who had to make sure of something.
"Jerry, your sister and Chas, got along real well in Canada didn't they?"
"I think so. Why?"
"Because either Chastity's been to her apartment, or Becca took that scarf home from Whistler," Ken blurted finally.
"Maybe she just has a scarf like Chastity's. That's not surprising." Vanness inputted seriously.
"No, you guys don't understand. That was definitely Chastity's scarf. One of the corners was slightly unraveled, and you can see the stitching she put in it to fix the little rip," Ken went on to explain.
"Erm, okay Martha. And that means it's Chastity's because…" Jerry was still unconvinced.
"Because I'm the one who ripped the scarf a few years ago! I watched her sew it back up!" Ken exclaimed furiously, remembering with amazing clarity the afternoon they spent together at a park. Ken kept tickling her, and they were eventually wrestling around on the ground. He caught a thread on his sleeve button, and Chastity was horribly upset by it. The rest of the day was spent in convenience stores, looking for a thread and needle package. He was positive it was Chastity's scarf, and he had figured his best friends would believe him without question. The problem now was, what did it all mean? So it was her scarf, so what?
~
"Miss Tse! What a pleasant surprise! How do you like Boston? Please take a seat," the division manager gushed enthusiastically. Chastity had moved into a hotel room, out of precaution and this morning she was visiting the main office of her father's company. She had spent practically every summer interning and working in the building, and her earnest work ethic as well as impressive skills had made her a popular girl there. Naturally, it was a good idea to treat the boss's daughter with as much reverence as possible, but no one ever fostered any bitterness towards the girl.
"Mr. Brent, how is your family? I haven't seen Liz since last summer!" Chastity referred to Brent Walton's daughter fondly.
"Rebellious as ever, but I'll be sure to tell her you're in town. Is your father still working you hard as ever? He has such high hopes for you."
"I know, and I am trying my best not to gripe about the programming assignments he piles on me." They both laughed at this, and a knock at the office door interrupted their cheery conversation.
"Come in," Brent spoke, his tone and manner immediately shifting back into work mode.
"Mr. Walton, I have those papers from Phoenix you wanted." A twenty-something boy moved towards Brent Walton's desk. He was tall and attractive, but his attitude startled Chastity. He had a confident almost arrogant air that reminded her of another pompous boy in Boston. Surely this boy wasn't the same one that Becca had spoken about.
"Thank you Jonathan. There is a stack of contracts that needs to be faxed by 5 today. See Jessica about them."
"Yes sir. Also, I need a signature on this form please. Excuse me miss." Jonathan had slightly brushed by Chastity's arm as he reached over for Brent to mark the paper.
"Jonathan Chen, this gorgeous girl is Chastity Tse. She's the daughter of President Tse, and with her abilities you can be sure she'll be taking over this corporation in only a matter of years." Brent Walton beamed again, like a proud parent.
"Mr. Brent, you overestimate me. It's nice to meet you Mr. Chen," Chastity extended a hand to the young man. How coincidental for her to meet the very boy Becca was chastising the other day. Even more interesting was this man's likeness to not just Jerry in attitude, but Ken in suaveness.
Jonathan smirked now, flashing a melting smile at Chastity, "Gorgeous you are indeed, and I'm honored."
Brent Walton sighed and buzzed for his secretary. "Jessica? Am I free for lunch today?"
Through the intercom an energetic voice responded, "No sir, you are scheduled to meet the Fujishima party."
"Blasted! I completely forgot about them. Chastity, I'm afraid I can't treat you to lunch like I should. Do you have friends available to take you out? I really am sorry," Brent sighed again.
"Mr. Walton, if it is alright with you and Miss Tse I would be elated to escort her to lunch," Jonathan pepped up considerably, his eyes sparkling.
"Well, I have no problem with it, and I've heard you have a way with the ladies. It's up to Miss Tse," Brent Walton was the admirable sort of supervisor that took the time to get to know his employees. As much as Jonathan had been a disappointment in the office, he made up for it with overwhelming charm and ingenuity. Though he was treading in shallow waters professionally, Brent was confident that Jonathan could entertain the young lady quite successfully. Safety wasn't an issue either, Brent had driven Chastity and his own daughter to kickboxing classes for a couple of years. Now imagining the sly Jonathan trying to make an unwelcome move on Chastity, Brent gave a small chuckle.
~
"Is your cousin really out of town? I was hoping we'd be able to speak with him," Vanness asked Ken across the table at a local café where the boys were having lunch.
"I had to tell Becca something right? He's usually not home being the male whore that he is, but I'll call him about dinner tonight," Ken insisted.
"Who are you to call someone a male whore?" scoffed Jerry.
"No way. Vanness and I combined don't even cut it close to this guy. Jonathan's the kind of cousin that takes you to a strip joint when you turn 16 then gives you a palm pilot for storing numbers only," Ken reminisced about that night with his romance role model.
* * * *
"Jon is this like a black book upgrade?" Ken had asked innocently.
"Haha, you could say that. Technology is the solution to boredom, and it can't help being practical in the process."
"Whatever. You're just trying to make your job sound cool. I never thought my infamous cousin would be a computer geek at heart," teased Ken, secretly approving.
[So how did Becca and Chas meet exactly? And this Jonathan kid…he'll be around some more. The crap hasn't hit the ceiling but suffice to say it's started levitating. Please review.]