HARK BACK

Sombrero, the Spanish-themed restaurant of Shage, was packed full when Hua Ze Lei drew up in his car in its small parking lot. Getting out of the car, he noticed two other familiar vehicles parked not too far away. He smiled and walked into the crowded restaurant.

It was Mei Zuo who first spotted him and waved him over to the table reserved especially for them at the other end of the restaurant.

"Hua Ze Lei!" Mei Zuo gave him a warm hug when he neared them, Xi Men also doing the same. "So good to see you again!"

The three of them sat down and gave their orders to the waiter in a Spanish conquistador costume. Hua Ze Lei looked around. "This place is packed," he mused.

"Business is great for Shage and Auntie," Xi Men said. As they spoke Shancai's mother was busy inside the small office, speaking with two men who seemed to be suppliers. It was in full view of their table, but hidden to all the other customers.

Lei smiled. "Finally Auntie seemed to have found her calling."

"She puts her mouth to good use," Mei Zuo said dryly. He eyed Hua Ze Lei. "When did you get in?" he asked.

"Yesterday," Lei replied. "I was too tired, that's why I didn't call you when the plane landed. Besides, I reckoned Xi Men would be very busy with work...and you with Xiao Qiao."

Xi Men laughed heartily, glancing at Mei Zuo. "Mei Zuo!" he exclaimed. "You seemed to have developed a reputation as a lovestruck puppy!"

"I am not!" Mei Zuo disagreed. "For your information, Master Hua Ze Lei, I was also busy with work at the office."

"So you say," Lei murmured lightly, to be followed by more laughter from Xi Men.

He turned to Xi Men. "How are the preparations for the party going?" he asked, referring to the reception of the renewal of vows of Xi Men's parents.

"Smoothly," Xi Men replied. "My secretary is very reliable so I am not worrying much. By the way, A Si called to say he and Shancai would not be able to come to the party."

"How are they, by the way?" Mei Zuo asked.

"Still in New York," Xi Men answered. "Tomorrow they'll be Chicago, for all I know. Theyre on an extended honeymoon." He chuckled.

"Any idea how his meeting with his father went?" Mei Zuo asked.

"It seems to have gone well enough," Xi Men replied, and told them what A Si had said about his inheritance. "Actually he asked me to be on the lookout for a house hed like to buy so they both can get settled the minute they arrive here in Taipei. My people are already working on it, so no problems there."

"He's still lucky," Mei Zuo murmured.

"No," Lei said. "He is blessed."

Both Xi Men and Mei Zuo nodded in agreement and looked up in relief when their food arrived.

Mei Zuo glanced at his watch for the nth time now. Impatiently he ran a hand through his hair. Beside him, Hua Ze Lei smirked. "You are too impatient."

"Honestly I don't know how she does it," Mei Zuo whined, referring to Xiao Qiao. "We've been together for the longest time now and somehow I still can't figure out why it takes her hours just to buy a pair of shoes!"

The two of them were seated by the benches at the mall, waiting for Xiao Qiao.

"Why didn't you just accompany her if you're complaining so much?" Lei asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Mei Zuo asked. "You know I am not very much into shopping for women."

Suddenly Lei stood up. "In that case, I'll go off alone then."

"Where are you going?" he said loudly after Lei.

Without looking back, Lei said, "Look for a gift for a lady friend."

Mei Zuo looked around and, with a frustrated sigh, got to his feet, rushing after his friend. When he caught up with him, Lei smiled to himself.

"So," Mei Zuo teased. "A lady friend, huh?"

"Shut up," Hua Ze Lei said and walked into one of the boutiques.

As amusing as it might sound, he suddenly felt lost the moment he stepped into the boutique, his eyes wandering, having no clue as to what he could purchase as a gift.

Mei Zuo lagged closely behind, hand in his pockets, a smirk on his face as he noted his friends clueless expression.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat. "Lei, what exactly are you looking for?"

As though remembering Mei Zuo was with him, Hua Ze Lei turned and looked at his friend. Then he grinned back, finding the humor in the situation. "I have no idea," he replied and they both laughed, attracting the attention of the few people inside the boutique, mostly ladies.

"That's what you're here for," Lei added. "Lend me your expertise."

Mei Zuo shook his head, sweeping his hair out of his face. "Hua Ze Lei, you're hopeless!" he remarked and took a look around, noting the lines of clothes on one side and the other lady accessories in the other. Something clicked in his memory as he remembered having been inside this store before.

He shook himself and turned to Hua Ze Lei. "What is she like?" Mei Zuo asked. "Your friend. Does she have a name?"

"Yes, she does," Lei replied, smiling slightly as he recognized his friends ploy to cajole her name out of him. He wanted to tell him, but he was sure Mei Zuo would use it in continuously ribbing him, and he doesn't want that. Not yet.

His relationship with Aisha wherever it is leading towards is still much too young. Too fragile.

When it became apparent that Hua Ze Lei would not give her name away, Mei Zuo guffawed.

"You should be hanged for keeping your friends in suspense about this lady friend of yours."

"We'll get there, Mei Zuo," Lei promised quietly. "We'll get there."

"I'll call her Nameless, then." Mei Zuo nodded in satisfaction and returned his attention to the task at hand. "So tell me what Nameless is like. That would be a big help in picking out something for her."

A reminiscent look crossed Lei's eyes and he was smiling as he spoke. "She's very simple, with simple joys. The simplest things or acts could make her laugh. She's...bubbly, very energetic. But at the same time, she's soft...sweet."

Mei Zuo was having trouble keeping from laughing at the obvious affection Hua Ze Lei held for this lady as he described her.

"Physically?" he coaxed.

"Cute," was the first word that instantly came out of Lei's mouth. "She's a bit short, petite..." His voice trailed when he noticed Mei Zuo suddenly became somber, as though he just remembered something.

"Mei Zuo?" he asked. "Did you forget anything?"

His friend looked up and smiled, shaking his head. "Oh, no, don't mind me. I just remembered something, that's all." He looked around. "Hmmm...now what should you give Nameless? What about a name?" He laughed, realizing how lame his joke was.

Lei also spread his eyes until they settled on something. Mei Zuo looked up in surprise when Hua Ze Lei walked straight towards one of the glass shelves.

The lady behind the glass shelf looked up with a smile at his approach. "May I help you, sir?" she asked. He was looking at something on one of the stands. "Something caught your fancy?"

Lei smiled at her and pointed at one of the bracelets. When she handed it to him, he held it in the palm of his hand gingerly, gazing at it with a sparkle in his eyes.

Mei Zuo looked over Lei's shoulder to see what his friend was looking at, and his breath was caught in his throat.

The bracelet.

A blue bracelet, with small beads interwoven along its strands.

The exact replica of the one he gave Aisha a long time ago. It's no wonder. This was the very same store she worked at...where he bought the very same bracelet.

He cleared his throat. "You like that?" he asked Lei.

"This is perfect," Hua Ze Lei murmured.

"I would have thought you'd choose a more expensive present," Mei Zuo observed, also unable to take his eyes off the bracelet in Lei's hand. "Are you sure she'd like that?"

"She will," Lei said and handed it to the sales clerk to have it wrapped. When Lei turned around and saw the slight unease in Mei Zuo, he asked, "What's wrong with you? You have been uneasy since we entered the store."

Mei Zuo shook his head. "Nothing...I just...You know that bracelet you just purchased? I gave one exactly like it to a girl before."

Hua Ze Lei smirked. "You are questioning me choosing such a simple gift and now you are admitting to having given one like it to someone before! So...did Xiao Qiao like it?"

"It wasn't Xiao Qiao," he replied, and at Lei's sudden inquiring look, said, "It was a girl I met when you were out of the country."

Hua Ze Lei nodded as he recalled having heard something about Mei Zuo meeting someone. "Yeah, I think I remember something about that."

"Well, when she left Taiwan I gave the bracelet to her."

"Did she like it?"

A smile crept to his face as he remembered her reaction when she opened the small box containing the bracelet. "She loved it."

Hua Ze Lei slapped his friend at the back. "Thanks. That's all I needed to know," he said and went to the counter to pay for the bracelet.

Mei Zuo stood there as Lei paid the bill, feeling suddenly overwhelmed by what just happened.

'What's going on?' he thought to himself. In a few weeks his engagement to Xiao Qiao will be announced, and in a few weeks more he will marry her.

First the slam book. Then the photograph. And now this.

"This isn't right," he decided, shaking his head. All Aisha had given her were nice memories, ones that he would cherish going back to time and time again.

But this isn't exactly the best time for those memories to resurface.

Not now.

Lei leaned back on the railings of the balcony, talking on his mobile phone, oblivious to the city lights of Taipei that can be viewed from Xi Men's penthouse suite. His ears were filled with Aisha's sweet musical voice through the phone.

"How was your day?" Aisha asked.

"Fine," he replied softly, suddenly longing to have been back in Tokyo and seeing her animated face as they talk, instead of having to just listen to her over the phone. "I met with my brothers, and went around town." He paused. "Did you miss me?"

"Hmmmmm..." Aisha's voice was filled with mischief and Lei imagined her with that naughty smile as her round eyes widened, as if thinking deeply about her answer. "Only a little."

Suddenly she giggled, and Lei felt himself laughing softly. Just then he remembered what today was.

"How did the contract signing go?"

Today Aisha was formally signed into Artiste with an exclusive contract. She's the very first contract star to be launched by Artiste and in the next few days she will be working closely with a few songwriters to give her a head start on her recording career.

"Smoothly," she replied. "Yuki was there, and so was Sachiko. Your father was present, as well. I was really nervous, but he was very nice."

Somehow the knowledge that Hua Ze Wang seemed to take a liking to Aisha put him at ease.

He heard her sigh. "I only wished...I wished you were here."

Lei could almost feel her loneliness. "Why? Didn't your mother come?"

"Her husband had to go to Kyoto, so she failed to show up." Sadness tinged her voice, and Lei sought to soothe her.

"At least you were with Sachiko," he said softly.

"But I'd rather you were here." She laughed softly. "Listen to me. I'm like a kid who can't go on without her mother."

"But I'm not your mother," he teased.

"No, you're not." Her voice suddenly became lighter. "When are you coming back?"

Lei mentally ticked off his appointments for the coming days. "Not for a week or so. The party of Uncle and Auntie will be two days from now, and there are a few things I have to see to in our Taipei office."

Aisha sighed. "Tomorrow I am meeting with the songwriters. Yuki is really speeding things up. He wants the songwriters to get to know me so they can get right to work. By the time I come back from Taipei all I have to do is to get around to recording. I'm really nervous!"

"Why should you be nervous?"

"Because! Are you sure the company is not making a mistake in picking me?" Uncertainty clearly rang through the phone lines.

"The entire creative team of Artiste picked you. They could not go wrong."

Lei looked up to see Mei Zuo striding towards him.

"Lei!" Mei Zuo called out loudly. "You are burning the phone lines! Say goodbye and hang up or I'll pitch you over the railings!"

"Lei?" Aisha inquired from the other end, obviously hearing Mei Zuo. "Who is that?"

Lei hid a smile. "Nobody," he replied. "Listen, I'll call you tomorrow, same time."

"Oh, OK."

His voice became tender. "You take care of yourself, you hear me?"

"Yes, I hear you." There was a smile in her voice as she answered him.

Mei Zuo was closer now, grinning widely. "Hang up or we'll have dinner with you falling off this building!"

Aisha spoke again. "Lei..."

"Tomorrow," Lei said in a rush and hung up before Mei Zuo could playfully snatch the phone away from his hands.

Mei Zuo's laughter rang out. "You should have seen your face a while back! You looked like a lovesick puppy!"

Pushing away from the railing, Hua Ze Lei grinned at him. "Speak for yourself! You pant like a dog whenever Xiao Qiaos on a kilometer-wide radius!" He ducked as Mei Zuo mischievously swung at him and ran inside the suite, Mei Zuo not too far behind.

Aisha hung up and sat there thoughtfully, alone in the quiet of her new apartment in Tokyo. Lei hurriedly hung up after promising to call her the next day, but not after she heard someone.

Someone who sounded terribly like...

She shook her head, feeling silly all of a sudden. And won't it be the wildest coincidence if it was indeed Mei Zuo?

Mei Zuo.

A small sigh escaped her lips, her mind harking back to those days they spent together in Taipei, dancing on the streets, eating in that cafeteria, taking an early evening walk...

What if, in the most unexpected moment, they meet again? Now that her mind is filled with all thoughts of Hua Ze Lei...What will she say? What will she do?

How will she feel?