Final Flu Shanghai by Jadling

Chapter 5

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.