Planted

Chapter 16 Zero Energy

Tommy was waiting at the glass door with a uniformed tour guide. 

Aw, he looked so adorable when started waving enthusiastically as I appeared. Get a grip, Sandy.

I turned off my phone, took a deep breath and extended my hand to shake the hands of the tour guide.

"Ah, Ms Ko. Let me introduce myself, I am Mr Steven Fong, your guide for today." He lifted his hands with a grand flourish, and said, "Look around you, Singapore is proud to present our first zero-energy building to promote green energy. It all started with the foresight of the father of our country, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Right after independence, he sent his civil servants to countries far and wide in search of plants that would survive our climate and create a Garden City...."

As I came close, Tommy tried to grabbed my hand. I shook him off and glared, mouthing a stern warning. Mr Fong fixed his gaze on the sky as he conscientiously narrated each detail, walking just a step ahead of us. Tommy successful grabbed my hand and won't let go, swinging our arms in a childlike manner. His body twisted towards me in hope that I would  make eye contact but I looked resolutely ahead.

"It is through renewable energy that the net energy consumption of the building is zero over a typical year. This 3000 square metre building is expected to be 60% more energy efficient than conventional buildings and it costs only $10 million to retrofit an existing facility. The long-term savings are huge."

Mr Fong turned to look at us as his talk reached its climax. Tommy had by then put his arm around my shoulder and I took the opportunity to shake him off. We dropped back to hand holding as we ambled around the building together examining each feature. I still won't look him in the eye.

Tommy whispered, "When are you going to tell me what's eating you? You haven't been picking up; the suspense is killing me. What happened at the party?"

"Concentrate. Mr Fong is talking. Why have you gotta be so rude?" I hissed.

When we stopped to admire the famous Single Coil Twin Fan ventilation system that would help regulate the flow of fresh and recycled air according to demand. Tommy turned my face to look at him and wagged his eyebrows. 

Cute, made me think that kissing was a mixture of fresh and recycled air too. I could feel myself blush.

Quickly, I cleared my voice and said, "What about the embedded energy in the choice of materials? Has the carbon emissions caused by the processing and transportation of the material during construction been taken into consideration?" 

Tommy marvelled appreciatively.

I continued, "What about the transportation of workers to and fro from the building? Are waste disposal, water use and recycling of building components a major priority?"

Mr Fong went into a lecture on building code and Tommy's arm creeped around my waist until we were joined at the hip. 

Good thing, Logan was waiting for me in the car, otherwise I might not be able to get away from his clutches.

Outside the building, the rain began to pour.

As Mr Fong concluded, I turned on my phone and read Logan's text:

"Sorry sis. Gone. Fi's on the heat. Leave the car. Take a cab. I'll pick it up tonight."

I sighed.

Did I actually think he was becoming more responsible?

Before Tommy could react, I hurriedly waved goodbye to both men, made a mad dash to the Mini. Once inside, I searched around for my umbrella. The rain played a mad beat on the roof of the Mini as I hunted around. 

Baby cockroaches. Ants. Beetles. Thankfully no spiders and no umbrella.

I closed my eyes and tried to think beyond the creepy crawlies. 

Avoiding Tommy was not going to be an option soon, he was so persistent. My anger was fading into fear.

My energy had been sapped away by the sight of him. Alarm bells were going off in my head. 

So I warned myself, aloud, "Stop it already, Sandy. Objectively, of all four men, Tommy is the least suitable. He doesn't have Logan's sensitivity or intuitive understanding, Christopher's wealth or social connections, See Yew's Asian traditional family values or intense desire to pander to my wimps. If only, he wasn't so green..."

A tapping at my window interrupted my thoughts...