Could It Be You? |✓

(33) Proposal

"You're looking for Mae Lin?" the receptionist repeats with a bright smile on her face. Dressed in a neat blue uniform with a scarf knotted around her neck, her charcoal black hair pulled backwards and neatly into a bun, the receptionist almost reminds Emma of an air stewardess, and like an air stewardess, something about her smile makes her feel distant and unreachable anyway. Emma cannot help but wonder how everything here is so perfectly in place and professional.

Emma nods in response to the question. "Yes please, thank you very much." She notices from the silvery plate at her chest that her name is Jane.

At her request, Jane picks up the receiver and dials an extension. The call goes through shortly and she exchanges a few words with the person on the other line. Emma twiddles her thumbs as Jane calls, being slightly nervous over her request. After Jane puts the phone down, she directs Emma to the sofas to wait.

Several minutes pass before Mae Lin, in an electric blue midi dress and matching stilettos, walks out to meet Emma.

"What brings you here?" Mae Lin asks, surprised to see her. Immediately, she seems guarded, as if Emma has intruded into a space she doesn't expect her to.

Emma breaks into a plastic smile. "Care to talk over coffee? It won't take long."

Something about her tone must have unnerved Mae Lin because her expression changes into that of unease. She glances at the watch on her wrist, then reluctantly agrees.

They relocate to a Starbucks beneath the building, whose oak walls and matching brown furniture are reminiscent of a cosy tree house. The warm ambience - thanks to its orange lighting - does nothing to thaw the cold animosity between her and Mae Lin.

Emma knows that Mae Lin is observing her every move with suspicion as if everything she does carries with it a more ominous purpose. She is also aware of how she is staring at her right this moment, as she shakes some cocoa powder into her latte.

"Speak your mind," Mae Lin says, finally running out of patience. "I have to get back to work."

"Very well," Emma responds as she places the cocoa bottle back onto the tray and proceeds to stir her coffee. "I've spent my last four days agonising over the turn of events, but I think I've done a decent job at cleaning up my thoughts by now. I'm here because I want to hear what happened."

A disbelieving laugh escapes Mae Lin's mouth. "That's not very wise of you, you know that?" she snipes.

"I know, but I need closure. And I thought I should talk to you to give myself a peace of mind," Emma continues. "So tell me, Mae Lin, how did it happen?"

She drops the stirrer and lets it fall against the rim of the cup, eliciting a metallic thud that echoes in its wake.

"Right, and how detailed do you need it?" Mae Lin asks. She narrows her eyes into slits.

"As detailed as you want it."

Mae Lin raises her brows, sceptical over her intentions. In spite of this, she begins the story. "As I've said, I initiated contact with Matt. And if it makes you feel better, he wasn't an easy one. He resisted my advances for quite some time before he caved. But when he did, it happened fast."

Emma takes a sip of the latte, her fingers trembling slightly over the last line. No matter how much she tries to get over it, the fact that she's been two-timed still leaves her sick in the gut.

"There was this night when he had dinner with you and your sister, right? He was so stressed that night, he finally responded to me. I comforted him."

Emma closes her eyes as she fends off images of Mae Lin's serpentine body over Matt's. "Exactly how many times have y'all bedded each other?" She ignores the queasiness in her stomach as she asks the question.