Jen walked briskly down the polished marble hallway toward a table where Jackson Wang was doing a meet-and-greet event. It had been three months since she had last seen him when he appeared on her radio show in Taipei. She wanted to say she hadn't thought much about him since that night when they stood overlooking Taipei, but it wouldn't be the truth. She thought about him every day. His smile still lit up her dreams and she could still feel the chill in her spine when she heard his breathy laugh on the internet. She entertained no illusions about her chances with him. Always the pragmatist, Jen kept careful control over her thoughts, never allowing them to stray too far or to pique hopes that were destined to be crushed. She was certain he had forgotten that night. He met hundreds of women daily who fawned over him, women who undoubtedly had advantages over her. She glanced down at her gray blouse and black pencil skirt. Why didn't I wear something nicer? she thought as she found a spot where she could stand at the edge of the crowd that had formed around him.
She watched him look each fan in the eyes as he greeted them. He would often touch their hand or lay his hand on their shoulder as he would take a selfie with them. For each person, he had a word of encouragement or a wink that said, "You matter." She almost wished she was in that line so that she could be the recipient of one of those kind gestures. Giggling girls passed by her, one-by-one, clutching pictures of Jackson Wang close to their chests. Each one left his presence uniquely touched by his genuine warmth and charisma.
After quite some time, the crowd began to thin around him and his assistants started to gather up the leftover merchandise and pack it all into plastic crates. Jackson leaned his head against his palms and let out a weary sigh.
"God, I'm glad that's over! Please, tell me I have nothing on the schedule tonight! I want to go to the hotel and hide under the covers and not speak to another living soul for the rest of the night."
An officious young lady with impossibly straight hair checked the clipboard nestled in her left arm. "You're good for tonight, Mr. Wang. Tomorrow, you will be visiting a local children's hospital to read to the patients. You'd better get some rest because we need you on your A-game in the morning. The hospital is going to be crawling with reporters and you need this exposure right now with your new album coming out."
"I know," Jackson sighed. "I'll be back on my game tomorrow. I promise. I'm just exhausted right now."
"Of course," responded the assistant in a clipped tone as she smoothed her already sleek hair with her hand.
Jen caught a glimpse of Jackson's face and she saw deep circles under his eyes. Suddenly, he looked up and saw her staring at him. A tired smile crossed his lips as he stood and walked toward her. She stood stiffly, seemingly mesmerized by him as he crossed the hallway with even strides of his long legs. She wanted to smile, to say something, but she was struck dumb by the impossible realization that he did, in fact, recognize her.
"Oh, my gosh, Jen! Nĭ hăo ma?"
"Hĕn hăo," she managed to reply through trembling lips. She wasn't sure she was doing well at all as she felt her heart speed up and her palms begin to sweat, but there was no use saying it out loud.
He slipped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a side hug. "What are you doing in Shanghai?" he asked, still leaving his hand propped casually on her shoulder. He seemed completely at ease as his eyes scanned her flushed face.
"I'm here for a conference with other radio personalities from all over Asia. Actually, the conference ended last night, but I stayed an extra day because I saw that you were going to be here today," Jen admitted with instant regret. Why did I say that? Follow your own rule of never giving unsolicited information! Girl, what's wrong with you?
