Personally
Taylor wouldn't pick up her phone and it was beginning to worry Ju Cai just a little bit. As he was dialing her number for the third time in this hour, his phone picked up on an incoming call instead. Since picking up calls was button-activated, he was forced to answer without even knowing who it was.
"Who is this?" Pause. Dawei stared at him curiously, thinking that his boss was always animated no matter what situation befell itself upon him; Ju Cai was still recovering slowly from the gun incident, after all. "Oh! So nice to hear from you again, stud. What's the story?"
Dawei looked at Xiangcai, who shrugged. Tsai Hao, made a yakking motion with his hand. Although the group referred to him as doctor (and to an extent he was), he was better described as a shady basement surgeon since he truthfully only taught himself how to treat certain things--things that could happen. Like how to work it out if someone was poisoned or broke a bone or was bleeding to death, to as little as if someone had a headache. Other than that, allopathic treatments meant nothing to him and his only other job was to cut up drug mules. He used to be one himself.
"I'm glad to hear that. I was almost worried that perhaps I would have never heard from you again. No, really." Pause. "Oh, well we're doing just fine also. Things happened but they're not so important now." Long pause. "You don't say?" Ju Cai glanced at Xiangcai, which caused Dawei and Tsai Hao to look at him too. "That's a nice idea, except I think I would rather swallow a pound of salt than deal with--oh. Then that changes everything. How groovy; let's do it." Ju Cai searched his desk for free paper and a pen.
Dawei asked Xiangcai, "What's going on?"
The epileptic shrugged helplessly. "I don't have any i-idea," He furrowed his brows as he stuttered out the last word. His head was beginning to hurt. "If something is supposed to be going on, I don't remember what."
"Maybe he's talking to a girl." Tsai Hao suggested.
Dawei shrugged, looking over at them conspiratorily, or so it seemed. But they knew better; Dawei always had that face about him. "I wouldn't be surprised."
Ju Cai nodded after writing down whatever he needed to. "Sounds fine. Uh huh, uh huh." Pause. "Then be sure to let me know when the plan's final. I'm very naggy though so expect me to keep in touch if you don't get any word in to me within the week." Longer pause. "Alright. I'll see you around sometime soon. Shine on, you brilliant diamond. Bye-bye!" He hung up.
Tsai Hao and Dawei sprung to life as if they had been actively working all this time. The former checked log records for incoming mules, departing mules and mules who didn't make it while Dawei dealt with updating a list of clientele and, bluntly, courtesans. Xiangcai's memory didn't recover in time to remember what he was doing up to that point but it didn't matter; Ju Cai smiled at him.
"I'm so happy you've been making friends outside of work. You're a good boy, Xiangcai." Ju Cai lifted from his chair slightly to toss a lollipop at him.
Xiangcai brought his hands up to catch but Tsai Hao intercepted before handing it over with a smile. "I'm glad to hear that too."
"Oh.." Xiangcai nodded slowly, though he still wasn't sure if he remember what exactly they were talking about.
-
"Hey, 'scuse me, can you tell me if Avner is in his office or not? Don't tell me where he is, I just want a yes or a no and I'll be on my way." Ju Cai struck sharply at the door frame, making Moss Stebbins jump.
"I've been instructed not to have anyone interrupt him until he comes out." Moss narrowed his eyes, studying Ju Cai tentatively from his desk. "He told me himself."
"What's your point, sistah?" Ju Cai asked. "I've just got to complain to him about something. Taylor hasn't picked up her phone in days and it's getting horrific."
"That's nice, Ju Cai, but not his problem. It's just not a good idea to bother my boss right now. He was very insistent on making sure there won't be any interruptions." The Triad flouted everything he said with a wave of his hand and started down the hallway. Moss immediately got up from his desk to follow him. "Don't do this now. He wants to be left alone."
Ju Cai smiled and whirled around to tweak Moss' nose. The xenophobic flinched and shoved the hand away. "That's the way, uh huh, uh huh."
"You like it?" Moss sighed and put a hand over his face.
"Ooh!" Ju Cai clapped. "Now you know where I'm coming from."
"Right..." Pause. "Ju Cai, if you start singing the Bear Necessities--friendly relationship or not--I will strangle you." Another pause, because the other man didn't respond. "I'll do whatever you want."
"Sounds good!" Ju Cai started back down the hallway but Moss stopped him again. "Oh, what now?"
"Come on," Moss pulled at him. "Let's go the other way. Please. And you just need to stop cheating with Eva. Before you ask, no, I didn't tell him because it's none of my business, but seriously just stop." He breathed out a sigh, speaking lower. "Avner expressed clearly that he doesn't want to be bothered, okay?"
"I don't want to be bothered either, if you know what I mean." Ju Cai yanked his arm out of Moss' grasp and headed back down towards the door. "He and I are close friends; I came down all this way to see him and I'm certain he would be happy to see me. So I think I'm exempt."
"Ju Cai!"
"What? Jesus..."
"Don't go in there. I'm begging you."
The Triad didn't even knock. He just strode in and initiated the bitching. "Hey Avner, I know you didn't want to be bothered but I have something to talk to you about and..." He trailed off quickly.
Avner looked pretty good that morning in a dark gray two-button Calvin Klein suit and a polka-dotted tie. He was pressed up hard against a fine-bodied woman who looked nice and even thinner in a black Azzedine Alaïa dress and also-black Isaac Mizrahi shoes. They immediately disengaged and Avner pushed her away while wiping off his mouth with his sleeve, and she flopped lightly onto the carter sofa, rolling her eyes and crossing her legs.
Taylor never picked up her phone.
"And I, um..." Ju Cai averted his eyes and forced himself to recover quickly. "I like that look on you, Avner."
The Jewish boss refused to look at him. "Thank you. I like that poorly constructed look you have going on." The gently warm and kind Avner who was talkative and liked to ask questions was replaced by someone freezing cold and uncomfortably austere.
Ju Cai looked down at his clothes, offended but disgusted at himself for caring about anything other than the situation. He ran his hands down his jacket and had to force himself not to look over at Taylor, who was lounging. There was a long and chilly silence that no one was able to fill up until Moss timidly opened the door and peeked in, stuck halfway past the threshold.
"Avner, I'm so sorry for the interruption. I tried to stop him."
"It's fine." Avner went over wearing a scowl and shut the door in Moss' face. Then he moved past Ju Cai who was staring hard out the window, and shortly came back around after picking up a cigar to halt in front of and dominate the Triad's view. He lit up the Montecristo with a match and began to speak, so as to distract Ju Cai from spotting the bottle of Dom Perignon on his desk. "Jesus fucking Christ," he snapped.
Ju Cai flinched. Slowly he asked, "Jesus fucking Christ...what?" He shrugged as amiably as he could--but if only such a gesture was possible.
"Jesus fucking Christ, the world's falling apart and no one cares. How does this happen? Do you know?" Avner blew smoke into Ju Cai's face. "Aren't you going to say hello to your girlfriend?"
There was hesitation at first. "Hey, Taylor."
"Hi, Ju Cai." Taylor tried to smile and then managed a somewhat ghastly wave without looking at him.
"So how long have you two been seeing each other?" Ju Cai asked, trying not to press an already edgy Avner. "Has it been long at all?"
"Four days after you two entered your relationship," Avner said bluntly, with a somewhat boxy fluctuation. It wasn't difficult to catch the harshness of his tone. "So this is a little strange, huh?" He joked, but not really.
"Sort of," Ju Cai said blankly.
Avner stared hard at him, still blowing smoke directly into his face which made the Triad's eyes water each time. "So what did you come here for?" A hesitant silence took place and he broke it impatiently. "Never mind. Taylor, don't you have some other matters to attend to?"
"Oh, you're right. I have to get going." She got up and smoothed out the edges of her dress, her curly hair bouncing just a little after she straightened her posture again.
"Where are you going?" Ju Cai asked, ashamed for some reason.
"Preliminary meeting with someone who wants me to walk for his show, and then a real show after that. I'm in it. You know, modeli--" Taylor cut herself off to sigh. "My job. The only real work is making sure I'm there on time."
Avner buzzed on his intercom. "Moss, please walk Taylor out and escort her home safely."
"Yes, sir," Came the reply. "Eva called."
Avner ignored him and looked at Taylor, holding his cigar between his fingers. "Say goodbye to the man you love. You have a minute and then you're out of here."
Almost too quickly, Taylor got up from the sofa and kissed the Jewish boss in front of her boyfriend. Avner returned the kiss lightly on the lips as he placed his hands on the sides of her face, acknowledging her with a silent, repressed longing. Ju Cai looked away, genuinely embarrassed, as Taylor glanced at him.
Nothing was said until Taylor left the room in its painfully awkward state. "So what's the story?" Ju Cai asked, suddenly much quieter than when he had initially entered the room. "I had no idea you two had been seeing each other for that long."
"I'm sorry to have gone behind your back like that, Ju Cai." Avner pointed at the sofa for him to sit, and the Triad obeyed right upon his command.
"You don't have to lie. If you were sorry, you wouldn't have continued, right?" Ju Cai licked his lips and looked down. "I don't want to make this even worse but since this is out of the bag, I'll let the other cat out too. I've been seeing Eva."
Avner stared dully at the lipstick he wiped off his face and onto his sleeve, the corners of his lips dropping further while the cigar smoke disappeared into nothing as it floated up into the air. "And that has been going on for how long?"
"Two weeks after you two entered your relationship." Which was not long after Avner had allegedly gotten started on Taylor.
Ju Cai flinched for the second time today after the other man shot him a look as sharp as a knife. It was as if Avner wanted to say something along the lines of 'well, you had an early start didn't you' but stopped himself due to potential hypocrisy. The Jew released a groan and paced in front of the Triad, seeming nonplussed.
"I would tell you I'm sorry, but it's kind of futile." Ju Cai said, slowly, purposefully. Trying to avoid something worse. "I think it may be a good time for us to alter our relationships, Ave."
"So was Eva a nice lay? How was it fucking her?" Avner went around to his desk to look for something, pulling open drawers and sifting through papers and other objects. "I hated how good she was, personally. But then again, Taylor hasn't had much experience and it didn't turn me on as much."
Ju Cai knitted his eyebrows together, unsure. "Did you hear what I said?"
Avner looked up and smiled. It was chilling. "No. What?"
"I think it's time we change our relationships."
"You're right. You're absolutely right." Avner brought his hand over the desk and shot Ju Cai in the chest with his pistol. The Triad coughed, eyes wide, blood lapping out into his multi-striped Perry Ellis shirt. He clamped a hand over the wound but the fluid seeped out heavily from behind his fingers, and Avner watched him with a strange fascination as he came over.
Ju Cai used a shock of energy to jerk upwards in an attempt to claw Avner's eyes, but only managed to scratch open three lines along the his cheek and the side of his mouth. Avner, by reflex, jabbed the gun to Ju Cai's forehead but held back the coup de grace as the Chinese man began to lose his color, paleness beginning to settle into his lips very slowly. The wounded man's eyes rolled upwards and he moaned painfully, quaking so badly that his watch kept on making noises as his hands shook while Avner pushed him back further against the couch.
Avner stroked Ju Cai's throat with deliberately specious tenderness and said to him darkly, almost in a growl, "You may want to avoid further trouble but I don't hold my friends that close, personally." He smiled and watched Ju Cai spit up blood. "It's nice how outspoken and disliked you are while all I do is ask people questions about themselves and suddenly I am a friend." Pause. "If you tell anyone what I have done to you, I don't care what group you're from or who you are; I will haunt you."
He left Ju Cai to bleed and dialed Moss' number on his phone. Moss apparently picked up immediately but Ju Cai could not focus enough to hear anything from the other line. Avner glared at the Triad and then turned away to speak, "Hello, Taylor is still with you?" Very short pause. "Good. Don't bring her home, there's no need for that now. Sell her." Pause. "No, I'm not kidding with you. When she is unconscious, I want you to call Tsai Hao right away. Ju Cai's doctor, yes. This is an emergency."
he looked at the dying man and smiled again.
"Who is this?" Pause. Dawei stared at him curiously, thinking that his boss was always animated no matter what situation befell itself upon him; Ju Cai was still recovering slowly from the gun incident, after all. "Oh! So nice to hear from you again, stud. What's the story?"
Dawei looked at Xiangcai, who shrugged. Tsai Hao, made a yakking motion with his hand. Although the group referred to him as doctor (and to an extent he was), he was better described as a shady basement surgeon since he truthfully only taught himself how to treat certain things--things that could happen. Like how to work it out if someone was poisoned or broke a bone or was bleeding to death, to as little as if someone had a headache. Other than that, allopathic treatments meant nothing to him and his only other job was to cut up drug mules. He used to be one himself.
"I'm glad to hear that. I was almost worried that perhaps I would have never heard from you again. No, really." Pause. "Oh, well we're doing just fine also. Things happened but they're not so important now." Long pause. "You don't say?" Ju Cai glanced at Xiangcai, which caused Dawei and Tsai Hao to look at him too. "That's a nice idea, except I think I would rather swallow a pound of salt than deal with--oh. Then that changes everything. How groovy; let's do it." Ju Cai searched his desk for free paper and a pen.
Dawei asked Xiangcai, "What's going on?"
The epileptic shrugged helplessly. "I don't have any i-idea," He furrowed his brows as he stuttered out the last word. His head was beginning to hurt. "If something is supposed to be going on, I don't remember what."
"Maybe he's talking to a girl." Tsai Hao suggested.
Dawei shrugged, looking over at them conspiratorily, or so it seemed. But they knew better; Dawei always had that face about him. "I wouldn't be surprised."
Ju Cai nodded after writing down whatever he needed to. "Sounds fine. Uh huh, uh huh." Pause. "Then be sure to let me know when the plan's final. I'm very naggy though so expect me to keep in touch if you don't get any word in to me within the week." Longer pause. "Alright. I'll see you around sometime soon. Shine on, you brilliant diamond. Bye-bye!" He hung up.
Tsai Hao and Dawei sprung to life as if they had been actively working all this time. The former checked log records for incoming mules, departing mules and mules who didn't make it while Dawei dealt with updating a list of clientele and, bluntly, courtesans. Xiangcai's memory didn't recover in time to remember what he was doing up to that point but it didn't matter; Ju Cai smiled at him.
"I'm so happy you've been making friends outside of work. You're a good boy, Xiangcai." Ju Cai lifted from his chair slightly to toss a lollipop at him.
Xiangcai brought his hands up to catch but Tsai Hao intercepted before handing it over with a smile. "I'm glad to hear that too."
"Oh.." Xiangcai nodded slowly, though he still wasn't sure if he remember what exactly they were talking about.
-
"Hey, 'scuse me, can you tell me if Avner is in his office or not? Don't tell me where he is, I just want a yes or a no and I'll be on my way." Ju Cai struck sharply at the door frame, making Moss Stebbins jump.
"I've been instructed not to have anyone interrupt him until he comes out." Moss narrowed his eyes, studying Ju Cai tentatively from his desk. "He told me himself."
"What's your point, sistah?" Ju Cai asked. "I've just got to complain to him about something. Taylor hasn't picked up her phone in days and it's getting horrific."
"That's nice, Ju Cai, but not his problem. It's just not a good idea to bother my boss right now. He was very insistent on making sure there won't be any interruptions." The Triad flouted everything he said with a wave of his hand and started down the hallway. Moss immediately got up from his desk to follow him. "Don't do this now. He wants to be left alone."
Ju Cai smiled and whirled around to tweak Moss' nose. The xenophobic flinched and shoved the hand away. "That's the way, uh huh, uh huh."
"You like it?" Moss sighed and put a hand over his face.
"Ooh!" Ju Cai clapped. "Now you know where I'm coming from."
"Right..." Pause. "Ju Cai, if you start singing the Bear Necessities--friendly relationship or not--I will strangle you." Another pause, because the other man didn't respond. "I'll do whatever you want."
"Sounds good!" Ju Cai started back down the hallway but Moss stopped him again. "Oh, what now?"
"Come on," Moss pulled at him. "Let's go the other way. Please. And you just need to stop cheating with Eva. Before you ask, no, I didn't tell him because it's none of my business, but seriously just stop." He breathed out a sigh, speaking lower. "Avner expressed clearly that he doesn't want to be bothered, okay?"
"I don't want to be bothered either, if you know what I mean." Ju Cai yanked his arm out of Moss' grasp and headed back down towards the door. "He and I are close friends; I came down all this way to see him and I'm certain he would be happy to see me. So I think I'm exempt."
"Ju Cai!"
"What? Jesus..."
"Don't go in there. I'm begging you."
The Triad didn't even knock. He just strode in and initiated the bitching. "Hey Avner, I know you didn't want to be bothered but I have something to talk to you about and..." He trailed off quickly.
Avner looked pretty good that morning in a dark gray two-button Calvin Klein suit and a polka-dotted tie. He was pressed up hard against a fine-bodied woman who looked nice and even thinner in a black Azzedine Alaïa dress and also-black Isaac Mizrahi shoes. They immediately disengaged and Avner pushed her away while wiping off his mouth with his sleeve, and she flopped lightly onto the carter sofa, rolling her eyes and crossing her legs.
Taylor never picked up her phone.
"And I, um..." Ju Cai averted his eyes and forced himself to recover quickly. "I like that look on you, Avner."
The Jewish boss refused to look at him. "Thank you. I like that poorly constructed look you have going on." The gently warm and kind Avner who was talkative and liked to ask questions was replaced by someone freezing cold and uncomfortably austere.
Ju Cai looked down at his clothes, offended but disgusted at himself for caring about anything other than the situation. He ran his hands down his jacket and had to force himself not to look over at Taylor, who was lounging. There was a long and chilly silence that no one was able to fill up until Moss timidly opened the door and peeked in, stuck halfway past the threshold.
"Avner, I'm so sorry for the interruption. I tried to stop him."
"It's fine." Avner went over wearing a scowl and shut the door in Moss' face. Then he moved past Ju Cai who was staring hard out the window, and shortly came back around after picking up a cigar to halt in front of and dominate the Triad's view. He lit up the Montecristo with a match and began to speak, so as to distract Ju Cai from spotting the bottle of Dom Perignon on his desk. "Jesus fucking Christ," he snapped.
Ju Cai flinched. Slowly he asked, "Jesus fucking Christ...what?" He shrugged as amiably as he could--but if only such a gesture was possible.
"Jesus fucking Christ, the world's falling apart and no one cares. How does this happen? Do you know?" Avner blew smoke into Ju Cai's face. "Aren't you going to say hello to your girlfriend?"
There was hesitation at first. "Hey, Taylor."
"Hi, Ju Cai." Taylor tried to smile and then managed a somewhat ghastly wave without looking at him.
"So how long have you two been seeing each other?" Ju Cai asked, trying not to press an already edgy Avner. "Has it been long at all?"
"Four days after you two entered your relationship," Avner said bluntly, with a somewhat boxy fluctuation. It wasn't difficult to catch the harshness of his tone. "So this is a little strange, huh?" He joked, but not really.
"Sort of," Ju Cai said blankly.
Avner stared hard at him, still blowing smoke directly into his face which made the Triad's eyes water each time. "So what did you come here for?" A hesitant silence took place and he broke it impatiently. "Never mind. Taylor, don't you have some other matters to attend to?"
"Oh, you're right. I have to get going." She got up and smoothed out the edges of her dress, her curly hair bouncing just a little after she straightened her posture again.
"Where are you going?" Ju Cai asked, ashamed for some reason.
"Preliminary meeting with someone who wants me to walk for his show, and then a real show after that. I'm in it. You know, modeli--" Taylor cut herself off to sigh. "My job. The only real work is making sure I'm there on time."
Avner buzzed on his intercom. "Moss, please walk Taylor out and escort her home safely."
"Yes, sir," Came the reply. "Eva called."
Avner ignored him and looked at Taylor, holding his cigar between his fingers. "Say goodbye to the man you love. You have a minute and then you're out of here."
Almost too quickly, Taylor got up from the sofa and kissed the Jewish boss in front of her boyfriend. Avner returned the kiss lightly on the lips as he placed his hands on the sides of her face, acknowledging her with a silent, repressed longing. Ju Cai looked away, genuinely embarrassed, as Taylor glanced at him.
Nothing was said until Taylor left the room in its painfully awkward state. "So what's the story?" Ju Cai asked, suddenly much quieter than when he had initially entered the room. "I had no idea you two had been seeing each other for that long."
"I'm sorry to have gone behind your back like that, Ju Cai." Avner pointed at the sofa for him to sit, and the Triad obeyed right upon his command.
"You don't have to lie. If you were sorry, you wouldn't have continued, right?" Ju Cai licked his lips and looked down. "I don't want to make this even worse but since this is out of the bag, I'll let the other cat out too. I've been seeing Eva."
Avner stared dully at the lipstick he wiped off his face and onto his sleeve, the corners of his lips dropping further while the cigar smoke disappeared into nothing as it floated up into the air. "And that has been going on for how long?"
"Two weeks after you two entered your relationship." Which was not long after Avner had allegedly gotten started on Taylor.
Ju Cai flinched for the second time today after the other man shot him a look as sharp as a knife. It was as if Avner wanted to say something along the lines of 'well, you had an early start didn't you' but stopped himself due to potential hypocrisy. The Jew released a groan and paced in front of the Triad, seeming nonplussed.
"I would tell you I'm sorry, but it's kind of futile." Ju Cai said, slowly, purposefully. Trying to avoid something worse. "I think it may be a good time for us to alter our relationships, Ave."
"So was Eva a nice lay? How was it fucking her?" Avner went around to his desk to look for something, pulling open drawers and sifting through papers and other objects. "I hated how good she was, personally. But then again, Taylor hasn't had much experience and it didn't turn me on as much."
Ju Cai knitted his eyebrows together, unsure. "Did you hear what I said?"
Avner looked up and smiled. It was chilling. "No. What?"
"I think it's time we change our relationships."
"You're right. You're absolutely right." Avner brought his hand over the desk and shot Ju Cai in the chest with his pistol. The Triad coughed, eyes wide, blood lapping out into his multi-striped Perry Ellis shirt. He clamped a hand over the wound but the fluid seeped out heavily from behind his fingers, and Avner watched him with a strange fascination as he came over.
Ju Cai used a shock of energy to jerk upwards in an attempt to claw Avner's eyes, but only managed to scratch open three lines along the his cheek and the side of his mouth. Avner, by reflex, jabbed the gun to Ju Cai's forehead but held back the coup de grace as the Chinese man began to lose his color, paleness beginning to settle into his lips very slowly. The wounded man's eyes rolled upwards and he moaned painfully, quaking so badly that his watch kept on making noises as his hands shook while Avner pushed him back further against the couch.
Avner stroked Ju Cai's throat with deliberately specious tenderness and said to him darkly, almost in a growl, "You may want to avoid further trouble but I don't hold my friends that close, personally." He smiled and watched Ju Cai spit up blood. "It's nice how outspoken and disliked you are while all I do is ask people questions about themselves and suddenly I am a friend." Pause. "If you tell anyone what I have done to you, I don't care what group you're from or who you are; I will haunt you."
He left Ju Cai to bleed and dialed Moss' number on his phone. Moss apparently picked up immediately but Ju Cai could not focus enough to hear anything from the other line. Avner glared at the Triad and then turned away to speak, "Hello, Taylor is still with you?" Very short pause. "Good. Don't bring her home, there's no need for that now. Sell her." Pause. "No, I'm not kidding with you. When she is unconscious, I want you to call Tsai Hao right away. Ju Cai's doctor, yes. This is an emergency."
he looked at the dying man and smiled again.