“I know exactly how you’ll feel,” said Annie, “in two years, ten years, twenty years. You’re happiest when you’re running for something, and I’ll never forget when Dad was reelected to the Senate, you were the only person who was more excited about the result than he was.”
“Don’t ever let Matt Cunliffe hear you say that,” said Fletcher with a smile, “because you can be sure Bill Alexander would know about it ten minutes later, and the firm is just not interested in anyone who isn’t fully committed. Remember their motto, there are twenty-five billing hours in every day.”
When Su Ling woke, she could hear Nat on the phone in the next room. She wondered who he could possibly be talking to so early in the morning. She heard the phone click, and a moment later her husband returned to the bedroom.
“I want you up and packed, little flower, because we have to be out of here in under an hour.”
“What…?”
“In under an hour.”
Su Ling jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom. “Captain Cartwright, am I allowed to know where you are taking me?” she called above the sound of running water.
“All will be revealed once we’re on the plane, Mrs. Cartwright.”
“Which direction?” she asked the moment the taps had been turned off.
“I’ll tell you when the plane has taken off, not before.”
“Are we going home?”
“No,” said Nat, without offering to elaborate.
Once she was dry, Su Ling concentrated on what to wear while Nat picked up the phone again.
“An hour doesn’t give a girl a lot of time,” said Su Ling.
“That was the idea,” said Nat, who was asking the front desk if they could order him a cab.
“Damn,” said Su Ling as she looked at all the presents. “There just isn’t going to be enough room to cram them all in.”
Nat replaced the receiver, walked over to the cupboard and produced a suitcase she’d never seen before. “Gucci?” she asked, surprised by Nat’s unusual extravagance.
“I don’t think so,” said Nat, “not for ten dollars.”
Su Ling laughed as her husband picked up the phone once more. “I need a porter and could the bill be ready by the time we come down, as we’ll be checking out.” He paused, listened, and said, “Ten minutes.”
He turned to see Su Ling buttoning up her blouse. He thought about her finally falling asleep the night before, and his decision to leave Korea as quickly as possible. Every moment spent in that city would only remind her…
At the airport Nat waited in line to collect the tickets, and thanked the woman behind the counter for dealing with his early morning request so promptly. Su Ling had gone off to order breakfast while he checked their bags in. Nat then took the escalator to the first-floor restaurant, to find his wife seated in a corner, chatting to a waitress.
“I haven’t ordered for you,” she said as Nat joined her, “because I told the waitress that after a week of marriage I wasn’t sure if you’d turn up.”
Nat looked up at the waitress. “Yes, sir?” she said.
“Two eggs, sunny side up, bacon, hash browns and black coffee.”
The waitress studied her pad. “Your wife has already ordered that for you.”
Nat turned and looked at Su Ling. “Where are we going?” she asked.
“You’ll find out once we’re at the gate, and if you go on being a nuisance, not until we land.”
“But…” she began.
“I’ll blindfold you if necessary,” said Nat as the waitress returned with a pot of steaming coffee. “Now I need to ask you some serious questions,” Nat said, and saw that Su Ling immediately tensed. He pretended not to notice. He would have to remember not to tease her too much for the next few days as she so obviously still had one thing uppermost in her mind. “I recall your telling my mother that when Japan came online with the computer revolution, the entire technological process would speed up.”
“We’re going to Japan?”