Queen of Love

Chapter 15

Touchingbasewithher latest obsession before jetting back to Singapore was not how Genevieve wanted to indulge in a new relationship. Yet there she was, back in the stuffy office of Schuster & Wright, the premier investment and personal finance firm that catered to privileged gits like her. Their “proudly British origins“ suggested they were originally from London, but Genevieve knew the truth: the original Schuster was from Leeds, and Wright was actually a Chinese-Malay named Chen. Together, they founded what would go on to become a firm grand enough to attract the attention of Genevieve’s parents – but that London branch had come second, not first.

Such details were important to those in Genevieve’s sphere. The kind of thing people whispered and chuckled about during soirees that accomplished nothing more than the usual exchange of gossip and scandal.

They had always treated Genevieve – and her money – well, however. Since she came into her full inheritance early in life, both partners had stepped up to help her understand the portfolios, accounts, and monthly payments that went to this and that. They were too patient, which had almost driven Genevieve to another firm. Especially when she realized Oliver Wright (fka: Chen) was hoping Genevieve might be interested in his young and eligible bachelor of a son, who now sat across from her in his retired father’s stead.

Thank God he was married with kids now.

Oliver Jr. was much more professional than his father, though. So was his partner, the nephew of Schuster. This quarterly meeting between them and Genevieve was a formality, but one she always scheduled time for, since she took her money seriously. Now that she was accumulating land wealth in yet another country, she needed to go over everything with her advisors. Including her budget for the Japanese contractors she was soon to hire to remodel the bar.

“We’ve taken the liberty to update your charts,” Oliver Chen said from the other side of the giant table. “We’ve included the new taxes that will be reflected upon your yearly payments. Tokyo does not play around, Ms. Liu. However, neither do Taipei, Hong Kong nor Singapore. So, none of this should be out of the ordinary for you.”

“According to your investment portfolio, as we went over earlier,” interrupted Adam Schuster, “you’re truly coming out on top with your Canadian investments. You should have no trouble covering your upcoming costs as long as we stay the course.”

Genevieve knew that already. She never went into a new investment without some steady napkin math to assure herself she could afford it. “I’ll accept bids for the remodel in the coming weeks. I know many contractors in the Tokyo area are eager for work, so I’m not expecting to have sticker shock. The hardest part will be turning a profit, but that’s what the real estate advisors are for.”

Everyone laughed, the joke being Genevieve’s real estate lawyers and advisors were in the firm five floors beneath Schuster & Wright. Everything is incestual in Singapore. Oliver Chen was distantly related to Genevieve’s lawyer, too.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. A cursory glance told her it was from Aya. “If we may,” Genevieve began, “I wouldn’t mind a ten-minute break.”

“Of course.”

She stole into an empty meeting room and opened her texts. Instead of the casual or flirty message, however, she found something more surprising from Aya.

“Pop quiz,” it said. “You’ve got ten minutes to tell me the Japanese word for pussy. No cheating. No checking your notes. If I don’t get the correct answer in one try within ten minutes of sending this, you owe me a snapshot of yours wherever you are, and I don’t care where you are.”

Genevieve read that twice. She then checked the timestamp and cross-referenced with both the clock on her phone and on her smartwatch.

She had three minutes to wrack her brain or suffer the consequences.

“Ah…” Her hand covered her mouth as she nonchalantly pretended to surf her email. The windows to the conference room were not covered, nor were they tinted. She occasionally made awkward eye contact with one of the associates or assistants who worked at Schuster & Wright. None of them cared what she was doing, but they were all nosy. Everyone is always in everyone else’s business…

Wait. She had two minutes!

“Manka.” She texted on a whim.

It took another three minutes, one minute past her due time, for Aya to reply. “Buu buu.” She wrote in katakana, the Japanese sound effect for “nope, you’re wrong.”

“You owe me. I want it within half an hour.”

“Or what?”

“Or our phone date tomorrow night will be very lukewarm. I had really looked forward to telling you what to do with that vibrator, too. Guess we’ll have to raincheck.”

“If I don’t send you a picture????”

“Half an hour.”

Genevieve was paler than she expected after Aya went offline. When Oliver Chen popped in to check in on her, Genevieve yelped, knocking her phone into her lap and making the poor man leap five inches into the air. After they finished apologizing to each other, she asked where the nearest women’s restroom was, as if she didn’t already know from the hundred trips she had taken to that office throughout her life.

The problem with the bathroom? It allowed many people at once… and many women worked in the office, from the secretaries to the senior associates who sometimes checked Genevieve’s finances.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Liu,” one such thirty-something associate said as they encountered each other in the restroom. “Let me know if I can get you anything.”

We’re in the bathroom, for God’s sake. Still, great service was great service, wasn’t it?

“I’ll be…” Genevieve shuffled toward the handicap stall at the far end of the line of toilets. “Excuse me.”