“She asked for your poison,” said the woman in the red blouse. Since she spoke in English, Aya assumed she was the subject of this conversation with a stranger. “Now, if you speak Mandarin, forgive me, but you look like you’re from out of town.”
Aya leaned against the bar. “That obvious, huh?”
“For what it’s worth, we both know who you are.” A glass of whiskey on the rocks tipped up in Aya’s direction. “You’re Genevieve Liu’s new squeeze.”
“No sense lying about it. She owns the place, I hear.”
More Mandarin flung in Aya’s direction.
“She wants me to make sure you know that Genevieve owns a third. Politics.”
“She may have said something about that.”
While the group of women received their drinks, the lady in the red blouse turned her whole body toward Aya. “Terra Tsao. Shanghai. I don’t believe we’ve formally met, although I know you by face and name already.”
Aya offered to shake her hand. “Hopefully you’ve only heard good things.”
Terry’s shake was stronger than Aya anticipated. “Depends on who is talking to me. My girlfriend has much nicer things to say than, ah, Wendy Ahn. But don’t take that personally. Wendy has nothing nice to say about anyone besides her own girlfriend.”
“Your girlfriend, huh? Have I met her? Sorry. It’s hard keeping everyone apart.”
The bartender leaned against the counter, focus split between Terry and Aya. “Would you like a drink?”
The accent was a bit thick, but Aya got the gist of it. Terry chuckled. “What?” Aya asked her. “Something I should know?”
Terry said something to the bartender in Mandarin. After a small spat Aya could not understand, Terry said, “Allow me to introduce you to my girlfriend, Nyla. Her English is…” Terry’s hand slightly wavered in the air. “We’re working on it.”
“My English is fine,” Nyla said.
“Is fine,” Terry corrected. “Your English is fine.”
“My English is fine.” Nyla turned her head of blue hair toward Terry. It was at that moment, when that dastardly look sated Aya’s curiosity, she realized where she knew Nyla.
The party in Singapore. It was her. The same woman. Curious, indeed. Why was one of Genevieve’s Taiwanese employees at her recent party?
“What did you do?” Terry asked her girlfriend after seeing the look on Nyla’s face.
More Mandarin flung between them. Aya helped herself to a stool next to Terry, wishing Genevieve’s issue would resolve itself quickly so she could clear this up.
“Didn’t do anything,” Nyla firmly said in English. “We met in Singapore.”
“I remember,” Aya said.
Nyla sent an I told you so look to her girlfriend. “You want a drink?” she asked Aya again.
“Sou…” For all her efforts to blend in, uttering her request in Japanese was not going to endear everyone in the room to her. Except for maybe the Nagaos, who had migrated into the back bar to resume their canoodling. I’d rather not involve them. “Genevieve said something about having… something… somewhere…”
Nyla snorted. “Be right back.”
Terry leaned in toward Aya. “She’s off to get the good stuff.”
“You’re dating the bartender, huh?”
“Aiya, long-ass story.” Terry leaned back against the wall again. “Nyla is the best, though. She’ll make a drink that knocks your panties right off.” She glanced Aya up and down. “Or boxers, I guess. So! How’s dating Genevieve Liu? Tell me everything.”
“I’d rather not kiss and tell.”
“Smart move. Never know who is listening.”