Queen of Love

Chapter 28

Genevievehadstayedbehind in Taipei. While there was much work to do back in Tokyo, she didn’t want to push her luck with the visas – not until the sale of the apartment was finalized. She also had plenty to do in Singapore, but most of that could also be done over Zoom or whatever software her real estate advisors and investment firm liked to use now.

Taiwan had its perks, though. Not only was it a good excuse to do a thorough check-in with her businesses, including the bartending school that was now back in person, but she wanted to pick the brains of some of her peers. What better way to do that than to attend the few brunches that some of the biggest names in her Taipei social sphere attended?

“Hng, you really can’t go wrong with the Mandarin Oriental,” Terry Tsao said to her best friend, who sat to her right at the square table in the back of a stylish rooftop restaurant. “I’ve been to like five weddings there at this point. One of them was even gay, and you could tell they put as much attention to detail as any of the others. Don’t you think her family would be impressed with a place like that?”

Genevieve kept her opinions to herself. Wendy Ahn, however, didn’t hesitate to rain on that suggestion. “The Mandarin Oriental! What is she, some common straight woman? When I think of the Cindy Ling getting married, it’s gotta be somewhere out of this world. Someone like you could spring for the beach, Cindy. Why, isn’t there some premier resort near where her parents live in the mountains? I would rush to that wedding. Get some fresh air for my lungs and a decent tan for my skin.”

“Fine,” Terry said, not letting Genevieve nor Cindy get a word in edgewise. “If you were marrying that popstar of yours, where would it be, Cindy?”

“Italy,” Wendy said with no hesitation. “Either Sardinia or Panarea.”

“Panarea!” Terry exclaimed. “You’re shitting on the Mandarin Oriental? Come on, there isn’t enough room on Panarea for the type of wedding you want, dear Wendy. Get married on Capri like everyone else does. All the beaches look the same.”

“I will take everyone’s suggestions into consideration,” Cindy diplomatically said from her seat across from Genevieve, “but I think we would like to stay in Taiwan, so her family can attend without feeling like they owe me because I paid for their transportation.”

That was the end of that discussion. Yet Genevieve was hung up on one thing. “I had no idea you were officially engaged, Cindy,” she said. “Congratulations.”

“Oh, I haven’t proposed yet. Not formally.”

“Bet your ass your woman is waiting for it, though,” Terry muttered. “She’s the type.”

“I see.” Genevieve heaved the smallest sigh of relief. I thought I was the last to know. How embarrassing that would have been. Genevieve spent enough time around these people to know if someone as big as Cindy was planning a wedding. I would be invited, of course, that’s not the problem. Even if they were bigger frenemies than Wendy, most weddings were about the networking opportunities and showing off to whoever gave a slight damn. Who wouldn’t want Genevieve Liu at their lesbian wedding, of all things? “Have you thought about how you will propose? It sounds awfully romantic already.”

Cindy shrugged. “You all know me. I’m not a big romantic like that, so I dither between going all out with a public proposal at the jazz club or taking her for a walk around my family home and having a candid conversation about our future. She’ll be delighted with whatever, so that doesn’t help. Besides…” Cindy paused for a sip of her English breakfast tea. “There’s no point right now. With the borders the way they still are, I can’t plan a wedding when there are so many international people to invite. How would I reserve a venue? Honestly, I should be asking the rest of you when you plan on getting married.” Unsatisfied with her tea, Cindy reached for the creamer, which Terry handed to her without request. “Why is the focus always on me? Wendy’s been dating her woman longer than I’ve known mine.”

“Hmph. You think I can get married? To a Mainlander? Please!” Wendy was genuinely offended. Something that made Genevieve snicker. “I can’t even marry her if she’s Singaporean. None of us can marry our partners yet. Not legally, and that’s all that matters. Why, my grandmother has only recently started talking to me after finding out what a big star Lisa is. She was always of the opinion if I were to debase myself with homosexuality, I at least get myself someone noteworthy. Except I think she had someone like Ellen DeGeneres in mind.”

“Ellen! She’s way older than you!”

“I knoooow, and she’s already got a hottie like Portia, but you know how our grandmothers are. Ellen is the only lesbian they know by name.”

The sage nods going around the table were lost on Genevieve, whose grandparents had been old enough at the times of their deaths that Ellen hadn’t yet come out on network television.

“What about Japan?” Terry said in Genevieve’s direction. “Is gay marriage legal there?”

Wendy answered in Genevieve’s stead. “No, dummy. Taiwan is the only place in Asia where gay marriage is legal, and you have to both be Taiwanese citizens to get married.”

“Ha! Do you know who you’re talking to?” Terry exclaimed. “Seriously. Did you miss out on what happened to me and Nyla?” She offered Genevieve a sympathetic glance. She always did that whenever Nyla came up in casual conversation. Yes, that’s embarrassing, too. Not that Nyla had moved on with someone else, but it was someone Genevieve had hit on and made a fool of herself with over a year ago. Before I knew about them going out, I attempted to seduce Terry. Then caught her and Nyla going at it in the back storeroom of Paradise. That had not been Genevieve’s finest moment. While everyone had moved on, it was one of those humiliating moments that occasionally kept Genevieve up at night.

“I didn’t miss a damn thing!” Wendy and Terry’s voices had raised loudly enough that the other guests were looking at them. Doubtlessly, they were judging Terry for being a “loud-mouthed Mainlander” and for Wendy being “that troublemaker from Singapore.” You’re making us both look bad, Wendy. She wouldn’t be Wendy otherwise, though.

“How are things going with your new girlfriend,” Cindy sweetly asked, her ruby-red lips perched against her teacup. “Everyone is talking about her. Only nice things, of course.”

The fact you made sure I knew that is suspect. Genevieve knew not all gossip about Aya was good. The grapevine was a rotten plant, after all. I can’t decide which is sadder: all the talk about her ethnicity, be it fetishizing or disparaging, or about how she’s only using me for my Chinese money. Most people couldn’t get their facts straight, no matter what lie they told.

“Aya is doing well. She’s back in Tokyo working right now. I’m supposed to see her in another couple of weeks. Long-distance is difficult until I move into my new place.”

“Are you permanently relocating to Tokyo?” Terry asked. “Sounded like you were pretty enmeshed in Taiwan.”

“Oh, I’ll still be around all the time. I tend to put down part-time roots wherever I’m chasing commercial pursuits. I have too much going on here with Paradise and my bars to not visit as much as I already do, but I’m hoping this new lesbian bar in Tokyo takes off so I can establish capital in Japan as well.”

“The yen is so trashed right now, they’re probably kissing your feet,” Wendy glibly said, much to everyone’s chagrin. “Honestly, I should look into investing in Japan, too. The Canadian market is still hot as the sun, but supply is getting low. Are you in the market for selling your Vancouver condo, Genevieve?”

“Maybe, but it won’t be this year. I just paid up the maintenance for the year.” What she didn’t mention was it made her a tidy sum on the short-term rental market. “I’m actually thinking of selling the Manhattan apartment. I seldom go to New York anymore, and Aya has ties to the west coast. California, you know.” She paused for effect. Almost immediately, her friends were impressed. “I might get something in Los Angeles. In which case, yes, it might be prudent to part with the Vancouver condo, too. I’ll have to discuss it with my real estate firm.”

“Oh, you were going to give me their number!” Wendy said. “As well as the number for your girlfriend’s Tokyo firm. Did you hear Nick Cheng is buying a place in Tokyo, too? I mean, that’s obvious, but he’s using Atsukatta Real Estate to get it done.”