CHAPTER 13.2: Caught

[ FOOTBALL GAME ]

The moment George and his football team mates came out, he scan the crowd to see Li Quan’s group of cheerleaders cheering for them loudly but above them all, he wanted to see if Gui and Genie were present for his game. But as he scan the crowd back and forth, not once but three times, he didn’t see either of them.

“OKAY LADS, PULL IN!”

When the coach roared out, everyone joined the group and discussed what their game play was going to be like. Li Quan noticed George divided attention so he nudged him. “What are you staring at?”

“OMG! LOOK! LI QUAN IS LOOOKING AT ME~ WITH GEORGE!”

“GEORGE! LOOK AT ME!”

“LI QUAN, LOOK AT THE CAMERA AND SMILE!”

“VICTORY IS OURS!”

As the crowd chant, the coach caught Li Quan and George giving their fans some fan service.

“GEORGE, LI QUAN! IF YOU TWO DO NOT GET HERE IN 3 SECONDS, THE ONLY POITION YOU GUYS WILL BE PLAYING WILL BE WARMING UP YOUR BUTTS ON THE BENCH! NOW, ON THE COUNT OF THREE, ONE–”

Li Quan smirked, looking over to George who manage to keep his poker face as they join their teammates. Time was ticking away and while the coach quickly went through his plan for the first half of the game, their roles and what position each player would be getting, George’s attention was split in half.

“NOW DO YOU GUYS HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO ROCK THIS FIELD?”

“YES!”

“ALRIGHT, HANDS TOGETHER.”

They all put their hands together and happily chanted their team cheer before positioning themselves respectively according to their coaches vision.

And once the whistle blew, the game has officially begun.

••••

[ VI WU FASHION SHOW ]

“SCORE!”

Jiro cried out as his buddies and him look around the highly anticipated fashion show Vi Wu was displaying.

They could tell that every respective client and fashionistas were seated closer to the runway strip while those who are semi-influential are placed further back. Nonetheless, everyone in attendance for tonight’s show is respectable in the field of fashion and in the eyes of the media.

“Look, we are placed in the front thanks to our buddy!” Jiro grinned over to Aaron as he smirked. “Just don’t embarrass yourself tonight, Jiro.”

“I wouldn’t think of it.”

“Instead, I think he is going to rehearse all his pick-up lines to use on the models for the after-party.” Wu Chun joined in on the fun as they turn to Calvin who couldn’t help but smile vaguely. ‘Where is Genie? I can’t see Gui either...’

“What’s up Cal? What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing, let’s find our seats and wait for the show to start!”

Despite putting up the poker face, his friends could see that Cal was worried about Genie.

“Relax Cal, I’m sure your girl is fine wherever she is. My guess is that right now, she is prepping with lots of stylists and girls around her, showing her the how-to’s and the first steps to a great performance. I’m sure she won’t screw this up.”

Calvin shot a glare over to Jiro as he zip his lips with the invisible zipper.

“But then again, you can’t blame this all on Jiro. We are worried not because she’s your girl but them.” Wu Chun pointed over to the heavy press that was prepping their cameras and crew.

“Don’t worry, if anything happens. We have everything under controlled.”

Calvin and Jiro look over to Wu Chun who flashed his radiant smile. “What. Does. That. Mean?” Wu Chun just shrugged their question off and turn his attention to Aaron who was playing with his phone.

“Let’s get out of here.”

“No can do. I want to see models and there is no way you are removing me from them.”

“Models? Jiro, what makes you think you have a shot?”

“I have laid out my 5 heavy revised plans. It’s a simple conquest of going in and charming every girl that walks this platform. C’mon, look at me, they don’t call me a lady killer for no reason.”

Aaron smirked as he watch his friends bicker on and on about whose the real lady killer between them. As stubborn as they were to take the title, just between them, it was a simple, clear and fair game.

But just when the argument was getting heated, the lights dimmed down, signalling everyone in the audience that the fashion show was nearing its biggest reveal.

Aaron stare at the white platform and looked around, ‘where was Gui anyways? She should be here right about now...’

He stare at the empty seat beside him that had been reserved for her. “Where is your lady?”

“She isn’t my lady.” Aaron hissed back to see the empty chair beside him now occupied.

‘FINALLY! What took you so long?’

He turned to see a beautiful lady sit beside him. “Sorry, my friend over there dared me to come and say hi. So... Hi~”

By this time, Wu Chun, Calvin and Jiro stared at the gorgeous exotic looking lady sitting next to Aaron. “SCORE!” Jiro nudged as Calvin and Wu Chun nod, agreeing with Aaron’s luck.

“Hey!” They all called out but just before Aaron spoke, the girl silenced him as she turn to see the music turn on and instantly, the spotlight was on the runway.

“Just between you and me, I think you and I match.” He felt her hand on his arm, touching it as he smirked. As playful as he was, he didn’t want to make a scene and to do so in front of all the press and media in attendance wasn’t his ideal area so he shrug her off. He leaned in and whisper to her, “I’m sorry but this seat is reserved for this girl I am engaged to.”

“WHAT?!” He shrug as he watch her get up, walking back to her group of friends who stared at her in disbelief.

“AW, I was going to pull one on her too. Man, she was hot too!” Jiro burst out as Wu Chun put his arm over him. “You gotta act faster than this buddy.”

“It went accordingly to my plan.”

“Shh, the show is starting.”

Calvin broke them up as they watch the first model commence the show.

••••

[ BACK STAGE ]

Gui didn’t know why she picked up the call but she did. She answered the call with little care in the world, but if she knew that by answering the call would change her life. Would she have still answered the call?

“Hello?”

“Hey this is George, future–” Gui smiled, cutting him off effortlessly. “–Future police officer, Mr. Hu.”

Gui look over at her watch and her eyes widen. “OH MY GOD! GEORGE! OH NO! I FORGOT ABOUT THE GAME! OH MY GOD, HOW FORGETFUL CAN I BE? SORRY, I AM SOO SORRY!”

She can hear him chuckle over on the other line. “I will make it up to you!”

“Make it up to me? When I came out, I thought you were here to cheer me on but when the game ended, you weren’t here so what can I do? It feels like I just got stood up.”

“I AM SOO SORRY! I promise, I will make it up to you.”

“Do you promise?”

“YES! I can’t believe I missed tonight’s game!”

“Alright, I will have to think really hard about what you should do to repay me.”

Gui felt someone grab her shoulder. She turn around to find a women who was in her 40’s push her over to a vacant seat as she signal a couple of stylists, running to her in a hurry.

“W–W–WAIT! I AM NOT—” When someone called the women over, she instantly excused herself as Gui stare blankly into her reflection. “W–W–WAIT! I AM NOT—”

“WE ARE SO SORRY FOR NEGLECTING YOU. WE ARE RUNNING LOW OF MODELS SO I AM SOO HAPPY YOU MADE IT ON TIME!” One of the girls cried out as she quickly opened her make-up kit. “N–N–NO! I AM NOT A MOD—”

“CHRISTINA, QUICKLY CONSULT WITH MIRANDA ON WHAT THIS GIRL HAS TO WEAR! THE SHOW IS ABOUT TO BEGIN SO LOCATE HIM QUICKLY!”

“YES!”

“W–W–WAIT! I AM NOT—”

The girl who was doing Gui’s make-up took her phone out of Gui’s hand, giving it to her assistant who walked off.

“HEY! THAT’S MY PHONE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH IT?”

“Shh, right now, we are preparing you for the big night. Vi Wu is extremely worried about this show that she is even sacrificing her sleep for this. She has been getting only 3 hours of sleep and as a girl, I know every girl needs her beauty sleep but Vi Wu is different. She places her work above everything, even a slightest worry is enough to make her go for days without sleep.”

Gui look back at her, surprised by her mother’s incredible work ethic.

Even when she was young, her mother has been busy with her work but when she does have time, even if it’s little, she will always make time to see her. In her entire family, the busiest workaholic in the family has always been her father, without a doubt. But now that she looks at it, that title will have to changed to her mother.

“My moth– I mean, Vi Wu has been sleeping for only 3 hours?”

“She has been but this time is different. Vi Wu has officially been up for 26 hours, I am not sure how she can pull it off but as a fellow women, I am envious that she can pull it off. If it was me, I will pass out and get my beauty sleep.”

As the stylist continued to talk about her fascination with Vi Wu, everything from her design from Milan to Taiwan, even the tiny details about Vi Wu made Gui love her even more.

While they talked on and on about the fashion industry, Gui’s normal everyday dorky look majestically turned into a model with only a couple of minutes to