CHAPTER 8: AN UNEXPECTED TURN OF EVENTS

“Jess!” Ed chased after her and Flora as he precariously balanced a stack of documents in his hands.

Jessica spun around to face a panting Ed. “Hmm?”

“I…” he gasped. “I need your signature on these.”

Jessica’s eyes travelled to the papers he was holding. “Oh. C’mon in,” she said as she opened the door into her office.

Flora smiled as she watched Ed follow Jess in like a doting puppy. It was so obvious that the guy totally adored her. Flora decided she had to have a talk with Jess about him. Then again, she could almost guess what Jess was going to say…"I don’t mix business with pleasure, unlike you Flora Lau."

“Flora, Miss Chan’s waiting for you in your office.”

“Huh? Miss Chan?” Flora looked at her secretary inquiringly.

“Karen Chan. Chan Holdings. The Karen boutiques…” Annie told her knowingly.

It slowly dawned upon Flora who her secretary was talking about. Karen Chan was fashion designer, businesswoman extraordinaire. She was big business. “She’s in my office now?” Flora asked dumbfoundedly.

Annie nodded as she pointed at the glass wall towards the back of a lady seated in Flora’s room.

Flora opened her door and walked in. “Miss Chan?”

The lady spun around in the chair to face Flora. A smile formed on her lips. “Call me Karen. You must be Flora Lau,” she said. Her voice was raspy but it emanated a certain sexiness.

Flora headed behind her desk and sat down. “What can I do to help you, Mi…erm, Karen?”

Karen brought the tips of her fingers together and leaned forward towards Flora. “Flora…may I call you Flora?” she asked.

Flora smiled and nodded.

“Flora,” Karen continued. “I assume you know who I am? Well…I’m starting a new line and the reason I’m here is, I have a business proposition for you.”

A contract with Chan Holdings was like manna from heaven. Flora could almost imagine the dollar signs in front of her.

Flora looked at Karen with a straight face. “I see…and what might this business proposition be?” Flora asked, hoping that her voice won’t deceive her demeanour.

Karen proceeded to tell Flora of her plans for her new line and what role she expected Flora’s modeling and talent agency to play in it.

“So you see,” she said as she got up and walked around to Flora’s side. “I really need the best in the industry to pull this off for me.” She placed her hand lightly on Flora’s shoulder, bent down and brought her face real close towards her.

Flora gasped and pulled back in surprise.

Karen smiled at Flora’s reaction and straightened herself. But she still kept her hand on her shoulder.

“We’ll need to meet again to discuss the finer details. I’ll have my secretary call your secretary,” Karen told Flora as she trailed her hand across her shoulder and down her arm, causing a shiver a run up Flora’s spine.

If Flora didn't know better, she could have sworn Karen was hitting on her. “Erm…okay,” Flora said as she stood up abruptly to evade Karen’s touches. “How about I introduce you to my partner?”

“That won’t be necessary. I’m sure we’ll meet when the time is right,” Karen told her. “I’ll be seeing you,” she waved as she walked out of the room.

She burst into Jessica’s room as soon as Karen was gone. “Jess! Oh my god! Wait till you hear this!” she blurted out without even noticing that there was someone else in the room.

“Err…I’ll get this completed as soon as possible then,” a male voice said.

“Oh. Ed. Sorry, am I interrupting something?” Flora grinned at Jessica cheekily.

Jess glared at her friend. “It’s okay. We’re done anyway,” she nodded at Ed who quickly picked up his stuff and left the two girls to themselves.

“You should put the poor guy out of his misery,” Flora chuckled. “It’s sooo obvious he’s totally head over heels over you.”

Jessica rolled her eyes at Flora. “Flora Lau, unlike you, I don’t mix business with pleasure,” she smirked.

Flora laughed. “You’re so bloody predictable, Jessica Lee!”

“What was it you wanted to tell me anyway?” Jessica asked, ignoring her friend’s remark.

“Oh. Yea…” Flora subsequently related the whole incident with Karen to Jessica.

Jessica couldn’t help but crack up. “Haven’t you ever wondered what it’s like being with a woman? Here’s your chance now,” she teased.

“Damn you, Jess,” Flora scolded. “What am I going to do?! She wants to meet up again and I can’t exactly turn her down! Think of all that money…” she droned on dreamily.

“Gosh, you sound so cheap,” Jess sneered. “Go sleep with her then and bring back the contract.”

“Bitch,” Flora pouted.

“Hey,” Jessica said, suddenly distracted by something outside her room. “Aren’t those the guys who were at Qbar that night?”

Flora turned around and followed Jessica’s gaze. “Hmm…looks like them. Hang on, I don’t remember giving them our cards. How’d they know where to find us?”

Annie knocked on Jessica’s glass door before going in. “Ermm…I’m sorry to disturb you. But these gentlemen here want to see Flora,” she said gesturing at the two men behind her.

“Miss Flora Lau? I’m Sergeant Louis Yeung and this is my colleague, Nick Wong. We have a warrant for your arrest.”