note: this is the final chapter to part iii! Updates will be during the weekend only, for now at least. Uni has gotten hectic and it just makes me want to bash my head against a wall or something. So many tests, so much studying, so many assignments... I might die from it all. I'm exaggerating but it is hard and time-consuming. I still have stock chapters though so updates will continue on the weekends.
Be sure to drop your thoughts in the comments and vote if you enjoyed the chapter xx
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The instant London's phone rang with an unknown number, she picked it up, her heart racing with excitement.
"London Liang?" asked a masculine voice on the other side of the line.
"Speaking," she replied, trying to calm her chirpiness but her excitement simply could not be contained.
"This is Christopher," said the voice on the other side of the line, picking up in his tone, "Christopher Wang."
"Oh my God, Chris!" London squealed, her lips widening into a grin. "I wasn't expecting your call at all. What has it been? Three — four years?"
He laughed and she wondered what he looked like now. Had he changed? Was he still dating his highschool sweetheart? Did he still prefer his coffee black and bitter?
"Three years, I think. You dropped out at the end of second year, right? And I graduated two years ago so yes, three years. Damn, that's a long time, Londy," Chris said, laughing lightly.
"Londy," she repeated, rolling her eyes but the smile was still on her lips. "You think three years would've made you forget that hideous nickname."
"It's cute," he protested.
"Far from it, honey," she shot back, amused that they had slid into casual banter without any awkwardness. Three years was certainly going to make you tentative around each other but Chris was a whole other story. He was so open, so fun and relaxed it seemed like three years wasn't all that of a long time.
"Not that this isn't great," London started, "because it's bloody fantastic hearing from you again. But is there a reason you've called? I don't mean to sound rude but my sister was setting up a call for me and I'm kind of waiting on that."
"That would be my call, honey," Chris said, his voice laced with amusement and London felt embarrassed immediately, "Not that I haven't thought of my awesome friend from my uni days who suddenly disappeared from my life and refused to return my calls—"
"I can explain," she rushed in, guilt shooting through her. She remembered now why Chris and her didn't keep contact any longer. She dropped out of university which was around the time when she was struggling to cope up with life and her mother's death had taken its maximum toll on her. She had managed to cut everyone out.
"Nothing good ever comes out if you start with that sentence," Chris said but he sounded like he was joking. Though his words were meant to ease London, she still felt guilty and horrible. "Calm down, Londy. You can explain it to me when we meet up."
She paused, not sure how to progress from here. Now, there was that awkwardness that was missing. Braving a smile, she said, something the London back in her uni days would say to Chris, "Funny of you to assume that I'll agree to meet up with you."
"Funny of me to assume you wanted a head chef's job," he shot back laughingly.
"Holy shit," she breathed, her mind finally clicking in the last piece. That was why he called.
"Gwen reached out," Chris explained. "Apparently Inesh knows of a few businesses that are setting up — good bloke by the way. We had to deal with him a lot through this whole process and he was easy and very cooperative. Gwen's got a smart eye for picking that guy. Right, so where was I?"
She laughed lightly, shaking her head as she leaned back on her bed. "Gwen reached out and Inesh knew a few businesses setting up," she reminded him of his opening.
"Right," he continued, "And my husband's setting up a restaurant—"
"We keep cutting each other off to have a proper conversation but — what? You have a husband now?"
He laughed. "I got married last year. He proposed to me the night after graduation."
She squealed. "I need to hear all the details," she demanded. "You're dishing me everything when we meet up."
"Wouldn't think of keeping out a single detail," Chris swore before he laughed again. "Anyway, before we get distracted again — my husband is setting up a restaurant and he's looking for a head chef. Inesh said he knew someone, his girlfriend's little sister, London Liang and I just had to give you a call. Girl, I am so proud. I knew you always wanted to go after cooking. Your stuff always tasted amazing. So of course I had to tell Rico, my husband, that we had to see if you were as good or better than when I met you."
"Chris," London squealed, her heart jumping with joy. This was the opportunity she'd been looking for quite some time now. She was experienced and still young but she was determined to get her chef whites and hat — she wanted head chef so terribly bad she would compromise her free time to take up extra hours at the restaurant.
"I know, I know," he said breezily, "You're welcome."
They talked for a while, trying to set up an appropriate time when neither of them was busy which was rather hard to do when their sechedule's didn't match up. Finally, they found an afternoon that Chris was able to free up and after agreeing to meet up at Tollerz, she hung up. Chris knew of Tollerz — who didn't? — and thought it would be better to meet up in her workplace and get recommendations directly from the chef. London told him that she could set up a meeting with her boss too and with that business finalised, London was bursting to tell someone the news.
She dialled her sister but she didn't pick up. It was probably date night anyway and she didn't want to disturb. Her news could wait for tomorrow. She thought of Andrew Cai then. Would it be weird if she called him? They had talked a fair number of times and Andrew had also called her when he finalised his divorce. Sharing good news, that's all she was doing. She rang his number, her heart beating to an odd pace, and when it went to voicemail after a few rings she let out a huff of breath. She didn't know what she was expecting but she couldn't help but feel disappointed. She didn't try again in hopes that she didn't come off too desperate.
Having a dinner for one on a Saturday night was lonely but London didn't feel so as she cuddled with blankets around her, a movie playing on the TV and a plate full of food — she'd gone all out. After all, cooking was always fun. She'd even plated it so it looked fancy, something that she could definitely see in a starred restaurant.
Her phone rang just as the end credits rolled on and lazily reaching for it, she hit the answer button without looking at who it was. It was late and the only person who'd be calling her this time was her Dad. On Saturday nights he'd have a little too much to drink, ever since Mum passed away, and he'd call London or Gwen, going on and on. London always answered his call and let him drone on. She'd learnt to zone out his voice and just focus on whatever other work she had on hand. This time her other work was sleep.
"Hello?" she said mistily into the phone.
"You sound sleepy."
And just like that all the sleep that clouded her mind vanished as she scrambled to sit upright. With her heart beating, she barely managed to get out his name. "Andrew! Oh hey, I wasn't expecting a call from you."
"You sure about that?" he laughed. "You were the one who called me."
She removed the phone from her ear, gave out a muffled scream of embarrassment before she breathed in calm breaths and returned the phone back to her ear. She could hear the sound of keys in the background and then — "shit!"
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he replied a second later, "I dropped my phone. I was just opening the front door and I'm tired, that's all. I saw your missed call."
"Er yeah," she laughed nervously now. Why had she called him at the time? "Something had happened and I just wanted to tell you."
"Is everything all right?" His question was instant and she could sense the worry.
The smile was impossible to contain as she delivered the news. "I might get a job offer. I'll be meeting my friend soon to go over the details. He's known me at the start of uni and he wants to give me a chance. Wouldn't have done this without Gwen though. Her boyfriend, or fiancé — I'm really confused of what he is to her right now, but he got his client to give me a call."
"London!" Andrew exclaimed. "This is brilliant. You've told me how much you wanted to work as head chef or to run your own place. I can only imagine how happy you are right now."
"I am pretty damn happy," she grinned.
"I'd love to taste your food one day but I'm sure you deserve it," he said, any traces of amusement gone. His voice still sounded light but it was layered with seriousness and it made London's heart beat twice as fast.
He hadn't even tasted her food and yet he believed in her.
She didn't have a lot of people believing in her and to have someone she's known only for a short amount of time putting their beliefs into her lifted her spirit, made her lips widen into a grin and her heart to sing with delight.
"Thank you, Andrew," she said, smiling wide. "You're too kind."
"Not really," he said and she could picture him shrugging nonchalantly with that charming and easy-going smile on his lips. "I am only stating what is true. I have yet to experience it but I am certain it is true. You're one of the most sincerest people I've met."
"Oh hush," she said, waving her hand in front of her in dismission like he could see her. "Your kindness is making me blush."
"Well then," he said after a beat, "I bet it makes you look cute."
The blush deepened, heat creeping up from her neck to her cheeks, filling her fair cheeks with a tinge of pink. Neither of them said anything for a few seconds. London was stunned by his statement. He was being bold and she wasn't certain if he was flirting but there was no denying that she liked it, and she happily flirted back as she leaned back on the couch cushions and said, "How about that date?"
"I'm good for it whenever you are," he said and before she could happily reply, he rushed in like what he had said made he look stupid, "Did I sound too eager? I'm not. It's just that I haven't done this in a long, long time so I'm a bit out of practice."
She laughed, enjoying his little banter. Taking a courageous breath and deciding that now was the time to be bold she said, "You're cute when you're nervous and ramble."
He laughed and though the phone didn't bring the same comfort as hearing his laugh in person, she still felt a different kind of warmth unfurl around her chest. "I would deny that but I am actually nervous. I like you London Wan Liang."
What a time it was to be bold, she thought. Her heart caught up with the words a second later and then she was certain that they were flirting. He liked her. It didn't take a lot to like her but still, she was pleased and happy and the fact that Andrew couldn't see her was better since her lips were stretched into a wide silly grin.
"Hopefully you'll like my food as much, if not more," she quickly came back with a reply, her heart racing fast. "Tomorrow night?"
There was a pause and London frowned. Should she have asked for a later date? Was the next day too soon? Before the silence could feed into her endless pit of questions, Andrew spoke up, breaking the short silence.
"I'm free, I'd love to meet tomorrow night."
She frowned. "Really?" she questioned. "You don't sound it. I mean you do, but something sounds off." She shut up immediately, knowing her rambling would catch up if she didn't.
"It's nothing really," he said. "I was supposed to spend the weekend with Aurora."
"Spend it with her," London encouraged, "We can do dinner another time."
"I can't," he said, his sigh sounding resigned.
London wanted to push it but wasn't too sure if she should. "Why not?" she prodded, frowning. She didn't like that he was unhappy but if he was reluctant to reply to her then she would drop it. She knew that feeling when someone was trying to be invasive and she just wanted to wallow by herself.
"Talia," he said like that was all the explanation needed. When London did not reply to this because she didn't want to jump to conclusions, he added, "She's being very frustrating to deal with. I haven't seen my kid in a while and I only got to see her today, and getting to see was not without a fight. I just got back."
"I want to say I know how it feels but I don't," she started. "I can imagine how emotionally taxing it is for you. It must be hard, fighting for your daughter, going through this divorce and living alone."
"Living alone is hard," Andrew told her and she listened, getting more comfortable on the couch. "My mother thinks it's good that I'm living alone. I can be free and relax but it's the exact opposite. Not having company around is stressing. I've spent years with a different lifestyle and adapting to the single lonely life is harder that I thought."
She laughed lightly, trying to ease the tension as she said, "I have brilliant expertise in living the single lonely life."
"Great," he replied and she could sense the amusement lacing through his deep voice, "I'd love some tips."
"Over dinner," she proposed.
"Tomorrow," he finished.
She grinned. "Can't wait."
"Honestly?" he said and she could picture his wide smile. "I can't wait either."
She pressed her lips together, trying to contain her squeal of excitement. When she was certain that she could contain herself, she said, "I'll text you my address. See you tomorrow. Goodnight Andrew."
"Goodnight London Wan Liang," he said softly and she sunk into the couch, closing her eyes as her lips stretched out and her heart beat fast. "Sweet dreams."