Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
Jenna and Ryan sat patiently in the lobby while the receptionist paged for Riley “Do you think he still remembers us?” Jenna whispered.
“Why wouldn’t he?” Ryan replied in a low voice.
“You know what with you accusing him of killing Shelly and all…would he still want to remember us?” she pointed out with raised brows.
“Oh right…I forgot about that.” Ryan wrinkled his forehead “Let’s just go.” She nodded in agreement as they got up at the same time.
“Mr. Kwok will see you now.” The receptionist announced.
The two turned to each other “So close.” Jenna sighed as she nodded to the girl behind the desk and followed her direction down the hall. They reached the corner office and knocked on the door.
“Come in.” Riley said before tearing his eyes from the computer screen.
“Guess who?” Jenna greeted with a grin “Do you still remember the little people now that you’re a big executive with a corner office?”
Riley laughed comfortably “I never forget the people that helped me. Hi Jenna.” He hugged her warmly and moved over to shake Ryan’s hand “Hello Ryan.”
“Hi Riley.” He smiled warmly “No hard feelings I hope?”
“Yeah, we know we weren’t that nice to you. We’re sorry and I feel horrible for yelling at you during Joe’s funeral.” Jenna apologized sincerely.
The young guy in the suit laughed comfortably “Of course not! You were just doing your jobs and if I were in your shoes, I would have done the same.” He assured them “Now, are you guys here to question me about the cocaine burning in the harbor?”
“How…” Jenna pointed.
“The police came in this morning and questioned me on it.” Riley said with a frown “Actually, they were a little rude and demanding but I answered whatever I could.”
“Wait.” Ryan paused him “This morning, what time?”
“Around nine thirty?” Riley recalled briefly.
Ryan turned to Jenna “Devin announced at that time that the police had given us the case, they wouldn’t have sent someone up to question.”
“You’re saying maybe the crooks sent their own men to question me to get information?” Riley guessed.
“Exactly.” Jenna snapped her fingers “Oh, they’re sneaky!”
“What did you tell them exactly?” Ryan leaned onto his thighs with intensity “We have to beat them at their own game.” Riley nodded as he began explaining.
************
Erin and Reina sat in Michael’s office waiting while his secretary went to fetch him from his meeting “What are you thinking?” Erin asked when Reina grew quiet.
She looked up from her daze “Huh? What was that?”
“Are you okay? You’re a little jumpy.” Erin placed a hand on her shoulder carefully “You’re shivering.”
“Must be the crab cakes I had last night. Matt and I were walking down the street when we bought some from the old man with the cart.” Reina explained nonchalantly.
Erin laughed “Yeah, I made that mistake last week. You’d think living here all my life, I would learn not to eat food from those carts.”
“Yeah.” Reina smiled.
“Ah, the sweet sound of laughter.” Michael sighed from the doorway as he walked over to greet the girls with a hug “Thank you for rescuing me from that God awful boring meeting.”
“That bad?” Erin asked sympathetically.
“Let’s just say I’m lucky I don’t snore or I would very red with embarrassment right about now.” Michael laughed while Erin joined. He turned to Reina, who was not amused “Ga Jei, are you okay?”
She looked up with a slow smiled “You called me Ga Jei?”
Michael lowered his head with a smile “I hope you don’t mind. Julie mentioned that it wasn’t right that I called you by your name. We do have a culture to follow. It’s going to be weird but I figured I better start some time.”
Reina grinned happily “Of course I don’t mind! I think it’s great that we can let bygones be bygones.”
“Not that I don’t love sappy endings, but can we get serious for a bit?” Erin asked with a teasing grin. Michael put on his serious expression and nodded at her “About the rigs being burned yesterday…”
“Oh, the police already asked me that earlier this morning. But I guess I can repeat—” Michael began.
“Police?” Reina cut in “They came?”
Erin shook her head “That’s not right. They gave us the case, they wouldn’t intervene after that.” She said to Reina.
“It’s someone else.” Reina agreed.
“Maybe I gave them too much information?” Michael said worriedly “They had a lot of questions to ask.”
“Like what?” Erin asked, wanting to know exactly what information they got out of Michael and possibly Riley.
“If anyone came up to question me about the rigs? If I was working with an illegal company or group of people that maybe used my company’s shipping rigs to store cocaine. Of course, I denied everything, I didn’t work with any company that was out of the ordinary.” Michael explained, “Personally, I think this was just a misunderstanding.”
“How so?” Reina asked further.
“The cocaine was found in the rigs but outside of the shipping boxes that are nailed shut. Which means it was added during the docking of the rigs not shipping.” Michael said with good reason.
“You told them that?” Erin asked. He nodded “Michael, you could be in danger…again.”
Michael leaned back on his chair with a nonchalant shrug “Okay. What do you guys want me to do?”
“You’re not scared?” Reina asked “You almost lost your life the last time.”
“To be honest, I’m getting use to this lifestyle. Plus, I trust that the team will do everything in their power to keep me and my family safe. Do you need us to move to a secure location? I’ll just make a call to Julie and we’ll be set.” Michael offered as he picked up the phone but Erin covered the dial pad with her hand.
She shook her head “I had a different approach in mind.” Smiling at Reina as she motioned her closer so they can whisper.
**********
That night when Erin was going to the market to pick up food, she had three calls from her roommates. Ryan, Jenna, Riley and Leah were going out to dinner to catch up. Luke made a dinner date with Carmen and Doug was eating in the hospital. After she hung up with Luke, she let out a sigh and lugged around the bag of groceries restlessly while she walked out of the open market.
Her hands were aching and when she realized the food would go to waste, she handed it to a homeless man in a back alley digging for trash. He thanked her profusely and rushed it back to his family. Erin smiled to herself as she walked along the streets and passed an open deli. The food smelled great when one of the waiters passed by her with a bowl of wonton noodle soup, her vision shifted.
She turned to follow the bowl, but caught eye contact with a familiar plump face. Lips greased with crabmeat “Stress?” Erin asked her Uncle with a grin.
He pointed to the empty seat across from him “Biu, one more dish of your famous crab legs please!” he waved to the waiter who nodded in answer as he rushed to get another order out. Handing Erin a leg as he watched her bite on it and ripped the leg open with her teeth “Wow, I think you need this more than I do.” He pushed the plate towards her with a laugh “Who dares to pick on my niece?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Erin snapped.
“Okay, but I can guess who it is.” Chuck teased as he chomped away at another leg.
She stopped chewing and spat out the hard shell “Let me guess, Mia?”
“You know her too well.” Chuck smiled. Tossing the bone to another plate as he gave her his full attention “What is the matter? I thought you were in more control than to let a man get the best of you?”
Erin shrugged as if drained of energy “I don’t know Uncle. He’s just different…he knows how to push my buttons and he is so damn smug…always acting like he knows me so well.”
“Apparently he does if he knows what buttons to push.” Chuck reasoned as he moved his hand so the waiter can put down a fresh new plate “I know since you broke up with Ted, you haven’t quite been yourself. I got his invitation last month…you know?” he asked and she nodded silently “It can’t be that, can it?”
“No.” She answered “I’m very happy for Ted. Our problem is in the past, I am not bothered by that. I guess…I…I don’t even know how to start.” She gave up.
Chuck raised a hand as he nodded to the owner that was cooking behind a hot stove and stone oven “How many dishes of crab legs can you make for the rest of the night?!” he asked over the bustling sound of the people.
“Ten dishes!” the owner answered with a laugh.
Chuck smiled at Erin with a twinkle in his eye “Enough for you?”
“It’s really long.” She warned.
“Ten dishes…” he reminded her with a laugh.
“Okay…” Erin began talking about Luke’s situation and finished eventually with her thoughts on Devin. Chuck listened intently, they had finished almost five dishes of crab legs “I mean, am I obsessed with hating this guy or do you think like everyone else that we should just get laid and get it over with?” she threw her hands up in defeat.
Chuck’s head bobbed up and down “I don’t think you have a crush on Luke, I think you are just worried about him because of Brad’s connection with him. You feel responsible for caring for him.”
“Yeah, I figured that much, I was talking about my situation with Devin.” Erin said.
Chuck laughed “I don’t think you want to hear my thoughts.” He pointed to the last leg and Erin handed it to him with a smile “I think he woke up something inside of you, the fire that can turn into something tremendous. Do you remember how much you and Brad fought?” Erin nodded “That’s the fire I’m talking about. But I see greater things for you and Devin…IF you allow to let it happen. Look past the anger and ask yourself what you feel. There is a reason why you care to let the man pick you apart and annoy you. Heck, can you find another man that you ever quarreled with? I recall you and Ted had a very peaceful relationship…” he nodded while taking a bite of the last crab leg.
“That…makes too much sense.” Erin agreed reluctantly "Oh God, I'm in love with the guy and I don't even know it." She groaned disgustedly.
Chuck laughed “I’m not saying you need to confess your love to Devin, but maybe you should clear your heart before losing your temper again. Eve always told me…I only get mad because I care.” He said wisely.
“Speaking of my future Aunt, how are you two doing? I mean, what caused this…” she circled her finger at the empty shells of crab legs.
He sighed tiredly “This wedding is sucking the life out of me. I’m working extra hours and trying everything to make more money. Giving away a free chicken each time someone eats more than $100. worth of food. For some reason that’s actually putting me into a bigger debt.” He scratched his face with the crab claw.
Erin winced with disgust “Don’t do that.” She pulled the leg away from his hand while he laughed with amusement “It’s not working because you’re giving away something free that you have to pay for.” She reached for her purse and pulled out her check book “How much do you need?”
“No, I can’t have you giving me money for MY wedding. How degrading is that? What kind of a man do you think I am? Taking money from a girl…no, not just any girl, my NIECE. I have more integrity than that.” He huffed and crossed his arm.
She ignored his outburst “Two hundred grand enough?” Erin asked.
“Perfect.” He nodded with widened eyes while she smiled and wrote out the check with ease “I’ll pay you back.”
“No, consider it my wedding gift for you.” Erin waved it off casually.
“Actually, I saw this really big plasma television that I really liked…” he stopped when Erin gave him an exasperated look “I’m kidding.” He rolled his eyes while Erin grinned “Thanks Erin.”
She shook her head “Thanks is not necessary. I’m glad I could help.” Stretching her arms as she got up “You can handle this dinner right?”
He nodded while pushing his hands into his pocket “Actually, can I borrow a hundred?” Erin sighed as she nodded “Oh, make that two hundred…I thought this was a hundred.” He showed her a fifty.
“My poor future Aunt.” Erin said sadly as she waved goodbye to him and returned home.