“I’d love to make this when I get home. I don’t know much about my Chinese heritage. I guess I can put this dish down as something I do. What are the ingredients?”
“You don’t have to wonder anymore. Anything you want to know, just ask. For example, these noodles are made from oil and rice flower. The noodles are cooked in broth and served in a bowl of soup made from pork, beef, garlic, peanuts, peppers, and radishes. It’s one of my favorites.”
“Were you and my mother close?”
Her question was so random it threw me off guard. This was one of those moments I needed to tap dance. I put my elbows up on the table and cupped my face in my chin before answering. I did my best to keep my voice lighthearted. “At one time, only our mother could tell us apart.”
“That must have been so cool to grow up together. You know Braylee just had a baby, but we’re fifteen years apart so I’ll never get to have a sister sister. Where is Brody from? He sounds American.”
“Sisters can be such a pain. There are definitely advantages to being an only child. Brody is American, and he’s visiting from Washington.”
“Does he speak Mandarin?”
“Not very well. It’s funny to hear him try.” I switched speaking from English to Mandarin. “Do you?”
Cecily responded in my language perfectly. “Yes. I knew my mother was part Chinese and spoke Mandarin several years before I told my dad and Uncle Alex. So, I made sure to learn the language. They teach it at my school.”
I was impressed. “You’re very smart and nosey I see. You speak it very well. Are you fluent in any other languages?”
Cecily responded “yes” in each language she spoke. “French, Spanish, and Italian. My best friend is Italiana”
“Pretty impressive.”
“How long have you and Mr. Windham been dating? Do you think you’ll get married?”
I could have spit out my tea. “Oh wow. Umm . . . we are in the early stages of dating so . . .”
“Do you cook for him?”
I frowned and shook my head. “Absolutely not. Why would I want to do that? I pay people to cook.”
“I love to cook.”
“Really?”
“Yes, our chef, Claudia, teaches me how to make stuff, but southern dishes are her favorite.”
“What’s your specialty?”
She pointed to herself. “Me? The good old-fashioned American hamburger and french fries. Hey . . . maybe we can cook it tonight? Brody might like that.”
“If you want. I can have Yoshi go out and buy the ingredients. Speaking of the devil, here she comes to bring us our Zongzi. No one makes rice pudding like her.”
Cecily licked her lips. “Mmmm . . . it looks good. I’ll have to find room for that.”
I was probably enjoying my time with Cecily more than she was. “Yoshi, we are going to have hamburgers and french fries for dinner tonight. Please go to the market to make sure we have everything for an authentic American dinner.”
Yoshi grinned and nodded.
*****
After lunch, I took care of some Xiou Incorporated business, then found Brody sitting on my bed on his phone. Papers were splayed out all over it. He decided to wrap things up after he noticed me come inside. “Right. Let’s connect tomorrow. However, call me as soon as you’ve got some answers.”
I climbed on the bed, pushed him back, and lay in his arms.
Brody held me.
“Good lunch?”
“Very.”
One moment, I was in the crook of his arm and the next I was underneath him. “You might like the sitting position, but I think I like you underneath me best. I don’t know, I’m still trying to figure it out.”
I kissed him on the lips. “I like any position you can twist me into.”
He growled, and I felt the vibration down to my toes. “You seem happy. I like that.”
I raised back up slightly into a sitting position and placed my hands flat on his chest. It also brought my sex closer in contact with his. The feeling was so delicious that for a second, I forgot what I was going to say. Then, I remembered. “She talked me into cooking hamburgers and french fries for dinner.”
Brody placed gentle bites all around the side of my neck. “You eat that kind of food?”
“No. But, Cecily will only be here for tonight. She’s leaving in the morning. If she wants burgers and fries, then dammit we’ll eat burgers and fries.”
“Okay. Burgers and fries it is.” He laughed. “Keep the toilet paper handy.”
I laughed too as my cell phone rang. “Why is it every time I have you exactly where I want you, the damn phone rings?” I sighed. “It’s Romelo at the security gate. I can’t ignore it. “What’s up, Melo?”
“I’m here with Hahn. He suggested I call you right away.”
I didn’t like his tone. “What?”
“Hahn was looking for Cecily. They searched the house and grounds but . . .”
“But, what?” My heart sank.
“She left with Yoshi to get groceries about a half an hour ago. She said you gave her permission.”
“That little shit! She set me up. Call Yoshi and tell her not to let Cecily out of her sight. In the meantime, get a couple of security guards over to that store like YESTERDAY!”
Chapter 19
Cecily didn’t think her plan would work, but it did. She was able to sneak out of the house with Yoshi without alerting Gina until they were past the gates. Once they arrived at
