Chapter 18 The Thing We Dont Plan
Lingling Kwong had faced rooms full of executives without once forgetting what she wanted to say.
She had walked into negotiations where everyone else already seemed convinced she was going to lose and walked out with a better deal than anyone expected.
She could read a proposal in ten minutes and find the weakness buried on page seventeen.
She could tell when a client was unhappy before they said a word.
She could handle a crisis with the kind of calm that made other people panic more quietly.
There were very few things in life that genuinely unsettled her.
A first date with Orm was apparently one of them.
Ling stood in front of her wardrobe on Saturday morning with three outfits scattered across her bed and a fourth hanging from her hand. She stared at each one with increasing suspicion, as though one of them had personally betrayed her.
The problem wasn't that she didn't know what to wear.
The problem was that she knew exactly what she didn't want.
She didn't want to look as though she had tried too hard.
She didn't want to look as though she hadn't tried at all.
She didn't want to look like an executive director.
She didn't want to look like someone going to a business lunch.
She didn't want to look as though she had carefully selected an outfit for a romantic date.
And, most importantly, she didn't want Orm to know that she had spent almost an hour thinking about it.
Her phone vibrated on the bed.
Ling glanced at it.
Orm: Good morning.
The corner of her mouth lifted.
She typed immediately.
Ling: Good morning.
A second message appeared.
Orm: Are you ready?
Ling looked at the clothes surrounding her.
She typed:
Ling: Yes.
The reply came so quickly that Ling frowned.
Orm: Liar.
Ling stared at the screen.
Ling: Why do you always assume I'm lying?
Orm: Because I know you.
That answer was annoyingly effective.
Ling looked at herself in the mirror.
She had spent weeks learning that Orm knew her in ways she hadn't expected anyone to.
Orm knew when she was angry.
She knew when Ling was tired.
She knew when Ling was pretending not to be worried.
She knew when Ling was jealous even when Ling insisted she wasn't.
She knew that Ling liked her coffee stronger than everyone else.
She knew Ling hated being late.
She knew Ling would rather skip lunch than admit she had forgotten to eat.
She knew the small crease that appeared between Ling's eyebrows when she was concentrating.
And apparently, she now knew when Ling was lying about being ready.
Ling typed:
Ling: I'm choosing what to wear.
Three dots appeared.
Orm: I knew it.
Ling: How?
Orm: Because you're Ling.
Ling frowned.
That was not an explanation.
But somehow it made her smile.
Orm: Wear whatever makes you comfortable.
Ling looked at the outfit in her hand.
Ling: What are you wearing?
There was a longer pause.
Orm: Why?
Ling: I'm asking.
Orm: Are you worried we'll match?
Ling rolled her eyes.
Ling: No.
Orm: Are you worried I'll look prettier than you?
Ling smiled despite herself.
Ling: Impossible.
The reply took a moment.
Orm: Oh?
Ling immediately realised what she had done.
Ling: That's not what I meant.
Orm: Too late.
Ling could practically hear the laughter behind the message.
She shook her head.
Ling: Just tell me what you're wearing.
Orm: You'll see me soon.
Ling stared at the screen.
Ling: You're annoying.
Orm: And you're in love with me.
Ling's fingers stopped.
She looked at the words.
There had been a time when such a statement would have terrified her.
Now it simply made her heart warm.
She typed:
Ling: Unfortunately.
The response came instantly.
Orm: Liar.
Ling laughed.
She put her phone down.
Then finally chose an outfit.
A simple dark top, tailored trousers, a light jacket and sneakers.
Comfortable.
Simple.
Her.
She looked at herself in the mirror.
"Fine."
Then she looked at the clock.
She had nearly an hour before she needed to leave.
She picked up her phone.
Ling: I'll see you soon.
Orm responded with a heart.
Ling stared at it.
Then smiled.
It was ridiculous.
She was ridiculous.
And she didn't care.
Because today wasn't about being impressive.
Today wasn't about being convincing.
Today was about going on a date with the woman she loved.
Their first real date.
No cameras.
No publicist.
No campaign.
No contract.
No pretending.
Just Ling and Orm.
And somehow, that felt more frightening than standing in front of an entire boardroom.
?
Their relationship had begun with a proposal neither of them had wanted.
Then came rules.
Then arguments.
Then jealousy.
Then one room and one bed.
Then conversations that became too honest.
Then a kiss that had never been supposed to happen.
Then fear.
Distance.
Heartbreak.
A confession.
A goodbye.
And finally, a reckless drive across Bangkok that had ended with Ling standing outside Orm's apartment, refusing to let her leave without knowing the truth.
It should have been the end of the complicated part.
Instead, it had become the beginning of something far more terrifying.
Something real.
Ling had discovered that being in love with Orm was easy.
Being loved by Orm was the difficult part.
Not because Orm made it difficult.
Because Ling had spent so much of her life believing that love was something that eventually came with a price.
She had been hurt before.
She had learned to protect herself.
She had built walls so high that even she sometimes forgot what existed behind them.
Orm had never tried to break those walls down.
She had simply stood outside them.
Talking.
Laughing.
Arguing.
Waiting.
Until one day Ling had opened the door herself.
And now she was going on a date.
A real one.
There would be no excuse afterward.
No campaign to blame.
No contract to hide behind.
If she held Orm's hand, it would be because she wanted to.
If she kissed her, it would be because she wanted to.
If she looked at her too long, there would be no photographer responsible.
That thought made Ling smile.
Then she grabbed her bag and left.
?
Orm was waiting outside the café when Ling arrived.
Ling had been prepared for many things.
She had not been prepared for how quickly her heart would react.
Orm was leaning against the wall, looking down at her phone. She wore a light blouse with jeans and white sneakers, her hair falling loosely around her shoulders. There was nothing elaborate about her appearance.
She looked beautiful.
Not campaign beautiful.
Not photograph beautiful.
Not the kind of beautiful people commented on beneath carefully edited pictures.
Just beautiful.
The kind that made Ling forget what she had been thinking.
Orm looked up.
Their eyes met.
And Orm smiled.
Ling smiled back.
For several seconds neither moved.
Then Orm tilted her head.
"What?"
Ling blinked.
"Nothing."
"You're staring."
"I am not."
"You are."
"I was looking."
"At me."
"Yes."
Orm's cheeks turned pink.
Ling smiled.
"Now you're nervous."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"You make me nervous."
"I haven't done anything."
"You looked at me."
Ling laughed.
"So that's enough?"
"Apparently."
Ling stepped closer.
Orm smiled.
"Hi."
"Hi."
There was a tiny pause.
Then Orm reached for her hand.
Ling took it.
Their fingers slipped together so naturally that neither had to think about it.
Orm looked down.
Then back at Ling.
"This feels different."
Ling nodded.
"It does."
"No cameras."
"No."
"No publicist."
"No."
"No campaign."
"Definitely no campaign."
"No pretending."
Ling looked at her.
"No pretending."
Orm smiled.
"Good."
They walked into the café.
?
The café was small, warm and slightly crowded.
It was nothing like the restaurants they had visited during the Aurelia campaign.
There were no private rooms.
No staff hovering discreetly nearby.
No photographers.
No carefully arranged table.
Just ordinary people drinking coffee and talking.
Orm looked around with satisfaction.
"I like it."
Ling nodded.
"Good."
"You sound surprised."
"I wasn't sure you'd like it."
"Why?"
"Because it's small."
"That's why I like it."
Ling smiled.
"You chose it."
"Exactly."
They sat near the window.
A server handed them menus.
Orm opened hers.
Ling watched her.
Orm looked up.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You keep doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Looking at me."
"I like looking at you."
Orm immediately lowered her eyes.
Ling smiled.
"You really do get nervous."
"Stop."
"I'm not doing anything."
"You're making me blush."
"I like when you blush."
Orm looked up.
"You are enjoying this."
"Very much."
"You're mean."
Ling laughed.
"And you're cute."
Orm froze.
Ling realised what she had said.
She tried to remain composed.
Orm stared at her.
Then slowly smiled.
"You called me cute."
"I did."
"You've never called me cute."
"I have."
"When?"
Ling thought.
"I don't remember."
"Exactly."
Orm's smile became wider.
"I'm going to remember this."
Ling shook her head.
"Don't make a big deal about it."
"Too late."
The server returned.
Orm ordered coffee and breakfast.
Ling ordered hers.
Then they sat quietly for a moment.
Orm looked at her.
Ling looked back.
And suddenly, the nervousness returned.
Not the uncomfortable kind.
The kind that made every little thing feel significant.
Their hands resting on the table.
Their knees almost touching.
The way Orm kept smiling whenever their eyes met.
The fact that neither of them needed a reason to be there.
Orm finally laughed.
"We're being weird."
Ling smiled.
"I know."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"It's because this is our first real date."
Ling nodded.
"It is."
Orm looked down at her hands.
"I want it to be good."
Ling reached across the table and took one of them.
"It already is."
Orm looked at her.
"Really?"
"Really."
Orm smiled.
"Good."
?
Breakfast became unexpectedly long.
Not because the food took a long time.