Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune(78)

I nibbled on the story and savored it as if it were the piece of turnip cake between my chopsticks. “I really wish I had a chance to know her.”

“By reopening the restaurant, you are walking on her path and sharing in her experiences. I’d like to think that she’s watching over you as I am.” Old Wu checked his watch. “I have to get back to work. I will see you next week, Ye Ying.”

“Thank you, Lao Shi.”

“Think about your menu and start making a list.”

I gathered my papers and tucked them back into my bag. “I will.”

The meeting was about as long as I’d expected, since Old Wu was quite busy. This freed up the rest of my morning to prepare the dumplings I wanted to deliver to Daniel’s office on Mission Street. I wasn’t attempting bribery so much as I was determined to apologize in person.

I missed him.

The risk of being rejected was worth the chance of seeing him again.



* * *





?I arrived at the Hearttech office on the sixteenth floor two hours later. I’d hoped to get there before the noon lunch hour. Clean lines, bright woods, and glass along with the same red logo on Daniel’s lanyard greeted me.

The receptionist was a perky, twentysomething Asian American named Jeanna with a sharp-angled pixie bob.

“Hi,” I said. “I have a delivery for Daniel Lee.”

Jeanna leaned forward. “Oh, that smells amazing. He always finds the best food. What did he order?”

“Special-order dumplings.” I lifted the lid a bit and gave her a peek. “I’m hoping I can take it to him, but if he’s busy, I’ll just leave it here.”

“Let me check if he’s in a meeting right now.” She picked up the phone. “Mr. Lee, there is a delivery here for you.” Jeanna hung up and smiled. “I can take you in.”

“Thank you,” I said.

She led me through a maze of open cubicles to a corner office. Everyone wore business-casual wear, similar to what I’d seen Daniel in when he visited me. The employees in their brightly decorated spaces seemed in good spirits. As we walked by, there were curious stares, but it wasn’t directed at me so much as it was at the box I held in my hands. The tantalizing aroma trail of the dumplings swiveled every head in the vicinity.

“You need to leave me your card or menu. I definitely want to check out the restaurant,” Jeanna whispered. “I’ll pass them on and you’ll get a bunch of us from work coming by.”

“It’s undergoing renovations right now. I’m hoping in a few months I’ll host the grand reopening.”

She slipped a card into my hand and winked. “In that case, call me when you’re ready.”

We stopped at a door with Daniel’s name. He opened it before Jeanna had a chance to knock.

“Hi,” I said. “I brought you a snack.”

Daniel held the door open and I slipped inside. “Come in.”

The view from his modest office showed the city and its color palette of neighborhoods. A classic Lost in Space poster hung on the far wall along with a couple of family pictures, while a massive desk with dual screens dominated the space.

“I’m sorry. I came in person to apologize.” I handed him the box.

He placed it on his desk. “Thank you for the dumplings.”

His expression was unreadable. His dark eyes behind the glasses studied my face. I didn’t know whether I should stay or leave. He hadn’t acknowledged my apologies, and being near him again swept me away with longing.

“I wasn’t sure if you got my text.”

“I did. I needed time, Natalie.” He traced the lid of the dumpling box with his index finger. “I wasn’t sure if there was anything left to say after how we ended things. Up until now, I thought you had left.”

“I was going to leave, but I decided to stay. I found a mentor, and he’s a fixture in Chinatown’s business association. He’s helping me. I’m going to make it work.” I stepped toward him. “I also want to make us work.”

He didn’t move from his spot by his desk. “I don’t know if I do. I still need more time.”

My heart constricted. Tears collected in the corners of my eyes, and it took all of my will to keep them from falling. “I see.”

“It’s great that you’re back on track with the restaurant. You should focus on that. I wish you the best of luck . . .”

I nodded and slipped away, closing the door behind me.

As I made my way out of Hearttech’s offices, the dams of my disappointment and sorrow crumbled. I sobbed in the empty elevator for what I had feared I’d lost, but was now confirmed: Daniel.





Chapter Thirty





THREE AND A HALF MONTHS LATER



Color had returned to the neighborhood the way the silver screen once transitioned from black-and-white to Technicolor. The faded gray darkened, redefining the shapes and silhouettes of the alleys and architectural details until the buildings emerged from the dim. Reds came back first, bold, bright, the harbingers of fortune and luck, before ushering in the rest of the colors. The giant poster of Melody Minnows had been taken down when she left in search of other prey. San Francisco’s Chinatown was known for its vivacity, the heightened, ornate chinoiserie that beckoned to visitors.