"Hello," I gasped into the phone. A long, droning tone greeted me at the other end. I sighed. Whoever it was probably gave up and hung up on me. Oh well.

I flicked my wrist and glanced at the time. Damn! I’m late, I’m late. I took a quick check of myself in the mirror, grabbed the keys on the dresser and ran out of my place.

PH...24...23...22...21...20...I watched the floors light up one by one as the lift slowly descended. Suddenly it hit me. Shit! I had forgotten to lock my front door. Cursing myself, I frantically pushed the buttons on the panel, willing the lift to change direction and go back up. After many tries, it finally did. At the ‘ping’, the doors opened. I removed my shoe and shoved it into the gap, jamming the door so that it’d stay opened. I ran out, fumbling for my house keys, dropping it twice in nervous anxiety.

At last to what seemed like eternity, I finally pressed the remote control on my car key. I heard the beep of my 3-month old black Mercedes Benz CLK coupe unlocking. I sank into the seats, the aroma of leather engulfing me. The engine started with a purr. I stepped on the accelerator, revving it up to 6 rpm and sped off towards my destination.

-------------------------------

I scanned the arrival hall, looking for her. The sea of people made it more difficult but I was confident that I would recognise her. Even though we hadn’t seen each other for some time, I remembered every feature of her face, her eyes, her smile. There was no way I would miss her. Then I sensed it. Her presence. I turned to look towards the gate. And there she was. As youthful as ever, it looked like she hadn’t aged a single day. Although dressed casually, she looked resplendent and I felt my heart skip another beat. She walked with a bounce, evidence of her bubbly and vibrant nature. I smiled as I saw her trying to control the luggage trolley, struggling to hold on to the bags she had piled on it. She hadn’t changed a bit. She was still the bumbling goofball I knew. Coolly, I walked up and stood right in front of her, deliberately blocking her path. "Hello Jess," I greeted her with a grin.

She looked up from her luggage. The next thing I knew, I had the wind knocked out of me as she lunged at me with a hug.

"Terri!" she shrieked at the top of her voice, nearly shattering my eardrums.

Yes, Terri. That’s me. Or to be more precise, Theresa. Theresa Au. And she? She was my friend. My best friend. The only person I love and would ever love. She was Jess. Jessica. Jessica Lee.

"So, any good catches lately?" she teased as she linked her arm in mine. I took over the task of controlling the trolley from her as she continued to rattle on about everything and anything under the sun.

She was still telling me about her flight when we arrived at my car.

"Wow! Nice. But didn't you tell me you were driving an Alfa Spider?" she exclaimed.

"I was. Want to drive?" I asked her, enticing her with the keys.

"Really?" She let out a squeal of delight and grabbed the keys, planting a peck on my cheek. "Thanks!"

I stood frozen, unmoving when her lips touched my face. My skin tingled under her kiss.

"Hey! Don’t just stand there. We've got some rubber to burn!" she yelled out the window, rousing me from my stupor.

Damn! Girl, get a grip of yourself.

I laughed. "Hong Kong roads have changed a lot these last 10 years," I warned her as I climbed into the passenger seat.

"That’s why I’ve got you here beside me," she chuckled as she put her foot to the pedal.

--------------------------------

I shook my head at the sight of the room. In only a matter of minutes, she had managed to transform it into a post hurricane zone. Clothes and luggage were strewn all over the floor and bed. I picked up a camisole with the tip of my fingers and dangled it in front of her.

“Since when did you wear these things?” I teased.

She screamed and made a grab for it, snatching it out of my fingers. “None of your business,” she pouted as she desperately tried to hide it under another pile of clothes. I had to fight the urge to go up to her, to hug her and to kiss her. I couldn’t believe she was finally here with me in Hong Kong. I stared at her lovely face. Every little thing about her drove me insane.

“Do you know, after all these years, I still don’t know what it is you do? I mean, look at the cars you drive. Look at this place. How do you afford it? You’ve got to be loaded. I won’t mind having your job!” Jess laughed as she continued to unpack her belongings.

Yes you would. Nobody would want my job. I didn’t want my job. But I was never given a choice. It wasn’t something I was proud of.

I brushed off her question with a wave of my hand. “Oh...some sort of family business. You won’t be interested,” I said.

“Try me,” she insisted.

That was Jess. Always persistent, forever determined. I knew she would keep bugging me until I told her. I wracked my mind, looking for some plausible explanation. “We’re into many things. Property, entertainment, trade,” I answered vaguely. Okay, so I was stretching the truth a little, but it seemed to satisfy her for the moment.

“So, what are you? Managing Director? General Manager?” she continued her interrogation.

“Yea, you could call me that,” I replied. I hated myself for having to lie to her. But I couldn’t tell her. Not yet anyway. “What about you? Which firm will you be joining?” I asked, eager to steer the conversation away from me.

“Chan & Philips,” she said with a grin.

I gave a low whistle. “Wow.”

Jess was a lawyer. And a great one too, I reckoned. Or Chan & Philips would never have head hunted her all the way from Australia. They were, after all, one of the top law firms in Hong Kong. We had both taken law in university. I recalled how my family had thrown a fit when I told them of my decision. They had wanted me to do something more useful - something that would help with the family business. Something like Business Administration or Commerce. But I didn't care. Jess was going to do law and I was going to do what Jess was going to do. They finally relented when I managed to convince them that knowledge of Law would also do our business some good. So, I ended up with an LLB. Such irony.

“Hey, do you have any plans tonight?” I suddenly noticed how late it was getting.

“Of course not! I'm all yours, darling!” she giggled. “What did you have in mind?”

Gawd. If she didn’t stop it, I don’t know how long I'd be able to stand it.

“Food. Unless you're not planning on eating.” I said.