Tell Me Again, My Love

She walked with the others but her eyes could not stop from looking around, just in case the flight Mika arrived at the same time as hers. But to her disappointment, there was no flight from Beijing. She quickly went through the immigration post and then looked for a café to wait. Maybe Mika would arrive later.

Ryn checked her phone and saw several messages from Mei Li. It seemed like there were more job opportunities Mei Li found for her. She quickly made a quick work checking each job, frowning as she took down information. Then, she checked her availability, ensuring none of the job would interrupt her study and Mika"s wedding preparation.

Then, she frowned. It seemed like her episode in the show "A Day In My Busy Life" would be shown in the television next week. She had to free her day on that day so she could go to the studio to watch it with the crews. She quickly wrote it down in her diary.

She sipped her favourite Java Chips Frappuccino while she read more, only to almost spit the drink out. The producer wanted to record another day of her life and Mei Li thought it was better to clear something aka her love of steak. Mei Li asked her how many steaks she ate that day because when the producer called her manager, he was laughing about the amount of steaks Ryn ate that day. Ryn scratched her head. How many did she eat that day? One? Two? Hmm… maybe two. All she knew she did not eat more than twenty steaks in any day. Even for her glutton self, twenty was too much.

Whatever. She shrugged it off. It did not matter how much she ate that day. What was important was not the amount but whether she was full and happy that day. And she was happy and full. She had no doubt about it.

She reached for the small fork and took a small piece of powdered doughnut into her mouth. Travelling did make her stomach growling in hunger. She enjoyed the food and drink while waiting for Mika and her team. It was a long waiting. Almost two hours. While waiting, Ryn devoured two more doughnuts, three sets of mini sausages and two chicken pot pies. Drink? She lost count. Her eyes glazed almost all the time, holding on her sleepiness desperately so she would not fall asleep here.

Despite the "suffering", Ryn was smiling happily when she heard the announcement of the flight"s arrival. She waited for a little bit more before stood up, taking her bag and waited outside. Mika could see her when she came out from the arrival gate. She leaned her back against the wall and crossed her feet. She also crossed her arms and looked at the gate with her eyes s.h.i.+ning brightly. Finally, she could be reunited with Mika after days being alone.

And soon enough a familiar woman leading a team walking out of the arrival gate. She took off the gla.s.ses she wore and smiled when she saw Ryn.

"Ryn~" She left the team and ran toward Ryn.

Ryn chuckled and opened her arms wide, hugging Mika tightly. "Hey, you."

"You lose weight again. Too busy?" Mika commented sadly as she touched Ryn"s arms. She also checked Ryn"s waist with a frown.

"I didn"t. I just ate a lot," Ryn laughed. Then, the laughter stopped when the team approached them. Her face changed a bit seeing a familiar man grinning at her. "h.e.l.lo, Jack."

The man gave her a grin. He looked up and down and smiled even wider. He liked it when the models scared of him. It would make it easier for him to get what he wanted. Especially this Catherine, the one-shot model. There was so much he could use to explore her potential. Pretty soon he would make her the cream of the cream.

The others watched as the woman who looked so happy and friendly turned so quiet and subdued. They frowned seeing the changes.

"Let"s go. I am tired and hungry," Jack acted as the leader and walked toward the many doors.

"Are we sharing vehicle with him?" Ryn whispered at Mika. Both of them were walking hand in hand, following behind the team.

"I don"t think so. I hope not," Mika"s eyes widened in horror at the thought of sharing the same vehicle with Jack. She stopped and looked at Ryn nervously.

"How many vans Stephanie did book?" Ryn asked, trying to calm down. Of both of them turned hysterical, nothing good would happen.                                                                                                                             

"I"m not sure, but enough for everyone and the luggage," Mika replied.

Ryn stared at the man with a frown. How to avoid sitting in the same vehicle with that devil?

When they approached the others, a man quickly went to the women, holding a cupboard. "Miss Long, my name is Eric. I am appointed to bring you to the hotel."

Ryn gave Mika a look, telling her to deal with this. "Make sure we"re not in the same vehicle as him," Ryn reminded.

Mika looked at where Jack was and nodded her head slightly. She whispered something at Eric, making sure the man understood the instruction.

"I thought we"re staying at your place," Ryn commented when they were on the way to the resort with Eric driving the SUV. Fortunately for them, Jack preferred to go with his crew because he still had something to discuss with them.

"It"s Jeremy"s. I can"t use the house yet. He doesn"t let me bring so many people there," Mika replied. She begged and begged but Jeremy refused to give his agreement. Unwillingly Mika had to order Stephanie to book a hotel for them. After she gave the order, she went to Jeremy and stared at him for half an hour.

But Jeremy ignored her. He just read the doc.u.ments and put down his signature. Then, he picked up the phone and talked with someone or another. He just freaking ignored her even though she was throwing a tantrum in his office!

She did not understand why Jeremy refused to let them use the house. Didn"t he buy the house for Ryn? And Ryn was staying with them. So why he could not stop being so stingy and stubborn and just let them use it while filming the advertis.e.m.e.nt.

"Oh…" Ryn did not comment anymore. If Jeremy did not let them use it, what else could she say? She was not Jeremy"s girlfriend anymore so she had no "influence" in Jeremy"s decision.

"He"s so busy lately. I don"t think he even realizes how many times he skips his meals," Mika shrugged.

"He missed his meals?" Ryn"s eyes narrowed at the sentence.

"Hmm… You know… he has to go to dad"s company as well. Dad doesn"t want to go to work nowadays. He just spends the time with mom, saying it"s his retirement peak or something," Mika shrugged. No one but Eric was there but both were still whispering at the back.

"So the time for you to take over the company getting near, huh?" Ryn asked back.

Mika"s eyes widened. She just remembered the initial plan when they created the company. Jeremy, when he told her about his plan to create another company apart from their father"s company, said that when he was ready to inherit the big company, she would take over the company. But until then, he would help to teach her everything about managing it. At first, she led the clothes designing department and then he agreed with the jewelleries. So, slowly she took more and more responsibilities albeit still close to her own interest. But to handle the whole company all by her own?

"Ryn," Mika choked out.

"What? What"s wrong?" Ryn was worried seeing how pale Mika"s face was. Was her best friend getting sick? Ryn looked around but she could not see any clinic or hospital. What should she do if Mika got worst?

"Ryn," Mika took Ryn"s hands, grasping them like a lifeline.

"What? What is it?"

"Do you still have money?" Mika asked.

"Huh? What? How much? What do you want to buy?" Ryn unzipped her bag and took out her wallet. She lifted her hand and looked at Mika, waiting for her best friend to tell how much she needed.

"Not… not that," Mika shook her head. It seemed like Ryn had misunderstood her words.

"Then? You said you need money," Ryn scratched her head in puzzle.

"Do you still have money?"

"I do. What do you want to buy? Eric, is there a grocery shop or something close by?" Ryn asked Eric loudly.

"Do you need to buy something?" Eric asked, preparing to park the car at the nearest shop.

"No… I mean not right now. I mean, Ryn, do you want to buy some shares in the company? Be a co-owner of the company? We can work together."

Ryn"s jaw dropped. Had Mika"s head hit anything? Why did she mean by that? A co-owner?