This is a short story that was requested by one of my readers, a Malaysian-Chinese woman, and is inspired by her own real-life interracial sexual experiences with an Englishman. I may continue this story in due course once some of my other projects are completed.
As always, all comments and feedback are welcomed.
HF
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(May 2010, Kuala Lumpur)
May Tan walked across the wooden deck with practiced grace, a calm that belied the weight that she carried in her chest. Normally she would have looked forward to a night out, a dinner at somewhere such as 'Ambrosia', an upscale restaurant in the Damansara Heights overlooking Kuala Lumpur, came far too infrequently for her.
Between her role as the Regional Brand Manager in Multilever's Personal Care Division and her household and family responsibilities, she had precious little time to herself. If it wasn't the latest quarterly report, it was chasing after her two teenage children, Wen and Ming. With her husband, Alex's career as a senior financial controller for a mid-sized tech company headquartered in KL consuming more and more of his time, it left little for the two of them.
Now, after nearly fifteen years of marriage, the forty-three-year-old woman felt tired. Burnt out. Exhausted from the demands of her job and her family. May knew that she and Alex were growing apart, pulled by their careers and family commitments. It had been months since they had gone out for dinner like this, weeks since they had made love. Actually, made love, not the hurried, fumbling attempts under the sheets, trying to keep the noise down so their children wouldn't hear.
Even tonight, a Thursday, had been a chaotic affair at home and the office. Alex had taken the children to visit his parents in Ipoh, taking advantage of Wesak Day to have a long weekend away and she had been helping him pack their bags that morning before they left. May had wanted to go but had demurred when she had looked at her work schedule. Those damn quarterly reports were due again...
This time was different to normal. Julian Hunter was in town. The Vice President of Strategic Partnerships -- Asia-Pacific for Multilever had flown out from London to spend several weeks in KL and the travelling around the region to visit the respective offices. Although they had worked together for the past ten months, this was the first time they had spent more than a few days together. The last week of meetings and visits with him had been... intense, to say the least.
For an
ang mo
, a Westerner, May had found Julian to be remarkably insightful regarding practices across the respective Asian offices. Despite the presence of so many expatriate staff across the region, he would never fully blend in; not standing 6'2" tall with salt and pepper-tinged dark blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. His rugby toned physique allowed him to dominate meetings through sheer physical presence but, to his credit, he was a good listener, mindful of the cultural norms of the region.
And of the workload the corporation demanded of their senior executives.
It had been he who had suggested that they discuss the quarterly reports over dinner, instead of another long, interminable meeting in the office. To her own surprise, May had agreed to the offer.
However, to get the report ready, she had to work back in the office later than she would have liked. Cursing under her breath as she'd hurried home to get changed into something more appropriate for dinner, she pondered why Julian would want to discuss work over a meal.
Could it be that he wanted to flirt with her? May knew she was an attractive woman; at least she had been when she was younger, before work and her family had taken their toll on her. An ethnically Chinese woman, she had found that her looks had helped early in her career, particularly when working with Westerners who found her exotic, as they had described it.
She'd flirted with several of them when she was younger, even kissed one at a work function, but had never taken it further. Her marriage to Alex and the arrival of her children had stopped any further opportunities. Would Julian want to flirt with her, she pondered to herself?
Perhaps... she mused. It wasn't as if she would object if he did. He certainly wasn't unattractive, with a ruggedly handsome face. It was that he was a Westerner, a White man. Someone different to her, to her world, her upbringing. She was aware from the discussions at work that he was divorced but knew little about him on a personal level beyond that. May had a feeling that was going to change over dinner.
Pausing at the mirror just inside the entrance to the restaurant, May quickly checked her appearance. Weighing 125lbs and standing 5'5" in bare feet, she was of average height amongst her family and friends, with the six-inch heels she was wearing helping to project a taller, leaner image that helped with her 34B-28-38 body. She certainly didn't wear these heels to work, but then this wasn't a work dinner, or was it?
May noticed the slight creases around the corners of her deep brown eyes -- each one telling a story of long hours at work, sleepless nights at home, all interspersed with the smiles and frowns that came from a long and happy marriage. Happy, she mused? She was happy, but lonely... unfulfilled. The passion had disappeared from the marriage, Alex becoming increasingly focused on his career, her on her own and the children taking up the remaining time.
She quickly ran her fingers through her shoulder-length black hair, professionally styled and layered with faint chestnut highlights -- a sole concession to her professional, corporate role that she permitted herself. Stylish and attractive, her hair delicately framed her face. She was still attractive with a light tan on her pale skin, but the years had started to take their toll. Laugh lines etched her once smooth features while a small patch of freckles sat near her collarbone, the consequence of too much time in the tropical sun as a young woman.
Her size 6 black dress was simple, cinched at the waist, the neckline modest -- but it traced the slope of her shoulders just enough to feel different from the usual tailored skirts, slacks and collared blouses she wore to work or the jeans and casual tops she wore at home. She had let her hair down. Literally. For the first time in weeks. All for this dinner.
What are you doing here, May? The question she asked her reflection remained unanswered. Perhaps there was no answer to what she was doing here. For the first time, in a long time, she was simply... being. Being a person. Being a woman. Not a wife. Not a mother. Not a corporate executive.
Taking a deep breath, she turned and continued into the restaurant, pausing at the maître d' at the front counter. A waitress was summoned and led her into the restaurant where Julian was waiting.
As she approached, May saw Julian already seated at the table, his back straight, fingers lightly curled around a glass of water. He looked up, and stood as she approached, an easy smile already appearing on his attractive face.
"May," the Englishman said, with that smooth, relaxed tone and clipped, refined accent that always caught her off guard, even when discussing P&L statements. "You look..." he paused, "...far too elegant for a work dinner."
May laughed, soft and polite, lowering herself into the seat across from him as the waitress hurried off to get one of the more senior wait staff to come over to take their order. "I don't get many chances to dress up unless it's a wedding or a client launch," she said in perfect, but accented, English as she smoothed the hem of her dress. "Besides, I was hoping to impress the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships," she said with a smile.
Julian smiled back at the Chinese woman -- a modest, appreciative smile but there was something in the way his eyes lingered on her. Not inappropriate. Just aware. Aware of who she was and perhaps what she was missing in her life.
"I'm already impressed," he replied, focusing on both his menu and May. "You've been holding Multilever Malaysia's personal care division together through Q1 and you've set us up with a pipeline that will carry through to 2011 and beyond. Trust me... this dinner's long overdue."
May picked up her menu, hiding the slight flush she felt at his praise. "Well, we're both overdue, I think," she said as she scanned the menu.
A few moments later, a waiter approached their table. They ordered lamb tagine for her, grilled sea bass for him, and a bottle of Pinot Noir to share. Once the waiter left, Julian leaned back slightly, folding his hands in front of him.
"So, May..." he said, almost contemplatively. "Tell me... how does a woman like you manage a regional portfolio, family... you've got what... two kids? And still make it look effortless?"
She gave a light smile, relaxing somewhat in his presence. "That's a dangerous question, Julian. Flattery might lead to more work being added to my plate."
Julian let out a small, honest laugh. The sound placed her at ease. This wasn't like the formal, intense business dinners she was used to. This was more like two friends, companions, sharing a meal. "I'm genuinely curious," he said. "I struggle to keep my plants alive when I'm traveling."
May looked away for a second, exhaling through her nose. A sigh of tension being released. How could she explain what she did, what she went through on a daily basis, the expectations she had to live up to in her culture? To him, her boss, a White man.
