(Surprise) Lunch
Chapter 20: (Surprise) Lunch
“My favorite auntie!”
Dao looked up to Ira entering the office with a big grin on her face as she came around the reception desk with her arms open wide.
The older woman immediately stood and laughed as she was practically scooped up by the younger, much taller woman. She always enjoyed when Ira visited the office because she would either be bringing everyone a lunch she had personally prepared at home or she had the children with her as she ran errands in the area. Tawan and Ira had become very important people in her life, a reminder of her three daughters that lived either out of the country or in another province.
“Mrs. Ira,” Dao smiled and cupped her cheek motherly. “Are you here to take her to lunch?”
“Yes, ma’am,” she smiled back, nodding in a doting way. “Is she available? I actually wanted to surprise her since I was on this side of town for a meeting.”
Dao looked towards the back at the conference room. “She is in a meeting with Mr. Tek, Ms. Lai, and Ms. Meena. They should almost be done,” she informed, looking at her wristwatch.
Ira nodded and patted her back. “Good. Then we can catch up some,” she smiled and went back around the reception desk.
As they waited for the last ten minutes of the meeting to be over, Ira leaned into the reception desk so that she could talk to Dao. A few of the employees would come up to greet her, and Ira, always the hostess in any setting, would engage them and lock their attention. The younger ones especially loved her because she was very social media savvy, so she was able to keep up with a lot of their interests and trends.
If Ira did not have a group of younger women surrounding her when she entered the office then something was wrong.
“What are you doing here?”
Ira turned around to Meena who was giving her a teasing smile and it made her laugh as she approached her for a hug.
Both women turned back to Dao and walked up to the receptionist desk to continue talking to her. Ira updated them on anything that Tawan had not already, and both women were very congratulatory and praising of her and her new adventures. As Ira and Meena talked about some of the brand representatives she met in Paris, Dao smiled at them with a warm, motherly look.
“I have a few contacts that can help with your social media presence if you need it. Just tell Mali to give me a call,” Meena offered and pulled her cellphone out.
“Now why would I use your contacts when I can just ask you?” Ira countered, waving her hand over her phone.
“In case anyone thinks its a conflict of interest,” Meena said pointedly, laughing a bit.
“How can it be a conflict of interest if I pay you?” Ira stated obviously, raising an eyebrow the same.
“I won’t take your money,” she countered and put her phone back in her pocket.
“Fine. Put it towards FleurDe,” Ira said and winked.
“Oh, the day that happens,” Dao chimed in, focused on scrolling on her computer screen.
Ira and Meena snickered behind their hands, Dao being the only person in the office who knew about their idea to branch out. She had walked in to deliver a message while Tawan and Meena were having lunch in the former’s office while they were dreaming up the early parts of their magazine.
Dao always had a way of being present in a room during small talk or major conversations that made everyone comfortable to continue them even if she was technically interrupting. She always minded her own business, but when she heard Tawan and Meena planning this she told them they could only leave if they took her.
“I told Tawan since we have to deal with Tek this Saturday for dinner then we should pregame at your house and take a car service,” Meena informed, wriggling her eyebrows mischievously.
“You want to be drunk at your boss’ ‘Welcome’ dinner party for the new consultant?” Ira asked, trying to hide her amusement.
“You don’t?” Meena challenged, smirking at her knowing look.
“The hard part is convincing my wife,” Ira reminded and they both laughed.
“She has been doing better the last few days,” Dao told them, still perusing her computer. “Lai has been a big help keeping her focused. Maybe you might be able to loosen her up some more.”
“Maybe Lai can get Tawan to pregame,” Meena chuckled to herself.
“Get Tawan to do what?”
All three women turned to look at the topic of conversation approach them, carrying a folder in her hand and wearing a smile that only Ira could formulate.
“Nothing,” Dao answered and went back to her computer.
“Go to lunch with me,” Ira offered sweetly, grabbing her face to peck her lips.
Tawan looked between all three of them suspiciously, not believing that was what they were talking about.
Meena had a grin on her face that was mischievous, similar to the one she had at their Christmas party last year when she got Tawan to drink a line of four shots back to back. Ira, who at first enjoyed her wife loosening up, ended up having to halfway carry her back to their hotel room with Meena’s help. She was glad that Mr. Tek offered the team rooms to stay at the hotel when planning where the party would be held.
At that hangover memory, Tawan decided to ignore them or she would ruin her appetite.
“Mhmm,” Tawan hummed, clicking her tongue. “Let me put this away and grab my bag.”
Ira nodded and pecked her lips again before releasing her to step back over to her spot at the receptionist desk.
All three women giggled to each other as soon as Tawan headed back across the office to gather her things. Tawan was such an easy person to tease because she did not understand a lot of the colloquialisms or sometimes the language barrier would stump her. Everyone found it adorable and endearing when things would click for her because she looked like a little girl with her doe like eyes and lips shaped like a small circle in thought.
It was even more heartwarming if her hearty laugh escaped her as she caught on to understanding.
“She’s so precious,” Dao blushed, patting her heart motherly.
“I love how soft she is,” Ira smiled and looked to her opening her door.
They jumped back into their conversation for a few minutes before Meena announced she had to head to a meeting with her team.
“I’ll convince her about Saturday,” Meena whispered behind her hand to Ira.
“What are you planning with my wife?” Tawan said as she approached them again, adjusting her her cross-body bag on her shoulder.
“Whoa,” Meena answered, startled, then quickly hugged Ira bye. “Nothing. I have a meeting to get to with my team. You guys enjoy lunch.”
Tawan eyed her as she took her spot. “You better be good or I won’t bring you back your favorite cheesecake,” she half threatened.
“Ira? Tell her to be nice. Love you guys,” Meena smiled and waved before heading to her office.
Tawan still had her eyebrow raised as she watched her leave. Ira laughed and reached over to grab and hold her under her jaw with her thumb and pointer finger to make her look at her. She then adjusted to squeeze her cheeks and puff her own at her which earned one of Tawan’s small belly laughs. They then turned to Dao, who was staring at them almost like their mothers had on their wedding day with her eyes slightly glazed over in adoration.
They were so sweet with each other that it made the old woman's heart blush remembering all her memorable days with her late husband.
“Do you want us to bring you anything back, auntie?” Ira asked, a bright smile as she looked at her.
“Maybe a tea,” Dao replied, reaching for her purse in her desk.
“Tea and a few of your favorite pastries,” Tawan offered and winked as she grabbed her wife’s hand to step back.
“Mrs. Tawan,” Dao reprimanded as she held out money. “Take it or you will make me upset.”
“Tea and a few of your favorite pastries,” Ira repeated, dismissing her money and interlocking their fingers.
“Oh, girls,” Dao whined some and dropped her hand.
Tawan and Ira chuckled as they waved goodbye to her to head out. Dao gave them an unhappy but, albeit, amused smile and wave as they headed out.
“Tawan! One second.”
Tawan turned her head to see Lai jogging towards her with a few papers raised. She smiled as she turned her body halfway to see what she wanted, but Ira stopped her from turning all the way with a sudden death grip on her hand. She wiggled her fingers to try to loosen her hold but Ira's grip remained so she mentally shrugged it off to focus on Lai.
Lai needed Tawan's approval on something as she pointed to a document, her eyes flicking behind her when she looked down to the paper. Tawan stood back up straight and looked to her to nod that she was okay to proceed.
“I’ll make sure to get you the final print before the rough draft is ready,” Lai promised, smiling at her then flicking her eyes behind her again.
Tawan noticed this time and almost followed her gaze before remembering that Ira was behind her. She smiled to Lai then moved to step back to show her wife more so she could introduce them. It was then that she really noticed Ira’s grip on her hand, almost like wrapping a piece of string around your finger until it turns purple, and she winced a little at it.
Tawan figured she was ready to get out of there so they could enjoy lunch, so she turned to her to rush the introductions.
“Ira, this is-,”
As soon as Tawan turned fully to her wife, she was stopped at the sight of her. She tilted her head in concern at Ira as she stared past her. Her eyes looked aghast, her mouth was slightly opened, and it looked like a tear was forming at the corner of her left eye.
Before Tawan could react, her other hand already reaching up to touch Ira’s face, Lai stepped forward and extended her hand to Ira. Tawan jumped back some, looking to Lai’s hand and then to her wife.
“Lai. My name is Lai,” she supplied, looking from her hand to Ira for a second before retracting it. “Uh, sorry. I’ve been around western customs for too long.”
Ira just stared back at her, through her as if she was looking into something deeper, her unoccupied hand slowly raising to touch her stomach. She looked like she had seen a ghost. Tawan’s concern was on high alert now for some reason, so she squeezed her hand as she eyed her hand on her stomach.
Lai took a step back to give them some space, her eyes landing on their joined hands. She bit down hard enough to make her jaw muscle twitch as she clasped her hands behind her back. She watched, almost glared, as Tawan cupped Ira’s cheek and her eyes flickered at the touch.
“I’m s-sorry. Umm, what happened?” Ira asked quietly, blinking her eyes then finding her wife’s.
“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Tawan asked, her concern mounting as she caressed her cheek with her thumb.
Ira swallowed hard, turning to hide some. “Y-yeah. Nothing, n-nothing. I just…I’ve been having some stomach issues since this morning,” she smiled, forcefully, removing her hand from her stomach to grab her wrist.
Tawan gently pressed her thumb into her cheek. “Look at me. You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something. Do we need to go to the hospital?” She pressed harder, trying to catch her eye.
Ira shook her head and swallowed. “N-no, no. I’m hoping some food will make it feel better,” she rushed and forced another smile.
“Are you sure?” Tawan pressed again, her concern becoming worry.
“Let’s go to lunch and see,” Ira tried to assure, kissing her hand then removing it.
Tawan gave her a look that she did not fully believe her, but she knew how sensitive Ira’s stomach could be sometimes so she also had no reason to not believe that. So, she nodded then turned to Lai to tell her goodbye and that they would have time to get to know each other better at the party in a few days. Ira involuntarily squeezed her hand which Tawan took as a sign to wrap this up so they could leave.
“Ira,” Lai said and bowed her head at her. “Please enjoy your lunch. I look forward to getting to know the woman that Tawan cannot stop talking about this Saturday.”
Tawan smiled shyly and thanked her, looking to Ira who was tightly nodding and looking everywhere but at Lai. Her worry for what was making her wife act weird like this was starting to eat at her. She had never seen her act like this before and she began to question if it really was stomach issues.
But, then again, Ira was acting like she wanted to be anywhere else than where they were now. This typically meant she wanted to go home and have Tawan hold her from behind, occasionally rubbing her stomach while they took a nap.
Lai kept her eyes on Ira. “I’ll see you when you get back,” she said as she turned to Tawan and smiled.
Tawan nodded at her and she turned on her heel to head back to the conference room. Just as Tawan started to turn back to Ira, Ira caught Lai stealing one last glance over her shoulder. She averted her gaze and bit the inside of the corner of her mouth. Tawan shook their joined hands to get her attention, and Ira strained to form a small but genuine smile before looking to her.
Just as Tawan opened her mouth, Ira shook her head at her and raised her hand between them.
“Stomach ache. I promise,” she repeated, gingerly rubbing her stomach.
Tawan winced some in thought for a moment. “You want soup or something?” She asked as she moved to lead them out.
Ira wiped at the corner of her eye quickly. “Maybe,” she said and sniffed.
As they waited for the elevator to come up, Tawan wrapped her arm around Ira’s shoulders to press a comforting kiss to the side of her head. Ira closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her waist, trying to keep her tears at bay. Every time Tawan rubbed her hand up her forearm as if to warm her up, Ira fought off the urge to sob.
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“You barely ate at lunch,” Tawan said, forcing her to look her in the eyes.
They were standing outside Tawan’s job, Tawan holding Ira’s face so she could inspect her more closely, after having just finished lunch a few streets over. Well, mostly Tawan finished lunch because Ira only stirred her soup around as she stared into it like she was talking to it or it was telling her something. She tried to get her to eat more than just a few bites, but Ira gave up on the meal and settled for sipping her iced matcha.
Tawan tried not to worry like Ira had asked her to, but she was finding it to be very difficult.
“I’ll eat the soup when I get home,” Ira said, half smiling and averting her gaze.
“You promise?” Tawan persisted, trying to catch her eyes again.
“Yes, I promise,” she said, a little rushed as she showed her the to-go bag. “Have a good rest of your day at work.”
Tawan furrowed her eyebrows in concern as she studied her. As much as Ira appreciated her worrying about her, she was starting to feel like an organism under a microscope and it made her squirm involuntarily. She reached up with her other hand to grab her wrists to drop them between them before stepping forward to kiss the corner of her mouth.
Ira reached up and moved some loose strands of hair behind Tawan’s ear then looked to her eyes to smile, small.
“I love you. I’ll see you when you get home,” Ira reassured then pressed a long kiss her cheek before stepping back.
Tawan took a moment to watch her, hoping she would notice something different or off to ease her suspicions.
Instead, she decided she would stop at the store on her way home to pick up a few things for her that helped her with these bad stomach days. With that thought, she nodded as she grabbed Ira’s hand to press a long kiss to her knuckles in parting which made Ira smile a little shyly, mostly shamefully. She backed away and waved as Ira got into her Audi and closed the door, blowing her a kiss before heading back into work.
Ira, staring at her from inside the car and glad her windows were tinted, waited until she had entered the building before a dry sob escaped her chest.
She closed her eyes as silent tears started to fall, clawing at her chest and neck to make herself breathe again, before covering her nose and mouth to cry into. The last time she had cried like this was almost ten years ago.
The thought made her stomach turn and twist, and she desperately reached for her cellphone in her purse. She fumbled with it as she tried to see through her blurry eyes to call the one person who could understand her right now.
“Hey, bestie!” Mali greeted cheerfully.
Ira closed her eyes again, a lump swelling in her throat. “Mali,” she croaked and grabbed her throat.
“Are you sick, girl? What’s wrong? Where are you?” Mali asked in concern.
Ira knew she needed to calm herself down or else she would unnecessarily worry another person. She took a moment to gather herself and waved her other hand around her eyes to dry them and also save her from running mascara. Now was not the time to freak out and look like the aftermath of one she thought as she looked for napkins in her to-go bag.
Ira took a few deep breath’s through her nose and closed her eyes tightly, some tears leaking through so she pressed the napkin under them then her nose. She blew out a shaky breath and swallowed hard to get the lump down.
“I need to see you now,” Ira said in a very low voice, trying to control her emotions.
“Okay,” Mali answered immediately. “I’m headed to your house now.”
A small sob racked Ira’s body again and she patted her chest to calm herself back down. She thanked her best friend then hung up her phone, pressing the napkin back under her nose before turning her focus to the road.
Ira started her car, fixed herself up some in her rearview mirror, dabbed at her eyes again, then blew out another breath as she prepared to pull out of her spot. Before she left, she gave one more long look to where Tawan disappeared off to and felt her stomach constrict again.
Ira placed her hand over her churning stomach then closed her eyes to send up a prayer, hoping that the rest of the day ended with no more surprises out of her control.