Chapter 1
Movement. Warmth. Sleepy. Empty space.
AJ tried to fall asleep again as Sulin got up. It was a given that Sulin would wake up earlier than him. MUCH earlier.
Where was I? Mmm...sleep. Pillow. Blanket. Piano playing.
Piano playing?
Can you make it
easier
For me to understand
How you're holding my heart
In your trembling hand
He grabbed Sulin's pillow and put it over his head, trying to muffle the Fastball song. Sulin always liked to have music to start off her day. Music playing in the background while she worked. Music playing even when she was about to sleep. Heck, she needed music everywhere she went, a love that AJ didn't share. Oh sure, he loved his work and was as passionate about it as Sulin was. However, there were times when he liked silence. Especially at 7.30 in the morning.
*ring ring* *ring ring* "AJ couldja get the phone? I'm stuck in the shower."
*ring ring* "AJ?"
*ring ring* "AJ, wake up."
*ring ring* "Hello? AJ?"
*ring ring* "Oh for cripes sake McLean, get your skinny white ass outta bed and answer the fucking phone already!"
Cursing under his breath, AJ reached out onto the table next to the bed, searching for the phone. His hand smacked the wood several times before he finally located it.
" 'Lo?" His sleepy voice answered, and his mind struggled to wake up and identify the caller.
"It's your sister Su." He held out the receiver as Sulin ran out of the bathroom.
"Hey, what's up?" She sat down on the bed beside him, cradled the phone between her neck and shoulder and started massaging his bare back. Ahhhh. He snuggled against the pillow. This was pure bliss.
"Yes, that was AJ...No he just finshed a tour, that's why he's so sleepy." Sulin smiled as she talked to her younger sister. Her fingers made their way across his shoulders, kneading the cinnamon coloured skin gently, tenderly. He sighed into the pillow as his muscles loosened up under her hands.
"You WHAT?" Suddenly, her hand grabbed his shoulder so hard that her nails dug into his skin and he cried out. "Omigod really? AH!" Sulin jumped off the bed after emitting a scream that was uncharacteristic of her. AJ, now fully awake, propped his head on his hand and looked at his excited girlfriend through groggy eyes.
"I can't believe this! Omigod omigod OMIGOD!" He winced as her normal voice gradually built up to a high-pitched screech that shook his nerves. He was glad to see her put down the phone.
"Guess what? Suying's getting married!"
"Really? That's great!" That got his attention. He'd always liked Sulin's sister, younger than her by a year.
"Yeah, you know that guy Mark? The one she met at work? They're getting married in a month. Oh God, my little sister's getting married before me!"
AJ raised an eyebrow. "Don't start getting any ideas, girlie. It's not even 8am yet."
Later, the two of them were at the stove preparing breakfast. Well, actually Sulin was frying eggs, and AJ just got in the way.
"Tiger?"
"Yeah?" He had to smile as she used the nickname she'd bestowed on him ever since they started dating.
"You free on the 20th next month?"
"I don't think I've got anything on, unless Brian wants to drag me along to go golfing again. What's up?"
"I have to go for the wedding in Singapore. Oh and you're invited." She added the last sentence as an afterthought.
"What?!" He nearly dropped the plate he was holding and stared at her. "Run that by me again? I thought you said I was invited to your sister's wedding."
"I did." Sulin placed the eggs on the plate, and stood looking at him. "What's wrong with that?"
"Oh nothing, except that your family will be there."
She narrowed her already small eyes, giving the impression that they were deeply imbedded in her skin. "I don't see anything wrong with that."
"Oh yes, of course. There's nothing wrong with inviting a total stranger to be present at the most important ceremony of your life."
"Oh come on, Suying thinks of you as a friend."She gave a wry smile. "You're scared of my parents, aren't you?"
"Your parents? No, why should I be scared of two people that I hardly know? Espcially if they may become my future in-laws?" His normally raspy voice sounded strained.
"Now who's the one getting ideas?" She had to laugh as she saw the expression on his face. It took a lot to get AJ McLean in this state. She tiptoed and put her arms round his neck, drawing him into a hug. "It won't be that bad." Their lips connected in a small kiss. "Come on, she's already saved a place for you at the church and the dinner."
He frowned in confusion. "Isn't a reception at the church enough?"
"Oops. I forgot to tell you. Mark's family's Catholic, but Chinese tradition dictates that a wedding dinner should be held for family and friends. Of course, they'll have the tea ceremony and all the usual stuff."
"Stuff?"
"Aw come on Tiger. Tell you what, the company owes me a few weeks' vacation anyways, so why don't we go down there for a week or so before the wedding and I'll show you round my hometown?"
"I don't know..." AJ gulped. He wasn't nervous about performing in front of a few thousand people, so he sure as hell shouldn't be nervous about anything as small as meeting Sulin's family.
Or was he?
"How did you talk me into this again?"
"Stop whining AJ, you sound like Nick."
AJ snorted. Nick didn't have to worry about meeting Sulin's parents. What little she had told him about them didn't sound good. Modern folks, but still clung on to traditional Chinese beliefs. He was the first guy that Sulin dated, much less bed. He sniggered at that thought. He glanced at her as they made their way out of the plane. Sulin was petite, barely five foot two, but was cocky enough to refuse him flat out the first time he asked her out. He fell in love with her attitude, her lustrous bob of black hair, the way she smiled, her...
"Are you done ogling at my butt? Sheesh, you'd think your boyfriend would help you with the luggage. Oof!" Sulin struggled under the weight of the suitcase. "What the hell didja pack in these things, granite boulders? I hope you brought along that shirt and suit I asked you to bring. If it's one thing my parents are picky about, it's the way people dress. To this day they're still asking me not to wear so much black, espcially during auspicious ceremonies like this." She rolled her eyes.
AJ smacked his forehead in frustration and bent down to retrieve another piece of luggage that was making it's way down the belt. He saw his reflection in the metal and grimaced. She'd made him shave off his goatee and take out all his earrings, her logic being that her parents would see him in a better light and the fans wouldn't recognize him. She'd also made him dye his hair back to it's normal colour, "Coz it's hard to take someone who has electric blue hair seriously, even though I love it." she said. "Plus my parents aren't too fond people that aren't as conservative as they are."
Whatever, he still thought he looked like crap. Her logic worked though, no one had recognized him from the time they got out of her apartment to now. Well, not YET anyway. He shook his head to banish thoughts of stalkers. Since when did he become so paranoid? That was Nick's specialty. Yeesh. I've been spending too much time with Nick.
Once they got into the cab Sulin rattled off the address of the hotel to the cabbie in rapid Cantonese. Fifteen minutes after he set foot on Singaporean soil and he already felt out of place. He looked out of the window to see the palm trees rushing past him.
"If you remove the trees and the stuff in the middle of the road, it becomes an emergency runway."
"Uh huh."
"What say we hit Orchard Road tomorrow? Suying says they opened up some new stores in the Heeren since I was here last month."
"Uh huh."
"The Zoo? Or maybe the Night Safari?"
"Uh huh."
"I'm gonna dump you and become a nun in China."
"Uh huh."
"I'm two-timing you with Howie behind your back and he fucks way better than you."
"Uh huh."
"All the McDonald's in Singapore have closed down due to laughing gas attacks by Islamic extremists."
"Uh huh." Sulin shook her head at his answer and waited. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
"WHAT??" His scream was so loud the cabbie swerved and almost rammed into a bus. Bingo.
"Nun?? Howie?? Laughing gas??" He looked at Sulin menacingly. "What the hell were you doing woman?"
"It was too good a chance to pass up." Sulin tried to keep a straight face as giggles threatened to consume her.
Sulin slid the keycard in the door to their room in the Mandarin. AJ collapsed onto the bed and lay there looking up at the ceiling. Strange how weird ceilings can look. He'd seen so many of them over the years it became a hobby. Kinda like watching the clouds go by and seeing them form stuff. That bump there looked exactly like the pockmarked face of their last tour manager. And that one there looked like Brian battling a thirteen eyed jellyfish...
"Tiger?" Sulin's face appeared above his and blocked the view of the ceiling. "You alright?" She pulled him closer so that she was hugging him, his head tucked underneath her chin. He heaved a sigh and slid down onto her lap. "Aw baby, I'm sorry but...OK I know you didn't want to come but...man." She placed a tender kiss on his lips, trying to get him to respond. She was relieved when he flipped her back onto the sheets and devoured her mouth. He leaned back against the headboard with Sulin's head on his chest.
"You ok Tiger?"
Another sigh. "Could be better."
"You sure you're ok with this?"
A pause. His high forehead creased in a frown. "I love you Su, and if it makes you happy..."
"Dammit McLean, what's wrong? It's not fair for me to control your life this way."
"I'm very...tentative about meeting your family."
"You're scared. You're STILL scared."
"No, I said tentative. Or maybe cautious would be a better word. Yeah, I'm very cautious about meeting your family, especially your parents, whom you've described in very vivid detail."
"Look, my parents aren't exactly unreasonable you know. I bet if you turn on that charm of yours, they'll flock to you like bees to honey."
"Charm eh? Then howzabout we get down and dirty in the sheets?" The mischievious grin she fell in love with played on his lips.
"How about sleeping off a 12 hour difference in time zones?" she shot back. She wriggled under the sheets and pulled him down with her. "Oh, and Tiger?"
"Yeah?" He was still miffed at her refusal.
"I love you too."