59 Better To Try And Get Along

They were shown to a small table, and Baozhai ordered a bottle of wine for them to share over lunch.

"Could we have some water too please?" Changying asked as the waiter turned to leave.

"Of course," he smiled and nodded before walking away.

Changying wasn't about to let Baozhai get her drunk and manipulate her into saying or doing anything she might regret. She hoped Jack would hurry up and get there. As soon as the thought entered her head Jack walked in and turned toward their table with a smile. Then to her surprise, Ben appeared behind him.

"Ben's here," Changying said in her surprise, and Baozhai jumped turning around to look in the direction of the entrance.

"Damnit, I thought Ben was busy today," Baozhai grumbled.

"Ladies, always a pleasure," Jack bent to kiss their cheeks.

"Good to see you again, Changying," Ben followed suit before turning to his sister. "What's this all about, Baozhai?"

"I'm just trying to do what Mama wanted, get to know Changying and be friends," Baozhai shrugged.

"And you called Jack because?" Ben prompted her.

"Because she wouldn't come to lunch with me without a chaperone, I don't know what she thought I was going to do to her," Baozhai said innocently. The waiter returned with a jug of water and the bottle of wine interrupting the conversation and offering service to the men.

"Crowns please," Ben nodded, and the waiter left again.

"I've never been here before what's good on the menu," Changying said trying to divert the conversation from the previous topic.

"They do a great risotto here, would you like me to order it for you?" Jack asked.

"The chefs special is amazing. You should both try that," Ben suggested pointing at a chalkboard on the wall.

"Sure," she said after reading the board. "I like risotto, but the chef's special sounds great. I'll try the risotto next time." She smiled at Jack.

"One to Ben," Baozhai chimed in.

"Gotta let him win a point now and then, he's not pretty when he pouts, unlike Wah-Wah," Jack chuckled.

"Pffft, you wish you were this pretty," Ben countered rolling his eyes. "So you felt you needed a chaperone?" Ben asked Changying.

"Let's just say I am more comfortable getting to know you all in a small group rather than one on one," Changying tried to shrug off the topic.

"Still she doesn't say anything," Ben looked at Baozhai, "What did you do? Tell her she needed to go on a diet and offer to take her to a salad bar?"

"I did no such thing!" Baozhai was indignant under the scrutiny of her brother.

"She didn't," Changying came to Baozhai's defence. "It's just better if we all try and get along so here we are."

"I'm sure there is more to it than that," Ben continued to stare at Baozhai who looked back without wavering at all.

"We got off to a bad start but I think we understand each other better now," Baozhai said easily.

"Let it go, Ben," Jack said easily, "Let's just enjoy lunch and the company."

They ordered food and settled into lunch. Once Ben had dispensed with his overbearing brother routine, he was good company, and Changying found herself relaxing and enjoying the time away from work. She was careful to pace her wine drinking with water, unlike her lunch with Antonia. It was toward the end of the lunch when Baozhai looked up panic stricken and bounced from her seat almost knocking it over and hurried toward the entrance where a small group of women had just entered.

"Well that answers that question," Jack chuckled and placed a hand over Changying's. "It seems you were right to request a chaperone."

"Who is it?" Ben asked not recognising any of the women who had walked in.

"The tall, leggy one is Chen. Wang's old PA, who," Jack started to explain.

"Yeah I know the story," he frowned and turned back to Changying. "How about you tell me exactly what Baozhai said to you before inviting you to lunch?"

"Its fine," Changying said, "I'm used to it, and they are right I don't fit into their world but for some strange reason Wang likes me the way I am so I don't need their makeovers and fashion advice. Let's face it I am not the glamorous type." She said it with a smile, but all the insecurities she had about her figure and height were making her feel ill as she realised what Baozhai's intention had been. Public humiliation could have crushed her and made her give into Baozhai's makeovers and harsh words. "She probably doesn't even realise that you would recognise Chen from when you picked me up for lunch that day."

"She probably doesn't at that," Jack grinned at Ben. "Let's see how this plays out shall we?"

"My thoughts exactly," Ben chuckled. "Not a word that we know," Ben winked at Changying. "So how about some dessert, since you listened to me for the main course how about I tempt you with some fabulous Crème BruWei?"

"I couldn't eat another thing, I'm so full from lunch," Changying patted her belly feeling its roundness and deciding to go on another diet in the face of the beautiful people she was surrounded by every day now.

"I'm so sorry, just an old friend I haven't seen forever," Baozhai gushed as she resumed her seat.

"The way you rushed off I thought you'd seen Papa," Ben chuckled.

"God forbid," Baozhai grumbled and took a gulp of her wine.