Keep Your Chin Up

Seeing that his target was engaged in heavy conversation with her companion, Luo Jun saw no need for him to intervene at the moment. Leaning against his wall he sighed in relief, at being relieved from his duty finally, and his boss's arrival.

'I've done rather well given these circumstances as well, I should expect a reward. At least I will be allowed to finally sleep. Right now, that is reward enough.'

Sitting at the table Justin patiently waited a few minutes watching her spin her glass before it was spent. Putting his hand on the table, Justin gave her a serious look.

"You obviously want to talk about him, at least a little. So why don't you tell me about him?"

"Well I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you about him a bit." Looking down Chang frowned slightly, as if it was a difficult request.

"Well then start, 'cuz you're killing me here! Like what's his name?" Growing exasperated with her Justin urged her.

"His name is Jian, Liang JianAmal."

"That's kind of an unusual name isn't it? Where is he from, what is his background."

"His father's Chinese, but his mother comes from a different country, Amal was her input into his name." Chang kept her answer short and to the point, not wanting to linger on the subject.

"What happened between you two? What made you come to want to come to LA? Your mom lives in San Francisco right, why wouldn't you go back to where you're from?"

"Embarrasment, I guess. I didn't want to tell my mom how much of a fool I was. I was just a game to him. I was foolish, had too much to drink at an outing for my last job, and agreed to a stupid proposal from him.. Maybe I was just charmed by the idea of being with a man so seemingly perfect .." Trailing off Chang started to look away, her thoughts drifting with her eyes.

"What was his proposal?"

She bit her lips a moment before spitting it out quickly.

"To marry him." Justin was shocked, he'd considered several possibilities, but not that they were married. When she said proposal he didnt think she meant literally meant wedding proposal!

"So you're a runaway wife?"  In response to his words, Chang gave him a wry look pursing her lips.

"I'm gonna go powder my face, be back in a sec, will you refresh that while I'm gone?" She pointed a wobbly finger to the drink before tottering away.

Justin regretted his bluntness momentarily and got up to get them both a couple more drinks, while racking his brain for more questions to ask. Her answer had momentarily blown his mind.

Chang sat in a stall in the bathroom with her face in her hands, trying to collect herself but the world around her refused to stop moving around. She knew she was dangerously drunk, and was tearing open the wound in her heart, but for the first time Chang found herself wanting to share Jian and her's story.

Leaning against walls and edges in the bathroom, she shook her hands dry as she stepped back out to the floor. Because of her blurry vision it took her a second to re-find her table and friend. While she was scanning the room it almost looked like she saw Jian against the wall talking to another man.

Blinking twice and rubbing her eyes, Chang shook her head at her overactive imagination and plopped herself back down in the seat. Seeing that Justin had made good on her word, and had another liquid poison waiting for her, Chang took a big slug for putting it back on the table with a resounding plink.

"Well damn girl, ease up a bit maybe, the table is innocent."

"There are no innocent parties at this table." Wagging a finger at him, Chang earned a hearty laugh from her friend. "Alright, where were we.. oh that's right," Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Chang did not hear what he had said as she tried to retrace her train of thought.

"I wouldn't just say I'm a runaway wife, things are a bit more complicated. Okay so here's the deal, I used to write for a business magazine, analytics, statistics, what have you. I especially wrote columns for up and coming profiles in the technology world." As she spoke of her old job, Chang waved her hand around lazily.

"So I went to Shanghai last July to interview some big-shot who hit the mega-millions mark. Well we got real toasted, him, a couple of his business partners, his assistant, a couple of my co-workers, my boss, and so on. I got super toasted and ended up going a little wild when someone brought up karaoke. I attracted his attention then. He was in the next room over and heard." Scoffing a little  Chang continued on after another sip.

"He approached me after I left the room, and asked if I would marry him right then and there. Dear god what do you say when some rich, bronzed, pretty guy comes up to you out of the blue and asks you to marry him. He even off the bat said I'd never need to worry anything anymore, if I said yes, I just needed to make an immediate decision."

Whistling long and slow, Justin widened his eyes as she continued.

"I didn't really think and said yes. I was a fool though, it didn't take me long to realize what a fool I was, I was just a toy for his momentary amusement. It took me a little too long to realize, and it was a painful lesson.Once I learned it though I signed divorce papers and left without looking back.  I just have never had the courage to tell my mom, she'd probably be so disappointed in me for being so foolish..

"It was just a little girl's dreams of a prince to come save her mixed with too much shochu!" Chang turned her lips up in a smile, and tried to laugh but it merely came out a weak scoff.

Justin noticed her half-hearted attempt to blow off her feelings. He looked away for a moment and excused himself, to give her a moment. He went over a gave her a should a light squeeze in support before he walked away.

"Good looking guys make us all fools, at one point or another!" As he spoke Justin gave her a playful wink. "I can testify to this personally too. Don't fret, time will heal everything. You got people that love and support you, and honestly I don't think your mom would be disappointed in you. 

"You should go visit her soon, it's been a long time, and if you're not ready you should at least tell her. I've only talked to her on the phone with you, but I know her well enough to know your mom wouldn't judge you. Don't be too hard on yourself, it will all be ok." She looked up at his words and gave him a weak smile after that. Seeing her aknowledgement Justin gave her a proud squeeze on her shoulder.

"Good girl, you keep your chin up!" after speaking, Justin sauntered to the bathroom unaware of the man who moved away from the wall and towards Chang as soon as he left.