A/N:
Synopsis –
Andrea Reyes is the manager of a popular Hong Kong entertainer. But after a brief vacation, Andrea decides it's time to move on with her career. She's just going to conveniently forget that she's spent the last four years extremely dedicated to one man in particular and pretty much compares other dates to him...so what better way to move on with her personal and professional life than to move back to Hollywood, CA?
Ethan Lai can't understand why his manager wants to quit – she has a good life in Hong Kong. He's going to fight hard to convince her to stay - and try not to panic at her determination to leave. Because without Andrea around, life just seems…well…not right…
I've always wanted to write a story featuring a music artist - I toyed with the idea about 3 years ago, but never really took it further until now. And while the main male character isn't specifically supposed to resemble anyone in particular, he was highly inspired by Aaron Kwok, Andy Lau, Jay Chou, and Rain (particularly the dancing).
Other stories are being worked on as well…My muse comes at different times, so thanks for your patience!
Part 1
Andrea Reyes dragged her carryon luggage behind her as she exited customs, tucking her passport into her purse. She was given a week and a half vacation and she intended to enjoy it. Andrea made her way past security at LAX, past the sea of waiting individuals, her gaze settling on the svelte dark-haired woman dressed in a pale blue halter top, white shorts, and heeled sandals – all which showcased her smooth brown skin. Her black wavy hair was left flowing loose around her shoulders. And the hint of a wry smile was on her full, mocha gloss-colored lips.
"I'm here!" Andrea announced, grinning.
Her best friend from college shook her head and gave her a hug in greeting. "It's nice to see you, Andie…" She pulled back and gave her a stern look. "But you could have called more the past year…"
"I know…Kelly…I'm so sorry," Andrea's grin faded. "I've been busy…"
"Too busy for more than once a month phone calls?"
Andrea's finely arched black brows drew together over gold wire-rimmed eyeglasses. "Can you stop with the guilt trip? Ethan keeps me busy."
"I imagine he would if what I've read about him is true…" Kelly said idly.
Andrea waved her hand in dismissal. "But I'm here to enjoy my vacation. No work, no spokesperson contracts, no tour ideas, no TV show rehearsals…nothing. Just…me."
"Good enough."
They chatted for a bit before Kelly led her way to her car – a Mazda Miata convertible – and eventually took the freeway north to Santa Monica.
"It feels great to be back in America…" Andrea removed her glasses and put on a pair of brown shades to block out the sun.
"When was the last time you were here?" Kelly asked.
"Over a year ago…I came home for Christmas for a few days," Andrea informed, adjusting her seat to tilt back slightly as the California breeze whipped through her black hair.
"How are your parents? You plan on visiting them soon?"
"Maybe…" Andrea wrinkled her nose. "I don't really need to hear my mom's speech about how I need to get married and my dad's desire to have grandchildren." Born to a Filipino father and Chinese mother, Andrea grew up with strong family ties and high expectations.
Her parents had been disappointed when she first announced that she wanted to leave their San Francisco home and pursue a career in Los Angeles in the entertainment industry. She sure didn't regret the move. It took them a while to accept her decision. Having interned for a while with various agencies and managers in Hollywood, she landed an unexpected job that solidified her career four years ago.
Being manager to Yun-Qi Lai, or 'Ethan Lai' as he was commonly called, a well-known actor/singer in Hong Kong had its advantages. At thirty-two years old, Ethan had been in Hong Kong entertainment since he was eighteen. His ever-changing music and stylish dancing – as well as appearances in Hong Kong drama and comedy TV series – had kept him as one of the most well-known and popular artists. She was paid nicely and granted a month's worth of vacation every year since she began working for him.
It had all been an unusual coincidence. Her roommate four and a half years ago happened to be the niece of Ethan's manager at the time. But after her aunt died, her uncle decided to quit and find a steady job that didn't involve traveling – particularly since his two children were still very young. Her roommate had insisted to her uncle that Andrea would be right for the job. Two days later, Ethan and his manager had flown out to LA to meet her, conducting a very thorough interview. Ethan then spent the next day with her, which gave them time to get to know each other, and after deciding that she was a good candidate, Ethan and his manager flew back to Hong Kong to file the paperwork for a working visa for her.
Andrea could barely contain her surprise when Kelly pulled up to a single-story house overlooking the Pacific Ocean. "You live here?"
Kelly grinned. "I've been doing pretty good for myself, too, you know."
Andrea shook her head. "You always said you wanted to live near the water."
The two women headed to the trunk of the car, Andrea pausing to admire the stretch of beach below.
"Wow…"
"I know…" Kelly turned to the trunk of the car to push the lid open, pausing as she retrieved her friend's bag.
The garage door of the next house opened and Kelly frantically glanced at her watch before whirling to face her, immediately waving to signal that she come over.
Andrea hurried to her friend's side. "What's wrong?"
But instead of panic, Kelly's eyes reflected excitement. She then pointed in the direction of the neighbor's house. "You'll see."
The two women were partially hidden behind the car and trunk's lid. And a good thing, too. A tall, blond man wearing a wetsuit with the top portion hanging around his waist, leaving his tanned muscled torso exposed, emerged from the garage, a surfboard tucked under his arm. He paused for a moment, leaning his board against the doorframe of the garage.
Kelly bit her lip, a small smile coming to her features as she studied him, while Andrea, peering from behind her, lowered her sunglasses down her nose to see him in full color.
"Wow," Andrea whispered.
"I know…"
"I miss California…"
Kelly chuckled. "No hard-bodied man candy in Hong Kong?"
Did her boss count? Andrea mentally shook her head. Not that she ever looked at him that way, but that was part of the whole image. In some way, Hong Kong wasn't that different than Hollywood. Regardless of your age, you still had to maintain a pleasing appearance.
"Hi, Kelly!" the man next door spoke up before waving in her direction. "Do you need some help?"
"No thanks, I got it," Kelly assured him, returning a small wave.
Andrea shook her head, fighting a smile. "You are so bad."
"I saw you checking him out, too," Kelly scolded.
"I have an excuse," Andrea countered. "I haven't seen much else in the past four years."
"Oh, please. Last I checked, your boss adds America and Europe to his tour. There's plenty for you to see when you go abroad."
Andrea reached for her luggage, leveling her friend with a stare. "You sure seem to be keeping tabs on his activities."
"Just trying to figure out why you'd leave California," Kelly shrugged. "He must make the job worth it." She closed the trunk and locked the car. "Ever thought about coming back to California? There are a couple of actors here who I know would love to have you…"
Kelly was a hair stylist and frequently did work for movie productions. She'd made infinite connections.
Andrea's eyes widened. "You know some who are in need of a business manager?"
"I hear talk once in a while. You know how it is."
"Right…"
OOO
"So…how is the music side of your career going? Your single released two weeks ago, right?"
Ethan's date for the night, Lili Wu, was a model in Hong Kong and spokesperson for a popular makeup company. They had met two months ago at a computer company's party – the company was promoting three of their new laptop brands. He had been set to perform a few songs to kick off the party, and she had been serving as the party's emcee. They had met backstage and began talking and started seeing each other a few times ever since.
"The first single of the new album was released two weeks ago and I'm supposed to start shooting the video when Andrea gets back from vacation."
It had taken some convincing on his part to delay the shooting. Andrea had been ready to push forward, but he requested a break. And some of his costumes wouldn't be ready for a few weeks, anyway.
"She must be happy to go back to Los Angeles for a short while…" Lili commented, her voice containing traces of wistfulness. "I remember the first time I went to California…I enjoyed Los Angeles."
"She always seems a lot more…energetic when she comes back from California," he noted aloud. "Eager to work…gets things done much faster and more efficiently…"
"Maybe a California vacation is her magic potion. You should send her there more often," Lili teased.
His phone beeped for a few seconds and he checked the screen for the text message. The message was from Tony, his publicist:
Andrea called to let me know she made it safely to LA.
Good. Nice to know that his business manager was all right.
Lili took a sip of her wine. "Everything okay?"
He nodded, setting his phone aside. "Just a text from Tony."
For some strange reason, a part of him felt a little stung that Andrea had informed only Tony. Never mind that he was on a date and wouldn't have answered.
The vacation was exactly what Andrea needed. They both had been very busy. But he'd sensed that Andrea was restless…that she needed to get away from Hong Kong for a while. He knew that being away could be hard on her – she had spent nearly all her life in California and had limited contact with friends and family due to the time difference. At first, he had been a little concerned when he first hired her about her attachment to California…but she never showed any signs of missing her home. And she had impressed him so much the first month that he swore to never doubt his instincts again. His first instinct of her had been correct – she was focused, ambitious, and exactly what he needed. The transition to the new manager had been so seamless, all because of her efficiency and easygoing manner. She'd worked hard to be where she was now. In fact, he had been the one to recommend that she take a vacation. Shocked had been one word used to describe her reaction...
"I think you should take a break," Ethan stated, idly tossing a baseball into the air as she went over some paperwork in her office.
"I have," Andrea said wryly. "This is my third one this morning." She took a sip from a steaming mug of tea.
"You shouldn't be telling me that," he grinned.
"Probably not." Andrea pointed to the stack of papers in front of her. "But since I'm going over renewal contracts for…half of the products you're a spokesperson for…and you know that tea helps me concentrate…"
"Fine." He settled in the chair facing her desk. "But when you're done with that, I want you to take a vacation."
"Vacation?" Andrea's head shot up.
"A vacation," he repeated. "Go home to California for a while."
"Who are you and what have you done to Ethan?" Andrea demanded.
Ethan rolled his eyes as Andrea continued.
"You've never told me to go on vacation," Andrea stated, setting her pencil down. "In fact, anytime I go on vacation I need to let you know three months in advance or you panic."
"I don't panic," Ethan retorted.
"You're completely lost when I'm gone," Andrea argued. "So three months gives you time to adjust and plan what to do. Which is usually nothing except partying or dating."
"Those don't require you to read, approve and sign anything," Ethan agreed with a grin.
"But that still doesn't explain why you're telling me to go on vacation." Her brown eyes narrowed at him suspiciously.
"Because I think you should," Ethan responded. "We've both been busy…and a break will be good for us."
"…I'm not dreaming, right?" Andrea blinked.
"No, Andrea," Ethan sighed, switching from Mandarin to English. "You look tired. I'm tired. Let's take two weeks off then go back to work. No questions. That okay with you?"
"Uh…sure. I…I guess?"
It was an old joke between them that they meant serious business when they spoke in English. Ethan looked down at his plate of food. It was already his third day of vacation and he hadn't gone into the party scene as enthusiastically as he usually did. He had been working too much the last few months. For some reason, he just didn't seem to have the energy right now to do anything.
So Lili was a little surprised when he sent her off in a taxi with just a hug and an offer to call her in a few days. By the time he made it to his home in Kowloon, it was only ten p.m.
He could hear his house phone ring even as he inserted the key into the door. Ethan chose to ignore it as he went into his bedroom to change out of his evening clothes and dress down to his pajamas. He had just pulled off his clothes and stepped into pajama pants when the answering machine picked up.
"It's Andrea. Just letting you know I'm in California. I meant to ask you if you want anything from here. Tony said he wanted a shot glass…"
He paused for a few moments before heading to the living room.
"Anyway, I'll see you soon. Don't party too much!"
Ethan snatched the phone and held it to his ear only to be greeted by a ringtone. He blew out a breath and put the phone back.
Maybe he'd catch her call next time.