The Popstar & Me

Chapter 13 - Shanghai Holiday

Chapter 13

"Sorry, not tonight. I have plans with a family friend."

I wait a full five minutes for Calvin to reply, but nothing appears. Panicking, I immediately decide to soften the blow.

"How about tomorrow?"

Refusing to hang out with Calvin McAbs is the hardest thing I've ever had to do all year. This is especially true because I'm so lonely here in Shanghai that I'm considering binge-watching all 32 seasons of the Simpsons.

I'm not lying. I do have plans for later today. At the same time — I don't care at all about canceling my plans with Lana. I say no because I can't believe Calvin texts me to hang out when he's been ignoring me ever since we got handsy at the dumpling store. Now, he reappears without so much as an apology. Is he that dense? Can't he even give me an explanation as to why he was gone all weekend?

Despite all my attempts at hanging out, Calvin's been ignoring me to do God-knows-what. Why couldn't he have texted me once during all this time? Did he get that caught up working out with Andrew? Now, he suddenly wants me to come over at a moment's notice? No, if he wants me, he needs to work for it now.

By "work for it," I mean Calvin has to wait a full twenty-four hours. That will teach him that I'm a treasure that isn't easy to come by.

"I'm free all afternoon Tuesday. You can come over if you would like."

"Can't. Have plans. We're going to the food market on Fangbang Xi Lu," Calvin replies. I see the dot dot dot indicating he's still typing. I'm waiting for him to invite me along too. Instead, he says — "See you next Friday!"

"Next Friday?"

"Yeah! See ya!"

I'm seething as I read his response. So, he can't invite me to the food market? Why? Andrew and I get along great! I almost want to reply that I changed my mind. Tonight would be great! I start to type it out but stop short of hitting send. No, I can't backtrack now. He'll think that I'm desperate. No, I need to go on with my life as though I have a million more important things to do than to grope Calvin Suzuki's delicious abs.

By the time I meet Fang in the Internal Medicine wing, I'm still in a foul mood. It's written all over my face. He's leaning against a wall and smirking at me as though my scowl amuses him. Even with a pair of oversized sunglasses on and a black blazer over an equally black t-shirt, he looks absolutely angelic with his curly locks of dark hair and his ridiculously attractive smile.

Even though he's standing beside a garbage can, his pose makes him look like he belongs on a glossy, well-loved poster adorning a lonely teeny bopper's dorm bed.

"Who fed you undercooked rice this morning?" Fang asks in Chinese.

"No one, I don't eat rice. Too many carbs. Come on, let's go to a private room before someone recognizes you."

"It's just a saying," Fang explains with a sigh. Even though his body language says he finds me exasperating, he follows out of the public waiting area.

I continue to check my cellphone for texts from Calvin in case he suddenly changes his mind and decides to invite me out Tuesday night. In my mind, I fantasize that he'll come to his senses and say; Change of plans — Andrew doesn't want you out with us, but I do. Why don't we hit up the food market together?

"I think my boyfriend is cheating on me," I tell Fang because I need to distract him for half an hour before his appointment. I'm also just looking for someone, anyone, to listen to my relationship drama.