With all the cars out front, it looked like the entire world had been invited to her party—mind you, six is a big deal!I tried not to think about what had happened at my sister’s sixth birthday party. How my dad had arrived late, smelling of booze, and had caused such embarrassment when he’d started singing Happy Birthday too vigorously and had knocked over the table with the cake on. Thoughts like these just made me more determined than ever to help my sister and at the same time, made me panic. I needed my job, but at the same time, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to do it much longer. And the advertising world is a small one, no doubt word would have spread about me—I’m sure Angie would have helped that along. And since no one was really prepared to hear my version of the events, I’m sure stories of me would probably gain momentum like the stories I’d heard about Ben.
Yes, this party was exactly the distraction I needed when I walked into a literal zoo. Her parents had obviously pulled out all the stops. There were jumping castles, a petting zoo, pony rides and a woman dressed up like a Princess reading stories and painting faces. It was quite a sight to behold. I felt nervous and awkward walking into a place where I knew no one, other than the birthday girl, but I had to be brave. After all, I had promised JJ that I would sneak some photos of Superdad.
As I got closer and people started coming into focus, someone stood out from the crowd. I noticed her immediately; you couldn’t help it. She had to be Miss China. No, that title was not even vaguely adequate. Miss Milky Way was probably more like it. I’d never seen anyone so beautiful before—not even Cindy. She was tall, ridiculously so, like a svelte runway model. She had those long well-toned limbs designed especially for ballerinas. Her hair was dead straight, enviably black and shiny, and her features were perfect. They looked like they’d been airbrushed, smoothed, polished and put back on her face in the most geometrically appealing way possible then finished off with a bit of photoshop. Her features were familiar though. She was clearly Li-Hau’s mother. There went JJ’s notion of divorced parents. What man would divorceher? She walked towards me and even though I was a full-blown straight girl, my breath quickened.
“Hello. Can I help you?” She spoke slowly, with the kind of condescending tone that only someone really beautiful could get away with.
“Hi, sorry. I’m Sera. I met—” But as I was about to finish the sentence, Li-Hau came bounding up to me.
“See. I told you she was real, Mommy!”
“Snow White?” her mother asked.
I gave her a smile. “It would seem so.”
Her mother sort of looked me up and down over her perfectly shaped nose—no doubt wondering how I had been deemed “the fairest of them all.”
“When I wrote out the invitation,” she explained, “I honestly thought it was just another imaginary friend.” She didn’t sound particularly happy about the fact that I was real.
Li-Hau shook her head. “Told you!” Then she took me by the hand and marched me away. “Come. I want you to meet my friends.”
As Li-Hau walked me towards the crowd, I spotted Lerato, who gave me a little wave and smile, so I went over to greet her. I was grateful that I knew another adult there at least. While Lerato and I exchanged pleasantries, Li Hau let go of my hand and ran into the crowd.
“Daddy! Snow White is here!” she yelled—Daddy?I turned and my entire universe shook—
44. A Magical Invisible Whip . . .
It was Ben.
But how? But what? But . . . what the fuck was going on?
I froze. My heart felt like it had stopped beating and I was going into full-blown organ failure. My eyes scanned the surroundings, looking for an exit strategy, or a place to hide before he saw me. But when I turned, Miss Milky Way had also started walking in my direction.
I turned and looked back in Ben’s direction and when I did, he saw me. The moment that passed between us was more intense than anything that we’d shared so far. He looked from me to Li-Hau’s mom and back, and the look that rushed over his face was one of indescribable panic.
Fuck!
Li-Hau’s mother started making a faster approach and suddenly Ben was on the move too, straight towards me. They both descended at the exact same time and my heart stopped.
“Hi, I’m Ben,” he said, making a point of sticking out his hand in my direction.
My eyes floated down to his hand and I stared at it in total confusion and shock.
“I’m Li-Hau’s dad,” he persisted. “So you’re the Snow White I’ve heard so much about.” He smiled at me, widening his eyes. I could see he was desperately trying to communicate with me. The message was clear.
Play along.
What the hell was I in the middle of?
“I . . . I . . .” I stuttered.
Ben jumped in, talking to Li-Hau’s mom now. “So Snow White is real after all.” He smiled at her and then turned back to me. “Sorry, I didn’t get your name?” He looked freaked out, but was trying to hide it—and not that well.
“S . . . Sera,” I stuttered.
“Nice to meet you. This is Mei, my daughter’s mother.”
He emphasized the word daughter as if I hadn’t caught on yet.
