Page 6 of The Sitcom Star
“Well, maybe I’ll put it on my list for tomorrow.”
“In addition to reality dating shows.”
“Yep, right below it.”
“Did you have ‘getting drenched in taro milk tea by some guy from your elementary school’ on your list for today?”
“Oh, totally,” she said.“This is all going according to plan.”She put a finger to her chin.“Except it was supposed to be oolong milk tea.None of this purple business.”She pointed at his half-full cup.“And you got coconut jellyandpearls.”
“The one I spilled on you only had pearls.I just decided to go all-out with my replacement.”He sipped his drink.“I feel the need to apologize again.Afterward, you looked like it was…the last thing in the world you needed.”He paused, serious for a moment before his mouth quirked into a smile.“But now, I hear it was all part of your master plan, for whatever reason.Like, research for a scene in a yet-to-be-announced rom-com you’re starring in.Or writing.”
“Research?”
“Yeah,” he said.“For an incident involving bubble tea.Maybe you thought getting it spilled on you would result in some, I don’t know, inspiration.”
“Please.I don’t need to resort to such extremes.I have an excellent imagination.”
She finished her last piece of popcorn chicken, as did Adrian.He threw their containers in the trash and didn’t sit back down at the table, just picked up his nearly finished bubble tea.Her gaze tracked the movement of his arm, and she idly thought that the gentle swell of his bicep was rather nice.
It was still a bit hard to believe this was Adrian, the boy she’d known all those years ago.He did have some similarities with his younger self, but he certainly hadn’t looked likethis.He hadn’t had the broad shoulders, the arm muscles, the sharp jawline.
“Anyway,” he said, “it was nice to run into you.I mean…it wasn’t nice that I literally ran into you, but it was good to see you again.”
“You, too,” she said automatically.
“If you’d ever like help with relaxing, I do consider myself an expert.How about I give you my number and you can text me if you need help?”
“Sure.”She pulled out her phone, and he dictated his number.
“You want me to walk you to the subway?”
“No, no, I’m good.”She stood up.“Oh, crap, your shirt!”
“Don’t worry about it.You keep it.”
And with those parting words, Adrian turned the corner and vanished.
Maddie ambled—yes, ambled rather than speed-walked—down the sidewalk to her building.She’d actually done something spontaneous and unproductive: fried chicken and bubble tea after 10 p.m.Something that hadn’t been on her list.
Huh.
She had four more weeks before she flew out to Vancouver to be a guest judge on a baking show, plus a few other appearances.Four more weeks to fill.
Maybe she would text Adrian.
But it had nothing to do with her admiration of his arms or his easy smile.Nope, absolutely nothing to do with that.
Chapter 3
When I ask Maddie Ng whether the Chus are based on her own family, she hesitates for a second before laughing.“No, definitely not.”
—Phillip Chin,Asians Onscreen
AroundninethirtyonSaturday morning, Adrian Ma slowly regained consciousness.
He’d had a little to drink last night, but not a ton.Certainly not enough to make him hungover, nor enough to explain his ridiculous behavior.
He buried his head under the pillow and hit the pillow with his fist.
