Offer To The CEO

Saturday, continued …

Watching her husband interact with his friend was making Amanda feel more comfortable in dealing with Hou Yi as someone other than her big boss.  She knew from the look on Yao Tan's face that he had observed that she was relaxing in the situation.

Amanda knew that she needed to pull Yao Tan back under control or the whole situation would become a disaster.  "Stop trying to smother our daughter. She and James confirmed to you that they would stay with us for a couple of nights before moving into their apartment.  Now let us finish eating and head down, so that we can see what is left to do. The last thing that I want, is for them to come to a mess."

The look he observed on Amanda's face as she was speaking told Yao Tan that arguing with and annoying her would not be worth it. There was no way he wanted an annoyed wife, as she would make his life hell for months to come, particularly given her threats last night.  He did not want the trouble that she promised him would come his way if he caused too much trouble.

Hou Yi himself looked carefully at Anna.  She, despite the calm expression on her face was angry at his.  He was not going to argue with his pregnant wife. The less stressed she got, the longer that she could work.

About twenty minutes later, the six of them headed downstairs to the apartment that Hou Yi and Anna were gifting James and Alecia. Amanda and Anna followed by Ton and Junior wandered through the apartment making a list of all the items required to complete the furnishing of the apartment, commenting loud enough for bot Hou Yi and Yao Tan to hear that they would go shopping that afternoon.

Hearing that, both Hou Yi and Yao Tan looked at each other

Yao Tan and Hou Yi looked at each other, and the unspoken message that passed between them was that there was no way that they would go shopping with their wives. Before either of them had to say anything Junior spoke up about going to watch a football (Soccer) game at the stadium.  Ton, while he liked watching football, wanted some space from Junior, and quietly said that he would accompany Amanda and Anna shopping.

Four hours later, Ton was having second thoughts with his offer. Yes, spending time with Amanda, away from his father and Junior was good, as was using his artistic skills to help pick the remaining items and match the colour palette within the house and the artwork of his that would be installed during the week, but these two seemed to want to shop to they dropped. He quietly moved towards Amanda and whispered "Mum, Aunty Anna is seeming tired. Should we not think about heading back before Uncle Yi decides to have our heads."

Amanda turned to look at Anna, and determined that Ton was right, she was getting exhausted, and they needed to head back, otherwise Hou Yi would kill her. Amanda spoke "Anna, there is only a few items to get. How about you and I go and sit and have a drink while Ton gets those last few items before we head back."

Ton was surprised, Amanda was trusting him to do a task. She had not trusted him to do something in years. He tried to think about it and figured that it was about three years since she had trusted him with anything, and he and Junior through that trust back in her face. She had come over to stay with them while dad was out of the country on business. She had agreed to allow them to go, with a bodyguard to the movies, and the two of them snuck out to hang out with friends.

This time he was not going to abuse the trust that she had placed in him. He turned and quietly said "Mum not a problem. Just give me the list with the remaining things to be gotten, and one of the guards and I will head to do that. Once I am done, I will call you."

Handing over the list with the remaining items on it, Amanda realised that today she was seeing a different Ton. Over the last almost four months, he had started to change, mature unlike Junior who was still the same, somewhat selfish child that he had always been. While both Junior and Ton had been missing Alecia, Ton seemed to take her words, not only from when she left, but when the spoke to heart. She kept challenging her brothers to figure out what they wanted.

Ton, in taking that challenge had matured to the point, that even surprised her and Yan Tan a few weeks ago that Alecia's friend Sally Ge finally agreed to start dating him. Ton for over twelve months had been trying to convince her to become his girlfriend, but she had always told him to grow up.  She finally decided that Ton was worth the chance to date.  The funny thing was each time the two of them went out, Junior attempted to crash the date, but was firmly told he was not welcome.

Sally, while waiting for Ton just last weekend told her that he was different.  She said that she had tolerated him for Alecia's sake, but she had noticed since Alecia had been in Australia Ton was standing up to Junior.  He had become a nice person rather than the self-centred selfish person that he had been with Junior pushing him. That made her comfortable in agreeing to date Ton. Of Alecia's three close friends, Sally was the easiest to deal with by far.  All Amanda hoped for was that Ton did not mess up, so Alecia would not have to choose between him and her friend.