On Saturday, Grace Li carried a large bag she'd handpicked at Chelsea Market, filled with all sorts of quirky snacks and French pastries from Parisian shops, and headed to Isabella Hsueh's stylish apartment. As soon as they walked in, the two of them flopped onto the soft velvet sofa, like two lazy kittens, wrapped in fluffy wool blankets. They enjoyed the food while sharing the latest snippets of their lives without holding back.
Suddenly, Isabella Hsueh, in a playful mood, lifted Grace Li's shirt to take a look at the scar on her back and exclaimed, "Hey girl, this scar is barely noticeable now, it's like a super cool, unique birthmark. Totally no big deal!"
Grace Li, who had looked in the mirror countless times, knew the scar had faded a lot over the years. Still, she sighed and said, "But when I'm around Aiden, I don't know why, I just feel so insecure."
"Grace, look at you! You're gorgeous, your bank account's full, and you're more capable than anyone I know. The scar isn't even on your face, so there's really no reason to feel insecure."
"I used to think it was no big deal, but Aiden is so amazing. I just subconsciously don't want him to see my imperfections."
"What do you mean by imperfections? You're a total perfectionist. Think about it, he doesn't even make as much money as you do right now—are you complaining he's poor?"
Grace Li immediately defended Aiden Thompson, "He's just getting started in his career. In a few years, he'll definitely be making more than me. This guy works so hard, staying late at the office, and his future's gonna be amazing."
"That's for the future. And don't forget, you're kind of the 'sugar mama' here. Take Evelyn Garcia, for example—remember her? She's almost 50 now, and even though she gets tons of cosmetic treatments, she's still showing signs of age. But does her young guy care? He still calls her beautiful."
Grace Li couldn't help but laugh, "Speaking of which, after getting closer to Aiden, I realized he's not the type to date a 'sugar mama.' He couldn't care less about money, he values the emotional connection way more. Like last time, we went to the MoMA for the Picasso exhibition. He stopped in front of every painting for a long time, his eyes full of admiration for the art. Or when we're walking around Central Park, we can talk about a book or a movie for hours."
Isabella Hsueh reached out and playfully poked Grace Li's forehead, "Uh oh, you've totally got love brain now."
"I'm serious! The other day, I wanted to buy him a car, and he turned me down."
"Turned you down?" Isabella Hsueh raised her eyebrows in surprise, "How?"
"He said he only likes Bentleys and Rolls-Royces."
Isabella Hsueh burst into laughter, doubling over with her hands on her knees, "You're kidding me! He says he doesn't care about money, but he's clearly hinting that you should buy him a luxury car. Anything less, and he's not even interested."
Grace Li waited for her to stop laughing, then said, "I'm serious. I was ready to spend some money on him, but he won't even let me. Now, every time we go to Whole Foods, he insists on paying. He says he loves the feeling of spending money on me, that it makes him feel more… present."
"Alright, alright," Isabella Hsueh calmed down, tapping her chest, "He's not after your money, he's just after you. Now back to the topic—what are you gonna do about this insecurity of yours?"
Grace Li hugged her knees, looking frustrated, "I haven't figured it out yet. I've tried everything, even gone to a therapist, but I still don't know what to do."
Isabella Hsueh saw the frown on her face and patted her shoulder, "Don't stress so much, Grace. You're amazing just the way you are. And remember, in a place like New York, where everyone is so accepting, imperfections are just part of the deal. Look at Lady Gaga, she's always rocking crazy looks and never hides her flaws, in fact, they've become part of her brand. You can do the same!"
"Thanks."
Suddenly, Isabella Hsueh leaned in and whispered in her ear, "And you know what? The intimate time with someone you like? Totally mind-blowing."
Grace Li's face instantly turned bright red. She looked at her in shock, "Have you been…"
"What?"
"Dating someone recently?"
Isabella Hsueh took a sip of her Budweiser, casually replying, "Not really. Just having some fun. You know, adults do things for mutual benefits. We met at a law seminar, and now we just go on dates and watch movies."
Grace Li's curiosity grew, "Who is it? Some young hunk?"
"Nah, he's the new partner at my law firm. He's a big shot in intellectual property law, and his presence in the courtroom is just unbeatable."
"Show me a pic. Come on."
"Come on, he's not even my real boyfriend. What's the point of showing you?" Isabella Hsueh intentionally changed the subject, "Anyway, let's focus back on you. Your Aiden is tall, handsome, has an amazing body, and his skin's so fair. Don't you want to take things to the next level with him?"
"Wanna hear the truth?"
"Of course."
Grace Li answered very seriously, "Yes, I do!"
The two of them burst into a fit of laughter at the same time.
**
On Monday morning, after leading the senior management meeting, Grace Li returned to her office and immediately announced to her team, "Hey, guys! The company is planning a team-building trip this weekend for two days and one night. The admin department has come up with two awesome options, and we're going to vote on it. We need to decide before the end of the day!"
The office instantly erupted, with everyone shouting, "Come on, tell us what the options are!"
"One option is to go to the beach in the Hamptons, where we can enjoy the sun and sand, and maybe even have a super fun beach volleyball game. The other is to head to a spa in the Catskills to relax. I'll send the details in the group chat right now—take a look and vote so I can report it to the higher-ups."
Olivia frowned, looking confused. "A team-building trip sounds great, but why choose the weekend? Doesn't that cut into our personal time?"
Ryan curiously asked, "Olivia, got something special planned for the weekend?"
"Nope, but I've heard that a lot of companies do team-building during workdays. That way, it's both productive and doesn't interfere with our personal time."
Mike shrugged, sounding indifferent. "I don't have any high expectations, but a team-building trip sounds great to me. I'm voting for the beach. What about you guys?"
Ryan excitedly stood up, high-fived Mike, and said loudly, "Great minds think alike, dude! A spa is nice, but the beach sounds way more fun. Plus, we'll get to see some bikini babes!"
With that, Ryan slid his chair over to Aiden Thompson's desk and started egging him on, "Aiden, come on, vote for the beach! The beach is going to be awesome!"
Aiden Thompson, eyes still fixed on his computer screen, calmly replied, "I'll take a look at the options first before I decide."
"Stop hesitating, dude! The beach is all about sun, fun, and, of course, checking out the hot girls!"
Aiden Thompson furrowed his brows and replied dismissively, "Forget it. I really don't care about that."
Ryan continued teasing, "What if the boss shows up wearing something crazy, like a funny costume? You telling me you wouldn't be interested?"
Grace Li, who was about to post the travel details in the group chat, felt her face turn bright red. She was so embarrassed she could have crawled under the desk.
Aiden Thompson shot Ryan a cold glare, and it was like the room got a little colder. Ryan, visibly rattled, quickly realized he'd gone too far and pointed at Olivia, saying, "Olivia would totally rock a bikini too!"
Olivia's face turned bright red with anger. She grabbed a small plush toy from her desk and threw it at Ryan, yelling, "Ryan, if you keep talking like that, I'll throw you into the ocean to feed the sharks!"
Ryan scrambled to catch the toy, feeling trapped. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry, I messed up!"
As the office descended into chaos, Aiden Thompson quietly sent Grace Li a message.
Aiden Thompson: Want to go where?
Grace Li: The beach, I think.
Grace Li: What about you?
Aiden Thompson: Same as you.
Grace Li: If I choose the spa, would you go with me?
Aiden Thompson: Yeah.
Grace Li, amused, replied: Why?
Aiden Thompson: That way, I get to cast a vote for the place you want to go, gotta support you.
Grace Li couldn't help but smile softly as she read the message.
Hearing her laughter, Aiden Thompson looked up at Grace Li. She caught his gaze and, feeling a little shy, turned her head away, though the smile was still on her face.
The vote was concluded by the morning, and the beach won. Seventy percent of the company voted for the beach. After a long and cold winter, everyone was eager to go somewhere warm, soak up some sun, and sip on cold coconut water.