by Jessica Gray
“I guess that’s why they invented the hot pot,” Joanna said. “It dates back to over a thousand years ago. Originally, it was only eaten during the winter months.”
“In Harbin, the winter lasts nine months,” Mei interrupted her, “so it was the perfect way for everyone to cook the ingredients they liked and always have a hot meal when they had time to eat.”
“But didn’t they have to heat the broth first?” Rowan asked and stared in the giggling faces of Joanna and Mei.
“Not really,” Joanna replied, leaning back, and looking absolutely adorable in her red dress. “Even fifty years ago, the housewife would never change the broth, but only add more water and herbs to the pot when it dwindled.”
“Eek,” Nelson answered.
“It actually wasn’t that bad. Since the broth was continually simmering, all the germs would be killed.”
Rowan knew that from a medical standpoint she was right, but the thought of eating several months old broth still made his stomach feel queasy. “They don’t do that nowadays anymore, right?”
Mei shook her head. “Of course not. In this restaurant it’ll be made fresh just for us.”
“You know, boiling is so much healthier than frying foods, and since the broth was made by boiling the bones, it was full of nutrients and has been known to help improve circulation in the winter. Some families used a variety of herbs and seasonings to ward off illnesses like colds, headaches, and sinus problems,” Joanna added.
Before Rowan could give her his opinion about this kind of superstition, the waiter returned, placing a large metal pot on an electric hotplate in the center of the table. Then two more waiters arrived, settled several platters of food around the bottom of it, and then unloaded a variety of sauces.
Rowan had never eaten hot pot before and diligently watched as Joanna took an empty sauce dish and added sesame sauce, soy sauce, green onion, a dash of vinegar, and a tomato-based fish sauce. She stirred it and then handed it to him saying, “Try this on the meat.”
Mei had mixed her own special sauce for Nelson to share with her, and soon everyone cooked their own food selections in the pot of boiling broth. Rowan squeezed a piece of chicken between his chopsticks and dipped it into the simmering pot. But when he took them out again, the chicken had disappeared like bait in a shark basin.
He acted nonchalantly, keeping a careful eye on Joanna and mimicking her actions. But after the third time that his food had vanished from his chopsticks he threw them onto his plate and complained, “Looks like I’ll have to go hungry today.”
Joanna took pity on him, reaching across him and placing the chopsticks between his fingers correctly. Her slender fingers on his almost caused his brain to short-circuit as he pondered how to still this hunger that wanted to devour that delicious body of hers.
“Look,” she said with that cute smile of hers and showed him, “hold the bottom stick still and only move the top one.”
“Ah,” Rowan said as he tried it again, “That’s much better.”
“Well done,” she praised him and then pointed to the American utensils the server had also delivered. “You could always use a fork. I promise not to think less of you.”
Rowan cast her a hurt look and took her comment as a challenge. Those damned chopsticks couldn’t be so hard to master. He’d done it a few times with dry food, and he’d manage with soup, too.
When he finally looked up, having accomplished his task, he saw Joanna watching him with a smile in her eyes. Suddenly, he was grateful to Nelson for setting him up this weekend. Who’d have thought a blind date could be so much fun?
On the other side of the table, Nelson shamelessly flirted with Mei, who looked much too willing to comply with all of his nefarious suggestions. More than once, Mei and Nelson’s flirting got out of hand and they drew the attention of other diners. Rowan felt sorry for Joanna, who looked slightly uncomfortable by all the stares and muttered gossip.
Luckily, the restaurant was filled with plenty of tourists and most people were too occupied with hanging onto their food in the pot to notice Nelson and Mei’s open displays of affection. That was another thing he’d learnt in the cultural awareness class. No public displays of affection.
Joanna had lapsed into her quiet self once more, and Rowan searched for a topic to strike up a conversation. Partly to distract her from the show Nelson and Mei were giving, but mostly because he wanted to get to know her better – and to hear her sweet voice.
“How do you like Beijing?”
“I haven’t seen much so far. I’m mostly occupied with my studies.” Joanna glanced nervously at her friend, and then took a deep breath. “I want to finish best in class.”
“Well, that’s a tough goal.” Rowan’s respect for her grew multifold. So she wasn’t in this just to capture a suitable husband like so many other students apparently were?
“I want to make my parents proud,” she said. “They’ve been struggling so hard to come up with the money to send me to Beijing and study.”
“And how do you like medicine?” he asked.
“I love it. It’s what I’ve always wanted, to heal people, to make a difference in their lives.” Joanna’s voice filled with enthusiasm as she talked about her plans for the future.
“Have you already decided upon a specialization?”
“A what?” She scrunched her nose.
“You know, a branch of study. For example I have specialized in emergency surgery.”
Joanna laughed. “I enrolled in TCM. So this is already my specialty.”
“TCM?” Now it was Rowan’s turn to wonder.
“Traditional Chinese Medicine. It consists of five pillars to prevent and heal illnesses. All the pillars are equally important for a healthy body and mind. They are nutrition, herbal medicine, acupuncture, Tui na massage and Qi gong, a method of exercise and meditation.”
In Rowan’s opinion, only acupuncture was at least halfway scientific, whereas the rest belonged in the realms of hocus-pocus and charlatanism. Not that he opposed massage or exercise, but as a means to heal people from a serious illness? God beware.
But he wouldn’t start an argument with her when her passion for her studies lit her eyes with such a fiery sparkle. He wouldn’t be the one to extinguish it. “How did you like the festival today?” he asked instead.
Joanna beamed with enthusiasm about the terrific attractions they’d seen. She ended her little speech with the words, “I’m really looking forward to seeing them at night.”
“Me too,” he answered and gazed into her dark eyes. Like a turtle, she immediately ducked her head and disappeared into her protective shell, biting her bottom lip.
Rowan wanted to reach out and smooth a finger over it, but he knew it would make her feel only more uncomfortable, and she’d retreat further into her shell. While he kept her at ease making small talk, he thought how incredibly sweet she was. And when she bit her bottom lip for the tenth time, he couldn’t resist reaching out and pulling it free.
She glanced at him and he chuckled. “You’re going to bruise your lip if you continue biting it like that.”
Joanna nodded and tucked a strand of straight hair behind her ear. “It’s a bad habit.”
“I wouldn’t call it bad. It’s actually very sexy, if you ask me.”
He watched her eyes widen and that’s when it dawned on him. She had no idea how irresistible she was. It attracted him even more to her.
Chapter 5
Joanna totally forgot that she didn’t like Americans. The one’s she’d met before had been loud and obnoxious like Nelson. But Rowan was different. He wasn’t like the Chinese men, either. No, he was one of a kind and she thoroughly enjoyed spending time with.
He’d taken to telling funny stories from his days as medical student in the emergency room. Joanna tilted her head, her eyes glued to his full lips.
She caught herself biting her lower lip again and quickly released at as she returned her attention back in time
to catch the end of his story, “…the two young men couldn’t understand how they had ended up in such a predicament. They were positive they’d purchased trick cuffs, not real ones.”
He paused with a smile upon his face and she hurried to catch her brain up and asked after only a brief pause, “What happened?”
“Well, it turns out that all real law enforcement handcuffs can be unlocked with any handcuff key, kind of like a master key, if you will. Anyway, we tried to make them as comfortable as possible until the next officer arrived at the ER and then we kindly asked him to borrow his key and unlocked them.”
“The young ladies they’d been trying to impress were so glad to find themselves unshackled from their dates, they begged us to wait at least thirty minutes to set the men free so that they could secure a taxi and get as far away from them as possible.”
“And did you?” she asked, wanting to know.
“Well, of course. The young men were not as happy about the outcome as their dates, however, after the officer got done explaining to them what the terms ‘false imprisonment’ meant, they considered themselves lucky to end the evening with a hefty hospital bill and no criminal charges being filed against them.”
“How old were these young men?”
“College kids engaging in a stupid prank. A form of the game Twister that they no doubt retired permanently after that night.”
Joanna liked listening to him speak, and found herself drawn to his eyes as they twinkled with mirth. They were green, but had flecks of brown in them as well, and she discovered they turned a more intense shade of green when he was happy, or excited. The way he glanced at her with those eyes caused all kinds of funky sensations in her body.
When he paused, she had to satisfy her curiosity asking, “What about your family back home?”
“My father has recently retired from being a surgeon and my mother is a registered nurse. As you can imagine, they were overjoyed about my career choice and supported me every step of the way. Sometimes too much. I needed to get away from home to prove myself, if you know what I mean.”
Joanna nodded. She knew very well. Her parents were simple farmers, but she’d always sensed the need to prove herself worthy of their affection.
“At the age of twenty-four it was about time to stand on my own two feet, and doing my residency abroad provided the perfect opportunity.”
He ran a hand through his short dark hair, leaving it in a mess, and she fought the urge to straighten it with her fingers.
“Do you have siblings?” she asked, taking her teacup into both hands.
“Yes. Two. Roxie is one year older than me. She’s a teacher and started the going abroad thing when she went to Ecuador last year to teach English.” He chuckled, probably missing his family and thinking of them.
“What happened?” Joanna asked, intrigued by his brightened mood.
“Oh, she came home with a boyfriend. His name is Drake Armstrong and he’s a renowned volcanologist.”
“A what?” she asked, having heard the term before but having trouble remembering exactly what it entailed.
“He studies volcanoes.”
“Oh! That sounds…dangerous?”
“It can be. However, Roxie told me that Drake knows his stuff and is super careful. She actually witnessed the eruption of some volcano in Ecuador together with him.”
“So you have two sisters?”
“Heavens, no!” Rowan exclaimed on a short bark of laughter. “Roxie is more than enough trouble. Growing up there were countless times I wished she’d suffer a mysterious and temporary disappearance. No, I also have a brother. Roger is the oldest and has three years on me.”
“And does he have a dangerous occupation as well?”
Rowan shook his head answering, “Not unless you count treating countless animals each day a health hazard. Roger is a veterinarian. How about you? Any siblings?”
“No.” She shrugged. “Ever heard of the one-child-policy? Since it was implemented in the late seventies you won’t find many persons with siblings in China.”
“Hey, you two. I hate to interrupt,” Mei spoke softly, a closed expression upon her face.
Joanna looked at her friend with concern and then asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not feeling very well,” Mei said with a slight nod of her head. “Nelson is going to take me back to the hotel.”
“Oh,” Joanna said, immediately looking around for her belongings. “There’s no need for Nelson to cut his evening short. I can take you back.”
“No, you stay with Rowan.” Mei leaned forward and whispered in Chinese, “Take the opportunity I’m providing you and do something for yourself. He likes you and he’s a great catch.”
“You’re not….”
“…feeling well,” Mei finished her sentence and touched her forehead, giving a weak smile when Rowan leaned a bit closer.
Joanna remained in her seat, fuming as she watched Nelson escort her friend away. How could Mei leave her like this? And did she really think, Joanna had enrolled in TCM to meet a foreigner to marry? No way. She’d rather cut off her right arm than marry a man for his money.
Rowan got up and said something to Nelson she couldn’t overhear, but by the way he clenched his jaw, it wasn’t anything pleasant. He returned to sit beside her and stretched. Then he let his hand trail across the back of her chair. Joanna’s heart raced expecting the inevitable. She didn’t have the slightest idea how to react when he made a move on her.
Does he expect me to go back to the hotel with him, and…shock coursed through her body at the thought of hooking up for a one-night stand with a perfect stranger.
“Are you okay?” Rowans soothing voice reached her.
“Y…yes.” She nodded, staring at him with her eyes wide open. She fully expected him to reach out and touch her. When he didn’t she was…disappointed. Her body screamed for his caress, while her brain demanded she run away. Rowan’s nearness unsettled her more than she wanted to admit.
Joanna scooted to the far end of her chair. Should Mei fall in the arms of a man she’d just met, she wouldn’t follow her example. She ignored the heat taking possession of her body, and told herself she would be much better off with her head buried in her books. Exams were coming up and she could use the extra study time. Yes. Study. That’s the solution. I’ll find an herbal cure for my strange reactions to him.
“Are you ready to visit the night show?” Rowan’s voice pulled her from her thoughts and with one single glance into his intense green eyes she knew deep down in her heart there was no cure.
She nodded at the same time as his phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and after a glance at the screen, his face lit up. “That’s my sister. I’ll be right back.”
Then he left. Joanna’s eyes lingered on his broad shoulders as he weaved his way through the tables to the entrance. As much as she’d wanted some distance, now she felt lonely without his presence.
Chapter 6
“Hi, Roxie.” Rowan grinned at the image of his sister. She had the same dark wavy hair as he did, but hers reached way down beyond her shoulders. Her brown eyes twinkled with mischief as she took her phone and gave him a glance around his parent’s living room via FaceTime.
Everyone was there. His parents, Roxie and her boyfriend Drake, Roger. Instead of an answer they started singing Happy Birthday. Rowan’s eyes watered when the song finished and everyone clapped their hands. His parents were the first ones to congratulate him.
“I’m wishing you health, joy and lots of love, my son,” his mother said.
“Happy birthday, little brother.” Roxie’s voice rang out next.
“Thanks, sister. Last time I checked I had half a foot on you,” he teased.
“Nice try, little baby brother. How was your day? Did you celebrate?”
“Not yet,” he answered evasively. He wouldn’t tell her that the only person who knew about his birthday was too occupied hitting the sheets with his newest co
nquest. “Aren’t you off scaling some burning mountain with that man of yours?”
Roxie laughed saying, “Drake’s right here and wants to wish you a happy birthday as well.”
The next moment his soon-to-be brother-in-law appeared on the screen. “Hey, Rowan. Happy birthday,” Drake managed to say, before the phone was ripped from his hand.
“Thanks, man,” Rowan muttered, while the next face grinned from the screen.
“All the best for your birthday. How are the Chinese girls?” Only his older brother Roger would use such an off-color line. He was on par with Nelson in his wear and tear of women.
“Thanks for all your good wishes. Are you on vacation Roger?” Rowan chose to ignore his brother’s comment.
“Just the weekend. You’re not here, but I thought I’d come up to meet everyone else. We’ll be drinking on you later today.”
“Today? It’s already night,” Rowan answered with a furrowed brow.
“That’s what you get for being on the other side of the world. How’s it over there?”
Rowan shivered and wished there had been some quiet place indoors where he could have held this conversation. “Freezing. I’m in the north visiting the Harbin Ice Festival.”
“Cool! I’ve seen pictures on the Internet and always wanted to go.” Roxie squealed into the phone and everyone around her broke out in laughter.
“You? The most cold-sensitive person on this planet?” Rowan chuckled.
“Are the sculptures as amazing in reality as in the pictures?” she asked and Rowan answered, gushing about them exactly the way Joanna had done earlier. He stamped his feet and cursed himself for not having fetched his coat before stepping outside into the arctic cold.
“You could wear one of those space suits if you ever decided to visit Harbin,” Roger said, teasing his sister.
“Bah. I don’t need to. I have Drake to keep me warm.”
Rowan’s heart tightened as he imagined his sister and Drake cuddling the way they always did. Those two were inseparable and the love they exuded every single moment reminded him of sweet and sexy Joanna and the confusing, even frightening, sensations he felt around her. Nah, I’m not in love. I just met her today.
