Originally Posted by
patricia n
this is for any one who's a fanatic! you can probably identify with the lead.
Obsessed Fan
Staring dreamily at the poster of her favorite movie star, Tavia softly smiled to herself. Despite knowing so little about him, Tavia remained hopeful about their future. All of her friends laughed and mocked her when she declared that she was officially in love with Zhao Wenzhuo, and deep down inside, she knew that her obsession was silly. Afterall, he already had a two year old son and was seriously involved with an actress.
Her door bell rang. She quickly glanced at the clock and sighed. It was another Monday morning, another week at work. She gathered her briefcase and blew a kiss at the poster. “I’ll be back, Wenzhuo.”
Standing outside, Raymond checked his reflection against Tavia’s window. Dressed in an obviously expensive and high quality suit, he muttered to himself, “Perfect.” He wouldn’t want to look anything less than his best, especially for her.
Tavia opened the door, and Raymond quickly took her briefcase for her and carried it to his car parked in front of her driveway. Ever since Raymond’s father hired Tavia, the two have carpooled together to go to work. Raymond would not have it any other way; afterall, he insisted that it cut down on the driving time when they used the carpool lane.
While in the car, Tavia hesitantly asked, “Raymond, do you think your father will let me take one week off from work next month?”
After safely merging into the carpool lane, Raymond responded, “I am not quite sure. I believe we have our annual corporate meeting next month to evaluate the employees. I don’t think it’ll look good on your part if you’re not there to contribute.”
“Che! That meeting is only for the top employees and I am currently only a junior executive.”
“True, but I still wouldn’t take the risk,” Raymond wisely warned. “Why do you need the week off next month?”
“Promise you won’t laugh at me?” Seeing Raymond agree, Tavia continued, “I’ve finally decided to go to China to find Zhao Wenzhuo.”
“What? Tavia, you can’t be serious.” Raymond pondered ways to convince Tavia to reconsider and almost missed their exit.
“I am. Ray, I know it’s only a silly school girl crush, but…”
“Hold on, Tav,” Raymond quickly maneuvered his way through the other lanes to make it to their exit in time. Once they safely got onto the off ramp, Raymond turned to Tavia, “As you were saying?”
Tavia quickly checked her reflection in the passenger mirror. She knew they were close to work and wanted to make sure she looked perfectly groomed. She then turned to Raymond and continued, “Have you ever felt that your life is a bit mundane and you feel like doing something a bit spontaneous just to feel as though you’re living life?”
Raymond brushed a few strands of Tavia’s hair out of her forehead and answered, “Well, of course. Everyone does, but other people tend to find more practical ways to satisfy that desire for adventure.”
“Like what?” Tavia crossed her arms across her chest. “I wouldn’t exactly call parachuting practical or motorcycle racing safe either;” as she referred to his more recent adventures.
“You’re right. But they don’t require you to take a week off work during an important time.” He got out of the car and ran to the other side to open her door as she gathered their briefcases. “Tavia, people in the office suspect that you only got the job because of connections. I know you’re a very competent employee, and it frustrates me that there are some people in the office who would think otherwise.”
Tavia sighed.
“Tavia, my dad hired you based on your work ethics and experience. You went through the strict interview process and impressed the big guys, but not everyone believes that you were hired fairly.”
Tavia exaggerated her sigh. “Aye Raymond. You know I am good at what I do. The big guys all know that I am capable. Who else do I have to prove myself to?”
Raymond grabbed his briefcase from her and smiled. “I just don’t like to hear others talk behind your back when you’ve worked so hard. And taking a week off next month will only confirm their suspicions.”
Tavia haughtily stuck her chin up, “Hmph! If I don’t care, why should you?”
Raymond tried to reason, “Tavia.”
She immediately covered her ears childishly, “I don’t want to hear it Raymond.”
He pulled down her hands and resigned. “All right. I’ll see what I can do.”
She winked at him, “That always seem to work with you.”
“Why do I bother?” He wondered. “I cannot believe that there is a professional side to you considering our past interactions.”
She allowed him to carry her briefcase to the building while she brushed her skirt. “How do I look?”
He murmured, “Fine, I guess.”
She smiled at him. “You should consider yourself lucky. Not everyone gets to see my goofy side.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m really lucky.” He replied sarcastically. He became serious again. “Hey Tavia, maybe you should reconsider taking a week off another time. That’ll spare me some anxiety.”
Tavia smacked the back of his head. “Alright.”
Tavia thanked Raymond profusely for his advice. While Raymond’s dad remained confident in Tavia’s marketing knowledge and skills, very few of his senior executives soon allowed the lesser employees within the business to influence their attitude towards Tavia. However, their doubts toward her vanished during the annual corporate meeting. Tavia was called in to prove herself to the top executives, and she displayed a remarkable capacity to handle more than her typical workload and much potential to excel in the business. Had she gone to China, she would have lost a powerful group of supporters.
While Raymond drove her to the airport, he frequently looked at Tavia until she finally asked, “What is it Ray?”
He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel and turned to her when they hit a stop light, “So tell me what your plans are in China?”
“To find Zhao Wenzhuo and take a picture with him,” she replied honestly.
“You’re serious about this?” Seeing her nod, he resumed, “What is it about him that makes you so…you know…loony about him?”
Tavia snorted, “I can’t believe you used the word loony to describe me. I can’t help it if I have a crush on him. I think it’s because of his role in the Magnificent Healers.”
“So typical,” muttered Raymond.
Tavia pushed him. “Care to elaborate, Raymond?”
Raymond smirked. “All of you women are the same. You easily fall for actors because of the characters they portray.”
Tavia challenged him, “Hey at least we go for the personality. Unlike you men who fall for boobs and legs. I can’t believe that it’s my last day in the U.S. and you’re picking a fight with me. Don’t speak to me Raymond.” Tavia placed her headphones over her ears and turned on her discman.
Raymond glanced in her direction and noticed that she was looking out the window. When he could no longer endure her silent treatment, he pulled her headphones off. “I don’t fall for boobs and legs.”
That earned a giggle from Tavia. “Sorry for yelling at you Raymond. It’s just that you asked me why I like Zhao Wenzhuo and then you accuse me of being typical after I gave you an honest reply.”
Raymond punched her playfully, “Forgiven.”
When he dropped her off at the gate, she was already surrounded by her other friends.
When it was his turn to hug her farewell, he whispered, “Take many pictures of that hunk for me. And you let me know who’s better looking, him or me.”
Tavia laughed, “Raymond, you’re too full of yourself. Bye!”
Immediately after Tavia’s flight departed, Raymond drove to the nearest Asian video rental store and checked out the entire set of Magnificent Healers.
He put in the first disk and muttered, “Let’s see what’s so great about Zhao Wenzhuo. I don’t believe that I can’t compare to him.”
He forced himself to watch the entire set over the weekend although he hated watching tv series. “At least that Alyssa Chia is hot and Gao Yuan Yuan too,” he thought, “Even if they don’t really have boobs and legs.” He chuckled when he remembered Tavia’s phrase. Despite devoting the entire weekend to the series, he did not understand how Tavia could fall for Zhao Wenzhuo’s character, “I still don’t see it. He’s just an ordinary guy with long hair.”
After one week passed by, Tavia returned from her trip, exhausted yet very excited. She achieved her goal and took several shots with Zhao Wenzhuo and shared them with her friends who showed up at the airport. She revealed that she thoroughly researched Zhao Wenzhuo’s schedule before traveling to China to ensure that she would have many opportunities to interact with him. Her effort paid off, for she was able to spend the entire week with the man of her dreams.
Ray wrapped an arm around Tavia while carrying her suit case, “Oh Tavia, you are still obsessed as ever. You have not stopped talking about mister sissy pants since you’ve stepped off the plane. So what happened between you two?”
Tavia sighed disappointedly. “Ray, I also met his girlfriend and it’s obvious to the whole world that they’re in love. I don’t stand a chance unless they break up. That’s so unfortunate because he is much hotter in person.”
Raymond winced at her remark. After finishing the series, Raymond thought that he was better than Zhao Wenzhuo in every way except for one. And he planned to fix that. “Well, now that you’ve got that out of the system, are you ready to return to work?”
“Must I?”
Raymond smiled at her. He could empathize, for work was not something he looked forward to. “By the way Tavia, I’ve decided to add some spice in our lives and signed us up for a ballroom course.”
Tavia stopped walking and yanked Raymond’s collar so she could see him at eye level. “What did you just do?”
Raymond gulped and repeated himself.
Tavia pushed Raymond back slightly, “Raymond! You know I don’t dance. Why would you waste my time and money by enrolling me in a dance class?”
One of Tavia’s friends, Nancy, who trailed behind them came in between the two to stop Tavia from hitting Raymond. “I’m sure he has a reason. Why don’t you listen to him?”
Tavia glared at Raymond while impatiently waiting for his answer. Even though she was known among her friends to be the most-level headed person, when it came to her childhood friend Raymond, she was the most hot-headed person in his life. Her eyes threw silent curses in his direction.
Raymond readjusted his collar as he quickly snuck a peak at himself in the mirrors surrounding one wall of the airport. “Well, since you spoke about being spontaneous awhile back, I thought it would be fun for the both of us to try something we are not good at. And wouldn’t it be wonderful to surprise everyone at the company semi-formal this year when we win the dancing award? Besides, it’s only a weekly commitment.”
“Well, I suppose you’re right. But I’m warning you, if I see no improvement in myself after one month then I will quit.” She then smiled at him and immediately linked her arm around his. “Now, where are we going to eat to celebrate my return?”
Much to Raymond’s relief, Tavia not only showed progress in the dance classes, she actually looked forward to each lesson. By the end of the second month, Tavia had signed Raymond and herself up for two classes each week.
When she informed Raymond during lunchtime, he spilled his drink in shock, “Why didn’t you ask me first, Tav?”
Surprised that he actually minded, Tavia nervously tucked her hair behind one ear, “Well, I thought that since the dance lessons were your idea and you were having such a blast in class, I really didn’t see any reason not to. I mean, you did say it would be cool if we won the dancing award this year.”
Although he heard her explanation, he was too distracted by his thoughts to reply. His eyes looked past her as he was thinking to himself.
She did not anticipate his reaction and was getting mildly irritated by his silence, “Well?” She crossed her arms and added defensively, “You started it. Don’t forget that you originally signed me up for the classes without my consent.”
Tavia turned to her food and ate in silence; however, the food did not taste as good compared to before the discussion. She placed her fork down and looked at Raymond once again, “Fine, I’ll go to the lessons alone,” she quietly added, “I just thought it would be more fun to have you around. We always have a good time together in class, but if you’re busy or you do not wish to go then it’s fine.”
Having no desire to eat, Tavia stood up to collect her tray; however, Raymond grabbed her arm and pulled her down. “I’ll go with you.” He knew the next few months would be tough with the additional dance classes in his schedule; however, spending time with her was worth it.
She smiled brightly, “You mean it?”
He returned her smile, “Have I ever lied to you?”
She shook her head. It only dawned on her that Raymond had never broken any of his promises to her, and that thought made her uncomfortable. She knew he was notorious among their group of friends for being a flake but not when it came to her. The food tasted better again, but her mind was suddenly filled with foreign thoughts. Had he really always been there for her?
Suddenly, Raymond’s cell phone rang. He muttered an apology to Tavia before he picked it up, “Hello! Raymond from Asian Marketing Corporation speaking.” He pointed to the phone while mouthing, “Important client. Gotta leave.”
As he walked out of the cafeteria, Tavia observed him. Ever since the two joined the dance class, they had spent more time together and she began to notice certain details about him that she never fully bothered with. She had certainly always known that he was a member of the opposite sex, but she only began to notice his appeal more recently, especially when many female members of the dance class approached him…repeatedly and shamelessly. She shook her head as she thought to herself, ‘Tavia, get those ideas out of your head. He’s Raymond for goodness sake. But I wonder what he’s like in bed?’ Tavia smacked her head. “Darn it. There goes your appetite.”
The company’s semi-formal was fast approaching, and Tavia and Raymond had less than one month left to practice their dance routine. After many dance lessons, the two had shown tremendous improvement; although they could not be compared to professionals, they were at the very least entertaining to observe. The two shared chemistry and exuded an aura which attracted a strong audience, even the dancers in their class occasionally stopped practicing to observe them.
The women in the class desired to dance with the suave and handsome Raymond. Even though Tavia had known for a while that many of the women had a crush on him, she did not understand why that knowledge had began to affect her more recently. As much as she enjoyed participating in the dance class, there were days when she found the environment slightly unpleasant.
So what if the number of women always outnumbered the number of men? It was the nature of most dance classes. However, that should not give those women any right to frequently seek Raymond out to practice with. At least, that was what Tavia had been thinking much more frequently. She was not like that when they first joined the dance classes. And while Raymond danced with the other women out of courtesy, Tavia always chose to sit to the side instead of accepting requests from other men to join them. She felt confused. She could not explain why she felt more elated when dancing with Raymond, and it scared her to realize that she looked forward to the classes to spend more time with him. How could she feel this way? And why was she thinking more about what it was like to kiss him? She heard he was great in bed as well and she could only wonder how great. What frightened her most was that she found none of this disgusting like the way she used to.
On the evening of their last dance class before the semi-formal, Tavia impatiently waited for Raymond to pick her up. He was late once again. She inhaled and exhaled deeply as she recalled the numerous times he had been late in the past month. When the door bell rang, she jumped up. Irritated, she forced the door open and yelled, “Raymond Lam, you better have a good explanation.”
Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Raymond murmured, “I’m sorry, Tav.”
Concerned, she asked, “What’s wrong? Are you sick?” She pulled him in and felt his forehead. “It doesn’t feel hot to me. Are you sweating? Eww.” She shook her hand in an exaggerated attempt to get rid of his sweat.
“I’m okay. Are you ready to go?” He held the door for her and motioned for her to exit.
Instead, she remained rooted and demanded, “You better tell me why you are late because I am extremely pissed.”
Raymond was taken back, but he knew he was in the wrong. “Alright. I promise to tell you after class.”
“No. Now.”
“This is actually embarrassing for me, so can we leave it for later?”
Tavia glared at him. “Fine, after dance class it is.”
The women in the dance class expressed disappointment upon learning that evening would be Raymond’s last class with them. On the other hand, Tavia was secretly glad even though she knew it was wrong, just wrong in every way to feel that way.
After class was over, Raymond insisted that they go to the rotating restaurant, Equinox, for dessert. “It’s a beautiful, clear night. And I had a long day. So if you want to know why I’ve been late, you better agree to come.”
“You don’t really give me much choice. I have to come considering the fact that you’re my chauffeur this evening.” But in fact, Tavia smiled slightly for she could not be upset at Raymond. He made her look good on the dance floor, and lately, she was always in a good mood after dancing…with him.
Equinox was on the twenty fourth floor of a hotel. Being so high made one feel closer to the sky, and Tavia almost forgot the reason she was there as she admired the view of the city and the stars which shone gloriously. While Tavia was engrossed in the scenery, Raymond ordered their desserts.
“Tavia, do you care for a glass of wine?”
“Wine? Ray, you hardly drink. Is this a deep and dark secret you’re about to reveal?” Nodding her head enthusiastically, “I love dirty secrets.” Suddenly aware of the waiter’s presence, Tavia looked up and pretended as though the conversation never took place and ordered, “Two glasses of number 42 please.”
“Perfect choice for your desserts. Your order will be out shortly.”
After the waiter left, Tavia immediately turned her attention to Ray. “This better be a very deep, dark, and dirty secret or else I will not forgive you for being late this past month.”
Times like that moment made Ray wish he didn’t like such a difficult woman; however, he knew she only behaved like so to him. As a matter of fact, he could guarantee that he knew her best and he cared for her deeply because he also felt most comfortable around her.
“Do you know what those women in our dance class say about me?”
‘That you’re suave? That you’re handsome? That you’re a lady-killer?’ But she would not give him the satisfaction of feeding his ego, hence she opted for, “They actually talk about you?”
He ran his hand through his hair as he attempted to look at her seductively. “Don’t act as if you don’t know. I’m highly desired by them.”
“Puh-lease, Ray. Which young guy isn’t wanted by women in their mid-forties?”
The food and wine arrived. Tavia reached over to take her first sip of wine.
Ray sat up straighter and said more seriously, “They say that I dance better than Zhao Wenzhuo.”
Tavia giggled. “Ray, be serious. What’s going on? You’ve always been punctual for everything. Why the sudden change in your behavior?”
Raymond also took a sip of wine. “Well, this dark and dirty secret of mine has to do with Zhao Wenzhuo.”
Tavia looked at Raymond, eyes wide opened. “How so?”
“Promise me you will not overreact and make a big deal out of this, alright?”
“Oh, this is already good. I like secrets.”
Raymond knitted his eyebrows, “I’m serious, Tavia.”
Her smile lessened as she realized Ray planned to reveal something important and close to him. She reached her hands across the table and rested them on his, “Whatever it is, Ray, you know you can count on me. Haven’t I always been there for you as well?” She smiled sincerely.
He gulped. That was another reason why he loved her. Despite her immature attitude towards him, he knew she cared for him, through good times and bad. “I know how much you worship Zhao Wenzhuo and I tried to determine why. I saw the Magnificent Healers and I concluded that the only difference between him and me is his martial arts ability. So I’ve been taking tae kwon do, and the classes are in the same evenings as the dance classes, which explains why I have been late. Do you understand what I’m getting at?”
It was his turn to hold her hands as he revealed, “Forgive me Tavia, but I can no longer think of you as simply a friend. Somewhere along our friendship, I discovered that I have fallen for you.”
She did not pull her hand back. Rather, she smiled widely. “You did all of that for me?” She looked at him in awe. Speechless, she could only smile.
Raymond held his breath. He could not fully read her reaction, “Do you feel the same way?”
She laughed, “You’re no Zhao Wenzhuo, but he’s no Raymond Lam either. Ray, I…I’d be the biggest fool if I didn’t feel the same way. Of course, of course I do.” Looking at the desserts, she hinted, “Let’s pay for our desserts and leave.”
He understood her intention and was pleasantly surprised. He drove her home to his place; it amazed him how much self restraint he had because the more he looked at her, the more he wanted her. He had waited for so long and to have her initiate the physical aspect of their relationship made it all the more difficult to practice self restraint.
They barely made it through his door when Tavia threw herself at him. He was indeed an excellent kisser. “You know Ray, I heard a lot of things about you.”
He was quick too. In no time, he had her completely naked and carried her to his bed. “And I heard many naughty things about you. I guess it’s too late to turn back.”
She pulled him down and whispered, “Do you want to turn back?” After seeing his devious smile, she turned off the lights.
The company semi-formal was grand as usual. Raymond and Tavia arrived together, looking well put together, hand in hand, laughing merrily. They danced together, surprising most company members as the two never volunteered to participate in the dance competition. The crowd applauded and cheered for them. Unfortunately, they did not win, for the couple who won also secretly took dance lessons except for a longer period of time. Neither Raymond nor Tavia was devastated for the winning couple was Raymond’s parents, who wanted to celebrate their upcoming thirtieth wedding anniversary with a dance hence the dance lessons.
At the end of the night, Raymond and Tavia happily drove home to Tavia’s place as they enjoyed another passionate night with each other. And Tavia could not recall what she ever saw in Zhao Wenzhuo.