Lottery (26 page)

“But how do I find out what it is?”

Jenee reached over the plate of egg rolls for Ling’s hand. “You have to ask him, hon. No one has blind trust, believe me. When Justin plays with the band, I nail him big time if he even looks at another woman.”

“I don’t want Caleb to think I don’t trust him.”

“After finding that receipt, do you?” Jenee asked, her blue eyes peering into Ling’s. “Trust him?”

“I feel guilty that I’m hunting down information like a private investigator.”

“Then, as we Kansans say,” Jenee said, “find out from the horse’s mouth.”

Ling watched through the open window of her office as Jenee ran toward the limo when it pulled into the drive.

It had only been yesterday that Ling had found the receipt, but it was getting more and more difficult not to confront Caleb. She kept thinking he might start to feel guilty and confess what had really happened. But then, if he was having an affair, or had hired a hooker, why would he admit it?

“Hey, baby.” She heard Justin say and watched him pick up Jenee and twirl her around. “I missed you.”

Ling was a bit envious of Jenee and Justin’s relationship. If she were truthful, she hadn’t been excited to see Caleb when she’d come back from the trip to Kansas. For the past few months, he’d been irritable and was either drunk or smelled like booze. And now finding the receipt just added to her not being able to trust him.

Ling walked to the foyer and opened the door. “Welcome, Justin.” Ling gave him a quick hug at the door, then turned and found Caleb standing behind her. “This is my husband,” Ling introduced.

Caleb shook Justin’s hand. “Glad you could make it.”

On the patio over wine, cheese and smoked salmon, they talked until almost one in the morning, discussing what time they needed to be at the airport the next day, and how long it would take to reach Shanghai. Justin seemed just as excited as Jenee.

Caleb had been gracious, and he and Justin seemed to be hitting if off, talking about everything from finances to sports.

“Okay, kids.” Ling stood and picked up the empty wine bottle. “We’d better hit the sack so we can be ready to go by noon tomorrow.”

After the two couples said goodnight on the second floor landing, Caleb followed Ling into their bedroom.

Although the house was over a century old, whoever had designed the home had spared no expense. In the sizeable master bedroom, the windows that ran the length of two walls were covered in white plantation shutters. The see-through rock fireplace could be enjoyed from both inside the bathroom or the bedroom. The separate his and hers walk-in closets had a fifteen-foot wall of continuous built-in drawers and shelves.

Ling walked across the white plush carpeting and into the marble tiled bathroom. After she changed into a nightgown, she flipped off the bathroom light and slipped in beside Caleb, pulling the silk sheet up over her.

“I’m bushed,” Caleb said, and leaned his head back into his pillow. “I like Justin. Seems like a great guy.”

“Everything packed you want to take?”

“What I don’t have, I’ll buy in Shanghai,” Caleb said.

If she didn’t ask now, she never would. Ling rolled on her side facing him, propping her head up with her hand. Her stomach was tied in knots. “I … I want to ask you something.”

He rolled toward her.

“I wasn’t snooping, but I … I found a receipt.”

“For?”

“A hotel.”

“Whoa!” Weber stated loudly. “Better get your shit together, O’Toole.”

Ling flinched when Caleb shot up to a sitting position. “You went through my pockets?”

She wasn’t about to let him turn it around and make this her fault. “I always go through your pockets when I wash your pants.”

“I can’t believe this, Caleb said enraged. “What’d you think? That I took a woman there or something?”

She felt her blood pressure rising and sprang up beside him. “What the hell would you think if you found a receipt in my purse from a hotel?” She would never tell him that she’d gone to the hotel and showed his picture to the clerk.

He glared at her. “I suppose you told Jenee.”

“No.” She felt ashamed she was lying, but it might jeopardize Caleb’s relationship with Jenee and Justin.

“First of all, I wouldn’t go through your purse, and—”

“Then do your own damn laundry,” she said flippantly. “And then I won’t find any of your dirty little secrets.”

“Wait a minute, let me finish.”

“This better be good,” Weber warned Caleb.

“The friend I was with just got a divorce. Doesn’t have a dime. He wanted to go somewhere to get lucky.”

She balled up her face in a confused expression, glaring at him. “Lucky?”

“Like in getting laid,” Caleb said. “I didn’t know where a hotel was that might have these kinds of … services, so we walked around until we found one. I gave him some money, he went inside, and he brought me out the receipt.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Ling crossed her arms over her chest. “Tell me that you did not pay for a hotel room so he could get screwed?”

“Hey” Caleb said curtly, “don’t pull the judgmental crap on me. You women deal with your stuff differently than we men do.”

“What a bunch of bullshit.” She lay back down and rolled away from him.

After a few seconds, he reached over and tenderly stroked her hair. “I have nothing to hide. Next time, just ask.”

“Next time, just tell.”

Feeling his left eye start to twitch, he leaned over, pushed her hair back and kissed her neck. “Let’s get some sleep so we can have some fun in Shanghai.”

Caleb cradled his chest into her back and wrapped an arm over her. Ling wanted to believe him. Should she ask him for the name and phone number of the guy he supposedly met and call him? Maybe rummage through his phone to see if she could find his number? Oh, sure, the man he’d given money to buy a prostitute would tell her everything.

The clerk at the hotel hadn’t recognized Caleb. Maybe guys did do things like this for each other. And Caleb hadn’t batted an eye when he’d told her what had happened. Or was she being naïve?

If only for Jenee and Justin’s sake, Ling needed to let it go—at least for now.

hen they stepped off their flight, it was seven p.m. California time, but given the eighteen hour time difference it was ten a.m. Monday morning in China.

The airport was wall-to-wall people and the sidewalks outside the baggage claim were jammed with travelers. August was the hottest month of the year in Shanghai and the humidity matched the ninety-some degree weather. Caleb had insisted they take a cab so Jenee and Justin could see some of the city, not telling them that when they’d taken the Maglev Train, he’d almost hurled. Using their plane tickets to fan themselves, they waited on the sidewalk for forty-five minutes before Jenee, Justin, Ling, and Caleb crowded into a van.

“Hyatt Bund,” Caleb told the driver.

“Look, Justin.” Jenee pointed at the stately gold-domed temple in the distance.

There was no free space in Shanghai. The skyline was filled with skyscraper after skyscraper so close together you couldn’t tell where one building stopped and another began. Every size of boat and barge traveled both ways on the Huangpu River that divided the metropolis.

Ling pointed. “Look over here. The Oriental Pearl Tower.” Ling whipped her head the other way. “Oh, and there’s the Jin Mao Tower that our hotel is in.” Ling wanted Jenee and Justin to experience as much as they could while they were here.

Justin nodded at the building where Ling told them they’d be staying. “How many stories does it have?”

“Eighty-eight,” Caleb answered.

“Hope we’re not on the top floor,” Justin said under his breath.

“We have a two o’clock appointment at the Children’s Welfare Institute.” Ling tapped her watch. “It’s almost eleven, so we’ll quickly put our luggage in the room and head over there, as the traffic is like this everywhere. Is that all right with you guys?”

“Sounds good,” Jenee said.

“We’ll catch up on our sleep tonight.” Ling turned and faced Caleb. “You okay?”

“Jet lag.” He put his arm around her shoulder.

Caleb had been quiet on the plane and hadn’t had a drink. She covered his hand with hers. Caleb had never been close to his father and might be mourning the loss of a parent who had never been there for him even more than the death sentence his father had been given.

After the driver let them off in front of the Hyatt, a bellboy took their luggage and led them into the lobby.

“The institute is only about fifteen miles from here, but it will take over an hour to get there,” Ling told Jenee and Justin, as they waited for Caleb to check them in.

“My head is swimming.” Jenee giggled.

“And this hotel”—Justin tilted his head back, staring up at the eighty-eight story high ceiling—“is incredible.”

The lobby was painted in a rich deep yellow and, with the sunlight streaming through the windows and glass-topped
dome, it felt like they were encased in gold. Uniquely painted vases filled with white narcissus, bright pink peonies, and orchids sat on bamboo coffee tables that were positioned in front of dozens of couches around the vast entrance. Single lotus flowers floating in individual glass bowls were strewn across the granite check-in counter.

After their luggage was delivered to their rooms on the forty-fourth floor, the two couples met up at the elevator.

“Your room okay?” Ling asked when they stepped into the elevator and pushed “L” for the lobby.

“Fabulous.” Justin pushed his dark hair off his forehead and grinned. “I think all Jenee saw was that sunken tub.” He ran a finger underneath his collar. “What I’m grateful for is the air conditioning.”

“He’s right,” Jenee agreed. “I can’t wait to sink into that puppy.”

“You are not going to believe the institute,” Caleb said when the elevator door opened. “Be prepared. There are so many kids, it’s overwhelming.”

Ling turned to Caleb and smiled. “Ah … I see my husband is finally waking up.”

Caleb grasped her hand as they walked to the front doors. “Thirteen hours on a plane is a killer.”

Just like Ling had said, it had had taken over an hour to reach the institute. It was a few minutes before two when the driver turned into the half-circle driveway bordered by a thick strip of lavender gerberas. The car stopped under the dark green canopy that covered the walkway.

“Why aren’t there any kids playing outside?” Justin asked when he stepped out of the limo.

“They’re all in school,” Ling answered, walking toward the front doors beside Caleb. “Many of the children attend public school.”

Ling told the receptionist who they were and, a few minutes later, a neatly dressed American woman with chin-length hair approached them.

“I’m Rhoni Jacobs,” the woman said, turning to each of them to shake their hand. “I’ll be your guide today.”

“Are you from the states?” Jenee asked.

Rhoni nodded. “Many of our volunteers are from the US. My husband is an expat who works in Shanghai. My great grandmother was Chinese and I’ve always had a passion to help the children here.” She started down the long hallway. “I see by your profile that Ling sent that you are looking for a baby or an infant,” Rhoni said to Jenee.