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Curt sat in his office chair, facing the window, where he observed people walking along the streets of Shanghai’s Huai Huai Lu. It was past 4 p.m., and he felt fatigued by the paperwork necessary to comply with the Chinese government’s regulations. However, today his headaches had nothing to do with red tape.
Curt’s partner and longtime friend, Ben, walked into his office and said, “Happy Birthday!”
Raised in Fremont, California, Ben Chang possessed high cheekbones, light skin, and a slender build. He wasn’t very tall, yet his presence rivaled men twice his size.
“Thank you, Ben.”
“Do you have plans?”
“Not really.”
“I see.”
“Cindy would have thrown a huge party for me,” Curt grumbled.
Ben nodded. “Yes, she would have gone all out. What will your wife do this year?”
“I’ll be lucky if she even remembers.”
“Uh, huh.”
“Lana barely knows our wedding anniversary.”
“Maybe she’ll see the Facebook alert?”
“Not likely, because she unfriended me on Facebook.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yep, Lana said it’s good for couples to have space.”
Ben nodded without saying anything.
“She’s the complete opposite of Cindy,” Curt complained.
“How so?” Ben asked, pretending he didn’t know the answer. However, he was well aware of the two women’s differences.
“Cindy was very active on my Facebook page. She would tag me in photos, comment on posts, and question my female friendships.”
“Uh, huh.”
“Lana removed all photos of me. She didn’t even post any wedding pictures, let alone update her relationship status to married.”
“Your wife also kept her maiden name,” Ben noted.
“Yep, she flatly refused to change it to Steiger.”
“Isn’t Hayaak a Middle Eastern surname? Is Lana Middle Eastern?”
“Nah, it’s a long story.”
Ben nodded.
Curt continued, “Cindy would have spent weeks planning something exceptional.”
“It sounds like you miss Cindy. Do you?”
“Cindy was suffocating, but she was very attentive and loved cooking for me.”
Ben nodded. “You can’t want what you already have.”
“Yeah, but Lana remains elusive.”
“How so?”
“She’s always preoccupied with things other than me.”
“Are you referring to Lana’s politics?”
“Yeah, she’s the constant contrarian,” Curt complained.
“What did Cindy like to do?”
“Cooking and shopping. I forget what else.”