Lost Flyght – Chapter 17

“Who’s at the villa?” Skylar asks as our autocab pulls up at Villa 313.

My scalp prickles with dread thinking it’s Cressida come to ambush me, but as soon as the front porch comes into view, I almost die of shock. Malina Tsing is sitting on the couch, her legs crossed, drinking an iced coffee, and waving to us.

The car doors open, and I stumble getting out.

“Malina? I… I’m surprised to find you here.” I’m surprised she showed up, surprised she gave any other thought to me at all, and surprised she’s smiling at me.

She dons a broad-rimmed sun hat and stands up to greet us.

“Well, I gave it a lot of thought and decided I could use some time off. I should have called ahead, though. Sorry. I figured you’d be here.”

“We went into Cuidad Paloma for the morning.” I step to the side and introduce her to Skylar and Gus, and they all shake hands. Both of them were not at our dinner on Ossun, the night I first met Malina.

Malina takes a deep breath, and placing a hand on her hat, she looks up at the sky. “I usually stick to the French areas of Laguna since I know Cressida loves this side of the world.”

The French areas, like Île de Mer Bleue, are almost on the other side of Laguna. That would put plenty of ocean between Cressida and Malina.

Malina speaks in French, and both Skylar and I lean back in surprise. She laughs at our expressions.

“My father insisted I learn. Said it was the language of good food, wine, and high society.” She rolls her eyes. “My father was always full of strange opinions.”

Her calm and relaxed manner puts me at ease. She’s here to help, I can feel it. She doesn’t seem angry with me, more like she wants to be friends. I must have said the right things when we spoke the other day.

“Please come inside.” I gesture to the front door. “We’ll call up Raul and get some afternoon snacks, and you can freshen up.”

“Let me get your bag, and I’ll show you to a room upstairs,” Gus offers.

I mouth ‘thank you’ to Gus as I watch her ascend the stairs, hardly able to believe she’s here.

“Oh my god,” Skylar breathes out as she leads me into the kitchen. “You told me about what happened at that dinner, but I’m not sure I believed it until now. That’s Malina Tsing!” She points at the stairs. “Wow. I can’t believe she came after the vidcall you had with her.”

“I know.” I cover my mouth with my hand. “I’m just as surprised as you are. When I told you and Gus about the call, I never thought she’d take me up on my offer. I can’t believe she’s here.”

“Okay.” Skylar pulls me forward into the kitchen, shaking me out of my shock. “Let’s get some food set up in the screened-in porch, then.”

While Skylar calls up Raul to ask for more food and drinks, I gather bread, cheese, olives, and meat and set them on the table. Then I add a pitcher of lemonade and a bottle of white wine and glasses for everything.

Malina comes breezing down the stairs five minutes later as Skylar, Gus, and I are having our snacks and reading.

“This is a gorgeous villa. Those Lees have excellent taste.”

Gus gets up and pulls out a chair for Malina to sit. She thanks him, and I hold the pride I have for his good manners deep in my chest. Once she has a glass of wine and a plate of food in front of her, it’s time to talk.

“So,” I say, leaning back in the chair and sipping from my wine glass, “what brings you to Laguna?” A flash of a smile slips before I straighten my expression.

“I believe I was invited.” She tries to hold back a smile.

“You were,” I assure her. “It’s good to see you again. I’m making slow progress on getting back my farm so we can all return to the status quo.”

“But a few things are standing in your way,” she fills in.

“You can say that again.” Skylar laughs. “A certain person is standing in the way.”

“Certain people,” I correct her, and this causes Malina to raise her eyebrows. “Cressida is my top priority right now. But I still have to worry about India and Renata Dellis, too. And possibly my brother if we ever find him.” I sip some wine and marvel at the bright flavors that cascade across my tongue. Glancing at the bottle, it’s from Casa Aravena again. I have to figure out how to invest in this winery. “It’s a lot of extra stress I don’t need.”

“And you’re serious about keeping Jinzo?”

Gus seems to hold his breath, but I don’t even blink.

“Absolutely. I’m in love with him, and he’s in love with me.”

Gus smiles as he lets his breath go. He and Jinzo have been close, the best of buddies. He cares about what happens here.

Malina considers me while she twists her hair and moves it from one shoulder to the other. “Love is not the only thing that holds together a relationship network, Vivian. In fact, it can’t be the only thing that does.”

My cheeks heat as I realize just how childish I sounded, declaring my love for Jinzo. Skylar reaches over and lays her hand on my arm.

“I think I can say that, from my perspective” — Skylar places her hand on her chest — “Vivian has done a great job of considering what each of her consorts brings to the network. She not only chooses her men with her head but also with her heart.”

I wonder what Gus thinks of this conversation.

Malina considers this with a slow nod. “And she has a guiding star like Marcelo to help her through, which is important. You’re making all the right decisions, Vivian, and I’m glad to see it.” She sets her wine glass down to pick up a slice of cheese. “Cressida could learn a thing or two from you.”

She chews for a moment, and no one interrupts her. The story of her past with Cressida is on the tip of Malina’s tongue.

“So, you’re probably wondering what happened, right?” When she sees my eager nod, she smiles. “Damned Asteria. She was always great with names and faces. I should’ve known this wouldn’t stay buried for long.” She sips from her wine again. “Cressida and I are about the same age, and we grew up together at the same wealthy-kid holiday camps on Sonoma. You know the ones, three weeks spent at a ranch and farm, sitting poolside, playing football all day, games and crafts and getting into trouble.”

God, I wish I had spent my childhood vacations like that. Nope. I had to work on the farm, and except for a few vacations here and there and flying with my aunt, I had barely been anywhere until I came aboard the Amagi.

“Cressida and I were tight. I look back on it now and laugh because I have no idea what we saw in each other. I’m a play-by-the-rules kind of girl, and she always thought rules were made to be broken.”

“Opposites attract,” I say, offering her more crackers.

“Thank you.” She takes a stack. “Yeah. Other people called us frenemies too. I don’t know. Things were different before we started dating. Easy. We dreamed about boys, and I would always shock her because I was interested in girls too.” Malina rolls her eyes. “Cressida is so old fashioned, straight as an arrow.”

I like Malina even more now. She is a badass.

“I started dating Darvin when I was seventeen. He came from a quiet family of weavers in Sakata City. We met when Mom was picking out kimonos for my coming-of-age ceremony.”

Yes, I had been through that too. When women turn eighteen, we have a large party and celebrate, and if you have Japanese heritage, the day involves an elaborate kimono, a trip to the shrine, and a lot of saké.

Malina shakes her head. “I shouldn’t have fallen for him. He was way out of my social circles, but I did. And he fit in well for some time. My family loved him too, and they welcomed him as one of our own. But I regretted it the first time I introduced him to Cressida. I can only think she snapped. I was her friend, and I was spending all of this time with Darvin now. She latched onto him in such a destructive way. She wooed him with money and gifts and secret rendezvous.”

Malina finishes her wine, so I fill it back up.

“It was sinister. Not something a friend does. She stole him right out from under me. And I’m not kidding either.” Her voice lowers like a predator. “He left me moments after we had sex.”

Skylar gasps. “That bitch…”

Malina pulls her feet up to tuck them in front of her in the chair. Gus stares at the table, his right index finger pushing the tines of his fork down over and over. He catches me looking at him and raises his eyebrows. Maybe this story is making him consider our non-relationship.

“Cressida and I fought once after that. I laid it all out on the table. She was a consort thief and a horrible friend, and I wanted nothing to do with her. She countered that because Darvin and I were just dating, no contracts, stealing had not occurred, and she was free to do whatever the fuck she wanted because she’s a Briar-Stevenson… ‘And don’t you forget it.’” Malina points her finger, mimicking Cressida’s last words and gestures to her.

“What happened then? Have you seen her since?”

I cock my head to the side as I hear the front door open. Leaning over to look into the villa, Raul and his helpers push a hovercart into the kitchen and set up more snacks for us.

“No. Not in person, that is. I see her stupid face on the duonet all the time.”

“You know Darvin isn’t with her anymore, right?” I close my eyes and recall what they said. “I, um, spied on Cressida and her network last night. They all lamented that Cressida had driven Darvin away, and she was doing the same to her other men as well.”

“Yep,” Malina says, tossing an olive pit onto her plate. “She stole Darvin from me, and after a year, she had been so cruel to him that he left her and became a monk.” She lets out a snort of a laugh, but there are tears in her eyes. “Legitimately. Head shaved, reciting sutras, living in a dorm, and sleeping on mats every night. He contacted me when he left, apologized, and said he was stupid to have fallen for Cressida’s shiny objects. I offered to take him back, and I would’ve in a heartbeat, despite what happened, but he felt ashamed. Said he didn’t deserve me.”

She sighs a deep sigh that cleanses even the oldest of wounds. “It’s for the better. I have learned to guard my network now. I’m careful about who they meet and when. I’m here alone, not because I don’t trust you, but because I don’t trust her, and she’s here.”

“It’s okay. I’m not offended. I met your network at dinner. They seem like very fine and lovely people.”

“Yes, that’s right. Our dinner where we first did business.” She sits forward. “And now you’d like to do business again.”

I swallow, fearing how much this will cost me.

“I was wondering if you’d help me get rid of Cressida, and I’d be more than happy to do something in return if that’s what you had in mind.”

Malina’s eyes are hard on mine before she softens into a smile. “My help will cost you nothing, except that I hope we spend more time together in the future.”

Phew. That was close. I’m already strapped for credits, and I can’t afford extravagant gifts or more promises of future profits.

“It makes my blood boil to hear her rail on and on about you stealing Jinzo from her. Like she’s not a consort thief herself! What a crock of shit that is.”

“Good!” I rub my hands together. “Let’s confront her at dinner tonight. You won’t have to do much. I’m sure your presence will be enough to rock her.”

“Sounds like a plan. I should probably have a few more drinks first.” She lifts her glass, and I pop to my feet.

“Let me get another bottle of wine from the kitchen.”

I hustle into the kitchen and pump my fist a few times once I’m out of eyesight.

“Something good happen?” Raul asks, and I freeze before turning around.

Our eyes meet, and I burst into a laugh. Caught in the act.

“Yes.” I almost dance to the wine fridge to grab another bottle, but my attention stays on Raul. He’s supposed to help me with anything, right? I snag the corkscrew to go with our new bottle of wine. “Hey Raul, can I ask you to deliver a message to someone else on the property? I don’t want to call them or leave a message via Hecate.”

“Sure, Ms. Kawabata. I can deliver a message, no problem. Would you like me to open that?”

“No, thanks. I’ve got it.” The cork pops out of the bottle of wine with a satisfying pop. “Please tell Ms. Cressida Briar-Stevenson in Villa 375 that I’d love it if she would meet me for dinner at seven tonight in the main restaurant.”

“I’d be pleased to relay this message for you, and I will secure your table for that time.”

“Thank you, Raul. You’ve taken great care of us while we’ve been here. I’ll be sure to let Ms. Lee know how fantastic you are.”

He bows. “Thank you, Ms. Kawabata. I’m happy to help.”

And I’m happy to be making some progress on my problems.