Chapter 2 — Vacationing
After breakfast the next morning, Luan sat in the living room playing the piano while her father prepared for his meeting, her brother read and her mother continued her review of the economics journal. Luan loved playing the piano and she enjoyed playing for others, although playing with her mother in the room was tiring. She knew that she wouldn’t be half the pianist she was today if it wasn’t for her mother’s insistence on perfection, but it would be nice to play for fun while they were on vacation. She was currently playing Franz Liszt’s “La Campanella”. She’d yet to make it through the whole piece without being interrupted.
“Allegretto not allegro, Luan,” Ting-lan said without looking up from her crossword.
“Mother, I still need a new bathing suit before we go on the speed boat tour.”
“I know, dear. We will go just as soon as you play the piece as written. The admissions board at Julliard will care how you play the piano, not how you dress on vacation.
An hour later the ladies were at Sunset Beachwear, one of the many clothing stores located on the Seaside Heights’ boardwalk. While Ting-lan tried on sun hats Luan checked out the swim suits. She was holding up a purple one piece against her body while looking at her reflection a mirror when a guy wearing a shirt with the store’s logo approached.
“Purple is a good color for you,” the man said. He was blonde, in decent shape and looked like he was close to Luan’s age. “I’m Brad. Can I help you pick out a swimsuit?”
“Um, thank you. I’m Luan.” Luan felt her face flush.
“Might I suggest something in a two piece?” Brad grabbed a purple bikini from one of the racks. “What are you, about a size two?”
“I don’t think I should get a bikini,” Luan said.
“Oh, you should definitely get a bikini. You’d look great in one.” Brad took Luan’s hand and led her to the other side of the store. “Tell you what, just try it on and tell me you don’t like it.” He opened a door to reveal a changing room.
Luan entered the room and changed into the bikini. While the bikini bottom fit perfectly the top was a 34B and a little loose. Being in between sizes, Luan was forced to choose between too tight and too loose when it came to bras; she always went with too loose. Her mother was a perfect 36C and never had a problem picking out bras. Luan took a deep breath and stepped in front of the changing room mirror. As she looked at her reflection her face turned red. The mere idea of parading in public dressed in little more than colorful underwear shamed her, not that her mother would let her buy something so revealing.
“Are you going to come out?” Brad asked from the other side of the door.
“No,” Luan said in a quiet voice.
“Don’t you like it?”
“That isn’t the problem. I’m practically naked.”
“I can fix that. I’ll be back in a second.” A minute later Brad returned and dangled a garment over the top of the door. “Put this on over the bikini.”
Luan took the flimsy piece of cloth from Brad. It was a purple sarong with an intricate floral design. She wrapped it around her body like a towel and stepped out of the changing room.
“You don’t have that on quite right; may I help you with it?”
Luan looked around the store, her face turning an even deeper shade of red.
“Come in here.” Brad pulled Luan into the changing room, closed the door and removed the sarong. He gazed at her body for a second before saying, “There’s a lot of different ways to wear a sarong, but for you I think you’ll be most comfortable if you wear it like this.”
Brad wrapped the sarong around Luan’s neck and then tied it behind her back. It covered her torso and the tops of her legs. The outline of her body and the bikini were vaguely visible through sarong’s flimsy material.
“You are smoking this sarong, Luan.” Brad said as they both looked in the changing room mirror. “Ready to face the public?”
“Okay,” Luan said with a tiny smile.
Brad opened the door and then placed his hand on the small of Luan’s back and ushered her into the store. Ting-lan stood a few feet away, a look of horror on her face.
“Luan, what on earth do you think you’re doing?” Ting-lan said.
“Mother, this is not what you think. Brad was helping me with the sarong. That is all.”
“Get your things. We are leaving.”
“I still need a bathing suit, Mother.”
“I will buy one while you get your clothes back on.” Ting-lan turned and stormed to the other side of the store.
“I’m sorry if I got you into trouble,” Brad said.
“It is not your fault,” Luan said as she reentered the changing room.
Brad held the door open. “Listen, let me make it up to you. Let me take you dancing tonight.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. My mother will not let me go out with boys while I am still in high school. She thinks it will interfere with my studies.” Luan pulled the door closed.
Ting-lan lectured Luan the entire walk back to the house. When they entered the living room they found Kang lying on the couch. While Luan disappeared into her room to try on the swimsuit her mother had bought for her, Ting-lan checked on her husband.
“I do not think that I will go on the speed boat tour today. I am afraid that those boys injured me worse than I’d realized. Either that or I am just getting old and heal slower than before.”
“You are not old, my love. What you need is an ice pack to reduce the swelling followed by heat to improve circulation and speed healing. I will get you the ice pack and then make you a nice hot bath.”
“I can do that, you go with the Shen and Luan. I do not wish to spoil your day.”
“Dear, a speed boat tour was never my idea of fun, nursing my husband back to health sounds like a good day to me. Let the children race up and down the coast. In fact, instead of a bath, why don’t we both spend some time in the hot tub together?”
When Luan emerged from her room she was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, having left the swimsuit her mother had purchased lying on the bed. The swimsuit Ting-lan had bought embarrassed Luan as much as the bikini had, but for an entirely different reason. Her mother had bought her an ugly, old lady swimsuit. She decided that if the opportunity to go swimming presented itself she’d just stay in the boat.
“About time you showed up,” Shen said when Luan entered the kitchen. “We need to leave right away or we’ll miss the tour.”
“Where are Mother and Father?”
“There not coming, it’s just you and me.”
Luan had mixed feelings about this. She loved her parents dearly, but a day without her mother’s micro-management would be a blessing.
Shen and Luan had a great time on the speed boat, racing along the New Jersey coast. When they stopped in Cape May for lunch, the opportunity to swim did present itself and Luan wished she’d brought the ugly swimsuit. She sat on the beach, watching her brother splash in the waves, feeling foolish in her jeans.
When they arrived back home it was nearing dinner time. They were surprised to enter the house and not smell their mother’s cooking. They looked around, but did not find their parents. They eventually checked the back deck and found the couple in the hot tub, making out. Two bottles of Merlot, one unopened and the other nearly empty sat on the bench next to a pair of wine glasses. Classical music played on the outdoor stereo.
“We’re home,” Shen announced.
Kang broke the kiss, but still held Ting-lan close to his body. “How was the boat ride?”
“It was a lot of fun,” Shen said as he gaped at his parents. While it wasn’t shocking to see his parents kiss or drink alcohol, neither he nor Luan had seen them drink before dinner or kiss with such passion. “That’s great to hear. We had fun too, didn’t we, baby?” Kang kissed his wife’s neck.
Ting-lan giggled. “Not in front of the children, sweetie.” She pushed her husband away and turned her attention to Luan. “I’m sorry for how I acted in the store earlier today. I bought you a present as an apology; it’s on your bed. What time is it?”
“It’s nearly five.”
“Oh dear, I forgot to cook dinner,” Ting-lan said as she accepted a wine glass from Kang. She took a sip. “Why don’t you two go find something to eat on the boardwalk? Your father and I had a late lunch, so we’ll stay in.”
Kang hopped out of the hot tub. He wore a new swim suit, one that was typically worn by a younger man, who was in better shape. While Kang wasn’t fat, in fact he was on the slender side for a man in his late forties, he wasn’t well muscled. He pulled a wad of cash out of his wallet.
“Here, have some fun tonight,” Kang said as he thrust the cash into Shen’s hand.
Ting-lan climbed out of the hot tub with her husband’s help. She had a new swimsuit as well. It was a one piece, but was one of the smaller one piece swim suits that Luan had ever seen. “You should give the hot tub a try before you leave though. It will make you feel like a new person.”
The couple dried each other off and Luan headed downstairs to change into her swimsuit. It occurred to her that her father’s bruises were gone and he no longer moved with pain. The hot tub must be very restorative as her mother had suggested.
A wrapped present sat on top of Luan’s bed. She opened the attached card. It read, “Luan, I am sorry for the scene I made in the swimsuit store. Brad helped me purchase this. He is a very nice and would make a good boyfriend for some lucky girl.” Luan opened the box to reveal the purple bikini and sarong. She put the swimsuit back in the box and changed into the ugly swimsuit that her mom had bought earlier in the day. She wasn’t about to wear the skimpy suit around her brother.
Shen and Luan spent a half hour in the hot tub, listening to light jazz while talking about school. Neither wanted to get out, the pulsating jets of heated water felt so relaxing, but they were both hungry, not having eaten since a light lunch over four hours ago.
After changing into their street clothes they looked around for their parents in order to say goodbye before departing for the evening. They heard them before they saw them. As they neared the master bedroom the unmistakable sounds of people having sex filled the hall. Both turned bright red; they left the house without saying another word.
Both Luan and Shen felt invigorated as they walked amongst the crowds along the Seaside Heights’ boardwalk. Anything seemed possible. They had a pocket full of cash, the night to themselves and a town built with entertainment in mind.
“What would you like to do first?” Shen asked.
“I want to eat, but I don’t want anything Chinese. I want something quick and bad for me.”
“How about hot dogs?” Shen said with some glee.
“Perfect.” Luan grabbed her brother’s hand and skipped to the nearest hot dog stand.
After a quick meal sitting on a bench, watching people walk by, Luan said that she wanted to do a little shopping. After browsing in a couple souvenir stores they entered a clothing store called, “Shore Store.” By the look of the merchandise, and the clientele, the store catered to the young, party minded set. Luan browsed the ladies t-shirts while Shen looked through the tank tops. Twenty minutes later Luan exited the shop wearing a black, off-the-shoulder t-shirt with “You Only Live Once” written in pink block letters and Shen wore a tank top that read, “Free Hugs.”
They’d only made it ten feet from the store before a busty young woman wearing gaudy jewelry walked up to Shen and said, “Nice shirt, cutie” and gave him a hug.
Shen smiled and added a swagger to his walk as he and his sister headed to Sunset Beachwear.
A smile broke out on Brad’s face when he saw Luan enter the store, but vanished when he saw Shen. The smile returned when he found out that Shen was her brother.
“I get off work in about twenty minutes,” Brad said after Luan told him what she and Shen were up to. “I could show you two around. The Casino Pier is a lot of fun.”
“I don’t think our parents would like us to go to a casino,” Luan said.
Brad laughed. “I think they’ll approve of this one.”
The Casino Pier turned out to be an amusement park. Initially Shen worried about being a third wheel as Brad led them down the boardwalk, but with Brad and Luan walking together it was evident that Shen was unaccompanied. He was stopped several times along the way by cute girls wanting the free hug his shirt offered.
Luan had a nice time at the amusement park. She didn’t care much for the rides, but she enjoyed Brad’s company and the way he doted on her. After the first ride, Shen wandered off by himself, hoping to find more girls interested in free hugs. Luan stayed with Brad and rode whatever ride he suggested. After the third ride he took her hand in hers and held it as they walked to the Ferris wheel. They held hands for the rest of the evening.
After a couple hours Luan said that it was time for her to go. She didn’t want to leave Brad’s company, but she knew that her parents wouldn’t want them staying out too late. It was already nearly nine at night and the family was typically in bed by ten. Before they tracked down Shen, Brad pulled her to off to the side of the carnival games where there weren’t a lot of people.
“I had a great time tonight, Luan,” Brad said as he held both of her hands.
“I did too.” Luan gazed into Brad’s beautiful hazel eyes.
“Can I get your number?” Brad asked as he pulled his phone from his pocket.
“I don’t have a phone,” Luan said. “My father says that man survived millennia without the need to be instantly updated on every little thing.”
“Come by the store tomorrow. I get off at the same time. We can hang out again.”
“I’d like that a lot.”
Brad leaned forward and kissed Luan. It was a quick kiss that sent Luan’s heart soaring. She was in a daze as they walked around the pier, looking for Shen. The kiss had been her first and she hoped that there would be more to come on the following day from Brad.
When they finally found Shen, he was giving away a lot more than a free hug. He had a girl up against a chain link fence, kissing her passionately as she explored his back with her well manicured hands. “How was your night or do I need to ask?” Luan said as they walked back to the house.
“It was going really good until you interrupted. Why do you want to go home so bad? Weren’t you getting along with Brad?”
“I had a great time with Brad, but don’t you think Mom and Dad will want us home before ten?”
“Not from the sounds coming from their bedroom when we left,” Shen said.
As they approached the house they saw Kang pull into the drive way. He waved to them when he got out of the car.
“Just the two I was hoping to see,” Kang said.
Luan gave her brother an “I told you so” look and then said, “I’m sorry. We should have been home sooner.”
“Nonsense,” Kang said. “I was just hoping that I could have some help unloading the Explorer. After that I hope that you’ll join your mother and me in the hot tub. We’d love to hear about your evening.” Kang handed Shen a cardboard box filled with bottles of liquor and then grabbed a case of wine. “Luann, can you grab the bag of lemons and limes?”
While Shen and her father finished carrying the rest of the alcohol and mixers into the house, Luan went into her room to change. She sat on the bed for a couple minutes, trying to decide which bathing suit to wear. Earlier in the evening it had been an easy decision, she’d been too embarrassed to be seen in the bikini. Now, however, the decision was much harder. The one piece was ugly as sin. Plus, her mother had bought the bikini; it would be rude not to wear it. Luan changed into the bikini and admired her reflection. It looked good on her. She tied the sarong around her waist and wore it as a skirt. She liked the way the sarong parted when she walked, exposing her freshly shaven legs.
When Luan made it to the hot tub the rest of her family was already in the water. Katy Perry sang “Firework” over the stereo. A bottle of Crown Royal, two bottles of Merlot and a full wine glass sat on the bench next to the hot tub. Luan assumed that the wine was for one of her parents until she noticed that they each had a glass of Crown Royal and her brother held a glass of wine.
“Your swimsuit looks lovely, Luan,” Kang said as his daughter removed her sarong and then entered the hot tub.
“You are okay with me drinking alcohol?” Luan said when her mother passed her the glass of wine.
“In many cultures children much younger than you are allowed a glass of wine at celebrations,” Ting-lan said.
“What are we celebrating?” Shen asked and then took a sip of his wine.
“The best family vacation ever!” Kang said jubilantly. He held his glass out toward Luan and Shen. After clinking their glasses together he tossed back his glass of whisky and said, “Let’s get this party started!”
Luan sipped her wine, tentatively. Despite being her first taste of alcohol, she liked it immediately. Seeing her brother take a bigger drink she followed suit. Before they’d finished half the wine in their glasses Kang grabbed the bottle and refilled them to the brim.
“No empty glasses tonight,” Kang said. “What should we toast to next?”
“How about Luan turning eighteen three days ago?” Ting-lan said as she lay back in her husband’s arms.
“Excellent! To Luan being an adult.”
Luan tried to drink slowly, but her father made a toast every few minutes, and insisted on refilling her glass whenever it was less than half full. As her head spun and her vision wavered she looked over at her parents holding each other and found herself wishing that Brad was there to hold her.
“Your sister is lonely, Shen,” Ting-lan said. “While don’t you hold her?”
“What are you suggesting, Mother?” Shen said with a look of shock on his face.
“It is perfectly okay for a brother to hold his sister, especially if she needs cheering up.”
“I’m not sad, Mom,” Luan said.
“Go on and give your sister one of those free hugs you were advertising earlier,” Kang said.
Shen set his glass of wine on the edge of the hot tub, held his arms out and then said, “Come here, little sister.”
Luan looked from her brother’s arms to her parent’s smiles and then slid over and lay back against Shen’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her and she laid her head back and tucked it under his chin. She imagined that it was Brad that held her as she melted into her brother’s embrace.
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