Кевин Кван - China Rich Girlfriend

“Oh my God — look at that outfit! And those teeth!” Kitty cackled.

“Yes, Dr. Chan did some of his best work ever on her teeth, didn’t he? Did you know that before she became the third Mrs. Francis Poon, she worked in the Chanel boutique on Canton Road in Kowloon? That’s how she met Francis — he came in looking for a little something for his wife, but left with a little something for himself.”

“How interesting. I thought she came from a good Hong Kong family.”

Corinna chose her words carefully. “I can tell you about Ada’s past because it’s a well-known fact. But you see, practically anyone can rise up in Hong Kong society. It’s all about perception, really. And the careful reinvention of personal history. We will refocus your image. Anyone can be forgiven. Anything can be forgotten.”

“So you will improve my image? You are going to help change Hong Kong’s perception of me?”

“Mrs. Tai, I am going to change your life.”

*1 In a city where people are almost as obsessed with food as they are with status, perhaps the best-kept secret of the dining scene is that the finest cuisine arguably isn’t found at the Michelin-starred restaurants in five-star hotels but rather at private dining clubs. These members-only establishments are sanctuaries of luxury hidden away on upper floors of office buildings, where the famous and well-heeled gather to enjoy their meals far from the prying eyes of paparazzi. These clubs often have years-long waiting lists for membership, and only the best concierges at the top hotels can be bribed into getting you a special “guest membership,” provided you are fabulous enough.

*2 Cantonese for “What the fuck?”

*3 Filipino slang for “sweetheart.”

*4 The Cantonese phrase literally means “drink tea,” but in Hong Kong it usually connotes a lunchtime meal of tea and dim sum.

*5 Refers to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, who is supposedly the head of the government.

*6 This is a common Cantonese derogatory term usually applied to Caucasian foreigners, which literally translates as “foreign devil.” These days, many Hong Kongers frequently use the term to refer to foreigners in general and don’t consider it derogatory.

10ARCADIA

MONTECITO, CALIFORNIA, MARCH 9, 2013

Rachel led her friends down the long hallway and opened a door. “Here it is,” she said in a hushed tone, gesturing for Goh Peik Lin and Sylvia Wong-Swartz to look in.

Peik Lin squealed as she caught her first glimpse of Rachel’s wedding gown hanging on a vintage mannequin in the middle of the dressing room. “Ooooh! It’s gorgeous! Absolutely gorrrgeous! ”

Sylvia walked around it, inspecting the dress from every angle. “It’s nothing like what I was expecting, but it’s beautiful. So you . I still can’t believe Nick took you to Paris to shop for your dress and you ended up finding this at the Temperley sample sale in SoHo!”

“I just didn’t fall in love with anything in Paris. Every dress I saw this season was so over-the-top, and I really didn’t want to deal with the fuss of a couture gown — you know, having to fly back and forth to Paris for all those fittings,” Rachel said a little bashfully.

“Oh you poor thing, what torture, having to go to Paris for your fittings!” Sylvia teased.

Peik Lin patted Sylvia on the arm. “ Aiyah , I’ve known Rachel since she was eighteen. She’s much too practical — we’ll never change her. At least this dress looks like it could be haute couture.”

“Wait till you see it on. It’s all about the way it drapes,” Rachel said excitedly.

Sylvia narrowed her eyes. “Hmm…that’s not a typical Rachel Chu statement. We just might make a fashionista out of you yet!”

Rachel’s cousin Samantha, looking rather authoritative with a headset on, entered the room all flustered. “There you are! I’ve been searching everywhere for you. Everyone’s arrived, and we’re all waiting to start the rehearsal.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know you guys were waiting,” Rachel replied.

“Found the bride! We’re on our way back!” Samantha barked into the headset as she shepherded the girls out of the main house and across the great lawn toward the Palladian-style music pavilion where the ceremony was to be held. Sylvia marveled at the mountains in the distance on one side of the lawn and the views of the Pacific Ocean on the other. “Tell me again how you guys found this amazing property.”

“We got really lucky. Nick’s friend Mehmet told us about Arcadia — the owners are friends of his family. They only come here once a year for a few weeks in the summer, and never lend the place out for events, but they made a special exception for us.”

“Is Mehmet the hunk with the stubble and those incredible hazel eyes?” Samantha asked.

“You got it. The Turkish Casanova, we call him,” Rachel said.

“Imagine how rich you have to be to maintain this huge estate all year to use it for just a few weeks,” Sylvia said in astonishment.

“Speaking of rich, some of the women who just got here look like they stepped out of the pages of Vogue China . There’s a tall, leggy, supermodel type wearing boots that clearly cost more than my Prius, and there’s another stunning girl in the most to-die-for linen shirtdress with such a posh English accent — Aunt Belinda already has her nose halfway up her hoo-ha,” Samantha reported.

Rachel laughed. “I’m guessing that Araminta Lee and Astrid Leong have arrived.”

“She goes by Araminta Khoo these day,” Peik Lin corrected.

“Ooh, I can’t wait to meet all these women I’ve been hearing so much about — it’s gonna be like an issue of Vanity Fair magazine come to life!” Sylvia said gleefully.

The ladies entered the Tuscan-stone portico in front of the pavilion, where everyone involved in the wedding ceremony had assembled. The decorating crew was still putting the finishing touches to an intricate bamboo trellis entwined with wisteria and jasmine that led up the aisle to an arch where the couple would exchange their vows.

Belinda Chu rushed up to Rachel, looking rather distressed. “Your floral designer promises that the wisteria will be at its peak tomorrow, just in time for the ceremony, but I’m not convinced. Look at how small some of these buds are. They won’t be blooming for days! You’ll need to put hair dryers on them! Tsk, tsk, tsk, you really should have used my guy, who does the flowers for all the best homes in Palo Alto.”

“I’m sure it will be just fine,” Rachel said calmly as she winked at Nick, who was standing in front of the arch talking to Mehmet, Astrid, and one of the crewmen.

Astrid greeted Rachel warmly with a hug. “Everything looks so beautiful, it makes me want to get married all over again!”

Nick’s phone began to ring. Not recognizing the number, he ignored the call and put the phone on vibrate. The crewman standing next to Nick waved at Rachel shyly, and she realized with a start that it was Colin Khoo. With his shock of dark hair grown out to his shoulders, she hadn’t recognized him.

“Look at you! Now you really look like a Polynesian surfer!” Rachel exclaimed.

“That’s rad!” Colin replied as he gave the bride-to-be a kiss on the cheek. Araminta, who stood out from the crowd in her vintage Yves Saint Laurent safari jacket and gold leather caged thigh-high Gianvito Rossi sandals, was next to greet Rachel with a double-cheek kiss.

“That’s the heiress whose wedding Rachel went to where all the trouble started,” Auntie Jin murmured under her breath to Ray Chu.

“Who’s the fellow beside her in the torn jeans and flip-flops?”