White Tiger

floor-toceiling picture windows overlooking the harbour and sat us at the round six-seater table.
    ‘Louise, April, this is Simone, and Leo, her bodyguard.’
    ‘I’m the driver, Emma,’ Leo said, quietly exasperated.
    ‘Yeah, sure you are,’ Louise said, eyeing him up and down. ‘Nice outfit, Leo.’
    As usual, Leo was dressed very well in a made-to-measure dark business suit. He stared at Louise in disbelief.
    ‘Don’t mind her—she’s Australian, like me,’ I said. ‘Is that supposed to make a difference?’ Leo said, sceptical.
    ‘All the difference in the world, mate, get used to it,’ Louise said. ‘Hello, Simone. How old are you?’ ‘Four and a half.’
    ‘Only four? You look older than that,’ Louise said.
    Simone nodded, eyes wide and serious. ‘Everybody says that. I think it’s because Daddy’s so special.’
    ‘He’s special, is he?’ Louise said, then grinned knowingly at me.
    The white-jacketed waiter threw the bowls, spoons and chopsticks onto the table with a loud rattle.
    ‘What tea would you like?’ April said.
    ‘Sow mei,’ Louise and I said together.
    ‘You happy with that, Leo?’ I said.
    ‘I’m not here. Ignore me,’ Leo said, looking around at the other diners.
    ‘You’re too big to ignore, mate,’ Louise said before I could. ‘You’re here to eat too. If you want a beer or something, just say so.’
    ‘Not on the job,’ Leo said.
    April was distracted. ‘No trolleys anywhere,’ she complained.
    The waiter returned with a pot of tea and an extra pot of hot water.
    Louise reached into her handbag for a notebook. ‘Who paid last time?’
    ‘I did, and I’m winning this time,’ I said. I pulled out my own notebook. ‘I’ve collected some really good ones. Wait ‘til you hear them.’
    Louise and I flipped the notebooks open.
    ‘Apple,’ she said.
    ‘Had that one before, it’s not new,’ I said. ‘Winsome.’ ‘Buxom,’ she retorted.
    ‘Good one. Did she know what it meant?’ Louise shook her head. ‘Alien. Sha Tin McDonald’s,’ I went on.
    ‘Coffee.’
    ‘Girl, Ivan. Pronounced Yvonne.’ ‘Winky,’ Louise said. ‘Ringo,’ I snapped back.
    ‘Had that before. Freedom,’ Louise said triumphantly. ‘At the university.’ ‘Heman,’ I said. ‘A girl.’ ‘Yugo,’ she said. ‘Also a girl.’ ‘Yellow.’
    ‘Honda.’ ‘Napoleon.’
    ‘ Hitler ,’ Louise said defiantly.
    I was losing. I played my trump card. ‘Satan!’
    Louise glanced up from her notes. ‘No way.’
    ‘Absolutely. In the bank on the Peak.’
    ‘I don’t believe you.’
    ‘Leo,’ I said, ‘what’s Satan’s last name?’
    ‘The kid in the bank? Chow, I think,’ Leo said.
    Louise snapped her notebook shut. ‘No way I can beat that. I’m paying.’
    ‘What the hell was all that about?’ Leo demanded. ‘What’s Satan Chow got to do with anything?’
    ‘We collect Hong Kong English names. Some people seem to choose them out of a hat, whatever takes their fancy. We have a competition. Whoever can come up with the weirdest name they’ve heard since last time wins. The other one has to pay.’ I smiled with satisfaction. ‘I win.’
    April seemed bewildered by the whole exchange.
    ‘How’s married life, April? Do you have photos of the wedding?’ Louise said.
    April’s face lit up and she pulled a few small photo albums out of her briefcase.
    ‘This is in Sydney, where we had the wedding,’ she said, passing me some of the books.
    I flipped through the first one, and handed it to Louise.
    ‘Can I see?’ Simone said.
    ‘Sure.’ I handed her one of the books, and Leo looked through it with her.
    Louise raised the album she was looking at. ‘How many dresses did you have for this?’
    ‘Five,’ April said. ‘One white one for the wedding, one white one for the formal photos. They’re not back yet. One traditional red one for the reception,another white one for the reception. And a goingaway dress.’
    I leaned over the table to speak closely to her. ‘You know, we usually only have one wedding dress.’ April looked horrified. ‘Only one dress?’ Louise and I both nodded.
    ‘Your Chinese dress is very pretty,’ Simone said. ‘Is that gold and silver?’
    ‘Yes,’ April said. ‘Red silk, gold and silver embroidery. Boring traditional style. My grandmother wanted to see me in one.’
    Simone suddenly squeaked, clambered out of her chair and pulled herself into Leo’s lap, facing him. He looked around.
    ‘What?’ I