Shake your Bon Bon
“So.” Oliver paused until he caught Diano’s eye. “What brings you to Shanghai? Work?”
“Not really. I came for the weekend,” Diano said.
“Me too.”
“Really? That’s nice. Are you traveling by yourself?”
“Not really. I’m here with a friend who is busy attending a wedding banquet tonight. What about you?”
“I’m meeting my friend tonight and we’re going to Hangzhou tomorrow.” Diano looked at his cell phone.
“Hangzhou is a nice place. Have you been there before?” Oliver asked.
“Nah. This is the first time.”
“Oh, you’ll love it. You must check out the temples there.” Oliver liked how Diano looked in the pair of trendy blue jeans and the matching red jacket. “I like history and culture.”
“I’ve heard the lake is beautiful,” Diano said.
“Very beautiful. You must sit on the bank and watch the water fountain show. It’s a lovely spectacle.”
“Okay. Thanks for telling me.”
“You’re welcome,” Oliver said. “So where’s your friend?” Diano did have a very cute smile, he thought.
“I don’t know.” Diano’s smile disappeared.
“What do you mean?”
“I haven’t heard from him since last night. I was supposed to stay at his place tonight. But I haven’t heard from him yet.” Diano checked his phone again.
“Do you know where he lives? You could go to his place directly,” Oliver said.
“I’ve been there already.” Diano sighed. “Nobody was home. Not even his flatmate.”
“That’s why you’re carrying your backpack?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you going to wait for him?” Maybe he’d have to go clubbing alone after all. Sigh.
“I’ll hang around here until he calls me.”
“What if he doesn’t?” Oliver regretted it immediately. “I’m sure he’ll call. But what if he calls very late? The shops will close soon.”
“I know. I mean, I don’t know.” Diano pursed his lips.
It was the right time to pop the question.
“Why don’t you hang out with me?” asked Oliver.
“Do what?” Diano gave him a quizzical look.
“We could go for a drink.”
“We’re supposed to start early tomorrow. I can’t wake up early if I drink.”
“Okay. No drinking then. How about disco?”
“Disco?” Diano looked interested. “Which one?”
“Have you heard of the Bon Bon?” Oliver asked. “It’s popular and close by.”
“I haven’t heard of Bon Bon. What music do they play?”
“Dance music.” Oliver teased him.
“Seriously. What kind of music do they play? I don’t like techno trance stuff.”
“They’re playing hip-hop tonight,” Oliver said.
“Are you sure?”
“I looked it up on the Internet.” Oliver thought Diano was funny.
“How much is the cover charge?” asked Diano.
“Cheaper than in Hong Kong.”
“Cool.”
“Is that a yes?” asked Oliver.
“Yes. It’s better than sitting idle. But…” Diano stopped.
“But what?”
“I’ll leave when my friend calls me. Is that okay with you?”
“Sure.” Oliver laughed. “So, shall we?”
“Yup.” Diano finished his drink.
They got up and stepped out into the drizzle.
“I should have taken an umbrella from the hotel.” Oliver shook his head.
“That’s okay la. It would be troublesome to carry around while clubbing.”
“That’s true.”
Oliver flagged down a cab and they got inside.
“Huaihai Zhong Lu. Yunhai Tower.” Oliver told the driver.
“Wow. You seem to know the building name too.” Diano smiled. “Your Putonghua is very good.”
“Yeah. I memorized it.” Oliver laughed. “Xiexie, ni.”
They got off at the destination a few minutes later. Club Bon Bon was on the second floor of the building but the counter was on the ground floor. They paid the cover charge, deposited the bag in the cloak room and went in.
“Looks good,” Diano said, admiring the lighting as they went through a short corridor and emerged into a longish room with tables.
“This section resembles a restaurant.”
They moved on, following the booming sounds, and came to another section, which had a bar on one side and a stage on the other. There was a sitting area lined up with more tables for dining. However, nobody was eating. On one side of the stage, stood the DJ station. A Chinese DJ manned the desk and appeared very busy, while trendy-looking young men and women danced to the beats in front of him. There were as many foreigners as Chinese people.
“What do you wanna drink?” Oliver asked Diano.
“Vodka lime.”
Oliver took the stub from Diano and headed over to the bar. He returned with two glasses of vodka lime.
“Thank you,” Diano said, as they clinked glasses. “To our Shanghai trip.”
“To a good evening. Yum Booi.” Oliver started drinking.
“Wait. I can’t drink at one go.” Diano laughed.
“I can and I have.” Oliver had gulped down the whole drink.
“Wow. Hou geng wor,” Diano said. “I can’t drink that fast.”
“Yes, you can. It’s an open bar tonight.” Oliver laughed. “As long as you have a glass and keep going back to the bar, they’ll refill it. The drinks are diluted.”
“I see.” Diano finished the whole glass. “It’s mild.”
“I told you so.” Oliver winked. “Round two?”
“Okay. But, please, don’t get me drunk,” Diano said.
“Don’t worry. I won’t.” Oliver chuckled. He was glad he didn’t need to climb seven floors in Shanghai. He’d done it to show off his strength in front of Summer but there was no reason to give a repeat performance here.
He went back to the bar for refills. After the second round they made their way to the middle of the floor and started dancing.
The mix base changed from Beyoncé to the Black-eyed Peas and Diano shifted gear. The guy could dance, Oliver thought to himself. A few girls who were dancing nearby moved in closer. Diano’s moves had attracted them. Oliver found it interesting.
Diano’s steps were infectious. Oliver found himself following Diano’s movies. Two of the girls were hooked on to him. They were desperately trying to dance with him. He smiled at them. He was enjoying it. Good!
After some time, and a few drinks later, Oliver noticed that Diano was gone. He’d been busy with the girls and ignored Diano. Wondering whether he had left, Oliver excused himself to use the washroom. He scanned the crowd on his way out. Diano was nowhere in sight.
He crossed the corridor to reach the brightly-lit and men’s room. It was a complete contrast to the other parts of the club. The washbasins formed a rectangular island in the middle of the outer section. He hurried past it and scanned the urinals. There was nobody there. He wondered whether he should call out Diano’s name. Maybe he was using one of the cubicles? No. He decided against it.
When he walked back into the outer section, he noticed Diano standing towards the far end, lost in thought.
