Page 21 of The Amazing Date

“Why did you tip him?”

I adjust my backpack, shifting my weight to the other foot, not sure I heard correctly. “You mean why did I tip a man who has a master’s degree in his homeland but has to drive a taxi here because our country doesn’t recognize his certifications? Or do you mean why did I tip the man who not only deciphered our clue but brought us here in record time? Which is it?”

She dismisses my questions with a wave of her hand. “I get all of that, Roberto, but we’re in a race. That money given to us is all we can use for this entire leg. We can’t use our own money or a credit card. We don’t know how many challenges remain in this city or how many other cab rides we’ll need to take. So next time you want to be generous with our money, please consult your partner first.”

With the harsh message delivered, Rylee is gone. She doesn’t linger. She delivers and moves on to the next. I follow her and scan the crowd, looking for the lady.

It’s midday and the streets are bustling. A combination of residents on their lunch break and mobs of tourist floods the area. SF Giants baseball caps dot the crowd, but we are unable to locate one with a lady in a red garment.

“She has to be near this gate, right?” I ask, unsure of the rules. If she’s anywhere in Chinatown, it may take us all day to find the needle in the haystack.

Rylee crosses the street and hops up on the bench, her hands rising to her forehead to block out the sun. “She should be. Maybe a cheongsam isn’t a dress. It could be a scarf, a bag, who knows. Keep your eyes out for any woman wearing a cap with anything red.” Her intense eyes ease for a moment, and she hops down and begins to sprint back across the street we just crossed.

“Do you see her?”

“No, but we’ve caught up with Brooke and Trey.” Rylee races right up to the engaged pair, who are staring down at a tourist map. “Did you find the lady yet?” she asks.

Trey looks up at Rylee, smiles, and nods. “Up that street, half a block…” He begins to point when his fiancée pulls his arm down.

“What the hell, Trey. They’re our competition.” She snatches the map from his hand, blows out a frustrated breath, and turns her back to us.

“Thanks,” I shout and race to keep up with Rylee, who is already at the corner. I increase my pace and close the gap, spotting the lady at the same time Rylee does. I spot the red garment; it’s a traditional Chinese form fitting evening gown, and I realize I’ve seen it in many movies. Ankle-length with a high closed gold collar, the red dress is adorned with a flurry of spring-colored flowers.

I reach the lady at the same instance as Rylee. “Hello, do you have a clue for us?” she asks.

The Asian lady is middle-aged, probably early forties, dark hair pulled tight under the baseball cap. Her eyes brighten with a smile. “Ni hao. Welcome to Chinatown.”

“Ni hao,” I repeat.

Rylee’s focus is on the woman’s hands. She is holding a tote bag and reaches in. There is only one race envelope, confirming we are the last team to reach her. She hands Rylee the envelope. “Zaijian.”

Rylee rips the envelope open in front of the lady, who stares at her.

I extend my hand toward her. “Zai?”

The corners of her lips rise, smiling. “Zai… jian.”

I shake her hand and repeat the word phonetically, “Zaijian.”

“Let’s go,” Rylee whispers.

I wave toward the woman. “Goodbye. You can take the rest of the day off now,” I joke and am rewarded with another golden smile. I turn toward Rylee, whose finger hovers over the clue, her lips moving in silence.

“Are you going to walk her home too?” she mutters. “I don’t want to be the bad cop, but I will. We’re in a race.”

I nod, not wanting to rile her up, but I can’t stop the words. “If we don’t have ten seconds to show kindness to another human, then none of this is worth it.”

“Get me to the finish line in first place, and you can have all the kindness you want while I’ll keep all the money.” Before I can respond, she pivots, reading the clue out loud. “It Takes Two—double team challenge. This is the way the cookie crumbles, or Tea for Two.” She skims the clue a second time. “One looks like a scavenger hunt while the other looks like a taste challenge. Thoughts?”

I glance back toward the engaged couple. “Oh, I get a vote?”

“I don’t have time for this. We’re doing the cookie challenge. It mentions a fortune cookie factory, and we passed it on the drive. We must run because we’re short on cab fare.”

“Wow.” I bite back the retort sitting on the end of my tongue. It’s pointless. This competition has more rules than Dungeons and Dragons, and I’m out of my depth. “Which way?”

She points behind her. “Three blocks that way, but follow me.” Rylee rushes off in the opposite direction.

“Where are you….” I don’t need to complete the thought as I spot what’s in front of her. Trey and Brooke are seated on a bench, poring over the map. Rylee’s hard footsteps approaching causes them to look up, and their brows arch up in surprise.

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