“That’s what my mother says.”
“I’ll bet she does.”
He sat back in his chair. “If you’re not interested in seeing me again, all you have to do is say so and I’ll leave you alone. The choice is yours. Think about it and let me know your decision when I drive you home later. Do you want anything else to eat?”
“No, I’m stuffed.”
“Then let’s go.” Luckey paid for their meal with his credit card and escorted Ally from the restaurant. They walked across the street to the shopping center. He could tell her mind was working things out. She hadn’t said no yet.
He was cautiously optimistic.
* * *
THINK ABOUT IT and let me know your decision when I drive you home later.
Luckey couldn’t be serious, could he?
Ally was very aware of his rock-hard body next to hers as they made their way to the shop, and her mind filled with visions of the two of them doing homework together. It was ridiculous! They’d never get anything done, not when all she wanted was to be in his arms.
How about I sign a contract? I won’t touch you unless you ask me to.
That would work for about two seconds, then—
“Here we are. Hui’s Silks.”
At the sound of Luckey’s deep voice, Ally was jarred back to reality. They moved inside, where a lean, short, middle-aged Chinese man stood at the counter. He nodded to them.
“It’s one o’clock. I appreciate punctuality. You’re Mr. Davis, I presume. I’m Hui Guan.”
“Mr. Guan? This is my friend, Dr. Duncan. We understand that we caught you before your return to Beijing. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us.”
“Of course. What exactly can I do for you?”
Luckey pulled the pink dress sample from his pocket and put it on the counter. “Have you ever seen this material before? If you have, do you know where in China it was manufactured and where it could be purchased?”
“Is it Xiang embroidery?” Ally asked in Mandarin.
The man eyed her with interest before he picked up the fabric and studied it. After a moment he lifted his head and replied in Mandarin, “No. This is not made in the shu zhi method of the Hunan Province. Their weavers scour and bleach the longitude and latitude silks from cocoons first before weaving them. That way they no longer need more processing and can be used directly. No, this fabric is shu embroidery.”
“Shu?” Ally repeated. Disappointment swamped her. She’d been so certain she was on the right track.
“See here. This is made with soft satins and colored threads because the raw materials are embroidered by hand. Regard the varied stitching method. This lotus design is typical of the shu technique. It’s unique and expensive.”
“Do you know where it was made?”
“In Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province.”
“Do you have a shop in Chengdu?”
“No.”
“Would you have a contact from the silk industry there that Mr. Davis and I could talk to?”
“I would have to check with one of my people in Beijing and get back to you.”
“If you could do that, we’d be very grateful.”
She turned to Luckey. “I’m sorry you couldn’t follow the conversation.” In a few words she told him what she’d found out.