Free Beware That Girl by Teresa Toten Page A

need two Rodartes, size 4.”
    Kumar looked stricken. “Party frocks, right? I have fabulous Cavallis.”
    “Ooooooh!” said Olivia.
    “Wrong vibe.” And with that, Kate dragged her out of that store and into a dozen others.
    “Is, uh, are these things legal?” Olivia was stroking a Hermès bag.
    Kate shrugged. “Not so much. Some of it falls off the back of a truck, but most of these are knockoffs. People gotta get by however they get by. Let it go, Olivia.”
    And she did. Her friend was a pit bull. Olivia had sensed that about Kate from the start, admired it, was intrigued by it. The girl was a class A survivor. Olivia needed to be around such fierce will. She would listen, learn, observe. And one day, the pupil would surpass the master.
    Chinatown was total chaos on Friday night. The streets would have done Hong Kong proud. They were rendered nearly immobile with swarming shoppers, hawkers, mothers with babies, old men with bundle buggies and shady-looking sharp guys. Everybody smoked. Music blared and pulsed out of the stalls and stores. All the screeching, cackling and guttural noises scraped Olivia’s ears. Twinkle lights, bare lightbulbs, lanterns and neon store signs assaulted her eyes, while the competing aromas of Peking duck, dried fish and rotting fruit threatened her nostrils.

    She loved it!
    Olivia loved the buzz gathering deep inside her, and she remembered just how much she had loved feeling that way, before. It was Kate’s doing.
    “Hey, roomie,” she called. “I’m going to fall over unless we eat soon. We’ve got the dresses. Me hungry now!”
    Her friend was deep into the vendor’s stall, heading toward the back door. “Cho has the best fake Jimmy Choos in Chinatown.” Kate beckoned to her. “Shoes, then food. Promise.”
    In keeping with the illogic of the neighborhood, they ended up in the “Very Best Chinese Restaurant in the City,” which you had to be a secret agent to find. There was no signage whatsoever. They entered through a deserted little mall and took an elevator to the third floor. The elevator doors opened directly onto a massive banquet hall that was swathed in gold drapery and red braiding à la 1986. The place was teeming with locals—kids, babies, grandparents and all manner of extended families. Kate seemed to be on friendly terms with a maître d’ who did not speak a word of English. The girls ate like emperors for $11.99. It was the best meal of Olivia’s life. Her father would have loved it. But where were they? If Kate left her in this rabbit’s warren, she’d never find her way back. She couldn’t remember seeing any taxis.

    “So”—Kate raised her green tea—“brilliant?” It had become their code for “Did I nail it?”
    Olivia raised her cup too. “Mega brilliant, and our secret, right?”
    “To the first of many.”
    They clinked teacups.
    “Come on.” Kate started gathering up their considerable stash of bags and boxes. “One more place. We should bring Anka some mangoes.”
    It seemed like Kate was scanning the street on the way.
    “What are you looking for?”
    “Nothing.” Kate shook her head. “There used to be this guy from a bakery…nothing.”
    Olivia frowned at the store that Kate was pulling her toward. Here? The signage proudly declared that it was Chen’s Chinese Market and Apothecary in both English and Chinese script. Even though it was after ten p.m., it was still crammed with shoppers. Clearly oblivious to her friend’s hesitation, Kate threaded them deep into the store.
    “Mrs. Chen? Mrs. Chen?” Kate waved at someone. “There she is!” A wretched-looking little woman in a blindingly white apron started toward them. A near smile shifted into hostile suspicion as soon as she spied Olivia. She examined her as if trying to place her. Kate then surprised Olivia by hugging the creature. “Mrs. Chen, this is my best friend in the world, Olivia Sumner. Olivia, this was my…uh, my boss. I worked here. This is the