The Misadventures of Endora Pan | Mothers, Messages, and Morning Revelations
Chapter 20
You are reading The Misadventures of Endora Pan, a romantic comedy exploring the unpredictable nature of love and the chaos of everyday life. Set in the world of a young Taiwanese-American woman, this story delves into themes of self-discovery, cultural identity, and finding connection in unexpected places. Written in a witty, self-aware style, this novel is for readers looking for a light-hearted yet emotional read.
“Pan Yung En!” Chi Jun said, resorting to Endora’s Chinese name.
Endora snatched her phone and another green onion pancake piece. “It’s not what you think, Mom. I’ve got small group. I’ll talk to you later!”
She only registered Chi Jun’s, “But, your tea,” before she bolted out the garage door with her purse.
Nosy Taiwanese mothers notwithstanding, Endora had little wish to share the comedic beginnings of this particular relationship (assuming it progressed that far, but she was getting ahead of herself again) until it entered more established territory. Ability to laugh at herself, she had in abundance, but she preferred it in hindsight.
At least Chi Jun had not gone so far as to chase her out to the garage, Endora thought to herself in relief as she backed the car out of the driveway. The clear April morning greeted her with a wave of heat. It would be another one of those days in the sweltering Inland Empire.
Once a short distance away from her house, Endora glanced at the car clock. She’d left far too early. Small group wouldn’t start for another hour. Coffee it was.
At Dripp Cafe, Endora breathed in the familiar fragrance of an almond milk latte at a small table by the window, and finally opened Dominic’s text.
“Yeah the life of a Fedex driver isn’t glamorous. My sleep schedule is something to be envied. But hey, the nice perk is that my shift is over now and I’m off the rest of the day. If you happen to need some tea in the afternoon in between small group and your hangout, can I drop off some boba for you?”
No doubt Dominic had recalled her catastrophic spill last night and was now going to rub it in her face. The dude had a certain impish sense of humor. She couldn’t help melting a little at his thoughtfulness, though. Do good guys really exist in real life?
Instead of texting him back, she started typing to Tiffany, who had responded as she’d expected, “I know we joke my life is like a Kdrama, but for real it’s starting to feel like one right now with Dominic offering to bring me boba.”
The phone rang almost at once after she pressed “send.”
“He’s bringing you boba? And you think that’s sweet?” Tiffany’s voice mixed with the din of Morgan’s babble and Colin shouting, “Who are you talking to?!” in the background.
“I mean, yeah?”
“Honey, that’s not sweet! That’s basic nice-ish behavior 101,” Tiffany sighed. “It’s so sad you have no idea how to be treated well.”
“Well, that’s not my fault!”
“I know, I know,” Tiffany said soothingly. “So, are you gonna meet up with him later then?”
Endora paused. “I dunno. It’s kinda fast, isn’t it? I’ve only had one normal conversation with him. And what happened with you yesterday? You didn’t even interrogate him that hard. You’ve definitely gone way harder on everyone else in the past, but that was almost friendly by your standards!”
Now there was a pause on the other end before Endora heard her friend give a short laugh. “You know, it’s funny. I don’t even know, and I really shouldn’t tell you this when you’re not even in a relationship yet. I just had a feeling he’s ‘the one.’”
A wave of shock washed over Endora. Her mouth dropped open. Goosebumps formed on her arms. Not only was her best friend the least romantic person she knew, but her instincts in the past had also always been spot on, which Endora had ignored to her detriment. For Tiffany to say this about Dominic meant…what?