11
Tony
Tony breathed in the steam from his bowl of Biang Biang noodles – fresh from the pot, hand-pulled, practically bouncing. The scent of chili, garlic, and Sichuan pepper normally made his mouth water, but tonight, he couldn’t even pick up his chopsticks. Kim barely touched hers either, save for an occasional stirring so the noodles wouldn’t congeal. Only Tammy properly dug into the dish – hunched over, sucking it up like a vacuum, sauce slapping the sides of her mouth.
‘Why aren’t you guys eating?’ said Tammy, finally coming up for air. ‘These noodles are your best batch yet, Mom.’
‘Your dad has his annual review tomorrow,’ said Kim.
‘I’m sure he worked hard and it’ll be fine,’ said Tammy.
Tony gripped his thighs. It wasn’t fine last time. Last year, Elijah – his boss, the vi
