Homesick for Another World

This story is narrated by a white woman working as a surrogate vice-president for an Asian-American family-owned company called Value Enterprise Association. She is known only by the name of her surrogate character, Stephanie Reilly. Stephanie is hired by a man named Lao Ting, who thinks that the American businessmen he works with are more likely to cooperate with a “beautiful” woman than an old man. Stephanie spends her days riding in a chauffeured car to business meetings, where she repeats the information Lao Ting and his wife Gigi give her. She enjoys spending time with the family in their offices and appreciates her large salary.

Although Stephanie’s job relies on other people’s attraction to her, she struggles to accept her body. She is especially self-conscious about her labia, which are swollen because of a pituitary problem. Stephanie attributes this problem to demons, who speak to her constantly and who she believes are poisoning her. When Stephanie goes clubbing, she wears a long trench coat and sunglasses; she also tapes pennies over her nipples and a photo of Charlie Chaplin over her genitals. If she does take men home, she does not sleep with them. Instead, she has them sit on her couch while she strips.