Imperfect Desires

As Darren's words had just entered Xiu's brain, the scene before her lit up with fairy lights. No, it was not a fancy restaurant or any other place she could have expected her first date to be at. This was the place she had met Darren plenty of times. This was the place where she took the initiative to raise her hand to wave at him and call him out without holding back.

This was the place he teased her every single time. And this was the place, she first considered him a friend.

"We're having our first date at the park near our apartment complex?" asked Xiu looking at Darren with a complex look in her eyes.

Darren nodded his head and said, "Yes, because..." he held her shoulders and turned her body sideways to face their apartment building as he added, "That's the building where we had our third meeting." Then he turned her in another direction to face the swings and said, "That's where you first called out to me and made me a part of your friend's group." Then he turned her around again towards the tracks and said, "On that track, you punched me for teasing you about being as light as a paper." Xiu glared at his choice of words but he pretended like he didn't see that as he turned her around again and went on, "Lastly, that's the place where we kissed."

Xiu's eyes were also stuck at the convenience store as she was reminded about the scenes from last night. As she was pursing her lips, he continued, "Since we have so many memories at a single park, I thought it's best for our first date as well."

Christina Aguilera once said, "There is nothing more dangerous than a boy with charm."

Right now, Xiu was the person who agreed with that statement the most. This man's charms were turning dangerous for her to hold back. There were warning bells ringing in her mind but why did she feel so excited?

Xiu held his arm and said, "You really know how to play and here I was thinking you're a simple character."

Darren smiled at her remark and led her towards a table that had been set up under a tree that had been decorated with lanterns and candles. As Xiu took a seat, her eyes were wandering around in wonder and fascination. Wasn't this park the simplest of ones out there, why did it seem special tonight?

"Didn't I ask you to cancel our date for today? Then when did you plan all of this?" Xiu asked as she propped her elbows on the table to support her face.

"I would have definitely not brought you here for our first date if you didn't cancel it. This was just an improvised version so that you don't miss out on your first day's first date," his response was honest and straightforward. He didn't try to hide anything from her. But one thing was certain, he went through all this planning just because she sounded disappointed.

"You planned this from the time we met up in the police station?" Xiu asked as she tilted her face a bit. Seeing him nod in response, she asked, "Are you really that nice of a person? Or are you too good at this dating stuff?"

Darren chuckled softly at her question as said, "I had a friend once, she used to say that I'm the worst one when it comes to dating and if she could, she'd put a warning sign on me to keep girls away from me."

"Are you sure that wasn't her way of trying to ward off her competition?" Xiu's voice sounded as if she was prying. 

"I'm positive that wasn't her intention. She hated my guts from the very first day we met. Just like I did." 'At least, until I realized that I never really hated her at all.' He kept his thoughts to himself since it wouldn't be nice to voice that out before her. Just like it wasn't nice to think about his first love at that moment. "Anyway, as for your question, I can only say that I'm neither a nice person nor I'm good at dating. I just didn't want you to end this day on a bad note."

His answer wasn't particularly what she was expecting but it sounded better when he said it. As she was still trying to let this moment sink in, she saw Darren's driver bringing a couple of takeout boxes with him. She gave Darren an inquisitive look.

"A little birdie told me that his Baby Xiu loves takeout food. And she'd prefer it over a five-star chef anytime and anywhere," was his reply as he waved off his driver and opened the boxes of food himself.

"I presume that little birdie is my little Jackie," Darren nodded in reply and she added, "Then it's safe to say that our little Jackie likes you."

"I've never met anyone who doesn't like me," said Darren as he passed her the chopsticks making her eyes narrow at him in amusement.

"Oh, someone's acting like an egomaniac," Xiu remarked as he unwrapped her chopsticks and wiped them with a napkin.

Darren shrugged his shoulders and said, "There is nothing wrong with being a little conceited once in a while."

Xiu had always heard about the first dates being fascinating. The fascination came from the fact of how much it affected human psychology. Because that first date decides whether you're ready to go on a second date or not and that is in itself a huge deal. It was a huge deal to Xiu as well. Not because she wasn't certain about going out with Darren.

She was more than ready for that. She was ready because he felt like the second chance that was long overdue. The second chance she had denied herself for five years. But meeting Darren was like, even her heart wasn't denying anymore. As if he really was meant to be the one who could allow her to live all over again.