Imperfect Desires

Darren closed the door behind him and changed into a pair of home slippers. He was about to turn when his eyes caught the view of a certain pale-faced best friend. Seeing him moistening his dry lips and looking vigilant, Darren could tell that Dylan had heard his conversation with Xiu. At least, half of it which involved Xiu's ghost story.

Because only that could explain why Dylan seemed on edge. Dylan could be defined as a superstitious person. And his belief in ghosts was way beyond one's imaginations. Darren could recall a very recent event where Dylan was supposed to leave for Italy but came back halfway to the airport. The reason he gave was, "A black squirrel crossed my path."

"So?" Darren had asked.

"So? There is a high chance that I'll have a stroke of bad luck. I'm not going." Dylan announced like a grumpy kid.

"Was the squirrel adorable?" Darren asked and Dylan nodded in response. "Then there is an even higher possibility that you'll have a stroke of probably adorable luck."

However, Dylan was persistent with his superstitious mind and canceled the whole trip altogether.

Anyways, coming back to the present where Dylan was still zoning out with the word 'ghost' ringing in his mind...

Walking towards him Darren placed his hand on his shoulder and Dylan was startled. He was about to scream but Darren blocked his mouth with his own hand.

"Put a leash on your imaginations. It's only me." Darren looked calm, bright and a bit jubilant.

Dylan, on the other hand, looked depressed, uncertain and mostly helpless. "Daz, thank God it's just you." He placed his hand over his heart and breathed deeply.

Darren walked further inside towards the kitchen as he said, "Of course, it's just me. Who were you expecting? A ghost?"

Dylan tried to keep his fear from showing as he said, "Daz, don't talk about ghosts. You know I don't like hearing about them."

Darren took a water bottle from the refrigerator and uncapped it to take a sip of cold water. "I also don't want to talk about it. And besides, there is no such thing as ghosts. I've been telling you that for years now."

Dylan, however, wasn't very keen on believing Darren's words. His fear of ghosts wasn't really far-fetched. It was real because of the prank his school fellows played on him in his childhood. They had dared him to walk inside the supposedly haunted house in their town and after he did, they locked him inside.

After that incident, Dylan had developed a fear of ghosts and according to him, they were as real as humans. Dylan's eyes wandered around Darren's apartment carefully and cautiously as he said, "I think... I should go back."

"You just got here. Don't run like a scaredy-cat." Darren spoke to stop Dylan from leaving. "I had already pre-ordered a movie for us. Also, the pizza is on the way as well. We'll have fun tonight."

"Really?" Dylan turned back. "What's the genre of the movie?"

"Horror." Darren's answer made Dylan's face to lose all colors as he glared at his best friend.

"You know what, I'm leaving." Dylan decided for real and turned on his heels to leave but Darren held him back while laughing.

"Ms. Li is right about you. You're a big baby." Dylan scowled at his words. "You're twenty-seven and still believe in these ridiculous things."

"Ghosts are real." Dylan insisted again.

"Yeah." Darren snorted and added, "Now, you'll say werewolves and vampires are also real."

Dylan gave a reluctant look as he said, "They could be. Since witches are real. They could also be."

"Witches are real?" Darren raised his brows looking at him inquisitively.

"As real as gold but with a black heart. Haven't you seen my socialite girlfriends? They all are black-hearted witches." Dylan spoke with certainty. " So, I believe, anything is possible."

Darren was speechlessly looking at his best friend. Dealing with Dylan was the most difficult task and suddenly, he felt some pity for his new E.A. That girl must be suffering because of his tantrums.

Lowering his voice to a hushed tone, Darren said, "If anything is possible, I believe the girl behind you would have already strangled you."

"What?" Dylan turned his head with such speed that he almost got whiplash. But when he didn't see anyone behind, he really wanted to punch Darren for scaring him. "Now, you're making fun of me." He pouted trying to show he wasn't very happy with this joke.

"This is your retribution for treating that innocent E.A of yours so badly on her first day," Darren stated straightforwardly.

"What did I do to her? I just asked her to do what was already written in her job description." Dylan replied in a righteous manner.

"And you want me to believe that you didn't bully her? Please... I know you better. The moment you texted me that your new E.A is the same girl who insulted you twice. I knew what ideas started brewing in your mind." Dylan couldn't possibly refute Darren's words. The latter knew him as his own shadow.

"But she was also at fault. She's denying that she met me." Dylan told him how Xiu claimed that this was their first meeting.

Darren slapped his head saying, "Idiot! What do you expect? That she'd happily bounce around you saying, Sir, I'm the one who kicked you and called you Uncle." The sarcasm in his voice was too sharp for Dylan.

If Dylan knew that Darren was almost on friendly terms with Xiu, he'd had puked blood in anger. Because Darren's words had always been sharp. He never cared about the feelings of the other person before speaking. He was indeed a man of few words but his every golden word was meant to sting people where it hurt the most.

"You're taking her side because you selected her," Dylan claimed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

With his arm around Dylan's neck, Darren said, "My offer still stands. You can send her to my company. I'll be more than happy to accommodate her."

Dylan frowned at his reply, "I have never seen you persistently asking for someone. You haven't even met her. Do you really think she's worth it?"

"Didi, I've seen her resume and I've seen the answers she wrote in her screening test. That girl is more than just worth it." Darren's reply stunned Dylan. When was it this easy to impress his iceberg like best friend? Dylan was wondering but had no idea. "She has a Bachelors in Economics and a Masters in Business Administration. According to her resume, she had been promoted 6 times in the last 3 years of working in your company. Not only that, but she's also doing her research work for Doctorate in International Relations. And she is only twenty-three. Can you even imagine the potential of that girl?"

Dylan hadn't noticed all of these things about Xiu before but now that Darren mentioned it. He thought about it seriously. He could already tell that Xiu was a diligent worker even if he had only spent a day with her. But how was he supposed to forget his humiliation?

"Her name is Bai Xiu, right?" Darren asked and Dylan nodded. "Hmm... You should try not being biased with her."

Dylan nodded again but rather reluctantly before pushing Darren away. "Get a shower man. You're sweating."

"Wow, genius. Took you long enough to realize that." Darren threw another derisive comment his way and in response, Dylan stuck out his tongue childishly. "Fine, I'll be back in a jiffy. You make yourself comfortable."

"What's yours is mine. So, I'm already comfortable enough." Dylan replied in satisfaction.

With a sly smile, Darren halted in his track and said, "And Didi, don't worry. The girl behind you will definitely not disturb you."

"Ah!" Dylan yelped loudly as he turned to look around while Darren laughed heartily at his response. "Daz! I'm gonna kill you!" Dylan threw the cushion at him but Darren had already closed the door and the cushion had hit the door instead.

Now, Dylan was left with a lingering fear that there was really something wrong with Darren's apartment. The spark of doubt that Xiu ignited for Darren had turned into flames in Dylan's mind. Without knowing it, she had taken her revenge for giving him a sleepless night just like he gave her a restless day.