Imperfect Desires

When Xiu had suggested the dinner, she didn't expect the restaurant they were standing in right now. It was named 'Les Moments'. If her memory served her right, this French restaurant was a prominent one and was frequented by the elite class including celebrities.

People couldn't get a table here on impulse. Most of the reservations were made two months in advance. She gave a sideways glance to Darren wondering who he really was. Because if he could book a table here so soon, this meant that he wasn't a simple character. Although his plain chinos, t-shirt, and a jacket said otherwise. But Xiu was familiar with brands and she could tell even his simple attire must have cost a lot.

This was the difference between Dylan and Darren. Dylan loved his clean-cut suits while Darren loved his not so formal attire.

As they were ushered to their table, Xiu's eyes wandered around. Large mullioned windows, long embroidered curtains, dark walnut tables were the first thing that caught her attention. There were fresh flowers on the tables and a delicate piano tune was playing live on the large piano that sat in the middle of the restaurant.

Their table was on the second floor near the glass railing where they could see the piano performance clearly. Feeling a gaze at the side of her face, Xiu tilted her head to look at Darren staring at her. There was mischief beneath his wrinkled lids. Those grey eyes that could compel anyone were a shade darker under the lights.

"Baby Xiu'er, what should we eat?" Nora's voice broke Xiu's curious gaze on Darren. She looked at the menu and flipped through it leisurely.

"Why don't you choose for yourself?" Darren asked looking at both ladies sitting opposite of him.

"Because my Xiu is the food expert here," Nora stated nonchalantly.

"Are you sure?" Darren asked with an incredulous glance at Xiu which made her frown. "I don't think Sweets can be a food expert?"

"And why is that?" Xiu retorted narrowing her eyes at him.

"Perhaps because you look like someone who is surviving on air," Darren said in dispair feeling really bad for her.

"Pfft!" While Xiu's face was twitching, this laughter came from her best friend.

Holding back her anger, Xiu said, "I eat food, not air."

"If you say so," Darren didn't seem convinced at all as he reluctantly agreed with her. "But your pale skin and skinny body tell a different story." Suddenly enlightened, he added, "Don't tell me that's your beauty standard."

Xiu hit the food knife on the tabletop making Darren straighten up in his seat. "I know I'm skinny. But it's not my beauty standard! And my skin is pale because of the lack of sunlight in my life."

"Go for a morning run," Darren suggested as he took a sip of water.

Nora snorted, "Run? And in the morning? Haha!" Following her fit of laughter, she continued, "She's The Lazy Burrito. Even cats will be ashamed before her laziness." Darren spurted out the water that he had yet to swallow. "She has a gym membership and she only went to the gym one day. Only ONE DAY!"

Darren was wiping his mouth while Xiu had lowered her head. Her own best friend was defaming her now. How pitiful of her!

"Would you like to know the height of her laziness?" Darren nodded his head vigorously. "She even sent a third person to cancel her gym membership because she wanted to use her free time to sleep."

Darren couldn't control his laughter was Xiu was being roasted between them. "Nora Darling, that's unfair. You can't just say all that about me." Xiu tugged her lower lip out slightly and gave her adorable puppy eyes.

Nora patted her head and said, "Well, but there is no doubt that our Xiu is the food expert. She might not be a foodie but she does know about food tastes."

'Of course, I am a food expert. I learned my culinary skills from a Michellin Chef. It was no easy feat.' Xiu shouted in her mind but couldn't voice this out. Unless she wanted others to know that she was Chen Xiu.

"Then Sweets, why don't you give the order for all of us?"

Xiu happily nodded and started reciting the dishes she had decided on earlier. Darren had seen her flipping through the menu once and she was already well-versed with the entire menu. "As for the wine..."

"There will be no wine." Nora interrupted her speech.

"What?" Xiu almost shouted out loud at her. "No wine to go with French cuisine? My lady, that's an unpardonable crime."

"Stop being dramatic. I'm not letting you drink at all." Nora stated sternly.

Xiu made a crying face while Darren looked between both of them.

"Let me order a bottle of Moselle? It's soft and very light. I won't get drunk at all." Xiu tried to convince her and Nora had to give in to her pleading look. Xiu was really happy as if she was on cloud nine.

Soon, they started a light conversation and waited for their food. When the server poured the gold-colored Moselle in the glass for tasting, Darren could see the stars shining in Xiu's eyes. Her eyes were glued to that sparkly wine that looked enticing.

Darren passed the glass to her for tasting and said, "You should do this honor."

Xiu happily took the wine glass from his hand and swirled the wine in the glass before taking the glass close to her nose to take a whiff. The rich aroma awoke all her alcohol deprived senses as she took the sip. As the rich but soft liquid touched her tongue, Xiu felt disenthral.

"This is good," Xiu remarked and gestured for the waiter to serve the others.

As the wine etiquettes dictated, the waiter served the ladies first and then moved to Darren's side. Since white wine was served with appetizers, their hors d'oeuvre was also served which was Pissaladieres (Onion and Anchovy Tarts). This two-bites hors d'oeuvres were power-packed with rich flavors which could make anyone hungry for a meal.

Xiu had excused herself for a while to use the ladies room when Darren asked, "You're really against her drinking wine. Any specific reason?"

Nora looked at him straight, "She becomes a different person when she is drunk." Darren's brows knitted together. "Drunk Xiu is although very adorable but she's hard to handle. Once she cried for a whole night when she was drunk and the next time, she laughed for the whole night. And last time..." She shook her head at the memory, "She was a kid on a sugar rush."

"Sugar rush? How?"

"Because she baked for eight hours and spent another two trying to finish everything." Nora's reply left him really confused and curious. What she didn't tell him was that Xiu looked dispirited and listless when she was drunk and Nora didn't like seeing her depressed at all.