Imperfect Desires

In the city's high-end bar, the atmosphere was rather quiet and appeared proper. There wasn't a large crowd around in the day time. But the patrons of this bar weren't normal people. Every single one of them was dressed in an attire fit for a party. But considering their status in society, they were dressed rather humbly.

The bar didn't have the hubbub of usual bars. It was a sophisticated bar where a piece of soft music was playing just to fill the eerie silence but not loud enough to disturb the customers.

Dylan leaned on the bar and lolled his head to one side. The impression he gave one was of a heartbroken person. The bar-tender was there to take his order in a flash. Seeing Dylan's face, his eyes widened momentarily before he composed himself. 

Dylan's eyes were glued at the rows of colorful alcohol bottles lined behind the bar-tender as he absentmindedly gave his order, "One ice-cold Martini... Stirred no shaken." The bartender nodded his head turned around to get his drink.

As his drink was served, Dylan didn't immediately drink it. His eyes observed the crystal clear drink for a long moment without making any attempt to drink it. With his index finger, he stirred the olive on a stick and in his trance-like state he failed to notice that someone occupied the bar high chair beside him.

And that's why he was startled when a hand was placed on his shoulder, "I wonder what our Didi is guilty over." Dylan looked at his best friend's face and stayed quiet as Darren continued, "Didi would never invite me for a drink during the day unless... He did something he wasn't supposed to do."

Dylan gulped down his suave sophisticated ice-cold Martini in a hurry without even savoring the taste of gin or vermouth. The burning sensation which his throat felt was evident on his face as well. He popped the olive in his mouth and looked anywhere but at Darren. His hasty actions even further confirmed that he was guilt-ridden.

Lifting his hand slightly, Darren beckoned the bartender and said, "Refill for him and I'll take a bourbon whiskey. Neat." He emphasized on his last word before looking at Dylan to ask, "Now, why don't you spill the beans already. I promise not to kill you."

Dylan mulled over his promise for a moment and shifted his body slightly to face Darren before speaking up, "I met Hu Shishi today."

"I am supposed to care because...?" was Darren's indifferent response as he held the glass of his drink. Straight bourbon whiskey was like a slap in the face for anyone's taste buds but Darren knew he needed that slap badly. But for him, this slap would be for his senses.

"She asked for my help," Dylan stated cautiously and seeing no changes in Darren's expression he felt apprehensive inside since he couldn't read Darren at all. "I did help her in some way," Dylan added but still found no changes in Darren. "In the heat of my anger, I told her that RX Studios is your company."

Darren munched on some salted peanuts and nodded his head. "In the heat of my anger? This sounds oddly familiar." He tilted his head slightly to one side in a thoughtful manner as he spoke out, "Why does it sound so much like your biggest blunder back in college?"

Dylan frowned at his words and thought about it only to widen his eyes when Darren spoke imitating his voice, "Don't you remember barging into our apartment with a disheveled look only to tell me... 'Daz! I'm the biggest jerk! In the heat of my drunken stupor, I slept with my own friend's sister. Just kill me already.' Does it ring a bell for you, Didi?"

Dylan wanted the ground to just open up, so he could bury himself. "Daz, why is your bloody memory so good? Why do you even remember that word for word? I'm talking about a serious matter right now."

"Serious? What do you want me to do?" Darren asked straightforwardly. "Do you want me to yell at you? Beat you? What really do you want me to do?"

"Do something. I'm feeling really stuffed up from the time, I disclosed that secret of yours." Dylan was having a really hard moment. He couldn't just get it out of his mind no matter how much he tried to. It was Darren's secret for his revenge plot, he didn't know why he even said all that.

Darren propped his elbow on the bar and supported the side of his face on his fist as he said, "It's not easy to tick you off to the point where you'll blurt out something in the heat of anger." Dylan's eyes widened when he heard Darren's speculation. "Didi, did Hu Shishi provoked you?"

"How can I be provoked so easily?" Dylan replied with an awkward laugh trying to hide his discomfort.

"Perhaps... She mentioned... Qiuqiu?" Dylan's eyes became big when he heard Darren's response. 

Getting over the ache in his heart, Dylan retorted, "Are you a worm in my stomach? Or a mind reader? Why do you know me so well? Can't there be a possibility that I was provoked just to see Hu Shishi's annoying face?"

Darren shook his head in negation. "Your desperation for Qiuqiu is far more than your hatred for Hu Shishi," Darren stated with conviction. 

Dylan didn't want to comment on that statement. He didn't know-how. To change the topic, he said, "Wouldn't you like to hear what my E.A did to Hu Shishi? My anger was deflated in a minute."

"Oh, really?" Darren sounded surprised. "I wonder what she did to make you look so excited."

Dylan laughed out as he related the story of how Xiu ordered the expensive meal and then managed to make Hu Shishi a pathetic mess with the help of a dog. "I don't know how her mind works. She actually used a huge Tibetan Mastiff. Can you imagine the scene?"

"I certainly can't. But I do like the sound of it," replied Darren with a small smile tugging on his lips.