Imperfect Desires

125 Jurassic Park

Have you ever had that just two minutes of interaction with someone where you felt valued? That feeling of satisfaction that someone understands you or someone is staying by your side is too precious. Xiu also experienced that moment.

The morning that started on a bad note turned quite alright when Darren walked beside her. It wasn\'t even a long meeting and yet, she was left with a warm feeling inside. As she sat on the bus, she received a text from Darren, it read: "Have a good day to you too, Ms. Official Girlfriend!"

Xiu giggled like a schoolgirl at the way he copied her but realizing how many pairs of eyes were staring at her, she composed herself and sent him a smiley in reply.

Arriving at the company building, she put on her cold persona and walked through the doors of the company. Arriving at her floor, the first thing she did was to barge inside Dylan\'s office without knocking. Dylan was busy admiring the view from his windows and didn\'t notice Xiu\'s presence, at least not until she slammed the door shut with a \'bang\'.

Dylan\'s daydreaming came to an abrupt stop when he looked at the way Xiu was cracking her knuckles. "Ms. Bai, thi-this is my office. Keep your gangster avatar out of here." He stuttered while keeping a distance from her.

Xiu crossed that distance and said, "There is still five minutes before my duty as your executive assistant starts. Before that let me warn you..." she took a long breath and added, "I can overlook the prank you played on me this morning. Because I\'m in a very good mood."

"Why do I feel like that good mood has something to do with my best friend?" Dylan asked with displeasure evident in his tone. He sounded jealous and he wasn\'t even trying to hide it at all.

Xiu gave him a fake smile as she said, "Not your best friend. MY BOYFRIEND! Keep that in your walnut brain." Dylan was in disbelief at the way she was displaying her sovereignty. And what did she just call him? Walnut brain? Why was she so in sync with his best friend? Xiu stopped his thoughts from wandering as she added, "Listen, don\'t and I\'m emphasizing again. Don\'t ever play that \'dad\' joke with me again. It\'s off-limits. I know I have never seen or met my father but you don\'t have to rub it in my face!"

Dylan raised his brows at her as he understood what she meant. Some people were like bane in our lives. He had that scourge in life as well. He just didn\'t expect that Xiu\'s father was the bane of her life. People love to go M.I.A (Missing-In-Action) but they don\'t realize the consequences that the others have to face because of them.

Dylan wanted to apologize but Xiu straightened her clothes and looking at the time said, "10 seconds to go. For your information, you\'re still the human version of a headache to me. Now, 3, 2, and 1. Action!" Before Dylan\'s very eyes from her gangster look, she turned to a professional within seconds and said, "Good morning, Sir! Anything I can help you with this morning?"

Dylan was staring at her disbelievingly. He smiled sadly as he said, "You must be disappointed when you realized that it wasn\'t your dad calling."

Xiu laughed at his words, "Sir, I\'m at that phase of my life where even disappointment doesn\'t disappoint me anymore. Besides, it\'s not like it\'s the end of the world."

Dylan stared at her for a moment as he thought, \'How many times did you face disappointment to make you so look indifferent towards it?\' Taking a brief pause, he said, "You\'re right. It\'s not the end of the world. My teacher used to say that life is a walk in a park."

"Pfft!" Xiu laughed at his face and said, "Don\'t mind but mate, what park are you walking through because I\'m pretty sure mine\'s somewhere close to Jurassic Park now."

Dylan was speechless yet again by her reply. It took him a while to come up with something to say. "Frankly speaking, I don\'t like you. But since you\'re already dating my best friend, I have to tell you something."

Xiu was surprised to see his change of demeanor as she asked, "What is it?"

"Don\'t let him eat junk food or box meals. He gets easily sick because of that. I\'m only doing this for his sake. Out of politeness, he won\'t refuse you but it\'s not good for his health." Dylan\'s reminded her with a complex look in his eyes. Then he waved his hand and said, "Now, just show yourself out." With a nod, Xiu left his office and only then Dylan could heave a sigh of relief.

While Xiu entered her own office, her phone beeped.

McSpicy: "Go a little bit easy on Dylan. Just a tiny bit."

Sweets: "I was pretty easy on him."

McSpicy: "Glad to hear that."

Sweets: "Why didn\'t you tell me that you can\'t eat unhealthy food?"

McSpicy: "That blabbermouth is really... Nevermind. Don\'t pay attention to him at all."

Xiu spent a long while staring at the string of words on the screen. She had come to realize something. Even though Dylan didn\'t like her, he told her something about Darren that she didn\'t know. Just because he didn\'t want to see his best friend hurt. And the same went for Darren. The first thing he did was plead for his best friend.

This bond of friendship or brotherhood was surprisingly stronger than she had originally thought it to be. She shook her head and typed a reply for Darren, "I won\'t pay attention to him. But the condition is as long as you don\'t cater to my likes while overshadowing your own likes and dislikes."

She had just placed her phone down when the landline on her table rang. She held the receiver and? heard the voice of the receptionist of the executive\'s floor saying, "Ms. Bai, someone is here to see you."Please go to