Imperfect Desires

58 Wine O'Clock

People drink in two situations; when they are happy or when they are miserable. But the consequences don't change much in both situations. Because alcohol had never been the answer to any problem. However, for some people, it's still worth a shot. After all, reality gets a touch of photoshop and everything turns nice after some editing.

And Xiu was one of those people who believed that alcohol was really worth the shot. But only because even for a small moment, she would get a chance to escape her consciousness. And that small moment where she could be herself meant a lot to her.

Right now, Xiu was sitting on a chair beside Darren looking like one of those teenagers who ran after their idols. Darren looked at Nora questioningly and she raised her hands in defeat saying, "I told you. Drunk Xiu is not my cup of tea."

"Wow!" Xiu exclaimed in awe and the palms that were against on her own cheeks went up to the sides of Darren's face. "Ooooh... I heard grey eyes are quite rare. Yours are pretty." Darren wanted to say something but Xiu's hand had squished his face. "My, my... Have you chosen the female lead?" She suddenly asked. "Why don't you take me in as the female lead? I'm pretty good."

A line appeared between her brows as she replied to herself, "Haiz! But I can't be the female lead."

"Why not?" Darren asked as his eyes bore into her as if peering into her soul.

Xiu looked despondent as she hiccuped again and said, "Because I have never been so lucky in life." Before Darren could ask her to elaborate she spoke again, "Let me introduce myself though. I'm Xiu. Bai Xiu. Bai for purity and Xiu for beautiful. So, Bai Xiu for pure and calm beauty." Xiu explained her name and pointing at her face added, "Isn't the name just right for me?"

Darren's eyes flashed as the fork in his hand dropped on his plate making a clanking sound. A distant voice of a girl rang in his mind, "Let me introduce myself. I'm Xiu. Chen Xiu. Chen for the break of dawn and Xiu for beautiful. So, Chen Xiu for beautiful as the break of dawn." The girl's raven orbs had sparkled under the chandelier as she had also added with her charming smile, "Isn't the name just right for me?"

This flash of memory left Darren in a turmoil as he answered in a daze, "Indeed. The name really is meant for you." Now, whether the answer was for the girl before him or the one in his memory, he didn't know. However, this moment had left his mind in jitters.

Hearing his answer, Xiu smiled brightly and said, "That I already know." She picked up the wine bottle to pour a drink for herself when Nora held her hand.

"Wine is not good for health." Nora used a stern stance to stop her.

Xiu scowled with a cute face and said, "How can you say that? Haven't you heard, there is wisdom in wine. Let me pour some wisdom in my system." Nora rolled her eyes at Xiu while her answer also jolted awake Darren from his daze.

"You'll get drunk." Nora tried again.

"Hun, it only takes one drink to make one drunk and in my case, I've already finished the whole bottle." She even shook the empty bottle of wine before Nora's eyes making both Darren and Nora stare at her. When did she drink all that? Xiu, however, was giggling at their reaction.

She was a true alcohol addict in her previous life how could a couple of drinks get her dizzy? She at least needed a bottle to come close to losing her rational self.

Nora slapped her head from over the table as she almost shouted, "Xiu! Why did you drink so much?"

Xiu rubbed her head like an aggrieved kid and following that she pretended to look at her silver wristwatch with a thoughtful look as she said, "Perhaps because it's... Wine o'clock?" She laughed out again at her own joke. But she was the only one laughing at the table. The rest of the two were having complicated feelings. "Oi! Why aren't you laughing at my joke?"

"If no one laughs, that means your joke wasn't funny at all," Nora answered her question.

"Huh!" Xiu snorted as she said, "Oh please! My joke was funny. You both just don't have a sense of humor." She seemed determined to prove them wrong. Because she couldn't let herself be wronged. Turning to look at Darren with glistening eyes, she said, "Handsome, do you also think my joke was lame?"

His mouth curved into a smile as he replied, "Not lame at all. Your joke was cute just like you."

"Really?" Xiu's eyes brightened up. "Would you like to hear another one?" Darren nodded his head. How was he supposed to refuse when she was asking so sweetly? "Twinkle Twinkle little star..." Like a kid, she even lifted her hands and made blinking stars with her hands as she continued in her singsong voice, "When life's being a bitch to you... Take a trip to the nearest wine bar. Hahaha..."

This time even Nora was having trouble holding in her laughter. To Darren, she looked too ingenuous and winsome. She didn't seem as difficult as Nora had painted her to be before him. But why was there a gloominess in her warm eyes?

"I made you laugh..." Xiu clapped happily. "Now give me a reward."

"What do you want?" Darren asked looking at her with a small smile.

Xiu tapped her chin and said, "I want... More wine. Ow!" Xiu yelped before glaring at Nora indignantly. She rubbed her arm where Nora had pinched her with her eyes looking like a cute rabbit stuck in traffic lights.

"No more wine for you. Wine is the problem here." Nora's angry look made Xiu want to cry.

"But if it is a problem then why did my high school chemistry book say that alcohol is a solution?" Nora was speechless before Xiu's reasoning. She sure wanted to refute but couldn't find words to do so.

Nora opened her mouth to speak when Darren shook his head to stop her. He turned to Xiu and said, "Wine is such an insignificant wish. Why don't you make another wish?"

"Since my Male God is the one asking, Xiu will think again." Xiu tried to think. What else could she ask for? Obviously, her credulous mind was stuck on wine but there must be something else that she could ask for. She looked around the restaurant.

A beautiful and huge white piano in the middle of the first floor made her eyes widen. She pointed at it saying, "I want to play that."