| Fan Fiction |
by Livi
--Percy Bysshe Shelley
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Equinox, the lavish and exclusive restaurant was located on the seventieth floors at Plaza center building had always been busy especially during lunch time although that place was for member only. The hundred and six-seat restaurant were almost filled to capacity. Most of the people who came there had always been dressed in their best and elegant outfits. They liked the services, which had been known for its best and the tall glass and chrome-dining area that was ultra-modern, ultra-elegant and ultra-sleek had given a very outstanding view. The scenery from above was breathtaking; it was facing the Taiwan Strait.
Twelve waiters and waitresses with uniform of white shirts, black trousers, vests and bow ties were walking around offering appetizers: fried calamari, tiny bits of spicy artichoke pizza, scallops and shrimp, and roasted asparagus.
Xiao You, one of the waitresses who worked today was at the busy kitchen, waiting one of the chefs to put the final touches on the main courses the restaurant served. They were Baccala with creamy polenta, fried egg-plants with mozzarella rotalo, and roasted quail stuffed with caramelized pears and liver pate, before she carried them to the guests.
She was really exhausted as she had been doing the serving for the past three hours without a break and could hardly wait when her duty ended. But it was not until the next four hours, she thought as she leered at her wristwatch.
It had been a hell of week for her. She almost had no sleep at all. The other job, she silently cursed even though could conceal her needs of live had been taking her time of sleep. Studying also had added the amount of her sleepless night since she had to face final examinations after the New Year. Yes, it was already end of the year. The cloudy December would pass soon but the cloud in her heart was still clutching.
“Here it is Xiao You.” Ricardo, one of the chefs who came from Italy gave an ivory big plate filled with delicious meal smiling to her.
“Ok. Thanks Ricci.” Xiao You said returning his smile while collecting the plate.
“Careful, it’s hot!” Ricardo warned her as she already made her way through the throng at the kitchen hallway.
“It’s okay, I can handle it.” Xiao You replied without looking back.
Xiao You was almost at the kitchen door that led to the restaurant when one of her colleague passed her.
“Hey Xiao You,” She called as she was standing in front of her. “Can you please take an order to table thirty? My hands are busy at this moment.” She said as she showed the dirty plates on her hands.
“Yes sure, no problem, Lien.” Xiao You nodded and started to walk, the hot plate already started to feel hot in her hands.
“Hey… Wait!” Lien, the girl, called preventing her to open the door. “Those guys are really handsome!” She whispered and grinned. “I wish I could be the one who takes order from them but….” She halted mid-sentence, shrugged without completing the thoughts.
Xiao You just showed a slight of laughter to hear her. She shook her head and started to stride through the wooden door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ximen was sitting mutely at Equinox, an exclusive restaurant. He overlooked the winter sea above the seventieth floors. Mei Zhuo, his companion did the same thing, but it was only lasted for two minutes because of his natural behavior who could not just sit and say nothing.
“So, Ximen… How is your job?” Mei Zhuo opened their conversation as he turned his attention to his best friends.
Ximen who was sitting at the same position shrugged and muttered softly, “Busy just like usual.”
“Another new project?” Mei Zhuo smoothed the wrinkles in his gray Hugo Boss suit sleeves. He had cut a dashing figure and obviously he knew it.
“Yes. There is always new project.” Ximen answered absent-minded. His sights did not leave the scenery in front of them. As far as he could see, the sea was rough under the cloudy and gray sky. It was the kind of season that made people keep staying at home.
Mei Zhuo studied his friend’s face. He was not blind to see that Ximen looked tired, extremely tired. Seeing the dark circles around his eyes, and the deep scoring of the lines between his mouth and nose made him feel sympathy to his best friend. Normally like before, Ximen was the epitome, sleek sophisticated professional, but today the designer navy blue suit was creased, and a cut which looked suspiciously like a razor cut marred the olive clarity of his cheek. But despite his tiredness appearance, he still looked devastatingly handsome and charming.
Mei Zhuo sighed to see his friend’s expressionless face. The change in Ximen had been inevitably clear. Ximen had not been the man he used to know. He had hardly smiled, hardly laughed and hardly shared jokes with him. It seemed Ximen had drowned to his own lonely world and engrossed with his works only. This lunch was his idea, actually. It had been a long time they had been having lunch together.
He cleared his throat as he tried to find another topic. “You are still planning to spend Christmas with us, aren’t you?”
Ximen nodded slowly then he turned his gazed to Mei Zhuo. “Of course, Mei Zhuo, I have promised you all to spend Christmas at my villa, why did you ask?”
“Oh… I don’t know.” Mei Zhuo shrugged his bulk shoulders. “I just thought that you might change your mind.”
“Why would I change my mind?” Ximen asked, he frowned to hear Mei Zhuo’s statement.
“Well,” Mei Zhuo took a deep sigh. “We thought that you will be busy.” He opened the burgundy leather menu and pretended to read.
“I have promised you all about this.” Ximen stated firmly and as far as Mei Zhuo and all the friends knew, Ximen had always been a man that kept his promises.
“Yes, we know that.” Mei Zhuo nodded didn’t know what to say. It was not the thing he wanted to discuss with him. He wanted to discuss Ximen’s life. A Si and the rest of the friends had already ordered him to ask about Ximen.
After the incident of A si birthday party, they all had been worried about him. But Mei Zhuo didn’t know where to start this sensitive discussion.
“What would you like to have?” Mei Zhuo still kept reading the menu asked him.
“Just like usual, tenderloin medium-rare.” Ximen uttered without even looking at the menu. His gazed had already returned to the outside window.
“Would you like to have wine?” Mei Zhuo asked again, He was still concentrating to make decision for his lunch.
“Red will be good, Mei Zhuo.” Ximen replied without even bother to see the wine list menu.
“Alright, red wine it is then.”
Mei Zhuo’s face was still burying behind the menu list when a waitress came and stood at their table patiently ready to take an order.
“Okay… Miss we would like to have…” Mei Zhuo halted in the mid-sentences as he glanced up at the waitress. “Xiao You!!” His face looked surprise to see the waitress in front of them.
Ximen didn’t move. He had been incapable of movement since the moment Mei Zhuo uttered her name and sensed her presence. He felt rigid on his seat as if his friend’s surprise tone had sent alarms all over his body.
“Hi Mei Zhuo…” Xiao You smiled nervously, she was apprehended to know who Mei Zhuo companion was.
It took a tremendous amount of strength for Ximen to maintain his remote expression as he reluctantly turned around to see her. But slowly his inner side was being eaten by something he could not explain when he caught up Mei Zhuo already stood up and gave her a light kiss on her flushed cheeks.
“Hi Xiao You.” Greeted Ximen softly. He was still sitting. Oh, he wanted also to stand up and kissed her just the way Mei Zhuo did. He knew he supposed not to feel anxious to Mei Zhuo as he knew very well that Mei Zhuo was deeply in love with Xiao Qiao however his gesture towards Xiao You has brought the simmer of anger inside. Nevertheless he was Ximen Zhong Er Lang, An icy, distant person who never allowed himself to express emotion so openly in the public.
Xiao You hesitated to throw him a glance, but eventually she did that. “Hi Ximen…” She replied biting her lips as if she tried to compose her beating heart. “I didn’t know you like to have lunch here.”
Mei Zhuo’s eyes shifted from Ximen to Xiao You and smiled silently to see the awkwardness amongst three of them. “We used to have lunch here, but it has been a long time since the last we came.” Mei Zhuo informed her cheerfully as he returned to his seat.
“Ahh… I see.” Xiao You nodded then she took the pen and a note as she was ready to write the orders from them. “So what would you like to have?”
Mei Zhuo looked at Ximen who was sitting motionless across the table. “Hey Ximen, what do you want to have, just now?” He observed his friend. Ximen didn’t take his sight away from Xiao You.
Ximen reluctantly shifted his gaze to Mei Zhuo. “Tenderloin steak medium-rare.” He intoned.
“Yes… Ximen would like to have medium-rare Tenderloin and as for me, I would like to have a roasted quail please.” He said as he gave his renowned smile to Xiao You.
“Do you want some artichoke before the main dishes?” Xiao You asked again.
Mei Zhuo considered for a moment then when he had no clue, he asked Ximen. “Do you want some appetizers, Ximen?”
Ximen just shook his head wordlessly.
“Hmm… I guess not Xiao You.” Mei Zhuo answered still tugging the smile on his face.
“How about wine? Would you like to have wine to go with?” Xiao You offered, her eyes avoided Ximen as much as she could by keeping her face straight to Mei Zhuo. She didn’t mean to be hostile as at this moment both Ximen and Mei Zhuo were her guests in restaurant. But preventing Ximen’s fathomless eyes was the best thing to do.
“Oh yes please, bring the best bottle of red wine you have, Xiao You.” Mei Zhuo again answered on behalf of both of them.
“Certainly.” She said little bit trembling. Ximen’s silent manner has brought the shiver within her. She started to wonder if he regretted to have lunch there and saw her serving them. “I’ll be back with the plain waters.” She added before left the table.
Ximen saw Xiao You thin figure as she strode to the kitchen door. His immersed attention didn’t go unnoticed by Mei Zhuo. Ximen face was masked with frozen expression but Mei Zhuo had not known him for only yesterday. For a concise moment Mei Zhuo saw a flash of longing in his eyes, but it was only a moment as once Ximen blinked, the longing looked had vanished.
Mei Zhou cleared his throat trying to make Ximen’s attention returned to him. “Hey Ximen.”
Mei Zhuo did not succeed to shift Ximen attention return to him, and when it did, only it was because Xiao You had disappeared from his sights.
“What did you do just now?” Why did you have to hug her in front of everybody?” Ximen’s accusation toward Mei Zhuo destroyed his expressionless façade mask as he narrowed his eyes to him.
Mei Zhuo gasped to hear his questions. He didn’t know that Ximen could be jealous of his friendly gesture toward Xiao You. Ximen should have known that Mei Zhuo already had a commitment with Xiao Qiao and stealing the apple of Ximen’s eyes had never crossed in his mind, not even once. “What… What do mean? It was just a friendly kiss.”
“Yes, but did you have to do that in front of the people around?” Ximen shifted his sitting position uncomfortable, as if he had realized what he had done. He just had revealed his weakness in front of his best friend but the jealousy ate him alive inside and he could be able to stop it.
Mei Zhuo wanted to laugh to hear his best friend’s face slowly changed but he was able to hold his laugh. “What do you mean? No one looked at us.” Mei Zhuo waved his hand in the air. His eyes traveled around the restaurant surrounding. Obviously Ximen had changed, he had changed for more than two years and as far as Mei Zhuo concerned, the change was for the better even though Ximen had not apprehended it. The love for Xiao You had changed his life either he liked it or not.
“Of course they looked at both of you two!” Ximen replied sounding impatient. I did, he thought angrily.
“Ah, careful now Ximen.” Mei Zhuo unfolded the napkin and said calmly, “I might think that you are jealous.”
“I am not jealous!” He retorted but even as he denied the charge, he knew that he was lying. He was jealous of Mei Zhuo. He envied that his best friend was able to express to her how happy he was to see her and could just kissed her spontaneously just like that. But what he didn’t like the most was the way Xiao You reciprocated Mei Zhuo kiss. She was blushing as if it had flattered her!
His fists were clenched tightly under the table and a vein in his jaw started ticking. He tried so hard not to give in to the impulse reaction and give a punch Mei Zhuo’ handsome face.
Mei Zhuo smirked, “Fine… Fine you are not jealous.” Mei Zhou lifted his hands as the sign of surrender, He thought for a moment before he added, “Why don’t you invite her?”
Ximen fine eyebrow knitted together as if his question was from outside the earth. “Huh? What do you mean?” He still could not forget the way Mei Zhuo kissed Xiao You.
“Well… Sooner or later Shancai will invite her eventually.” He reasoned as matter of fact. “Why don’t you invite her instead of Shancai? Besides it is your chalet where we are staying and we will take your jet, so…” He shrugged and left the sentences hung in the air.
Ximen was still stunned to hear Mei Zhuo changed the subject, nevertheless this new issue was really tempting to talk about. He diverted his tension and started to think about what Mei Zhuo just had said.
However doubts crept in his mind as soon as the topic appeared in his mind. What if she refused, just like three days ago on A Si birthday party? What if she still kept persisting to avoid him? He felt the pain as the image conjured up playing in his mind. Her gesture was vividly clear. It was just like reading an open book when he sensed that she was not feeling uncomfortable as if serving him and Mei Zhuo today was not her lucky day.
Slowly he shook his head. “I don’t think that would be a great idea, Mei Zhuo.” He took a deep sigh feeling regret that his doubt had won again.
“Why?” Mei Zhuo frowned to hear he declined his idea. “Like I said sooner or later Shancai will ask her also.”
“Let her.” Ximen gave him a firm replied, the signal that he didn’t want to pursue this issue further more. Deep inside he prayed that Shancai would ask her and Xiao You would not refuse her. He knew Shancai was the only person she could not say no.
Knowing Ximen, Mei Zhuo reluctantly gave in. Ximen was a simple and yet complicated man. When he wanted to continue something he would gladly talk about it. Right now, Ximen firmly statement had encouraged him not to discuss this fragile topic for temporarily. “Okay. Whatever you say.” Mei Zhuo plainly replied but his mind had planned how to make Ximen invited her personally to their Christmas holiday
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Xiao You pushed the kitchen door and once she was behind it she took a deep sigh and when no one noticed she went straight to the walk-in refrigerator, opened the door, and slammed it shut. She pressed her fingertips against her eyelids, letting out a shaky breath. What was she supposed to do to face him at this unexpectedly situation?
Xiao You banged her head against the refer door, “Oh… God.” She was trembling all over. She knew she could not stay in the cold forever as she’d have to go out and serve him. But seeing his response has brought the same chill air as the refrigerator room temperature. She would never get used to with his cold, remote look although he had given that such a look to her many times before in the past. Ximen had been perfectly capable of doing exactly like that all this time.
She took a deep heavy sigh and tilted up her fine chin. She had to face him as he was her customer and surely she could act as if his appearance didn’t take any sort of shiver inside her. She had to do likewise. But she knew she was lying to herself. How could she act politely like it was between the guest restaurant and the waitress who served him, when beyond that he was still the same man that always kept her heart beating faster three times than normal beat? She had repeated telling to herself over and over again that it would be disastrous to wish for more with him, impossible for anything significant to come of it. Any relationship beyond a strange friendship that might arise between them had been doomed from the start. Oh, if only she could easily forget about him. It should have been easy, as they didn’t have any special memory to share together.
Feeling desperate she opened the refrigerator room door and headed to kitchen to collect a clear glass jar of plain water and returned to the restaurant lounge. Her heart beat in an irregular pound again, but she managed to force her feet to their table direction.
“Excuse me.” She muttered and flipped the crystal glasses in front of them before she poured that warm plain water.
Ximen didn’t alter his sitting position. He never experienced to have Xiao You’s body as close as this time when she bent to pour the glass of water. Her scent enveloped him as he looked at her angelic face intently. His mind went wild when he was suddenly conscious of an overwhelming desire to claim Xiao You’s lips at this moment. He wanted to run his hands through that luxuriant hair and buried his face in its fragrance and then to kiss her again and elicit a sigh of pleasure from those lovely lips. He wanted to take her away from here where no one interrupted them as he remove that ridiculous uniform and trail kiss down her graceful neck onto the creamy flesh that lay below the shirt.
“Thank you, Xiao You.” Mei Zhuo’s deep voice woke his insane mind.
Ximen blinked and found Mei Zhuo’s questioning eyes locked on his. He avoided his friend gaze then cleared his throat trying hard to dismiss the scandal of his violent longing.
“Thank you Xiao You.” He finally said in the civil manner as he could.
Xiao You didn’t want to meet his eyes. The pain was unbearable to take and Ximen would be the last person to see it. She realized Ximen didn’t want her to linger as she could hear Ximen placid and cold tone had already a vivid gesture to dismiss her from his sight.
“Yes sure, I will bring the wine and your lunch gentlemen.” She said and left them again for the second time.
Once Xiao You left them, Mei Zhuo said to him. “Why did you do that?” He furrowed to see how cold Ximen could be.
“What do you mean?” Ximen’s eyes pierced to him.
“Your manner toward Xiao You.” Mei Zhuo shook his head. “How come you can be so cold to her?”
“What?!” Ximen asked warily.
“What you did to Xiao You was really unkind.” Mei Zhuo sighed, “She is one of our friends, Ximen and the way you treated her was not like a friend at all.”
“You don’t know what are talking about, Mei Zhuo.” He replied sternly. “So just shut up.”
“Look… I understand what has happened between the two of you.” Mei Zhuo ignored Ximen suggestion to keep his mouth shut. “But she is our friend, Ximen… Why can you act like a friend instead of enemy every time she is around.”
Ximen sighed heavily, then rubbed a hand over his forehead as if warding off a wicked migraine. He realized what he had done to Xiao You was really cruel. But he could not help himself to act like that, otherwise he would do something that could shock the world to see his reaction. He always thought he had to be cruel to be kind. It was self-preservation and his cold attitude to her was nothing but to save her from him!! “You are right… I will be friendlier with her next time.” He expelled another restless breath, “I have tried also, remember? At A Si party.” He told Mei Zhuo.
Mei Zhuo eyed him with full of sympathy, obviously he sensed the pique in his voice. “Yes I remember that.” He said thinking Ximen had passed a great dilemma to offer her that night in front of everybody. “But maybe that time she was really busy and she had something to do urgently.” He reasoned for Xiao You’ sake. “Besides for her it was out of sudden, you see.”
Ximen thought about Mei Zhuo had said. Part of him was true. Perhaps Xiao You was really busy that night or perhaps his sudden little kindness toward her had confused her.
“You should do it bit by bit.” Mei Zhuo suggested as if he had read his mind. Is it really transparent written in my face? Ximen thought cynically.
“Do you think so?” Ximen met his gaze levelly.
“Yes, I think so, Ximen, I just hope that both of you will act like strangers anymore. She just has lost her parents and she had no where to go except us, her friends. It’s about time to forget the past and treat her like friends just like you treat Shancai and Jing.”
That will be the hardest thing to do, Ximen said to himself. With Shancai and Jing, he never had a romantically involved feeling. He didn’t love them. But with Xiao You, he loved her. He had loved her secretly for a very long time. Treating Shancai and Jing would be easy for him as he never had a rush feeling to kiss them passionately, tumbled them in his bed and made love with them. He never had a desire to lock them away from the world as he wanted to do it badly to Xiao You. And now Mei Zhuo wanted him to treat her just like he treated the rest of their girls-friends! That was impossible!
But despite his uncertainty he nodded agreed to what Mei Zhuo said. “Yes you are absolutely right, Mei Zhuo.” He tried to sound decisive.
Mei Zhuo took a relief sigh, finally Ximen moved a step forward, he thought. “And as it is your first nice friendly gesture, why don’t you invite her to our Christmas holiday.” He suggested again his idea.
Ximen was just about to drink the plain water when he heard him saying. He halted and his fingers tightened on the glass. “I thought we agreed that will be Shancai’s job.”
“Nothing wrong if you do it first.” Mei Zhuo said nonchalantly. “Besides like I said, you do it bit by bit and now I guess it is a perfect time.” He pointed out.
“I don’t know, Mei Zhuo.” Ximen didn’t like his idea very much as the thought of her rejection would break apart his feeling.
“What you got to lose, Ximen?” Mei Zhuo eyes scrutinized him. “Is it your pride that you worry about?”
Ximen glared at Mei Zhuo bland question. Mei Zhuo was wrong. His pride was the lasting he worried about. He just didn’t want to hear her cold rejection slipped in those smoldering lips. “Let Shancai invite her, Mei Zhuo.” He said ignored his questions.
“Why?” Mei Zhuo persisted. He didn’t understand why Ximen was so reluctant to invite her.
“Because that is her job to do that.” He said and sipped the water.
“Well… I think you should try now.” He commented before he followed Ximen to drink the water.
Ximen put the glass slowly on the table. Somehow he felt tired with Mei Zhuo nagging him to invite her for holiday. “Okay… I will invite her, satisfied?”
Mei Zhuo tried to hide his grin behind the glass. “Yes… I am satisfied, Ximen.”
Unfortunately the situation could not have satisfied Mei Zhuo as by the time their meal came it was not Xiao You who brought them. A different waitress had brought their lunch and served them
Ximen had lost his appetite to eat during lunch. He barely ate his meat. Mei Zhuo’ voice was only vague sound in his ear as he kept talking because his concentration and his eyes kept following whenever Xiao You’s thin body went busying with other customers. He closed his eyes for a moment savoring her unique smell as she bent very close to him one hour ago.
Finally Mei Zhuo had to hold his idea to Ximen since both of them had to leave the restaurant and went back to the office. Reluctantly Ximen asked the payment and minutes after that both of them had already outside at the parking space. As Ximen headed to his posh, sleek Jaguar car, he sensed Xiao You’s smell followed him, lingered in his high pointed nose just like a cold breeze touched his skin.
When he was driving back leaving the restaurant away again from Xiao You, he didn’t know whether he should have felt grateful or not without having a change to utter the invitation to Xiao You.