17 Real vs Fake

"Wang, come a little closer," requested the blonde as she smiled lovingly.

"Excuse me!" replied the surprised Wang.

"Come on! Come closer to me. I need to share something with you," blushed the blonde.

Wang moved his face towards the blonde a little to hear what she had to say. The blonde came closer to Wang and smiled in the most seductive way that could have been possible on a date.

"Wang, I think you are the most perfect man on this planet. You are different.. just like I am different. Do you understand?" winked the blonde.

Wang have had enough. He straightened himself back to his normal sitting posture and smiled at the stupidity of the blonde and his aunty. There was very little he could do at the moment. And so, he decided to humor the blonde and the situation. A little meaningless conversation wasn't going to kill him. "I don't understand. Exactly, why are we both different from the society?" asked Wang as he smiled and raised his eyebrows trying to depict the seriousness of his question.

"Good, that you asked. See, you and I have a big status in the society. We are famous and we have our images to maintain. Just like you, people are after me, for my time.. attention.. everything. If we get together, we can be a Power Couple," explained the blonde like a teacher explains her students.

"Power Couple?" asked Wang trying to control his laugh.

"Means.. we'll be having a powerful relationship," explained the blonde again.

"I get that. I understand English. But, what 'power' is it going to be exactly? I don't understand" teased Wang who was very sure of another funny answer from the blonde.

"The power of 'Wang and Barbara', the couple of the year," gushed the blonde with excitement.

"Barbara..?" asked the confused Wang as he raised his right eyebrow, waiting for what was going to come next.

"That's my name," replied the blonde.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. I forgot to ask," apologized Wang has he sipped from a glass of water that was kept in front of him.

"Wang, do you even realize.. how this would change our lives? Everything will be amazing - interviews, parties, luxury villas, world trips, our photos on magazine covers... It will be a perfect relationship... brightened by the camera flashes.. We are going to be the center of attraction everywhere. We are going to have millions of people following us, watching and liking our photos & videos on social media. I can imagine everything so.. so.. clearly. I am so excited already," babbled the excited girl as she laughed and clapped her hands with excitement.

Wang sat dumbstruck in front of Barbara. She seemed to be lost in a world of her own, giving a blank look towards the ceiling and smiling uncontrollably. And so was Aunt Ning.. lost in her own world, assuming that everything about this meeting was going perfectly fine. She was overexcited already.

Aunt Ning's anxiety knew no bounds as the date proceeded. For her, this could be the moment she'd been waiting for. She angrily asked the waitress, who had just walked through her line of sight, to get away from the scene.

"Ahmm! Ms. Barbara, I really don't know how.. and where to start this from. Let me try explaining it to you," said Wang in a very polite and gentle tone. "I am not very fond of the life you just described. You are gorgeous, there's no doubt about it. But, good looks have never been my priority. I care the least about what people on social media say. You may have millions and millions of followers on your accounts, but I'm not looking for that. These things fail to impress me," explained Wang as Barbara's smile vanished.

Mrs. Ning could not do anything but wait and listen.

"I am looking for something real.. someone who can be real.. from the inside as well as the outside... someone who can be the same.. whether at home.. or before a crowd. I like real," explained Wang as Barbara listened to him carefully. "Was I able to explain my point well to you?" smiled Wang, expecting a positive reply from the blonde.

"Hmmm.. Real! So, that's the keyword. Wang, I think I fully understand you. But, aren't we going to be a 'real couple' anyways.. I'll be your wife.. inside and outside.. be a wife.. at the home and before the crowd..," replied a clueless blonde as she smiled again at Wang.

Wang lost his patience. This was too much for him. "Okay! Now, wait a minute. Just stop, miss .. miss.. Sorry, what was your name again?" asked Wang who was now irritated beyond his control.

"Barbara.. But, you can call me Barbie from now on," said Barbara lovingly.

"Barbie??" yelled an even angrier Wang.

"Yes. Barbie! Lovely, isn't it?" teased the blonde.

Wang knew that the situation was going out of control. He needed reasons.. reasons to end this date. "Ms. Barbie.. Err.. Barbara, listen carefully! Your dressing sense, your diamond studded bracelets and all these accessories you are wearing.. They all show what kind of married woman you'll be. I mean .. they are all so expensive. You really have high standards," explained Wang with an innocent face, expressing the genuineness of his thought.

"That's true!" replied Barbara with a big smile. She was always proud of her high standards. And someone, like Wang, accepting this, made her feel very very excited.

"I can see that.. you are so choosy about your shoes, and your dress and this clutch you are carrying.. they all carry my trademarks. I see that you've chosen my brands to wear," remarked Wang with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes! Yes! I'm glad you noticed," replied an over-excited Barbara.

"And I'm sure you googled everything about me, and my brands, before coming here.. and got the stuff to wear, for this date?" said Wang.

"Yes! Yes! So.. so.. right," answered Barbara in spontaneity.

"And this is for the first time that you are wearing my brands, right?" asked Wang.

"Yes!" replied Barbara as she smiled.

Wang gave a sigh of relief. He finally got something to prove his point. "And Ms. Barbara. This is what is known as 'being fake'," Wang said with determined look on his face.