Love Rivalry II

How did you feel after she sent that?" Xin laughed.

Wu put a hand over his face "Mixed feelings bro...I would've preferred it raw"

"Seems you looked forward to it, but she just wanted to test your lewd parameter. The oldest trick in the book."

"Don't rub it in. "

"Sure, sure," Xin raised his hands. "I'm glad you're happy. You've been lively lately, and it shows."

"Have you seen Zhelin ever since that day?"

"Not a chance. I heard he got a night shift job or something at another area."

"Well, good for him. He has no excuses to not pay me my money once I win" Chang Wu said proudly before he got up.

"I'll see you later"

"Bye" Xin waved before turning his attention to the glass cups. His phone buzzed in his pockets and it was a text notification.

Peaches: It's been a while, Xin. You hardly check up on me like you used to. Have you found my replacement? Is the person better than me in bed?

Xin typed with a straight face, "Let's meet up soon."

Peaches: I'm free tonight, and I'm on birth control.

Xin smirked, "I'll come pick you up once I close the pub."

Peaches: Great. See you soon, love.

Xin put his phone back, and from the large window, he could see a suspicious figure in black.

"Forty minutes past seven… Chang Wu left Darba Pub." Jessica wrote into her notepad then looked through the window again, but the bartender was gone.

She stood there confused and also distracted to notice the feet shuffling behind her. Suddenly, arms were wrapped around her and she dropped her notebook in shock.

"Help!" She screamed the moment the attacker's hands came in contact with her chest.

"A woman?!" Xin stepped back, freeing her from his grasp, and the furious woman turned to face him.

"How dare you!!!" She screamed. "I'm calling the cops! I'm going to tell them how you sexually assaulted me!"

Xin was still puzzled by what was going on, but once he heard her mention the word 'cops' he had to act fast.

"Hello, this is —" Before she could say more, He yanked her phone effortlessly from her grip, and talked in her place "This is Naruto, and I'd like to order pizza...This isn't the pizza line... Uh oh… Bye."

"You're also a thief! Give me back my phone!!"

"Look ma'am, you were lurking, and I thought you were a threat. I had no idea you were a female."

"I don't care! There's no excuse!! Everyone in Darba is a thug, and there's no difference between you and the other deadbeats that come here!!!"

"Then why are you here if we're all thugs? If it's so dangerous why did you risk it?"

"I'm investigating, now give me back my phone."

"I'm sorry, but I don't know if it's alright for me to give it to you. I just want to clear this misunderstanding. It wasn't intentional."

"Keep it. I'm rich enough to buy another one. I can't waste my time talking to a low-class man that oozes like cigarettes. Phew," She pinched her nose.

Xin couldn't believe the audacity of this woman. He had nothing else to say. He just hoped the insane lady wouldn't call the cops over a minor misconception. He watched her angrily stomp away, then he turned his attention to her phone.

"Well, maybe she's not bothered about losing important information because she has everything successfully backed up iClowd. This phone is expensive and from her manner of speech, she might be rich too."

He bent to pick up the notebook on the floor, and his eyes widened once he found Chang Wu's name on the first page. "Who is this chick?"

***

"Bye" Hana waved at her co-workers as they went separate ways after another long shift. The night's darkness was thick, the lights around could barely illuminate the paths for anyone to walk.

"Xin, where are you?" She rubbed her arms as she kept walking until a car stopped a few metres in front of her.

She didn't know who it could be, so she kept her distance in case it was danger. A man came out and slowly approached her.

"Hana?"

"Xin!!!" She raced to him, arms spread apart. "I've missed you" She said, squeezing her hug.

"Didn't you miss me too?" She asked, raising her gazs to meet his stern face.

"I can't have sex without you, so yeah"

She punched his chest, and he wondered what that was all about. She placed her hands on his shoulders, and stood on her toes to kiss him, but he stepped back, grimacing.

"I told you, Hana. I don't want this type of relationship with you. I'll be waiting in the car."

Hana frowned as she trudged behind him, sulking with her gaze lowered to the dark ground. The drive was long and quiet. Not a word was uttered between the two, and Xin actually liked the silence.

Once he got to a familiar street of clustered apartment buildings defaced with graffiti and surrounded with a few old vans, he parked his car at the half empty lot in front of an old bungalow abandoned by the previous owners.

"Let's go" He said as he got out, and Hana did as she was told. He unlocked the door to his apartment, and they both went in.

"What's wrong? You haven't said a word ever since we got here?"

"We've never kissed Xin!"

"Are we supposed to?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose then sighed, "Why can't we?"

"It's what lovers do, and we're not lovers. I thought I made that clear, " Xin said as he took his shirt off.

"We've been sex partners for a year now...don't you aspire to be something more... something better…"

"I don't need anything more than this. There's nothing better than a strict sex relationship. That's all we'll ever have."

"Can you try to be a little friendly with me at least Xin? Let's just give love a try."

"Love?" He scoffed "That's not for me. If you want love so bad...why don't you get a boyfriend?"

"I'VE BEEN IN LOVE WITH YOU XIN! I WANT A BOYFRIEND, BUT YOU DON'T FEEL THE SAME!" She yelled at the top of her lungs before falling back to her seat, resting her head in her palms "I do everything for you, hoping one day... a good day, you'll love me back, but you keep being cold to me, and you never fail to push me away even more."

"Shit!" Xin cussed. He was distancing himself from her for a reason, but the scenario he feared was inevitable. She still fell in love with him.

"Is that all you have to say? I'm telling you my feelings, Xin. Why do you always have to be so heartless to me?"

"I'm sorry."

"I want an answer, Xin! Please... what I really want is a positive answer. Give me that!!!"