The rest of the week for Xiu was very calm and relaxing since Dylan was out of the city for business purposes. Xiu’s only job was to organize the data in the reference room. That work was tiring but not having to deal with Dylan brought her more comfort and happiness than she cared to admit.

Today was Friday. It not only marked the end of the week, but it was also the day for her dinner night with Nora and Darren.

On Darren’s side…

There was a private elevator that opened directly in his private office, a huge room occupying the corner of the building with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the main road giving a view of two directions. It’s triple glazed and so clear that the panorama seems like a high definition screen. The city below was so far away but the birds flying past the window seems at an arm’s reach. As if to remind us that the skyscraper was in their space now.

The remaining two walls had a door, a low bookshelf, and a single oil painting – the scene of a rainy night with a girl standing with an umbrella under a lamppost.

The office room was painted grey with a sophisticated and minimalistic interior. The glass surface of the desk was equally uncluttered with a desktop computer and an open notebook sat beside it. A stack of papers was sitting under a crystal paperweight with a beautiful silver colored fountain pen lying on top of it. The pen had an inscription of ‘R.D Salvay’ in golden writing.

The swivel chair behind the desk was empty. And a tall figure stood before the bookshelf, bursting with books. He held a book in a foreign language. As he slid it back on the shelf, he came to sit behind his desk on the swivel chair. He picked up his opened notebook and looked at the words written in black ink.

“Loving you was my pride

Losing you became a story of its own

A story that brings me a million degrees

of pain.

A story where I cried all night

and yet

had to act strong all over again.

I wish our parting was like a stalemate…

But my dear, you abandoned hope

And your surrender left me with no way to cope.”

The ding of his private elevator reached his ear but Darren didn’t even lift his eyes to see. Because he already knew only two people had access to his private elevator; One was he and the other was his best friend.

Dylan entered his office and glowered at Darren whose attention wasn’t on him at all. He sat down on the chair before his desk and said, “What kind of a brother are you?”

“The best kind,” replied Darren matter-of-factly and Dylan was left gaping at him in disbelief.

“Don’t you feel any shame?” Dylan asked. “How can you even claim to be the best kind?”

“Why can’t I?” retorted Darren as he closed his notebook and locked it back in the bottom drawer of his desk.

“I was angry with you,” said Dylan as if it was a known fact.

“Were you?” Darren frowned as he finally looked at Dylan’s face.

“You have got to be kidding with me!” Dylan was looking at him unbelievingly. “Forget it. It’s no use telling you about it anyway.”

“Already forgotten,” Darren stated.

Dylan stayed silent observing Darren’s facial expressions to decide whether to talk or not. With much hesitation, he finally did.

“Daz, we are best friends. No, let me rephrase that. We are brothers. Right?” Darren nodded in reply not knowing where this was going. “Then help me get out of this blind date that mom set me up with.”

Darren heaved a long sigh and got up from his chair, looking out the window she said, “Didi this is the one thing I can’t help you with.” Dylan came to stand beside him as he added, “I have already promised your mother that I’ll stay far away from this matter.”

“What? She contacted you first?” Dylan almost shouted in exasperation as Darren gave him a nod. “How can she do that?” Dylan was feeling dejected.

“Your last breakup was a couple of months ago. I think you should just go on this blind date.” Darren’s sound advice made Dylan scowl. “Besides, you should get as much experience as you can before you find THE ONE. That experience might help you in treating her well.”

Dylan scratched the side of his jaw. “But you don’t understand the awkwardness of blind dates.”

“And I never will,” said Darren proudly.

Dylan snorted, “Of course, you won’t. Aunt has never forced you for anything.” Dylan was really resentful thinking about how Darren’s mother and his own were so different.

“Because I have the best mother ever!” announced Darren lovingly and a smile lingered at the edges of his lips at the reminder of his mother.

“Mama’s boy,” Dylan grumbled under his breath.

“Indeed.” Darren agreed with his remark. “And a proud one.”

Dylan was about to speak when a knock sounded at the door and a head craned inside saying, “Boss, Mr. Sylvester’s secretary has called twice to confirm whether we are really canceling the dinner meeting or is there some kind of a mistake.”

“There is no mistake, Paige. I have a personal commitment.” Darren replied with a smile.

Both his Assistant and Dylan gave him a wide-eyed look. “When did Mr. Salvay started prioritizing personal commitments over professional ones?” Dylan asked in a weird tone.

Darren ignored his question and turned back to his secretary saying, “If they call again, tell them we can decide on a time for tomorrow but tonight is not possible.”

“Copy that,” said Paige and asked Dylan, “Would you like something to drink, Mr. Qiu?”

“Anything other than the poison you want to give me, Turner,” Dylan replied with a cheeky grin. While Paige rolled her eyes at his childishness of still laughing because of her name.

“I’ll try my best to refrain from adding that poison I oh so passionately want to give you.” With that, she closed the door.

“Did you see that? Your secretary really hates me.” Darren shook his head.

“Maybe you are the ‘secretary despising magnet’. Even your own secretary hates you much less mine.” Dylan pursed his lips since he had nothing to refute with. “And if you get over the joke of ‘Paige Turner’, my secretary might stop hating you.”

Dylan burst out laughing as he said, “Sorry, can’t do. That’s the only amusing thing about your secretary; Her name. The rest of her is scary.”