FRENEMIES

[LONG LIU WEI PARTY]

ZHANG WANG XIU

Her ebony off-shoulder dress flaunted the beautiful assets on her chest. Setting her black hair in a french twist made her look neat and glamorous at the same time.

She strutted towards the entrance of the venue and scanned every corner of the hall.

The Green T. House boasted its modern meets traditional atmosphere from the lighted marble floors to the wooden intricate designs on the walls. The metal furnishings like tables and chairs gave it a minimalist approach and the thin fabrics on the ceiling softened the tone of the vast room. 

A fascinating place to celebrate CEO Long Liu Wei's 55th Birthday. It signifies a classic man in the modern-day.

Wang Xiu patiently waited at the entrance for her best friend to arrive and when she noticed the lawyer coming into the open glass door, she arched her brow in disappointment.

"I thought you were not going to bring a date???" Wang Xiu curved her lips forcing a smile while staring at the man in Honey's arm.

Ms. Tang kissed her best friend on the cheeks before apologizing, "I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you yesterday."

"Anyway, this Detective Sheng Hao Ran from Shanghai. Detective, I want you to meet my best friend, Zhang Wang Xiu." Honey stretches her arm to point at her best friend.

"Glad to meet you, Ms. Zhang." The detective offered his hand.

Wang Xiu reached for the man with a scowl on her face, "I'm forced to feel the same way, Detective Sheng Hao Ran."

"What???" The detective quickly raised his eyebrow.

"Can I borrow Ms. Tang for a minute?" Want Xiu inquired before pulling the lawyer away from her date.

"Go ahead, Ms. Zhang." The investigator chuckled steps towards the service personnel offering a glass of champagne.

Wang Xiu pulled Honey a few steps away before scanning her best friend's dress. The black dress with a scoop neckline pushed the woman's soft flesh upward, making them look like a heart-shaped cushion in front of Honey's chest.

"Is this because Jiang Ru will be here?" Wang Xiu asked with her eyes peeking below the woman's mouth.

"No. I'm just making sure he won't steal my date." Honey arches her lips mischievously and cupped her bosom with both hands.

The hint made both women giggle noisily covering their mouth with their hand to suppress their ungraceful way of cackling.

They both stopped their little quips, teary-eyed from laughing when Ms. Tang glanced at Wang Xiu's outfit. "Nice dress, is this for CEO Yang?"

"No, I show these boobies off for you, I thought you and I are going to be each other's date?" The executive tried to tease her best friend by pointing to the perfectly peeking mound of flesh in front of her.

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you he called me last night and invited him here." Honey ruffled her brows and pouted her lips trying to ask for her best friend's forgiveness.

Wang Xiu scoffed and intertwined her arms across her chest, "Fine. Have fun with your date. I hope you get some action tonight."

"If that doesn't happen, I'm going to knock on your hotel room, and boobie hump you." The lawyer giggled adding another unladylike jest.

They both laughed with their bosom jokes. A figure walking towards them made Wang Xiu cease the smile on her face. The slow strut and overconfident smirk came from a man she knows too well.

"Speaking of action, Jiang Ru is here." Wang Xiu called out Honey's attention.

"Isn't this a rare sight to see? Two of my ex-girlfriend hanging out together, laughing." Bao Jiang Ru sports the most charming smile on his lips while exchanging his gaze between the two women who express disgust over him.

"We are planning to boobie hump each other later, want to join us?" Honey sarcastically asked, arching her brow high enough to express her disdain towards the ex-boyfriend.

"Hi, Ms. Tang. Hi, Ms. Zhang," Hwei Ru greeted the two women with a sheepish smile.

She wanted to dispel the hostile mood that his brother brought with him by engaging with the two women. Zhang Wang Xiu was her brother's ex-girlfriend in high school, though she was in a different school with her brother, she has heard of their relationship. 

A "low profile" one, her brother would say. They were still young and didn't know what love was, but they liked each other's company and that was what matters to them. After graduation, they decided to break up but ended up going to the same university in college.

"Hi, Heru," Ms. Tang gave the young lawyer a cheek-to-cheek kiss.

"Welcome, Ms. Bao," Wang Xiu nodded her head to acknowledge the presence of Li Jun's girlfriend.

"Hi, everyone!" The detective acquainted himself with the small crowd of guests and gave Honey a glass of champagne.

"Detective, this is Mr. Bao Jiang Ru and her sister Ms. Bao Hwei Ru," Honey gave an introduction to the two siblings, "And this is Detective Sheng Hao Ran, my boyfriend."

Wang Xiu stared at her best friend and her boyfriend and examined their reaction. They both didn't flinch announcing themselves as a couple.

'Is this real?' Wang Xiu asked herself.

She felt the abrupt demand for an explanation from her best friend but she needs to take the devil away before the atmosphere becomes toxic again.

"That's great. You and Ms. Tang are like Law and Order together." Jiang Ru arrogantly commented after shaking the hand of the detective.

The wide smirked on the young CEO's face and inappropriate witticism brought silence to the crowd.

"Mr. Bao, always a pleasure to have your presence grace us." Wang Xiu interjected at the conversation.

"How are you Xiu-sheng?" Jiang Ru turned his head to the woman and kissed her cheek.

"Losing as always. Why don't we get to the bar and start spreading chaos?" The female executive wrapped her hands on the CEO's arm and guided the man towards the bar.

"Sure." The CEO nodded his head to agree and left the small crowd of lovers to chatter.

The wooden bar at the corner of the hall was brightly lighted by yellow lights on the walls and hanging lanterns on the ceiling.

"Two dry martinis with lemon peel. Shaken not stirred." Wang Xiu asked for their drinks at a man wearing a black shirt.

She veered around after receiving their drinks in a coned glass with a thin slice of lemon attached to the side of the rim.

Wang Xiu took a sip of the cold drink while staring at the man with naturally curly hair and undercut style, "Why are you here Jiang Ru?"

"To meet your cousin, Li Jun. My sister is head over heels to him" Jiang Ru answered and drank from his glass.

"Is that all?" The executive set her glass near her lips waiting for the CEO to answer.

"Don't ruin it." The CEO glared at the woman in front of her.

His voice was stern, trying to threaten the woman who her sister told her admitted loving her cousin, Li Jun.

"I don't plan to." Wang Xiu replied and continued to take a sip from her glass.

"Good." Jiang Ru brought the rims on his lips and drank the rest of its content with one sip. 

They ordered another round of martini from the bar and drank a portion of it at the same time. Staring at each other in the eyes while waiting for someone to break the silence between them.

"When are you going to reach my level and be a CEO?" Bao Jiang Ru smirked trying to mock the woman's position.

"It's complicated." Wang Xiu avoided telling the details of her uncle's offer.

"How complicated?" CEO Bao insisted on knowing his friend turned enemy's dilemma.

"My uncle asked me to get engaged today before he considers me to become CEO," The executive confessed and drank the contents of the glass until it was empty.

Bao Jiang Ru giggled flamboyantly and covered his mouth with the back of his hand. Poised like a lady. He never had a problem with his position as CEO in his father's company. Women begged to be his wife but it's men who fill his bed at night.

"Should be easy for you. You are used to manipulating people for power."

"And you use people to hide your self-indulgence."

They gazed at each other and laughed at their similarities. They both enjoyed each other's company until they started to fear each other's honesty.

"Besides, if I want to secure my position as CEO, I have to marry a man with more money than I have." Wang Xiu felt her head begin to spin.

The two glasses of martini got into her system easily.

"How about you marry me?" A man suddenly appeared beside Wang Xiu offering a glass of martini to her.

She swirled daround and almost lost her balance from the surprise appearance of Mr. Yang Sheng Zheng. He wasn't invited unless Mrs. Yang Fei Hong took him as her plus one.

"There's your answer," Bao Jiang Ru widely grinned and finished his martini.