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Thread: Always and Forever

  1. #1
    Senior Member tweety365's Avatar
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    Post Always and Forever

    In a desperate attempt to gain more postings, I've decided to post my story and hopefully gain 500 postings soon. So, enjoy this little story of mine.
    Last edited by tweety365; 06-23-03 at 06:32 PM.

  2. #2
    Senior Member tweety365's Avatar
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    Well, this is my very first attempt at writing a fanfic, so I can only hope it doesn’t bore readers to death. If you like what you read, please leave a comment to encourage this novice. If you don’t like what I wrote, please be kind with the constructive criticism. I welcome all feedbacks and they really do help me get an idea of what to write.

    Since most readers might not know the 4 main characters, I have created a couple posters to give you guys an idea of what they look like. For anyone interested in viewing the posters, just go to the links I provided below:

    http://www.angelfire.com/psy/alwaysn...MovieStrip.jpg
    http://www.angelfire.com/psy/alwaysn...FRedSunset.JPG
    http://www.angelfire.com/psy/alwaysn...F_Lavender.jpg
    http://www.angelfire.com/psy/alwaysn...everFrames.jpg

    The setting starts out in present day Hong Kong. Ruby Lin is an inexperienced news journalist, dedicated to her job, but keeps finding herself in difficult situations because of her hot temper and honest opinions. Her turbulent meetings with Tae Leung, a handsome and extremely influential singer/actor, only intensify her dislike for him. To her extreme horror, she is assigned to work alongside Tae. He may be charming and suave with other women, but Ruby manages to bring out another side of him that he didn’t even know existed.

    Annie Man is a levelheaded, down-on-her-luck caterer. With her catering company not doing well and mortgage bills to pay, she’s desperately trying to make ends. Her first encounter with Kevin Cheng ends up in a misunderstanding that jumpstarts their relationship. Kevin is presumed to be a normal wealthy businessman, yet, there is more than meets the eye. Annie also has her share of secrets that will threaten the lives of people around her.

    Tae and Ruby’s relationship is a rocky one, but will it end up as true love? Will Kevin and Annie be able to overcome their painful pasts? Read on and find out…

    Cast (in order by last name):
    Kevin Cheng Ka Wing (from Slim Chances and Burning Flames II)
    Ruby Lin Xin Ru (from HZGG I&II and Duke of Mt Deer 2000)
    Annie Man Chung Han (from Heroine of the Yangs I&II and Slim Chances)
    Tae Sattawat Sethakorn (from Legendary Siblings II and Dragon’s Love) as Tae Leung

    Other Supporting Cast (in order by last name):
    Benny Chan Ho Man (from DGSD 1996 and Whatever It Takes) as Benny Yung
    Sunny Chan Kam Hung (from Detective Investigative Files IV and At the Threshold of An Era)
    Julian Cheung Chi Lam (from Cold Blood Warm Heart and Legend of the Condor Heroes ’94)
    Ada Choi Siu Fun (from Where the Legend Begins and Armed Reaction 3)
    Kenix Kwok Ho Ying (from Detective Investigative Files ‘95 and Remembrance) as Sarah Cheng
    Sonija Kwok Sin Lei (from Where the Legend Begins and A Step Into the Past)
    Mimi Lo Man Chong (from The Battle Agains Evil and The Lofty Water Verdant Bow)
    Tavia Yeung Yee (from Whatever It Takes and Eternal Happiness)

    Older Supporting Cast (in order by last name):
    Lau Don as Dan Lau (from Legend of the Condor Heroes 1982)
    Kenneth Tsang Kong as Keith Tsang (from Legend of the Condor Heroes 1982)
    Nancy Sit Ka Yin (from Kindred Spirit and Virtues of Harmony)

    Note: there will be more artists added to the cast, so please give me suggestions.
    Last edited by tweety365; 07-21-03 at 06:46 PM.

  3. #3
    Senior Member tweety365's Avatar
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    Chapter 1 - First Encounter

    Character Appearances:
    Ruby Lin Xin Ru
    Kevin Cheng Ka Wing
    Ada Choi Siu Fun

    The loud buzzing of the alarm clock nosily erupted in a small, but neatly decorated room. A hand sleepily reached out from under a fluffy comforter to turn off the alarm and pulled it under the blanket. Immediately the cover was thrown off the bed to reveal a wide-eyed lovely young woman. She quickly jumped up and started ripping her pajamas off.

    She screamed, “OH MY GOD! IT’S 7:30! Why didn’t Annie wake me up?! Oh no, I’m going to be late AGAIN!” After rushing to finish dressing, brushing her teeth, and combing her hair, she went to the adjacent room to search for her best friend.

    “Annie?” Seeing a note on the table, she picked up the small sheet. Reading out loud, “Ruby, got to leave early. I made some breakfast for you and left it on the kitchen table. See ya later on tonight, Annie.”

    Ruby grabbed her briefcase and hastily walked out to the kitchen to see scrambled eggs and two slices of toast on a plate and a glass of orange juice next to it. She picked up a piece of toast and hungrily munched on it as she glanced at her watch. “I don’t have time for breakfast,” she spoke with her mouth full.

    She raced out the door to take the elevator eleven stories down. Reaching the busy streets below, she anxiously searched for a taxi. Spotting a “For Hire” tag behind the front window of a red taxi across the streets, a happy grin appeared on her face. Popping the remaining small piece of toast into her mouth, she ran toward the car while frantically waving her hand. In her excitement, she failed to notice a silver BMW racing down the street at a dangerous speed. A loud honk caught her attention. Spinning around, she turned pale as she saw the oncoming car and stood frozen on the spot. She fell to the ground in shock as the car stopped within inches of hitting her.

    A man wearing a pair of stylish black shades on the top of his head rushed out of the driver’s seat and approached her. “Miss, are you all right?” he asked with concern in his eyes. “Are you hurt?”

    The man’s deep voice shook Ruby out of her daze and she turned to gaze into a pair of mesmerizing brown eyes. Suddenly remembering that she was late for work, she looked up to see that the taxi had already left. Despair overwhelmed her and she angrily turned to the man. Pulling herself up and in an accusing voice, “Why didn’t you watch where you were driving? You could have killed someone, especially me. Now, I’m late for work and it’s all your fault.”

    “Look lady, why didn’t you check both ways before crossing the street.” He glanced up and down her body. “Well, it is apparent that you’re not hurt and since my car is not damaged, I’ll be on my way now.”

    She stopped him by grabbing on to his arm. “Where are you going? Do you think you can scare the hell out of me and just leave? I don’t think so.”

    He released a heavy sigh and turned around. “What do you want then?”

    “I need to get to work and since you caused me to miss the taxi, you have to let me use your car.”

    “Women and their crazy demands,” he muttered as he rolled his eyes.

    Narrowing her eyes, she gave him a threatening look. “What did you say?”

    He walked to his car and opened the passenger seat. “Nothing. Just get in the car and I’ll take you to work.”

    She cleared her throat. “Ahem, I’ll be the one driving, if you don’t mind.”

    “What?! Of course, I mind. This is a brand new BMW 3 Series 330ci convertible! There’s no way I’m letting a stranger drive my baby around,” he stated incredulously.

    “How do I know you’re not a crazed maniac ready to abduct and kill me? I’m driving.”

    “This is my car and I’m going to drive. If you would stop arguing with me, we can get in the car and you might get to work on time.”

    She quickly contemplated her options. She would probably have to wait awhile until another taxi came along and she was already late three times this month. Mr. Wu would not be a happy man if she came late again. “Arghhhh! Fine, you drive. But, I’m warning you, I know karate.”

    He frowned as he got into the driver’s seat. “You are one paranoid woman.”

    She sat down on the passenger seat and buckled her seat belt. “Have you heard the news lately? The crime rates in Hong Kong are soaring. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

    “By the way, my name is Kevin Cheng. May I ask what is your name or is that prying too much.”

    “Ruby,” she curtly replied.

    “Well it’s nice to meet you too, Ruby. Do you have a last name?”

    She suspiciously studied his profile. “Why are you asking so many questions? Just drive.” She started tapping her watch with her index finger. “I’m going to be late.”

    He shifted the car into drive mode. “Geesh, it was just a simple question. You don’t have to get all nasty. Where to?”

    “Hong Kong Daily News corporate office on the corner of Wyndham and Lan Kwai Street.”

    “Okay, hold onto your seat.” He slammed his foot on the gas petal and the car zoomed down the streets, causing her to jerk back against the seat. She quickly grabbed on to the door handle with both hands and prayed for her life.

    “Oh my God, I’m going to die!!!” she cried out while squinting her eyes shut. Seeing her life passed before her eyes, she began praying to the Almighty Lord.

    [* Ruby talking to God *]: Oh God, haven’t I always been a good girl? Okay, okay, so maybe I’m not always good, but I don’t deserve to go out like this. There are so many things I haven’t done yet. Besides, what kind of friend would I be without saying goodbye to Annie before I leave? If you allow me to get out of this predicament alive, I promise to go to church every Sunday from now on. I’ll even stay awake for all the sermons too. (thinking that it wasn’t a good idea to bargain with God, she decided to change her tactic to begging) Oh, please, pleasssssssssse, don’t let me die.

    She was too preoccupied with her “conversation” with God to notice that the car had stopped moving.

    Kevin gazed at her and amusement lit up his features. “You can open your eyes now. See, I got you safe and sound to work.”

    Slowly peeking out from under her eyelids, she turned to stare at the tall building to her left and saw a huge sign with the words, ‘Hong Kong Daily News’ plastered on top. She pinched herself to verify that she was still alive. Relief poured through her tensed body as she turned to glare at him. Picking up her briefcase, she whacked him in the arm and shoulders several times. He tried to dodge her blow, but the small space in the car prevented him from escaping her attack.

    He blocked her briefcase with his hands. “Hey! What are you doing?! Stop that! Hey, quit it!”

    She stopped her beating to yell at him. “What are you trying to do?! Kill me?! At first you tried to run me over with your car and now you want to send me to an early grave by crashing it?!”

    He tentatively rubbed his arm where she hit him. “Don’t be ridiculous. My driving is top notch. Ever since I got my driver’s license, I have never been in a car accident. No tickets either.”

    “That’s because you probably just passed your driver’s test and received your license yesterday.” She hastily opened the car door and headed toward the building.

    He stuck his head out the window and yelled out to her rapidly retreating back, “Do I hear a thank you for my help?!” She continued walking and totally ignored him. “Well, you’re welcome!”

    Ruby rushed through the revolving glass door and went up the elevator to the fifteenth floor. She quickly walked to her desk and glanced up at the clock on the wall to see that the time was exactly 8 o’clock a.m. She barely made it in time. Grinning, she turned on her computer and started to organize the papers on her desk. Suddenly, she saw Ada Choi, Chief Editor of HK Daily News, coming out of Mr. Wu’s office and headed toward her desk. She was a tall, elegant woman with straight midnight colored hair and large enchanting eyes. She had been patiently training Ruby for the past year and was always ready to answer her questions. Their relationship was not merely that of supervisor and employee. Ever since the first time they met, Ada had admired her quick-witted personality and straightforward attitude. Ruby, in turn, greatly respected her supervisor’s sincere and thoughtful nature. The two instantly became close friends and Ada had always tried to look after Ruby at work.

    “Good morning, Ruby. Mr. Wu would like to speak to you.”

    “Do you know what this is regarding, Ada?”

    “I’m not sure, but he’s waiting for you in his office.”

    “Thanks.”

    Ruby headed toward Daniel Wu’s office with a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. The vice president, a kindly old man in his late fifties, placed aside the newspaper he had been reading and gestured for her to sit down. He gave her a solemn look as he spoke in a grim tone. “Ruby, I’m afraid I have some bad news to tell you. With this slumping economy, this company has to proceed with some major cutbacks.”

    [* Ruby thinking to herself *]: Oh great! I’m probably going to be fired.

    “I really don’t want lose a good worker like you, but I regret to inform you that I have to let you go. You do have two weeks to find another position elsewhere and I am more than willing to write a letter of recommendation for you.”

    [* Ruby thinking to herself *] Damn it! Why do I always have to be right about these things? Can’t I guess wrong for once?

    She was trying hard to smile. “I understand Mr. Wu. I would just like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to gain some experience in journalism. It has always been my dream to be a good journalist and I learned a great deal during the three months at this company.”

    “I’ll be sure to give you a call when the economy improves and this company starts hiring people again.” Trying to soften the difficult news, the vice president continued, “You have great potential and I hate to see you leave.”

    “Thank you, Mr. Wu. If there is nothing else, I would like to get back to my desk and organize some of my files.”

    “No, I just wanted to give you a headsup on the situation.”

    She stood up and left his office with a heavy heart. Feeling very depressed, she went back to her desk and contemplated on what to do next.

    **********

    Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Kevin had just finished eating breakfast at a fancy diner and also took another order to go. He drove into a parking construction and after parking his car, headed straight toward the elevator.

    “Good morning, Mr. Cheng,” greeted the security guard

    He turned to wave to the other man. “Morning, Bill.”

    Getting off on the top floor of the thirty story high building, he walked across expensive plush carpeting and pushed open the glass door with the sign ‘Cheng Architecture, Inc.’ on it. Sitting down on his leather chair, he started examining the designs for a new housing complex his company was in charge of designing. The door suddenly burst open and a lanky woman in her late thirties strolled into the room. Stopping in front of his desk, she crossed her arms over her chest and peered over her wire-rimmed spectacles.

    “Well, I’m glad you’ve finally decided to show up for work today, boss,” she said with annoyance on her face.

    “Ah, c’mon, Lydia, don’t look so ticked off.” He gave her a dazzling smile. “It’s only ten o’clock. I’m already an hour earlier than my usual time.”

    Lydia Lai had worked twelve years for Kevin’s father before deciding to come help Kevin in this company. She was a competent and hard worker, but she also had a very frank attitude. It was her honest working ethics that he valued. He always considered her as part of the family and treated her like an older sister rather than just an employee.

    “That would be fine if the company doesn’t open at eight,” she retorted. “Where have you been? I left like a hundred messages on your cell phone.”

    He shrugged and returned his attention back to the blueprints. “I guess I forgot to turn it on. Was there something important?”

    She started tapping her fingers on her arms. “Yeah, Carmen called and left a message saying that she’s breaking up with you. Since she couldn’t get ahold of you either, she decided to call me. I had to sit and listen to an hour of her sobbing and complaining. I’m your secretary, not your personal servant. I don’t know why I always get pulled into these affairs and have to deliver news on your breakups to you.”

    “What did I do wrong this time?” he asked while releasing a heavy sigh and running his hands through his hair.

    “You forgot her birthday, but she didn’t dump you for that reason alone. In addition to being inconsiderate, you always arrive to your dates at least half an hour late, you never listen to her or talk to her, and you promised to pick up her parents at the airport, but left them waiting for five hours.”

    He jerked his head up and replied in a defensive tone, “How was I supposed to know it would rain and there would be a car accident causing the entire street to be blocked?”

    “If you left an hour or even half an hour early instead of leaving five minutes before their arrival time, you wouldn’t be so late,” she said while casting him a pathetic look. “Anyways, your mother also called to remind you not to be late to Sarah’s wedding reception tonight.”

    “Oh noooooo,” he moaned out loud. “I totally forgot about her wedding. Now with Carmen gone, where am I going to get a date on such short notice?”

    “You don’t have to go with a date.”

    “Are you out of your mind?!” he screeched out with an incredulous expression. “My mother always tries to hook me up with some simpering girl whenever she sees me. You have no idea how torturous it is to spend several hours trying to converse in boring talks about the latest fashion or the cutest hairstyle. Damn, I need a drink.”

    Kevin went over to the mini bar in the corner of the room and poured himself a brandy. While sipping the liquor, his eyes lit up as an idea hit him. He grinned at Lydia and gave her a knowing look.

    She violently shook her head. “Don’t even think about it. I am not going to set you up with one of my friends again. You always charm them to fall head over heels for you, and then you break their hearts. I’m the one who ends up cleaning up the mess.”

    He placed his elbows on the countertop and started to massage his temple with his middle fingers. “I’m thirty-one, passably good looking, have a good source of income, and own a thriving company. Why is it so difficult for me to get a date to attend a party?”

    “Now you know how I feel listening to your mother and ex-girlfriends complain about you.” She smiled at his misery. “You really got yourself into a fine mess this time. Good luck trying to find a date within several hours notice.”

    “I don’t see why it takes women several days to prepare for a wedding. I mean, how hard is it to go out and buy a dress?”

    “Sure, it’s a really simple task, but we women are just making a big deal out nothing, right?”

    He wisely refrained from commenting and turned his attention back to his drink. She turned to exit the room. “Oh, and another thing, you have an appointment with Miss Annie Man in fifteen minutes regarding a party arrangement.”
    Last edited by tweety365; 09-24-03 at 02:33 PM.

  4. #4
    Senior Member tweety365's Avatar
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    Chapter 2 - The Big Misunderstanding

    Character Appearances:
    Kevin Cheng Ka Wing
    Annie Man Chung Han
    Tae Sattawat Sethakorn as Tae Leung

    “What party arrangement? I don’t remember making an appointment with her.” Kevin had on a very confused expression.

    Lydia turned back around and sighed. “Remember, Benny recommended her services for parties and public functions? She called a week ago and set up an appointment with you to discuss the details.”

    He frowned as he tried to remember. “Oh yeah, Benny did mention something about her.” With a thoughtful look, his face unexpectedly brightened and he slammed his drink down on the counter. He was grinning from ear to ear. “Lydia, my worries are over. Send her in when she arrives.” She shrugged and gave a baffle shake of her head as she walked out the room.

    Sitting down on his chair, he swiveled around to gaze through the large glass window at the beautiful view of the city below. He started to whistle a happy tune as he recalled his conversation with Benny more than a week ago. He was working late that night at the office, studying a complex blue print on the reconstruction of a popular entertainment center, when Benny called regarding Sarah’s wedding. With his attention solely focused on his work, he didn’t pay much attention to what his friend was talking about.

    Now, he vaguely remembered the subject of hiring call girls to attend social events being brought up near the end of the conversation. He was overjoyed at the fact that he no longer had to deal with the headache of finding a date to attend his cousin’s wedding. Hiring an escort was a brilliant move. With one less thing to worry about, he went back to the stack of documents on his desk.

    **********

    A petite young woman wearing a navy blue business suit was walking on the sidewalk thirty stories right below Kevin’s window. Just when she was about to step foot into the building, a shiny object on the ground caught her attention. Smiling as she stopped to pick up the coin.
    “Oh, a penny. Like the saying goes, ‘see a penny, pick it up and all day long you’ll have good luck.’ ”

    Annie pocketed the coin and proceeded toward the elevator. Pulling up her sleeve, she checked the time and was pleased to see that she was a couple of minutes early for her appointment with Mr. Cheng. Due to the slumping economy, her catering business had not been doing too well over the past several months. She was hoping to land a job for some of Cheng Architecture’s social events or at least get a couple of business contacts. It was not surprising that her company had being doing badly. The wealthy were not interested in her small catering company and the not so rich were saving their money by cooking themselves or hiring less expensive caterers.

    Benny really did her a favor by recommending her name to Mr. Cheng and providing her with the opportunity to get some new customers. She met him through a mutual friend two years ago and with so many interests in common, they quickly became fast friends. With any luck, she’ll get a large catering order after this meeting with Kevin Cheng.

    Stepping out of the elevator, she headed toward the only office on the thirtieth floor and walked up to the receptionist to sign in. “Good morning. My name is Annie Man and I have an appointment with Mr. Cheng.”

    “Good morning, Miss Man. Please have a seat while I inform Mr. Cheng,” Lydia smiled as she greeted the young lady.

    “Thank you,” Annie said politely.

    Lydia picked up her phone receiver and dialed Kevin’s extension. “Mr. Cheng, Miss Man is here for your appointment… Okay.” After hanging up the phone, she turned to Annie, “Mr. Cheng is ready to see you. Please follow me.”

    Annie followed Lydia downed the hallway and knocked on a door. A muffled voice from inside told them to come in. She walked into a spacious room that was lavishly decorated. Either Mr. Cheng had really good tastes in decorating or he hired a terrific interior designer. She noticed a darkly, handsome man sitting behind a polished wooden desk reading a report. With his jet-black hair and attractive features, he looked every inch the prominent businessman she envisioned.

    “Mr. Cheng, Miss Man is here.”

    “Thank you, Lydia,” Kevin said as he glanced up.

    As Lydia left the room, Kevin approached Annie with an outstretched hand. She slipped her small hand into his strong grip and stared into a pair of spell bounding eyes. She was surprised to see that he was so young.

    With a charming smile, he introduced himself. “Kevin Cheng. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Man.”

    “Likewise. And please, call me Annie.”

    “All right, Annie,” he grinned. “Would you like something to drink?”

    “Water would be fine.” She took a seat across from his chair as he went to the mini bar to prepare their drinks. Placing her drink on the table, he sat back down on his chair. She doesn’t seem like the call girl type, but then again, appearances can be deceiving. She wasn’t gorgeous, but she had a cute oval face with shoulder length hair. He had seen his share of beautiful women, but there was just something about her that intrigued him. It must be her eyes. They seem to hold so much depth and mystery that he was instantly absorbed by her presence.

    “I know you made an appointment with me to discuss certain potential party arrangements, but I wasn’t aware of the specific details. Could you recap the details for me?”

    “Of course, Mr. Cheng ---”

    “Call me Kevin.”

    With a smile, she continued on, “Kevin. The services I provide for parties range from decorations to the planning of invitations to preparing---”

    “Do you also attend the social events you planned?” he interrupted her again.

    “Yes, I do,” she answered with a startled look. “I often show up with the host or hostess to make sure everything goes well.”

    “Great! Do you have any plans tonight?”

    She hesitated. “Why do you ask?”

    “I have a wedding to attend to later on in the evening and would like you to join me.”
    Annie was a bit taken aback that he would ask her on a date when they just met. He was certainly very straightforward. Thinking of declining, she contemplated on the possibility of getting potential catering jobs if she went with him.

    Seeing the uncertainty in her eyes, he decided to give her an offer she can’t refuse. “I’m well aware that this is short notice, but I will compensate you for your time. I’m not sure what you charge for the entire night, but would $1,000 cover it?”

    “Excuse me, I’m not sure I understand you,” she stated in a puzzled voice.

    “I would like you to be my escort for the night,” he explained. “Just name your price. I’m sure we can negotiate something to both our likings.”

    Shock registered in her eyes as she realized he was paying her to go out with him. She had never felt so insulted in her life. She was a caterer, not some cheap ***** willing to go out with him for a couple of bucks. Although fuming with anger inside, she forced a smile on her lips. Her nails bit into her palms as she furiously clenched her fists.

    “Kevin, just how much are you willing to pay me to accompany you on this little outing?”

    Putting on a business face, he leaned back in his chair and thought over the amount. “My final offer is $1500. Take it or leave it.”

    “Well, when you put it that way, I can only do one thing.” She picked up her purse and stood up.

    Thinking that she finally agreed to the deal and ready to shake on the agreement, he stood up and extended his hand. “So, I’ll pick you up at 6?” he asked with a wide grin on his face.

    Annie was normally very composed and amiable, but when provoked, her temper can run quite wild. Any ordinary girl would probably yell or at worst give him a slap on the face, but unfortunately for Kevin, she was not an ordinary girl. Balling up her right hand into a tight fist, she unexpectedly swung at his face, punching him directly in the left eye. Caught offguard, he immediately fell back into his chair, moaning in pain.

    He clutched his left eye as he screamed at her, “ARE YOU CRAZY?! WHY THE HELL DID YOU HIT ME?!!!”

    Her eyes blazed with rage as she yelled out indignantly, “YOU JERK!!! Don’t ever let me see your face again! Otherwise, I’ll punch that other eye of yours too!”

    She stormed out of the room, rushing pass a very surprised Lydia. Quickly getting into the elevator, she pushed the button to the ground level. As the door opened, she was too busy mentally cursing Kevin to notice a man was standing in front of the elevator, waiting to get in. She bumped right into him and lost her balance. The man took several steps backward and was able to catch her in time.

    “Pardon me,” she uttered as she clung on to his shoulders. “I didn’t see you. I’m so sorry.”

    “That’s all right,” the man said in a dreamy voice. “No harm done.”

    She straightened up and noticed that he was an exceptionally cute guy. He had shoulder length hair and a unique pair of eyes that had a light tinge of gold mixed in with the brown. He turned to leave, while she headed back to her company in a fit of rage.

    The man stepped off on the thirtieth floor and headed straight toward Cheng Architecture, Inc. He was surprised to see that Lydia was not at her desk and there was a loud commotion coming from Kevin’s office. He hastily ran down the hall to see what was going on and found a group of people, including Lydia, surrounding Kevin’s desk.

    “What happened here?”

    Lydia turned around and gave him an upset look. “Oh, hi Tae.” Speaking to the group of employees in the room, “C’mon people, let’s get back to work. Mr. Cheng is fine.”

    Tae was stunned to see that Kevin’s left eye was slightly puffed up and a black-purplish bruise surrounded his eye. With the other workers gone, Lydia filled him in on the exciting event of the day.

    She saw Tae’s questioning frown and explained, “Your friend foolishly incurred the wrath of a woman and got punched in the face. He thought Miss Man, the caterer that Benny recommended us to hire for this year’s Christmas party, was a call girl. He even offered to pay her $1500 to go out with him.” Staring at Kevin, she stated in a disapproving tone, “I think a punch in the eye is too good for you.”

    “Wait a minute.” Tae held up a hand. “Does Miss Man have short hair and was wearing a navy blue business suit?”

    “Yeah. How did you know?” Lydia inquired as she slapped an ice pack in Kevin’s hand.

    “Because I met her on my way up here.” He grinned with mirth dancing in his eyes. “She’s a petite little thing.”

    “Well, that goes to show that women, regardless of their size, can be very formidable.” She directed a meaningful look at Kevin before heading back to her desk. “Better watch what you say from now on, boss.”

    “I can’t believe Hong Kong’s former Tae Kwon Do champion got beaten up by a puny girl,” he snickered as he pointed at Kevin’s black eye.

    Kevin covered his left eye with the ice pack. “She may be small, but she packs a pretty hefty punch. Besides, it was just a lucky shot. She simply caught me offguard.”

    Tae continued to clutch his stomach and laughed. Kevin resentfully glared at him with his good eye. “I’m in pain here and you’re laughing? What kind of friend are you?”

    “Serves you right for always gloating about your great fighting skills.” Humor lit up Tae’s features. “Now you met your match. Man, when the other guys hear about this…” he was unable to finish the sentence as he burst out in another fit of laughter.

    Kevin picked up a box of tissue from his desk and threw it at Tae's direction, hitting him right in the chest. Tae fell to the ground, uncontrollably cackling. Kevin shook his head in disgust. “You idiot!”
    Last edited by tweety365; 09-24-03 at 02:36 PM.

  5. #5
    Senior Member jeh's Avatar
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    Great story! Update soon!

  6. #6
    Senior Member tweety365's Avatar
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    Yippee! One reader down. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

    Why, I'm almost at 500 postings! Yeah me!

  7. #7
    Senior Member jeh's Avatar
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    lol, tweety. <IMG SRC="smilies/laugh.gif" border="0">

  8. #8
    Senior Member nickianjo's Avatar
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    Wow, Tweety, you got a great story here. UPDATE more okies? <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">
    "share the glory in the story"

    .

    shut up already

  9. #9
    Senior Member lil_bubble's Avatar
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    Wow! Great Story Tweety! Definitely hooked. <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">

  10. #10
    Senior Member tweety365's Avatar
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    jeh, nickianjo, lil_bubble - thanks for the support guys! <IMG SRC="smilies/thumbsup.gif" border="0">

    I'm so happy! Almost to 500 postings and a NEW avatar <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/blob.gif" border="0">

    Well, what the heck, I'll add another posting with a new chapter <IMG SRC="smilies/wink.gif" border="0">

  11. #11
    Senior Member tweety365's Avatar
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    Chapter 3 - Having A Bad Day

    Character Appearances:
    Annie Man Chung Han
    Ruby Lin Xin Ru
    Kevin Cheng Ka Wing
    Tae Sattawat Sethakorn as Tae Leung

    Annie was in a bad mood as she returned to her company with a scowl on her face. Not only did she fail to get a much needed catering deal, she was mistaken for a call girl. Talk about having a streak of bad luck. At this rate, Annie’s Catering Services will have to close down for sure. After opening the door to her office, she switched on the lights.

    “AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!” she screamed with a startled jump backward.

    Ruby was comfortably lounging on a couch with an innocent look on her face. Her feet were propped up on a footstool and she was casually twiddling her thumbs.

    “Ruby!!!” she exclaimed with a frown. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?! Why are you sitting in the dark?!”

    “I was just trying to save you some money by conserving the electricity, but evidently my good intention isn’t appreciated,” Ruby replied in a hurtful tone.

    Annie was still trying to calm her nerves. “What are you doing here anyways? Shouldn’t you be at work?”

    “It’s a long story,” Ruby said with a sigh.

    “Did Cindy leave for her dentist appointment already?” she asked after hanging her purse up on a hook.

    Cindy was her business partner, accountant, and close friend. When she decided to open this company, she thought it would be fun to work with a good friend. Plus, Cindy also wanted to be in the catering business and had some extra cash saved up to invest in the partnership. They worked well together and made a great team.

    “Yeah. She said she would be back in an hour or two.”

    “Did anyone call while I was gone?” Annie inquired.

    “Nope.”

    She flopped down on the couch next to Ruby. “So, what happened to you?”

    “Oh Annie, I’m having such a horrible day. First, I woke up late. Afterwards, as I was rushing across the street to hire a taxi to get to work, I almost got hit by a car ----”

    With alarm in her eyes, Annie jumped up from the couch. “Good grief! Are you hurt?! Did you get the driver’s id and license plate number?!”

    “Calm down, Annie. No, I’m not injured. That guy stopped in time.”

    “Thank goodness.” Annie sat back down.

    “Well, when I looked up, the taxi was gone, so I had no other choice but to accept a ride from the man who almost hit me.”

    “Are you crazy?!” Annie burst out. “That guy could have been a rapist or a murderer.”

    “Don’t you think I thought about that? What other option do I have? I was already late three times this month. Anyways, if I knew he was such a reckless driver, I would have taken my chances and waited for another taxi.” Mournfully sniffling, Ruby continued on, “With the way he was speeding on the streets, I really thought I was going to die.”

    “You could have called me.”

    Ruby lifted an eyebrow and stared questionably at Annie. “What can you do? You don’t have a car either.”

    “Hehehe. I forgot,” Annie replied.

    Ruby's expression turned even gloomier. “Well, I finally arrived to work on time, but Mr. Wu called me in to give me two weeks notice to find another job. He said the company had to cut costs. Since I finished all my articles for the day, I decided to drop by to see you.”

    “I’m so sorry, Ruby. I know you always wanted to be a journalist. And I thought I was having a bad day,” she said with a sigh.

    Ruby glanced over to see an upset Annie. “Okay, let’s hear your story.”

    Annie told her the whole story about her meeting with Kevin. How he assumed she was a call girl, wanted to buy a date with her, and the black eye she gave him. “Can you believe that lowlife?!” she bit out as anger flared up in her eyes. “He thought I was a hooker! Now that I think about it, I should have given him a kick in the groin.”

    “Well, maybe you should lighten up on the heavy makeup and stop wearing such short mini skirts,” Ruby giggled as she teased her friend.

    “You know darn well I barely wear any makeup at all.” She pointed to her skirt. “And the length of this skirt is below the knee. That guy just had a filthy mind. Quit laughing. This is not funny.”

    Ruby shoulders shook with unrestrained mirth as she hugged Annie. “Yes it is. Come on, at least now you know how much you’re worth.”

    “Well, I’m glad someone’s getting a good laugh at my expense. And I’m damn well worth more than $1500. If I do go into prostitution, it wouldn’t be for that amount.”

    “Yes, yes. Annie Man is priceless.” Ruby tried her best not to smile.

    Annie gave a firm nod of her head. “You got that right.”

    **********

    BACK AT CHENG ARCHITECTURE, INC.

    Kevin was sitting on a beige leather sofa in the corner of his office while Tae was reclining on the leather chair by the desk, reading a sports magazine. Using a borrowed handheld mirror from Lydia, Kevin was tentatively examining his sore left eye. The skin surrounding his eye was turning an ugly shade of blue. He grimaced in pain as he touched his bruise.
    “So how did things go with Angela last night?”

    “So that’s her name.” Tae snapped his fingers as his eyes lit up. “I knew it started with an A, but I could have sworn it was Ashley.”

    “Don’t tell me you can memorize pages and pages of a movie script, but you can’t remember a woman’s name?” Kevin said in an exasperated voice.

    Tae shrugged. “Well, it no longer matters to me what her name is because I got rid of her this morning.” With an ironic twist of his lips, he continued indifferently, “She was sobbing her eyes out and clinging to me like a magnet. Of course, it was all an act, but I promised her an interview with Allure Women Magazine anyways.”

    Kevin shook his head and sighed. “Women have been chasing after you for your wealth, influence, and prestige ever since you became famous in the entertainment circle. You just need to learn how to say no.” He turned his attention back to his bruise. “Man, I really hope this doesn’t leave a scar.”

    “An interview doesn’t guarantee that she will land the job,” Tae reasoned as he skimmed through the magazine. “If she has what the producer is looking for, then she will get the photo shoot. And will you please go see a doctor if you’re so worried about that little bruise.”

    “Hell no! You know how much I hate going to the doctors. Besides, it doesn’t hurt that much anymore. Look, the swelling is starting to go down.” He walked over to Tae and showed him the bruise. “Go ahead, touch it.”

    “Urghhhhhh!” Tae quickly leaned away from Kevin with a revolted look. “I’ll take your word for it. Just stay away from me.”

    Kevin slumped down behind the desk and covered his eye with a new ice pack. His bruise still hurt like hell, but he stubbornly refused to admit it to Tae.

    “So, what are you going to do about Sarah’s wedding? You still don’t have a date.”

    “I thought Annie was the perfect solution to my problems. How was I supposed to know she was a caterer? This is all Benny’s fault. When he gets back from Singapore, I am going to pound his face.”

    “Don’t blame Benny when this is your fault for jumping to conclusions,” Tae said with humor ringing in his tone. “Why don’t you just call an actual escort company and hire someone?”

    “I don’t know. There is just something about Annie that interests me,” he added thoughtfully. “She’s a challenge and I never back away from a difficult situation. She will be a fun diversion for me.”

    “I almost feel sorry for the girl. Another broken heart added to your list.”

    “You never know, it might be my heart that gets trampled this time,” Kevin suggested with a devilish grin.

    “Who are you kidding?” Tae asked with raised eyebrows. “With your charm and charisma, what woman in her right mind can resist you? Of course, you never could stay interested in a woman longer than three weeks. So, I better prepare a box of tissue for Miss Man.”

    “Look who’s talking. For the past couple of years, you have dated every single female co-star in your movies and involved yourself in several scandalous relationships,” Kevin pointed out defensively. “At least I never had affairs with married women.”

    “Hey! I didn’t know her divorce papers were never finalized. And it was just that one incident. Must you keep mentioning it?”

    “Of course. What are friends for if you can’t laugh at them?”

    “Whatever. Oh yeah, I just came by to tell you I won’t be attending the wedding tonight?”

    “WHAT?!” Kevin immediately jolted upright in his chair. “Why didn’t you say anything sooner?! You can’t abandon me now! I was counting on you to fend off at least half of the single women there! Now, what am I going to do?!”

    Tae shrugged helplessly as he patted his friend on the back. “Sorry, buddy, but I have to do a last minute rehearsal for the ending scene in One Last Cry. Director’s orders. Hey, don’t feel so bad. I promise to drop by and pick up your remains if you don’t survive their attacks.”

    “With a friend like you, who needs enemies,” Kevin resentfully glared at Tae.

    Tae threw the magazine back on the coffee table. “I’ll make it up to you with a one week, all expense paid trip to anywhere in the world.”

    “You better get your credit cards ready.”

    Tae headed toward the door. “See you later, buddy. I wish you luck on your potential date with Miss Man. Hopefully, you won’t earn yourself a punch in the right eye too. Then again, you could start a new fashion trend with raccoon eyes.”

    Kevin grabbed a book on his desk and hurled it at Tae’s direction. Seeing the flying object, Tae quickly shut the door and made a narrow escape. The book slammed against the door, barely missing a direct contact with his head. Kevin could still hear his booming laughter through the thick wall. He couldn’t help but shake his head and smile at his best friend’s joking nature.
    Last edited by tweety365; 09-24-03 at 02:37 PM.

  12. #12
    Senior Member hkopinions's Avatar
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    there is this one website where you post you stories and the site picks a story weekly and pays you for its copyrights. i think the prize is $250 plus other stuff just for posting you story. i think you need like at least 50 hits per day.
    -Hkopinions

    "Happy posting."

  13. #13
    Senior Member tweety365's Avatar
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    <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><table border="0" width="80%" bgcolor="#dcdcdc" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1"><tr><td width="100%"><table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" bgcolor="#DCDCDC"><tr><td width="100%" bgcolor="#eeeeee"><font size="1">Originally posted by hkopinions:
    <STRONG>there is this one website where you post you stories and the site picks a story weekly and pays you for its copyrights. i think the prize is $250 plus other stuff just for posting you story. i think you need like at least 50 hits per day.</STRONG></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></BLOCKQUOTE>

    Oh, what's the site? I'll try my luck and who knows, might even get something free! <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">
    Thanks in advance <IMG SRC="smilies/bow.gif" border="0">

  14. #14
    Senior Member lil_bubble's Avatar
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    Yay! Tae finally appeared! <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

  15. #15
    Senior Member jeh's Avatar
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    That last chapter was hilarious. Kevim got punch by Annie <IMG SRC="smilies/laugh2.gif" border="0">

  16. #16
    Senior Member tweety365's Avatar
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    So glad you guys liked the newest chapters. I guess, I'll add one more for today. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> Enjoy!

  17. #17
    Senior Member tweety365's Avatar
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    Chapter 4 - The Apology

    Character Appearances:
    Annie Man Chung Han
    Ruby Lin Xin Ru
    Kevin Cheng Ka Wing

    BACK AT ANNIE’S CATERING SERVICES

    Annie and Ruby were still lounging on the sofa and sulking about their own mishaps that day. Ruby had her elbows placed on her knees with her chin cupped in her palms as she sat worrying about the difficult task of finding another journalist position. Annie, on the other hand, was soulfully staring up at the ceiling, glumly thinking about her mortgage payments and the costs of running her business.

    [* Annie thinking to herself *]: Damn it!!! I knew it was a bad idea to buy a new house and open a business in this kind of economic condition. But how can I possibly pass up on the opportunity to buy my dream home with the interest rates being so low? If only I don’t love catering so much, I wouldn’t be in this mess. Why didn’t anybody stop me? Well, there is still the option of moving back in with Uncle Dan and Aunt Nancy. They always wanted me to live with them, but it’s just too embarrassing to admit defeat after only a couple of months. Urghhhhhhhhh!!! Stupid, stupid Annie!

    [* Ruby thinking to herself *]: Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! Poor me! Where am I going to find another job with my limited experience in journalism? With Annie’s business not doing too well, I can’t expect her to take care of all the bills. I don’t want to return to Canada and live with Aunt Rebecca. It’s just too damn cold there! My sensitive skin can’t handle those frosty wind chills and cold temperatures anymore. I swear, if I have to see another snowflake again, I am going to scream. Great! Now my head hurts from thinking too much! (she started massaging her temples.)

    A sudden loud knock on the door disrupted Annie and Ruby from their thoughts.
    Annie stood up to answer the door. “Who could that be? Cindy has her own keys.”

    With Ruby following close behind her, Annie opened the door to find a young man holding a large bouquet of freshly cut flowers. A dozen stunning white and pink roses were arranged in a very elegant fashion.

    “Delivery for Miss Annie Man,” said the deliveryman.

    “I’m Annie Man.”

    “Please sign on the dotted line.” He handed her the clipboard.

    “I’ll put this in a vase for you, Annie.” Ruby excitedly reached for the bouquet.

    Annie signed her name verifying that she received the flowers and gave the clipboard back to the deliveryman. After closing the door, she went over to stand next to Ruby.

    “These flowers smell heavenly,” Ruby sighed as she sniffed the roses.

    “They sure are beautiful, but who sent them?” Annie curiously gazed at the flowers.

    Picking up a small card in the middle of the bouquet, Ruby handed it to Annie. “Read the card.” Annie opened the gift tag and read it to herself while Ruby looked over her shoulder.

    ‘Annie, my sincerest apology for making an inexcusable mistake. I hope you can find it in your kind heart to forgive me. KC.’

    With a dark scowl, she crumbled the card and threw it in the trash. As she was reaching for the flowers to discard them, Ruby slapped her hand away. Holding the flowers possessively to her chest, Ruby gave Annie a chastised look.

    “If you don’t want these flowers, then give them to me. Even if you are mad at that guy, don’t take it out on them. These flowers didn’t do anything to you. It's such a waste to throw them away.”

    “Geesh, you didn’t have to hit my hand.” Annie rubbed the spot where Ruby slapped her. “Fine, I guess we could keep them around.”

    “He really went all out.” Ruby smiled as she tentatively touched the petals. “These are Israeli grown flowers, which means they come with a pretty high price tag.”

    “How do you know whether they are Israeli grown or not?” Annie asked as she examined the bouquet.

    “Did you forget that I worked in a flower shop for two years in college?”

    “Oh yeah, you did.”

    Suddenly the phone started ringing and Annie picked up the phone. “Hello, Annie’s Catering Services. This is Annie Man speaking. How may I help you?”

    “Annie, this is Kevin Cheng.”

    “What do you want?” Her voice immediately turned sour.

    “Just calling to see if you received my flowers.”

    “There’re in the trashcan if you want to know and don’t call again!” she exclaimed irritably.

    “I take it I’m still not forgiven for our little misunderstanding?” he hopefully inquired.

    She didn’t even bother to answer as she slammed the receiver down, startling Ruby. With a wide-eyed look, Ruby stood staring at Annie.

    “What? He deserved it,” said Annie.

    “I didn’t say anything.” Ruby held up her hands defensively.

    Annie angrily stomped back over to the couch. “Because of men like him, women around the world have to sell themselves into prostitution. They are taking advantage of poverty-stricken women who have no one to turn to and in need of help.”

    “Annie, I know how much you hate the idea of prostitution, but you have to face the fact that it exists and there isn’t much you can do to change things.”

    “I can face the facts, but I don’t have to like it. Just remembering how he offered me money makes me want to gouge out his eyes and rip out his tongue with a pair of pliers!”

    “Gee, remind me never to get on your bad side,” Ruby stated, looking quite sickened. “I hate to see what you would do to people who really piss you off.”

    “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said innocently. “I am a sweet angel. Everybody says so.”

    “Not everyone knows your true nature like I do.”

    “Ruby!”

    Ruby giggled and turned her attention back to the flowers. Annie decided to organize the company’s records and clean up the stack of files piling up on her desk. While Annie was occupied with her work, Ruby was busy reading the Help Wanted section of the newspaper. Half an hour passed by and there was another knock on the door. Ruby was closest to the door so she went to open it. The same deliveryman that brought the roses half an hour ago stood holding another bouquet of flowers. This time, arranged in a brilliant crystal blue vase were six snow-white lilies layered with mini carnations.

    “Whoa!” Ruby exclaimed as her eyes gleamed with delight.

    “Another delivery for Miss Annie Man,” said the deliveryman.

    “Hey Annie, you got another bouquet.”

    After Annie signed the order, she read the card that came with the flowers.
    ‘Everybody makes mistakes. I know you are too compassionate and understanding to hold a grudge against a fool like me. Please accept my apology. KC.’

    Ruby gave the lilies an appreciative sniff. “Why don’t you just give him a break? He even sent you your favorite kind of flowers. Lilies aren’t exactly cheap, you know.”

    “There’s something about him that makes me uneasy. I don’t trust him.”

    The phone started ringing again and Annie checked the caller id to see that it was Kevin. She refused to answer him and turned on the answering machine. She tried to concentrate on the reports in front of her, but the red blinking light on the machine was a sore distraction to her eyes. She grabbed her sweater and threw it over the phone. With a satisfied nod of head, she went back to reading her reports. Ruby was too busy admiring the lilies to notice her friend’s annoyance with the machine.

    **********

    “OH GOD!!!” Annie wailed in a frustrated tone as she roughly ran her fingers through her hair. “This place is turning into a freaking flower shop!”

    Half an hour after the lilies were delivered, Kevin had sent over eighteen beautiful, long-stemmed red roses in a large velvet box. When that didn’t get a response from Annie, a huge basket filled with white daisies, yellow roses, pink lilies, and red tulips was delivered twenty minutes later.

    While her friend was in a black mood, Ruby was happily arranging the flowers in the office.
    “I don’t know why you're complaining. These flowers are gorgeously displayed. I have to applaud the florist for doing such a wonderful job.”

    “Will you stop fussing about those stupid flowers?! Help me find a way to make him stop!”

    Ruby tapped her chin with her index finger. “Hmmmm. I bet these petals would make great potpourri.”

    “Ruby! Are you listening to me?!”

    “You don’t have to yell,” Ruby replied calmly. “I heard you. Just give the guy a call and talk to him.”

    “That’s all you could come up with?”

    The red light on the answering machine started blinking, signaling an incoming call.

    “Speak of the devil. If you want to end your headache you better answer the phone,” Ruby advised. “I’m going to the restroom to wash these pollens off my hands.”

    Roughly yanking up the receiver, Annie yelled out, “Leave me alone!”

    “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Don’t you know that anger can cause a woman to age faster? It’s also not good for your blood pressure,” Kevin informed.

    “Who died and made you doctor?” she bit out sarcastically. “Quit bothering me; otherwise, I’ll report you to the police for harassment.”

    “You could try, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Involving the police would not be good for your business. You have to take time off to file a police report and then you have to be involved in an investigation as well as go to court. Very costly and time consuming.”

    “Is there a point to this conversation or do you gain pleasure from irritating me?” she gritted out.

    “All right, I’ll stop beating around the bush. All I want is for you to do one simple thing for me.”

    “I’m listening.”

    “Like I told you before, I need a date to accompany me to my cousin’s wedding tonight. With such short notice, I can’t find anyone willing to go with me. In exchange for your time, I will introduce you to my friends and supply you with catering orders to last the entire year. Think about it, Annie.”

    “One date and you’ll leave me alone? No catch?” she asked warily.

    “No catch.”

    “Why don’t you just hire someone from an escort company? It would definitely be less troublesome for you. Why me?”

    “I like your spunk,” Kevin replied. “You will undoubtedly lighten up my night. Besides, I don’t have time to find an escort to my liking. Who knows what kind of women those companies send out. So, what do you say?”

    She was silent for several minutes thinking about his proposition. One night out with him would save her company and house, so it was definitely worth a shot. It wasn’t as if she had to sleep with him or anything. However, could she trust him not to do anything perverted? She was quiet so long that he thought she disconnected him again.

    “Annie? You still there?”

    “I will only go with you under one condition. You have to let me bring my friend along with us because, frankly speaking, I don’t trust you, Kevin.”

    Kevin gave a loud laugh after hearing her ultimatum. He was use to dealing with tough business clients, but Annie Man was really one of a kind. She had spirit and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. This will definitely be a very entertaining evening. Too bad Tae was going to miss out on all the fun. “I agree to your deal. Where should I pick you and your friend up?”

    “We’ll wait for you at 6 o’clock in front of my company. The address is listed in the phone book.”

    “Great. I’ll see you then.”

    Hanging up the receiver, Annie was trying to think of a way to persuade Ruby to attend the wedding with her. Seeing Ruby walked out from the hallway, Annie rushed over to her friend with a cheerful grin. “Ruby, how long have we known each other?”

    “Well, we met on the first day of kindergarten, so that would make it twenty years this coming September.”

    “You have a pretty good memory.”

    “Yeah. What do you want?” Ruby suspiciously questioned.

    Annie had on an insulted look. “Why do you assume I have an ulterior motive?”

    Ruby took several steps away from Annie. “Because you always have something to ask of me whenever you mention our friendship in that tone.”

    “I was just thinking that best friends would help each other out in times of needs. That’s all.”

    “That depends on what kind of needs you’re talking about.” Ruby crossed her arms over her chest and doubtfully frowned at Annie.

    “Well, you know that this company hasn’t been doing too well these past few months and now that you’re about to lose your job, we really need money.”

    “Just get to the point.” Ruby impatiently waved her hand.

    “Fine. I agreed to attend the wedding with Kevin tonight and in exchange, he will supply me with catering orders for the whole year.”

    “What does that have anything to do with me?”

    “I want you to go with me and Kevin already agreed to take both of us.”

    “ME?!” Ruby cried out as she pointed an index finger at her nose. “Why do I have to go?! He asked you to be his date.”

    Annie immediately clasped her hands together and gave Ruby sad puppy eyes. “Pleassssssssssse, Ruby. Pretty pleassssssssssssssse. Think about my mortgage bills. This evening will be over with the blink of an eye.”

    Adamantly shaking her head, Ruby refused to listen to the pleas. “Uh-uh. You are definitely not dragging me to some stranger’s wedding. I never like going to weddings. You get all dressed up to stand idly around and stare at other people you don’t know. The whole point of the evening is waiting for the food to be served. I have better things to do with my Friday night.”

    Annie rolled her eyes. “Like what? You have nothing to do at home.”

    Ruby was desperately thinking of a good excuse to give her so she can avoid going. “I can watch re-runs of my favorite shows and finish knitting my scarf,” she stated with a triumphant nod of her head.

    Annie made a face. “That is one of the worst excuses I have ever heard. You have to do better than that.”

    “I don’t care.” Ruby gave Annie a determined look. “I’m not going and that’s final. Spending the evening in my pajamas and watching tv is much better than being bored at some party.”

    “You have to go! I don’t trust that creep! God only knows what he will do on our date,” Annie sniffled loudly. “I can’t believe my best friend wouldn’t even help me out with one little request. I would do it for you.” She sat down on the couch and decided to use the guilt factor. “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I’ll just take my chances and pray for God to look over me,” she said in a soft voice with a pitiful expression.

    Ruby tried to ignore the pair of woeful eyes staring at her, but she was always a sucker when it came to Annie's pleading look. After several minutes of listening to the soft sniffling, she finally caved in and threw her arms up in defeat. “Oh all right already! I’ll go with you. Just stop it with the guilt trip.”

    Annie instantly jumped up and rushed over to hug Ruby. “You are the BEST!!!”
    Last edited by tweety365; 09-24-03 at 02:38 PM.

  18. #18
    Senior Member Melanie's Avatar
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    Okie, tweety jie. As promised, I am here to give you an in depth comment about this story. I have only read up to the part where Annie and Ruby are held as hostages at the wedding, so please bear with me. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

    Characters:
    Ruby: I like her. She's energetic and lively, a very likable individual. She may not be a comedian, but her perky personality makes her funny and interesting to read about. My feedback on Ruby is to keep up the liveliness aspect of her character, but don't overdo it lest it become too annoying to the reader. Great job so far. <IMG SRC="smilies/thumbsup.gif" border="0">

    Annie: My favorite actress for the present time. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> Her character is rather sensible and mature compared to Ruby's. She is a little superstitious, too, considering that she picked up that shiny penny before meeting with Kevin the first time. I find that cute. Again, another likable character. I haven't read far enough, but my advice is to spice up her character a little more so that she doesn't become boring as the story progresses. But so far so good. Keep it up and I hope to read more about my favorite actress. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

    Kevin: Very cool and suave from your description. His character in here reminds me a bit of his character in Slim Chances. He definitely has a wild streak, with his fast car-racing and his many girlfriends. A good balance with Annie's practical nature. I like his character very much so far. As you already know from my remarks on the winglin comment page, I know Kevin is an undercover cop because I was too nosy and peaked at the other readers' comments. <IMG SRC="smilies/bawling.gif" border="0"> Bad for me but good for you. I like the surprises that authors pop on me every now and then. Keeps me awake.

    Tae: Dunno much about him yet, so I will hold my remarks until later.

    My verdict so far: <IMG SRC="smilies/thumbsup.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/thumbsup.gif" border="0"> for excellent grammar and vocabulary, interesting plot, well developed characters, and tasteful humor. Keep up the great work, tweety jie! <IMG SRC="smilies/clap.gif" border="0">

  19. #19
    Member shootingst8r's Avatar
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    Jan 2003
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    I really love your story...i have actually read it in winglin and have been checking for updates. So glad that you posted it here too...i think i love annie and tae's characters so far....hope to read more great works!! <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">
    ~True friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.~

  20. #20
    Senior Member lil_bubble's Avatar
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    Melanie.. does your post contain some spoilers? <IMG SRC="smilies/frown.gif" border="0">

    So happy you added another chapter or I would be bored! haha... Hey.. you're not going to make Tae a bad guy are you? <IMG SRC="smilies/frown.gif" border="0">

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