Curved Edges ✔

(8) Xiao Chen's X

♡ XIAO CHEN

"Hey sexy lady, what are you drinking?" I make sure she sees my Rolex when I reach out to grab my drink. She turns to me and smiles. Shit, it's Ama. I should have paid more attention to who I was flirting with. 

Oh lord, here comes Mona. She pinches the skin at the back of my bicep and twists it. I try not to cry because believe me, that shit hurts! Her eyes say it all as she lets go of my skin. That's going to leave a mark for at least a week.

Mona is my sister, well half-sister. Actually, we're not even blood-related but we don't do that shit. So sister. Her mom and my dad are a couple. 

My mom died having me, so I was raised by my dad and a ton of aunties. My dad fell in love with Mona's mom and that's how we became a family. She doesn't appreciate it when I flirt with her best friend though. She knows the kind of player I am and is protective of Ama like a lioness.

Not that I blame her. I'm the same. Ama is special. Hot as hell, curves for days, eyes to drown in, and those plump lips. Oh Buddha, have mercy. Anyway. 

Mona and I look nothing alike. She has this wonderful milk chocolate complexion and wide, dark-brown eyes. And those curls! She stands out in a crowd and knows it. She's shy and calm at work but wild and crazy when she's out with Ama.

I'm the average Asian guy. Not the tallest, boring black hair, barely visible brown eyes, and a tiny bit of muscle. But I make up for it in confidence. I have to, right? I'm a hustler. Whatever you need I can get for you. Always been that way. 

I know everyone who knows anyone. Doesn't hurt that my dad is the mayor either. And I'm a stockbroker, a very good one if I do say so myself.

I'm out here in this bar called Joe's to meet up with my best friend, drink a few shots, and admire the girls getting ready to go out clubbing. For some reason, it became a ritual to start with drinks here. It's a way to touch base with my sister, now that we've grown up and are living our own lives. And getting to see Ama, dressed in a tiny, figure-hugging dress is the cherry on the cake.

At the same time, I want to make sure she's alright. She is prone to bad luck and has parents that don't give a shit. I know we're all in our twenties, we do fine. But I am glad I have my dad and Mona's mom. You need a support system, even when you're quite successful at adulting. Nothing beats going home to a home-cooked meal and a hug. Yeah, yeah sappy I know.

I stare at the entrance and see Chris raise his hand at me. Ah, Noah has arrived. I can finally introduce him to my sister. We've been friends for quite some time, but he has never met Mona. Another thing that just happens when you get older. You live your own life and don't see that much of your siblings. 

And we don't hang out on Friday nights as a group. Even if we go to the same places. We respect each other's privacy and wild side. I chuckle to myself and turn around to face my friend, squeezing through the crowd.

We do the whole bro-handshake thing, the same one we've been doing since we were eighteen. Noah grins at me and I must say I'm surprised. Finding out that Bridget left him made me worried about him. He's such an idiot with women, always sees something in them that's never there. 

He's also prone to bad luck. Two days ago a car crashed into his front yard and stopped right before it hit the outside wall of his house. It took the fence, some bushes, and his mailbox along for the ride. It was a right mess.

He called me to tell me about it, laughing his ass off at the absurdity of it all. He's a special one.

Anyway, let's introduce him to my sister. "Mona? I would like you to meet Noah", I yell over the music blasting through the bar. She turns around to face me and I can literally see her jaw drop.