Chapter 1

Aliss Yip Tsui Yee ~~~~~ Nnadia Chan Chung Ling
Shirley Yip Wun Yee ~~~~~ Jessica Hester Hsuan
Clea Yip Pui Yee ~~~~~ Vicki Zhao Wei
Chan Chi Heen ~~~~~ Louis Koo Tin Lok
Hui Ka Bo ~~~~~ Julian Cheung Chi Lam
Tsang Wing Hong ~~~~~ Alec Su Yau Peng

February 2001

�Blech!� Clea Yip Pui Yee muttered in disgust.

Aliss Yip Tsui Yee glanced at her younger sister from across the large dining table. �What�s wrong?�

�It�s Valentine�s Day,� Clea mumbled, picking at the rice in front of her.

�I know.�

Clea looked at her sister�s dreamy smile and made a face. �Yeah, yeah. You have your Mun Fai Gor and his pretty flowers, while your sister here is sulking in loneliness.�

A huge grin broke out on Aliss�s face at the mention of her boyfriend, but seeing her sister�s disgusted face, she quickly hid it. �Shirls is sulking along with you.�

�Yi (second) Ka Jie?� Clea asked sardonically. �Yi Ka Jie would never sulk on Valentine�s Day. She has enough boyfriends to last her for an infinite number of Valentine�s Day.�

�How about Daddy?� Aliss offered. �Isn�t he coming home later?�

Clea shook her head. �He called this morning and something came up. He�s going to be working all night long.�

Aliss smiled sympathetically and opened her mouth to comfort Clea, but stopped short when Shirley emerged from the second floor hallway.

�Good morning!� Shirley Yip Wun Yee called out cheerfully as she waltzed down the stairs.

�It�s 6:00 pm, Yi Ka Jie, and we�re having dinner! Morning�s long over,� Clea rolled her eyes, �What time did you get home last night? No wait, I mean this morning.�

�I was at a party,� Shirley defended as she took a seat at the dining table. She waved her hand and motioned the maid to get another bowl of rice for her.

�Party-smarty,� Clea mumbled childishly.

Shirley raised her eyebrow. �Well, you�re certainly cheerful today,� she said, �Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?�

�It�s Valentine�s Day. Dai Ka Jie is going out with Man Fai. Yi Ka Jie is going to be partying with one of her many boyfriends. Daddy�s working. So once again, poor Clea has to spend another Valentine�s Day by herself in this big lonely mansion,� she said, referring to herself from a third person point of view.

�You know, Clea, you wouldn�t be all alone if you hadn�t dumped Daniel,� Shirley said. �What was it this time anyway? Did he not buy you enough presents? Or was it his hair?�

A sheepish look washed over Clea�s face. She remained silent and pretended to concentrate on her bowl of rice.

Shirley glanced over at Aliss. �Do you know?�

Aliss, who had kept quiet while her two younger sisters exchanged barbs, nodded. �Well, Daniel bought a new car and according to Clea, it�s the wrong kind of car.�

An amused Shirley broke into fits of giggles. �The wrong kind of car?� she asked, �Clea, it�s your fault that you�re always alone on Valentine�s Day. You�re just too damn superficial.�

�He bought a Toyota! What kind of taste is that?� Clea defended.

Putting down her chopsticks, Shirley placed her hands on her hips. �He should have bought a Porsche, even if it costs his whole year�s income,� she said in a high-pitched voice, mocking Clea.

Not to be beaten, Clea placed her hands on her hips and in the same-high pitched voice said, �Hi, I�m Shirley and I can�t remember half the guys� names that I have one-night stands with.�

The two sisters glared at each other. Aliss, sensing the tension, said, �You guys, stop fighting!�

�We were debating, not fighting,� Shirley and Clea said together. They looked at each other and burst out laughing. �Debating� was one of their favorite pastimes for they shared a strange love-hate relationship.

Shirley picked up her chopsticks again and said, �That was a bad impression of me, Clea.�

�And that was a bad impression of me,� Clea shot back, �So what are your plans for the night, Yi Ka Jie? Which guy�s lucky enough to spend tonight with you?�

�No one, actually.�

�No one?� Clea asked skeptically, �Doesn�t sound like you.�

Shirley shrugged. �I�m getting tired of the same old guys. Some friends and I are going to hit a club and see if there are any lonely souls to pick up.� She smiled mischievously before saying, �I�m not as lucky as Dai Ka Jie to have Mun Fai. So what did he give you this Valentine�s Day? A diamond ring, perhaps?�

�I don�t know,� she shrugged, but smiled secretly. �We�re exchanging presents later tonight.�

�I bet you he�s going to propose,� Clea said with conviction. �I mean, you guys have been going out since forever.�

�Ever since Mun Fai started working with Daddy,� Shirley added, �Which pretty much means forever.�

�Six years, Shirls,� Aliss corrected.

Clea stifled a giggle. �Six years. Yep, it�s time for the proposal,� she predicted.

�I�m done,� Aliss said, putting down her bowl. �I�m going upstairs to get changed.� She rose from the table and walked towards the stairs.

�Make sure to wear your good lingerie. Who knows what might happen tonight?� Shirley called after her.

�And don�t wear too many layers. Wouldn�t want Mun Fai Gor to have a hard time taking it off,� Clea added.

Aliss turned bright red at her sister�s words, but she twirled around and put her hands on her hips. �I�m Clea and unless you drive a Porsche, stay away from me,� she mocked in a high-pitched voice. Then, in an even higher-pitched voice, she said, �And I�m Shirley. I�m the ��

A barrage of sofa cushions hit her on the head.

The television images flickered on the screen. Clea, remote control in hand, flipped through the channels until she was sure the television would explode.

�Valentine�s Day,� she grumbled as she threw the control onto the floor. She flopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. �Blech!�

She stayed in that position for a long time, contemplating how to spend the remainder of the night. Television? Nothing buy sappy soap operas that talk about love at first sight! And there�s no such thing as love at first sight. Sleep? It�s only 8:30. How the hell am I supposed to fall asleep? Internet? And talk to weird strangers who�ll probably end up stalking me. No, thank you.

Finally, Clea grabbed her purse and decided to take a drive.

She climbed into her Lexus and pulled out of the long driveway. As she drove, the radio station droned on endlessly with love song after love song. �Happy Valentine�s Day!� the female DJ kept saying in an overly sweet and sickening voice (or at least Clea thought so).

After a half-hour of aimless driving, she spotted a bakery. Her stomach began growling as she realized she had only picked at her rice earlier. Don tot (egg custard)! she thought happily.

In the corner of her eyes, she saw a Jeep getting ready to pull out of a parking space. Perfect timing! As she waited for the Jeep to leave, she suddenly realized a Toyota was waiting for the same spot. She squinted her eyes and she could see the shadow of a young man. �No, no, Mr. Toyota. You are NOT taking my parking space,� she muttered.

Tsang Wing Hong could�ve sworn he had seen the parking spot before the other car did. Through the tint of the glass, he could see a young woman at the driver�s seat, glaring at him through squinted eyes. There is no way I�m going to let you take my space! He glared back.

As the Jeep pulled out and drove away, Clea and Hong rammed their cars into the empty space at the same time. They screeched to a halt when they realized neither of them was going to give up so easily.

Aggravated, Clea climbed out of her car and eyed the inch space that separated the two cars. Placing her hands on her hips, she hollered, �Are you getting out of my space?�

Hong saw her lips move, but could only make out the last two words. He emerged from his car and said in a remarkably calm tone, �Your space? I saw it first.�

�I don�t think so.�

�I saw it first,� Hong repeated in such a calm manner that it deeply irritated Clea.

�Prove it,� she replied through gritted teeth. �Prove that you saw it first.�

�Why don�t you prove that it�s your space? I don�t see your name on it anywhere.�

�What if I said there was?� she challenged.

�Then I�ll get out.�

She pointed her index finger at him. �You better keep in mind what you said.� Confidently, Clea went to her car and rummaged through the glove compartment for a black marker. Found it! You�re going down, boy!

Hong folded his arms and raised his eyebrows. This woman was wasting his time.

Smugly, Clea bent down and signed her name on the ground. �My name, you out.�

�That�s not fai ��

�Are you backing out of your words?�

Hong clenched his jaw to keep from lashing out. �You�re impossible,� � he looked at the ground and read off her name ��Yip Pui Yee!� He stomped back to his car and grudgingly pulled out of the parking space.

Clea giggled in victory as she parked her car and headed for the bakery. She looked through the glass counter and saw that there was only one don tot left.

�Give me that last don tot, please!� two voices rang out.

Clea threw her head around. �You again! You managed to park your Toyota?� she smirked.

�I saw that don tot first,� Hong answered.

�Said who?� She raised her chin to challenge him.

�Said me.�

A clerk emerged from an inner kitchen with a platter of don tot. �Last batch! Get them while they�re out.�

Hong threw Clea a look before turning back to the counter. �Give me ��

Clea slapped a five hundred dollar bill on the counter, interrupting him. �Give me every single don tot you have and keep the change.�

The BMW sped along the highway.

In the backseat, Aliss shivered. She was dressed for a romantic Valentine�s Day dinner, a strapless peach dress � certainly not the proper wardrobe for the chilly February night. But it wasn�t the weather that chilled her. Rather it was a fear, the same fear that gripped her every time Mun Fai went out on a job.

�Would you like me to turn up the heat, Miss Yip?� Hui Ka Bo called from the driver�s seat.

�It�s all right, Ka Bo.�

�But you were shivering.�

Aliss stared at the seat next to her where Mun Fai should�ve been sitting. �Not from the cold.�

Ka Bo stole a glance at her in the rear view mirror. �Don�t worry. Mun Fai will be OK.�

�What makes you think I�m worried about him? I should be mad at him for leaving in the middle of our Valentine�s Day date.�

�But you�re not.�

She smiled curiously. �Why do you say that?�

�First off,� Ka Bo said matter-of-factly, �your father called on him for business, so you know he can�t help it. And second, you get like this every time Mun Fai goes out on a job.�

�You�re right,� she shivered again, �You�d think I would be used to it by now � him going out on jobs for Daddy.�

�You love the guy. You have every right to be worried.�

Suddenly, Aliss became aware of Ka Bo�s watchful eyes in the rear view mirror and she blushed a bright shade of crimson. It had always felt like that around him. She would catch him stealing glances at her. Or they would begin a pleasant conversation and soon she would notice his eyes studying her intently. The first few times, it had thoroughly freaked her to the bone. But then she recognized it as a budding crush and that apprehension had turned into flattery. And of course, being the shy and easily embarrassed woman that she was, her face would blush. A lot.

Ka Bo quickly averted his eyes and concentrated on the road. The car remained silent for the remainder of the ride.

The car pulled to a stop in front of the Yip Mansion. �Good night, Miss Yip. And Happy Valentine�s Day.�

Ka Bo watched as Aliss walked up the cemented pathway to the mansion�s front door. Her bare shoulders shimmered in the moonlight and her peach dress accentuated her graceful movements. Sighing, Ka Bo drove the car away.

It had taken him one glance to fall in love with Aliss and if he didn�t believe in love at first sight before, he sure did now. That first sight still stayed fresh in his mind, as though it were yesterday instead of four years ago.

She was sitting in a bar and chatting with her sisters. From across the room, Ka Bo could see her blush. There was something in the way that she blushed that made his heart beat. She was shy, so unlike the outgoing women he had dated before. He had found himself mesmerized by her and was one second away from approaching her. But then, he found out she was Mun Fai�s girlfriend. Mun Fai, his new �boss.�

And so Ka Bo cast away his intentions.

As fate would have it, though, Ka Bo became the only one with whom Mun Fai could trust Aliss�s safety with. Many times, he sent Ka Bo in his place.

And the more chances Ka Bo had to be alone with Aliss, the more deeply in love he fell.

But love had its price. For Ka Bo, that price was guilt. Not guilt because of Mun Fai (sometimes, he could care less about Mun Fai). But rather because�

Chan Chi Heen sauntered along the streets. It was two in the morning and silence echoed through the dark. Only lonely souls ventured the streets at this lonely hour. And I�m one of them. He gulped down his can of beer and flung it at the ground.

Valentine�s Day! he smirked. Holidays were not particularly favorite days of the year for him. But then again, not much of the year was to his liking. He had no one to share them with. He was a lonely soul, after all, and he had been ever since that fateful night when his childhood crumbled to dust. When he had lost the only two people who had ever loved him.

Shaking his head, Chi Heen swept the thoughts from his head. He popped open another can of beer and gulped it down. Alcohol had always been his escape when he couldn�t handle the harsh bitterness of reality.

A sudden shout sliced through the silence and bounced off the walls of the buildings. �Get the hell off me, you bastard!� Chi Heen�s head whipped towards the sound. It was a woman. Instinctively, he ran towards the voice. �I said get the hell off me!�

Chi Heen rounded the corner and from down the street, he could see a man lurking over a woman. The man�s hands were traveling all over the woman�s slender waist and his mouth slobbered on her neck. She was struggling to free herself from his hold.

With all his might, Chi Heen threw a punch at the man. Taken by surprise, the man staggered a few steps back. He shook his head dazedly and then lunged himself at Chi Heen. �Mind your own damn business!� Chi Heen held the man back with his hands and shoved him onto the ground. The man, defeated, clumsily stood up and ran off into the night.

Chi Heen turned his attention towards the woman and was about to ask if she was all right. But even before he could open his mouth, she started yelling.

�That�s right. Run away, you no good coward!� Shirley hollered. How dare he take advantage of me! Angrily, she hurled her purse after the man and it flew high into the air. It landed with a thud a street down. She turned back towards Chi Heen and smiled sheepishly, �Oops! Never knew I had such a good arm!� She bounded down the street, heading towards her purse.

�You OK?� Chi Heen called out as he followed after her.

Shirley bent down and began gathering her belongings that had scattered over the ground when the clasp on her purse broke. �Much better. Now that the bastard�s gone,� she muttered.

Chi Heen studied her as she picked up her belongings and absentmindedly tossed them into her purse. She had on a short leather skirt and a black tube top. He could smell the faint whiff of alcohol and cigarettes coming from her. �You just came from a party or something?�

�Yeah,� she nodded, �That�s where I met that bastard. He actually wasn�t that bad looking or anything. I was all ready to hop into bed with him. But then I started smelling this strange odor. Damn, he reeked of sweat and rotten eggs. I do not want to smell like that, so I tried telling him to get off me, but he wouldn�t listen.� She chuckled, mocking herself. �I don�t think I should�ve flirted so heavily. It�s a good thing you came along and scared him away. What a waste of a night!� She took one last look at the ground and then stood up.

Taking a look at Chi Heen, Shirley smiled, turning only the left corner of her lips up.

He took his first good look at the woman and his heart skipped a beat. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, showing the perfect oval of her face and her beautifully arched eyebrows. Her eyes, large and round, possessed a playful gleam. Her nose was chiseled, as well as her cheekbones. But her smile was what singled her out as not just a pretty face, but exceptionally beautiful. When she smiled, she turned only the left corners of her lips up. It reminded him of a small child who had just thought up a mischievous prank.

�Well well, maybe this wasn�t such a waste of a night after all. You� � she pointed her index finger at him � �are one good looking guy!� Shirley leaned towards him and sniffing him, she said, �And you don�t smell.�

He flashed her an awkward smile.

�Oh and you only have one dimple!� she exclaimed as she leaned in and poked the right side of his face. �That�s so cute.�

�Uh, thanks.�

�I should be the one thanking you. How would you like me to thank you? A little kiss, perhaps?� she suggested seductively. She leaned in closer and circled her arms around her neck.

In the dark lonely streets, Shirley and Chi Heen stood, kissing each other.

How was the first chapter? How do you feel about how Chi Heen and Shirley meet? I debated with myself for a while because I wasn't sure if you guys would accept this, but I took a chance. This was basically an introduction to all the main characters, so please bear with me if it wasn't as interesting. The plot will thicken, I promise! Meanwhile, drop me a note in the guestbook. Ciao! >;p

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