Nothing Ventured
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	He had 'noticed' her the first day she started work, his
curiosity piqued by how she stood out amoung the other girls of 
the pool.  However, she seemed to go out of her way to try not to
be noticed, always wearing understated but fashionable clothes, 
and generally avoiding eye contact.
	He had run into her, literally, as they had both been 
negotiating the same stretch of hallway.   And since that 
embarrassing incident, he'd found he couldn't get her off his 
mind.  It hadn't been a terribly unusual collision, his arm 
accidentally clipping her shoulder as they passed.  But, what made 
it noteworthy was what he saw in her eyes when she looked up at 
him.
	Before recognizing him for who he was, she turned almost
resignedly to apologize, her eyes bearing the look he still couldn't
identify.  Once she noticed that she had just run into owner of the
company, she instantly began apologizing and bowing profusely.  He 
actually had to fight down his laughter at her reaction, realizing 
that she probably thought she'd be fired for her impertinence.
	After the dust settled, he'd returned to his own office and
tried to work, but found that she had suddenly become all he could
think about.  A call to personnel hadn't revealed very much about
her, indicating her name as Nagami Amii, and that she lived in
Kobe, a few blocks from the office.  She was two years younger than
himself, and apparently unmarried, which for the life of him he 
couldn't understand.  With her looks and personality, he was certain
she'd have had no shortage of offers.
        Her background was of even less help, citing a mix of jobs
in other cities, a solid university education, and a long period
of 'various' Government work.
	In short, he saw nothing to indicate she was all that 
different from the other girls, but something told him that she 
definitely was.  
	As the week had progressed, he'd noted that her habits
were also innocuous; she left each day at 6:30pm, and arrived
each morning at 7:30.  Both times were an hour to the good of the
company's actual business hours, which he attributed to the usual
Japanese work ethic.
	She usually ate lunch alone at a small cafe across the 
street, and kept mostly to herself except when she had to speak to 
others.  The only inconsistency arose when he noticed that she 
drove a new Mustang convertible, which was a bit unusual considering 
her current employment level.
	Her work was efficient and effective, and she had already
impressed him with her ability to meet deadlines, even surprise
ones.  The only notable characteristic about her actions was how she
seemed to avoid anything overtly physical, having called in
maintenance personnel to move a small filing cabinet.
	By the weekend, and despite all the evidence to the 
contrary, he was still certain of his impression.  Something 
in her carriage -- something in her expression -- something he 
couldn't quite pin down told him so, and refused to be ignored.
	Packing up his laptop, he sighed to himself as he wondered
how to deal with this unexpected situation.  It was keeping him
from concentrating on his work, and he knew that was dangerous,
especially given the condition of the market.  
	In the parking garage, he walked toward his car and held
out his remote, listening for the answering chirp.  As he was just
about to get in, he heard a car door open in the distance.  Looking
up, he spotted Amii standing beside her car, undoing the tight bun
holding her hair up.  
	He gasped quietly to himself as he watched an incredible 
amount of auburn hair cascade down her back.  When she finished, 
she opened the buttons on her blouse cuffs and then undid at least
two more at her neckline.
	Just as he thought she was going to get in her car, she
abruptly looked up and around the garage, as if making sure
nobody was around.
	Taking the hint, he ducked into his seat and watched her
through his windsheild.  Once she finished looking around she 
smiled broadly to herself, and it was such a happy, genuine smile 
that it made him do the same.
	What struck him even more was that it was the first time
he had ever really seen her smile -- other than the brief, weak
smiles she would offer in the office.
	As he considered that mystery, she glanced around quickly
once more and then slid into the car, immediately starting it up 
and opening the convertible top.  As soon as the top finished
settling, she mashed the gas and squealed out of her spot,
hitting second before she cleared the end of the row.  
	A four-wheeled powerslide later, she was out the large 
doors of the garage and gone, the only evidence of her passing 
still echoing off the stark concrete walls.
	After picking his jaw up out of his lap and jamming it
closed, he shook his head and blinked.
	Now, he *had* to know more about her.





	The next morning, he sat in his office attempting to get
the latest price fix for his company's chief commodity.  As a broker
of raw diamonds, this was precious information for his day's 
transactions.  No matter how he tried however, he found himself 
unable to make any sense of the information on his computer screen.  
He knew Amii would be arriving soon, and that fact preoccupied his 
thoughts.
	Glancing at his watch, he noted it was 7:29am, and
sighed as he realized this last minute was going to be a long
one.  Much to his surprise, he heard the outer doors of the silent, 
semi-darkened pool area open, and watched as the lights came on one
section at a time.
	A smile crossed his face as he rose and stepped from
behind his desk, making sure he was visible through his open
door.  Pretending to be digging through an armload of files that
were strategically placed on the corner of his desk, he listened
carefully for the staccato clack of Amii's heels as she approached
her cubicle.
	When he finally heard them, a quick glance upward at the
glass covering the painting on the opposite wall confirmed that
it was her, and he immediately noticed a confidence in her stride
that normally wasn't present.  Waiting until she was well within
range, he abruptly turned and looked right at her, smiling
pleasantly.
	"Ohaiyo, Nagami-san," he stated, bowing quickly.  As he
rose, he noted that she seemed to shrink under his gaze.
	"Oh...  Ohiayo, Sir," she responded meekly, bowing herself.
She flustered for a moment upon rising, apparently not expecting to
have seen anyone in the office so early.  
	A heartbeat later, she got her facade in order and clasped
her hands together in front of her.  "Ano, would you like some 
coffee or tea, sir?" she asked, with an expectant smile.
	"Hai.  A coffee would be wonderful," he responded,
although somewhat disappointed in her response.  He actually had
to fight to keep from frowning.  "And bring one for yourself," he
abruptly added, grinning.
	Amii's face fell in shock.  "Eto...  I'm not..." she
began, but he interrupted her.
	"Nobody's here, so there's no one to see," he countered,
intending to test her little game.  If she truly was as she
purported herself, then she would be flabbergasted.  In most
Japanese businesses, the boss generally didn't even talk to female
employees of Amii's position, unless giving them an order for lunch.
	Amii simply stared back at him for a long moment, then
finally regained her composure.  "Hai," she abruptly bowed,
then took her leave.  He raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was
going to do.
	About ten minutes later, she returned with a neat tray
holding two full coffee cups, cream and sugar, and two spoons.
Stopping in front of his desk, she set the tray on it, then lifted
the cream and sugar and regarded him expectantly.  He shook his
head and spoke a single word.
	"Black."
	She smiled and nodded, then set down the service, only to
take one cup and pass it over to him.  He smiled and nodded as he
took it, then looked back at her bemusedly.
	"Arigato, Nagami-san," he offered, again smiling.
	Amii simply bowed respectfully and then took her cup,
sipped at it once, set it on the tray, then bowed again and took
the tray et al and walked out of the office.
	At first, he was slightly stunned at her actions, but
within a few moments he broke out in a wide grin.  She had
check-mated him, and he loved it.
	The rest of the day progressed normally, with Amii putting 
in her usual impeccable performance.  He noted that their 'meeting' 
hadn't seemed to affect her at all, other than the fact that he saw 
her look at him more often during the course of the day.
	At quitting time, he approached his car as per usual, and
had just finished setting his laptop and briefcase in it when he
heard heels coming across the garage.  Glancing toward the sound,
his heart jumped as he saw Amii walking over to her car.  Smiling,
he closed his door quietly and began to work his way toward her,
hoping to catch her just after she let her hair down.
	He watched happily as she went through her little ritual,
and timed his arrival for just as she finished opening the top
buttons of her blouse.  She gasped quietly and turned toward him,
apparently having heard him approach.  He saw that she noticed
him when he was still a good distance away, which surprised him
slightly.  It also wavered his confidence, as he knew that people 
who had that ability were usually Martial Artists.
	"Ano...  Sensei?" Amii blurted, completely flustered.
Her hands fumbled nervously as she tried to rebutton her blouse
sleeves, bringing an amused grin to his face.
	"Don't worry about it...  It's after hours, and I
officially don't care," he indicated, smiling.  "Forgive my
interruption, Nagami-san, but I saw you here as I was getting
ready to leave, and thought I would ask if you would feel like
joining me for dinner," he asked, then straightened and awaited
her response.  He didn't have to wait long.
	"Ano...  No.  I can't," she replied, lowering her eyes.
"Gomen," she added, then quickly slid into her car, started it
up and dropped it into gear.  Turning back toward him with an
apologetic visage, she looked for a moment like she wanted to
say something, but instead bit her lip and turned away, then
pulled out of the space and drove off.
	He stood quietly watching her go, not quite certain what
had just happened.  He had been turned down before in his life,
but there was something very different about this instance.  As
Amii had looked back at him, he had noticed that her large blue
eyes seemed to be saying one thing, and her words another.
	"You're turning out to be quite the mystery, Nagami
Amii...  And you're one I think I'd like to solve," he said out
loud, in English.





	A few days later, after deliberately staying away from
her, he decided it was time to try again.  Waiting until the short
period between the point where most of the pool went for lunch
and the time Amii did, he put his attempt in motion.  Sauntering
casually up the hallway between the rows of cubicle dividers, he
finally stopped at the opening behind her.
	"Konnichiwa, Nagami-san," he greeted cordially, wanting to
test the waters before taking another plunge.
	"Konnichiwa, Sensei," she responded, without turning
around.  "May I help you with something?" she added, finally
turning her chair so she faced him.  Her face was the picture of a
typical employee, much to his amusement.
	"Iya...  I was hoping you would do me the honour of joining
me for lunch.  I feel that I owe you it for upsetting you the other
night," he explained, leaning in toward her.
	As he studied her carefully, he noted how her eyes widened
slightly and sparkled briefly as she considered his words.  He also
swore he saw a light flush cross her cheeks before she covered her
gaping mouth.  Her eventual response, however, surprised him
completely.
	Her eyes suddenly changed from sparkling to shimmering, and
as she lowered her face, he heard what he would have bet was a 
muffled sniff slip out from under her hand.  After taking a moment 
to compose herself, she meshed her hands in her lap and spoke sadly.
"Gomen nasai, Sensei...  I am flattered by your invitation, but I 
must refuse," she began, her wavering voice just above a whisper.  
"I..." she tried to continue, but was interrupted by a loud crash 
and several shrieks of terror from the far end of the office.
	Both of them looked down the hallway toward the entry, only
to see at least a half-dozen black-clad, gun-toting figures
spilling into the office.  Just as he was about to make Amii dive 
for cover, one of the gunmen spotted him leaning out of the cubicle.
	"Shit!  Guys!  There's Masters!" the figure shouted in
English, pointing his weapon.
	Before he could even decide which way to run, a second
figure jammed the barrel of his submachine gun into the back of
his neck, and growled menacingly.
	"Get your ass up front, Masters...  We want something you
got," his assailant stated, at which he felt a gruff shove.
	"Sensei!" Amii cried out, apparently startling the thug.  
Recovering, the thug jammed him into the cubicle wall, then looked 
back at the frightened Amii and cursed. 
	"Hey, get over here and take him...  There's one more back
here!" he yelled, keeping an eye on her as he awaited his backup.
	Within a few seconds, another figure moved in and took him
away, while the first one stepped into the cubicle and grabbed Amii.
	Leveling his gun on her temple, he snarled at her angrily.
"Be smart and you might live through this.  Be stupid and you're
dead.  Savvy?"
	Amii meantime, despite knowing English very well, babbled 
her response in Japanese, hoping to buy herself some slack.
	"Shit...  Damned gooks.  C'mon!" he growled back at her,
yanking her out of her chair and dragging her down the hall.
	Squealing and protesting, she was dragged to the small
reception office and tied up beside her boss, while the thugs
ransacked the entire facility.  
	He looked over at her and silently mouthed an apology, 
knowing that had he not hit on her, she would have been safely out 
for her lunch.  Inwardly, he cursed himself on his really bad timing.
	Amii meanwhile, only shook her head dismissively, then turned 
her attention to their captors, seeming to study them.  He watched 
her for several minutes, wondering what she was really up to.  His 
thoughts were interrupted before he could decide however, as one of 
the figures stomped over to him and pointed a gun at his head.
	"Okay, Masters.  We know you got a shipment yesterday, and
now that we're ready to leave, we want it.  Give it to us, and you
two get off easy.  If not, yer little girlfriend over here gets it
first, and then we start on you," he snarled, as a second figure
stubbed his gun into the back of Amii's head.
	Amii only glared at the figure in front of them, seeming not
to care about the one behind her.  He personally was used to being 
robbed and threatened, a result of many years in the diamond brokerage
business.  Given that, he found Amii's reactions were surprising, to 
say the least.
	"All right...  Leave her alone and I'll get them for you,"
he sighed, casting a worried glance at her.
	"Wrong, buddy-boy.  You'll tell me where they are and how
to get them, and then I'll leave her alone," the thug corrected,
flatly.
	"Fine.  In the main office, back wall, behind the portrait.
You'll need the combination to open the safe," he stated, hanging
his head.
	"C'mon, Masters.  Yer gonna open it, just in case you
packed a surprise in it," the figure stated, reaching down and
yanking him from his seat, then shoving him out the door.
	From the small windows on the front of the reception office,
Amii watched nervously as the thug shoved her boss into his office,
then they both disappeared from sight.  Two more figures waited
outside the same office, while the others were all in the reception
office with her.
	 A few moments later, her boss stumbled out of his office,
only to be caught and held by the other two figures.  Amii felt her
heart stop as she saw the barrel of a gun protrude from the doorway
behind her boss, only to level itself at the back of his head.
	"IIeeeee!!" she screamed, becoming a blur of motion.  
Snapping her bonds as if they were non-existent, she leapt from her
seat and grabbed her guard by the head, using him like a club to 
take out the other two.
	Grabbing a letter opener from a nearby desk, she launched
it spinning through the wall of the office, followed by two
paperweights.  The letter opener sliced through the wrist of the
man aiming the gun at her boss, severing his arm cleanly before
embedding itself six inches in the oak doorframe.  The paperweights,
timed for effect, took out first the closest remaining thug, and
as he fell, the second weight connected with the further thug's
head, knocking him senseless as well.
	Amii herself then crashed through the wall of the reception
office, blasting up the hallway and through the wall of her boss's
office.  There, she found the last figure laying shuddering on the
floor, clutching a black box in his remaining hand.
	"And you, you sonovabitch...  You're going to pay for this,
and for what you've just cost *me*!" she growled in English, picking
him up off the ground by his shirtfront and drawing back a closed 
fist.
	He closed his eyes as her fist headed for his face,
only to open them again when he noticed it didn't connect.
	His first sight was of Amii grinning at him smugly, then
raising her hand in front of his forehead.
	"Oyasumi," she said sweetly, then put his lights out with
a simple flick to his forehead.
	Dropping the unconscious thug to the floor, she quickly
turned and went to her boss, who had collapsed to his knees gasping.
She immediately ripped apart his bonds and stepped around in front
of him, taking his shoulders and lifting him to face her.
	"Are you all right?" she asked, worriedly.
	"Hai...  I guess...  Amii...?  Who -- or what -- are you?"
he gasped, his eyes wide.
	Amii looked at him for a second, then sighed and lowered
her face.  "I'm not..." she began quietly, only to be interrupted
by the swarm of Police that burst through the doors.





                                                  
	After showing her ID and giving her statement to the
wide-eyed Police, Amii stood alone on the street outside the office,
watching the activity and wondering what to do next.  It was pretty
obvious that she couldn't go back to her job.
	Sighing, she crossed her arms and slumped against the outer
wall of the building, shivering slightly against the cool breeze.
	"I knew you couldn't keep it up.  It's just not possible for
you to fit in out here," a voice behind her observed, an unmistakable
thread of smugness in it.
	"Biko!" she spat, turning to face the lilac-haired woman
walking toward her.  "It sure didn't take you long to come and
gloat, did it?" she glowered, her eyes narrowing.
	Biko simply smiled.  "My staff heard it on the scanner...
And you're the one who made the bet, remember?  Two months, and
you didn't make it two weeks," she noted, shaking her head sadly.
"Eiko, admit it.  This kind of life is just too pedestrian and
delicate for you," she continued, affected concern in her tone.
"It's like I said.  Even in a setting like this, you just seem to
attract this sort of thing."
	She glared at the woman before her, not wanting to admit that
she was right, especially when it meant that she herself had been so 
wrong.  The evidence, however, was indisputable, and she finally 
dropped her shoulders and sighed.  "I guess it's true," she breathed,
with an affected pout.  "But I still had to try..."
	"I know..." Biko smiled, indulgently.  "It's nothing to be
ashamed of, Eiko-chan.  You already know where your calling lies, 
and there, at least, you can be yourself," she indicated, smirking
slightly as she reached up and ran her fingers through Eiko's
coloured hair.
	"Riiiiight.  Go back to running your 'Special Services'
Unit?  Kuso, I was so bored there I thought I'd die," she moaned, 
rolling her eyes.  "You know that."
	"Yes, I do.  But since you've been gone, things have
changed a bit," Biko smiled back, knowingly.
	"Like what?  A few new Mecha?"
	"Like I just finished acquiring controlling interest in a
certain US company, and it requires someone of your formidable
talents to ensure its continued operations.  Interested?" she
intoned, grinning almost teasingly.
	She considered the invite for a few moments, then puffed a
resigned sigh.  "Tell me what it is first, then I'll decide," she
relented, her shoulders dropping.
	"Agreed.  Ready to go?"
	"Not yet...  I need to set a few things straight.  Number
one, no matter what, if I come back, I want a raise...  And a good
one."
	"Done."
	"And could you fix up the shop here?  I had to get a little
rough on those guys."
	"I'll buy him a new one.  That one looks too small anyway.
Is that it?"
	Looking around, she sighed again.  "Hai...  I guess so.  So,
where are we headed?  Back to your place?"
	"Why...  Do you happen to have a better idea?" Biko prodded,
taking her arm and gesturing her toward a nearby limo.
	"Yeah...  Since I owe you dinner now, how about we go out
somewhere?  You wanted to talk anyway, and that huge house of yours
always feels like I'm in an auditorium," she fretted, frowning.
	"Only if you'll promise to come back for a bath.  Shiko's
coming tonight, too," Biko intoned, leadingly.
	She brightened.  "She is...?  I haven't seen her in over a 
year!"
	"Hai.  She's visiting from Alpha Cygni for a few days.
She called yesterday," Biko smiled, winking.
	"Great!  I'll be there!  We can go right after dinner --
I'll pick up my car later," she smiled, excitedly.
	"Don't worry...  I'll look after that.  I don't want you
worrying about it.  This is going to be 'Girl's Night In', and I
won't have anything interfering," Biko smiled, sliding into the
car.  "After all, we've got some celebrating to do," she added, a
certain twinkle in her eye.
	Eiko huffed and shook her head, about to get into the car,
then suddenly stopped and looked across the street.  "Ano...  Just
a minute, B-chan.  There's something I have to do before we leave,"
she grinned, then headed over toward an ambulance parked nearby.
	In the back of the unit, her former boss was being checked
over by one of the EMT's, and happened to look up just as she
approached.
	"Ano...  I just wanted to see if you're okay," she stated,
looking in at him with a slightly sheepish smile.
	"I'm fine, thanks to you...  But you never answered my
question -- either of them," he replied, winking.
	She flushed, then shot him a wide smile.  "My real name is
Magami Eiko, and I work for the Government.  We've been after those
guys for a while," she concocted, figuring that was good enough.
	"Hajimemashite, Magami Eiko.  *Now* will you have dinner
with me?" he asked, trying out his best puppy-dog eyes.
	She flushed even deeper, then smiled pleasantly -- and
shook her head.  "I'm sorry...  But I can't," she replied,
sympathetically.  "I just found out my job is going to take me out
of the country," she stated, reaching over and fixing his hair.
"If it makes any difference, I was...  Considering it before all
this happened," she added, a slight glint in her eyes.
	He sighed.  "Well, I won't pretend I'm not disappointed," 
he added, with a weak smile.
	She looked back at him and smiled again.  "Neither will I,"
she winked, then turned to walk away.  "Ja ne!" she waved, as she 
strode off across the street.
	For his part, all he could do was shake his head and watch
her go.




====================================================================
END - Nothing Ventured             A Project: A-Ko Fanfic by Coutuva 
	
Comments Welcomed - Flames Extinguished!
coutuva@gmail.com