She threw her coat non-chalantly onto a nearby table and slumped onto her
stairs. Her thoughts and emotions were fighting mercilessly, the two combos
not mixing well. Her mind was telling her to be angry, to hate the man
with whom success had come so easily too. She envied him with a passion, the
thought him arrousing feelings she never knew she could have. Success
had not been easy for her. Her first book had proved semi-successful,
but the real fame hadn't come until her second book went out on sale.
The popularity of that second one had fueled her and now she'd made it
into a series of four books so far. She loved writing stories like
those, where the character was so realistic that it was like looking at
your own biography.
Of course, that was her mental view on the situation. Her heart
was a totally different matter. The sound of it gave her shivers and
made her knees go weak. Not because she was in love with him or
anything, just because he was a major hunk. He had a powerful aura
about him that was both foreboding and frightening. She'd never read
his book either, now that she thought about it. Maybe he's really good.
She was knocked out of her thoughts by the insistent and
annoying ring of her telephone. She reluctantly rose from her position
and walked over to the kitchen. She answered it and rubbed her butt
which was sore from sitting their for so long.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Hello?"
Usagi nearly dropped the phone. 'It couldn't be him. No. Way.'
"Hello? Is this the Tsukino residence?"
"Yes, this is." she answered after a few moments, finally
finding her voice. His voice was so deep on the phone that she was
almost lulled into a semi-dreamlike state.
"Usagi?"
"Yeah Chiba-san?"
"Oh, I wasn't sure if you knew if it was me or not," he stated.
She leaned against the counter waiting for him to say something. She
rolled her eyes, then remembering he couldn't see her, she spoke.
"Eh, Chiba-san?"
"Yeah?"
"Why'd you call?" She bit her lip in an attempt to hold in her
laughter when she heard him smacking his hand to his forehead.
"Right. Sorry. Um, I was just calling too...too..."
"Too...too...?" she imitated, bursting out with the laughter
she'd tried so hard to surpress. She sank down to the tiled floor,
clutching at her sides as the laughter shook her body.
He, hearing her, too joined in the laughter. He wasn't positive
as to why he called, but hearing her voice had made him glad he did. He
knew that she didn't exactly *like* him, you'd have to be blind (AN-no
offense to the blind) not to see she held him in disdain.
But that didn't stop him for trying. He was a very persistent man and
didn't let petty things like disdain get in the way of what he wanted.
That's what he did in the past, and he knew that he wouldn't stop any
time soon.
Her laughed died down and she found herself smiling like an
idiot when she heard his deep voice showing amusement in a *very*
appealing way.
He noticed that she'd stopped laughing and coughed below his
breath, using it to grab her attention once again.
"Right. I called to ask you if you'd like to go for dinner
again."
The words just came out of his mouth, no second thoughts even
entering his mind. It had just seemed natural and now that he'd said
them, he doubted he'd take them back.
"Sure," she replied. Her mind began berating her as soon as
she said them. 'What do you mean sure?! He's your ENEMY. Get
it E-N-E-M-Y. Meaning not your friend, your competition, hands off..'
her mind drawled on.
'Shut up will ya? It's obvious she isn't listening to you,' her
heart stated matter-of-factly. It did so and sweat-dropped as, indeed,
she was out of it.
"Oh great. What are you doing, say Saturday night," he asked
as he had gotten over the surprise of her agreement to his proposition.
"I'm free. Say 7 o'clock?"
"That's great. I'll pick you up."
"Okay."
"Great. Oh, I've gotta go. I'll talk to you before then though,
of course."
"You promise," she said in a deep, flirtacious tone. Her mind
was in over-drive by now. 'WHAT?! YOUR FLIRTING WITH HIM?!'
'SHUT UP!! You'd think the worlds greatest computer *smirk*
would have figured out that this is a losing battle.'
Brain grumbles.
"I promise. Bye."
"Bye."
She rested the phone gently on it's cradle, her body feeling
light-weight and free. She ingnored the constant reminder of her mind
until one thought struck her dead-on, causing her to freeze in her
tracks.
"Motoki," she whispered, realization finally hitting her. Motoki,
her agent, her love. No, not her love. It was just a fling that had no real
meaning. In fact if she didn't know any better he could be with another girl
at the same moment.
The thought made her feel a little less guilty, but not much.
Shaking her head, she rubbed her forehead and went up to her room, her only
intent to get sleep. LOTS of sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ding-dong.
Her eyes fluttered open and shut almost immediately as the
intense gaze of the morning sun nearly blinded her.
Ding-dong.
She rolled over and grabbed a nearby pillow, covering her
head with it. She shrouded the blanket around herself and
snuggled into it's immense warmth. The sound of her door quietly
squeaking open startled her only a little, then she passed it off for Luna.
"Morning beautiful," a deep male voice whispered in her ear,
his lips gently brushing against them and causing shivers to run up
and down her spine.
"Morning," she replied sleepily as she rolled onto her back and
wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled him in for a long kiss,
feeling him smile above her lips. He tossed the flowers aside and
brought her closer with a hand on her slim waist. She shrunk away a
second, but soon returned to him so he wouldn't think anything
was wrong. She prayed in her mind that he hadn't noticed.
"Usagi, babe, you okay?"
Damn, she cursed mentally. She plastered on a smile and looked
up at him from underneath those unbelievably long eyelashes of hers and
brought up a hand to rub his cheek.
"Now that your here, Motoki dear."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
One hour later, Usagi stared up into the closed eyes of her
blond lover. He'd been asleep for the past 10 minutes. 'I guess our
morning *cough* activities tired him out.' She rest her head on his
shoulders and gazed with guilty eyes at her hands. For a reason unknown
to her, she felt like she was betraying Mamoru, not Motoki.
'Just where do your loyalties lie, missy? You owe Motoki *BIG
TIME*. He *made* you. You'd still be writing stories on paper towels if
it wasn't for him. You have a great way of showing gratitude,' her mind
berated her.
She let out a long, frustrating sigh and climbed out of his
arms with practiced ease. She grabbed a nearby robe and covered her form,
suddenlyfeeling ashamed of her own body. He groaned a little and she froze,
almost tripping on the bedside table. He turned over and she slapped a
hand to her forehead, reminding herself of her conversation with
Mamoru. Usagi got this peaceful look on her face as she thought about
their conversation. Okay, well the look wasn't really about the
conversation per say, but just at the sound of his name she admitted to
herself.
The sound of her feet on the carpet was barely audible above
the sound of his now-loud snoring. She gave out a half-amused laugh and
put on some cocoa, since coffee didn't appeal to her much. 'Caffeine
clouds the creative mind' she recalled a college proffesor of hers
once telling during a lecture.
The time on the little digital screen read nine-twenty, it's
flashing red light almost mocking her with the fact that she was going
to be late.
She ran up her stairs and rushed past a sleeping Motoki into
her closet. Throwing on the nearest item of clothing, she almost
fainted when she saw what she was wearing in the hallway mirror. The
dress had been given to her by her friend Minako as a birthday present.
It had deep V-cutthe went down to her belly button and was navy blue in
color. She just threw up her hands in an act of frustration and flew
down the stairs and out the door, giving herself a mental reminder to
call Motoki.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Naru glanced up for only a second from her laptop when
her boss came in, the returned her gaze to the screen.
"Morning Naru," Usagi greeted. Her voice sounded forced, but
Usagi didn't really care that much at the moment.
"Do I have any appointments today?"
"Yes," she raised questioning eyes to her boss, "with Chiba
Mamoru."
Usagi gave a slight nod and walked into her office. She closed
the door behind herself and layed back against, rubbing the sweat from
her brow. The air-conditioning of her space sent a chill
through her since the dress was sleeveless. 'Why do we have the air-
conditioner on in the middle of winter? I guess I'll have to talk to
Naru.' Coming out of her thoughts, she sat down in her desk and turned
on the laptop. The smiling face of her nephew welcoming her. 'He just
turned eighteen didn't he?'
A message flashed at the bottom of her screen indicating that
she had an email. Moving the little arrow over it, she clicked and a
new screen popped up.
-Usagi-
Isono and I were planning on taking a vacation for the weekend
and were wondering if our son Loi (AN-don't ask) could stay with you.
I don't think he'll be too much of a problem now that he's eighteen.
Well email me a.s.a.p. okay?
-Shingo-
She clicked on the compose button and began.
-Shingo-
It would be great to have him stay. I haven't seen him since
the last time you visited from Kyoto. Just tell me where to pick him
up.
-Usagi-
Usagi closed out the online screen and opened up her story
from the day before. She'd gotten plenty of ideas for her male
character thanks to Mamo-chan. She fingers froze and her body tensed
up. 'Mamo-chan?!' She bit her tongue to try and hold down the feeling
she'd gotten just from thinking that, but failed miserably and let
her shoulders sink down. Her eyelids closed and she was lost to the
torture of reality.
She began to think about what he would look like with his
shirt off. 'Not bad I bet.' She opened her eyes and remembered that
she had to call Motoki and tell him where she'd gone so soon.
"Naru?" she asked over the phone speaker.
"Yes Usagi?"
"Can you dial Motoki's cell?"
"Yes ma'am."
After a few seconds, she heard a click and then the ring.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Motoki? It's me, Usagi. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry
for leaving so soon. I had to get to work. You don't have to leave
right away. Feel free to make yourself at home. Oh, I'm expecting
company after I get home so do you think you could leave after that?"
"Sure. Bye," click.
'That was easy. Of course, wouldn't I want it to be easy? It's
not like I need that extra kind of stress right now.'
Her attention returned to her story and continued to stay there
for the next three hours.
Usagi's body jerked away from a hand when it reached out to
touch her. Her wide eyes leapt from the fingers to the face and they
grew even wider.
"Hey Usagi. Did you forget about lunch? Or did your secretary
just not tell you?"
"Yes, she told me. I just... I was just so caught up in your
eyes..I mean my writing..." she rambled, her embarrassment rising to
unfathomable levels. He gave her a sexy half-grin and pulled her up.
"Whoah," he stepped back. "Nice to see you got dressed up."
Her eyes asked him what he meant, then she looked down. She
blushed to her roots and looked down at the floor.
"We should get going or we'll be late for the reservation."
"Where are going that you'd need a reservation?" she asked as
he led her through the door and down the hall.
"That's a surprise."
She looked into his eyes with her own nervous ones. They
glittered in a comforting way and she let out a breath she hadn't
known she'd been holding in.
They didn't say anything as the limo drove them around the
city. It stopped by a small marina with a little red and white sign
reading 'Arrggh' on it. She raised an eyebrow to him but he didn't seem
to notice.
"Come on."
She followed him after hesitating a little. He led her
down a couple of stairs until she saw a nice looking yacht tied to the
end of the pier.
"Is that where we going?" she asked.
He nodded and pulled her along beside him. He put his hands
around her waist when they stopped, and her head turned to stare into
his teasing blue eyes.
"Don't worry about it. I just want to make sure you don't fall
in the water."
"Oh," she muttered in relief/dissapointment. Which one she
really didn't know.
He lifted her petite figure into the boat with ease, and Usagi
noticed that the places he'd touched were now cold without that sense
of security. He soon joined her and walked around to the
other side where the wheel was. She walked over and leaned against a
railing as he began driving them out to the middle of the bay.
'She makes quite a sight,' he thought to himself as he snuck a
look at her. She did look magnificent, her blond hair flying in the
wind like that. And if the sun hits it just right it looks like gold.'
He rolled his eyes at himself when he realized he was turning poet over
this girl.
Her head turned to face him just as he looked away. She'd seen
that look in his eyes. It was un-mistakable. He'd been looking at her
as one would would a wife/husband. That look was filled with awe and
love, both very flattering emotions she thought she had yet to feel.
Blushing once again to great extents, she turned back towards the
water.
The sight was quite breathtaking. The sky's clear blue color
shone with clarity on the water which was highlighted by the white-caps
that formed from the slight breeze. A high shriek caught her attention
and she looked with alarm ahead of her. She had to strain her eyes in
order to see them. Her peripheral vision picked up a pair of binoculars
which she grabbed without a second thought. She brought them up to her
eyes and saw that the scream had come from a woman being balanced on a
man's shoulders while water-skiing.
She felt the boat come to a stop. The binoculars fell from her
hand, but slammed into her chest since the strap was around her neck.
Usagi saw that the item had opened up the already too-revealing
neckline showing something that would have made a priest faint. She
heard him coming up behind her and she quickly pulled the material shut
and spun around, startling him.
Their eyes met and locked, everything once again being focused
entirely on the other. A stray piece of hair flew past her eye and he
lifted up one hand to brush it behind her ear. His hand stayed their
and brought her head to his. Their lips met in a gentle kiss, the
sweetness of it almost overwhelming them both. They pulled away only a
little making sure that they could still feel the heat radiating from
the other.
Both their eyes closed and they came together once again. This
one was much like the first, only longer. The kiss didn't need to get
really heated just yet. His intent had been to see if he'd have a
chance which the first kiss had proven. The second one however, was
just for the heck of it. Both were content just being connected in that
way, each reveling in the feel.
Usagi pulled an arms length away from him. Her hands rested
on his green jacket and rubbed the material underneath. She smiled and
drew little pictures on it with one finger. He caught it with his own
hands and gave it a light kiss. She giggled and pushed him with little
pressure sending him back a step.
"Ready to eat?"
"Yeah."
"Here it is."
He stepped away and behind him was a dark mahogony table set
with all the basics. She walked over to a chair and tried to seat
herself. TRIED. He insisted on pulling it out for her, which would have
flattered practically anyone. Anyone except for her. When Usagi was
waiting to eat, anything like that was just a waste of time. She'd
started eating even before he had the chance to get to his own place.
His eyes followed her every movement as she poured the dressing on her
salad and began to eat. Her sky blue eyes glanced every which way
and closed everytime she swallowed, a look of peacefullness crossing
her features.
"I take it that you like it."
She nodded her head and finished the rest of it, swallowing the
remainders down with a sip of her water. Her gaze met his and she
looked away, suddenly becoming very aware of what she was doing. She
glanced at him again to see that he was still watching her.
"What? What am I doing that's more fascinating than your food?"
He furrowed his eyebrows in a questioning manner seeming to
have no idea what she was talking about.
"Why are you staring at me?"
"Oh. Because you look beautiful when you eat," he said as he
shrugged his shoulders.
She took in a breath and began to say something but stopped.
Instead, she held it, then released and continued to eat. He couldn't
help but laugh at the picture she made.
He finally gave into his own stomach's need for hunger and
ate his own meal in complete silence. It wasn't until the last strip of
steak* had been eaten that the conversation began again.
Usagi folded her napkin into a little triangle and set it on
her plate. She slouched into her chair and layed her head back letting
out a long, heavy sigh of fulfillment.
"Mamoru," she asked.
"Yep," he answered as did the same.
"Do you have any ice cream?"
One eye shot open and he saw her looking at him with hope
sparkling in her eyes.
"I think I might in the cabin. Do you wanna check?"
"Sure."
Usagi turned away from him and bent her knees slightly as she
went through the angled doorway. It was dimly lit with the only light
being reflected in from a nearby mirror. She stumbled on a table and
landed face first on a couch.
"Dammit," she yelled at no one in particular. She rose from the
seat and continued to fumble her way through the cabin. Her hands
finally grasped a cool surface and she pulled on the handle. Light
engulfed the room and she found herself face-to-face with not one, but
four different ice cream gallons. Her eyes roamed the bounty before
her with hungry eyes, devouring the cool treats with only her gaze.Her
hands reached out and grabbed them all, pulling them possessively into
her clutches.
Her fingers searched the nearby wall blindly, feeling for the
light switch. She was suddenly surrounded in the lights and saw Mamoru
standing on the steps, his finger resting on the elusive light switch.
"Hey, I see you found some. Well not some, a lot!!"
She gave a triumphant grin and sat down and the couch she had
fallen into before.
"Do you have any spoons?"
"Yep, here you go."
She took it and flipped open the top of each one. She lay back
in the seat and looked at each container with a look of seriousness.
"What are you doing," he asked.
"Me? Oh I'm just deciding what order to scoop it in."
"Well that's easy. You take a scoop of either the cherry,
chocolate, orange, or mint chocolate."
"Not me. You see, I scoop one of each onto the spoon when I eat
ice cream and the order is very complex."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"Because the order affects the taste results. You don't want to
eat your chocolate and have it be followed by orange. Mint chocolate
isn't the best choice either. So you use cherry. Cherry followed by
orange would be the next choice and you'd begin with mint chocolate
chip. That way, you get the best tastes each flavor can provide," she
rushed out.
Mamoru just stared at her. 'This is one *strange* woman.
Interesting, but very, VERY strange.'
Deciding against the chance of him responding any time soon,
she scooped the flavors in the decided order and groaned in enjoyment.
That little sound had shocked him out of his trance and back to
reality. Her hands were outstretched in offering to him. He smiled and
took a scoop in her order and was surprised to see that she was right.
"You were right. This *IS* really good."
"Of course it is," she stated.
"I wouldn't do it if it wasn't. You see, I believe that if your
gonna spend the precious moments of your life doing something, you
should be enjoying the heck out of it when you do. I mean, what's the
point of doing it otherwise. Why choose to do something when it only
takes away from other fun things."
"Are you enjoying this?"
She looked at him and saw that he wasn't talking about the ice
cream. His eyes were partially opened and focusing only on her. She
could see what the answer would mean to him. The answer was simple.
"I wouldn't rather be anywhere else."