Maybe One Day
By Saltwater Romance

Chapter 1: Sambuca

It wasn't that he was anything out of the ordinary. In fact, his brown eyes didn't stand out against his tanned skin. His hair was shaved close to his head because he hated—absolutely hated—his curls. He had a crooked smile and a body that revealed the lack of time he spent at the gym. But dear god, the way he made her feel.

The way his calloused hands ghosted up and down her calves whenever they sat watching the sunset together. The way his breath hitched right before he tilted her face to meld their lips together. The way his long eyelashes brushed against her neck whenever he rested on her. The way his pulse and hers raced in tandem when they first held hands. The way he would look at her with a twinkle in his eyes and she would wonder why she ever thought that they were a bland color. The way his arm would sling around her casually when they were around his friends, but his grip spoke of proprietary.

He was a man of few words. So she held them close to her heart.

When he first saw her—truly saw her, his hands reached out as if he was helpless in face of the beauty of her flaws. He caressed her reverently. You're beautiful he said, over and over until the words were branded in her soul.

He would never say anything just to comfort her or promise her the moon and the stars. But when she looked into his eyes—really looked—she knew that she was okay with that. He would move mountains for her.

So with that final thought about him, she tore up the last picture featuring the two of them as her dear friend grinned in approval, "See Anna. Doesn't this make you feel better?"

Not really.

She offered a weak smile before her friend reached over to rub her back, "Anna. Sweetie. It's been over a year since you've last seen him. Remember how he severed all ties with you? Just up and left without a trace?"

Yeah, and it hurt.

She sighed, "I know Sumire. I know."

"Good," Sumire clapped her hands, and Anna knew that she was going to hear a lecture she's heard repeatedly over the past six months. It stung more than Sumire's previous mantra of getting laid and forgetting what a jerk Mochiage was because now she had to listen to the pity laced in the stunning lady's voice.

"I understand that he was the first guy that you let yourself be vulnerable around. And yeah, he had his sweet moments. But honestly, he was a world class jerk. And there are so many other men out there if you would just let go," Sumire sat beside her on the couch and touched her arm, "Honey, we've all been there, and trust me, in a couple months, you'll see that he was never worthy of you."

Anna snorted rather unladylike. Sumire and Mochiage didn't get along on sight. Sumire thought that he was unreliable and flaky and distrusted him completely. Mochiage thought that Sumire was overly demanding and catty and figured that Anna was being walked all over on. He thought that he knew best when he argued with Sumire; although the two thought they were like night and day, they were cut from the same cloth in actuality. They were both stubborn and unafraid to voice their opinions and defend their stances. And they both cared for her.

Sumire growled as she waved her hand in front of Mochiage's face, "Are you sure you can walk her home?"

"Yes," Mochiage crossed his arms.

Sumire narrowed her gorgeous eyes as she accused, "You're not even sober. How can I trust you?"

Anna placed her hand against her friend's arm, placating her, "I trust him."

"I swear. If I find even a single scratch on her tomorrow morning, I will castrate you," Sumire finally relented, albeit with a warning to Mochiage, "Not only that, I will kill your puppy and cook it in a stew and make you eat it. All of it."

Sumire then shot her dearest friend a concerned look, "Honey, call me if anything goes wrong okay?"

Anna laughed and they embraced, "Be safe, Sumire."

"Same to you," Sumire stared pointedly at Mochiage.

His face was a block of ice when they departed the party. Anna nudged his hand, "Is everything okay?"

"I can't believe she doesn't think that I can take care of you," Mochiage seethed. Anna bit back a giggle as he wobbled next to her. Her macho Mochiage. Maybe it would be her walking him home that night.

"Why do you let her treat you like that?" he glanced over at her; sober thoughts pouring out of a drunken mouth, "I'm sorry Anna, but she babies you. Correction. She tries to dictate how you live. That's not friendship."

Anna had shrugged off his words at the time, knowing that the two of them were only expressing their concern over her well-being. But a year and five months after his assessment, it was clear who really cherished her.

Sumire wore her I-just-swallowed-the-canary look, "Say. What do you think of heading to Koko's and getting him to fix you right up?"

Doubtful.

Anna still smiled and swallowed her apprehension, "I would love that."

She stood up, "Want me to drive or do you want to?"

Sumire laughed and grabbed her pocketbook, "You're blocking me in, Sugar. But I'll drive your car if you're not up to it."

Anna shook her head and confessed, "I haven't driven since I left for the school year, and you drive me everywhere. It's my turn."

That wasn't Anna's only reason. Sumire was hotheaded and impatient behind the wheel. Her guile was what saved her from three tickets this past month alone. Though she had yet to get into an accident, she still hit the brakes too hard and stopped the car too close to the one in front.

"Just don't hit the neighbor's truck when you back out," Sumire cautioned because Anna was the real danger to the streets; she was absentminded.

Fortunately, the two hopped out of the vehicle with all limbs attached forty minutes later. The bar was empty, typical on a Monday night. Koko was chatting with his manager when he spotted the two girls. He ran his fingers through the spikes of his hair, "Well, well, well. If it isn't my two favorite ladies."

Sumire sat on the barstool in front of him, "Blue Hawaiian."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Koko cocked an eyebrow.

"Please."

He shook his head, and she rolled her eyes. She pulled herself up and leaned over to give him a kiss. He patted her cheek indulgingly, "Now, that wasn't too hard was it?"

Anna giggled, "Buttery nipple and keep the shots coming."

"Hello to you too, Anna," Koko grinned, but stayed still.

"I'm not kissing you," she laughed.

"Well, it was worth a try," Koko winked at her before ruffling her hair, "No tweakin Puerto Ricans?"

"Not tonight," Anna shrugged before teasing, "Tsubasa makes them better than you anyway."

He clutched his chest, "A bullet to my heart! I think I'm too hurt to even make these drinks now!"

Sumire grabbed the dishtowel hanging from his backpocket and snapped it at him, "Better get to it!"

"You are a slave-driver aren't you?" Koko growled.

Sumire smirked, "You can spank me when you get off shift."

He sent her a heated gaze before setting to work. Anna just chuckled at their interaction, already used to their unabashed foreplay.

"Do you want some of my drink?" Sumire tilted the straw.

"No thanks. Koko always puts too much vodka in it for me to care for," she preferred anything but that clear liquor, "Want one of my shots?"

It was Sumire's time to be disgusted, though she didn't bother to hide it, "Me and butterscotch really don't get along. It makes me nauseous sitting so close to you."

Anna didn't bother feeling guilty, "Your loss."

One by one, she tipped each shot into her mouth. She then stacked the glasses up and nudged them towards Koko, "One more."

"Anna. That was four in total. And you can fit into my pocket."

"It's okay, I have her keys," Sumire vouched for her.

Anna nodded, "I have the afternoon shift tomorrow."

Koko shook his head, "It's the law Anna, I'm sorry. I have to cut you off."

She frowned, "Koko. We've been beer pong partners. You know how much I can handle."

"We aren't teenagers anymore," he stood firm.

"I'll play you for it," she gestured to the billiard table.

Koko grinned, "And this is how I know you're drunk. Anna you suck at pool."

She didn't listen. She marched over to the table and racked the balls, "Do you want to break?"

Sumire egged him on, "You're chicken if you don't play."

And that solidified his decision. Anna broke, and she was solids.

"Beginner's luck," he frowned when she moved around him and hit the 7 ball in. That was three in a row now.

She shrugged and lined up her shot.

The 5 ball sunk in. Four in a row.

"Babe, you're losing. Bad," Sumire gloated from behind him.

The frown never left his face. How was Anna not wobbling?

After she narrowly missed hitting the 8 ball into one of the pockets, it was his turn. He managed to sink in two, but Anna only had two before she won the game. She knocked in last ball with ease and called out the pocket. She closed one eye and lined up her shot. The cue stick kissed the white ball, which knocked into the black one. She won.

"You hustled me!"

"Wouldn't dream of doing that," she slurred gleefully as she stumbled into the table. Sumire hid a smile behind her hand. The alcohol finally hit Anna's system.

"A bet is a bet," Sumire crowed, "What drink do you want, Honey?"

"Long Island Iced Tea."

Koko groaned. Of course she would want that. She might as well have asked for jungle juice or just drank straight out of the bottle. She's either going to wind up dead tomorrow morning or wishing she was with that hangover. Sumire patted him sympathetically, "It'll be okay. She's stronger than she looks."

They watched her carefully make her way to the bathroom, attempting to hide her wooziness.

"I hope so."

The bathroom for the women's room was a loud bubble gum pink, but at least toilet paper wasn't strewn across the floor and drenched in questionable liquids like the last time she was in there. She entered the first stall and did her business. When she walked out, she was face to face with a man. What else could she do besides shriek at the top of her lungs?

"My eardrums," the stranger sighed and adjusted his red-framed glasses.

"Serves you right," Anna replied back moodily, already finished with her drink.

Koko pressed his lips together to withhold a chuckle, "What were you doing in the women's bathroom anyway, Kitsu?"

"It's cleaner," he shrugged unapologetically.

Sumire laughed outright, "Anna, this is Koko's best friend, Kitsu. You can see how they ended up being friends, huh?"

Anna stabbed at the ice in her glass mutinously. She could have died from a heart attack! There was no way she wanted to play nice to the culprit of her scare. Sumire didn't mind, "He's a cook here."

Another stab.

"Is she always this friendly?" Kitsu stage-whispered.

"Nah, she's just a grumpy drunk," Koko answered back in the same hushed tone.

Kitsu looked affronted, "I should be the grumpy one! She busted my eardrum! I might be deaf forever."

That broke Anna's silence since her incident, "You can hear fine if you can respond to Koko's whispering."

It was like she never spoke.

"See what I mean? Gruuuumpy!"

"Man, I don't think I would want to see her sober. Mean drunk equals to a meaner sober."

"She's kicked my balls before," Koko affirmed.

"Ouch."

"Tell me about it. Then she had the audacity to laugh. Laugh!" Koko covered his face in remembrance, "I might never have the ability to have children again, and she just stood in front of me laughing!"

"Harsh."

"Sumire, let's go," Anna stood up.

"Goodbye sweetheart," Sumire waved as Anna tugged her along.

Koko stood up, "But what about your spanking?"

"Come over when you close up," Sumire blew him a kiss, and she exited the door.

"Kinky."

"I know," Koko waggled his eyebrows, "Jealous?"

"Very," Kitsu sighed, "Very."