Misaki Ayuzawa sat in her seat at the bar and sipped her mojito. She had just left the courthouse after she had won her latest case. She wanted to wind down before she went home to Aoi. She had been with Aoi for 6 years and she had been happier than she thought possible.

Lately Aoi had been logging so many hours at work that Misa had felt abandoned. She had went to his shop a few days prior and it had been locked. She used her key to enter through the back and had walked in on him with his assistant.

Misaki had been shocked into silence and had walked back out the door and all the way home. Later, Aoi had come home and apologized profusely saying that it was a mistake and that it would never happen again.

All night, Misa had watched Aoi when he wasn't looking. She wanted to pay more attention to his actions. Had he been giving her signals that he was unhappy? He always seemed to be his same happy self.

Now sitting at the bar with her drink, she couldn't decide what she wanted to do. Aoi had been attentive and had tried to prove how sorry he was, but getting over being cheated on was not as easy as a few sorry.

But hiding in a bar was not the answer. Misaki downed her drink and stood. As she turned to leave, she walked into a very firm chest. She was knocked off balance and strong hands reached out to steady her.

"I am so sorry. I did not see you there."

"And here I thought a beautiful girl was throwing herself at me. But apology accepted and no harm done. Would you like another drink? It's on me."

"No thank you. I really should be getting home. Have a nice evening sir."

"Call me Takumi. And if you ever change your mind, come see me here again sometime."

Misaki left the bar and slowly walked towards home. She didn't know what she was going to say to Aoi, but she did feel slightly better. Misa's subconscious was yelling in her ear. Why would you feel better just because a cute guy offered to buy you a drink? Do you want to have other men fawning over you? Do you need attention that badly?

Misaki shook her head at her internal conundrum. She would just talk to Aoi and sort everything out. Walking up to her house, Misa decided that she would do what was needed to make things work with Aoi. The house was dark so Misaki turned on a few lights. She was stunned at the sight. Almost all the furniture in the house was gone.

Walking through the rooms, Misa stopped in front of her bedroom door. It was closed and she was afraid to open the door and meet her fate. She gently turned the knob and pushed open the door. The room looked normal, save for a piece of paper sitting on the bed. She crossed the room and lifted the paper in her hands. She sank to the floor as she began reading.

My dearest Misaki,

I have loved you from the first time I met you at Maid Latte. Spending time with you was a rare treat and I was shocked to find out that you had feelings for me, as I did for you. These past 6 years have been amazing and I would not have been amazing and I would not have wanted to spend them with anyone else. But I have wronged you and I can never take that back. I can not stay with you and continue to see the hurt that I have caused reflected in your beautiful eyes. I want you to know that someday maybe you can forgive me and we can once again be friends. I wish for you to keep the house and make a new, happier life. I love you and I am sorry.

Aoi

The words were read over and over but the pain just didn't register. Aoi is gone, so why am I not crying? I should be sad, devastated, emotional and angry, but I feel nothing. Why? Misaki could not even answer her own questions. Maybe she was in shock, or maybe she just really did not care for Aoi as she thought.

Standing up, Misa decided she did not want to be in this empty house at the moment. She did not work for the rest of the week so she decided that she would go back to the bar for another drink or two. Who was going to stop her and tell her she had enough? She didn't care because she was alone now.

The bar was a little busier than it had been not long ago. She found an empty seat at the end of the bar and contemplated what to order. Usually she would order a mojito, but she felt like having something a little stronger. She waited for the bartender to make his way over and she was startled by a voice very close to her ear.

"So you decided to come back after all?"

Misaki looked up at the man and sighed. He was a very handsome man. He looked to be around her age, maybe 27 or 28. He had messy blonde hair and a set of piercing emerald eyes. His lips were lusciously pink and curved up into a provocative grin. He had a very thin line next to his eyes that was caused by the genuine smile that he wore. It made him look distinguished.

The man stood about a head taller than Misaki and he had broad shoulders and a slender figure that looked to be lean and toned. He wore a crisp baby blue dress shirt that was unbuttoned at the top to allow a few stray hairs to be visible and intrigue the mind. He also wore black slacks and shined black dress shoes. The cuffs of his shirt sleeves were rolled twice, allowing his slender wrists to be visible.

Misaki took in his appearance for the first time. She had met the man earlier but her mind was not processing details at the time. This man was gorgeous. She remembered that he called himself Takumi, but she did not know if that was his given name or surname. She smiled politely.

"My plans fell through so I decided another drink was in order. I wanted to celebrate."

"Well what would you like to drink?"

"I normally drink mojitos but I want something slightly stronger without knocking me out."

"How do you like mango?"

"I love them."

"Then may I suggest a Patron Mangorita? They are fruity and not overpowering but they have tequila which is slightly stronger than the run in a mojito. I myself am partial to them."

"That sounds delicious. I think I will try one of those. Thank you for the suggestion."

The man signaled to the bartender, who asked the customer in front of him for patience and then made two drinks quickly and brought them over. He set the drinks on the bar, nodded in Takumi's direction and went back to his customer.

"How did he know what you wanted to order?"

"I told you I am partial to them. I drink them often enough that he should know."

"So you come here often then?"

"Yes, you could say that."

Misaki didn't know what to make of that comment, so she took the opportunity to take a sip of the drink in front of her. The liquid was sweet and delicious. Usually she preferred the tart lime, but the mango in this drink was a welcomed change.

"This drink is delicious. I can see why you like it so much."

"You looked like you needed some sweet to match your appearance."

"Um, well thank you. Now if the bartender would come back, I could pay him."

"The drink is already paid for so just enjoy it."

"I couldn't let you pay. Let me pay you please."

"Your presence and conversation are payment enough. I know the owner so it isn't a big deal."

"Well, alright but this is the only time. I do not like being in debt to others."

"Are you hungry?"

"What? That was a random question."

"Well, are you?"

"Slightly. I will probably go eat after I leave here."

"Have dinner with me? No one wants to celebrate alone. I can celebrate with you."

"Normally I would decline, but... tonight, I think I would like the company. Thank you. I would love to. Where shall we go?"

"Well there is a hotel adjoined to the bar that has a quiet restaurant. We could go there or you can pick any place you like. It is your celebration after all."

"The hotel restaurant sounds lovely. But may I ask a question?"

"Of course. As me anything."

"Is Takumi your given or surname?"

"Given. My surname is Walker."

"As in the bar we are in? Walk-in to Walkers?"

"Yup, I said I knew the owner. *wink*"

"Well Mr. Walker, are there any more surprises I should know about?"

"The hotel and restaurant are also part of Walker Inc. And we have hundreds of businesses scattered across Japan."

"So you come from a rich family?"

"Not exactly. But if you'd like, I could tell you more about myself over that dinner. Then you could be the judge."

"Fair enough. Lead the way."