On the Surface: Part 1: Sasuke's Story
Chapter One: Pilot
I open my eyes and my dream fades into the morning. I can barely remember what it was about, but I remember a bright light, and a hospital room. There was a camera and a TV. There were some chairs, and just one other person, sitting across from me. It had been a woman—a beautiful woman. Her smile reminded me of my mother…
I rub my eyes and sit up. There's more to that dream, I know. But I can't spend too long dwelling on unrealities, especially when I have an important meeting in just a couple hours.
I step out of the large bed and look around the motel room. I could afford the more expensive room, of course, but I'd decided to rent a regular room on a whim. It isn't shabby or anything like that. It has a great view of the city. Either way, Paris has its charms.
I try to think about my dream one last time before I head to the bathroom to shower, but now all fragments of it are gone and there's no hope for me to remember anything. It's strange how simple it is to forget a dream, and yet realities will often haunt a person until they die.
I take a quick shower and find a pair of sweatpants to throw on from my unpacked bags. I reach over to my nightstand and check my phone.
A little over an hour left… Plenty of time.
And no messages, either, which is a nice surprise. Recently, I've been getting strange texts from Naruto about some new girlfriend—He says he's serious about this one, but I don't think he's serious about anything. Maybe a strong-willed girl could straighten him out, but I have my doubts.
I ruffle a towel through my spikey, black hair and then toss it aside. This meeting should be quick, and then maybe an interview if I have time afterward. Then it's back home… I can't believe I'm actually getting homesick after only a couple days, but I guess I am.
I get changed and grab some papers out of my suitcase—there's no need to bring the whole thing along. I shove a few large bills into my back pocket before heading out the door.
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I stare out the window at the skyline, right where the bright blue of the sky meets the top of the buildings surrounding the office. My mood is quite flat. I'm getting bored. I never thought I was the type to sit in office buildings and have important meetings with strangers and have a woman bringing me coffee this early in the morning.
She's in a red cocktail dress, and she walks perfectly in what had to be five or six-inch heels. She has a pretty face, and wears makeup well, but her smile looks fake as she hands out mugs to the other people around the oblong table. I take my coffee with sugar and cream, even though I would prefer it black, just because it's already been prepared.
"That concludes our part of this meeting," a man says, and I look across the table at him. He's elderly, and has trouble sitting back down in his chair. Another, younger man stands from his seat and starts pointing to the PowerPoint presentation on the board at the head of the room. He's talking about some cargo shipments and freighters off the coast. When I hear him start talking numbers and percentages, my attention goes back to the Paris skyline out the window.
No one is going to say anything. They never do. I could fall asleep at one of these meetings and I'd never hear a peep about it for all my life. Besides, I'm not here alone. A few higher-up people from my company are here as well. So is my personal secretary, but I haven't seen her since the formal party. Maybe she slept in. I wouldn't be surprised. She drank a little too much last night and I'm not her babysitter. Maybe she found some guy to take her back to his place. As long as she shows up for work…
"And that's all for the logistics department," the young man at the board says, returning to his seat. I look around the table. How long was I daydreaming…? My company's men are talking about the details of this arrangement. I'd gone over the paperwork for it on the plane ride over here, and I don't have a doubt that it'll go through. Their company has been making consistent progress over the past three years. If they want a loan, I see no problem in giving it to them. They were sincere enough. And I'd make a good profit off of it either way.
The power cuts off to the PowerPoint screen and I mentally sigh in relief. I'm handed some papers to sign and I do it quickly. I shake a few hands, force a few smiles and say a few formal phrases before heading for the elevator.
As soon as the door opens on the bottom floor, I'm surrounded. Camera flashes instantly blind me and I groan.
This is why I get homesick…
"Mr. Uchiha! If I may have a few words with you about this most recent alliance between your company and—"
"Mr. Uchiha! I just have one quick question for you! If I could have a moment of your time—"
"Mr. Uchiha! Would you like to comment on the drop in sales for Komuta Inc.? I've heard that the drop is a direct reflection of your company's—"
"All right, back it up, folks!" Shikamaru shouts, pushing his way through the crowd ahead of me, making a path to the exit. I roll my eyes once before putting on sunglasses to help hide my exasperation—and they help with the camera flashes, too. I brought Shikamaru along for cleanup, and here he thinks he's a bodyguard. Not that I mind, though. I should have hired a couple bodyguards to begin with, but I had other things on my mind. Plus, I didn't think I would need them. Apparently, I was wrong.
It takes a bit, but we make it out to the car and someone—I don't know who—opens the car door for me. I step inside and it closes. I quickly dig into my pocket and pull out a thin cigarette. I light it and sit back, feeling the car start moving.
"Here," Shikamaru says, handing me a couple business cards from the front seat. I take them slowly. "A few girls wanted to chat. They said to give you those. The numbers are on the back."
I raise an eyebrow at him and toss the cards onto the floor of the car, taking another breath of calming smoke. Shikamaru purposefully coughs and turns around in the passenger seat, facing forward. I don't give a fuck. He can crack a window if he really has a problem with it.
"You really need sunglasses on right now?" he asks, and I inhale slowly. I turn to look out the window of the car. I can't see the skyline from here. "Maybe you should go do one of those interviews. You know? Good for publicity and all."
"Maybe," I reply, taking another good breath. Shikamaru was always annoying, but the majority of the time, and when he wasn't being sarcastic, he knew what he was talking about.
"You look sick."
"I'm fine."
"Interview?"
"…Yea."
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When the day finally winds down, I just want to smoke for a while. I get dropped off at the motel and I walk back to my room. I light one just as I close the door behind me and I lean against the wall. I hate these formal things. I hate meetings and talking to bigshot people who think they're the shit everywhere they go. Granted, people probably see me in the same light, but I was never bred for this luxury life. The whole "face of the future", proud businessman, genius billionaire deal… If only they knew…
I lie down on the unmade mattress and figure that I forgot to hang the maid service sign on the door this morning. Whatever. I don't mind. The room seems to fit me better when it's a mess.
My phone vibrates in my pocket and I roll over to grab it, careful not to light the sheets on fire or drop a heap of ashes from the thin white stick in my mouth. I have to sleep here one more night, so I'm going to need this bed.
"Hello?" I mumble.
"Sasuke, are you all right?"
I pull the phone away from my ear and look at the screen—Anko. I should have checked the caller ID before picking up… I'm not in the mood for her and all their problems right now. I put the phone back to my ear.
"Why wouldn't I be?" I hope she can hear the flatness in my voice.
"Kara just said she found a pile of papers on your desk, and they looked important. She said they had information for that French company you went to meet with. Did you need them today?"
"Why was Kara going through my stuff?" I ask first, because that seems more important to me. They all know I hate it when they go through my shit.
"She was just cleaning. Give it a rest, Sasuke. Do you need the papers or not?" Bitchy, as usual…
"Probably not. Just mail them to whoever they're for."
"They need a stamp of approval and a signature."
"I'll call someone."
"I can do it."
"I'll call someone, Anko."
I hear her mumble something on the other end of the line and I look over at my cigarette.
"Fine," she finally replies, and I quickly hang up.
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It's almost sundown, and I get to go home tomorrow. Even though I don't need to, I head to the bathroom to take another shower. Maybe just to get the scent of smoke out of my skin. I should really cut back on that…
My phone rings as I rinse my hair, and again as I dry myself off. It rings a third time as I pull on the same pair of sweatpants as before and I assume it's probably important if it keeps ringing. I loosen the string around the waistband on my pants and pick up the phone.
"Jeez, Sasuke! How long does it take you to find your fucking phone?!"
I blink a few times in shock and confusion, and then my mood goes back to being flat.
"Naruto?" I should really start checking my caller IDs before picking up… And he sounds… weird. "Are you… drunk?"
"And so what if I am, huh?! Am I not allowed to be drunk? Well, excuse me for being a normal person sometimes!"
I pinch the bridge of my nose with two fingers. "I'm going to hang up now."
"Wait! Wait! I need your help!"
I pause. "A… Are you crying?" I'm slightly appalled.
"Ino… She… She… broke up with me! I don't know what happened! She was saying that she cared about me and so I felt like I could tell her how I felt and she said to leave her alone…"
"So… why are you calling me?"
"You have to help me…"
"Just call her."
"I can't."
"Stop acting childish and call her—"
"She's my Jinko!" Naruto shouted, and I pulled the phone away from my ear. His Jinko, huh…? Why would he even bring her up to me right now?
"Then let her go. You're better off without her."
"You don't understand…"
"You just said she's like Jinko was to me, right? So, let her go. Let her leave and forget about her, because she wasn't worth it to begin with."
"That's not it… I was just saying that she's important… She's special."
"Then sober up and call her."
"Can't you do something?" he hiccupped.
"No. I'm half a world away."
"I know you have a jet in Paris—"
"No, Naruto."
"You owe me!—"
"No."
"I can't live without her!"
"I'm hanging up."
"No, wait. I—"
As soon as I hang up and put my phone down, it rings again. I ignore it. It rings again, and I ignore it a second time. There's a break, so I stand and head for the bathroom to finish cleaning up. By the time I come back out, there are three new voicemails. I delete them without listening to them, and then it vibrates in my hand.
"Please help me," the text reads. I ignore that, too. It vibrates again. "I jump through hoops to help you when you ask me for something and you know it." I stare at the screen for a moment, and then it starts ringing again.
Of course he would bring up who owes who what right now… And after that package delivery he pulled yesterday, too… I pick the worst times to need something from him…
I sigh and pick up.
"I'll never ask you for anything ever again!" he shouts before I can get a word out.
"Do me a favor… Sober up."
"I'm not doing you any more favors…" He really sounds awful…
"I can probably be back in a couple hours."
"…You'll help me?"
"I don't know what you expect me to do."
"Just talk to her."
"I don't even know her."
"Just tell her I'm sorry."
"I'm not flying over there in a rush just to tell her that you're sorry, Naruto."
"But…" God, he sounds so pathetic...
"Fine. Just… tell me where to find her."
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I don't know what I'm doing or why I agreed to this in the first place, but after a long plane ride and quite a few cigarettes, I'm back in my hometown. Unfortunately, I'm in the college campus area right smack in the middle of all the hustle and bustle. I park my blue Camero in front of the dorm building and sigh. I should've brought something a little less conspicuous, but I didn't have the time to go back home and swap cars. Plus, then I'd have to see Anko and I'm putting that off for much later.
I check the note I made in my phone to double-check that I'm at the right address. Yea, this is the place…
I look up at it—it's a run-down, cheap building that looks old and like it's about to collapse. I never understood how colleges could house students in such crappy buildings for such high prices. Not that it was something I would ever have to worry about, but…
There aren't too many people around, so it's easy for me to get through the parking lot without anyone noticing me or my car. I pull off my sunglasses, stomp out my cigarette into the pavement, and enter the building. I climb the stairs and stop in front of the door. I roll my eyes once before hitting the doorbell. I still don't know what the fuck I'm supposed to say to this girl.
A long moment passes with no response. Maybe no one's home… I hit the bell again and I don't hear a response. If I came all the way down here for nothing, I'm going to be a little pissed off. I make a fist and try to be gentle as I hit the door insistently. But when I get to the second knock—
"What the hell do you want?!"
I freeze, my arm up in the air for a moment as the door swings open and an unsteady-looking young woman with bright pink hair glares daggers at me. Naruto certainly picks the strange ones…
"Um… Excuse me? …Miss Yamanaka?" I ask, lowering my arm. She looks like she could be set off by anything, so I decide to watch my words. Then I realize that she staring at me, mouth open, in surprise. And her eyes…
This is the right place… right?
I take a step back to check the number on the side of the door once more before turning back to the pink-haired girl. She doesn't even look like Naruto's type…
"Are you Miss Yamanaka?" I ask. This is the right room…
She shakes her head and I look at her eyes. They look like they're shaking, and now that I think about it, she seems… quite drunk.
"Oh… Well, is she available?" I ask. "I'd like to speak with her."
"She's, umm, throwing up right now."
And for some reason, I don't hear her. Instead, I find myself staring at her—her face. In her haze, her eyes are… quite bright, and beautifully green. And her pink hair… now that I think about it, I've never seen anything like it before. And her skin is pale, but rosy, probably from the alcohol. And in her state of mind, her lips are pink and pouty. She's an attractive young woman…
Snapping myself out of my delirious thoughts, I straighten myself and look at her professionally. I'm here for a reason, after all… But what did she just say?
"Excuse me?" I slowly ask.
"We got drunk," she says quickly, and I try not to wince when spit comes out of her mouth at the force of her words.
"Oh…"
And then she pauses and stares at me and I can feel myself straighten out even more. Why is she looking at me like that? Or right. Because I'm me. She's probably seen me on the news or something… But she's not saying anything or moving. She's just staring with those big green eyes…
"Can I come in?" I ask softly, feeling like she could easily be startled.
"S-Sure," she stammers, and I watch as she lowers her head. Did I do something to upset her? I twinge of something makes me frown. Why won't she look back up at me?
"Thank you," I say, taking a small step towards her. She still doesn't move and my frown deepens. Have I don't something wrong? And why should I care anyway? "Had a rough day?" I find myself asking the pink-haired college girl, and I realize I'm making small talk. She doesn't even respond to me though, so I decide not to press it further.
Pull it together… I'm here to say something to the other one and then I can go home… I don't have all day to waste with this.
"Where is Miss Yamanaka?" I ask, and I'm back to being formal with this college girl. I start trying to focus my blurry thoughts on something other than her. I'm sure Anko's probably being a bitch to everyone because I didn't stop home after Paris. I might as well go back there after this anyway to grab a few things to bring to the apartment.
"In the bathroom," she replies, and I watch as her head lifts and she looks back at me. Finally… But then a lively blush paints her high cheekbones and her bright eyes widen as she stares at me in… awe? Embarrassment?
And I don't know what's wrong with me. I shouldn't be surprised about it—this is usually the reaction I get from young women. But I blink a few times at her anyway. She raises her hand and points to a closed door to her left and I follow it and stare for a moment.
Oh, the bathroom.
I start to walk, but she lightly brushes my arm and I jump. Then I frown at my reaction. Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with me?
"Let me do it," she says, and for once she speaks with authority and clarity. And I listen. She gently raps on the door. "Ino," she says quietly. "Are you okay? Can I come in?" She seems as if she's quite mature, despite the alcohol consumption. After a moment of silence, she says, "Ino, I'm coming in now, okay?" And she opens the door. I lean forward to glance into the room and I catch a quick whiff of her shampoo's scent. It's light, and mixed with the familiar stench of booze, but it's nice…
"Sakura…" a voice says, and the only thing that goes through my mind for a moment is that one word. Her name is Sakura… Then I look down the long bathroom to find a pale-blonde girl crouching over the toilet, holding her stomach in both hands, curled up. She moans and I frown once again. They were both drinking? That's not safe. And I would know… "Ow, it hurts. Can you get me some Tylenol—?"
The blonde's words get caught in her throat as she sees me, past Sakura. Her jaw drops a little and I want to roll my eyes, but I contain myself. She's the typical "gorgeous blonde"—of course Naruto thinks he's in love. But I've had too many of these in just the past few years of my life, so the thought of another one doesn't appeal to me. Not that I'd be interested in Naruto's girl anyway.
As if on cue, the blonde closes her eyes for a moment, and when she opens them she's all business. She sits up straight before trying to stand. Her hands leave her stomach as she helps herself up. She brushes her fingers through her hair and flattens out her clothes. Yea, she's the typical woman all right… I can see traces of her smeared makeup under her eyes and her lipstick is a little too dark for my taste. I can tell she's confident about herself, but I'm out of her league.
"Oh… wow… Jeez, this is embarrassing," Ino finally says, and her comment is followed by a cutesy giggle. "Can I help you with something, Mr. Uchiha?"
I can see straight through you, sweetheart… And women like you are so easy to handle…
I walk past Sakura, catching another breeze of her distinct scent, and stop in front of the blonde. This is why I'm here, and yet I find the pink-haired girl quite the little distraction. It bothers me only because I can tell she has no idea. She didn't put on perfume, and I'm sure she thinks she looks like trash, but her skin lights up and her cheeks turn rosy when she meets my eyes. She thinks she's the unexceptional one…
"Miss Yamanaka. May I have a word with you?" I quickly say to the blonde. She lifts her chin, in a simple display of pride. It irks me a bit. "I'm here as a favor for a friend…"
"Naruto," she breathes, and I catch her eyes waver. She cares for him. That's good, at least. I nod at her.
"I don't know what he wants me to say to you, and to be honest, he should really do it himself. But, I owe him, so I'm here." And I can't believe I'm doing this, but since I'm here, I might as well put in some effort. "He's also a bit incapacitated at the moment. Actually, he's in much the same situation that you are. He spent all of last night and today getting a little too drunk. You should really call him. He misses you."
After this, no more favors. I just want to go home. And I need a cigarette… I have to head over to the club tonight, too. I haven't been there in quite a few days…
When I feel as if the blonde isn't going to respond, I'm done. I turn and head for the door, but not before taking my time walking past the pink-haired one to take in that scent one last time. And because I know it doesn't mean anything, I take a little time to look at her face again. I want to meet her eyes, but she's not looking at me. She's staring past me, at the wall. And suddenly her eyes go wide and her rosy cheeks lose their color. She looks sick… She looks like she's about to be sick.
She immediately doubles over and throws up onto the floor, dropping to her knees as another round hits her.
"What the fuck?!"
Shit!
The blonde squeals and raises her arms in shock.
Useless friend!
I quickly step towards Sakura and grab her waist, trying to drag her to her feet. When she doesn't comply, I haul her over to the toilet on her knees. Before another one hits her, I manage to gather all of her hair in one fist and hold it against the back of her neck.
She grabs my arm as she begins to dry heave. Her nails dig into the flesh on my arm but I hardly notice. Instead, I'm entranced… I feel a sense of nostalgia. At first I think it must be because of all the times this has happened to me before—drunk women puking all over—but that's not it… I feel a sense of protectiveness, almost as if this young woman…
I stop my thoughts in their tracks. I know where this is going. This feels like Jinko all over again. My mind wants to tell me that it's different, but I know it's not. They're all the same—it's just me who keeps falling for the same bullshit. Not this time. Not this time…
I start to release her, but she jerks forward one more time and I grab her tighter.
No, this isn't like Jinko… For one, I'm not the same person I was back then. And this girl has no idea of the life I used to lead. She's probably never been to a nightclub in her life. It's clear she doesn't drink too often… Her world is probably that of a sheltered girl raised by two happily married parents with a few cousins she gets along great with and just enough money to finish college and get a job and find a simple man to settle down with and have some normal kids to raise in the same manner… Nothing like a life I would want to get involved in… Not that I would think about that kind of life anyway. It isn't like I could figure out how to live like that. I'm too far gone…
The blonde shoves a tissue at my face, and at first I think it's for me, but clearly it's not. She just wanted the attention, probably—now that I've helped her friend she wants to look like she's doing something… What would have happened if I hadn't been here? She would have stayed on the floor… Maybe banged her head… Nothing serious, but I'm still glad I caught her…
"You okay?" the blonde asks, and Sakura takes the tissue, wiping her face. I know I'm still holding her, but I don't let go. She could start again… maybe. She coughs as if reading my mind. And then she lets out a low moan that sends a strange shiver through my back. Did that seriously just turn me on?
Shit… I feel disgusting.
"Here, help her into the bedroom," Ino says, and I force myself not to roll my eyes. She wants so badly to be noticed, and I can't even be mad because it's mixed in with her genuinely caring for her friend.
I lift Sakura to her feet and drag her into a separate room with two beds, nightstands and a desk.
"Put her down slowly. I don't want her throwing up all over her bed."
Sakura seems out of it, so I just set her down on one of the creaky beds and release her.
"So… about Naruto…" the blonde says, and I'm forced to turn to her, away from Sakura. She's probably only going to be awake for a few more minutes at the most anyway, but Miss Yamanaka seems to be all eager to talk about herself. I nod to her and she motions for me to follow her. I reluctantly go, even though I feel like I've already said what I had to.
The blonde stops and waits for me to exit the bedroom, and when I'm outside, she shuts the door and gives me a smile. I want to frown, but I hold my normal expression.
Sakura…
Like the cherry blossoms in the early days of spring…
"He got drunk?" the blonde asks, and I blink once at her. She's fishing… I just nod at her in reply. "What did he say to you?" She waves a hand at the couch, motioning for me to sit. I don't want to, but at the same time…
What if she wakes up and… this skinny blonde couldn't carry her back to the bathroom… She already has a bit to clean up, too.
"Sasuke." I jump at the sound of my name coming from her mouth. "Please sit. Would you like something to drink?"
"I can only stay for a little while, but I do have to leave soon." I instinctively glance over at the closed bedroom door.
"Worried?" the blonde laughs a little, catching me wandering eyes. "She'll be fine, Sasuke." And for the first time, I can sense her genuine side. She's not trying to get anything out of me besides information. And she does care about her friend. And I figure I might as well talk to her, just in case Sakura wakes up…
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"And everything worked out? No more favors for a while, okay?" I sigh.
"I'm going over to see her right now, actually!" Naruto shouts through the phone and I'm immediately sorry I asked.
"Okay."
"Thanks for everything! I'll talk to you later!"
I hang up and toss my phone onto the other end of the couch. I'm home, unfortunately.
"What is it about you and helping people?" I know Anko's voice better than I would ever want, so I don't even turn when she approaches me. Maybe if I ignore her, she'll go away. It's never worked before, but it still doesn't hurt to try. "Seriously, Sasuke. It's a problem. You've always done it."
"Then why are we talking about it?"
"Because it's going to get you into trouble—more trouble."
"Don't get into my business."
"You went to see Naruto's new girlfriend? Is that what that phone call was about? Why did you do that? He needed a favor? Is that what you said?"
"I'm not in the mood for your twenty questions. Leave me alone."
"Well, something happened there."
"Nothing happened."
"I don't believe you."
"I don't give a fuck if you believe me or not."
"Why are you so nasty all the time? You didn't used to be like this, you know. We used to get along great. Don't you remember?" She slides over the top of the couch and plops down next to me, trying to snuggle up against my side. I flinch for a split second before standing and heading for the door. "And what's that about, huh? I hear you haven't slept with anyone in almost two months now. What's up with you? You turning gay or something?"
She knows how I am, so I know she's just trying to get some kind of emotional response out of me, but her questions barely register to me.
"You ladies have to start gossiping about something else. You're a grown-ass woman, so start acting like it. All of you."
"Everyone only talks about you because they care about you. You know that. And Kara told me that everyone was talking about how you haven't asked for them in a while. I'm just asking if everything is okay. Jeez…"
"And how do you know I haven't been going to someone else instead?"
Anko lifts an eyebrow at me and I roll my eyes.
"I'm fine," I quickly add.
"Maybe you should try to…" Anko trails off and I know where this is going.
"No."
"It's been how long since Jinko left? No offense, but you need to get over it. It's fine if you want to stop sleeping around—no one is judging. Actually, it's probably for the best anyway if you stop. But you're older now, Sasuke. Maybe you should really start to consider finding someone to—"
"No, Anko."
"Are you really going to be like that? You want to stay a bachelor for the rest of your life?"
"It's none of your business what I choose to do with my life."
"But I know you. I've known you since you first started exploring this world. Hell, I even brought you into it. I showed you the world. And I know how you feel about families. Even with what happened to yours—"
"Enough, Anko!"
"I'm trying to help you!" she shouts at me, and I don't even know what to say. She probably is, but she's always got another agenda. Each and every word that comes out of her mouth rolls over her forked tongue first. It's always been that way. "How about a little self-analysis, huh? Every girl you've taken in within the past few years has been some broad with issues. Just look at Kara—got pregnant after thinking she could make a good whore. And you come along all savior-of-the-day and take her in, pay for her hospital bills and help her take care of her kid until she can support herself. That's how it's been."
"So what?"
"So… you obviously have a thing for people in need. You always have."
"I'm leaving." I start heading for the door again. I don't want to talk about this. We've had this conversation too many times already…
"Just hear me out. Wait a minute. You know I'm right. Just think about it. Before all this big business bullshit, you just did as you pleased. We both did. We fucked around and it was like taking over the world. We could've done it, too."
"Sure, whatever."
"And then you had to go and fuck some girl that you developed feelings for, right?"
"Not really."
"You loved her."
"It wasn't real."
"But you did."
"I thought I did. I was wrong."
"Either way, you finally felt something for someone after what happened to your parents—"
"Stop talking about that!" I whirl on her, but as usual, she's unfazed.
"Fine, sorry. But still, when you felt something for her, you changed. And you started… like… wanting to take care of people. That's why we built this place… and started your business… and got out of the city, remember? It was all your idea."
"What's your point?"
"I guess I'm just trying to snap you out of whatever funk you put yourself in recently."
"I said I'm fine."
"And I said I don't believe you. You can lie to everyone else in this house, Sasuke, but you can't lie to me. You've been acting depressed lately, like nothing in the world matters to you. And I get the feeling this isn't even about Jinko anymore. It's something different… something worse."
I turn back to the door.
"And I know you're going to the club tonight. Maybe you should just… ask a girl for an hour or something, Hell, offer to buy a girl a fucking drink. Just do something. Everyone says you go there and ignore everyone. That's not how you make a good business, Sasuke, if you even give a shit about that anymore. It's not like I dedicated the past few years to helping you build that, and you're just throwing all our hard work away on a whim. And why, because you're depressed?"
There's a pause and I know I've had enough.
"Fuck off."
And then I'm gone.
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It's back to work in the morning and Karin's screeching voice isn't what I want to hear this early in the day. It makes it seem like an hour has gone by every five minutes. Thankfully, after I give her a few things to do, she's gone.
Half of the day goes by with only one hitch—yet another complaint about Rose—and I stand to stretch, picking up my half-smoked cigarette from the ash tray at the edge of my desk. I walk over to the window and stare down the side of the building. It's a long way down…
The phone rings from Karin's office to my left and I turn to find the door cracked.
She was probably peeping again… She's been getting on my nerves lately, but she's perfect at her job, so…
"Hello. Mr. Uchiha's office. How can I help you?" Karin's voice says into the phone after the usual two rings. I wait and listen, breathing in the smoke to calm my nerves.
"Oh?" Karin suddenly says, disbelieving, and I lift an eyebrow. It better not be another call from home… They can't just leave me alone for the day. "I'm sorry, who gave you this number?" I step closer to the door so I can hear her better. It's not a sales call, otherwise Karin would've just hung up. "Excuse me? Who gave you this number?" And now she has my full attention. Why is she getting annoyed? "Miss?" It's a woman? For a moment, and I'm not sure why, I feel my stomach jump a little. I step through the door and look at Karin, who glances back in surprise—she didn't know I was listening.
"May I have the phone?" I ask, but we both know it's not a question. And I can't believe I'm actually doing this on a strange hope.
"Excuse me?" Karin says quietly and I narrow my eyes a bit.
"Who is that? Who called this phone?"
"A young lady by the name of Sakura Haruno," she says and I feel like reaching across the desk to grab the phone out of her hands. All I can think of is a feeling of pure innocence and a wave of soft pink hair. Why is she calling me? Is she all right? "She said she was calling for an interview…"
"Did she say how she got the number?"
"No, sir… I don't know who gave it to her…"
"Give it to me."
"Excuse me, sir?"
"The phone, Karin. Now."
"…Yes, sir." I don't know why she seems to not like the idea of me taking the phone. She puts it back to her ear. "Miss? Are you still there… Mr. Uchiha will speak with you now." She hands me the phone and I motion for her to leave the room. She quickly stands and hurries out.
"Miss Haruno." I try to keep my voice formal. I don't know why I feel like a teenager on the phone for the first time… like I can't find the words or I'm not sure what I sound like on the receiving end… but it annoys me.
"Yes?"
"How are you feeling?" I ask. First thing to do is make sure she's all right. Then I remember why she called.
"I'm fine. Thank you."
"You're calling for a job interview."
"Yes."
And the most obvious part…
"Naruto gave you this number."
"Yes."
"Sasuke…" I turn and Karin is back in the doorway. "There's just some paperwork I need in here…" She tiptoes into the room without another word and I mumble under my breath at her. She ignores me. She's just like Anko sometimes—she pisses me off.
"It's not his fault!" Sakura's voice comes crashing through into my ear and I wince.
"What?" I breathe out in exasperation, probably still from Karin being a bother.
"I said it's not Naruto's fault. He was just being polite. Ino and I managed to convince him. He was reluctant to give it to me, but he was just being nice. And I'd never give it to anyone else. And neither would Ino. You have my word. You shouldn't be mad at him. Please, it's not his fault."
"I wasn't blaming Naruto for anything."
She's caring… She wasn't like this when she was drunk. I like this side of her.
"… Oh."
And she sounds so sincere, unlike many of the women I've been surrounded by for a long time… I find her voice makes my heart rate slow. Hearing her talk calms me in that moment and it's nice… I want her to keep talking, but she's stopped.
"Miss Haruno?"
"I'm still here."
She wants an answer, of course. And I'm happy to help her. And if this works out, I'll get to see her again… My heartbeat rises slightly at that thought. I mentally roll my eyes at myself for thinking like such a child.
"I'll have my secretary schedule an interview for you. Is there a specific department you would like to work in?"
There's more silence and I wish she would continue talking. Maybe she's embarrassed… Right, because she practically threw up on me. I could always tell her that it was a pleasure to meet her, but it would probably make her feel worse…
"No, I didn't really think about that," she says and I frown. She called me asking for help and she didn't even look into the departments?
"Oh." I reply, and even though she's vexing, I find her amusing.
"I don't really know what kind of business you're in…" she says, clearly embarrassed.
"Then why would you call and ask for a job?" I smirk. I can almost feel her face heating up through the phone. Why is something as small as this making me smile? Why am I saying things like this to her? Am I really teasing this innocent girl? What the hell am I doing?
"I don't know. I just really need a job, and I was told that you might be able to hire me."
"Naruto told you that?"
"Yes."
I pause, remembering her last name.
"Miss Haruno, I believe that—"
"Hello—?" she says quickly, cutting me off. She's so… I shake my head to clear my thoughts.
"I'm sorry. Go ahead."
And she doesn't respond. Has my private joking gone on too far? Is she upset with me? All I can think about is that I might be able to see her again… maybe sooner rather than later.
"When are you free?" I ask.
"I-I don't know."
"Are you free right now?"
There's another pause and I wonder if she's thinking about making an excuse to say no. I rarely have that happen, but it's not impossible…
"I think so."
I exhale.
"Good. I'll let you speak with my secretary now. She'll tell you what to do from here. Is that alright?"
Karin glances at me with narrowed eyes and points a manicured fingernail at a filled schedule sheet for me on her desk. I wave my hand at her, hoping that she gets the message to open up a slot.
"Yes, that's fine. Thank you."
"It's my pleasure, Miss Haruno." I smirk through the phone. I'm going to get to see her again. And much sooner than I expected…
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My meeting ended right on time. I look at my watch and see that it's exactly seven-thirty. If Miss Haruno was serious about this, then she should be here any minute now. I can't wait to see her—maybe she'll be in formal clothes, maybe a nice dress, suitable for a young college woman…
But when twenty minutes go by and I have another meeting to squeeze into the end of the night I find myself getting a little depressed. My mood has me wanting another cigarette, but I don't have the time…
Rose and Karin call up the next few people to meet with me and I'm informed that they are waiting in the second room on the right. I call Karin from the button on my desk and the door to her office opens a few moments later. She wheels over in her leather chair with a smile on her face.
"What can I do for you, sir?" she asks, and I feel like she's being a little sarcastic with me.
"Call Rose and ask her if Sakura Haruno has arrived yet. And if not, tell her to inform me immediately if she does show up."
"Maybe she got cold feet," Karin says with a giggle. "Maybe you scared her off with that phone call."
"Just go call Rose, Karin."
"Yes, sir." She wiggles he eyebrows before rolling back into her office. Not a minute later, when I'm about to head to my next meeting, Karin opens the door and step out. "She's been in the waiting room for a few minutes now."
"Why wasn't I informed?"
"Rose said she was very late and you have a meeting now, so…" She trails off and I assume it's from the glare I'm giving her. "I'll tell her to send her up right away, Mr. Uchiha." I nod at her and she steps back into the separate room, makes a quick call downstairs and then steps back out. "What should I do with your waiting company?"
Fucking Rose… Making her wait like that…
"Send them home. Reschedule the meeting."
"Are you sure that's all right to do? They've been holding this spot for quite a few days…"
I'm silent and she just bows and heads out the door. I shut it behind her and go to sit at my desk. I slide my ash tray into one drawer and place my hands on top of my desk. I fold my fingers together and unfold them and then frown at myself. I'm acting like a child again…
The door knocks, pulling me out of my stupid thoughts.
"Come in," I say, and another knock follows.
Right… Soundproof walls…
I stand and walk over, and as another knock comes through, I open the door.
And there she is. All long, straight pink hair and wide green eyes, giving me a surprised look. I didn't notice our height difference before, but she's quite small. Not so much short, but she has a slender build and thin shoulders. I also quickly notice that she's wearing jeans and a nice blouse with sneakers. I hope she was just unprepared and not serious about her choice of clothing…
"I'm sorry," I quickly say, understanding her discomfort in that moment. "I said it was open, but the walls in my office are soundproof from the inside. My apologies, Miss Haruno."
She's silent. Does she think I did that on purpose?
"I'm so sorry that I'm late," she suddenly bursts out and I blink a few times at the slight outburst. She seems like she does that a lot—like on the phone and even when she was drunk. It's almost refreshing to meet someone who just says what's on their mind, though, instead of trying to find the right words… "I thought I would make it in time, but I had no idea that this place was this far from my apartment—"
I hold up a hand and she instantly shuts down and stares at the floor for a second. She's so nervous… And I don't know how to make her feel more comfortable… And I realize I want her to be comfortable around me. I enjoy her personality…
"It's actually better this way. I had something planned, and it took a little longer than I expected. You would have been waiting about a half hour even if you came on time." I don't want her to be nervous around me. I step to the side and motion for her to step into my office. "Have a seat, Miss Haruno."
And she does. She grabs a seat on her own and sits at the front side of my desk. This is good. Maybe all I have to do is talk to her and she'll act normally with me. I sit across from her, pulling out my chair.
"Now," I say, placing my hands in front of me. "Have you thought about what department you'd like to work in?"
And she instantly freezes up again.
Shit.
"Here."
I open my file drawer and pull out a directory packet. I place it on the desk and slide it over to her. She just stares at me and I nod at her in approval. She instantly takes it and opens it. When she sees the first page, her eyes come back to my face and I realize this is only difficult for her because I'm here.
"Look through this for a couple minutes. I'll be right back."
I stand and head for the room next to Karin's office. I needed a cigarette anyway…
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After a few minutes and then some, I push the butt of my cigarette into the nearest ash tray and step back into my office. She should have had plenty of time to glance through everything and calm her nerves.
"Have you found anything?"
"I can't decide," she stammers, and then frowns. What happened now? Did I not give her enough time?
"Well, what do you like to do?" I press. Definitely vexing…
I sit back down at my desk and lean back in my chair for a second before coming forward again, leaning on my hands. Maybe if I look relaxed she'll be more comfortable.
"What do you mean?"
"What do you do for fun? Other than binge drinking."
What I hoped would come off as a friendly joke earns me a stern frown from Miss Haruno.
"I do not binge drink, Mr. Uchiha." Is she mad? She's got some fire in her, though… "And I read and write when I'm bored. I like to do lots of things for fun, but college takes up most of my time recently."
I decide to lay low on the light comments for the time being. I'm not making this any better for either of us.
"I'm afraid I don't have many businesses in the arts," I say with a light sigh. I was hoping she had an interest in something I could provide her with… "In fact, I don't think I have any positions open that involve such things." I grab another paper from my files and place it in front of her. "Here are a number of open positions. You may choose whichever one you like."
She stares at me as I glance at the paper, expecting her to do the same. But she doesn't. I look back at her and cock an eyebrow.
"Why are you doing this?" she suddenly asks, and I'm taken aback for a moment. I tilt my head slightly. I don't understand what she's asking me.
"Don't you want a job?"
"No… Well, yes, of course I do. But why are you going through all this trouble? I thought this was supposed to be an interview. But now you're giving me a list of positions and telling me to pick whatever job I want, and you'll give it to me. What about my qualifications? Don't you want to see some identification or something? I mean, this is hardly what I was expecting…"
I stare back at her for a bit, wondering about the answer to that myself… Unfortunately, my thoughts go back to what Anko said about people in need… But that's ridiculous. Sakura doesn't need my help. Granted, she could probably use a job… I know I wanted to see her again, but employing her?
Why am I doing this? A part of me is angered by her asking such a question—I'm just trying to help her and she wants me to… what? Tell her that I wanted to see her again? Is that why she's here? Is that why I'm offering her a job like this?
"Do you want to choose one of these or not?" I point down to the paper, knowing that my voice came out a little angry. But she should know better than to ask something like that… She looks down at the paper and reads it over. I lean back in my chair and exhale slowly, quietly so she won't notice.
And then she laughs a little and I look over at her. What is it now?
"Something funny?" As soon as the words leave my mouth she looks down, as if I was reprimanding her. I don't understand her… "What's the matter?"
"Nothing," she says, but she responds too quickly.
"Tell me."
She sighs. "Your secretary was having a bad day. She wasn't very pleasant. In fact, she was quite rude. I could tell immediately that she wasn't the woman I spoke to on the phone earlier today."
And yet another complaint about Rose. I have to laugh a little. She's working up a new world record. "No, she isn't my personal secretary. She's just in charge of manning the front desk. In all honesty, I don't know what I pay her for. A monkey could do her job."
"I don't know, Mr. Uchiha. I don't think I would have been able to find the elevator if she hadn't been standing right in front of it." She rolls her eyes and smiles at me and I stare at her. She has a beautiful smile… I can't help but smile back.
And then a thought hits me. I can have Sakura Haruno in this building, with me, on a regular basis. She can work in my office building… I can see her every day… I can see this smile… those eyes…
"Would you like her job?"
Her reaction instantly shuts down that beautiful smile and her mouth opens in shock.
"You aren't serious… Are you?"
I can't tell if she's being serious or not.
"Of course I am. If she was unpleasant to you, then I have every right to fire her. When I hired her, I made it very clear what my expectations were. If she can't even be polite to a beautiful young woman that walks through the front doors of my building, then she should have never been hired in the first place."
She doesn't reply, and I take that as a yes. I smile at her again, trying to coax her into showing me her smile again as well. "I guess you have your new job, Miss Haruno."
"Wait… I can't take that woman's job."
She frowns instead…
I pull out a blank piece of paper and grab the nearest pen. I've already informed Rose of her many complaints, and I've given her plenty of warnings, so this shouldn't come as a surprise to her. And if it does, I can explain it to her again on her way out. I fold the paper after writing the note and hand it to Sakura Haruno. She takes it quickly—obediently, almost. She wants this job and she knows it, but she won't admit it to me, much less herself.
"What's this?"
She already knows…
"Give this to her on your way out. She'll understand, and if she doesn't, then tell her that she can contact me personally, if she so desires, and I will explain further the reasons why she no longer has a job here."
"That's so unfair…"
"You're unhappy with my decision? I thought you disliked her."
"That's no reason for you to fire her and give me her job. That's just cruel. You can't do that."
There's her kind side again—even with people she doesn't know. She's too kind…
"It's my company. I can do what I want."
"I don't want to man a desk all day… So then there's really no reason for you to fire her." She slides the folded paper back over to me and I place my hand over it. "I get the feeling that you're used to getting what you want all the time."
That kindness has its limits, though… If she was anyone else, I would have asked her to leave already. But instead… I don't know… That kindness she shows is attractive to me… I want to give her this job. But if she won't take it, then she needs to choose another. If she says no, I'll probably never see her again…
"Then are you going to pick one of these or not? Contrary to what it seems you believe, Miss Haruno, I don't have all day to sit here and discuss this with you."
She looks back at this list, and then her eyes moved around, over the dark wood of my desk.
"Can I work here?"
I can't help but narrow my eyes at her.
"I just offered you a job here, and you said you didn't want it." I let out a short but loud sigh. "How about this?" I say, grabbing the phone to my right and pressing the number for the front desk. A voice comes through the speakerphone.
She wants to work here? Well, good. Even if she won't admit it, she knows what she wants…
"Yes, Mr. Uchiha?" Rose answers the call. Sakura Haruno looks up at me in shock and shakes her head as if I'm about to murder someone. Strangely enough, I still find it appealing. I enjoy watching her get worked up for someone else's sake… And I don't like myself for it.
"Rose, I'm afraid that I have to let you go."
There's a moment of silence.
"Excuse me, sir?" Her voice cracks and Sakura is still giving me that look.
"You heard me. You're fired."
"What? Sir, you're joking, surely. Mr. Uchiha?"
"I'm sorry, Rose. You are no longer employed by me, which means that you are no longer permitted entry in this building without written consent, reason or permission. I'd advise you to gather your things and leave immediately. Thank you."
I hang up and the line ends. I glance at Sakura, hoping she isn't mad enough to refuse the job.
"It looks like I have another open position… If you'd like it…"
"I can't believe you just did that."
"To be honest with you, Miss Haruno, she had it coming. I've had multiple complaints from people I've worked with about her unwelcoming behavior. And I never fired her before now because there was no one to replace her. Trust me when I say that I've wanted to give her that message for quite some time now." I pause. "But now I have no one at my front desk. Would you care to take that position for me?"
I can almost see the gears turning in her head. I want to know what she's thinking.
"Okay," she finally says, and my stomach flips a little. I smirk. I pull out a job application and slide it over to her.
"If you could just fill this out for me, you can start next week. We should meet before then so I can give you the details of this job. Let's say, lunch, tomorrow?"
"Are you available?" Is she trying to be funny?
"You'll have to free up my schedule, Miss Haruno." I say, holding my smile.
"I thought your personal secretary took care of your schedule."
"I have many secretary personnel. And each one knows my schedule for certain days. You may have to interact with the others every week or so. And learn to use the computer systems. I'll also have to give you a few passwords for databases and such. But you'll have to memorize them. You aren't allowed to write them down for security reasons." I can see her starting to get nervous, so I exhale a bit in my smile. "Relax, Miss Haruno. I'll get you caught up with what has to be done before you begin. Don't worry about it."
"Because a monkey can do my job?"
Shit…
"It was just a figure of speech."
"I know."
She looks down at her lap and I know she's probably still upset about Rose… It's naïve and admirable at the same time. And it makes me feel like I want to learn more about this young woman…
"Here," I say, holding out a blank index card. "I'll give you my cell. You'll need it for your new job anyway. You may have to contact me personally at some point. But for now, we'll just use it to plan our meeting to get you acquainted with your new employment details."
I scribble my number down and hand it to her. I then stand and watch as she follows my lead, but then I realize that this meeting is over. I won't see her for a few days. And she may still want to refuse the job at this point…
"Thank you for your time, Mr. Uchiha."
She's ready to leave. Is that a good sign or a bad sign?
"It was my pleasure, Miss Haruno." I get a hollow feeling in my throat and I realize that I wish I didn't have the rest of the day to work. If I was free, then maybe I could… I shake my head a bit. What am I thinking? I just gave her a job. I helped her like I said I would. That's it. "Would you like me to see you out?"
"Oh, no, thank you. I'll be all right."
I barely hear her as I catch a whiff of her scent. It's just like before—that faint trace of her shampoo—now minus the scent of alcohol and vomit. And I don't think before I step forward, her face just inches from my chest. She freezes, and I'm just glad she didn't jerk away from me. I don't want her to leave just yet, but I have no choice…What would it even be like—to be able to take her home, and sit on the couch with her and watch TV until we fall asleep… like Mother and Father used to do… What would it be like to try and… date? Was that even possible for me anymore? She would never understand how I live. It would never work… But hope shuts me down and I can barely find my voice.
"I forgot something," I whisper, and my voice is hoarse.
She's not looking up at me, and I can't tell if she's waiting for me to back up, or if she's hoping that I don't. I want it to be the latter.
But why her? Why do I think of these things with this young college girl? She's so… inexperienced with the world. How many men has she been with? Where has she travelled? What is she interested in studying? Where does she want to take her life? What is her family like? How was she raised? I can assume that most of the answers are pretty basic. A few men, not much travelling, liberal arts major, not sure about her future, normal family, raised to be kind to others—that's the picture I could paint for her. And even though it's simple, it's still attractive to me. She reminds me of my mother, too…
"Please don't call my secretary if something comes up," I finally say, "because it may be forwarded to your cell, depending on how quickly we change the numbers for the front desk. And we wouldn't want any miscommunications." I watch her flinch away for a moment and I want to back away from her so as not to scare her, but I don't. I look away from her face and add, "And I wouldn't want you to be late…"
I mentally apologize to her for acting the way I am and then I quickly step away from her. That was uncalled for…
"I'll call you and give you a time tomorrow. Do you have class?"
She shakes her head. "Only on Mondays and Wednesdays." Her voice comes out shy. I look back at her. She's not upset with me for standing so close. Actually… she has a slight grin at the corner of her mouth… And is she blushing? Maybe my thoughts aren't ridiculous after all… Maybe I could just get to know her… I don't have to commit to anything right now. I can think on it.
I can't help but smile at her when she looks up at my face. She doesn't do it very often, so I figure I'll try to look inviting when she does. And I'm graced with a light smile in reply. I head for the door but she quickly opens it for herself. I get the feeling that she wants to leave, but a part of her also wants to stay, and this makes me smirk again.
"Good day, Miss Haruno."
She turns and nods once at me, a faint blush still painting her high cheekbones, before turning back and rushing out the door.