Seto Kaiba pushed open the door to his mansion with an irritated sigh, frustrated with his unsuccessful day at work. Hadn't the underlings learned by this time that he was not to be bothered with their petty complaints?
Apparently not, he thought, answering his own rhetorical question. The young CEO walked through his parlour, living room, and up a wide, curved staircase before reaching his home office. He put the leather briefcase he'd been carrying down in a corner of the room and sat in the chair behind his wide, mahogany desk.
In an attempt to calm down, Seto spread his hands out over the desk, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. After regaining some of his composure, he glanced down at his Rolex watch to see that it was already ten o'clock at night. He ran a hand through his hair, scraping his fingernails against his scalp as he felt his former tension return. Sure, being a successful businessman made many aspects of life easier, but no one could say he didn't sacrifice his time for his company.
Hearing a door handle turn, Seto looked up in time to see his younger brother Mokuba open the door and poke his head into the room. "Are you feeling okay, big brother?" the young boy asked hesitantly. He knew from experience not to annoy his brother when said man was already in a bad mood.
Seto merely nodded and gave a grunt in affirmation. He really did love his brother, but he had a feeling that if he tried to actually speak to anyone right now, he'd go on a rant and probably break something valuable. Mokuba seemed satisfied with the gesture, however. "Okay, well I'm gonna go ahead and go to bed. See you tomorrow, Seto."
Seto raised one hand slightly in a parting gesture as the black-haired boy disappeared from his view and the door closed with a soft click. Seto sighed again. That was it. He was too stressed. He had to have some way to take out his frustration on something or someone, or he was sure to go insane. Seto glanced down at the briefcase to his left. He'd planned to do more work on the design for the company's latest product tonight, but he knew now that it wasn't going to happen. Instead, he opened one of the drawers in his desk and tried to find something that he'd never thought he would need or want.
After shuffling around in the drawer for a while, his hand found the object of his desires stuck at the very bottom; a pale-yellow sticky note with one unlabeled phone number written on it. The small piece of paper had been given to him several years ago by a business acquaintance, who had told him to call it if he was ever feeling down. Seto picked up the phone on his desk and dialed the number quickly. If he hesitated, he knew he would lose his will. Just as he was about to conclude that no one was available, he heard a voice on the other end of the line.
"You're talkin' ta Dan, what can I do for ya?" the man asked in a thick accent.
"I'd like to request the services of one of your girls tonight," Seto replied coolly. "Can you send one over to me?"
"Yessir," the man said, "so long as ya pay her cab fare there and back."
"I'll do it," Seto said as the fingers of his left hand wrapped around the phone's cord, trying not to think too hard about what he was doing.
"Alright, can I getcha name and address?"
Seto gave the man the required information, including a fake last name to avoid causing suspicion. He didn't want anyone to have information they could possibly blackmail him with.
After relaying the address of his mansion, Seto heard the man typing on something. "Alright, including cab money, the cost comes out to $300. You in?"
"Yes."
"Ok pal, I'll send her right over. Expect someone in about 20 minutes."
"Alright. Thank you," Seto said. And with that, he placed the phone back on its receiver.
The young man leaned back in his chair and placed his arms over the armrests, still feeling frustrated. He gazed up at the ceiling. What was he thinking? He was only twenty-two, and he'd never called someone like this before. The idea that he'd resorted to this course of action only served to make him angrier somehow.
Then a sudden thought dawned on him, and Seto stood up from his chair. He exited the room and quietly walked down the hallway, back towards the stairs. He went to the door of Mokuba's bedroom and opened it slightly. To his relief, his younger brother was already asleep. And since his own bedroom was on the opposite end of the long hallway, he shouldn't have any problems.
Not knowing what else to do, Seto returned to his home office, where he took $300 out of his wallet and then placed the wallet in a drawer of his desk. Although the service he was paying for was expensive, he'd expected the high price. His old acquaintance wouldn't have recommended anything less than the best.
A moment later, Seto walked back down the staircase and sat on the couch in the living room to wait for the expected visitor. For a moment, he thought about what it was he was about to do, but when he started to feel guilty, he pushed the thoughts out of his head. Luckily, he didn't have to wait much longer, as he soon heard a small knock at the door.
Glad that the woman hadn't used the doorbell (a previously-unconsidered action that probably would have waken Mokuba), Seto walked over to the door as quietly as he could on the echoing hardwood floor and opened it, not really knowing what to expect.
The woman who stood before him had grey-blue eyes and dark, straight hair that fell just past her shoulders. Most of her body was covered by a white trench coat with two rows of black buttons running down the front, but Seto could see that her legs were bare from the knees down. The last item of clothing he took note of was a pair of black, 4-inch high heels that looked impossible to walk in.
After his quick survey, he returned his gaze to the woman's face. She was, without a doubt, beautiful, and he was somewhat glad to see that her expression, though inviting, wasn't vulgar. She couldn't have been any older than he was.
"You must be Seto," the woman said in a soft voice, holding out her right hand.
He took her hand and shook it once, his expression completely devoid of emotion. "That I am. And you are?"
"Ella," she stated. She glanced down at the threshold, and then looked back at him. "May I?"
"Of course," he said, moving to the side to let her through the doorway. As she passed him, he looked out into the black night. After satisfying himself that no one had seen her arrive, he shut the door behind her.
Before she had taken five steps into the mansion, Seto huffed in anger. Her shoes made an unbelievably loud clacking noise on the floor. "Could you take those things off?" he asked. The woman, Ella, turned back to face Seto, as she'd been admiring his home. He motioned to her shoes and she stopped walking, but merely looked at him in confusion, head tilted to one side.
Through gritted teeth, he explained, "My little brother's asleep upstairs, and we cannot wake him, okay? Just take your damn shoes off."
"Alright, Seto," the woman said, and bent over to remove the heels. She knew better than to argue with the guy; after all, it was her job to do whatever he wanted.
Ella stood to face him once more, both shoes held in her left hand. She looked at him expectantly. In the back of his mind, he wondered if she was new to this job or if he just didn't understand how these things were supposed to work.
"Let's go upstairs," he said as he began walking towards the staircase. Ella followed him. "Just remember to be quiet," he whispered over his shoulder. "My brother's room is the first one on the right. We're going to the end of the hall."
The woman just nodded, following the millionaire up the ornate staircase and down the hall on silent feet. Once they'd reached the door at the end, Seto opened the door and gestured her inside, following close behind her.
His bedroom, though large, was fairly simply furnished. Aside from the king-sized bed, there was only a nightstand, a chest of drawers, and a floor lamp to complete the scene. On the wall to their left was an arched window with a cushioned bench in front of it.
Although the lights were off, the window provided just enough light for the two of them to see after Seto had closed the door. He internally tried to harness his frustration, hoping to take it all out on the woman in front of him. Meanwhile, Ella gingerly placed her shoes in a corner of the room, unbuttoning her trench coat and doing the same with it. She was left only in a short, green, sequined dress.
Seto felt somewhat guilty as he looked at her now - she just seemed so defenseless, especially since she was a good bit shorter than him without the shoes on - but once again, he pushed the thoughts out of his brain. He observed her as she took in a silent breath, seeming to gather her resolve. Then she walked over to him slowly. She placed her hands on his chest and moved them up to his shoulders, then the back of his neck.
"Shall we begin?" she asked coyly. A moment later her back was pressed against the wall, and Seto's lips descended upon her own.
A little over an hour later, the two lay side by side in Seto's bed, sweaty and panting in exhaustion. I can't believe I just did that, Seto thought to himself. He glanced to his left at Ella. Although they'd pulled the covers over their bodies, he could tell from her gasps and the movement of her bare shoulders that she was completely spent, too. Seto turned away from her and looked up at the ceiling.
I can't believe I just did that, he thought again, with someone I just met. And even though Seto's mind was surprised by his own actions, he couldn't deny that nearly all of his previous frustration had disappeared.
Feeling sleep fast approaching, he turned on his side away from Ella and shut his eyes. For a few minutes, all was silent except for the sound of their breathing, and he began to drift off. However, when Seto heard her get out of the bed and walk across the room, he opened his eyes and slowly sat up.
"What're you doing?" Seto asked sleepily as he rubbed his eyes. He was vaguely aware of cold air hitting his bare chest.
"I-I'm leaving," Ella said, not entirely understanding the question. After all, she always left once her clients started to fall asleep, and he'd already paid her earlier in the night. After staring at Seto for a moment, she turned back and crouched down to pick up her discarded clothes.
"Stop," he told her, starting to feel more awake. She looked up at him again. "You're welcome to stay here tonight, you know." In Seto's mind, sending this woman out on the streets of Domino alone at 12:30 AM just didn't seem right. Besides, he was a lonely person in general, and could use the company.
Ella stood up straight, slightly confused, but grateful. "Thank you," she said, with a slight bow of her head, and then added quietly, "No one's ever offered that before." She laid back down next to Seto on her back, who couldn't help but notice that her manner seemed very different from the one she'd presented at the beginning of the night. Of course, he knew it had been something of an act, but she still seemed remarkably real to him in this moment.
Seto laid back down from his sitting position, turning his head towards the girl beside him. Feeling unusually curious for reasons he didn't entirely understand, Seto asked, "Am I really the first one to ever offer for you to stay the night?"
Ella turned her head and body towards Seto, leaving a space of about two feet between them on the huge bed. "Yeah, you are," she said. "Most people want me to leave afterwards, so I do."
"How long have you been doing this?" he asked. She gave a nonchalant shrug. "Around five months, I suppose."
"How old are you?" She raised an eyebrow slightly at this question. "Curious, aren't we?" Seto looked a bit embarrassed, but she chuckled and answered anyways. "I'm twenty years old. And you?"
"I-I'm twenty-two," Seto said, mentally berating himself for stuttering. Silence fell between the two of them briefly, before Seto spoke again. "Do you work every night?" He regretted the question as soon as it had left his mouth, as he realized how insensitive he sounded.
She sighed, and gave him a somewhat sad smile. "Pretty much." And, since he seemed so interested in her life, she added, "Hey, I have to find some way to pay for college, right?"
He looked at her with a newfound intensity, suddenly extremely grateful for the fact that he'd been a multimillionaire before he left high school. "You're in college?"
"Yup," she said, rolling onto her back and putting her hands behind her head. "I'm a junior at Domino University."
"Wow," Seto said unintentionally. The school wasn't easy to get into, so he knew the girl beside him was no idiot. "What're you majoring in?"
"Computer science," she replied. "Because I'm just a nerd like that." She gave him a joking smile.
He couldn't help but smile back at her. Something about her just made him feel... comfortable. "There's nothing wrong with being a nerd. Hell, it's worked out pretty well for me." He glanced at her silently for a moment, trying to decide whether to ask his next question, and eventually chose to pursue it, though he didn't know what had gotten into him. "Do you know who I am?"
She seemed a bit surprised by the question, but shook her head. "All I know is that your name is Seto, you have a really nice house, and you're nicer than most of the guys I've worked for."
Seto wasn't surprised to find that she didn't recognize him, as he'd been working more and more to keep pictures and stories on his personal life out of any news reports or tabloids. Apparently, it was working. "Well, then, I suppose I should properly introduce myself," he said, unable to suppress a slight smirk. He held out his hand toward her. "Hi, I'm Seto Kaiba, CEO of KaibaCorp."
She ignored his hand and simply stared at him with her mouth open. "A-Are you serious?" she finally stammered out. He chuckled, quite enjoying himself. "I promise I'm not lying. But see? Like I said, being a nerd has its perks. Who knows, maybe you'll work for me someday."
As she slowly started to get over her shock, Ella returned his smirk. "I was under the impression that I already worked for you." At that, Seto looked embarrassed, and now it was her turn to laugh.
"C'mon, I was just messing with you," she said as she hit his shoulder playfully. He pushed her shoulder softly in response, smile returning to his face.
A moment later, though, his face turned serious as he thought of something else he wanted to ask her. She noticed his change in demeanor and returned the expression. "What is it?" she asked.
"Ella, considering that most people peg me as a cold-hearted bastard, I just have to ask; am I really one of the nicest people you've ever... been with?"
She looked down at the bed between them, momentarily unable to meet his intense gaze. She'd been trying so hard not to think about the way Seto had treated her during the last few hours; how he'd actually been gentle, and had focused on her pleasure as well as his own. The way he'd held her, kissed her...
Snapping herself out of her thoughts, she realized there was a deep red blush across her cheeks. But Seto was still waiting for an answer. She lifted her gaze to look directly at him. "Definitely," she said. "Most guys treat me like an object. You... you were different."
At this point, Seto couldn't help the anger and protectiveness that swelled up in his chest as he thought of anyone treating her in such a way. He scooted closer to her on the bed and then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body flush against his own.
Ella blushed even more at their close position. It didn't help that he was also, by far, the best-looking client she'd ever had. "Seto?" she questioned quietly.
He pulled back just enough to look her in the eye, a concerned look on his face. "I'll make sure you'll never have to go through that again," he said seriously. "Tomorrow, I'm taking you to a nice restaurant downtown and I'm getting you a job there. I know the owner, and I guarantee she'll give you a position if you have my recommendation."
"A-Are you serious?" she asked for the second time that night, hardly able to believe her ears. Seto seemed genuine, but this was almost too good to be true.
"I swear it," he said, holding up his hand in a sort of oath. "The owner's been a friend of mine for years; she'll give you a waitressing job, and you'll make very good money in tips at this place. I promise."
Her face broke out in one the biggest smiles Seto had ever seen, and the next thing he knew, he was being tackled in a hug. "Thank you, Seto, thank you so much!" she repeated over and over. He placed one hand on her back to steady her, as he repeatedly told her that he was happy to do it. When she finally pulled away, there were tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Hey, don't cry," he said softly as he wiped the tears away from her cheeks with his thumb. She nodded her head and sniffled slightly, unable to stop smiling. "I'm just so happy," she said. "You have no idea how much this will improve my life."
Seto simply nodded as he continued to smile at her, not knowing how to respond. He really did want to help this girl, and to be honest, what he was offering would be no trouble at all.
"And if you ever need anything else," Seto continued, "I'm here for you. If you need to borrow money, or need a place to stay, just say the word and you'll have it."
Ella nodded, continuing to stare at him as if he were an angel. "Thank you," she whispered.
He inclined his head slightly, whispering back, "No problem."
The two lay in silence, smiling at each other for a few minutes, before Seto yawned loudly. "Alright, let's go to sleep," he said. "Tomorrow, I'm taking you out for chocolate chip pancakes."
Ella laughed and willingly let Seto pull her back into his arms, where she rested her head on his chest. He tenderly kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Ella." She snuggled up even closer to him, if that was humanly possible. "Goodnight, Seto."
When Ella woke up in the morning, the first thing she noticed was the warm pair of arms wrapped around her waist. She looked up to see the face of a sleeping Seto Kaiba who, at the moment, looked absolutely adorable.
She laid her head back against the chest of the man who had filled her dreams, and was grateful to know that she hadn't just imagined it all. And thanks to his kindness, she would finally be able to live a life she wasn't ashamed of. Plus, she could move out of that trashy motel.
But of course, she couldn't think of Seto's kindness without thinking about Seto himself. And she already knew, without a doubt, that she was beginning to fall for the guy. He was caring, attentive, and beautiful, and even though society would have disagreed with the sentiment, he didn't seem to think he was any better than she was.
However, Ella was no idiot, and she knew that falling in love with a millionaire-genius would probably never work out for her. So, she tried to push her affections out of her mind.
Just as these thoughts were passing through Ella's head, she felt Seto shift above her. And when she looked up to see his sleepy eyes and messed-up hair, she smiled involuntarily and knew it was already too late for her.
"What's up, sleepyhead?" she asked him. He merely grunted in response, but smiled at her nonetheless.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked. He nodded. "What about you?"
"Very well, thanks," she replied. Suddenly, they heard footsteps outside in the hall, and they both tensed up.
"Big brother, I'm going to school, okay? The bus is here!" Mokuba called from outside the door.
Seto sat up slightly. "Okay, Mokuba! I'll see you later!" As they heard the footsteps receding and faintly heard the front door open and close, they both relaxed.
"That was close," Ella said, covers fisted against her collarbone to cover herself. Seto nodded in agreement and slipped his feet off the edge of the bed. He stretched his arms up and behind his head. "Well, now that we're awake," he said, turning to address her, "you want to go for pancakes?" She smiled at him and nodded, and he turned and walked into his bathroom. While Seto was out of sight, Ella slipped out of the bed and quickly put her clothes back on, including the trench coat. She put her hair up quickly with a hairband she found in her coat pocket while, unknown to her, Seto called KaibaCorp to tell them he was taking the day off.
Pretty soon, the two of them were at the front door, where Ella "borrowed" a pair of Mokuba's sneakers so she wouldn't have to wear her heels. They decided to walk to the restaurant, since it was only two blocks away. The whole way there, Seto hooked his arm with Ella's, and she was happy to accept the gesture while simultaneously trying to convince herself that he was just being protective.
They were seated quickly and chatted all through breakfast, laughing and enjoying each other's company. As it turned out, the two of them actually had a decent amount in common, and there was never a break in the conversation.
After Seto had paid for breakfast, they set off again in a different direction. "Where are we going, Seto?" Ella asked curiously. He smirked, re-hooking his arm with hers as he stared straight ahead. "You'll see."
When they ended up in front of an Italian restaurant, which Ella knew to be especially high-end, another grin split her face. Seto looked down at her expression and smiled at her, leaning close to her ear to whisper "Told you." He stood back upright, straightened his coat, and led the way towards the restaurant, Ella following close behind.
The two of them met with the restaurant's owner soon after entering (hearing the name "Seto Kaiba" tended to make people move a little faster than usual). Seto briefly explained to the woman, Mrs. Lewis, that Ella needed a job and that he believed she would do an excellent job working for the restaurant. The woman nodded, and after speaking to Ella for a few moments, was convinced of the girl's polite manners. Within half an hour, a contract was presented, and after Seto's keen eye checked over it, Ella signed the document.
"So, when do I start?" she asked Mrs. Lewis, hardly able to contain her excitement as she handed over the contract.
"You'll have to go through three days of training before you start working, but you can start training tomorrow," the owner replied with a smile.
After exchanging thank-yous and goodbyes, Seto and Ella shook hands with Mrs. Lewis and headed towards the exit.
Upon walking out of the restaurant, Ella leapt into Seto's arms, unable to contain her joy. He caught her around the waist and held her there, with her legs wrapped around his hips, as she repeatedly thanked him. And then, acting on sheer impulse, she did something no sane person would have done. She leaned forward and kissed Seto Kaiba on the mouth.
Seto, taken aback, stood there frozen for a few seconds before he pulled away from the kiss with his eyes closed. They had kissed many times the night before, but now, in the daylight, the meaning was different. "Seto?" she asked cautiously. Even though she hadn't been sure, Ella had thought from the way he acted today that he liked her, too. Now, her heart was gripped with fear from the idea she'd made a horrible mistake.
"Ella," he began, voice slightly raspy, "Please tell me you're not doing this because of the job."
She gingerly took his face in her hands, and his eyes opened slowly. She shook her head at him slowly. "Not at all," she said simply. "I'd fallen for you before you made that offer and before I even knew who you were."
He let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," he said, smiling at her. "Then I should probably let you know that I've fallen for you, too." he said as he pressed his lips back against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck almost automatically, and turned her head to deepen the kiss.
And in that moment, the two of them blocked out everything else in the world. Neither had been looking for love, but now that they'd found it, they were never letting go.