Business before Love
Le Tournebièvre was a rather nice restaurant, Duo Maxwell had to admit. He had reserved a table for the evening, a suggestion by his business associate Quatre Winner, whom also owned Winner Corporations, a multi-billion dollar company, that was in partnership with Duo's own. Duo's company, one he was rather proud of as he had built from the ground up, VIATECH Industries, was quickly becoming a common household name.
Children in America knew the name of his company, due mostly in part to the large employment base needed for the company to function. VIATECH operated in everything from computer parts, heavy artillery, and to machinery. The company covered a rather large model of products; one of his new products, the TIC-Tablet was the biggest release and was a popular new device amongst teachers that had to use adaptive technology to teach. It had scored highly in consumer reports for the ease of use and for affordability making it accessible to low-income schools.
Currently, Duo Maxwell was showing the prototype of a new weapon he had designed to Gary Biron, owner of HART, a major manufacture of military weapons.
"If you look at these charts, sir, you can see that the cost of this weapon are rather expensive at first due to the gundanium alloy needed to create make this lightweight weapon, but the production cost is minimal because of the of low amount of waste created in manufacturing." Duo watched as Gary Biron flipped through charts. "Gundanium is a pure metal. We have found that there is a very minimal amount of harmful waste created in manufacturing and what waste there is, it is easily contained and the EPA approves of the disposal methods."
The older man's forehead wrinkled. Quite frankly, he liked the product, he had seen it in action at a showing a year ago when the young businessman first introduced the weapon at a conference. Biron was merely here because his wife, Ethel, was enamored with the young man and Quatre Winner, considering the both of them "like the grandchildren we never had." Biron had done business many times with Winner Corporations, and had no premonitions with creating a new union between VIATECH Industries. Biron did like that these young men had gone out of their way to impress him and his wife, who often found these kinds of meetings as a bit of a bore. Le Tournebièvre was a new establishment that was quickly on the rise to becoming a popular place. One of the best features of the restaurant was the musicians playing classical music that added to the ambiance of the restaurant.
Shuffling the papers together, Biron cleared his throat, "Mister Maxwell, Mister Winner, everything looks to be in order. I must say I'm rather impressed and I would like to continue with a business plan. I believe that the military would like these weapons, but first more testing would have to be done to find if it meets the standards for an average soldier. I'm sure you have several prototypes ready and I would like to purchase them. I will have several officers test them and if they do indeed like them, I will require more. If not, I would like to have this item put into production so I may sell through my own gun company. I find that this product would make a great addition to home defense and do to its lightweight, that it would make the perfect sidearm for someone looking for a lighter gun model. I will send my secretary over Monday morning with this approved business plan and we can go from there.
"Now if you excuse us, it is rather late and I have found that the missus and I are rather old and it is fast approaching our bedtime. Thank you for the lovely evening, Mister Winner and Mister Maxwell, it's a pleasure doing business with you and I hope that all of our companies will profit from this venture."
"Thank you, sir. Please, be careful traveling home," Duo stood, shaking Biron's hand and gave a quick kiss on the cheek to Ethel. "It's been a pleasant evening." Both Duo and Quatre finished their goodbyes and sat down to finish the rest of their meal.
"That went well." Quatre stated as he moved the food on his plate with his fork.
Duo agreed. "I think it did too." He was exhausted. These long days were taking a toll on him. All Duo seemed to do lately was work. If he wasn't working, he was in his personal lab at home designing new products; however he found that he was often at work using the labs there as his home was rather lonely.
The musicians finished their last song for the night, causing both of them to focus on the people exiting the stage. One musician in particular, Duo had stolen glances at whenever he could. The violinist was a younger man, younger than the other musicians that were playing that evening, but his skills were impeccable. The young man was rather exotic with his bemused chocolate colored hair that seemed to fall in every direction. Due to the slight slant and facial features, Duo supposed the man was of Asian descent.
"I can swear that I've seen that man before; almost like I should know him," Quatre pointed at the violinist as he walked into one of the back rooms.
Duo shrugged. "Well, it's not like we'll ever see him again."
Heero Yuy opened the door to his ran down apartment that was situated in a rather questionable neighborhood. It was all he could afford being a working student. Currently, Heero was working on his dual masters in both World History and Anthropology. He managed to get by with a few scholarships, but he still needed a place to stay as he was no longer allowed to live in the dorms. He worked several jobs; tonight he worked at Le Tournebièvre as a violinist in their band. It was easy work as he knew how to play several instruments and could be rather flexible with them. The pay wasn't too bad either and he was often given the chance to work as a part of the wait staff, which usually earned him more.
Toeing off his shoes, Heero flopped down on his bed, disturbing the arrangements of magazines that were strewn across it. Picking one up, he looked at the cover of a foreign business journal. The front page showed a rather stern looking Asian man with jet black hair that fell to his shoulders. The title read in Korean, "Chang, heir to Sang-Ha, tops competitors."
Heero sighed heavily, exhausted from a busy day. Tomorrow his classes would start early and he was scheduled to help cater at a birthday party. Idly, he played with the ring on his right hand as he drifted off to sleep, a habit he had had since he was a child.
"Isn't that the waiter from last night?" Duo peered over his wine glass to view where Quatre had gestured to. They were both currently attending a friend's party for his daughter's eighteenth birthday. Their friend had spared no expense it had seemed to throw a faux beach party but the over-privileged teenagers that ran amuck didn't seem to notice. The backyard had been transformed into a sandy beach. Sand had been dumped on the patio in a thick layer with shells and rocks to mimic the real thing. The pool supposedly had color added to it to mimic the blue ocean as it sparkled from all the lights draped around the area, a wave machine had even been added. The sound of rolling water, seagulls, and splashing accompanied the DJ's latest spins of pop tunes. Between the lighted décor of palm trees, flamingos, and umbrellas, Duo could see the same waiter with the tousled brown hair serving a tray of jello shots to a group of rowdy kids. Technically, Duo guessed you couldn't call them kids, they were considered young adults now since the drinking age had been lowered to eighteen years ago. Although Duo personally could see no good coming from serving alcohol at a pool party.
"He must be a college student," Duo downed the last of his wine and placed the glass on the table.
"Ah, the old college days, I sure don't miss those." Quatre smiled at one of their business acquaintances that had waved to them from across the pool. "By the way, how's the Sisco account coming along?"
"It's good; we're closing in a week."
"Any chance that now this big deal is over you're going to start dating again?"
Duo shrugged. In all honesty he wasn't really interested in dating, although if he was to admit, the waiter- slash-server was definitely catching his eye. "Haven't given it a thought. Trowa said he would be home next weekend didn't he? He finally get his gang business straightened out?"
"Duo, I wish you'd stop calling it a "gang business.""
Snickering, Duo put his hands in the air, "Hey, all I'm saying is that it's very questionable as to how his family came into their fortunes. Let alone they specialize in security. Seems like a gang to me."
"Yeah, he'll be home next week. It's hard with him being gone for weeks at a time. You would think that we would be used to it but after being together for so long you just kind of expect for them to always be around. Now, since you keep changing the subject: you do realize with Relena during eighteen, she's going to be all over you?"
Duo inwardly groaned. Duo had met the Darlin family years ago and since then she had never played coy about her feelings towards him. "That's exactly what I need don't you think, Quatre?"
Quatre smiled his characteristic smile, "Speaking of which, she's on her way over here."
If Duo ever had a daughter, he would lock her up and never let her see the light of day. Well, maybe that would be him stressing his overly protective nature, but he would definitely not allow his daughter to wear a tiny bikini. Duo supposed that it was what was considered the "fashion" nowadays, but he didn't think that basically a strip of hot pink duct tape across the chest was a good swimsuit.
"'Ello, Mister Maxwell and Mister Winner, how nice of you to come to my party; It means a lot to me." Relena extended her hand out for the two to kiss, as was customary amongst business etiquette. However when she stuck her hand out, the other hand didn't quite know what to do and dumped the rest of the wine in her glass causing her to giggle. "You'll have to excuse me sirs but apparently I'm not very steady at this stage."
"That's quite alright, Miss Relena. I remember what it was like to be young and getting to enjoy my first taste of legal alcohol." Duo gave her a friendly pat on the back, "I haven't seen your father tonight, is he going to make an appearance?"
Relena shrugged, "Daddy's here somewhere. You are, Mister Maxwell, far too kind." Her eyelashes began to flutter and Quatre shot Duo the "I told you so" look. "You know, now that I'm eighteen, I'm technically considered legal for marriage."
Duo's cheeks flushed red as he cleared his throat. "Well, Miss Relena, that's, um, good to know. I think you might need to get back to your party though. Quatre and I don't want to take up too much of your time."
"You're, too kind Mister Maxwell. I'll get back to my friends." Relena spun quickly on her heels, knocking into the person walking up behind her, causing a series of unfortunate chain events.
Relena fell forward, but Quatre was able to quickly grab her to keep her from falling face first into the sanded patio. The person that she had collided with wasn't so lucky. As they had managed to regain control to keep from falling over, they took a step back; their foot became entangled in one of the lights that were buried into the sand causing them to trip and fall into the pool. Lights began to flicker as decorations that were connected to the light were pulled down into the pool.
Not thinking, Duo quickly jumped into the water. He could see the person that had been tripped was desperately struggling to untangle their foot from the lights.
Moving quickly Duo freed the man's foot and helped to pull him up to the surface. Quatre helped them onto the patio the rest of the way as someone else draped towels over them. The man coughed up water as he desperately gasped for air. "Are you okay?" Duo asked, toweling his face off.
"Yes. Thank you." Dark blue eyes looked at Duo and he realized that it was the waiter he had been admiring that he had rescued. "Are you sure you okay? You sound like you took in a lot of water."
The man nodded, however he looked shaken. Standing, Duo reached out his hand to the man. "Let's go get you warmed up and something to drink."
Heero shivered over his cup of warm coffee. Despite the warm summer air, he still felt chilled to the bone, but he figured he felt so chilled because of his fear of water. As a young boy, there was an incident that Heero was involved in that had made him terrified of water. At the age of twenty-four, Heero hated to admit to people that he couldn't swim. There had been many times his brother had tried to help him learn but he couldn't overcome his initial fear and panic any time his feet could no longer touch the bottom of the ground.
"Thank you for this," Heero gestured to his cup of coffee. He was thankful that the handsome stranger was being so kind to help.
"It's no problem. I talked to one of the caterers and they said they'd get you some new clothes to change into for the rest of the party."
Heero nodded. If he had known that this catering event would have been at a pool, he wouldn't have signed up for the extra hours. However, he had needed them and any extra hours that he could get at work at one of his jobs kept him from having to search for another job.
"My name is Duo, by the way. I don't think I've introduced myself to you."
"Heero," Duo's handshake was strong, one that was confidant. "I really appreciate your kindness, Duo. I probably need to go find a uniform and return to my shift."
"Yeah, I was thinking about heading out soon. Anyways, it was nice to meet you, Heero." Duo helped Heero to his feet causing him to blush.
"Um, hey, Duo."
"Yes?"
"By any chance, could I take you out for some coffee to thank you properly?"
"No," Heero's heart sank. "But you could let me take you out for dinner."
Heero smiled. He hadn't been on a date for almost five years. His school and multiple jobs kept him busy enough. "I would like that."
"Great. When are you free?"
"Um…I have classes all week. I'm off on Sunday, if that's okay?"
"D'ya know where the Chesterfield Theatre is?" Heero nodded. "Good, then meet me there at two p.m."
Heero had arrived earlier due to the bus schedule at Chesterfield. He liked to come to this area in his spare time. Bars lined the streets and although it could be considered a "ritzy" place, it boasted a theatre that gave a last time chance to view movies on the big screen before they hit the stores or it would show older movies during their "flashback nights".
"Hey, Heero!" Heero turned to see Duo standing across from him.
"I know it was a bit presumptuous, but I already picked up two tickets for the showing of Pompeii."
"Ah, normally the person that sets the date pays for everything," Heero thought that Duo looked a bit dejected. "But hey, at least you got something I wanted to see."
"Well, I don't know about most movies but I know history," Heero linked his arm to Duo's elbow as they walked inside the building, "But I figured this couldn't make me as mad as some other historical movies do."
The movie turned out great; it was acceptable to Heero even though he had to bite his tongue throughout parts of the movie to keep from spoiling certain key historical parts.
"Are you hungry by chance?" Duo asked.
"Yes I am, what were you thinking? I hate to tell you but I'm not really a fan of bar food."
Duo laughed, "I'm not either. I have heard horror stories about the peanuts. I'm actually not familiar with this area. Any suggestions?"
Heero smiled. "China town is basically a few blocks away from here. We can walk it the distance there and get some good food. It's been awhile since I've had some comfort food."
"Sounds great, but we can take my bike over there." Duo led them to where he had parked his motorcycle. Unlocking the helmets from it, he handed one to Heero, who was admiring it. It was an old Harley that he had happened to refurbish. He would of liked to of had more time to work on the bike to make a few changes but for now it would do.
"I haven't been on a motorcycle in a long time," Heero commented, "But I've never rode on a Harley."
Duo smiled, "Well you're in for a real treat then." Duo started the engine up as Heero hopped on behind him, wrapping his slender arms around his waist. They drove the few blocks over to the entrance of what was deemed the city's "China Town." It was more of a melting pot for all the Asian communities that spanned out over several miles lined with a fish market, farmer's market, various clothing stores, and restaurants. Duo had never been to the area and when they had rounded the corner and set foot in the heart of the place, his nose was immediately assaulted with all kinds of wonderful smells. Vendors had set up food stands in the square, selling an array of foods on sticks. Women were selling handmade clothing articles or fashion accessories in variety of colors. Street performers had taken out their instruments, performing a variety of songs for those that took the time to stop and listen to music from their homeland. Heero led Duo into a small restaurant and took a seat at one of the tables. They were immediately greeted by an older man, who Duo had guessed knew Heero as they both exchanged greetings.
"Have you ever had Korean food, Duo?" Heero handed him a brightly colored menu, most of it had photos next to the English translation.
Duo shook his head, "Nope, sure haven't, but I'm not one to say no to anything new. What's the hottest thing they have?"
Heero smiled at him, "Most of the food is hot, at least here. I've personally sampled almost everything on the menu and it's all wonderful to me."
"Ah, well then," Duo pointed at a brightly colored plate of beef with sides, "That looks appetizing." Heero nodded and placed their orders in Korean.
"You speak Korean? Sorry, but I kind of assumed that you were of Japanese descent."
"I am," Heero took a drink of his tea that he had ordered. "My father is Japanese. My mother is Chinese and English. I just know how to speak several languages; it's customary in Asian schools to learn different languages since most students go into businesses that require it for their jobs."
"You're still in school, then? I know when we met you mentioned that you had classes."
"Yeah, mastering in history and anthropology; I have a minor in art history and I did get an associates in business."
Duo mildly choked on his drink, "You already have that many degrees? You're not that old."
"I came to America when I was fifteen. I didn't like the school system and I was able to attend a GED course through a college. They had a program that gave me two years of college for free because I tested so high and it qualified me for their scholarship. I've been doing that ever sense."
"What do you plan to do after you graduate?"
Heero shrugged, "I don't know. I kind of like the idea of being a professional student, but I think looking into being a museum curator sounds fun. I really don't know what I'm going to do. I thought I might start to work on a doctorate, but I think I need to find a job that's not serving people food."
"Ah, I never really went to college. I did for a few semesters, but I dropped out and managed to get into a business. It's not bad, but I was working various construction and scrap yard jobs before that."
"My family's into business," Duo noticed that Heero's face looked a bit sad and forlorn, "I just couldn't do it. I think the only reason why I got an associate in business was to kind of feel connected to them, or to at least make them somewhat happy."
"Your family live here?"
Heero shook his head, "No, just myself. My dad passed away when I was thirteen. Even though we weren't really that close, it still made it rather hard. Do you have family?"
"No, I don't. I didn't have a dad really in the picture and my mom passed away from cancer when I was eight. My uncle Howard raised me. He's still around. I'll have to introduce you to him. He runs the Battlefield Museum out at Harper's Creek. He's kind of an old Civil War buff but he likes old junk too. He's a bit egocentric and overbearing at times, but he's a good guy."
Heero smiled. "I was offered a summer job there one year but the buses don't drive out that far otherwise I would have taken it. I was really bummed that summer that I couldn't work there."
The rest of their date continued on in a rather pleasant mood. Their food was good, giving Duo an experience he had never had before. The two of them walked around the neighborhood window shopping and watching the impromptu performances from several talented people. It wasn't until the early morning hours that Duo had offered to give Heero a ride back to his apartment on the other side of town, insisting that there was no way he could allow him to take a bus this late because he knew it would take him an hour to get home.
"Thank you for the wonderful time tonight, Duo," Heero handed him his helmet.
"I had a good time too. By chance, can we shoot for a second one?"
Heero smiled at him, showing rows of perfectly white teeth. "I think I would like that." They exchanged numbers and Duo watched Heero walk inside the complex. Putting his helmet back on, Duo couldn't contain his smile. It had been a long time since he had dated someone that he felt was intellectually challenging to him, but at the same time held a bit of a mystery about himself. He would finally be able to tell Quatre to quit worrying about his love life and trying to set him up on those horrible blind dates he was accustomed to going to. Duo was starting to look forward to a more involved life around this beautiful man that happened to meet him by chance.