Saturday Night
It was a late, Saturday night.
People were having fun, relaxing after a long week of work, draining their troubles away, drinking, eating or simply sleeping early only to wake up really late the next morning. In a small, far away bar, alone on a small stool, sat a lovely woman; her hair was blood red, silken and straight, her eyes were peach colored, but draped with her long forelocks and the bags under her eyes were puffy, clearly she had sobbed for a while before being able to maintain her composure again. She was obviously a wealthy woman, her clothes were fine and dark colored, a tight black knee-long skirt, a brownish-red blouse and black high-heels. She was alone at the counter, stilling quietly on her lonely stool, staring idly at her small little cup, a sake cup.
"Yo! Bartender! One sake please!" a man sat besides her, laughing like an idiot.
"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow Mito, you'd better not be late!" a certain voice called over the loud chattering people, then the sound of someone exiting the bar faded with their noise.
"Sure thing, Chipp." The laughing man waved away.
After a moment he shook his head still laughing and leaned his arms on the table, his business suit's jacket in his lap and his tie untied, almost threatening to fall from around his neck. His hair was blackish brown and his eyes were chocolate brown, his small glasses were tilted as his nose pinked, the sign that he was getting drunk, but not enough. He picked up his tilted glasses, wiped them using his tie and then placed them back on the bridge of his nose.
The bartender placed the sake bottle and sake cup in front of the man and then walked away.
The man took the bottle and poured himself a cup, sipping on the drink he sighed in contentment.
The woman besides him stirred her sake cup as well and took a sip, silent.
The man huffed and poured himself another cup, seeing the woman placing her empty cup, he glanced at her idly.
His eyes widened just a bit.
Her eyes were red and puffy, her nose was pink and her forelock hair was a mess, clearly she'd been crying her heart out. She picked up her sake bottle and poured herself some more, a mere droplet landed in her cup, she blinked, only to discover that her bottle was now empty. With a frustrated snort she slammed the bottle down and cupped her face, sniffling and trying to hold back her sobs.
She forked back her stray bangs and stared at her now empty cup, glaring. A bottle came into her view, pouring sake into her cup, and she followed it, seeing a hand with an unbuttoned cuff, she followed the arm all the way up to the man sitting besides her.
"I cant drink it all by myself." He offered, pouring sake into her small cup before pouring some more into his own.
She stared at him, a frown tight between her brows, her lips trembled and her eyes stung so she pressed her temple with her fingertips, easing the pain.
"You okay?" the man asked again, somewhat concerned, "You look like you lost your best friend."
She sniffled and jugged down the sake down her throat before answering, "My boyfriend dumped me… the jerk." She sniffed again and tears formed in the corners of her eyes, she slammed the cup on the table and tried to suppress her flooding tears.
The man's shoulders squared, so he found no comfort but to turn to face her, "Hey, it's okay! If they saw you crying while they're in heaven, they'd be upset at you." He cooed.
She stared at him, confused, "What -or who- are you talking about?" she almost snapped.
"Your ancestors." He grinned.
"Do I look like some five year old to you, you moron?" she snapped, tears threatening to trickle down her face, "Who the hell are you, anyway?"
He raised his hands like a surrendering thief, "Mito, Anji Mito." He introduced himself, "I don't mean to bother you, but you look awful. Want to talk about it?"
"And since when were you my psychiatrist?" she hissed, "Go away!" she lashed at him and placed her elbows on the table, hands cupping her face.
Anji scratched his head, "If it would make you feel better, my girlfriend dumped me, too." He murmured sheepishly, "My friend Chipp brought me here to lighten up, he said. After talking about it, I feel a hell lot better." He laughed.
She rubbed her nose and looked at him, giving him a once look over, "She was probably right. Why would any girl in her right mind date you?" she scoffed.
The man chuckled, "Well, any man in his right mind would love to date you. Me included." He placed his elbows on the table and crossed his arms, "What's your name, anyway?"
She regarded him for a minute; puffy red eyes to chocolate brown.
For some reason they both did not understand, the noise and laughter of the people in the bar surrounding them, slowly left their ears, they could only hear each other talk.
"Baiken." She finally replied.
He nodded, "Baiken what?"
She frowned, "What's it to you?"
He grinned, "I'm curious."
She arched a brow, staring at him, "You're strange."
"Am I?" he smiled, pouring her another drink.
She stared at her now full cup, then watched him pick up his own, cheer at her and swallow the drink.
"Ah! That's good." He grinned and forked back a few stray, blackish brown bangs.
For a moment, she couldn't help but stare.
"You know," she started, "You're not so bad looking." She picked up her cup and took a sip.
"Well you're a sight for sore eyes, I give ya that." He chuckled and swallowed another drink.
She stared at the bar stand before her, countless bottles stood aligned in front of her sight in all colors, shapes and sizes.
He noticed her stare so he looked ahead at the bottles, "Life wouldn't be fun if we were all alike, would it?" he said.
She looked at him, blinked and then looked at the bottles again, "I guess…"
A moment of silence passed between them.
"My boyfriend, he's in the army." She began, "He's… really nice when you get to know him, really, he's just too much of a jerk sometimes." She explained, "He's all so proud and tough, he met a commander in his battalion, it was a she, a Russian fighter, too; I think he liked her, so he told me that- since he and I are from two different understandings, then we should break up."
He nodded, "I see. He liked another woman from his line of work and thought it would be better if you broke up?"
She nodded, silent, and then picked up her cup and swallowed the drink.
"You didn't do anything about it?"
"I tried to, but I guess I weren't convincing enough." She shrugged, "So much for being a lawyer." She laughed, frustrated.
"You're a lawyer?" he blinked, "Well I'll be! I'm a lawyer too!" he laughed.
She turned to face him, surprised, "Seriously?"
"Yeah, I've been a lawyer for six years now. You?"
"Ten." She tucked a few locks of hair behind her ear.
He stared, he was just about to say something when the stereo went up and a cheesy song played on the dancing area.
She turned to stare at the couples laugh and dance, so she sighed, snatched the man's sake bottle and guzzled it down; soon emptied, she slammed it to the counter, a hiccup came from her throat when she tried to stifle a small irritated burp. The man stared, thinking how manly that action was, he only assumed she was too pissed to think, not to mention too drunk as well.
"My girlfriend met one of my clients during a dinner-meeting and fell in love with him, she's an owner of a restaurant." He stirred his drink before swallowing all what was left, "He was French and she was a sucker for French people." He laughed, "I guess it was one sided in the end."
"You never told her?"
"Not really, I never had the courage to tell her." He chuckled sheepishly, "Gees, I sound like a loser." He propped his elbow on the table and leaned over, his fist under his chin as he regarded the redheaded woman, "Want to dance?"
She stared at him, then at the people dancing, then at herself, "No, I don't feel like dancing." She shook her head.
"What? Cant dance?" he smiled teasingly.
"Of course I can dance, I just don't feel like it." she growled, irritated.
He laughed, adjusting his glasses, but soon his laughter died down.
The people danced as the song continued to play.
"I miss her already." He murmured, "The way she smiles, the way she laughs, the way she cooks." He sighed, "Her impossible hairdo, her super short skirt." He laughed to himself.
She nodded in acknowledgment, a second passed before understanding the last comment, so she knot her twitching brow, "Think her relationship with the so-called French guy would last?"
"Oh, so defiantly, it was as bright as daylight that he liked her, too." He grumbled, "He was just a kid, really; younger than I am."
She sighed, "No luck then, eh?"
"Not a sniff."
The song ended and couples kissed, laughed or went back to their tables.
"You know." Anji began, turning to face her again, "Maybe we should go out together?"
She jerked to look at him, "I don't even know you!" she screeched.
"So? I don't know you either!" he shrugged, "Who knows, love might blossom between us, yes?"
"Lets not." she growled and quickly looked away, a blush invading her cheeks.
He arched a brow, if it hadn't been for the flashing lights, on and off, on and off, he could've swore he saw her blush?
"Nothing personal, but I don't just jump into the arms of any man I see." She soothed her blouse and readied to stand off the stool.
Anji tossed his jacket over his shoulder and slapped money over the counter, walking to her side, he reached an arm for her to take, "I'll walk you home then?"
She stared, blinking, "You serious?"
"Well I cant let you go home at this time of night all alone!" he shrugged.
"No, I mean you- ah, never mind." She shook her head and turned for her purse.
The man laid his hand on hers, "Ah, it's on me." He smiled and shook his head at the money the bartender took.
She paused, stared at the man again and knot her brows, "You wouldn't happen to be a lecher, would you?"
He flushed, "What? No!" he argued.
She smiled and shook her head, she walked out of the bar as he followed her.
"Milady." A British, blonde young man standing at a long, black limo greeted her, he opened the door.
"Thank you, Axl." She nodded and turned to face the now shocked, black haired man, "Want a ride home?"
Anji gawked, speechless.
"I'm Baiken, Baiken Seishino head of the Seishino Co. mister Mito." She smiled teasingly.
Anji swallowed, "Seishino? That's- ! You're - ?" he pointed to the car then the bar behind them then her again, "I don't get it."
She shrugged, "You don't have to." She shook her head and then went into the car, "Want a ride?" she asked again.
Anji stuttered, composed himself and then slowly and coyly climbed into the limo.
"So?" she smiled, sitting on the cushioned seats, "Where do you live?"
"Um, near by." He told, "Just two blocks down then one block left."
"Gotcha." The driver grinned and started the engine.
Soon the limo drove away.
Anji stared, amazed at the large size and space the limo had inside, the cushioned seats were almost as soft as silk, and the splash of her red hair against the cream white seats only made her look lovelier. She signed for him to scoot closer, but he only shook his head and smiled. She smiled and sunk into the seats, her eyelashes growing heavier, he noticed that she was in a semi-sleep state, so he scooted a little closer.
"Hey," he said softly, "if you fall asleep like that it'll hurt your neck."
"Hn?" she replied sleepily and blinked a few times, stretching her arms out she yawned, "Oh, did I fall asleep?"
"Almost." He smiled.
She turned to look at him, blinked once and then sighed, eyes closed.
Anji had nothing to say, so he just sat next to her, silently gazing at the place they were at.
"Ever since I were little," she began, "all I wanted was money, power and a man." She forked back a few stray red bangs, "When I first started my job, when father hit the jackpot and we became so wealthy, I was still young and thought it was true happiness. But," she sat upright and briefly stared at the man besides her, seeing that he was silently listening, she smiled in appreciation, "everything changed when I met him, my boyfriend made everything so different, I thought that he'd be the one, in the times I figured out power and money did not make me happy, he was like a knight on a white horse." She smiled, "Sure he was too quiet and sometimes hotheaded, maybe dense even, but I loved him." she leaned in her seat and closed her eyes, "When he told me he wanted to breakup, I felt like my life had been shattered to pieces."
He looked at her, "How do you feel now?"
"It's over now, I understand it well enough to admit it. If he loved that Russian woman more than he loved me, then all I can say is to wish him good luck." She laughed sadly and scratched her head.
The car stopped, the blonde young man peeked through a small window, "Is this the place?"
Anji opened the door to explore the area, he looked at the apartments, the streets were somewhat empty, cars parking here and there, he looked at a brink-looking building and smiled, he turned to look inside the car, "Yeah, this is the place, thanks for the ride." He grinned.
The redheaded woman stared, "Nice place." She praised.
"Thanks. I live in the third floor, third apartment to the left." He told, not fully understanding why he told her such info, "Feel free to visit me any time." He offered.
The redhead smiled and pulled a card from her purse, "If you ever feel like changing your job residents, call me, ok?"
Anji took the card and smiled, "I'll think about it."
She smiled, and he smiled back, a short, precious, period of silent gratitude stretched between them.
"I guess I'll see you around." Baiken smiled for the first time that night.
Anji grinned, a strange sensation blooming in his body, making his heart flutter, "Sure!" he said, "See ya." He smiled and closed the limo's door.
The man adjusted his slanted glasses and watched the car drive off, smiling to himself.
Sure it wasn't as he expected, nor was it the way he even expected it to be, but things have really turned out to the best after all. 'Wait until Chipp hears about this!' He chuckled to himself as he turned around and walked up the stairs; heading to the third floor, he pulled out his keys and entered his apartment, after closing the door, he tossed away his jacket and then plopping into his chair, he sighed. He momentarily laughed, wondering if it was all a dream or real, pondering if he was drunk enough to have made that all up.
One thing for sure… that woman was as real as life itself.
'I think… this is the beginning of a new friendship.'
'Maybe something more?'
He chuckled, slowly surrendering to the sweet melodies of sleep.
END
A/N: no comment…