Inspired by Spilt Perfume by Pam Tillis
A/N: You never see any of 'Yohji's Girls'; especially after he spends the night with them. This is from the point of view of one of the girls. I like to write things from the POV of an unknown character. It's fun, and I haven't read many of them myself, so...
He started out so nice. I was actually thinking it might last; that he would stay with me. I should have known that a man like him wouldn't stay with one woman, I can dream, though. The night started at a nice restaurant; I doubt I'll ever be able to go in there again. After that, we went to a bar. He was comfortable in a bar. Of course he was, he was Kudou Yohji.
After the bar, we went to his place. He lives in an apartment above a flower shop; with three other guys. I got to meet one of them, the redhead. The way he looked at Yohji should've been my first clue. He was used to seeing strange women being brought into the apartment. He was not used to ever seeing them again.
Of course, my first clue should have been his reputation. I knew he was a playboy, but I guess every woman dreams about being able to change a man. The second clue should have been the looks Yohji sent to other women in the bar. It's obvious, now that I look back on it, that those women were not just friends of his. They had been in my shoes. The redhead's look was just the third warning sign.
I left his room at six o'clock the next morning. He was still asleep, and, from the looks of him, would be for awhile longer. As I walked downstairs, I almost ran into the redhead from last night. I remember thinking that he must not get a lot of sleep. He raised his eyebrow when I blushed at him, but he never said a word. He only followed me with his eyes as I let myself out the door. He almost looked like he was judging whether or not I was a threat.
I managed to walk home, a small apartment, without running into anyone I know. After taking a shower, I curled up on the couch and remembered the way he was at the restaurant. They had had a live band that night, and Yohji and I had danced to one of the slower songs. He had held me so tightly, almost like he was afraid I would disappear. But, that's just wishful thinking, right? He whispered a name into my hair, but it wasn't mine. Asuka must have been vary important to him for him to mention her - even if it was unknowingly - on a date with someone else.
Even then, though, knowing that I wasn't the one he was thinking about, I knew I was falling for him. He has some sort of power, though. He could probably charm anyone if he put his mind to it. And I also knew that it was I was still getting over my previous boyfriend. We had broken up a week before Yohji asked me out, and, since I was trying to forget, I had said yes.
I suppose thinking he could feel something for me was nothing more than wishful thinking, but I couldn't help it. Last night was one of the most perfect dates I have ever been on, even if it did end in a one-night-stand. I knew - even though I hoped I was wrong - that it wouldn't last; that WE wouldn't last. But I accepted and went on the date anyway. I let him lead me home, and I didn't mind. Now I do.
Now I'm sitting on my couch, crying, and wondering what I could have done differently. I keep thinking that, if I had done something different when he did this, or said something else when he asked me that, would I still be sitting here, alone and crying. Or would I still be at his place, learning the name of the other three guys, telling them my name, and making plans for another date?
I brush the last of my tears away and stand up. I know that crying won't help anyone. If I want something different, then I'll have to take another chance. I'll go to a bar, and pick up some guy, and everything will be all right, at least until morning.
Yohji was nice, but I'm sure I can find someone better. Someone who is willing to make a commitment. I knew from the moment the date started - at least in the back of my mind - that what we had wouldn't last. There's nothing I can do about my 'relationship' with Yohji, but I can use this experience to make my next real relationship better. I can make it work.
I put on fresh makeup and head outside. I'm going to get over Yohji, and I'm going to do it today. He's not worth all my tears, and besides, I've cried all I could. It's time to get over him. A one-night-stand is not supposed to come back to haunt you in the morning. There's no sense in crying about something that I can't change.
Maybe I'll see Yohji again; maybe I'll go by the flower shop. Yeah, maybe I'll learn the other three's names, and tell them my own. But I won't make plans for a date with Yohji. We were together for a night, and I walked out, with only a card with the word, "Thanks" written on it to let him know I had been there. There was no need for a goodbye. If he had been awake, I wouldn't have been able to get over him. I would still be sitting on the couch crying. But I'm not, I'm living again, and I'm buying flowers from Aya, the redhead I saw last night and this morning. I can move on, and Yohji already has. That's the way life is.