dAY jOB

WARNING: THIS IS A LESBIAN STORY. THERE IS SOME SEXUAL DIALOUGE, MEANING AND HUMOR. PLEASE USE YOUR DISCRETION. AND i HOPE YOU ENJOY THE STORY.

Day Job

Chapter One: Meet me at the Track

Toyota Racing was a company that was famous. In the last six years they had won every event they had entered. The newspapers said it was because of their excellent team. The television reported it was their deep pockets and access to the best new technology.

But if one was on the inside; they knew it was none of these factors. It wasn't money or team spirit that made Toyota Racing unbeatable. It was two women. And I am one of them. My name is Sara Rogers; but in Japan I am known as Raiden; the name for their Thunder God. That's because the engines I design sound like thunder on the track. It's a unique sound; once you've heard a Raiden engine handled by a TR driver; you don't forget it.

I said there were two women responsible. The second one is a woman I have never met in my life. Even though I have worked in the Tokyo office of Research and Design, for eight years. I have yet to meet the holder of the second name on the designs. And no one I talk to will tell me about her, I am assuming it's a woman. The name is written in female Kanji, I doubt a man would have a name of Tenoh Haruka. But then again, I've never known a man to drive like this Tenoh. Her stats are mind-boggling. They are better than most F-1 drivers; and she doesn't even race.

I decided a week ago that I would meet this mysterious Tenoh Haruka. Anyone who could drive like she could; I had to meet. Besides, she was co-signing everything with my name on it. That wasn't something I took lightly. So I made it a point to find out everything I could about this other woman.

And that's where I was now. I was sitting behind my computer during the lunch hour. People knew I worked through lunch; so they left me alone. I was glaring at the blinking cursor on my screen. The Japanese characters asked me, very politely, to enter my login name and password. It had been asking me politely to do that for the last 10 minutes. Each attempt was a failure.

There wasn't much info in the public files. Just the basic drabble you found in the newspapers or sports magazines. But I was after something more; a lot more. So I was breaking the law and hacking the company's computer files. Most of her files were locked up in a high security clearance I didn't have. But then again, I hadn't become an design superstar in Japan because I was pretty. Because let's face it, I am not THAT pretty. I was a genius. I was a bona fide card carrying genius. And that meant I could easily hack the computer and get whatever I wanted. But the truth be told; I was doing my level-best NOT to hack the system. I didn't want to lose my job; I loved this company and I loved being in Japan. The last thing I wanted was to destroy my career out of curiosity. If her information was so highly protected it was for a reason.

Perhaps she was in Witness Protection or something like that.

I continued to glare at the computer. Even with the knock at my door. I spoke in Japanese, "Come in."

Looking up I saw one of my assistants in the doorway. She bowed quickly and entered. Quietly, without a fuss, she put an envelope on my desk, walked backward out the door and bowed before shutting it.

I stared at the envelope. It was a beautiful cream color; the paper was expensive and the fine details of the subtle artwork were hand-done. I kept looking at it. This was a very expensive envelope; which meant one of two things. It was either an invitation to the Annual Royal Ball; to which I regularly attended. Or it was a very wealthy man's invitation to dinner; which I never accepted.

After a few minutes, I snatched the card from my desk and looked at the front. My nickname was written in elegant Japanese script. It wasn't an invite to any of the two usual things; most men didn't call me Raiden and the Emperor of Japan, sure as hell didn't call me that.

I took out the single sheet of heavy, luxury paper. The characters were precise, feminine and direct but polite. I got a sense from this letter that the writer was a confident, powerful, and very charismatic. I was so wrapped up in analyzing the writing that I missed the message. I had to read it twice more before it sank in.

To Raiden,

It is time we met, rival. I have always wondered about the woman that co-signs my designs. Anyone with a mind like yours must be a brilliant star in this crowded universe of ours. I have studied your shine from afar for years; let us finally meet face to face. Let us see if your shine is really as bright as it seems.

If you are ready to meet; I am at the Test Track all week. Security has been alerted of your coming. I am looking forward to putting a face to the famous name.

Tenoh

I sat in my desk chair and couldn't breathe for a moment. It was one of the oddest yet one of the most interesting letters I had ever received. But more than anything I was scared. She wanted to meet me; but not from a distance; she wanted to meet up close and personally.

I hated that idea.

As I said, I am not famous because of my looks. I worked extremely hard on being fit and a healthy size. It took six days at the gym with two hours a session of hard sweat and intense training each session. I was very strict on my diet so I didn't eat out and I didn't cook much. But even the hard work; the intense training and the careful eating couldn't change my face or my personality.

I was short by American standards at just over five feet four inches. I weighed in at a muscled 120 lbs. And despite my attention to my skin and hair; I was not blonde or blue eyed. I was a dark, coffee-coloured brunette with sea-green eyes.

I dressed well; in fine fashions, because I could afford it. I lived well, in a spacious house, because, again, I could afford it. Despite the fine clothes and big house, I was often alone. I was not a social creature and found it difficult to attend parties.

Setting the letter aside, I turned my chair and looked out the large bay of windows. I was high above the crowds; on the 45th floor of Toyota Design. I had worked very hard to get to this lofty place. I had given up a lot of things to be here. My family hadn't seen me in years; they refused to come to Japan and I was often working over the holidays. My boss had family and needed to have the work done; so I did it.

I had been asked to dinner by many a millionaire; but none of them appealed to me. I had never found a man that appealed. Truth be told, I was so intense about first my studies and then my career, that I hadn't bothered to look for a relationship. I seriously doubted if I ever would find a good relationship; I was too old now. I was twenty-five years old. In my family, if you reached that age, and were unwed and childless, you typically stayed that way. My sister had married no later than twenty-one and both of them had two children a-piece.

Looking back at the letter, I frowned at it. It was an invitation to meet the one woman I had wanted to get to know. The mysterious woman I had almost hacked the system to find. Sitting forward in a quick motion I pressed SEC on my phone. One of my assistant's voices came across in a polite, attentive inquiry.

"I am going out for the day; if anyone needs my, my cell phone is on."

"Enjoy your day."

I never left the office before seven in the evening. It was currently just past one in the afternoon. I doubted anyone would mind if I left early, just this once. My assistant had requested a car and driver; it sat waiting for me as I left the building. The driver held my door and gave a small bow as I stepped into the car.

"The Test Track," I told him.

"Hai," He bowed, shut the door and the car pulled away a moment later.

I sat back and watched the mass of buildings flood by. Tokyo was busy, crowded and yet one of my favourite cities in the world. I loved Japan and I loved Tokyo. It was like I had found my paradise in this jungle of technology and high-speed life. As I watched it all whip by I felt that familiar pang of loneliness. Despite being rich, successful and famous, I was lonely. I had no one waiting at home for me. No one was expecting me later. There was no company coming over; no friends to meet up with.

When the boss went out and asked me to come along, I went. They expected it. I would sit and talk to his wife; talk to his friends and partake in the expected frivolity. But if left to my own devices, I never went out, never hung with office people.

I sighed and closed my eyes as the past roared over my mind.

As a child I had been teased a lot. I had been bullied and often the butt of a joke. I had been a chunky kid and it didn't help that I was smarter than my classmates. My parents had figured it out early on; and had arranged with the school to give me advanced material. The school had been happy to help once the state had kicked in extra money. Turns out that having a recognized advanced student meant more money for the school the child attended.

I had been given work above and beyond my classmates; and as a result, I was mercilessly teased and bullied. Often I would cry myself to sleep at night. I went on crash diets at a young age but could never get small enough. It got so bad I was classified as having an eating disorder. I was afraid to eat and did everything I could to avoid food.

It wasn't until I was in university at the age of 13 that I found a friend. Her name was Monica. She was in her third year of design engineering and had noticed me floundering in the social department. Monica had taught me about healthy eating and exercise. She and I would often go to the gym and work out together. It was through her coaching and the kind advice from experts that I learned I wasn't fat, I was muscular. As Monica put it, I was made of muscle. And after training for a year or two, I realized she was right. I had slimmed down; shaped up and was stronger than most women. But it took hard work and focus. And I loved it. It was a challenge, finally a real challenge. School was easy, like breathing. But this...this was hard. So I devoted myself to learning as much as I could about it. Once I had my degree in art, as my family insisted, I took another degree in Nutrition and Health. And a third and final degree in Advanced Engineering and Design. I specialized in elite cars.

I had done all this in six years. Once I graduated for the third and final time, I was offered a job by Tokyo Racing as head of their R and R department. And that is how I ended up here.

The car stopped and I opened my eyes. A moment later my driver opened the door and I stepped out. I didn't need direction. I knew my way around. I followed the sound of one of my engines at work.

The inner path to the track was empty and blank; no color or personality. I walked through the endless corridors of fluorescent light and eventually came out at the track. There were two security guards; who stopped me and asked for ID. I showed them my company badge. They allowed me to pass. Stepping out into the warm sunshine, I was relieved. I had a touch of claustrophobia.

There was a single team trailer and tent set up. People were working and talking and there was a buzz of activity. A few people turned and stared as I walked up to the team tent.

"Hello?"

The team manger looked down; he scowled before recognizing me. Then he grinned and helped me up into the observation booth.

The man was Tex Rhodey. An American from Texas with a big mouth, big personality and years of experience. He was feisty, hot-tempered and had no trouble telling you where to shove it.

But he was also very kind to me.

"What brings you here, Raiden?" He asked

"I wanted to see the new engine." Which was partially true. I sat watching the read-outs on the screens. The engine was performing as expected. "You're driving is being conservative." I commented.

He snorted, "I had to argue it into her."

"Why?"

"She wanted to red-line it from the start."

I motioned for a set of headphones. "Can I reach her on this?"

"Yes, why?" Tex frowned at me for a moment, "You're not going to red-line it are you?"

"I designed the engine, Tex. I need to know if can do what I made to do." I opened the radio, "Tenoh, this is Raiden, red-line the engine. I need to get more readings."

"Right." The voice was oddly male for a woman. It was strong, and yet gentle.

A few minutes later, Tenoh pushed the car into the Red Zone. The engine wasn't even reading as red-line. I smiled slightly. I had designed the engine to withstand speeds in excess of 400 km/h. Most race cars topped out at 350. The engine was tough, light weight and rugged. It could go for hours without overheating or blowing out.

"Amazing." Tenoh's voice came across the headphones. "I'm at 350 and it's not even flashing."

Tex's voice came through, "Ease off, Tenoh. The engine may be tough as hell, but the car isn't. Reign it in and let's call it a day."

"Why? It's still early."

"Because we've been at this since 5 am and its Friday; I want to get home before rush hour."

"Fine," Tenoh sighed, "I'll pit."

It took a few laps before she could safely pit the car. Tex helped me down from the booth and we crossed to the car. I stood back as the team did their job and a moment later, the driver, Tenoh climbed from her car. She was taller then I had expected; and had an incredible body. Despite the helmet and uniform, you knew she was a woman. A figure like that was impossible to miss.

She pulled off her gloves revealing long, tapered fingers. The helmet slid off in a swift motion. Her blond hair was sandy color and fell in casual waves around her head. Her hair was short; above the ears, but it suited her. She ran a casual hand through it. Her dark green eyes were focused and intense as she looked at the car. She stood with the helmet under one arm and put her gloves inside.

"So?" Tex walked up to Tenoh, "You look disappointed."

"No, I just wish the car could handle the speed better."

"It did fine." Tex put a hand on the car, "You just drive too hard."

Tenoh snorted at him and shook her head. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"No, you won't. It's an off weekend."

Tenoh frowned for a moment. "Why is that?"

"Your girlfriend said so." Tex gave her a smile, "She can be very pushy you know."

Tenoh nodded, "I know."

"She said that you haven't been home for a full weekend in months. She asked me to remind you about a wedding."

Tenoh's eyes widened, "Damn, that's right!"

"Who's getting married that you'd blow off work?" Tex asked.

"A friend." Was the cool response Tenoh gave.

"Must be one hell of a friend." Tex was called away by one of the team members.

Tenoh bent over the driver's side of the car; I couldn't help but notice the way the suit fit over her backside. She had a wonderful body.

"Enjoying the view?" She asked coolly, straightening up and looking me over.

"I was admiring you, yes." I was honest.

She smiled and crossed her arms in a lazy way, "Like girls do you?"

I shrugged, "I can appreciate the hard work it takes to look good."

That wasn't the response she was expecting and it showed. She eyed me more closely and frowned. "You're not a fan are you?"

"No, I'm-" I was cut off by a high pitched squeal of joy. A moment later a blonde blur ran past me and into Haruka.

"I was told you're coming to the wedding!" The blonde bubble gushed happily. She grabbed Haruka's arm and jumped up and down a few times. "Michiru told me you're coming."

"I wouldn't miss it for anything." Haurka told her warmly, her voice taking on a romantic note as she continued. "Besides, it's not every day my kitten gets married."

The blonde girl's cheeks turned bright red. "Why do you always tease me?"

"Because I like to tease you." Haruak smiled at her.

I watched the exchange and longed for someone to smile like that at me. I wished I had someone to grab onto and hold close. I longed to hear a soft voice tell me I was special to them.

Haruka looked at me. I forced myself to shake the thoughts off. She was watching me closely. I regained my composure and forced a smile.

"It was nice watching you drive. Thank you." Managed a bow and turned to go. I saw several other women waiting by the track entrance. They were all beautiful in their own way.

"Wait, I never got your name."

"Why does my name matter?" I asked, looking back at her.

Tenoh gave me wicked, teasing smile. "I like to get to know my fans personally."

I smiled back at her, I could play along. "But I'm not a fan."

I gave her a wink and walked off. She watched me until I disappeared. It wasn't until I reached my car and was driving way, that I realized what I had done. What had possessed me to wink at her? I never winked at people.

A moment later my cell phone rang. It was one of my assistants. "Yes?"

"You're needed at the office."

I kept the sigh to myself. "I'll be right there." I instructed my driver to take me back to the office.

It was passed midnight by the time I arrived home. The house was empty, quiet and dark. I turned on only enough lights to get me to my bedroom. It was one of four rooms in the house. I shut off the lights, shed my clothes and fell into bed. I was asleep a moment later.

A WEEK LATER

It wasn't until a week later that I met Haruka Tenoh again. The company was celebrating the launch of our newest engine. Pre-sales had massively exceeded the target; racing sponsors were begging for the engine and the company wanted to thank my team and I.

I had hidden in my office for as long as I could. My boss came in and had to haul me out. He held talked about how I should be happy and proud of the success. And then he told me I had to give a speech. I felt sick.

He led me to the party and up onto a raised platform. He called for silence and eventually got it.

"Welcome everyone. As you know we are starting the party here and then moving it to Mokado's at 7pm. But more importantly, I have the heart of this team, Miss Sara Rogers, better known to most of you as Raiden. She has a few words for all of you."

He stepped aside and waved me up to the microphone. I nearly fainted. My heart was slamming in my chest, my breathing was rapid. I could feel my throat closing as I struggled for air. Somehow I managed to make it to the microphone. I was scared out of my mind.

In that instant I forgot how to speak Japanese, how to think and how to breathe. But I couldn't pass out; it would embarrass my boss, he'd lose face. I couldn't do that to him. I forced a breath into my lungs and opened my mouth. That's when I spotted a tall blonde man. I looked again and realized it was Tenoh. She was watching me with an intensity that was oddly calming. Our eyes met and she winked at me. For some reason I was relieved by it and relaxed enough to speak.

I have no idea what I said; but it must have been wonderful. Because when I bowed and stepped back, there was applause. I stepped off the stage and escaped to my office again. Someone had brought in cake and champagne. I gently put both items aside and sat down. I didn't eat cake or drink champagne.

I rolled my head back against the chair head-rest. The soft leather welcomed me. I closed my eyes and breathed slowly and deeply for a few minutes. My heart calmed to its normal pace and I was relaxed again. My mind kept flashing on Tenoh and the wink she'd given me. I felt myself smile and that shocked me. Why was I smiling?

A single knock alerted me to company; the door opened and closed a moment later. I sat up, surprised. People didn't enter without permission. I was even more surprised at the company.

"We're going to dinner."

I gaped at Tenoh, "Excuse me?"

"I said, we're going to dinner."

"What makes you think I am going with you?"

"Because, I asked you."

"And..." I waved a hand, "That means I am automatically going to agree?"

"Normally, yes."

I sat there, staring at the woman. She was dressed in a tailored suit made of gold linen. It was beautifully crafted and accented her figure well. She managed to look just a touch tomboy-ish and it was actually appealing on her.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but no."

She blinked her dark green eyes a few times. "You're saying no?"

"That's right."

I sat in my chair and told myself she wasn't attractive; and that there was no voice in my head, yelling at me to say yes. Instead, I focused on the fact that she had invaded my space. But oddly enough, I was happy she had.

Tenoh came forward, leaning her hands on my desk and closing the gap between us. I didn't back up. I just stopped breathing; she smelled great. And up close, her hair was more a golden blonde; her dark eyes more intense.

"You don't really mean that." It was a statement.

"I..."

My words failed as I noticed the top couple buttons of her blouse was open. It gave a flash of skin and that was enough to stall my brain. I was shocked. I never in my life had been so dumbfounded by a person before.

Haruka leaned in a little closer and gently tipped my chin up. Her fingers were warm, strong and very real. I stared into her face and she smiled at me.

"I didn't think you meant it."

"But you have a girlfriend."

"I know. But for some reason, I can't stop thinking about you. It's been driving me nuts this past week. I can't explain it, but I need to be around you."

No one had ever said anything like that to me before. I couldn't speak. The warmth from her hand; the firm touch of her fingers; it was almost too much and I loved it.

"Okay." I breathed. "I'll go out with you."

She smiled and it made my heart flip over in my chest. "Good. Let's go."

"What? Now?" I remembered the party; the boss would see me. The shame of it snapped me out of my daze. "We can't be seen together. It would torpedo my career."

"Relax, if anyone asks, we had a business dinner. We are co-designers on this project."

"And we've never met before now."

"So?" She asked me, letting go of my chin and stepping back. I resisted the urge to admit I was disappointed.

"So, how do I explain our sudden dinner and so forth?"

She gave me a devilish grin and it made me quiver. "You think it's going to be more then dinner?" She gave me a sly look, "You come off all shy but really you're not. You want me."

I shook my head. Partially to keep from saying something stupid, like yes I do. And also to shake off the growing sense of need.

"Look," I stood up, "I'll have dinner with you because I wanted to meet you. But not because this is a date, get it?"

"You really don't want to admit you like me do you?"

"I don't like you." Which was a lie; I did like her. Too much in fact, way too much and the scariest part, I wasn't bothered by it. "Let's understand something here, you have a girlfriend. I have my career. We don't need to make it romantic."

She was watching me closely, "You must be incredibly lonely."

I was shocked by her words; never mind the fact she was accurate. "It's bad enough you're asking me out, and we aren't even on a first name basis. You have no-"

She moved like the wind, so fast I couldn't see it. But suddenly she was kissing me and I was frozen. I was pressed against her body; her arms were strong. She held me easily and firmly in place. I tried to ignore the flash of desire in my body. Her body felt so good against mine.

A moment later, Tenoh stepped back. "My name's Haruka. And you're Sara." She gave me a lazy smile, still holding me to her body. "There, now we're on a first name basis."

I was stunned, "You really don't follow decorum do you?"

"No." She still held me tight to her body. "Now, let's go to dinner."