Chapter 2: SO CLOSE
Preparing for a business party was difficult without knowing the terms of which business it involved, so Masami choose a simple strapless black dress that was full length with a thigh high slit up the right side. She matched it with silver heels and shiny silver bracelets on each wrist. The maid called Sari- a girl a few years younger than Masami- helped her twist her dark plum colored hair into a bun on the top of her head, leaving a single lock free and curled against the left side of her face. Her make-up was light except for the bright pop of pink lipstick that colored her lips.
Masami stood outside waiting for Sasori to arrive, fifteen minutes before the set time, gripping her white shawl around her bare arms to fight against the autumn air. She constantly checked her phone for the time, anxious to see Sasori again, then replaced it in her black ruffle clutch that hung off her shoulder from a silver chain. Once she saw she mustang pull up the long driveway she let a pleased smile spread across her faces as she trotted down the front steps.
"Good evening, Sasori-sensei." She sang as she climbed into the car. Before closing the door she double checked that her dress' skirt was inside the car.
As she turned to face him she was startled to see hi with a half smile that reached his usually firm hazel eyes.
"You're prepared for work, good." He commented before circling the giant fountain in the middle of the driveway.
Masami felt her heart throb at his indirect compliment.
"Where's the party?" She asked looking out the passenger window. The large houses and lawns faded away to tall buildings and sidewalks in a blinding blur.
"In the Hyuga Hotel's ballroom, downtown." Sasori answered flatly.
Normally Masami wasn't caught off guard when it came to work but there's always a first.
She groaned and slumped in her seat- careful not to ruin her hair. Sasori glanced at her curiously.
"Do I need to know something?" He inquired as they stopped at a red light.
"One of my classmates is a Hyuga." She mumbled. Masami mentally cursed herself for not doing her job earlier. Now she was probably going to work while keeping her cover in front of Hyuga Neji.
"Good."
"Good?" She questioned looking at his calm and even expression.
The traffic light turned green and Sasori hit the gas, he was obviously in a hurry to arrive at the function. But why?
"Yes, because one of your targets is a Hyuga. The second branch family head. The other is a businessman with a debt and is willing to pay it by any means, he'll help circulation." He explained taking a sharp right.
"Then we're in good standing." Masami sighed rubbing her temples. Sasori raised a crimson brow curiously at her.
"That classmate is the son of the Hyuga second branch head." She explained turning her gaze out the passenger window. The setting sun lit the city in a blood orange glow that did the opposite of relax Masami.
"Looks like you're in less trouble than I thought." Sasori said. There was a lightness to his voice that she hadn't heard in months. She missed his humor, his sarcastic remarks that had hidden traces of endearment. Now she was lucky to even see him month to month.
The Hyuga Hotel was large and glamorous, Masami could see why Neji had such a big ego. The ballroom was beautiful with red tapestries, and gold painted walls, but that's all she was given time to notice before Sasori escorted her over to a group of familiar men all dressed in matching black suits. Deidara, blond hair neatly tied back, and Itachi greeted her with soft smiles, while Kakuzu- and all over dark man including his aura- and Yahiko nodded to her. Konan, the blue haired woman on Yahiko's arm avoided eye contact, their bitter feuding already getting to her while Masami ignored her presence.
"Why am I needed if all of you are here?" She directed the question to Itachi, the only one who would answer without insulting her.
"We have our own targets." Itachi answered sliding his left hand into his pocket.
"And you still have yours from yesterday." Sasori added as he pulled his arm away from her. His part as escort was over and now it was Masami's time to get to work.
"So where's this desperate guy I'm after? I prefer my weak prey taken out first, like an appetizer."She smirked looking around the large room. Most of the guests were mingling while some happily spun around the dance floor to the live band the Hyuga's hired.
Itachi pointed to a middle aged man with graying hair and a pudgy physique. He was chatting with another older man that looked like he wasn't enjoying his company.
"Mr. Kaito." Itachi added before Masami turned on her heel to start her work.
As she approached the two men she got into character. Megami, the sweet girl who only wants to help, and make men happy. All she had to do was plaster a honey sweet smile on her face, say a few kind words and the men became putty in her hands. Mr. Kaito excused himself and Masami so they could talk alone. It was only a matter of time before he cracked like an egg and grovelled for her help. With a simple gesture from Masami, which included a subtle sway of her hips in a pattern, Sasori joined them with his business smile in place. In minutes Sasori had talked Mr. Kaito into a meeting for Monday and had the man staring at him like he was a god.
"You've become quicker. Ten minutes, much better than your old half hour." Sasori commented after he excused them from Mr. Kaito, but not before slipping him a business card.
"That was when I was 16, and you haven't gone on a hunting with me in over a year and a half." Masami replied crossing her arms. She was so excited to work with Sasori again, but things were different. He was different. What happened to her sensei that held her arm all night at huntings? Now he barely touched her. It was like taking away an addicts drugs.
"True, but I was expecting it much quicker, that man was already falling apart when you walked up to him." Sasori criticized as they stopped by a statue of an owl with stretched wings.
His comment angered Masami, a dangerous thing to do. Her lavender eyes burned up at him as she glared.
"Sensei or not I will hurt you." She hissed between her teeth.
Before Sasori could give a response Masami's name was called. It was a boy her age with long brown hair held back by a black ribbon. His eyes gave his heritage away. Opal colored irises were only ever found in the Hyuga family blood line.
"Hyuga, what an honor." Masami said with a flirtatious smile. She was Megami Masami, instead of just the organization's Megami. The difference was subtle but any member of the Konoha branch could tell. Her eyes would become that of a predator scoping out it's prey and her body language could easily be described as feline ready to pounce.
"What are you doing here?" Neji asked eyeing Sasori next to her. He clearly saw the redhead as a threat, and Masami had to bite her tongue to keep keep from laughing.
"I'm here a behalf of my father. This is my escort, Sasori-sensei, my tutor during elementary school." Masami explained gesturing to the red head to her right.
Sasori nodded his greeting to Neji before he gave Masami a look that said she was to start work, again.
"Wanna dance Hyuga?" Masami asked as she walked over to him and gently touched him on the shoulder.
"Only if you can keep up." He smirked taking her hand.
Wit a proud smile Neji led Masami to the dance floor where he claimed the attention of the party as he spun her out and back in. Masami kept pace with him as he twirled them across the floor in a perfect rendition of a waltz. The other guests stopped their conversations to watch the Second Branch head's son dance with a beautiful girl no one knew. When the song ended Neji dipped Masami which caused the slit of her dress to fall aside to show her pale right leg all the way up to her mid- thigh.
"Well what a display." Said a tall man that looked like an older version of Neji, but he had black hair. Hyuga Hizashi approached them with an official smile that reminded Masami of her own father.
"Hyuga-san." Masami greeted with a respectful bow. Hizashi gazed at his son as Neji put a possessive arm around Masami's waist which she didn't pay much attention to.
"May I ask your name?" Hizashi said politely.
"Mochizuki Masami." She said with a light smile.
"Mochizuki?" The older man said as the left side of his mouth curled up in a knowing smirk. Neji noticed his father's expression which struck an unpleasant cord in him.
"I was expecting to talk to your father, but if my son has taken a liking to you, you must be a worthy companion." He commented as he held his hands behind his back and kept his back straight.
"My father sent me in his place. He said having you join his team could benefit you both in not only financial but also productivity. Together the Hyuga Clan and the Mochizuki corporation could have control over more than half of Konoha." Masami explained using her kind yet serious voice that always seemed to make men trust her.
Hizashi thought this over in his head while his face remained serious and firm. Neji waited curiously for his father's answer while Masami knew he couldn't refuse such a sound argument.
"Send over a contract, and we'll have a look." Hizashi finally responded as he turned his back to them. Masami smiled happily while Neji tightened his hold on her waist like he was sporting a trophy.
"Your father has a very talented daughter. You're gifted with words." The older Hyuga complimented over his shoulder before he joined a group of chatting business men.
"Are you done ignoring me?" Neji inquired as he pulled her away from the dancing couples. His hand groped her hip as she looked over at Sasori who had been watching her.
Her face blushed as she turned back to Neji keeping up the Megami Masami facade. She ignored the part of her mind that screamed to stop, to not continue like she would normally, while Sasori-sensei was watching. But no matter who was looking Masami couldn't anger the son of the man she just convinced (tricked) to join her father's line of work. So with a devilish smile she batted her eye lashes and placed her hand on top of his that rested on her hip.
"Ignore you? I couldn't." She replied. "In fact I was hoping you could show me around. Upstairs." She whispered into his ear. Lightly brushing her pink lips against his earlobe as she spoke. They were outside of school, and Neji didn't have any special duties at the party since his father was attending, so what excuse could he use to avoid her offer?
To Masami's surprise Neji leaned down and hummed his acceptance in her ear. Not a moment later was he pulling her out of the grand ballroom and into a golden door elevator. He pressed a button inside that took them to the top floor where he unlocked and unnumbered door with a key card from his pocket.
"You came prepared?" She asked raising a prefect brow. Was Hyuga a bigger player than she had thought?
Neji maneuvered the dark room with ease until they entered another room. The door clicked behind them as he pushed her onto a fluffy bed. As he crawled on top of her he answered in a low voice, "This is where I live."
Masami was about to make a sarcastic remark but Neji's hungry lips cut it short. Masami didn't fight his advances instead she reached up around his neck and pulled him closer closing the gap between their bodies. Neji gladly took the gesture as a sign to intensify the situation. He ran his hands down her sides, but paused when the chain of her clutch got in his way, so in a hurried motion he pulled it off her an tossed it at the end of the bed. Their mouths moved together while their tongues battled for dominance, when they parted for air Masami giggled like she was high as a kite.
"Hyu-ga!" She sang pulling on his pale cream color tie that laid over a teal dress shirt. She was in the phase between guilt and acceptance. During this time she does all she can to fill the void that continues to grow in her heart.
"Let's have fun." She purred removing his loosen tie. She dropped it next to her head before removing the clip in her hair that was stabbing at her skull as she laid on her back.
Neji smirked in the dimly lit room- which Masami couldn't tell where the light came from- lowering his mouth to her neck where he started kissing her again. They kissed and rolled around the large bed in foreplay while clothing was slowly tossed to the ground and noises of pleasure escaped lips. Masami had rolled on top of Neji, both panting and ready to start the real fun when her phone rang.
"Ignore it." Neji ordered while rubbing her bare thighs to urge her to continue.
In a normal encounter Masami would have ignored it but tonight she was working and if something happened to one of her fellow workers and she didn't answer she would suffer great consequences. So with a sigh she searched for her clutch practically blind while Neji hissed under his breath.
"Just give me a moment. It won't take long." She said kissing his neck as she gripped her clutch that held her still ringing phone.
"Hello." She said into her phone while Neji shifted into a sitting position so he could reach the hook of her bra.
"Have you finished work?" Came Sasori's deep voice from the receiver. Masami's breath caught in her throat after hearing him.
Why was he calling now? It was obvious she was done with work, he had watched her talk to Hizashi and past peacefully. Why did he call? He had to know what she was doing since she wasn't downstairs with him in the ballroom. So why?
"Yes." She answered simply while she pushed Neji's hands away from her white lace strapless bra. He hissed again as he flipped her over so he was straddling her hips. Masami held tight to her phone keeping it to her ear while Sasori spoke again.
"Then shall we go home early? Ice cream is on me." He offered and Masami could picture the look on his face, his mouth turned up in a lopsided smile and his hazel eyes would look bright and gorgeous.
"Mochizuki problem?" Neji asked as he stared down at her. A frown pulled down his face as Masami stared back at his with a blank expression.
"Yeah." She said to both Sasori and Neji. She looked away from the opal eyes that stared at her with bitter confusion.
Into her phone she said quickly, "I'll be in the lobby in ten." Then snapped it shut before looking back at Neji who glared at her. She understood the anger he held, being ditched with your pants down was one of the greatest insults a man could receive to their ego.
"Family emergency." She lied smoothly when he didn't move.
"What?" He demanded narrowing his eyes at her.
"My mother collapsed. Sensei's going to take me to the hospital. Move." She said without breaking eye contact. She had to hurry, Sasori hated to wait around.
Neji took a deep breath before rolling off Masami and onto his back with a groan-like sigh. She pecked his cheek before jumping off the bed and redressed herself while Neji remained silent and motionless on the bed. Once she was ready to leave she looked at him biting her bottom lip.
"Rain check, Hyuga." She said before hurrying out of his room and stumbling through the other room until she was able to leave the suite.
All Masami could think about was Sasori waiting for her. That he wanted to be with her instead of a business party. Her heart clenched at the thought while the voice in her yelled, "Don't get your hopes up! The pain'll only grow!" But Masami didn't listen.
Please leave a reveiw so I know what you think. I want to make this the best I can, so input is greatly accepted. Thank you.
