ANGEL AND THE DEVIL
-Never Had A Dream Come True-
CHAPTER TWO
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Inside the young patron felt like a fish on land but her appearance said nothing alike. She looked cool and bored although her eyes observed everything in her line of view. It was her profession to know her surroundings well and be on alert in case the situation called for immediate action. She dressed in Citizen of Humanity jeans, a black top accompanied by a pair of mid-calf flat heel boots. Looking at other female patrons and back to herself, she had to smile at her choice of footwear. She couldn't walk in high heel boots like them and so her only vanity was her jeans. She could have worn flats or flip flops, too if her dear father, who never paid attention to fashion had commented. And she was glad she'd listened to his advice once again. Her gladness hadn't lasted long as she walked looking around the place and sat down at one of the slot machines.
Man. What am I doing here in this deforested jungle of smoke and gambling? She asked herself for the hundredth time since she'd left her quiet neighborhood in Chula Vista. If she had wanted to gamble her hard-earned money away, she could have gone to Pechanga or Morongo. It would have saved her gas money and a lot more on food and lodging. She should have swallowed her self-pity and come to Yoruichi's house spending the holiday with her and her family. Hisana would be delighted to see her Auntie too. What a dear child she is, unlike the father.
Well, the father wasn't too bad once he'd worked up the nerve and asked the mother of his child to wait for him. And Yoruichi had waited for almost a year before he'd come back to stay for real with his woman? Yes, his woman. Even if Yoruichi hadn't said anything about spending the night with Kisuke, she'd been able to guess those two had gone past their platonic relationship. Who couldn't have? Kisuke's woman had walked like she'd been an astronaut in space days later, floating around with her secret, little smiles. Secret. Ha! It'd been over a year since then and Kisuke had earned some points, making Yoruichi a happy woman. She had wanted to poke fun up at the couple, but doing so would burst the air from her friend's bubble of happiness. She'd restrained herself and silently congratulated and cheered Yoruichi on. Damn, she was the only left in their group of friends who was still single. And no, she wasn't feeling any pressure. She was just, well, feeling outnumbered and alone.
However, she didn't mind for she hadn't yet met anyone who intrigued or turned her on. Yes, that was the term. Who had coined that crazy term anyway? Turn on. Were people really seeing themselves as switches to be turned on or off? Ironically she just got a glimpse of someone who she wouldn't have thought of running into here. And she was honest enough a person to admit to herself that she felt somewhat… Well, not turned off. What the hell was happening? She had a whole lot more of similar unflattering questions but her not-turned-off effect had made his presence known.
"Hello beautiful."
His voice was dark and smoky. Where had that comparison come from? She wasn't the one who poured her heart over romance novels or anything to do with romance. So how did she know what to say in a situation like this? A woman's instinct. That must be it. And why dark and smoky? He didn't look anything like coal or burning logs, the cigarette smoke from other patrons must have gotten to her head and lungs. And she must be some mindless simpleton in one of her previous lives for she said something that she'd never said about any man what she said to him.
"Hello beautiful."
She knew she was being bold and reckless, yet that was how she saw him, beautiful. Just then she realized what she'd thought and was still thinking. Damn. Double damn. She wished Yoruichi had been here and rescued her like she had done in the past whenever other kids had made fun of her.
"So what a young, beautiful girl like you doing here alone in a city like this?"
Relieved, he let her insane greeting slide. Nevertheless, she couldn't forgive herself for her own insanity. With coldness, she answered with a question. "To have some fun before going back to work?"
"And when are you going back to work?"
He asked and his eyes locked with hers, not letting her off easily. It wasn't like she'd lied, but being under someone's intense gaze rather nerve cracking. Her superior always looked at her in the eyes, but she guessed her superior being a lady didn't count. What about her subordinates and other guys? She had had guys look at her before and none of them had unnerved her. Unnerved or not, she wasn't going to let him have the upper hand.
She offered an offhand response. "Not sure."
He said nothing but kept looking at her and so her mind drifted off thinking about her current, unplanned trip. After seeing how happy her friend was with the man she loved, Soi Fon seriously wished she'd found a man to call her own too. She blamed it all on her biological clock for wishing that wish. Although she missed spending time and doing things with her friend, she was happy when the other woman had found her own happiness. She couldn't come knocking on Yoruichi's door. It was time for her to grow up and not rely on others to keep her company when she was back in town.
She'd felt somewhat lost with nothing to do, so she'd decided to pay this famous city a visit before her job demanded her full attention again. She might have come to Las Vegas for some R&R, but who knew, she could run into some guy who was handsome and refined enough for some harmless, non-consequential flirting. And she believed she'd found that some guy. However, she didn't want to flirt with a married man and so with her eyes, she searched his hands. Once she made a thorough search, she sighed in relief as neither of his hands had a ring on it.
"Why sigh at a time like this? It's almost Christmas, be festive, my lady. Speaking of which, I can't just address you as beautiful or my lady. It's not that you're not a beautiful lady, I feel calling each other by name is more friendly and closer. What do you say, my beautiful lady?"
"Either way is fine with me." She shrugged and let him make the decision.
Stretched out a hand, he introduced himself. "My name is Shuuhei Hisagi."
"I'm Soi Fon."
As their hands made contact, she felt a current run through him to her. Feeling disoriented, she retrieved her hand from his and dropped but kept it flat against her leg. Even through the material of her jeans, she could feel his warmth on her palm and it was still tingling from their contact.
"Soi Fon, it's my pleasure to have met you here tonight. What is a beautiful lady like you doing here alone? Most people come here with a spouse, lover, or friends."
"I'm not most people." She retorted and he chuckled, agreeing. "Yes, I can tell. You're not like most people. You're different, my Soi Fon."
What was that supposed to mean? He could tell. How? She'd seen him before but they'd never talked or even said hello to each other. She wasn't even sure he'd noticed her before tonight. And he called her My Soi Fon. It wasn't even a name. Her name was short and simple, Soi Fon. And yet his given name for her rolled off his tongue like honey, it gave her the chills. They weren't the kind of chills when she stayed out in the cold during wintertime for more longer than safe. The chills were different and like the ones she got when she was high up in the air piloting F-22. They were exhilarating and addictive. She didn't know she'd actually shivered until he took off his black jacket and put it over her shoulders.
"You didn't bring a jacket. Las Vegas may be warm year round but it's still cold at night."
He'd scolded her. Who gave him the right? She hadn't asked him to lend her his jacket. Nor she'd crooked her finger at him, asking him to come to her for an introduction. He'd come on his own and introduced himself to her. Annoyed, she removed his jacket from her slender shoulders and handed it over to him.
"Thanks for the gesture, but I'm doing fine on my own."
"I noticed that too. But once in a while, a girl needs to have someone to take care of her. Girls want to be pampered and well loved."
He made it like she was some weakling and needed a male for protection. She was fine and if she needed a man to take care of her, she had her father. And well loved. If she didn't know better, she thought he said that last part on purpose. Unexpected, forbidden images of him and her came to mind and she had to shake her head to clear her mind. What the hell was that? Never in her life she'd thought such erotic images. Whenever her biological urges made themselves known to make her pay attention to them, she only had blurry images of one body atop another. Never she'd seen such vivid images. Or the panting, the wreathing, the moaning or groaning. And she'd never had a face to put on the male body. Not ever, until he'd said well loved not long after calling her his Soi Fon. Maybe she needed to be protected, protection from him.
What is going on here? Damn him. Surely she couldn't be fantasizing about the arrogant and annoying Shuuhei Hisagi. And why did she have to like the sound of his name on her tongue while mentally damning him? She'd been at the receiving end of flatteries, wooing, charms oozing sex appeal, but not one of those charmers made her feel like she was feeling now. She wanted to be more feminine. She wanted to know more about him. She had her share of kisses but none ever made her hot and bothered as he did by simply saying her name. OK, those hadn't been real kisses but pecking on closed lips back in high school. After failing to feel anything from any kiss, she'd given up trying to find out what kissing was all about. Then college had come and it'd been hectic to think of anything else. Still, she was an upgrade compared to the love-struck Yoruichi, who had never touched lips with anyone else other than Kisuke.
Suddenly, she felt more lost than ever. Seeing how strongly this almost stranger affected her peace of mind, she wanted to be back in her room. A room, which she didn't have one here. Holiday seasons in Sin City were like the name itself, it was hellish to find a hotel room. People all over the world wanted a glimpse of it and so hotels sold their rooms quicker and at higher prices than normal days. It didn't take a genius to know all rooms were booked when she'd called the day before her arrival. She'd called many hotels and even a few resorts, not one single room was available. She didn't want to come, but her father encouraged or rather insisted that she went to enjoy herself for once. And so she had. However, there was nothing to enjoy, well, maybe there was. It didn't last long though for the guy…
Forget the guy, she chided herself. What she needed now was a room to stay. When she'd let her father know she hadn't yet found a room to stay, coming here without making a reservation first. He'd said there should be a room ready for her. How he'd been so certain, she didn't know and that wasn't the urgent matter at hand now. She needed a room. Any room would do. Maybe she should check the motels which she'd driven past by earlier on her way into the city. They were located good twenty miles from the centre of the city, but that wouldn't be too bad. She didn't care for lights and sights of Sin City, she wanted to stay far from cities like it as a matter of fact. She'd only come because her father had wanted and said he'd be very happy if she had. The way her father had said it and his persistence, she wondered if he were experiencing late midlife crisis. He'd never, ever encouraged her to party.
On the contrary, he'd done the opposite and encouraged her to devote her attention and energy to her military career. He always said she could relax and enjoy when she found herself a good man and brought the man home for him to judge whether the man was suitable and good enough to be his son-in-law. And bam, out of nowhere, he'd told her to enjoy herself and what puzzled her most was his choice of location. A location with a name that protective fathers like her father would never encourage their daughter to visit during a holiday hence less safe place and time to be at.
What had her father been thinking? And what was that Hisagi thinking as he looked at her? He didn't look discreetly but looked openly. Did her coming to Sin make her sinful and grow horns on her head? Was that why? She couldn't think of any other explanation. It couldn't be any green between her teeth for she was particularly specific about personal hygiene and flossed her teeth after every meal. But just to make sure, she cupped her hand over her mouth and cleaned her teeth with her tongue. As her teeth cleaning was in progress, she pretended to look at something above him but in reality, she was looking at him. And so she almost fell off the stool she was sitting on when he invaded her private thoughts.
"Are there horns on my head?"
But that's my question for you, she had half a mind to say aloud. She was certain her gaze on him wasn't obvious like his on her was. How did he know what she was doing? And why did she become so self-conscious in front of a man all of a sudden and for no reason whatsoever? Most of her colleagues and subordinates were men, yet she never paid them any attention or wondered when and how they looked at her. Darn it, maybe she'd call Yoruichi and ask what men usually did in front of a new female acquaintance. Yoruichi should know for she was a Belle and came to contact with many males in her upper class social circle.
"What are you still doing here, Shuuhei?"
"To be with you."
He told her without taking his eyes off her. What was wrong with the guy? He was on drugs perhaps? "I see other girls make the eye at you, you'd get going before they mistake and think I'm with you. And I assure you being with me isn't fun. My sub… colleagues always say I'm boring because I'm picky, too strict, and a host of other antonyms of fun. Trust me, I can be deadly boring."
"You're different."
"You said that before. Why am I different?"
"Normal girls don't sabotage themselves in front of the guys. But you're. I never met a girl like you before."
"I'm not most girls."
"You said that before too."
"If you heard, then scoot. Your normal girls are waiting in line over there." She told him, pointing her chin at a group of young women talking among themselves. Probably they were debating to see which of them would get the man they'd been eyeing. She'd seen them take notice of him the moment he'd walked into her peripheral vision. And it'd been, she read her watch, thirty minutes. Had it only been that long? She felt much longer for without trying he brought her inner most thoughts and desire to the surface and did so in such a short period of time. Well, if he wasn't going, she was. She turned for the exit while bidding him goodbye. "All right. Mr. Shuuhei Hisagi, it was nice meeting you, but I must get going now. Have a great afternoon."
She thought he'd stop her. He didn't or needed to for her legs stopped on their own when he, still in his seat, spoke up from behind her. "It must be fate that we met."
And that was it, he neither said anything else or explained what he meant. Fate. Was it really Miss Fate being mischievous? Or it was just the devil in disguise of a ruggedly handsome looking, almost six feet tall male with a facial mark causing havoc to her peaceful mind and uneventful life. Before her evil twin could rear its head demanding her curiosity to be addressed, she removed herself from between slot machines and game tables and left Circus Circus without a word to the devil in disguise.
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