Rupert shook me awake gently as the helicopter landed in Domino city. The sun was barely rising, bringing a faint pink smudge to the edges of the sky. Lodging had been provided by a hotel chain my father owned, and I slept the remaining three hours in a five-star suite.
Devlin's game shop was not far from the hotel, and the morning was beautifully cool, so I decided to walk. Rupert came with me, of course, as well as Anton. We arrived just before nine to find the doors unlocked and lights off inside. I stepped in tentatively. "Hello? Mr. Devlin?"
"Back here!"
I looked toward the back of the shop and suddenly, the lights flashed on, blinding me momentarily. I heard a boy's voice coming closer. "Sorry about that."
I blinked and looked up. "That's quite alright." I finally got a good look at him, and it seemed as though my heart stopped for an instant. He was tall and toned, of slender build, with long jet-black hair that was pulled back. Strands of it spilled over his headband and framed his face, and the darkness of his hair was startling against his vivid green eyes. A long black streak had been painted down his left cheek, and from his left ear hung a single die on a long strand. One large bracelet circled each wrist, and golden armlets were wrapped around his upper arms. He was, simply put, beautiful. I smiled and tried to catch my breath.
"Are you Duke Devlin?"
"Yes, I am. And you must be Naomi." He took my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise." For a moment, it was silent except for muted birdsong coming from outside. Then, he gestured to a doorway that led to a side room. "Shall we?"
"Yes, of course."
He led the way, holding open the door for me. There was a circular table with four chairs set at it. Before I could seat myself, Duke was pulling out a chair and winking at me roguishly. I couldn't keep a smile off my face as I sat, murmuring a thank you. Rupert stared hard at Duke as he entered the room, but Anton's eyes were hidden behind mirrored sunglasses. He was to act as a sort of stenographer, recording everything that happened during the meeting. Rupert, as was his specialty, was here in case anyone threatened my safety. He'd protected me for as long as I could remember.
The meeting passed smoothly, taking no more than a couple of hours. Duke was extremely excited about being partnered with Industrial Illusions, and it was easy to tell that he greatly admired my father. Once the meeting was concluded, he challenged me to a friendly game of Dungeon Dice Monsters, just to teach me the basics. I agreed, although in hindsight, accepting a challenge from the creator of the game was probably unwise. He beat me pretty severely, but was good-natured about it, laughing at my amateur mistakes and showing me what I was doing wrong. Truth be told, I wasn't really focusing on the game as much as I should have been. It was hard to concentrate on anything when Duke was nearby. He was captivating, and often when he would catch me looking at him, I would blush, cursing my pale cheeks for giving away my emotion so easily. I'd met many boys my age through my father's travels, many of them handsome and most of them from wealthy families. However, I'd never met anyone as attractive as Duke. He was like a piece of art at a museum; while I had no interest in making him mine, it was nice just to be able to look.
When the game concluded, Duke glanced at the wall clock. "Do you have plans for the rest of the day, Naomi?"
"No. Why?"
"Well, I'm meeting my friends in about twenty minutes, and I'd like to introduce you. They're a really great group, and I think you'd like them. Besides, after all this business, I think you need to have some fun." He smiled impishly. "If you know just how entertaining Domino City can be, maybe it'll give you an incentive to come here more often."
I felt heat pooling in my cheeks. "I'd love to meet your friends."
"Great!" He glanced over at Rupert and Anton, then leaned toward me and whispered conspiratorially, "Is there any way we can ditch the bodyguards?"
I gave him knowing half-smile. "Watch this." I stood and faced them. "I have no further need of your services today, gentlemen. Consider the rest of the day as a day off."
Rupert stood. "But Miss Naomi, our orders were to protect you."
"I've never been to Domino City before, but it doesn't seem to be the kind of place with armed assassins on every streetcorner. I'll be just fine with Duke, he knows his way around. Besides, we'll be in a group, and there's strength in numbers, right? You deserve a little time to yourselves."
Rupert opened his mouth to speak again, but I cut him off. "That's my final word on the matter, Rupert." He shut his mouth, looking perplexed, then looked back at Anton, who shrugged. They exited the shop, with one final look at me.
When they had gone, I turned back to Duke and pretended to dust off my hands. He tipped me a wink and applauded. "Well done, Naomi." He stepped around the table and offered his arm to me. "Shall we?"
I took it, smiling and blushing in spite of myself. "After you."
The walk itself took about fifteen minutes, and we didn't stop talking the entire way. Duke kept my arm threaded through his, as if he wanted me close. It felt shallow of me, but I had to admit it was nice to be seen with a boy as stunning as Duke on my first trip to Domino City. I hadn't reached the celebrity status my father had (and that was perfectly fine with me; I had no interest in being in the public eye), but still, a few knew who I was, or at least who I resembled. After all, very few had hair quite like mine and my father's.
I was surprised when we came to another game shop. "You're friends with someone who owns a rival shop?"
He smiled. "Well, technically, he doesn't own it. His grandfather does. Anyway, he sells only Duel Monsters cards, so it's not really a threat to my business."
"If you say so."
Duke released my arm and opened the door for me. I nodded my thanks and entered, waiting for him to join me before proceeding. After all, these were his friends, not mine. It would be rude to just walk in. Duke waved to a group of four standing at the back of the shop. "Hey, guys!"
They returned his wave, smiling. "Duke!" I followed him, walking toward the foursome.
"Guys, I'd like to introduce you to my new friend, Naomi." I stepped out from behind Duke and smiled. "Naomi, this is Joey Wheeler," he indicated a tall boy with shaggy, tousled blonde hair and a mischievous air about him, "Tristan Taylor," a taller boy with gelled brown hair and a tough-guy stance, "Tea Gardner," a girl with short brown hair and wide, honest eyes, "and Yugi Muto." Yugi was short, with the oddest hair I'd ever seen. It was blonde in the front, long spikes of it hanging by his face, and in the back, it was tall, spiky, and black, edged with maroon. Around his neck hung what appeared to be a large pendant in the shape of a pyramid. There was something about him that piqued my interest, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Aside from that, the names Joey Wheeler and Yugi Muto were somehow so familiar to me, even though I knew I'd never met them before.
Joey stepped forward with a big goofy smile on his face. "Nice to meet you, Naomi." When he spoke, he had an accent, as if he were from another part of the country; Brooklyn, perhaps, or somewhere close to it. I noticed that his cheeks were slightly pink, as if he were blushing. Tristan pushed him out of the way so he could take my hand. "Yeah, any friend of Duke's is a friend of ours." I was little taken aback at how aggressively he pushed Joey aside, and I wasn't quite sure what it meant. "Um, thank you."
I looked over at Tea for help, and she shook her head. "Just ignore them, they're always like this." I smiled in a nervous sort of way, but in reality, it was kind of sweet to see them tripping over themselves. Finally, once Tristan and Joey had stepped back from me, Yugi stepped up and held out his hand, looking timid. "It's very nice to meet you." There was something very innocent about him, but behind that shy exterior lay something that was very compelling. I was straining to figure out what it was, and I happened to look down at his pendant. On the front was the same symbol that had been on my father's Millennium Eye. So he possessed another of the Millennium Items!
Duke cleared his throat behind me. "So, what are our plans for the day? I promised Naomi a day on the town."
Tea smiled. "When in doubt, to the mall!" I laughed behind my hand; I liked Tea's style, girly but forceful. Everyone seemed to agree, so we left for the mall. On the way, Joey and Tristan seemed to be jostling each other to see who could walk closest to me, asking me questions the entire time. I never mentioned my last name; I didn't want them to think I used my father's fame and wealth to make friends. At last, we arrived at the mall, and I had to say, I was really looking forward to whatever the day had in store for us. As soon as we entered, lunchtime aromas came wafting from the Food Court, and Joey and Tristan began to clutch their stomachs and moan as if they hadn't eaten in weeks. I laughed and insisted that I treat everyone to lunch. Yugi looked up at me in disbelief.
"Naomi, you don't have to do that."
Tea joined him. "Yeah, that's really not necessary."
Joey leapt in front of her. "Tea, are you nuts? Our new best friend is offering us free food!"
I put my hand on Tea's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Let's just say I come from a wealthy family, and I have money to spare. Please. It's the least I can do for you guys after you let me tag along with you." Tea smiled reluctantly and Yugi grinned broadly.
"Wow! Thanks, Naomi."
Before I could say anything, Joey threw his arms around my neck and squeezed, hugging me rather vigorously and cutting off my air. "You are the best!" He kissed my cheek and ran off to join Tristan in the line in front of a burger stand. I stood, stunned for a moment, then blushed in spite of myself. I wasn't really interested in him, but he was sweet. He kind of reminded me of a puppy; always happy to see you and full of energy. We pushed a couple of tables together for lunch, and I noticed that Yugi had purchased the cheapest thing on the menu. I'd told them to get anything they wanted, to disregard the price, but he had been cost-conscious anyway, for my sake. My heart warmed just a little at his thoughtfulness, even though it was unnecessary. There was something about that boy, and while at first I'd thought it was his Millennium Item, something deep inside me told me that it wasn't just that. I decided that I needed to talk more to this boy, learn more about him. Maybe then, I'd uncover some hidden quality that would explain my sudden rush of affection for him.
