A/N: Thanks to Myth, Loki, az09, divinci, crystal, tif, Ezurec, and Faith. You guys are great.
Disclaimer: I don't own HYD or any of its characters, but if I have kids and name them after the characters and then write stories about them, then can I claim rights to the characters?????? Makes you wonder.
Chapter 7: Not Even Safe at Home
Tsukushi ran from the house tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn't stop until she had hidden herself deep in the back of the equipment shed behind the tennis courts. All she could do was cry. She couldn't pull herself out of the shed for fear of the looks she would get. She just knew everyone was talking about her. She just knew that she was going to get fired. Wasn't it just this morning that her boss was welcoming her into her home and now she had betrayed her trust. "God, I'm so stupid." She yelled pulling at her hair.
A few hours passed and lunch had come and gone. Armando had been very proud with himself, claiming that he had scared the little troublemaker away. It wasn't until Tsukasa told him that he had sent Tsukushi on an errand that fat chef finally shut up.
Fueled by a desire to see her, maybe to apologize for being rude earlier and jumping to conclusions, or maybe because he just genuinely liked to see her, he walked the grounds looking high and low for her.
It was almost dinner time and she still hadn't resurfaced. Her sobs had rocked her to sleep in the dark security of the equipment shed. Her knees pulled to her chest and her arms tightly hugging them closer, this was the only comfort she was allowing herself right now. Even her dreams betrayed her by being filled with memories of Rui and Shizuka.
When she finally opened her eyes, her head hurt, her face felt dirty, her mouth was dry, and her body was sore. Breathing deeply she crawled to her feet before wiping her face and sneaking out of the equipment shed.
"Where have you been all day?" Tama yelled as soon as she set foot through the door.
"I needed some time to myself." Was all Tsukushi could muster.
"Yeah, well, Armando was looking for you to help him with lunch, but you never showed. He's about to serve dinner. You wanna come help me?" Tsukushi spun around to see Shigeru standing in the hallway behind her.
"Yes, she does." Tama inaccurately answered for her. All of the energy in her body was drained. There was no way she could face either brother right now, but she did as she was told and walked a few steps behind her perky friend.
"You know Armando was talking all sorts of junk about you at lunch time." Shigeru reported. "You know who stuck up for you though?" When Tsukushi didn't answer she blindly continued. "Tsukasa-sama."
This caught Tsukushi's attention and she stopped. "What did he say?" Her voice was hoarse and dry like a whisper.
Shigeru, who had spun around when she didn't hear footsteps following her, also stopped. "He said that he had sent you on an errand and that you probably wouldn't be back for dinner." She smiled and placed her hand underneath her friend's downcast chin. "But you're back, and we can always use all the help we can get. Tonight's an important dinner for the family. The wedding's one week from tomorrow and a lot of important people are here." She pulled Tsukushi into a hug but quickly pushed her at arms length. "You kinda smell funny." She blurted out, which made Tsukushi laugh.
She had been in the equipment shed all day. She couldn't smell too fresh. "You go on ahead; I'll go back and change into another uniform."
"Ugh, no you don't stink or anything, you just smell weird, a little like Sojiro-sama's cologne."
The reference sent a reminder of her afternoon tussle with the young master and her face turned bright red. "I smell like what?" She tried to play off, but Shigeru was too busy fumbling through her pocket to notice a change in her friend's demeanor.
"Here." She pulled a tiny bottle of perfume out of her pocket. "Sojiro-sama bought this for all the maids last Christmas. He said he likes it, so all the maids wear it now." She misted a quick 'X' on Tsukushi's uniform and pulled her quickly towards the main house.
The kitchen area was abuzz with excitement; everyone was talking quickly about the handsome men at the party and about the beautiful women in designer gowns. Armando was yelling out orders and almost smiled when he saw Tsukushi walk through the door.
"Better late than never, I guess. Get washed up, you are my sous chef for tonight." When she didn't run at his order he barked louder. "Hurry!"
Tsukushi ran to the tap and washed up like a surgeon prepping for the O.R. She was at Armando's side in an instant running back and forth doing everything he was too busy to do. She started by molding the beef rounds for the steak tartar. He screamed that she was going too slowly, and that she had to make forty different portions, so she picked up her pace. Even he seemed impressed with her abilities.
Her next assignment was something she had never made before. He made one and she had to make the rest, potato ravioli. He called over one of the maids to assist her, but thankfully she was a quick study. Together they kneaded the thin strips of flour and potato flakes that made the dough. When they had made about a hundred and twenty she was preparing to boil them when Armando's arm reached up and stopped her.
"We're frying them tonight." He sighed and rolled his eyes. "It's Matsuoka-san's favorite dish."
Dinner was flawless after that. Forty identical plates were lined up and twenty maids, Tsukushi included, set out with a plate in each hand. Like black and white doves they descended on the table passing out their offerings.
Tsukasa looked up and Sojiro stiffened when they noticed Tsukushi at the end of the table. Yuuki noticed the change in her fiancé's demeanor and quickly took his hand. "Is something wrong?" She whispered into his ear.
"Not a thing." He smiled back, relaxing at her touch. "Guess we're having your favorite."
"Yeah, I know." She covered her smile with her petite gloved hand. "I kinda bribed the chef into making it." Together they laughed and Tsukushi tried her best to keep her head down so she wouldn't stare. Kaede clapped her hands once and the maids turned to leave, but it was already too late because Tsukushi had made eye contact with the one person she never wanted to see again.
Sitting there at the table amidst all the other socialite faces was Rui. His stare made her feel uncomfortable, but she was able to turn away when one of the maids behind her pushed her gently. He was about to stand up when Shizuka, rather bluntly, pulled him back down and whispered something into his ear.
Following the rest of the crowd, Tsukushi walked out of the dining hall, a single tear at the corner of her eye. 'Don't you dare cry.' She scolded herself.
"What are you doing standing there?" Armando yelled at her when the maids had returned to the kitchen. "The main course has to be served." The maids were once again busying themselves to perfect Armando's culinary masterpiece.
"I just need a little fresh air. I'll be back in a second." She stood on the stoop of the back porch hugging herself tightly. "You're stronger than this." She berated herself. "You aren't some wimpy little girl. You're over him and so what if he's with that bitch. He was with her before you left." She was starting to get her fire back and she punched the solid wood banister that encased the porch. "You're so much better than what you've been acting like." She pumped herself up. "Get up, get in there and show them what you can do. You are a beast at that stove. Show them that you are to be feared. Show them that you are a survivor." She turned around to storm back into the kitchen, but she saw Rui standing in the doorway.
"So you're over me?" His head was downcast and she couldn't see his eyes.
"Yeah." She answered strongly. "Excuse me; I need to get back to work." She tried to brush past him and he grabbed her arms.
"I still love you." He lifted his head and looked her deep in the eyes. "It wasn't what it looked like. I don't love Shizuka. I didn't love her then and I don't love her now. You left before I could explain my side of the story."
"There's nothing to explain. I know everything. She explained everything for you." Tsukushi tried to get out of his grasp, but he was too strong.
"YOU KNOW NOTHING." He practically screamed. "She set me up. She set us up." He pushed her away from the door. "She was jealous of us. She wanted what you had, and yes I was still engaged to her, but when I called it off she got her parents involved, which got my parents involved. That's why my dad was there that night. That's why we were arguing. I wanted to marry you and he forbid it because of our business dealings with the Toudou family."
"You say that to say what?" Tsukushi fought back. "What's done is done." There was no coming back from this. She had had to move on with her life, and even though she still loved Rui and had always wanted them to have this conversation, there was nothing that could be done now.
"I…I don't know." His back hit the wall with a loud thud. "I just wanted you to know I love you."
"Thank you, but what does that prove? All I have now is a broken heart and a tear in my soul knowing that you still love me, but we can't be together." She took his hands in hers. "Is that what you wanted? To hurt me indefinitely?" He shook his head and she squeezed his hands reassuringly. "Some things are better kept as secrets." She feigned a smile and looked him in the eye. "Just because it makes you feel better, doesn't mean it'll make me feel better."
"I'm sorry we hurt you. You never should have been dragged into the middle of things." He pulled her into an embrace, to which she hugged back.
"It's better to have loved and all that." She chuckled.
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
Shigeru stuck her head out the door and blushed at the moment she interrupted. "Gomen, but Doumyouji-sama's ready for the main course."
"Arigatou," Tsukushi looked up at the marble-like eyes that looked down at her. "You've got to get back, and I have work to do."
"Okay, but for desert do you think you can score me some crème brulee."
She had to laugh at that. "I'll see what I can do. I make no promises." They walked back into the kitchen, trying their best to laugh at their situation.
Suddenly Rui turned around startling the maid behind him. "Friends right?"
'What a goof ball.' "Yeah, friends."
Dinner was served without anymore uncomfortable silences or dirty looks, and when desert was served Rui smiled at his freshly made, still warm, crème brulee. All Shizuka could do was glare at the smiling maid who served it, because Tsukushi had stayed in the kitchen to help clean up.
The party was winding down and a few of the guests had already left. Tsukasa stood laughing with a few associates in the study when Shizuka walked in.
"Excuse me, Doumyouji-san. Can I talk to you for a minute?" She watched as he excused himself and followed her into one of the nearby empty offices. "I'm sure you're wondering why I needed to talk to you." He nodded, losing patience with each passing second. "Actually, I called you here because of one of your staff."
Not at all what he had expected. He motioned for her to take a seat and he did as well.
"I couldn't help but notice a Makino Tsukushi is in your employ. I'm sure she must have come with great references for you to hire her, but just so that you know." She paused for dramatic effect. "She's a terrible home wrecker." At this she faked a sob and steadied herself to keep going. "She and I were friends in culinary school. Stupidly, I introduced her to my fiancé and she took a liking to him. The next thing I knew he was telling me that the engagement was off and that he was leaving me for Makino-san." Again she acted as if it pained her to retell the story. She stood from the chair and walked over to one of the windows, hugging herself to remain still. "I had to get my parents involved because if the engagement were called off, our families would be the ones to suffer. Not him or I."
"What does this have to do with Makino working here?" Tsukasa was getting jealous over this "said" relationship between Rui and his Tsukushi.
"I just wanted to warn you that before she had set her sights on my Rui, she had been obsessed with your brother." She didn't have to continue, his face said it all. Tsukasa didn't want to believe the words coming out of this snake's mouth, but the evidence was blinding. "That's why she came back. Since snagging Rui failed her, she made Sojiro-san her target."
Silence filled the room before Tsukasa closed his eyes and sighed. "Arigatou." He stood from his chair and walked out the door leaving a rather contented smiling Shizuka alone to gloat in her victory.
Several maids giggled quietly as they started recalling the night's events. Tsukushi was wiping her hands on a dry towel as Armando congratulated his team and thanked them for all their hard work. They all bowed to the head chef and started taking their leave.
"Actually, Makino, can you hold on a minute?" Armando called out to her retreating back. When she turned around he could see how tired she looked. "I wanted to thank you for all your hard work today. I know I've been riding you all day and giving you a hard time, but you really came through tonight. I don't know if we would have gotten everything done without you."
"No problem." She blushed at the sudden compliments. Tsukasa-sama must have really dug into the grumpy old chef for him to have such a change in attitude toward her.
"Okay then," He took off his white coat, "I'll see you in the morning, don't be late."
With that Tsukushi nodded and walked out the back door. She rubbed her hands on her face. 'Let's just pray tomorrow is nothing like today.' She almost laugh out loud. It had been a hard day, such an eventful breakfast, an embarrassing tussle in the bed with Sojiro, crying until exhaustion had claimed her in the equipment shed, the dinner rush, and Rui. There was no way tomorrow could be that draining.
"Yo." The sudden voice startled her. She was surprised to see Sojiro leaned up against one of the garage doors. He chuckled lightly when he caught her jump. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."
"You didn't scare me." She denied. "I just…well…what are you doing out here?" She changed the subject.
"I wanted to talk to you."
"Yeah, well… no disrespect sir, but it's late, can it wait for tomorrow?" She wasn't ready to talk to him. Too much had happened tonight and on top of that it had been hard enough seeing him at dinner with his fiancé. Now she'd have to stand here and listen to whatever he had to say.
"Well, actually, no it can't wait." He rubbed the back of his head. "I was surprised to see you at dinner. I was looking for you all afternoon. I wanted to apologize for getting you into such a compromising position this morning."
"It was just a bad situation all around." She hugged herself tightly, suddenly cold. "Look, I just want to go to bed and forget about today. Is that all you wanted me for?"
Sojiro hadn't planned on the conversation taking such a bad turn. Yuuki had gone home and he had hoped the he and Tsukushi could resume their interrupted activities. "Yeah, I guess so." He said shrugging nonchalantly.
"Then, goodnight." She started to walk past him but his hand reached out and stopped her. Gently, almost as if in slow motion, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. He had aimed for her mouth, but redirected at the last minute even thought he didn't really know why.
"Goodnight." He whispered seductively before thrusting his hands in his pockets and walking away.
Tsukushi stood there a few minutes, unable to register what was happening. Slowly she headed toward Tama's room, but when she got there she couldn't bring herself to put her key into the lock. Closing her eyes, as if searching for some unknown strength she realized she wasn't ready to deal with the all-knowing head maid. So against her own better judgment she found herself walking back down the stairs of the servants' quarters and back toward the gardens that had given her peace the night before.
A/N: Well, there you have it. I hope you enjoyed it, if you did let me know.
