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Jemmea
I had located Kaiba Corp. and stood outside the doors to the building, looking up. My goal was to make this brief.
What the hell am I going to say to him? I thought as I pushed through the revolving door. Thanks a lot, Jude, as though I wasn't awkward enough.
There was a rather crowded greeting desk in the lobby. I caught myself, realizing I must have given it a look of disgust at the prospect of having to be around so many people. I turned and saw an elevator completely vacant with no one around it, so I chose to step aboard.
I didn't know which floor his office was on, but I knew where I wanted to start. The very top floor did not have a number but instead ARENA next to it. I chose the highest number instead. It was a long dreary ride up to the top floor, and when the doors opened, I stepped cautiously out into a hallway. All I could see were doors and walls, but none seemed special or significant in any way. I started to walk down the hall as my search continued. Around the corner and down the hall, I saw what seemed to be a room with glass walls to the hallway. I slowed as I approached it, debating if I really wanted to do this or not, but I was interrupted.
"Hey you!" someone yelled from behind me. I spun around. There was a big guy in a security uniform coming toward me. "What do you think you're doing up here?"
"Um-" I began, rather taken off guard. But I soon realized it was more of a rhetorical question, and it didn't matter what I said.
"I swear, I step away from my post for three seconds and someone gets by me," he muttered to himself. "Nice try little girl, now come on." He grabbed my wrist and started dragging me towards the elevator.
I didn't like people talking to me, so touching was completely out of the question. I started to wiggle and unravel his grip, pulling at my wrist, but it wouldn't budge.
"Let go of me!" I demanded.
He turned and twisted my arm up so my hand was at his eye level. "It's your fault for trespassing," he said rashly. "Now let's go before-"
"What's going on?" asked a cold voice from behind us. The security guard spun around, losing some fierceness but still grasping me. I was desperately trying to pull him off with my other hand.
"Don't worry, sir. I have everything under control," he responded.
"If by 'under control' you mean putting your hands on me instead of just asking-" I began. In the spat, I had forgotten precisely where I was but now remembered. I turned to see Seto in a white suit, leaning against the doorway of what seemed to be the head office at the end of the hall.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked the guard irately. "I hired you with the confidence that you could handle things in a professional manner, and instead here you are causing a ruckus and distracting me from my work. I have better things to do than reprimand you." Seto narrowed his eyes. "And though some of my acquaintances deserve to be treated like stray dogs, Jem is certainly not one of them." The guard's face turned very pale, and he dropped my hand. I collected it with my other, massaging it, and backed away from him, out of his reach and closer to Seto.
"I'm- I'm sorry, sir, I didn't know-" stammered the guard.
"I don't have time for this. Get out," Seto commanded, clearly aggravated.
The security guard's face fell. "But, sir-"
"Now, or you'll be losing more that your job." I glanced back at Seto with his words, admiring how he had no tolerance for bullshit.
"My apologies," uttered the guard, hanging his head. He turned and left without another word.
Seto watched him, and after he turned the corner, Seto said, "I will have to personally deal with the security department and make sure they hire a more professional replacement." I couldn't tell if that was an apology to me. He spoke in that callous tone I had heard him so often use. Seto turned his cold, unimpressed eyes to me.
"I apologize for today," I offered.
"Did you come all the way here just to say that?" he asked.
"No," My gaze drifted off. "I don't have any other way of contacting you. I was trying to ask you the due date on the group project when my brother started being a jackass. It's Friday, so I couldn't just ask you tomorrow in case it was due on Monday..." I shook my head as my rambling explanation seemed to come to an end. Then I looked at him.
His eyes were intently on me, and he didn't say anything. I didn't know what that meant. After a moment, he pushed himself off the doorway. "Come here." He spoke in his usual tone, so I wasn't sure what to expect.
Kaiba
"Why?" she asked hesitantly, pulling her arms closer to her chest.
"Just come here. I want to see your arm." She slowly came toward me and I waited for her at my door. She kept her eyes on me with each cautious step. As she came to stand before me, she extended her arm. The whole situation felt strange. I don't think I've ever done anything like this before, I noted internally. I took her wrist tenderly in my hand, not entirely sure how I should handle a person I wasn't threatening. But I remembered how soft her skin was from earlier, and how small her hand was as I had clutched it in mine. The feeling had haunted me all day. I had wanted to feel it again and thought perhaps if I did the feeling would go away.
I slowly turned her hand over in mine. I saw my handwriting smeared from the ill-mannered hands, but there appeared to be no bruising or other marks blemishing her pure white skin.
"Looks fine." I dropped her hand and looked up to catch her eye again, pocketing my hands to make them inaccessible. This time, though, it was she who broke the trance. When she did, she turned her eyes to look past me into my office, then her eyes widened.
I thought I heard her breath, "Wow," before she stepped forward quickly this time, sliding between me and the door. But what I noticed more than anything was how she gently rested a hand on my chest for a moment as she did so. I froze, and she left me there as she walked to my window, her eyes fixed on the city with a background of bright blue skies.
Once I regained my senses, I denied ever losing them and walked up beside her. I pocketed my hands, looking out the window as well, but without the same interest.
After a few moments of silence, she seemed to gather herself. "Sorry," she said, more aware this time. "I've just never seen this before. I've always wanted to see the city from up high." With this, I heard the door finally find its way shut behind us. I was alone with her. With her consumed and no one else around, I discreetly stole a glance.
Her hand was on her chest, a softened expression on her face. Her head was tilted as her eyes quietly darted around the scene. She seemed far too comfortable for being with only me, and why she would want to be was beyond me as well. I wasn't going to be a pleasant host or good company, and even she should have picked up on that. Still, she chose my presence over others', and this was how I almost always saw her. The only exceptions being when Joey tried to speak to her and her brother today. I recalled how she was when her brother called her out, how her cheeks turned pink, and she became so feisty. Not only had I not wanted to deal with her brother, but I had found her rosy cheeks and harsh words endearing. I hated how it felt, and that had been my primary reason for leaving. I caught myself, realizing I was thinking about this way too much and it was a waste of my time.
Shaking it off, I stepped back, returning to my desk. I pulled up my schedule, nearly covered. The most annoying part was the dark blue marking my school hours. Once I graduated, I would have more time to pursue personal projects. I had so many ideas it was hard to prioritize at the moment.
"Come back next Saturday at two o'clock," I instructed.
"Why?" she asked. Her eyes began to follow me, finally breaking her trance.
"We have three weeks to work on the project," I informed as I sat down. "It's the weekend, so I have a few more hours to spare. You should know I plan on finishing this quickly: I despise group projects."
"I know what you mean," she replied, peeking back out the window. "I'll do my best to make it as painless as possible," she glanced back at me, "and I'll try to extend that courtesy to you as well." She sighed. "Well, I have to go, I have some errands to run-"
"Yes, and I have a company to run," I remarked.
"Fancy." She looked at me only a moment longer before she turned, starting to walk away. "Well, goodbye, Seto. I'll see you on Monday." It was odd when I heard her say my name. Nobody but Mokuba referred to me by my first name, hence why I turned around so quickly today when she called after me. Though I would expect to hate someone other than Mokuba calling me Seto, I found the way she said it to be somewhat pleasant.
She held up a hand faintly as an accompanying gesture, turning back once more to glimpse at me out of the corner of her eye before she exited. Despite my drive to work, every click of her heel held my attention, the way the lights shifted the shimmer in her hair as she passed under them, all the way until I watched her hand slide silently down the side of my door as it closed behind her.
Jemmea
It had been a crazy day, but as I left the Kaiba Corp. building, I felt strangely content. I was able to find the pillows and blankets on my way back home and returned to find Jude smoking on the steps.
"Jude-" I warned.
"Oh, sorry Jemmie, did you want one?" He extended the pack to me.
"No! Get that away from me!" Not having it was making me irritated again. I wanted it so badly; the craving was almost irresistible. The deathly smell of smoke, seeing the ghastly silver turn softly in the air… it needed it to go away. It was hard to resist. I needed him to take it away.
"Ok, ok. Fine." He put it out on the cement.
I dropped the bags and sank next to him. "Thanks." I looked down and wove both of my hands into my hair.
My brother studied me. "How are you doing, Jemmie?"
"I'm fine," I answered. "I just hate shopping. It's exhausting."
He kindly grabbed my other shoulder and pulled me over. He kissed my head, doing his brotherly thing.
He stayed with me for three great days after that. He can be a huge pain, but I love him dearly. I was not as happy on the last day as I watched him walk away toward his plane terminal. Before he left, he engulfed me, holding me tight. In that moment, I heard softly, "I love you more than anything," before he let go and picked up his stuff. He turned back once, and we both held up a hand to wave, each with a small pasted smile that no longer would reflect in our eyes once he turned back. And then it happened, he was gone.
Next Chapter: His 2 O'Clock
The woman checked her screen and must have seen my name as she raised her eyebrows with disgust or surprise, or both, I couldn't tell. She picked up the phone, hugging it to her shoulder as she continued working on her computer. "Mr. Kaiba, your two o'clock is here." After another moment she hung up, turning back to me. "Mr. Kaiba will see you now."
