Title: Nasal Spray
Author: LoveeDucky
Given Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Same as before
~ ~ ~Chapter 7: Bathroom Frenzy
~ ~ ~Tuesday (the following day)
Chad hadn't come home from work the night before, which was strange behavior for such a creature of habit. It hadn't worried Rei at all to discover his disappearance, but she wondered about it.
"I wonder where he was..." she contemplated aloud on her now routine drive to the B & B building.
She was going to be about half an hour early. She had suffered a night of pure insomnia because her dreams reminded her constantly of the expectations she had of this day.
Rei wanted to get another hint. It was as simple as that.
Her hand managed to crank up the stereo without her eyes having to divert from the road.
'Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream...' the song blared into the air.
It was a scratchy, low-quality song placed onto a cassette tape, but Rei was driving herself mad with ideas over who might have switched the items in her pocket. She hadn't left her jacket any place illogical: it had been setting upon her desk chair. Had she gotten up at any given time to use the bathroom or something?
She realized that she had, but only for about five minutes, and Jaden had been in a long conference at about that time. So, who could it have been?
~ ~ ~
"Ahhhh!" Rei Hino screamed inside the women's bathroom.
She had finally found a way to escape that egotistical maniac! Curses could be heard mumbled softly as she fumed over the acts of her boss.
Two women from the second floor exited the bathroom stalls, fumbling with their skirts and purses and scurrying out the door. As they left, they didn't neglect to give Rei a strange look.
"Yeah! This would happen to you if you worked with Jaden Parker!" she screeched, pulling vigorously on a strip of paper towel from its machine.
Her head pounded against the mirror in agony, and for effect, she continued on for a few moments. When the ladies had fully left the bathroom, Rei smiled widely, and proceeded to her favorite stall: the second one.
While one hand was securing the lock, the other was busy frisking her back pocket for something. Something, much to Rei's surprise, that was very clever and oddly romantic.
'To make your smile so very bright,' the post-it read, 'find the underline and make it white.'
Rei had found that underline on the document accompanying the yellow post-it. She had discovered that the document would not make sense until she had whited-out an entire line of scrambled letters that had been marked through with a straight black stroke. And then she had found the true meaning of the letter.
She was supposed to go to The Caveman's Cove, a small café with a big reputation. There had been, according to popular legend, at least twelve proposals, all of which had been followed through with a successful marriage. What was the symbolic purpose of her being asked to go there?
"Who is this mysterious suitor of mine?" she questioned to herself with a bright smile.
She unlocked the door to the stall, ready and determined to face her insolent boss and his arrogant attitude. What had he meant by saying that she was the one who was selfish? It was he who had left his own party for some malicious reason of his own, not her. Rei muttered something to herself about kicking his ass sometime, and attempted to push the door open.
The door wouldn't nudge. Again, a little bit worried this time, she tried to press her weight against the door and open it. Again, it failed.
"Oh my God," she spoke somewhat calmly, her voice elevated with panic.
She jumped against the door this time, hoping that it would budge slightly. Nothing. Reddened with anger, she pounded against the door furiously.
"Someone get me out of here! The door won't open!"
She fumbled with the locks a bit, hoping that she'd somehow be able to open it up that way. Pushing at the door, however, proved to be a hard task, and it still wouldn't budge. Rei eyed the floor underneath her feet. There were pieces of toilet paper, small water spots, and dirt- everywhere. She happened to be donning a professional rendition of Marilyn Monroe's famous white dress. She would not be crawling that floor.
Rei began to bang on the door profusely. If there was someone out there, they were going to save her. She would make sure of it.
~ ~ ~
Jaden had just purchased a Kit-Kat from the candy machine after his trip to the men's room, when he heard shouts from the neighboring women's restroom. He looked around him, wondering if he was hallucinating, and cautiously approached the female-labeled swinging entrance.
"Oh well. I might as well go in."
He took in a deep breath, and made his way into the bathroom.
~ ~ ~
"Is there anyone in here?" Rei heard a male voice ask.
"Oh great," Rei whispered. Of all the people to rescue her, it had to be Jaden.
"Miss? Do you need help?"
Jaden chuckled at the audacity of the situation. He didn't belong in here, no matter who was in trouble. If just one woman were to enter the restroom at any given moment, his character would be ruined. He would forever be labeled a pervert.
"Jade- I mean, Mr. Parker! I'm stuck!" Rei cried.
Embarrassed, Jaden moved toward the stall that the voice was coming from. How his secretary managed to get into these ordeals, he would never know.
"Miss Hino. What's the problem now?" he addressed her.
"The door to this stall won't open!"
He observed the ground below the stall door. She could somehow creep beneath the little opening. A grin appeared on his face when he thought about what she had been wearing earlier. It was a little white number, stopping just above her knees. If she would have worn something slightly longer, she might think about crawling. But this was stubborn, crabby Rei Hino. A bomb would have to be planted in the stall before she'd even think of an idea like that.
"Should I try to pull it open?" he asked, eyeing the metal object before him.
"Yes, you moron! Why else would I be screaming for help if I didn't need help opening the door?"
She stepped backwards unintentionally, pressing her legs against the cold surface of the toilet. Jaden then placed his hands strongly on top of the door ledge, and pulled with all his might. He grunted and groaned a few times when it stayed put.
"Maybe you should crawl under the-"
"No way! There is no way that I'm getting on that filthy floor with a dress on!" Rei retorted fiercely.
There was only one answer: he'd have to kick it in.
"Stand back then, Rei. I'm gonna kick the door in."
Aggressively, he kicked the door open with ease. And as it opened, it revealed the distraught Rei, face reddened with panic and fury, standing awkwardly in front of the toilet. He laughed with amusement.
"Ok, Miss Hino, you can come out now. You're safe."
He stretched his hand out to her, ready for her to take it. His stomach grumbled with hunger. That candy bar sure sounded good right about now.
Rei ignored his hand, walking past him and towards the sinks. She adjusted her hair, which was tousled from throwing her body against the door, and turned towards Jaden. He had saved her.
"Is it lunch time yet?" she asked in a slightly haughty manner.
"Yes. And good thing too. I'm so hungry," Jaden responded.
He approached her slowly, his eyes intently focused on hers. She couldn't disregard the complete sincerity in them, and the softness in his face, and the longing she had in her heart for him to come near.
Suddenly, a snobby older woman in her early thirties entered the restroom, her nose in the air as she made her way to the first stall. Eyeing the broken door to her right, she pushed the stall door open and locked it behind her.
Jaden gave Rei an almost infuriated glare. She stared back, determined to fight his intimidation, and exited out into the hallway. Jaden followed.
"Great job, Miss Hino. No wonder the door opened so easily when I kicked it."
"Shut up, Jaden. Just shut up."
~ ~ ~
Author's Notes (12-08-02):
I'm sorry I didn't update yesterday. I just got my license, so I went joy riding around my beautiful town! This chapter is leading up to next week's chapter, which will detail the events of Tuesday evening (yes, evening) and Wednesday afternoon. Don't worry- there will be a very important Senshi cameo next chapter! And, Mina hasn't disappeared- she'll be in next week's chapter as well.
Thank you, katefire002, for the "hint" of the week! Oh- but wait. Where's the gift? No worries, it'll appear in next week's chapter as well.
Please, let your creative juices flow and send me your ideas of hints and gift ideas! This is seriously important!!
And please review and tell me your likes/dislikes of this story! It's my job to make this and entertaining to all you readers out there.
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed recently, including Shigromia, DragonStar, Alexiel, Iryl, Princess Ren, Anya, CherryStarr, and Sylyne! I love to hear from you guys, and I'm glad to know that you like the story!
Reviews are an author's favorite thing! So, until next week.
-LoveeDucky
Author: LoveeDucky
Given Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Same as before
~ ~ ~Chapter 7: Bathroom Frenzy
~ ~ ~Tuesday (the following day)
Chad hadn't come home from work the night before, which was strange behavior for such a creature of habit. It hadn't worried Rei at all to discover his disappearance, but she wondered about it.
"I wonder where he was..." she contemplated aloud on her now routine drive to the B & B building.
She was going to be about half an hour early. She had suffered a night of pure insomnia because her dreams reminded her constantly of the expectations she had of this day.
Rei wanted to get another hint. It was as simple as that.
Her hand managed to crank up the stereo without her eyes having to divert from the road.
'Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream...' the song blared into the air.
It was a scratchy, low-quality song placed onto a cassette tape, but Rei was driving herself mad with ideas over who might have switched the items in her pocket. She hadn't left her jacket any place illogical: it had been setting upon her desk chair. Had she gotten up at any given time to use the bathroom or something?
She realized that she had, but only for about five minutes, and Jaden had been in a long conference at about that time. So, who could it have been?
~ ~ ~
"Ahhhh!" Rei Hino screamed inside the women's bathroom.
She had finally found a way to escape that egotistical maniac! Curses could be heard mumbled softly as she fumed over the acts of her boss.
Two women from the second floor exited the bathroom stalls, fumbling with their skirts and purses and scurrying out the door. As they left, they didn't neglect to give Rei a strange look.
"Yeah! This would happen to you if you worked with Jaden Parker!" she screeched, pulling vigorously on a strip of paper towel from its machine.
Her head pounded against the mirror in agony, and for effect, she continued on for a few moments. When the ladies had fully left the bathroom, Rei smiled widely, and proceeded to her favorite stall: the second one.
While one hand was securing the lock, the other was busy frisking her back pocket for something. Something, much to Rei's surprise, that was very clever and oddly romantic.
'To make your smile so very bright,' the post-it read, 'find the underline and make it white.'
Rei had found that underline on the document accompanying the yellow post-it. She had discovered that the document would not make sense until she had whited-out an entire line of scrambled letters that had been marked through with a straight black stroke. And then she had found the true meaning of the letter.
She was supposed to go to The Caveman's Cove, a small café with a big reputation. There had been, according to popular legend, at least twelve proposals, all of which had been followed through with a successful marriage. What was the symbolic purpose of her being asked to go there?
"Who is this mysterious suitor of mine?" she questioned to herself with a bright smile.
She unlocked the door to the stall, ready and determined to face her insolent boss and his arrogant attitude. What had he meant by saying that she was the one who was selfish? It was he who had left his own party for some malicious reason of his own, not her. Rei muttered something to herself about kicking his ass sometime, and attempted to push the door open.
The door wouldn't nudge. Again, a little bit worried this time, she tried to press her weight against the door and open it. Again, it failed.
"Oh my God," she spoke somewhat calmly, her voice elevated with panic.
She jumped against the door this time, hoping that it would budge slightly. Nothing. Reddened with anger, she pounded against the door furiously.
"Someone get me out of here! The door won't open!"
She fumbled with the locks a bit, hoping that she'd somehow be able to open it up that way. Pushing at the door, however, proved to be a hard task, and it still wouldn't budge. Rei eyed the floor underneath her feet. There were pieces of toilet paper, small water spots, and dirt- everywhere. She happened to be donning a professional rendition of Marilyn Monroe's famous white dress. She would not be crawling that floor.
Rei began to bang on the door profusely. If there was someone out there, they were going to save her. She would make sure of it.
~ ~ ~
Jaden had just purchased a Kit-Kat from the candy machine after his trip to the men's room, when he heard shouts from the neighboring women's restroom. He looked around him, wondering if he was hallucinating, and cautiously approached the female-labeled swinging entrance.
"Oh well. I might as well go in."
He took in a deep breath, and made his way into the bathroom.
~ ~ ~
"Is there anyone in here?" Rei heard a male voice ask.
"Oh great," Rei whispered. Of all the people to rescue her, it had to be Jaden.
"Miss? Do you need help?"
Jaden chuckled at the audacity of the situation. He didn't belong in here, no matter who was in trouble. If just one woman were to enter the restroom at any given moment, his character would be ruined. He would forever be labeled a pervert.
"Jade- I mean, Mr. Parker! I'm stuck!" Rei cried.
Embarrassed, Jaden moved toward the stall that the voice was coming from. How his secretary managed to get into these ordeals, he would never know.
"Miss Hino. What's the problem now?" he addressed her.
"The door to this stall won't open!"
He observed the ground below the stall door. She could somehow creep beneath the little opening. A grin appeared on his face when he thought about what she had been wearing earlier. It was a little white number, stopping just above her knees. If she would have worn something slightly longer, she might think about crawling. But this was stubborn, crabby Rei Hino. A bomb would have to be planted in the stall before she'd even think of an idea like that.
"Should I try to pull it open?" he asked, eyeing the metal object before him.
"Yes, you moron! Why else would I be screaming for help if I didn't need help opening the door?"
She stepped backwards unintentionally, pressing her legs against the cold surface of the toilet. Jaden then placed his hands strongly on top of the door ledge, and pulled with all his might. He grunted and groaned a few times when it stayed put.
"Maybe you should crawl under the-"
"No way! There is no way that I'm getting on that filthy floor with a dress on!" Rei retorted fiercely.
There was only one answer: he'd have to kick it in.
"Stand back then, Rei. I'm gonna kick the door in."
Aggressively, he kicked the door open with ease. And as it opened, it revealed the distraught Rei, face reddened with panic and fury, standing awkwardly in front of the toilet. He laughed with amusement.
"Ok, Miss Hino, you can come out now. You're safe."
He stretched his hand out to her, ready for her to take it. His stomach grumbled with hunger. That candy bar sure sounded good right about now.
Rei ignored his hand, walking past him and towards the sinks. She adjusted her hair, which was tousled from throwing her body against the door, and turned towards Jaden. He had saved her.
"Is it lunch time yet?" she asked in a slightly haughty manner.
"Yes. And good thing too. I'm so hungry," Jaden responded.
He approached her slowly, his eyes intently focused on hers. She couldn't disregard the complete sincerity in them, and the softness in his face, and the longing she had in her heart for him to come near.
Suddenly, a snobby older woman in her early thirties entered the restroom, her nose in the air as she made her way to the first stall. Eyeing the broken door to her right, she pushed the stall door open and locked it behind her.
Jaden gave Rei an almost infuriated glare. She stared back, determined to fight his intimidation, and exited out into the hallway. Jaden followed.
"Great job, Miss Hino. No wonder the door opened so easily when I kicked it."
"Shut up, Jaden. Just shut up."
~ ~ ~
Author's Notes (12-08-02):
I'm sorry I didn't update yesterday. I just got my license, so I went joy riding around my beautiful town! This chapter is leading up to next week's chapter, which will detail the events of Tuesday evening (yes, evening) and Wednesday afternoon. Don't worry- there will be a very important Senshi cameo next chapter! And, Mina hasn't disappeared- she'll be in next week's chapter as well.
Thank you, katefire002, for the "hint" of the week! Oh- but wait. Where's the gift? No worries, it'll appear in next week's chapter as well.
Please, let your creative juices flow and send me your ideas of hints and gift ideas! This is seriously important!!
And please review and tell me your likes/dislikes of this story! It's my job to make this and entertaining to all you readers out there.
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed recently, including Shigromia, DragonStar, Alexiel, Iryl, Princess Ren, Anya, CherryStarr, and Sylyne! I love to hear from you guys, and I'm glad to know that you like the story!
Reviews are an author's favorite thing! So, until next week.
-LoveeDucky
