Little Secret

Lately Tifa had been running late for everything. The day before the conference she made the decision to attend. She had one of the waitresses cover for her, and took the night off. Tifa was mostly curious what Rufus was going to say; although, deep down, she didn't want her name to be mentioned in his speech. Dressing herself up in a dark, hunter green dress that had a large feather flower pin at the waist, near her hip, Tifa rushed to fix her make up. A quick spritz of perfume and she bolted out the door.

Looking at her watch she arrived at the auditorium twenty minutes late. That was okay, Rufus was the last person to present, so she would just have to sacrifice a seat for her lateness. She stood at the corner of doorway peaking from the frame trying to spot the striking blonde.

Tifa's eyes widen as Rufus walked to the podium, Each time she saw him appear in his white suit, he looked even more handsome.

'That is until he opens his mouth,' she thought.

The way that Rufus presented himself now was softer. She listened intently as he spoke.

"I had the absolute honor of working with a very intelligent, very resourceful and very loyal woman to our planet."

Tifa wondered if he looked deep into the crowd, and could see her at the door frame.

"This woman is beautiful. She is caring and empathetic, which is so hard to find in society today. She came up with several ideas that have passed for the World Restoration Organization, and it has been an absolute pleasure of mine to work with her...I only hope I can many more times."

Tifa was astonished; she hadn't heard anyone say such things about her. She felt that Rufus' silvery voice was only speaking to her since he, thankfully, didn't reveal her name; it was their little secret. As she listened to the rest of his speech, Tifa Lockhart felt she did something for the greater good. An enormous applause rose as Rufus ended his speech, Tifa quickly ran towards the backstage of the auditorium to meet him. Her heart was pounding as she opened the door.

"So you came," Rufus stepped back in surprise when he saw Tifa's face, he was still vexed she didn't properly answer his messages. "Did anyone ever teach you how to RSVP?"

"It's not everyday you can surprise a Shinra," she mused.

"You were successful," he smirked. "Let's go to dinner."