Disclaimer: I do not own Haruka and Michiru's characters, they belong to Naoko Takeuchi. All other characters and this story belong to me.
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AN: Thanks for the reviews! So, we're here… just stay open minded with me, even though your comments are naturally welcome… let me know what you think.
lostinhersong: thank you, I tried to fit in all the info without rushing through it, that's why it's been taking so long… now the fun begins indeed.
SeraEris: you can hate Amanda all you want. That last line in italics meant to explain Michiru's actions in this chapter.
petiyaka: you always want me to tell you what happens later, don't you? Sorry, hon, you'll have to wait :) Actually, I still love mojito and has never been a fan of Hypnotic, I just couldn't come up with another blue drink when I was writing that fic. Thanks to you and my expanding bar, that's no longer the case ;) Kampai!
Fusionmix: Thank you, I actually do a lot of research for little details in my fic that no one may notice. You guys also don't realize this, but I unnecessarily spent a tremendous amount of time cross referencing Grand Prix schedules with violin competition schedules and other events in the fic, not that it really matters. When Haruka and Michiru meet, that's almost present time (a few months back). I won't get rid of the OCs just because Haruka will take her rightful place by Michi's side… there's still unfinished business with them. And more OCs.
Arufa: Thanks! Don't worry, Max will get over herself a lot faster than Alan (:P)
Mantaray: That's the problem. Sometimes you get too immersed in your professional accomplishments, thinking that everything else is not as important.
Rukangel: Yes, Michiru and Alan have been together for almost 5 years, married for 4.
Tenoh and Kaioh: Wait and see… Michiru's agent will make a difference here and there.
PSVT: Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it.
Okay. Now, this chapter is rated "M" for graphic description and some minor language.
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Chapter 9
Michiru unlocked the door of what has been home for years. The inside of the loft was dark and quiet. She sighed and pulled her suitcases inside. Walking through the rooms, she confirmed that no one was home and pulled out her cell phone. None of the bandmates answered her call. She dialed their assistant.
"Hi Lindsey, it's Michiru. Do you know where they are?"
"Hey, Mich! So nice to hear from you." There was some noise on the other end of the line. "I think they may still be at the hotel."
"The hotel?"
"Yeah, I always get them a room so they can take a break afterwards."
"Lindsey, they're in New York, they live here, they don't need a place to take a break." Michiru found the whole arrangement questionable.
"I just do what they say, Mich. You want the address or not?"
"Go ahead." Michiru grabbed a pad and a pen and jotted down the address. She cringed as she heard 'they're in the penthouse' and shook her head silently. "Thanks, Lindsey. Have a good night."
"Yeah, you too, Mich."
Michiru quickly changed out of her traveling clothes into something more comfortable. Per Anne's insistence and her own habits, Michiru never allowed herself to go in public unprepared. She was always dressed presentable, her makeup was done and her hair fixed. You never knew where someone would snap a picture of you, especially at the airports.
Michiru put on a pair of old jeans, a tank top and a light jacket and trotted to the door. She slipped into her heels that now felt like they were a natural extension of her legs and left the loft. She hailed a cab outside and gave the driver the address. Her eyes were closing as she sat in the back of the car, enjoying the rare moments of peace. She even questioned why she went out of her way to find Paradigm. The answer was simple. She has not seen Alan in over a month. She paid the cab and made her way upstairs to the penthouse floor. As the elevator doors opened she was met by a wide chest of a man that towered over her like a bookshelf. She stepped out of the elevator and felt her neck crack as she finally found the face that belonged to the body. She has never seen the man before.
"Sorry honey, they're no longer looking for company."
Michiru snorted very unladylike and stepped around the bouncer/bodyguard or whoever he was. He grabbed her arm. "Did you hear what I said? No more groupies."
Michiru yanked her arm out of his grip and put it on her hip. "Do me a favor, don't patronize me? Do I look like one of their groupies?" She remembered exactly what she looked like and felt first waves of an oncoming headache wash over her. Michiru pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand. "Listen, I'm not a groupie, I'm Alan's wife."
The man had the audacity to laugh at her. "He doesn't have a wife, honey."
Michiru removed the hand that was on her hip and put it in his face. Her wedding band and engagement ring shined in his eyes. "This says he does." She pulled out her cellphone. "And this has Simon Frank's phone on speed dial. So unless you want to be out of job in the next two minutes, I suggest you get the hell out of my way."
The man lost his humor as 'Simon Frank' appeared on a short list of phone numbers alongside of the members of the band and other names he did not know. The man stepped away and showed her towards the door. "I'm sorry."
She waved his apology off. "Don't worry about it."
Michiru opened the door to the suite and stood in the doorway for a while. The sight no longer shocked her as it used to in the beginning, she was immune to it. People lay on the floor against both walls, bottles and plastic cups were scattered every which way. She stepped over limbs and bodies as she made her way to the large room filled with couches. Her husband was passed out on one, Rob was having good times with a couple of half-naked girls, Mark was nowhere to be seen and Max just entered the room from what looked like a bathroom.
"Hey, Mich!" She almost jumped to the tired violinist and picked her up by the waist, twirling her around. "You're back! I missed you!"
"Max, put me down."
"What?" Max stared in the blue eyes without any comprehension.
Michiru pointed down with her eyes. Max was holding her against her own body. "Oh, I'm sorry."
"Are you drunk?"
"No, I don't overindulge in alcohol."
"Uh huh." Michiru straightened her clothes. "And I don't play violin." She left the drummer who was still trying to find a response and walked to Alan. Michiru leaned in and had to pull away immediately from the vile odor. She shook his shoulder. "Alan. Alan." He did not respond. Michiru sighed and slapped him on the cheek. The sound resonated through the room and gained the attention from everyone there. Alan jolted up and then his features relaxed as he saw Michiru in front of him.
"Mich! You're back… oh no… I forgot you were coming tonight… I'm such an idiot." He tried to pull her on top of him. "I'm so sorry."
"You should be." He jerked from the cold tone of her voice. "You all should be." She looked around the room at Max and Rob who were also listening intently. "Is this what your dream was? To get pissed drunk after every show? To not be able to comprehend what is going on around you? Why did you even bother going to school? You could've done all that without any effort. I mean, how much effort does it take to flush your talent down the toilet?"
Another door opened and Mark walked in from an adjoined room. He did not look anywhere near as disheveled as the rest, but Michiru saw the unnatural shine in his eyes. She pursed her lips as he closed the door behind himself.
"What are you, the moral police now? We're all adults, Michiru, we can manage without your highness' oversight."
"I don't care how many times you screw yourself over, Mark, but leave my husband out of this." She turned to Alan. "Get up, or I'm going home alone."
Alan looked from Mark to Michiru and back. Michiru nodded, turned around and walked out of the suite, careful not to step on anything or anyone in her way.
Max watched her go, then walked up to Alan and gave him another slap. "Either you go after her, or I will."
Even through his alcohol induced state, Alan knew what Max meant. He got up to his feet unsteadily. "Don't come near my wife." He pointed in Max's nose and tried to catch up with Michiru, tripping over someone on his way, but catching her downstairs.
x x x
Michiru's summer was scheduled to be spent at the recording studio in New York. Paradigm was also taking a break from their touring, recording new tracks of their own. As an apology for his conduct, Alan wrote Michiru another song, one where an electronic violin played major part. Michiru agreed to record it with them and left the rest to Anne. The spouses settled back into their married bliss. They worked hard during the day and took nights off. Max was working hard, trying to manage both being in the band and being a successful DJ. It was life as usual.
Michiru looked at her schedule for the fall. There was a performance every week, mostly more than once a week. She was halfway through recording her album, and she was already behind her schedule. The last thing she could afford was a break. A tear rolled down her cheek as she looked at the stick she was holding in her hand. It was her career or her family. Michiru knew she could not handle both. She heard a key turn in the front door and ran to the bathroom, closing herself inside. Michiru sat down on the tiled floor and let the tears flow freely. Silent sobs shook her body as she squeezed the plastic in her fist and hugged her knees to her chest.
"Mich, are you home?"
She heard Max's voice call out and stifled a cry. Soft footsteps on the hardwood echoed in the hallway outside of her bedroom. "Mich? Are you okay?"
Another cry escaped her and Michiru put a hand over her lips a second too late. She heard Max walk up to the door and turn the doorknob. Michiru hid her face in her knees as the door swung open.
Max landed on her knees next to Michiru. "Michiru, what's wrong?" She hugged her shoulders. "Why are you crying?"
Michiru shook her head and felt Max pull her into an embrace. It was all she needed for the hysteria to completely succumb her. She cried, clutching the fabric of Max's t-shirt with one hand and the stick with the other. Max just coed in her ear and gently stroked through her long locks. Michiru did not know how long it has been, she only knew that her legs were falling asleep and her face was burning from the tears. She separated herself and leaned back.
Max wiped her tears with both hands. "What is it?"
Michiru sobbed as she extended the hand that was holding the stick and opened her fist. Max stared dumbly at the test for a moment before her eyes met the pained blue ones. Michiru got up and walked to the sink, placing the stick on the counter and turning the faucet on. She washed her face with cold water and looked at her reflection. It made her grimace. Both her face and her eyes were swollen from crying. She watched as Max walked up behind her and put her chin on Michiru's shoulder. "What do you want to do?"
They looked at each other in the mirror. "I don't know."
Max wrapped her hands around Michiru's waist, placing them on her still flat stomach. "It can't be more than 8 weeks, that's when you got back." Michiru nodded. "You still have time to think."
"What should I do, Max?"
"I can't tell you. Either you have to decide it or tell Alan and make a decision together."
Michiru shook her head. "I know what he will say."
"Then you have to decide."
"You're not going to tell me that I have a responsibility to let him know?"
Max shook her head. "No. From where I'm standing, it's your body. Your career is on the line, not his. It's your decision to make. Whichever one it is, I'll stand by you."
Michiru turned around and wrapped her hands around Max's neck, hugging her close. "Thank you."
"What are friends for?"
x x x
It was a week later when Michiru sneaked up on Max on her way out to the club.
"Jesus Christ, you want to give me a heart attack?" Max held a hand to her chest.
"What do I do now?"
"You don't kill your friends, that's what you do." Max took another breath, calming herself down. Michiru's words finally reached her brain and she looked Michiru straight in the eyes. "You do realize that if he ever finds out, he will never forgive you for this?"
"I thought you were on my side."
"I am, which is why I want to make sure you know what you're doing."
Michiru let out a shallow breath. "Everything I've done Max, everything I worked on so far… my career just launched and I'm about to get a major break. I can't put it on hold. I'll be forever left behind in the dust."
Max nodded. "Do you know where to go?" Michiru shook her head. "When can you take a day off?"
"When do I need to?"
"The sooner the better."
"Tell me when."
Max thought of her packed schedule in her head and grimaced. "Plan it for the day after tomorrow. I'll make some calls in the morning."
"Just tell me what to do, you don't -"
"I got it, Michiru. You just make sure that your mind is up."
Michiru looked at her friend sadly. "I won't change my mind, Max."
x x x
Under the guise of not feeling well, Max backed out of a recording session on Friday. She rented a car and drove out of the City with Michiru. They rode out to New Jersey in complete silence. Max kept throwing Michiru worried glances, but instinctively knew how the other felt and gave her space. She took violinist to her own gynecologist in Paramus, someone she knew she could trust. Max parked the car next to a residential-looking office and killed the engine. Michiru looked like she was napping against the passenger door, but Max knew she was not. Her eyes were puffy again and she clutched a kleenex in her fist.
"Mich." Max gently moved the long aqua strands away. "We're here."
Michiru came out of her trance and nodded. They got out of the car and walked to the front door. Breaking her own rules, Michiru was wearing black yoga pants, tank top and a thin loungewear wrap. Despite the heat outside, she felt cold. Her flip flops caught against the front step and she tripped, only to be caught by Max, who stopped her.
"You can still walk away from this."
Michiru bit the inside of her mouth and shook her head. Max sighed and pulled the door open, letting the violinist through. Michiru entered a small waiting room where the chairs were arranged in a row against two of the four walls. A receptionist sat behind a glass window that slid open as they made their way in. Michiru signed in and got a board with paperwork to fill out. She took an empty seat and looked at the form. There was nothing unusual on it, nothing Michiru has not seen before. Her concentration, however, was constantly broken by the sight of two pregnant women whose bellies were clearly visible in their summer attire. Max took the board out of Michiru's hands and filled out the basic information. Michiru mechanically answered the questions as Max read them quietly to her. Max handed the paperwork and the insurance card back to the receptionist and took a seat next to her entranced friend.
A nurse called Michiru's name ten minutes later and the two made their way in. Michiru was surprised to find herself in a doctor's office, as opposed to one of the patient rooms. She sat down and saw a middle-aged woman in white robe walk in behind them.
"Hi, I'm Dr. Golub. Max, may I have a moment alone with Ms. Kaioh?"
Max got up and Michiru grabbed her hand. "No, please, let her stay."
"Ms. Kaioh -"
"Please?" Michiru's eyes filled with tears again and the doctor yielded. She nodded and Max sat back down.
"Ms. Kaioh, we are not an abortion clinic, so we do not have counselors on staff. You are a new patient and this is really an exceptional case that I agreed to take because Max has been a patient for a while. The reason why I am saying this is that I want to make sure that you absolutely understand what you are doing and that you are sure that your decision is the right one."
Michiru nodded, studying the grain of the dark cherry desk in front of her. The doctor continued. "We will do a sonogram first to see how far along you are, then we will do a blood test, just as part of a routine check up. The procedure itself takes no more than ten-fifteen minutes. It is done under local anesthesia, a simple shot in your abdomen area. I will place a scope inside your uterus and it will suck out the embryo. You will rest for twenty minutes or so and then you will be okay to leave. While you are resting, I will make sure that the procedure was successful by searching for an embryo through the debris. I will speak with you again before you leave. You will have spotting and some cramping for the next few days, but otherwise there should be no complications. Do you have any questions?"
Michiru felt like vomiting. Her body was starting to shake from the description of the procedure and it made her physically sick. Not because she was afraid of the pain, but because she was uncomfortable with the concept. She bit on her lower lip and tried to get rid of the mental images.
"Ms. Kaioh?" Dr. Golub looked at Max after not getting any reaction.
Max put a hand on Michiru's shoulder. "Mich?"
Michiru looked up and shook her head. "No, I don't have any questions."
Dr. Golub nodded. "Are you sure you want to go ahead, Ms. Kaioh?"
Michiru nodded again. "Yes."
"Okay. I will let the nurse know, she will be with you through the whole process."
"Can Max come with me too?"
"Of course."
Michiru nodded her head and followed the doctor out of the office. Her weight was taken, then her blood was drawn. Then Michiru was led into one of the patient rooms with a number of machines already set up. She was given a plastic blue gown and a white paper sheet and the nurse stepped out. Max got up to follow her out. Michiru stopped her.
"Don't leave me alone."
"I'm not going anywhere, just giving you some privacy."
"There's nothing there you haven't seen before, right?"
"Mich, I-"
"I don't care." Michiru really did not care if Max was gay, a man, or a monster with two heads at that point. She simply did not want to be alone. She pulled her clothes off and handed them to Max, who sat on a chair by the wall.
The nurse came back in and did a sonogram. Michiru looked the other way, despite knowing that she would not be able to tell what she saw on the screen. She did not want to see any of it. Max held her hand with both of her own, while she watched the nurse take measurements of the femur.
"Seven weeks. It's a good thing that you made up your mind this early." The nurse gave Michiru a reassuring smile as she switched the monitor off.
Michiru just held on tighter to Max as tears ran down her cheeks again. "I'm okay." She said before Max was able to utter a word.
Fifteen minutes later the nurse and the doctor came in. Dr. Golub examined her quickly and then administered the shot.
"This may be a little cold."
Michiru felt the specula enter inside her.
"The machine will be a bit loud, just ignore it. You will feel slight pinching and pulling, but it should not be anything more than uncomfortable, like during your menstrual cramps. If it is painful, I need you to let me know. You cannot move while I am doing this procedure. If you jerk while the machine is operating and the scope is in, it may damage your uterus, causing complications and possible permanent side effects. If that happens, I am not equipped to handle it here, so you will be taken to the hospital. The simplest way to avoid this is to be still. Do you understand me?"
Michiru looked at Max with wide eyes full of terror and Max swore mentally, giving Michiru a reassuring smile.
"I do." Michiru looked back at the ceiling.
"Okay. Here we go."
Michiru squeezed her eyes shut as the machine was turned on. It reminded her of a vacuum. It sounded like a vacuum and it pretty much had the same purpose. Sucking Michiru's mistakes out of her. Literally sucking life out of her. Michiru stifled a sob and concentrated on keeping still, remembering everything the doctor just said. She just made herself stop trembling when the sound went away. Michiru opened her eyes to see the ceiling again.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, we're done."
"Already?"
"Yes." She saw the doctor's face above her own. "Just relax and lay here for a while, I'll be back in twenty minutes."
"Okay."
Michiru heard them walk out of the room and close the door. She turned her head and looked at Max, who was still holding her hand. They just looked at each other in silence. For the full twenty minutes.
x x x
They pulled out of the parking lot in the same silence. Michiru curled up on the passenger seat and watched the passing scenery.
"I don't want to go home."
Max looked at her and skipped the exit to the highway. She drove a while longer before pulling into a parking lot of a supermarket. "I'll be right back."
Michiru watched her go and return with a reusable bag that hid the contents. Max put the bag behind her seat and got back on the road. Fifteen minutes later she pulled off the road to a small parking for observation deck. Max got out of the car, grabbed the bag, and opened Michiru's door.
"Come on, get out."
Michiru unenthusiastically untangled herself and got out. They walked down a small pathway and Michiru realized that they were in a park on the bank of the Hudson. Max pulled her to an even grassy spot and took a small blanket out of the bag. She ripped the tag off and put it on the ground.
"Sit."
Michiru obliged and watched as Max pulled out a pint of ice cream followed by a bag of plastic spoons and set the treat and a spoon between Michiru's outstretched legs.
"One thing I know for sure is that sugar rush helps." She took the top off and Michiru stared at her favorite ice cream. Her hand, of its own volition, grabbed the spoon and Michiru put it in her mouth. She closed her eyes and let the sun warm up her face. Max sat next to her and dug in as well. After a while Michiru leaned in and Max readjusted herself to allow Michiru to put her head in Max's lap. She lay on her back, with her spoon in her mouth, watching the sky above.
"I can't believe I just did that."
"Is there any point in dwelling on this now? It's in the past, Michiru. Leave it there."
"You know, it's weird… it's almost like going to a dentist, only instead of pulling out a tooth, they pull a baby out of you."
"A fetus, Mich, not a baby yet."
"Well, that depends on your view." Max shrugged and Michiru continued. "I mean all that controversy on the subject, and the procedure takes fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes and your life is back to normal."
"It's not the procedure that causes controversy per se, it's dwelling on its meaning like you're doing now. The moral ground, the religious ground. Calling a fetus a baby. The imagery." She moved Michiru's bangs out of her eyes. "Stop thinking about it."
"Why are you so good to me?"
"Because I like you."
"You like me like me or you like me?"
Max chuckled. "I like you as a friend, Michiru. You're a good person."
"Good people don't kill their babies."
"Here we go again." Max sighed. "I like you because you're a terrible person, Michiru. But your hot ass wins over your nasty disposition, so I stick around."
They both burst out laughing and Michiru calmed down. "Can I take a nap here?"
"Sure you can." Max watched her fall asleep and then watched the passing boats for hours while the exhausted younger woman slept and the remainder of their ice cream melted in the sun.
x x x
Max hoped that Michiru would put all of her apprehension and self-blame behind after that day. She hoped that Michiru would turn to work and forget everything else. Michiru did, only Max knew that it was all just on the surface. She would not be a good friend if she could not see past that. She could see the depression settling in, could see Michiru retreat back into her shell, the way she was when they met. Most importantly, she shied away from Alan. It did not help the matters that Devin decided to visit them for a couple of weeks and someone was always at the loft. Michiru avoided being there by spending more time than necessary at the studio and when she came home she generally found the men sitting around the TV, watching the races. She would sit with them, not to cause any suspicions and it pained Max to see how much of it was forced.
Her own concerns for her friend came from a deeper place, she knew that everybody dealt with depression differently. She herself did not do too well in the past, the last thing Max wanted to see was Michiru doing something stupid. Her heart broke for her friend.
x x x
Michiru knew when things started to go bad. She grew distant when she found out she was pregnant and her alienation did not go away as time passed. She welcomed the day when Paradigm left for their scheduled performances and Devin left to go back to school. She needed space so desperately. Pushing all the heavy thoughts out of her mind, she concentrated on finishing her album and the upcoming performances. For the first time ever she was apart with Alan for more than two months and she welcomed it.
When she reunited with the band around Thanksgiving, it all seemed to go back to normal. Only it did not feel that way. Where before she was patient about their behavior, popularity and fans, now she was either indifferent or irritated. She did not have patience for so much as holding in her comments and her relationship with Mark deteriorated quickly to the level of animosity. Her relationship with Alan was not much better. Michiru cried silently at nigh as he slept next to her and wondered when the wonderful feelings she had towards the man vanished. She still cared for him, she still loved him, but no longer in the same way.
x x x
Loud music was second nature to them all. They danced the night away, celebrating Michiru's twenty-fourth birthday at one of the best clubs in San Francisco. For a change, Michiru left everything behind and was simply enjoying herself. She left the dance floor and walked to Alan, who was sitting at their reserved table.
"Why aren't you dancing?"
"I'm not in the mood."
Michiru sat down next to him. "What do you mean you're not in the mood?"
"I'm just not, okay. Leave it be, Mich, go have fun."
"I want to have fun with you." She nuzzled him on the cheek.
"Oh yeah? Then will you stop flirting with Max?"
Michiru pulled away in stunned silence. His serious expression told her that Alan was not kidding. "What do you mean? I'm not flirting with Max."
"Yes, you are, just like you do with a lot of other people. Maybe you didn't notice, but it's quite in your nature to flirt with others in front of me."
"Alan, this is gibberish. Besides, it's Max. She's my best friend, she's harmless."
Alan got up and pulled Michiru to her feet with him. He pointed to Max who was dancing quite suggestively with some girl. "Does she look harmless to you?"
"She's my friend, Alan!"
"And she's been wanting you since she met you!"
"This is absurd! She was with Amanda ever since she met me, they dated for three years, Alan! Did you forget that?"
"I don't care, I'm not blind. I see her look at you, I catch all the little comments and all the little hints."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, but you're obviously delirious. Starting with the fact that I have never so much as kissed another woman, so why would I care even if what you said is true?"
"You tell me, Michiru. You're the one who's been frigid for the past months."
She just stared back at him, her mind void of everything other than his words. Somehow in the past year she learned to shut herself down when she needed to. Years ago she would have continued screaming, arguing to the very end. Now she just gave up on it. She shook her head, turned around, and left her husband standing there. She pushed people aside, making her way through, not caring that they looked angrily in her wake.
"Hey, no need to be a bitch."
Her head snapped to the side towards the low voice that still somehow reached her ears and she just started laughing. Michiru bowed to the blonde and walked out of the club. The last thing she wanted to hear was a stranger calling her names.
Michiru walked until her feet got tired and then checked herself into a hotel room, not willing to go back to the suite she shared with Alan. She needed time to think, time to figure out where to go from there and she has obviously failed to do so with her husband next to her up to that point. Michiru watched the San Francisco Bay, Alan's words running through her mind. She finally separated herself from the pane of the glass, walked to the minibar and inspected its contents.
x x x
Max got off the floor to get herself a bottle of water. Her night was going rather well and she doubted that she would go back to the hotel alone. To her surprise, she did not see Michiru neither on the dance floor, nor by their table. The only person at their table was Alan and he was making quite a progress with the bottle of whiskey in front of him.
"Where's Mich?"
He looked up at her and snorted. "You tell me."
"What?" She sat on the couch across from him. "Did you guys have a fight?"
"Aye, are you happy now?"
"Why would I be happy?"
"You wanted to fuck her for years."
Max got to her feet. "Allow me to let you in on a secret, if I wanted to fuck your wife, I would've done it a long time ago."
Alan got to his feet as well. "Are you saying that you're better than I am?"
She gave him a once over. "At this juncture, yes. Have you looked at yourself lately?"
"What the fuck?"
"Exactly that, Alan. You forget when she gets back in town, you ignore her depression, you argue with her on her birthday! What the hell is wrong with you, man?"
Alan cocked an eyebrow. "Well, maybe then you'll do a better job."
"That's your solution? Drink yourself into oblivion and not care who's screwing your wife? You're pathetic." She turned around and walked away, just like Michiru did an hour before.
Max got outside and pulled out a cigarette. Ever since Michiru walked in on their mini orgy at the hotel last summer and gave them the lecture, Max never had more than one drink a night. She did, however, need something to relieve her stress that did not involve alcohol or sharp objects. She pulled out her cell and dialed Michiru's number. It went in her voicemail. Max hit the redial button and kept doing so until an angry voice answered on the other end.
"Did it eve occur to you that I may not want to talk if I don't pick up the phone?"
"Nope. Are you back at the hotel?"
"I'm at a hotel."
Max dropped the cigarette butt and stomped it with her foot. "Where are you, Mich?"
"Why do you need to know?"
"It's your birthday. I want to celebrate with you." She pulled out a gum and stuck it in her mouth. "You want me to bring anything?"
"Well, the minibar might be out of good stuff soon."
Max winced. "Anything in particular you want?"
"No. I shouldn't have had what I've already had. I'm at the Argonaut."
"Of course you are."
"Eh?"
"Forget about it, I'll see you in a few." Max hang up and hailed a cab. She should have guessed Michiru would find a fitting hotel.
x x x
Michiru let Max in and went back to her king-sized bed. She sat indian-style and looked at the assortment of little bottles that she has not opened yet. They were laid out in even rows on the cover.
"You know, there's a bar downstairs."
"I don't want to see people."
"Yeah, I keep forgetting that you're as recognizable as any of us now." Max sat on the edge of the bed and watched Michiru play with her little collection for a while. "What happened, Mich?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay." Max watched as the younger woman got up and walked to the bathroom. Max got up and inspected the trashcan, wincing quietly at the amount of empty bottles in it. Apparently Michiru learned to hold her alcohol well.
Max turned around as Michiru walked back in and suddenly found herself against the wall. Soft lips covered her own and she automatically responded, eventually holding the violinist close and giving her a full taste of the kiss. Michiru pulled away and looked unsurely in the brown eyes.
"Did you enjoy that?" Max asked levelly. Michiru nodded. "Good. Don't ever do that again."
Max stepped away and sat down in a chair, grabbing a small bottle of gin on her way there. She popped the top and gulped the liquid down.
Michiru shifted from one foot to the other, then returned back to the bed. "I'm sorry."
Max threw the empty bottle in the trash can. "Why did you do it?"
"I was thinking about what Alan said."
"You've got to be kidding me." Max reached out and picked another bottle. How did she get herself in a position where one spouse accused her of wanting his wife and the other spouse made the move?
"No, it's not that." Michiru followed Max's example and grabbed herself a drink. She grimaced as the liquid burned her throat. "I've been thinking lately, and he just pushed me over the limit I guess. Remember what Amanda said about me not having lived life to its fullest before settling in?"
"Yes."
"I think she was right. I started thinking about it when I started to enjoy going out. I've seen so many things in these past years, but I haven't experienced them. All I do is work and then the little time I have to myself I spend with my husband. Which would be great, except that our relationship isn't the same as it used to be."
"The honeymoon is over, that's normal."
"Yes, but if neither of us is really happy anymore, why not find happiness somewhere else?"
"What does that have to do with me?"
"You're one of the experiences I've never had. I never kissed a girl, I was wondering how it would feel. So I did it." Michiru avoided Max's piercing eyes.
"I'm honored you picked me as your guinea pig." Max remarked sarcastically.
"I'm sorry." Michiru looked back up. "But I was thinking, what if it leads to something?"
"Something like what, Michiru? A one night stand before you reconcile with your husband? A ruined friendship and regrets when you sober up?" Max got up again. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not being hypocritical. I've done my share of mistakes too, which is exactly why I will never, I mean ever sleep with you. What you and I have is more important to me than anything I've ever had with a lover, including Amanda."
She took off her top and Michiru stared at Max without any comprehension. Max turned, sitting down on the bed with her spine in Michiru's full view. Two inches under her neck was a barcode Michiru has never seen before. She gently traced the date.
"It's the day you made me go to the hospital. It's the day someone other than my family really cared for me for the first time." Max put her top back on. "So don't ruin what we have."
Michiru bit her lip. Somehow what she did to Max felt more painful than what she did to Alan. She moved to the side of the bed and patted the seat next to her. "Let's do something I've never done before. Let's get trashed."
Max chuckled. "That sounds better."
x x x
Michiru looked at the woman that slept in bed next to her. She waited for a while to make sure that Max would not wake up. Then she got up, picked up her cellphone and dialed Anne Dunn's number.
"Morning Michiru."
"Do you never sleep or are you generally this cheerful at four in the morning?"
"I'm in New York, Mich, it's seven here."
"Oh yeah, I forgot."
"Is there a reason why you called me?" Anne probed.
Michiru took a deep breath. "Yes, I need you to find me a good divorce attorney."