KAI
The girl next to Kai on the plane wouldn't shut up. He was doing his best to ignore her, but the last leg of the flight seemed like an eternity. The girl had woken up from her nap sometime over the Atlantic ocean, and that was when she noticed Kai. She'd walked back from the bathroom and instead of going back to her seat across the aisle, she had gasped and flopped into the empty seat next to him. Her name was Pearl, and she was his biggest fan, and she read up on the Rikan Corp family in every magazine she could get her hands on. In fact, she was convinced that she knew more about Kai than Kai knew about himself. Kai had politely responded at first, and then realized that she refused to leave. So he put on his headphones and pretended to watch a movie. Pearl then chose the same movie and began to talk to him about everything going on in said movie.
It was embarrassing.
And highly irritating. Kai made a mental note to never fly business class again. In the future, he'd cash in on his celebrity status and take advantage of a first class private seat.
Kai couldn't have been happier when his plane touched down on American soil. Much like the girl next to him, Beijing had been a pain. He despised board meetings, summits, conferences, and generally anything involved with the key players of Rikan Corp. It wasn't that Kai disliked finance or business strategy per say, but rather everything else that came along with dealing with the people who were involved in his father's company. He had the feeling that the majority of people who attended the Annual Summit used it as an excuse to wine and dine in an exotic country for a week. For Kai, the stress just doubled from a normal work week. For the last two years, his father had insisted that he meet basically every person on the planet that could possibly have some sort of connection with Rikan Corp in the future. These people needed to be entertained, and apparently Kai was the perfect person to do that.
"This prepares you for all the networking and socializing you'll do when you're in my position later," his father always said. "You'll need these connections. Best if they get to know you already."
Levana had given him a massive headache during the meetings too. Not that this wasn't normal, but after their last dinner together, he'd really hoped that she would begin to see things from his perspective. He had tried hard not to show his irritation around her, but this week in Beijing had been particularly vexing; she'd only made it worse. He set a reminder in his phone to send her some of the counter-arguments he'd come up with during the flight back to the USA. Maybe there was no use in trying, though. It seemed like nothing he ever said regarding Rikan Corp would ever be taken seriously by her or her family.
When his phone registered that he was back in the United States, he got flooded with text messages. He really should have gotten an international plan a long time ago to avoid having to deal with so many messages at once, but at least it was something to do while he waited to deplane. Kai deleted most of them. Clients. Nainsi. Nainsi again. Levana. Dad. More clients.
A text from Scarlet. Thorne told me you weren't doing so great. Come over any time you want.
"Maybe you should mind your own business, Thorne," Kai muttered to no one in particular. Maybe he'd take Scarlet up on the offer, though.
Kai saw that he had a text from Thorne too. You get that generator yet?
Whoops. Kai had completely forgotten about the elevator debacle while in Beijing. Maybe his Purchasing Manager could look into that. But really, how often did that sort of thing happen? Thorne had just been unlucky. The thought made Kai snicker. Thorne was always the lucky one. Surely he would manage to twist this situation to his advantage somehow too.
There was also a text from an unknown number which he quickly skimmed. Hi, it's Cinder. Can we meet up when you get back?
Kai did a double take and re-read the message while the dormant butterfly in Kai's stomach suddenly decided to wake up. Cinder had texted him. And she wanted to see him. He immediately typed out a response, and then deleted it just as quickly. It was too eager. Clearly that had been a problem when he'd chased after her at the Masquerade. He had to be cool, collected. His text should not scream that he was the guy smiling like a fool on the tarmac.
Instead, he let it sink in: something in his life might actually be looking up. And that something was a beautiful girl that he could possibly have a chance with. Kai thought about his response carefully before typing it out. Sounds great. Maybe sometime this week?
To his surprise, Cinder texted him back almost immediately. Dinner tomorrow? Come by Alec's.
Tomorrow. He would probably be over his jetlag by then. His stomach would probably be just as jumpy though. Okay. I know just the place.
But only if I get to pay, Cinder replied. And this is not a date.
His heart sank a little at the last line, but it didn't matter right now. He was just happy to be making any progress at all. Got it. Let's just get to know each other better.
No expectations? she asked.
No expectations.
Well, maybe just one. He was going to sweep her off her feet—some way or another.
Kai actually dressed down on purpose. No, he didn't wear his gray hoodie, but he did settle for a nice pair of jeans, a black dress shirt, and a little gel in his hair. Though it made him feel out of his element, he realized before going to bed yesterday that 1) he was not going to a business function and 2) he was not going on a date, so he couldn't give off that impression. He also didn't want to make Cinder feel as though she had to dress up just because he normally did. When he put on his coat, he looked just like a regular guy headed out on the town.
When he pulled up to the garage, he was a mix of nerves and excitement. Kai had been waiting for this moment since practically the moment he'd met Cinder (once he finally starting admitting to himself that he liked Cinder, his intentions in the past became much clearer). At the same time, his experience with her at the Masquerade made him very apprehensive. What if whatever he'd done then to make her run away was something he couldn't fix? What if he scared her away again? What if, what if, what if…? Kai ran his fingers into his hair, forgetting that it was slightly spiked up from the gel. He double-checked himself in the mirror to make sure he was still presentable, and then went inside.
When he found Cinder, she pointed at the restroom. "Give me a moment to change?"
"Sure."
Kai glanced at the middle-aged man sitting behind the counter and nodded politely to him.
"You're Thorne's friend, right?" Alec asked.
"Yup."
"How come you never bring your car here?" he inquired.
Kai listed his head in the direction of the bathroom. "I guess I probably should start doing that, huh."
Alec grunted in agreement. Cinder came out of the bathroom, and Kai allowed himself a few moments to take her in. She'd taken off her work clothes and changed into jeans and a jacket like him. He was happy to note that his outfit fit hers—she looked normal too. Except for her brown eyes, which had infiltrated his dreams lately. She'd always stand out as long as they continued to warm up the room like that.
"You look great," he said.
"Great is kind of generic, don't you think?" she said, but she looked rather pleased at the compliment nonetheless.
"Noted. I just meant, you know, for coming off a work shift," he tried to explain.
She grinned. "No grease smudge this time. I made sure."
"I like your grease smudges," he teased.
"So, where are we going? A palace rooftop? An enchanted garden you have behind your house?
"Hmm," said Kai, not deterred by her sarcasm. "You said this wasn't a date, so I had to un-enchant the garden this time, unfortunately."
"Ha-ha."
"Actually, there's a cute little café not too far from here. They serve crepes for dinner, and after being in Beijing for a week, I could use something a little different. What do you say?"
"I still get to pay, right?"
"You get to pay for me too."
"Great."
"Do you want to walk there? I know you like walking." He pointed in the direction of the café.
She began to walk right away and Kai hurried to catch up with her. "It's not that I necessarily like walking, especially not in the winter, it's just that I'm used to it. I don't have a car, and I don't want to pay for cabs all the time, so when there's no subway or bus running at a convenient time, I walk. After awhile, you don't mind it as much. It gives me time to think."
Kai tried to think of something intelligent to reply to that, but he knew that she would probably just mock him about his life of privilege and having a private driver. She'd made it clear in their few interactions that she had a problem with it. He wanted to keep the conversation light.
"What do you think about?" Okay, maybe not as light as he would have liked.
She looked at him a little strangely. "It's not like I'm constantly thinking about the same thing."
"Most frequently, then, I guess. You said you liked to work on cars because it gets you out of your head—"
"You remember that?"
He shrugged casually. "Of course. So, what do you think about when you're 'in your head' then, so to speak?"
She stared straight ahead for awhile, as if contemplating. Kai looked down and had a strong urge to reach out and grab her hand as they walked. Their time together at the Masquerade was still fresh in his mind, and he wanted to bring her closer to him again. It was so hard to hold back now, when they'd already taken that step forward. It wasn't a date though, he reminded himself. He had to hold back, even if it was difficult. He wouldn't bring up the Masquerade for now either. He had to give her the space she needed to come around. And if he were charming and sweet and thoughtful on their non-date? Well, if he managed to do that somehow, it wouldn't hurt anyone.
"I think a lot about my life and the responsibilities I have. They're hard to forget," she finally said.
"Me too," he said, surprised at her response. "That's usually what I'm trying not to think about. It consumes me anyway."
"Oh, right," she mumbled. "I should have realized. Running a company and all that. That does sound exhausting."
"It is, but I wasn't trying to compare myself to you. I'm sorry if it came off that way. I just wanted to, relate, I guess. It's nice to know there's someone out there who feels similarly, even if it's about a different situation."
She stopped at a corner. "Which way?"
Kai pointed. "It's actually just down this street."
They reached the café in silence, and he was grateful that Cinder let him open the door for her, and even take her coat at the table. He didn't tell Cinder that he'd gotten a special table reserved due to his "status," even though the place had been booked solid when he'd called yesterday. She probably wouldn't like to know that fact.
"I haven't eaten much French food," she admitted.
"Have you had a crepe before?" he asked incredulously.
"Well, kind of. On the street a few times. There's just so many choices on this menu."
"That's why it's such a neat place to come to. You'll never want to get the same thing twice because everything is so good. Try a salty one first." He pointed at the entrée section. "Something with a meat—or not, if you're a vegetarian," he added quickly.
"I'm not," she said.
"Okay, well then try one of these. Then for dessert, we can split a sweet crepe."
She looked at him over her menu, eyebrow raised.
"With two separate spoons and plates, obviously," he said, making a face at her but then giving her his most dazzling smile. She suddenly looked flustered, while Kai, on the other hand, was extremely pleased with himself. He would definitely have to keep smiling all night if he could get that response out of her.
"I think about my family a lot," Cinder said when their crepes had arrived. "When I'm walking, I mean."
"Do you have a big family?"
"No," she said thoughtfully. "I don't really have family anymore, and that's something I dwell on a lot, even if I don't want to. There's a cousin that I see from time to time when she visits. My mom and I are estranged. I owe her some money though, so I do have to see her when I make payments."
"Sounds like a bad deal," Kai commented.
"Honestly, that's why I work so much."
"Do you need any help?" Kai asked.
"No!" she spluttered, "that's not what I was implying."
"Sorry," said Kai quickly. "I wasn't trying to impose. I just wanted to help."
"It's not your job to help me," she said.
"I know. I'm sorry."
There was a long, awkward silence. Kai hated himself for having made the suggestion. She was right, obviously; it was none of his business whether Cinder had money or not. And he shouldn't have offered. He just wasn't used to having money problems and couldn't stand the thought of her being in need. Her knowing that had surely lowered him down several points in her book. She probably thought he was a presumptuous snot now who threw money at everyone.
"I don't really get along that well with my family either," he said. "My dad puts an incredible amount of pressure on me to be the next CEO of Rikan Corp. He's been grooming me for this since I was a child. It might sound glamorous, but it's really not. The only thing we talk about now is the company. It's like he doesn't even realize I'm a person anymore."
"Well, as a person, what kind of things do you like doing when you're not busy at Rikan Corp?"
"I don't really do that much anymore," he admitted. "Rikan Corp has taken over my life lately. I feel like I work all the time, and when I get off work I have to go to social events for the company too. It's like it never ends."
"But you want to lead Rikan Corp."
"I've always known that I would," he said simply.
"That's not the same thing."
"For me, it might as well be."
"I see. You're not working now, though."
"I'm with you now."
She smiled. "Yeah. You are."
"I took the day off," he admitted.
Cinder stuck her tongue out at him. "Lucky."
"Just eat your crepe," he said.
Something about the combination of crepes, Nutella, and strawberries made Cinder open up and relax. They stopped talking about money, responsibilities, and problems. Kai found out that she was actually trying to use spare parts to bring an old car she'd found at a junkyard back to life. Cinder thought it would give her more street cred, since her customers often asked her what kind of car she drove. Kai was fairly certain that this type of project might be a good one in which to enlist Thorne. He didn't tell Cinder though, for fear that she might think it was a charity project or something. He'd mention it to Thorne and see if he could find some clever, smooth way to participate. Thorne had a way with people that Kai didn't have, and surely if he suggested it, it wouldn't come off as offensive. Kai did offer to come hang out some time, if she ever needed company. Cinder told him that he would just be a distraction. He hoped that was a good thing.
When the bill came—and Cinder paid—they made their way back to Kai's car.
"Am I allowed to drive you back to your house now, or do you still not want me to know where you live?" He meant for it to come out kind of like a joke, but he wasn't sure if she'd take offense at his words.
"That's not why I wouldn't let you take me to my subway line," she said.
"No?"
"No. I was trying to get rid of you."
"Oh. Well that makes me feel much better."
She jabbed him with her elbow. "I think I'm over it."
Kai grabbed her arm gently to keep her from walking any more. "Cinder..."
She met his gaze for an instant, then fixed it on Kai's hand that was holding her. He let her go and moved an inch closer.
Cinder took a step back. "Kai, don't do this."
"Do what? Look at you?"
"You know what," she said, though this time she let her eyes meet his.
He tried his best to smile. "I don't want to push you. I respect the fact that maybe you want to take it slow." He hesitated, reminding himself not to bring up the Masquerade just yet. Why did they have to avoid this topic? "Despite some of our differences, there's something here, Cinder. I feel it and I know you feel it too."
She shook her head fervently. "No, it's just—we're friends, and—"
"Okay, we're friends," said Kai. "But my intentions aren't to be your friend. I think you know that."
She nodded.
"All I want is for you to give me a chance. I know I often say the wrong things, and I know that I may have come on too strong at…well, in the past. But I just want us to spend more time together. Get to know each other. Can we do that?"
A long pause. "Maybe," she said quietly.
Kai breathed a sigh of relief. He hoped he wasn't pushing his luck. "Can I take you out on a proper date?"
"How would that be different from what we did today?"
"It wouldn't be, except that I wouldn't have to pretend like I don't like you. Because I do."
Her cheeks grew flushed against the cold winter air. "I know."
"So what do you say?" He looked at her with as much hope as he could muster. She stared back at him and considered.
"Maybe you should come to my house first."
Kai's heart almost jumped out of his chest. "Tonight?"
She laughed. "No, Kai, not like that."
Kai was sure his ears were pink. "Of course not."
"I think you should come over some time and see how I live and what my life is like. See if you still feel the same. There are some things you have to know about me first."
"Cinder, it doesn't matter to me where you live."
"Now it doesn't," she said.
"So does that mean you're saying yes?"
"I'm only saying yes to the getting to know each other part, not the date part."
Kai's grin must have stretched up to his eyes. "I'll take it."
"Can we keep walking now? I'm freezing."
"Oh, right. Of course."
"I'm taking the subway home tonight, though," she insisted.
"You're so demanding, Cinder."
"Nah, I just know what I want," she said, and then she winked at him.
