CHAPTER 12
"Are you going to stare at the empty seat all day?" Tea asked, poking her friend who sat behind her in Calculus.
"Huh, what?" Kami shook her head.
"Oh, sorry Tea. What did you say?"
"I said if you miss him so much, why don't you call him?" Tea said more quietly, remembering her past blunders in their class.
"What- No. I can't," Kami's gaze strayed back to the empty seat in the middle of the room, where a certain CEO usually sat. She hadn't seen Seto in two weeks, not that she was counting, but after the Blackwell Awards, Seto hadn't returned to school. The school year was ending next month and from what Kami had heard, Seto never showed up at the end of the school year, except the few hours he needed to complete finals in each class. And he hadn't been around the social circuit either; Kami found it unsettling she didn't know when she would see him again.
"Ugh, seriously Kami?" Tea scoffed at her friend's sulking, "If what you've told me is true, you're probably his best friend. If anyone can talk to him, you can."
"Really? You think?" Kami's head swiveled back to Tea.
Tea patted friend, "Yes, I do think. Look, I know you broke your phone and didn't keep his number, but you know where he works, right?" Kami nodded her head. Maybe she could be the bigger person and talk to him first. And Seto's reaction to taking Lacey to an event gave Kami hope; maybe he missed her too?
Kami skipped the rest of the school day and had Jackson pick her up early.
"Jackson, do you know how to get to Kaiba Corp's main office?" Kami leaned forward, popping her head in between the two leather front seats.
"Yes, miss I do. Is that...uh..where you want to go?" he looked confused.
"Mmm..."Kami chewed her nails as her stomach roiled in floods of nerves, "Yes-Yes I want to go there." She threw the last of her request out and sat back, eyes glued out the window before she could talk herself out of it.
Jackson shrugged, "Yes ma'am."
The early morning traffic had cleared by the time Jackson and Kami made it to Tokyo proper and they didn't find it difficult to keep moving in the traffic that was left.
Kaiba Corp was like many of the glass skyscrapers in the city, except for the giant blue and white "KC" at the top of the building. Jackson stopped in front of the building and waited a few moments. Kami was going to throw up. What in hell was she thinking? Showing up in the middle of the day at his office? She chewed a nail. In seconds, Jackson was out of the car, opening the door for Kami.
"Uh-"Kami got out of the vehicle not wanting to loiter outside Seto's company. Kami stared up at the glass fortress. Just turn around and go back. No harm no foul. He won't even know you were here. Kami took a step back and then stopped. Wait? Why should she be embarrassed? He had been terrible to her. He owed her more than one apology and she was being kind enough to offer an olive branch. Adjusting her shoulders said more confidently than she felt, "Jackson, just stay close. I don't think this will take long."
She didn't hear his answer as she started forward, head up, and a white-knuckled, death-like grip on her bag. Kami had been to Seto's company once or twice and hoped the security would remember her. Even though she had been to his company on other occasions, she'd never noticed how much the company reflected the owner. The entrance was gleaming silver metal and glass, the entrance massive with polished white marble flooring- hard, beautiful, and balanced. A few banners with his favorite dueling cards hung across the foyer, and of course, the Blue-Eyed White Dragon was in the middle, larger than life, dwarfing the others.
Black suited security guards cut imposing figures at the end of the lobby behind a metallic art deco counter. Kami tried to look bored with the procedure of checking in, "Kaminari Sora, here to see Charmaine," she lied and made sure to emphasized her last name so they would recognize her parent's company.
They seemed just as bored at her sudden appearance and waved her through without a word. She let out a sigh of relief before heading to the elevator. It dinged open immediately as if it had been waiting for her. Kami hesitated only a moment before pressing the 'K' at the top of the list. The doors slide closed silently and the elevator started it's journey to the top. Kami's stomach flipped horribly with nerves, but she refused to quit. She had come this far, might as well see it to the end. And at least Kami would know for certain how Seto felt. Besides what's the worst that could happen?
The elevator dinged and Kami stepped out onto Kaiba Corp's CEO's floor. The entire floor consisted of Seto's massive office. The pristine white and metallic desk, where the secretary should have been, was empty. She checked her watch, it wasn't lunchtime. Before Kami could decide what to do next, the door to Kaiba's office opened, "Thank you, Jeannine. Just have the notes on my desk -"
Both Seto and Jeannine stopped talking and stared at the newcomer who was waiting patiently in the foyer. Out of all the dumb and embarrassing things Kami had done in her life, this...this was probably at the top of the list. She could feel her face heating up as she unwittingly entered into a staring match with one surprised CEO. His hair was a bit messy, his crisp white shirt sleeves rolled to his forearms, and the two top buttons of his shirt were undone where his tie was missing. He looked tired and overworked, and Kami felt a twinge of sympathy, knowing how hard he always worked. She silently cursed him for being able to look so handsome despite his exhaustion.
"Uh Ms. Sora, it's so nice to see you," Jeannine broke the prolonged silence. Kami thanked god silently for Seto's smart assistant and forced her gaze to redirect.
"Hi Jeannine, I was hoping to catch Seto for a moment," She tried to sound at ease as she gave Seto a meaningful look. He checked his watch and said, "I don't have time right now- Jeannine set something up for later in the week." Jeannine nodded and went back to her desk as Seto turned to go back into his office.
Kami's mouth dropped open. He had dismissed her as if he didn't even know who she was! Why had she even bothered coming down here? Clearly, she was an idiot! He had snubbed her more than once with the Danny incident, his fan club, Lacey Beaumont, and now this-this was the last straw! She was furious. Did he have any idea how hard it was to come down to his office like this?
"Actually Jeannine, that's ok I don't need an appointment," Kami said down the hall to Seto's back. "Turns out I don't need to speak to the Great Seto Kaiba. Not now, not ever!" Poor Jeannine's face drained of color as she looked from Kami to Seto, obviously no one ever -ever-shouted at the CEO and lived to tell about it.
Seto turned around and stalked slowly out to the foyer, livid. His blue eyes sharp and deadly. He stopped inches from Kami. She swallowed, the last time she'd seen him so angry was the limo ride and she remembered how that turned out.
"In case you failed to recognize where you are," he said a with a wave of his hand at the office, "You are in my office. And I am the CEO of a major corporation. That means I am busy. And right now, I am extremely busy dealing with things you wouldn't understand." Kami shrank back at the anger rolling off him.
"I-I didn't..." Kami stammered, wishing she could stop looking at him. Kaiba was right. She was acting childish, bothering CEO Kaiba, not her friend, not her schoolmate Seto, at his company no less.
He continued as if he hadn't heard her, "You need to leave."
Kami was stunned into silence. Torn between the utter embarrassment she felt as some lovesick schoolgirl and Kaiba's harsh dismissal. Well, at least she knew where she stood with Kaiba.
"Ok," Kami whispered, she knew when to pick her battles. Seto's mask cracked at her response and he looked upset. But it disappeared so quickly Kami wasn't sure if she had seen it at all.
She deliberately turned her back on the CEO and went to stand in front of the elevator and was silently thankful it was already heading up. She heard Kaiba sigh heavily and his eyes boring into the back of her. He cleared his throat and shuffled uncomfortably for a few seconds in the heavy silence.
"Jeannine," Kaiba attempted to turn back to business as if he hadn't done something horrible, "have the notes by close of business tomorrow."
"Yes, sir," Jeannine answered and then trained her attention back to the computer in front her, trying not notice the poor girl standing in front of the elevator.
A second later, the elevator dinged its arrival and opened its doors. Kami hadn't expected anyone to be in the elevator and in her desperation to leave Seto's office she ran into a solid mass of muscle.
"Oh! Excuse me," Kami said hurriedly and tried to push past the occupant.
"Kami?" The man said. Her head shot up at the familiar voice.
"Danny? Daniel Pentcot?"
"The one and only," he smiled, genuinely pleased to see her.
"What are you doing here?"
"Uh..." Danny shrugged at her sheepishly and shoved his hands into his jean pockets.
She rounded on Kaiba, blocking Danny from exiting the elevator. He had tried to shove her out of his office because Danny was on the way!
"Such a busy, busy CEO. So busy meeting with Daniel Pentcot that you don't have time to talk to me?" Kami snarled at him, her last nerves frayed, "You remember Kaiba, the same Danny you accused me of seducing?"
Kaiba flinched at each word. Fear crossed his face and he took a step forward as if he wanted to explain himself.
"It's not what you think Kami," Kaiba's arrogant CEO pretense gone, desperation replacing it.
"Uh, if this is a bad time-," Danny poked his head out of the elevator. Kami suddenly moved and Danny stumbled out of the elevator.
"Please...Kami, I swear it's just...just business," Kaiba's took another few steps closer to Kami.
Kami raised her hands, halting Kaiba's advances.
"No. Just. Don't." Kami choked, fighting back her tears. There wasn't anything he could say to her that she would believe anymore. All of the of other cruel and dismissive things he had done over the past month paled in comparison with this betrayal. Who the hell was Seto Kaiba?! Had she ever even know him at all?
She backed into the elevator, eyes locked on the motionless CEO. Kaiba's face drained of color under Kami's withering painfilled stare.
"You're right Seto Kaiba. I'll never understand you."
Kami waited for the elevator doors to close before letting her tears fall.
A/N: Whew! Another chapter done! Anyone else as excited as I am? ^.^
If you are- please leave a review :) It's nice to hear from people who enjoy reading the story!
Cheers!