What You Want

CH 1

It was almost eight at night, but there was still a casual stream of suits and hardshell backpacks taking long strides down the sidewalk as they refused to waste a second and risk missing their trains. From inside the cafe, there was at least a slight buffer between the rush of the city and the end of a long shift. The speakers that usually cycled through agreeable and just as forgettable instrumental music was reciting the audio version of one of the most painfully dull textbooks to ever exist. As easy as it would be to drown out the technical jargon and endless passages illustrating uninspired examples, the sole barista in the shop was attentively listening as her hands occupied themselves with cleaning up the last of the equipment for the night.

As the twelfth chapter drew to a close, Sakura could have sworn the narrator sighed, but chances were she had only heard her own audible exhaustion. Working and studying for her Master's was something she knew would be a challenge, but it was nights like that one in particular that she sincerely thought about wishing for a 'do-over' button. Looking out to the street and seeing the hardened faces of the corporate drones, she could only pacify her frustration by realizing a true desk job wouldn't be any easier on her in the long run. At least at the end of the self-imposed work overload, she'd be working in a job tied to a sense of purpose. Or so she hoped.

Before she could tumble down that rabbit hole of the unknown, her phone began jingling from across the freshly cleaned counter. Without even seeing the sender's name, she knew who the glowing text was from. I'm on my way down, don't keep me waiting!

She clicked her tongue at the demanding message, already bracing for the boundless energy her friend was about to overwhelm her with. Was this a surprise in any way? No. Did their six-year friendship normalize Ino's bratty behavior? Also no. Accepting the consequences of her own decision earlier that day to go out, she tossed her apron in the back and locked up before heading out.

The lingering aroma of fresh coffee grounds on her skin was swiftly traded for the sharp notes of reposado tequila and lime. As expected, Ino had made Sakura's imposing three-minute delay an entire performance at the bar. After she guilted her for five additional minutes, the nearest bartender produced a pair of shots at the bemoaning blonde's request. "This first one is punishment for making me wait," she explained as she too knocked back the tiny glass. "And this one," she added as two more appeared right as the first round was done, "is for what I'm about to ask you."

Sakura winced as she followed through, not because of the alcohol but because of the anticipation of what was to follow. She first met Ino in the freshmen dorms back when they were just starting college. Sakura was determined to maintain the same spotless academic track record she set in high school while Ino seemed to be doing everything but her course work.

"Come on Forehead," she'd coo to her studious roommate from the doorway. "You know you can't concentrate with all of us out here drinking. And it's Friday! Join us for a bit, I'll be dead hungover tomorrow so you can study then." It took four or five attempts to coax her out at first, but as the semester rolled along, Ino eventually got her down to two or three attempts. Sakura's grades hardly flinched, even when they moved in senior year to their shoebox-sized two-bedroom a few blocks from campus.

"Just tell me, Ino," she growled, even as a ridiculous amount of french fries appeared on the bar between them. "What do you need?"

Even with Sakura's lethal glare aimed her way, Ino went about her business sipping her drink and plucking a fry from the mountain she ordered as part of her peace offering. Not able to put off her question any longer without Sakura potentially leaving, she cleared her throat. "So," she started out saying. Her thick curled lashes batted as she chewed on the words she needed to throw out next. "Asuma-"

"No."

Immaculately glossed lips fell open at the abrupt rejection. Sakura rolled her eyes. Ino knew her well enough to know she had no interest in doing any favors that involved Asuma. When the two women reached the end of their undergrad adventure, Sakura had her first post-college job all lined up and waiting for her the minute after she was handed her diploma. Ino, on the other hand, had only started seriously looking when she realized a starting salary was not going to come even close to the allowance her family agreed to send her until she finished school. Goodbye rooftop happy hours, hello corner store instant ramen.

That is...until Asuma came into the picture.

One of the girls Ino used to spend a lot of time in SoHo shopping with was the daughter of a restaurant owner with a pretty notable name. Lucky for the unemployed graduate, her friend knew her dad was looking to hire a new hostess and was able to help score Ino the job. It was an upscale steakhouse in the Financial District with a mouth-watering menu but a torturously long commute. Hours standing in heels and gritting her teeth through small talk with leering businessmen was something her bar-hopping experience helped her master. But when Asuma walked through those heavy gilded doors with his hearty laugh and the sharpest suit she had seen in her life, she might as well have forgotten the English language. From the chiseled jaw to the perfectly shined shoes, she knew this was somebody to take note of. Little did she know, he was also captivated by her but with a bolder inclination to do something about it. Ino didn't spare a single detail when told Sakura how he slipped his card into her hand when he finally left.

"Will you at least humor me and let me just get the question out?" As her deep blue eyes locked onto Sakura's softer green pair, she knew she had no choice but to let her at least take a swing. Just as she was about to do as Ino asked and humor whatever favor she was going to ask on behalf of her sugar daddy, those pleading blue eyes darkened. "You know what? Forget it."

Sakura blinked a few times, convinced she missed something. "What?"

"I had this whole story ready for you," she scoffed as she shook her head. "I was going to ask you to go with me to Asuma's end-of-the-year cocktail hour he's throwing for his firm so that I wouldn't be lonely while he did his thing, but the reality is I'd be doing you the favor by getting you out! And I'm the one begging?"

It was Sakura's turn to let her jaw drop. "What are you talking about? I go out! What do you call this right now?" She pulled a clump of fries for herself and took out her anger on them instead of the woman in front of her. Ino's brow slackened and Sakura couldn't help but acknowledge the pit in her stomach. She knew exactly what Ino was talking about.

"I miss our DIY spa nights," the long-lashed friend confessed.

Sakura couldn't help but smile. "You mean our wine nights."

"You work so hard all the time, I just want you to remember to have fun every once in a while," Ino reached out and rested her manicured tips on top of Sakura's soft but bare hand. "Like we used to."

She couldn't deny it, especially to Ino of all people, that she was giving herself less time to unwind and spending almost all waking hours either working or studying. Burnout was knocking on the door and she was running out of places to hide. Looking up again at her closest friend who always had an obnoxious way of seeing through her, she knew she was going to the party. The blinding smile that stretched across Ino's face in that moment left no space for turning back. Once her mind was made up, that was that.

"Ugh thank god, honestly!" Ino pulled Sakura into a bear hug in the short space between their bar stools. "Let's at least get you a nail appointment this week, okay?"

Sighing, she made peace with the woman standing in the mirror before her who was buttoned up in her favorite burgundy jumpsuit and suede heeled boots. Her fingers adorned with a few rings and a fresh coat of polish, thanks to Ino, adjusted the long delicate necklace resting in the neckline of her outfit. The ritual of blow-drying her hair and putting on more makeup than just a coat of mascara felt slightly foreign that day and served to remind her of just how long it really had been since she had properly gone out for fun. She would never openly admit it, but she was grateful Ino was so insistent on her going. She knew the social butterfly had a dozen other gorgeous friends on speed dial who wouldn't have given the invite a second of hesitation if received, so she reminded herself to make the most of it. Worst case scenario, she'd eat too many crab puffs. She could suck it up.

Her phone buzzed from her bed and let out another sigh when she saw the text from Kiba: "Can you pick up some snacks after?"

Tall and loud like Ino, but different in all other ways, Kiba was a regular article contributor for sites like Buzzfeed and Vice. When he wasn't at home in his sweats drafting ideas for editors, he was outside in his sweats walking his dog and sucking on his vape pen. He was funny and witty, but more notably than that, he was low maintenance. It didn't take much to impress the guy. Show up with a pizza and six-pack and he was set for the night. For Sakura, that worked just fine. Between work and school, she didn't want to spend a lot of energy on dating. Kiba was easy-going, care-free, and just the right guy for an equally low-maintenance girl such as herself. That's at least how she explained her relationship whenever anyone would ask.

Standing there in an outfit Kiba never gave her a reason to put on for anything they'd ever do together, she had a hard time feeding herself that story. The last time they went on a proper date was in the fall when Seth Rogen's latest movie hit the theaters. Kiba wanted to pitch an article about the release, so he told Sakura to grab her jacket and so they could make a night out of it. They stopped by his favorite Thai spot for dinner and then took the train to the movie, splitting an orange soda (his favorite soda) and box of Bunch of Crunch (Kiba wanted sour candy, but they were out, so Sakura managed to sell him on her pick). The dinner was fine, the movie was fine, the snacks were fine...but shouldn't a date be more than just...fine?

Seeing she was falling a few minutes behind when she intended to leave, she quickly replied back and headed for the door.

Her strides were quickened by the harsh winter wind chasing behind her and businesses were scattering salt on the sidewalk as she passed. There would be snow later in the night, she remembered hearing on the news in the background while she got ready. The decision to opt for her old puffer coat instead of the chic wrap one was quickly proving to be a good one.

"Shit," she cursed to herself. When she stuck her hand in her purse she realized she forgot to throw her earbuds in. Usually, she used train rides as a chance to listen to a podcast or catch up on some reading. Without them or anything to read or busy herself with, she had no choice but to turn to her own thoughts. Her eyes drifted over to a couple sitting in her peripheral - watching a video on one of their phones, cheeks close together and hands overlapped on a knee. Her face soured. When was the last time Kiba even held her hand?

The muffled announcement of her stop pulled her from spiraling into bitter thoughts that had a habit of sneaking up on her every so often. Her steps echoed as she strode out of the station with the wave of strangers also heading out into the West Village. Honestly, she chided herself, did she have to let such parasitic thinking creep in on the one night that was supposed to be her time to let go?

Emerging up on the street, she was met by the first light fluttering of snowflakes. Even though she wasn't a big fan of the cold, the sight of snow always warmed her heart. It was enough to level her out, just in time to step into the cozy restaurant Ino promised to meet her inside of.

The second she broke the seal by pulling the heavy door open, a rush of overlapping conversations and rich jazz melodies washed over her. Not that it was anything but expected, but the sight of razor-sharp suits, red-soled heels, and glamorous hors d'oeuvres trays as far as the eye could see was a bit unnerving. She wasn't just walking into a room full of well-dressed men - it was overflowing with testosterone-fueled capitalism. She would have been foolish to think this little "cocktail hour" was going to be anything less than obnoxiously over the top, but this event was better than most weddings she had been to. All the white-clothed tables had been cleared from the floor and lined against the wall to be stacked with delicious treats and metallic holiday decorations. Through the throngs of well-dressed guests and elegant decorations, Sakura spotted the bar in the back that she knew she'd eventually make her way to. Until then, she made moves to drop her outerwear at the coat check and scanned the crowd for her favorite blonde.

A pinch at the back of her arm made her jump. "You made it!" Once she spun around she was greeted with both a hug and a flute of champagne. "Look at you and this hottie body," Ino gushed, admiring her friend who she knew well enough to note the discomfort on her face.

She accepted the drink and tried to relax her shoulders from their anchored position by her ears. "What were my chances that you would've been honest about how many people would be here if had I asked?"

Ino shrugged, tossing a casual look over her shoulder at the bustling party behind her. "Not very high." That at least got the stiff and studious woman to laugh and finally start to warm up. This wasn't the first time Ino had crafted a slightly misleading invite to something in order to get her to agree.

Sakura pushed her pink tresses from her face and shook her head in disbelief. "How do you keep getting me to agree to these things?"

With a proud hip popped out to the side, her old friend flashed a cocky smile. "Because you never regret them."

After a quick roll of her eyes, Sakura let Ino walk her into the lion's den. As they made a bee-line through the clusters of Wall Street types, it was hard to ignore the shameless stares scanning her as she passed by. As they reached Asuma on the other side of the restaurant, he was deep in one of his ridiculous client stories he had a habit of telling after a few drinks.

"There she is," his rich voice rang over the heads of his most successful portfolio managers. "Come here, Ino, I was just finishing that story you say I bore people with all the time." Sakura watched from a polite distance as the burly man pulled Ino close to him by her cinched waist. As mixed as her feelings were about Ino's financially fueled romance, she couldn't deny that this man seemed to make Ino happy. "Miss Haruno," he called to her, holding an arm out in a welcoming gesture. His entourage looked over with those same leering eyes as the other men she passed on the way over but she paid them little mind as she gave the man in charge a brief hug.

"Thank you for the invite, Asuma," Sakura smiled with appreciation. "It's a beautiful party."

He grinned and gave the space a quick look around. "It's got nothing on the two of you, I'm glad you made it." She knew he was a charmer, obviously, but that knowledge did little to hold down the blush on her cheeks. "How is grad school treating you?"

She only flushed more, flattered he was bothering to ask about her schooling in the middle of his own hedge fund's bash. "It's keeping me busy, I can at least say that much about it."

He nodded sympathetically. "If what Ino tells me is true, it sounds like you're kicking ass. Keep up the good work." It was then that someone came over to catch Asuma's attention and he excused himself from the two women for a moment.

"So?" Ino whispered in her ear. "Still on the fence?"

When she looked over at her friend's face, her normally overconfident expression had made way for some visible vulnerability. When Ino first told her about this man she was being wooed by, Sakura had a less than jovial reaction. She questioned Ino's values, asked her if she was seriously going to sleep with this guy because he shared his black Amex with her? Was she willing to reduce her worth to such superficial means? This line in the sand was the first they had ever drawn between them. For weeks the two didn't speak, this difference of opinion just too much for Sakura to stomach.

So while Ino went on weekend adventures and Michelin star dinner dates, Sakura kept grinding away. It wasn't until she came down with a terrible flu that she finally reached out. Fatigue and fever rendered Sakura completely bedridden. She had been working almost twice as many hours as she was getting sleep and the unsustainable schedule she built for herself had finally taken its toll. Despite her cruel judgment, Ino came to Sakura's aid with Gatorade and soup from the best deli in town. She helped her sick friend hydrate and even changed her sheets while she took a much-needed bath. As Sakura laid in her bed, eyes puffy with fatigue and body clammy from her broken fever, she knew she had taken her friend for granted and realized her relationship with Asuma had nothing to do with her character and their friendship. Ino's love language was primarily in the form of gifts, while Sakura's was a preference for quality time. Both were valid, and Ino was at least getting what she wanted from her relationship.

Ino was searching Sakura's face for a response, her passive tolerance better than disapproval but not the acceptance she was hoping for. Whether she would choose to take the same path as Ino if presented the chance was irrelevant. Sakura knew what she needed to say. "I'm honestly just so happy you're so happy."

Her bright blue eyes widened behind flawless faux lashes. Before she could vocalize her surprise, Asuma came back to snag her. "Ino, come over here for a minute. Hyuuga and his wife are here, I've been meaning to introduce you." She nodded as she let her older lover pull her away, but kept her beaming smile aimed at Sakura for as long as she could.

Suddenly left alone to her own devices, Sakura decided to make her way to the bar to trade in her empty flute glass for a drink of a different nature. After a few people had their own glasses filled and stepped away, an opening appeared in a prime spot at the end of the bar. She figured she could at least people watch until Ino could find her again. While she thought this was going to be the light at the end of the tunnel, she was soon proven wrong when she found herself unable to get the bartender's attention. Of course, that plan was too good to be true.

"What do you want?" Sakura's attention snapped to her left where a man a few feet down the bar had addressed her from.

The second she set eyes on what she could only describe as a flawless specimen of a man, she not only forgot what drink she was going to order but her own name as well. While she was mostly sure she wasn't babbling something stupid, the raised arch in his brow led her to believe she probably had a seriously dumb look on her face.

"Uh, a gin and tonic," she eventually managed to get out. Inside her head, she was already dreading the endless replay of the blatant brainfart she knew would haunt her for days to come.

The towering Adonis called over the bartender with effortless ease and got both her G&T and his own whisky on the rocks. As he tipped the man with what Sakura was pretty sure was a twenty, she watched him step around to her with her drink in hand. "Cheers," he toasted as he passed her the gin. She reciprocated the gesture and inhaled deeply, his sandalwood cologne drawing her in.

They clinked their glasses while he held her gaze captive. She tried to recall the last time she had seen such intensely dark, penetrating eyes but it was hard to think about anything but this man in front of her. He was without a doubt one of the guys from Asuma's hedge fund, and judging by the fine details of his flawless suit jacket, she would bet he was doing pretty okay for himself.

"I'm Sasuke," he said with a deep voice that she could almost feel in her own chest as he extended his hand out between them. She reached out with her own, mentally noting how small hers was by comparison. "Are you here with someone?"

"Sakura," she replied as she slowly withdrew from the shake. "And hardly. I came with my friend Ino, but she's caught up making plans with whoever the Hyuuga's are."

He only nodded in response, taking a sip from his drink as he looked out at the crowd around them. Sakura couldn't help but wonder if he was looking for an exit from their conversation already. "In about ten seconds a shorter man in a red tie will be walking by. He's a close talker with some rancid breath, keep your distance unless you want to spend the rest of the night talking about European politics." He slowly turned to see who else was around them. "The young guys behind me are just idiot interns and the older man chatting next to them will talk your ear off about whatever his rebellious daughter did to piss him off this week."

She leaned onto the bar beside him. "So you're telling me you're the only decent conversationalist in here?"

His coy smirk made her stomach stir with butterflies, but just as he was about to throw a response back, someone behind him pulled him away to talk about some urgent investment concern he needed to discuss. Before she could mourn the loss of her brief flirtatious distraction, Asuma strolled over with a man by his side she didn't recognize, a smug expression on both their faces. Ino, she noticed, was slightly behind Asuma on his other side and looking a little too innocent at that moment.

Asuma stepped in front of her and smoothed his silk tie down his chest. "Sakura! I'm glad we found you. Listen, have you met my partner here, Ebisu? He's one of my top portfolio managers and was very curious to hear about your academic pursuits Ino was telling him about."

Ino shrugged behind them, so Sakura was left slightly skeptical but decided to just go with the flow so as to not offend her generous host. "It's nice to meet you," she smiled graciously as she shook Ebisu's hand. He held onto her for a little longer than expected, only letting her slip from his hold after he returned the compliment.

"Please tell me, Sakura, what is it that you're studying?" The man seemed about the same age as Asuma, she speculated, but his energy was slightly more forced.

The grad student shifted in her stance, willing any hints of self-consciousness away as she noticed Sasuke was still within earshot in her peripheral. "I'm working on my Master's in Public Health," she shared with this new acquaintance. "I plan on working in the community health field once I graduate."

Ebisu was oddly attentive as she was encouraged to elaborate on her aspirations, and kept his stream of questions going long enough to make Sakura wonder if she was going through some kind of interview. "That must be exhausting, working as much as you are and also taking so many classes." She shrugged. She couldn't deny that it was straining, but it was all her own doing. "Tell me, could I convince you to join me and a few others next weekend for a quick ski trip up in Vermont? I have some ideas on that tuition situation of yours we could discuss."

Standing there then, Ino looking anywhere but at her, and this man suddenly throwing this odd invitation her way after just meeting her - was he….was he propositioning her..? Did Ino sanction this mortifying exchange?

As she found herself frozen and stunned at that moment, she couldn't decide if she should go along with it for at least the night so as to not risk Ino's standing with Asuma...or if she was just going to tell this man to effectively fuck off. "Ebisu, I-"

Fortunately for both her and Ino, she didn't have the chance to do either.

"Ebisu, Asuma," Sasuke interjected, stepping in from his previous conversation and wrapping a swift arm around Sakura's unexpecting waist.

"Sasuke, good to see you," was Ebisu's stiff response, his eyes dialed in on the young man's hold on Sakura while shaking his hand.

"I couldn't help but overhear the generous invitation and didn't want to burden Sakura with having to deliver the bad news."

Ebisu's jaw visibly clenched. "Bad news, Sasuke?"

Sakura did her best to hide her shock as she looked up at the man beside her with as much anticipation as everyone else. "I had just asked her to join me for dinner tonight, and I'll risk being too forward by saying I am hoping she'll be unavailable to join you next weekend if all goes well for us."

No one said a word after that. Not Asuma beside Ino, Ebisu anchored in front of Sakura or Sasuke towering over the collective group. After the dark-haired acquaintance felt the standoff had gone on for long enough, he maneuvered to end what he started. "Since we have a reservation I'd like to honor, I hope you'll forgive us for heading out now."

The corner of Asuma's mouth twitched with a split second of amusement before he nodded at the pair to excuse them. Ino stood there in wide-eyed disbelief as her friend was ushered toward the door. Call me! She mouthed before the pair were out of sight.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked as they reached the coat check. While she was grateful for the unexpected intervention, she didn't actually expect this guy to take her to dinner.

Sasuke held out his hand in front of her with an unreadable expression on his face. "Getting our coats." Sakura, not gaining any clarity as requested, decided to hand over her coat ticket anyway.

While she let this man she had just met mere minutes earlier retrieve her belongings, she took advantage of the opportunity to further examine him: again, he was objectively tall, a foot taller than she was at least. He had broad shoulders she could probably balance furniture on (which would have been nice to have during her last move), an authoritative jawline plastic surgeons model their work after, and a full head of thick glossy hair that was just disheveled enough to differentiate him from the army of finance drones around them, but still coiffed enough to be presentable in a board room.

All in all, not bad to look at.

"Let's go," he said as he handed over her old puffy coat. She followed him out, watching him slide his long arms into the sleeves of his black wool jacket she knew didn't come from the Nordstrom Rack as hers did. "Craving anything in particular?"

As if on cue, her stomach growled with an enthusiasm she couldn't believe he didn't hear. "You really don't have to take me out," she insisted.

He looked at her from the corner of his eye as they strolled down the snow-lined sidewalk. "Trust I don't do anything I don't want to," he explained. As he did, she felt the back of her neck heat up under the cover of her hair. "Now let's get you something to eat."

They turned the corner to find themselves at an inviting little Italian restaurant that didn't seem too packed or loud. Sasuke held the door for her and quickly got the hostess to seat them in a cozy corner by the window. Tealight candles on the walls and tables basked them in a warm glow that helped settle her nerves and hopefully masked any color subsequently left on her cheeks.

"Are you more of a red or white wine drinker?"

She blinked a few times before confirming she preferred the former. As soon as she did, he called over the waiter and arranged for a bottle of red wine that almost cost as much as her weekly groceries. She did her best to control her face, not wanting to offend him.

"Thank you," she offered in return once they were alone. "For helping out with...whatever that was back there."

He snagged a slice of fresh bread from the basket between them. "You're sure about that?"

Unable to stop herself, she shot back. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He kept buttering his bread, but not afraid to meet her provoked gaze. "You weren't looking for some sort of arrangement like your friend Ino?"

She sat back in her seat and tightened her fists in her lap. Not only was he openly passing judgment on her, but he was also taking a jab at her friend. "And what if I was?"

A smirk crossed his lips while he chewed. She maintained a hardened glare while a glimmer of mischief could be seen in his eyes. Realizing then that he was just pulling her leg, she let herself deflate a bit in her chair and rested an elbow on the table.

"Asuma is a good man, he seems to really enjoy your friend's company." The wine arrived and Sasuke made quick work of sampling it before letting the waiter pour them both a generous glass each and take their orders. "He used to keep a rotating list of women on call depending on the occasion, but it's been some time since he's brought anyone else with him to a function."

Sakura's shoulders softened at that. "She's a great person, I'm glad he can appreciate that." Even though she didn't know this man, he offered her some peace of mind no one else had been able to provide ever since Ino started seeing Asuma two years earlier. "So," she pivoted, "what is it that you do?"

He dabbed away a drop of wine from his smooth bottom lip and cleared his throat. "I'm a Senior Analyst for Asuma. I research and vet new investment opportunities for the fund essentially."

"Sounds exciting," she responded politely.

He scoffed, catching her off-guard. "Not many people do, don't worry."

"They also don't care much about healthcare, so I get it."

When they locked eyes this time, something stirred within her that she hadn't felt in a very long time. By the time she realized she was feeling some type of way at that moment, she turned her attention to her own bread to help quiet the fluttering. He must have taken note of her sudden unease as he proceeded to turn his own focus on the street outside.

The rest of the evening was exponentially more enjoyable than the hedge fund's party could have ever been for Sakura. Much to her surprise, Sasuke seemed to be genuinely interested in what it was she was studying and what her aspirations were after. He didn't ask if she was looking for help paying down her tuition or if she wanted to keep him company on some fabulous weekend getaway, and she was all the more grateful for that. He told her ridiculous stories about the young interns and some of the companies he was currently following, some of which she even recognized. Overall, she was having a pretty damn good time. By the time they finished their meal and he signed the lofty bill she mentally totaled while they ate, she realized she had completely lost track of time - something she hadn't allowed herself to do since starting grad school.

"I can't believe it's already so late," she admitted as they stepped back out into the soft sprinkling of snow.

He brushed a snowflake away that had landed on the top of her cheek with a gentle swipe of his finger. "A good bottle of wine will do that."

"This was really fun, thank you." That feeling from earlier threatened to stir up inside her again, so she took it upon herself to turn to the street to start hailing a cab. "I should probably get going, though. I have an early start in the morning."

He turned to the street as well and walked with her to the curb while holding out his arm. A moment later a yellow cab came pulling up. He opened the door for her, but stood just enough in the way to keep her from getting in. "Where do you live?"

"Cobble Hill," she answered, watching dubiously as he leaned in to hand the driver a few folded bills that she knew would cover the ride.

"You didn't need to do that," she chided him. "Honestly, you've already done more than enough for me tonight." He had his mask on again, preventing her from reading him.

They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, his cologne and body heat close enough to be sensed. It was then, while her heart was pounding in her ears, that he drew his face closer to hers. She watched his lips cut down on the space between them and knew she had a split-second decision to make. At the last possible moment, she leaned back, promptly signaling to Sasuke to stop in his tracks.

"I had a really good time, Sasuke," she whispered. It was his turn now to wear his bafflement openly. She sat down in the cab and Sasuke smirked with his tongue in his cheek while closing the door for her. At first, she figured he was annoyed with her, which would be understandable. But when he leaned into the window with his card for her to take, she found herself taken by surprise once again that night.

"Good night, Sakura," he said with a teasing mixture of annoyance and amusement.

"Good night, Sasuke."

As the cab pulled away and Sasuke was no longer just a foot out of reach outside, she let out the deep breath she had been holding. What was that? She asked herself. She looked down at the thick business card framed by her fingers, feeling the embossed letters of his name across the surface. Taking another deep breath, she pocketed the card and leaned forward in her seat.

"Can you actually take a left here? I'm going to Williamsburg."

With the city glimmering behind her, she tried to shelve her flurry of thoughts about Sasuke back there. The cab eventually turned onto the familiar street Kiba's apartment was on. All the jitters of excitement and anticipation from before dissipated, leaving her with just exhaustion but also a full stomach.

"Oh," was all she could say as she opened the door to find not just her boyfriend, but his friends from Buzzfeed spread across the whole couch with boxes of pizza and a few six-packs of beer. "Hey guys," she greeted the guys who were fully focused on the basketball game blaring from the tv.

"Hey," a few of them responded. Kiba waved to her but barely turned his head to even look her way.

Standing there in her red jumpsuit, her hair blown out and her make up still looking fresh, she couldn't have felt more invisible. Not having the fight in her, she just turned to go close herself in the bedroom fell asleep trying to remember when it was exactly that Kiba stopped inviting her to watch the game with them.

I intentionally didn't put an author's note at the start of the chapter because I quite honestly was nervous to hear from anyone following Devil May Care (sequel to Sweet, Sweet Devil). As much as I loved that story's journey and what it means to me personally, I dug myself into some holes I can't justify trying to work myself out of (unbalanced or unredeemable misogynistic personalities, plot holes, storylines to bridge, etc) it wasn't fun anymore! But you know what IS fun? A new story!

I am excited to have both new and old readers join me on this ride that I will strive to entertain you with and hopefully at least a small escape from whatever's weighing you down. So with that, I am so flattered you've made it this far and can't wait to build this story together in however long we keep this moving ahead!

xoxo