"Noll, where are you going…?" Gene asked in a tired voice. "The car is this way?"
"I want to get a drink before we go."
Gene frowned.
"There's a cafe over here though?"
"I want a drink from a specific cafe."
"You're such a pain." Gene changed course to follow his brother.
"No, it's fine, I'll meet you by the car."
"It's okay, I'll come—"
"I'll meet you by the car."
Lin strode up behind them.
"He wants to see his girlfriend," he said in a low voice.
Gene rounded on Lin, suddenly animated.
"He has a girlfriend?"
Oliver stopped in his tracks.
"I do not have a girlfriend. I want a cup of tea—"
"That only this one barista can give him. It's quite—"
"Shut up."
Oliver walked away, away from the airport exit signs and towards departures, where he knew he would find the cafe.
He smiled a little when he spotted who was behind the counter. Mai was serving a short couple. He joined the line. Her co-worker dealt with at least three other people while she continued with this one couple.
"...And the museums are all free, so don't let anyone trick you into buying tickets for them," she was saying as she made a drink. "Do you know where you're going now?"
"Yes, we're getting the train, the young man at the ticket desk helped us," the woman replied. "But he sent us here just because he knew you spoke our language."
"John? Yes, he's such a sweetie. Well, your total is four pounds and ten pence."
It took Oliver a moment to realise that they weren't speaking English. They were speaking Japanese.
He watched the couple walk away, and stepped forward. He had allowed others past so that he would be served once Mai had finished.
"Oh, it's you again!" She beamed.
"So did you get in trouble?" he asked.
"No, I put a note in the jar to explain the large increase. Sarah backed me up."
"Oh good."
"Are you going to do it again?"
He smirked.
"I might."
Mai rolled her eyes.
"What can I get for you, sir?"
"Earl Grey."
"With gold dust, sir?" she asked, as she turned to grab a tea bag.
"Well the more I spend, the less of a tip I leave so I'll hold the gold dust for today."
Mai scowled at him and finished making his drink.
"Will there be anything else for you today, sir?"
"I didn't realise you spoke Japanese."
Mai looked startled.
"Yes, my parents were immigrants. I spoke it at home. I guess you learnt from your mother?"
"You remembered."
"You're an interesting man, I tend to remember the interesting customers." Mai noticed Sarah was giving her a funny look. "Will that be all for you today, sir?"
"For today."
"Two pounds twenty please."
Oliver pulled out another fifty pound note.
"Do you have anything smaller?"
He sighed, and pulled out a ten.
"Keep the change," he insisted.
"Thank you, sir."
Mai calculated the change and slipped the coins into the tip jar. She frowned as she did this. There was an entire fifty pound note already in the jar.
She glared after Oliver, and as if he knew she was doing it, he smirked over his shoulder and raised his takeaway cup in thanks.
"Mai, customers," Sarah muttered.
"Yup!" Mai turned to the next person in the queue and began to serve them.
"How much did he leave this time?" Sarah asked as they made drinks.
"Ten more than last time."
"Damn, what did you do to him?"
"I wish I knew."
"I think you should ask her out."
"What?"
"I think," Gene repeated, "that you should ask her out."
"Don't be ridiculous." Oliver looked out of the car window. "Jeffery would never allow it."
"We're adults, Noll."
"Yes, and as our manager, he can make our lives difficult," Oliver muttered. "Besides, if the press got a hold of her… It's not worth it."
Gene frowned.
"But… I mean, Jeffery might not be our manager forever…"
"It's written into his contract—"
"I found a discrete lawyer willing to take a look," Gene said in a low voice. "I know he likes to say that he's the reason we're successful, but we both know it's a lie."
"Could this lawyer help with a restraining order?"
"What do you—"
"He's still our father, Gene, he won't just leave us alone. Especially if he starts gambling again…"
"I can ask?" Gene said in a lighter voice. "But seriously, I think you should ask her out."
Oliver sighed heavily but decided to humour his brother.
"Okay, let's say I ask her out, then what? We're in and out of London all the time."
"She works at an airport, Noll, I think she's used to people coming and going," Gene pointed out. "But even if you only saw each other once a week or whatever, you could have some fun. It'd do you good."
"And what, I just sneak out to see her?" Oliver asked.
"I mean, we could fly back from somewhere and then get stuck or tired or something so that we simply must stay somewhere locally. And that local place could just happen to be her place…"
"And where will you go?"
"I'll find somewhere to go. Lin would definitely agree to this, wouldn't you, Lin?"
"I'm sure we could come to an arrangement," Lin said from the driver's seat.
"See," Gene jostled his brother. "Just think about it, okay?"
Oliver hummed.
"Come on Mai, treat yourself! You said that guy gave you a massive tip!" Keiko urged.
Michiru took a long sip of her coffee.
"I don't see why new underwear is a treat, you need that stuff," she muttered.
"I need basics, I don't need this lacy stuff," Mai said.
"But it's pretty," Keiko said. "And then you'll feel pretty!"
"You saying I can't feel pretty dressed like this?" Mai teased, gesturing to her jeans and t-shirt.
"Oh Mai, come on!"
Mai picked up the plain black and white two pack of bras and danced off to the changing rooms.
"That girl is such a pain in the—"
"She just doesn't want to spend her money on pointless stuff, Kei, leave her alone," Michiru said. "Besides, she doesn't have anyone to show pretty underwear to…"
"I did find someone to set her up with actually, it's a guy from work, I reckon they'd make a pretty cute couple," Keiko said. "But with Mai's working hours…"
"Did she ask you to set her up?"
"No, but I just want what is best for her."
Michiru sighed heavily. They waited for Mai to return from the changing room.
"They fit perfectly," Mai said happily. "Do you two want anything or shall I go and pay?"
"I want you to buy pretty ones! Heck," Keiko exclaimed. "I'll buy you a pretty one!"
Mai rolled her eyes.
"There is no point, Kei, it's a waste of a good bra. I would rather someone else got some use out of it."
"Fine, okay, hear me out. Let me set you up with this guy from work, and if it goes well, you let me buy you the pretty lingerie!"
Mai groaned and rolled her eyes.
"What guy from work?"
"His name is Darren, he works in IT, he's really shy and—"
"Do you have a picture of him?" Mai asked as they walked towards the tills.
"Yes! Wait, let me find it."
Mai began to queue as Keiko searched her phone for the picture.
"Here," she said, holding her phone out. "He's the one on the right?"
"Oh Keiko, you know blonds aren't my type," Mai muttered. "If they were I would have asked John out ages ago."
"Seriously, you're going to say no because of that?"
"I don't know, he's just… Not my type."
But Michiru was becoming suspicious now.
"You've never dismissed one of Keiko's suggestions so quickly before."
"So?"
"So why the reluctance to meet Darren? Normally you at least try one date," Michiru pointed out. "Unless… Unless you have someone you like the look of already in your sights?"
Keiko snatched her phone back and demanded, "Who?"
Mai's eyes widened in alarm, but before she could say anything, she was called to the checkout. As she paid, she desperately tried to think up an excuse or reason, but came up with nothing.
"Well, who is it?" Keiko asked as Mai rejoined them.
"There is—"
"Don't lie to us, Mai," Michiru insisted as they left the shop. "We'll know."
Mai groaned.
"Fine, one of my customers has been really nice and he's cute and interesting… I mean nothing can happen, I know that, but the idea of dating someone else just doesn't appeal right now, okay?"
Her friends appeared sympathetic.
"Aww, why can't anything happen?" Keiko asked. "Lunch?"
"Sure," Mai replied. "And because he's this high flying, hotshot, travelling salesman who can tip fifty quid at a time and I'm the manager of an airport cafe who writes novels in her spare time."
"So? And ramen?"
"Yeah, I thought that was the plan. And because he's flying all the time and I'm working all the time. I have no idea how we would make it work."
"Love finds a way," Michiru said. "But we'll drop it for now. Let's get some food."
Author's note: So this is a bit short, but the next section would make it WAYYYY too long. So this is what you're getting! Also... AU no one asked for, but you all seem to want it? Who knew?!
