A/N: It's so great to be working on this fic again! Just to note, there will not be any smut in the next two chapters, but Sora's BFF in this fic makes her first appearance and I mention a certain pairing!
I've decided to give Sora's coworkers some names. :)
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04: Cheers
"You're in an unusually good mood this morning, Sora."
"Hmm?" Sora turned to Rikka, one of her fellow assistants, as they walked into the office break room together.
Yeah, I could sense something different about you this morning," said Hana, the other assistant walking beside them before all three of them sat at their usual table. "What must have happened?"
As they sat, Rikka dropped her jaw, as though she remembered something. "Ooh - did you finally make your move with the cute neighbor?"
"Hardly," Sora replied, laughing aloud. She thought back to earlier that morning when she passed that neighbor's front door which had been closed. It was an odd sight compared to it being open with him leaning against it every day. She happened to see him later on when he entered the building as she stepped out; although his monotone greeting implied to her a less-than-friendly message.
Sora didn't give any more details about him or anything else to explain her mood, and the two coworkers whined at her in response.
"Rikka, Hana, you two will live," Sora said with a smug smile on her face.
"Imagine, Rikka," Hana said. "That's a smile that could tell us a story. She might've had a good dream. A steamy, hot dream with the cute neighbor!"
"Aah, yeah," Rikka agreed. "That might explain things. So, Sora. How was that dream?"
Sora raised her eyebrows at them, though her cheeks had begun to feel warm. "You have too much of an imagination."
"Oh my gosh, are we getting warmer?"
Hana giggled. "I mean, if he's cute and you're attracted to him, I'm sure you would gladly accept that kind of dream.."
"You know who I'd love to have that kind of dream about?" Rikka said with a smile, and Sora already knew her answer.
"Girl, same!" Hana replied. As the two talked excitedly among themselves, Sora looked away from them, her face feeling hotter than before. She knew that the two of them had a crush on Taichi, and she hoped for them to get their excited conversation of their imaginations out of their system so that they could forget about interrogating her any further. Especially since their wild night fantasies with their "dream crush" had been her own wilder reality.
And, in another setting, she would have admitted that not only was it good, but it was amazing.
"Sora?" Hana asked, and Sora froze.
"Huh?" Sora asked, trying to sound casual, but she was bracing herself for a new pressing question that was bound to make her red in the face once again.
"Taichi should be walking in by now, right?"
"Oh." Sora turned to the clock on the wall, and she was suddenly intrigued. "I guess he's late."
"Good," Rikka said. "Because we have to tell you about this great bar that we discovered a few weeks ago. You'd have to come out with us tomorrow night to see why."
"You can invite your friend along, too!" Hana added. "We can have a girls' night."
"Sure, I'll be happy to go," replied Sora, though confused. "But, what does this have to do with Taichi not being here?"
"Good morning, ladies!"
In stepped Taichi into the breakroom, ultimately breaking off the conversation. Sora had noticed his relaxed behavior, despite him being half an hour late to work.
Hana and Rikka directed their small talk exchange to Taichi. Sora knew that the girls would give her more details about the girls' night later, though more questions arose once Taichi showed up, especially since she had last seen him sleeping soundly in her bed as she left her apartment that morning.
"I'll talk to you girls later," Sora said, announcing her exit from the break room.
"Hey, Sora," Taichi called. "I have some papers at my desk that I need you to file away. Think you can grab them for me?"
"Right away, Taichi."
Upon entering Taichi's office, she spotted the stack of papers, along with a key on a plain keyring on top of it. Sora recognized it as the extra key to her apartment that she had left for Taichi, along with a note to ask him to lock the door on his way out and somehow return the key back to her. Sora knew that Taichi hadn't thought about waking up earlier to leave before her, and this method was the first she thought of.
Sora was pleasantly surprised that Taichi would follow through with her spur of the moment idea. With a smile, Sora placed the key in her pocket and took the stack of paper to her desk.
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As soon as Sora arrived at her apartment from work that evening, she ran around to do last-minute chores before Mimi's arrival. With the radio playing in the background, she threw out the last of the boxes and changed her bed sheets. She agreed with Mimi to order takeout 'donburi', and the bowls were delivered a few minutes after Mimi set her bags down in Sora's bedroom.
The first thing Mimi did as she walked through the door was leap toward Sora with a big hug. Sora laughed as Mimi nearly toppled her over along with the bags she carried on her shoulders. She felt Mimi's long and tight embrace, and she recognized that Mimi had missed her a great deal since being apart for so long. Sora had missed her best friend just as much.
"So, does this make me the first guest to your apartment?" Mimi asked when they both sat down on the couch with the donburi.
"...You're my second," Sora replied after a moment's hesitation.
"Oh?" Mimi cocked an eyebrow. "Was it your new 'friend'?"
"Sure. Let's call him that." Sora took a bite.
"Oooh, was it recent?"
"It was last night, actually…"
Mimi gasped. "Last night? And to think, I was planning to surprise you by showing up a day early. I totally could've walked in on you!"
Sora felt a furious blush form on her cheeks. "I'm really glad you didn't, Meems. You know I'd prefer warnings before you showed up. I don't even want to think about you walking in on me like that!"
"Oh, Sora."
Sora wanted to cover her face, though she knew that Mimi was only teasing her. Mimi had more of an outgoing personality compared to Sora, but Sora trusted her when it came to respecting her privacy. And although Sora kept most of her life private to most of her friends, Mimi had the ability to get Sora to reveal certain aspects – specifically, the juicy details of her dating life and relationships. Places and restaurants she had been to, romantic gestures and even sex positions, Sora divulged them all to Mimi, even if it made her want to crawl under the table as soon as those details left her mouth.
When Sora first told Mimi about her deal with Taichi, Mimi was surprised that Sora would decide to jump into such a carefree situation. However, Mimi had always let Sora go along with every one of her decisions, always saying that Sora "always made whatever decision was right at the time."
Was it a right one this time?
"You still haven't told me if Taichi is still as hot as he was in high school," said Mimi, which caused Sora to nearly spit her water.
"I can't believe you went through the yearbook!" Sora said, bursting into laughter.
"I'm curious! He was hot back then. I need to know! Is he still hot?"
Sora was still blushing. "Mimi, he's even hotter."
Mimi squealed in delight. "Please snap a picture of me for him. Why haven't you done that already?"
"Well, we never get the chance to do something like that…"
"Uh-huh. I'm sure."
Sora giggled, embarrassed, and Mimi giggled with her.
"You seem happy right now, Sora," Mimi said when they both finished their dinner. "At least, happy with where you stand right now. I'm happy for you. It's just…"
"What is it?" Sora asked.
"I hope you know how you really feel right now. With Taichi, if all you want in him right now is a 'fling' and you're both on the same page, then I'm okay with that. Either way, if you aren't - especially if you aren't," Mimi paused and stared at Sora, "I hope you know what you're doing. I just don't want to see you get hurt. Not again."
"I know, Mimi," Sora replied with an exhale. "I know."
Thoughts that she had avoided since the night before crept back into her mind. Even as she had conversed with Taichi in the office earlier that day, she did her best to avert her focus from the touch of his fingers caressing her body, the warmth of his breath before a kiss from his luscious lips. On top of that, the way he made her smile and how comfortable it felt to talk to him, and the way he held her close as they both fell asleep that night…
She had no idea what she was doing, and she didn't know how to tell Mimi, if she even decided to tell her then and there.
Fortunately, spending the weekend with Mimi would give her some time and space to figure things out for herself.
"You've gone quiet," Mimi said, frowning. "I must have reminded you of that jerk, haven't I? I was trying my best not to bring him up so soon. I'm an idiot. I'm so sorry."
"What?" Sora said. "Taichi's not a jerk. He can be obnoxious sometimes, but…"
"Oh! Well, I wasn't talking about him…"
Just then, Sora realized who Mimi was talking about.
"I'm sorry I even said anything at all-"
"No," Sora interjected quickly. "No, Mimi. It's alright. Let's forget about him. Now, let me take your bowl…" Sora gestured for Mimi to hand her the empty plastic bowl, though Mimi pulled it away from Sora.
"Uh, nuh-uh. I can do it. Give me yours."
"Mimi, you're my guest!"
"Doesn't matter! You've had a long day at work. I have had a long day of what? Packing for the weekend then a little bit of travel? Big deal. Let me take care of you, my sweetheart."
Mimi took Sora's plastic bowl from her hands, then got up from the couch and walked over to the kitchen. Sora watched her in disbelief, then laughed and shook her head. She loved Mimi with all of her heart, and she knew Mimi loved her just as much in return.
At the sound of running water against the clinking dishes, Sora had realized the radio was still on and the jockey was talking over the introduction of a song. It had been that one song that always seemed to be on every station's rotation, the one song that annoyed Sora even as Taichi sang along to it.
"I think I've had enough of the radio today," Sora said, turning the knob to the off setting.
"It's getting late, anyway," Mimi replied from the kitchen sink. The volume must not have been loud enough for Mimi to recognize the song. If it had been, Mimi would have become annoyed, even more so than Sora was, and she would have gladly turned off the radio before Sora did.
The two of them dressed into their night wear and got ready for bed, then they lay beside each other on Sora's bed, with Mimi telling stories while Sora listened to her in earnest. Sora heard Mimi yawn while her eyelids grew heavier, but it was still a while before Mimi's voice softened and she quieted into slumber.
And Sora fell asleep shortly after, feeling grateful to be spending time with her best friend at her side. Even if Mimi hinted at it without intention, the thoughts of Sora's ex-boyfriend returning to her was inevitable; but until Mimi had stopped talking for the night, Sora was glad that Mimi was there to distract her from those thoughts.
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Saturday arrived, and Sora brought Mimi to the shopping center that she had discovered when she first explored the area. Knowing that Mimi would yell at her if the plan was otherwise, Sora brought her to the spa center for a facial, a massage, a manicure and a pedicure for the two of them. Sora rarely fit time for things like that if Mimi wasn't around, but she loved the refreshed feeling of bliss after all was said and done.
On the way to finding a place to eat, they passed by a shop with kimonos of various styles.
"Sora, this is totally you," Mimi said, pointing to one of the kimonos with floral designs on display.
"It's gorgeous, isn't it?" Sora asked.
"I bet you'll make one even more gorgeous than that, and someday it'll be on display at this shop."
Sora giggled. "I'd love to see it happen."
"It totally will!"
They found a restaurant to eat lunch, and afterward they returned to Sora's apartment to sit on the couch and rest their feet before heading to the bar that night. Mimi stuck her tongue out in disgust while Sora flipped the TV on to a channel that played a baseball game. Baseball wasn't one of Sora's preferred sports, but she still found some enjoyment watching the matches.
"Hey, Sora," Mimi said. "Did you know that Taichi has a younger sister and that she's a professional photographer?"
"Hmm?" replied Sora, her eyes on the flying baseball that flew into the stands as a foul. "Oh, yeah. He's mentioned Hikari. She's got a ton of clients so she's always busy."
"Wow, you two must talk a lot, huh?"
"I guess so. We see each other practically every day, with work, and, you know... So, all sorts of things come up in conversation."
"I see."
Mimi picked her phone up just then, and she sighed as she read the message.
"Something wrong?" Sora asked.
"Jou says he's been called into work the night shift for the third week in a row. My poor baby, he's been so exhausted."
"Oh, no." Sora frowned. "I can't imagine what it's like working in the medical field like he does."
"Long hours for him and long nights for him and me both. He does make the big bucks, though." Mimi grinned.
Sora stared. "What did you persuade him to get you this time?"
"Ohh, nothing too extravagant…" Mimi held up her arm and twisted her wrist back and forth, showcasing a glittering sapphire bracelet.
"You're ridiculous!" Sora said. "He must really love you."
"If you can believe it!"
Sora smiled at Mimi as she admired her bracelet. She would never make her significant other spend that much money on her, much less on jewelry, but it worked perfectly for Mimi, and Sora knew that Jou didn't mind making Mimi happy that way, either. For Sora, it was thoughtful gestures, like a sweet message in her texts, making her breakfast the morning after a romantic evening, bringing her a bouquet of violets on an ordinary day, or, more frequent than she had realized, even if it involved sitting her down and serenading her with a song on his acoustic guitar..
Sora's smile faded the longer she thought about it.
"Hey, what's up?" Mimi asked, and Sora shook her head when she realized that Mimi's attention was no longer on her jewelry and was back on her.
"It's nothing. We should head out to the bar soon."
"Hmph." Mimi pouted. "It's something! Come on, spill."
"Alright, fine. I was just thinking about how nice it would be to be in that part of a relationship where the two of us are happy."
Mimi giggled. "Oh, I see now. You'll get there when you find the guy for you. It'll happen before you know it."
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The bar was lively on that Saturday evening. Sora and Mimi found Hana and Rikka sitting on the booth seating on one side of the table. The two chairs on the opposite side were free for Sora and Mimi to sit in.
"Wow, you two look amazing tonight!" Rikka said to Sora and Mimi. Sora had worn her hair with the tips at their usual outward flip, though Mimi had convinced her to wear more makeup for this night out. Mimi had sworn that the eyeshadow and blush was a subtle look, but Sora could tell the difference from her typically neutral makeup look.
Mimi, on the other hand, had worn her waves down, and her makeup along with her sleek dress and fancy attire gave her the appearance of some kind of goddess. At least, that was how the reactions from those they passed by made her seem to be.
While Mimi, Rikka, and Hana introduced themselves to each other, Sora observed her surroundings. Her table was in the middle of a row of tables. Two rows of tables lined up between her and the bar counter, where a handful of people sat. There was another group of girls at another table, and Sora noticed two guys sitting at a table adjacent to hers, one of them staring in her direction. He might have been around her age, and Sora took notice of his nice hair and soft eyes. When he smiled at her, she was surprised at how much more attractive it made him.
Who knew if he was going to be the right guy for her, or if he was just going to be another one night stand. Sora wondered if it was time for her to start figuring that out. So, she smiled back at him.
"Ooh, Sora!" Mimi shouted. "Are you already planning on leaving our table?"
"So soon!" Hana said. "But, he's pretty cute. Sora, you've got good taste."
"Before you abandon us, Sora, we need our girls' night," Rikka said. "I'm flagging the waiter down." Then, she removed her butterfly clip from the back of her head to let her dark, wavy tresses flow loosely around her shoulders.
"Wow!" Sora ogled at Rikka's hair. "You should wear your hair like that at work more often!"
"I've thought about it, but, you know. I think having my hair up gives a better impression. To my boss and everyone around me. You know what I mean?"
"Right."
Sora had a few things about keeping up her own impressions at work on her mind, but she knew it was wise not to mention in the moment. Still, she could not avoid Mimi's knowing glances in response.
After Rikka successfully hailed a waiter and ordered a round of cocktails, she and Hana brought up the one thing that Sora had expected them to.
"You have to tell us what you really think about Yagami-san," Hana said.
Mimi looked as though she was about to laugh as she waited to hear the explanation Sora would come up with. She waited expectantly, leaning her chin on her fist and her elbow against the table.
"Oh?" Sora asked nonchalantly. "What would you like to know?"
"Everything!" Rikka replied eagerly. "The bosses we work with are a lot older and, there hasn't been anyone interesting to look at until he came along."
"He's really funny when he cracks a joke!" Hana added. "And he has this sexy smile, too."
"The way leans in when he talks to me to make sure he understands what I'm saying.."
"It seems like you know enough to care about what I think," Sora concluded, amused at the two women who were swooning in front of her.
"But,you agree, don't you? With how lucky you are to be working with someone like him?
"Come on now, ladies," said Mimi, "Sora works way too hard to be caring about this type of gossip, anyway. I want to know what you two are hearing about him!"
Both Hana's and Rikka's eyes lit up. Sora usually waved them off whenever they wanted to gossip, but Mimi struck a chord that excited them, which thankfully diverted their attention away from Sora.
In the middle of their chatter, Hana paused and let out a giggle, then she lowered her voice as she turned to Sora. "That guy must be really patient, Sora. He's still looking your way."
"Really?" Sora asked, turning to look at him. The guy really did have nice eyes. "But, I'd feel bad for leaving you. I'm supposed to be hanging out with all of you."
Mimi laughed and made a swatting motion. "Sora, don't worry about us! Don't let us get in the way of what you want."
"Well, best not to let him wait any longer," Rikka said. "A toast to the girls before you go, Sora."
"I had planned to have just one drink, anyway," said Sora with a smile.
The four of them raised their glasses and clinked them against each other in the middle.
"Cheers!" they exclaimed.
And Sora brought the drink to her lips, the taste of alcohol strong over the sweetness - just how she liked it. Perhaps once she downed this drink, she would have enough courage to approach the handsome guy and talk to him. It would be the start of something new, something different, something -
"Oh my god, Rikka," Hana said suddenly, raising her hand against Rikka's chest. "He showed up. He's here."
Hana gasped. "Ah, he is!"
Sora stopped drinking at halfway, the rim of the glass drawn away from her lips, the glass now held mid-air. "Who?"
"Taichi!"
She froze, knowing that she would see him as soon as she turned around in her chair. When she did, she saw him, as expected, and he was taking a seat on the stool at the bar counter.
If she grabbed Mimi and walked out now, she would have made a scene among their party. For a few seconds, Sora had considered it, but her two coworkers would have new questions bubbling up within them to ask her the next time they saw her at the office. On top of that, they would have made loud enough noise for Taichi to turn around and realize that Sora was nearby.
Sora decided that it was better to not react at all, and to let Mimi, who likely knew what Sora had been thinking, sit back and watch Sora's facial expressions in amusement.
"He came alone this time," Rikka said.
"This time?" Sora blurted.
"Yeah, sometimes he has a friend with him. He's taller than Taichi is, with navy blue hair. He looks pretty attractive, too."
Sora was familiar with only one man who fit that description, and she wondered whether the chances were slim, or with how her luck was with coming across people from her hometown around here…
"Jou?" Sora ended up asking Mimi with a look of surprise.
"Oh, yeah, that's my boyfriend," Mimi said, just as surprised. "He works at a hospital near here and sometimes he hangs out with old friends from high school."
"I didn't think they would know each other."
Mimi's jaw dropped. "Come to think of it, Jou mentioned that he was good friends with a guy on the football team in high school that he used to tutor. He said that the guy was good at annoying him back then. I guess when Jou talked about him that way, he didn't sound too interesting to me."
"So, this Jou won't be showing up tonight?" Hana asked with a frown.
"Not tonight. He's at home resting. Poor baby needs all the rest he can get." Then, Sora noticed a smile curling on Mimi's face. "I'll have to tell him about how attractive he looks to other people, though. It'll boost his self-esteem."
Sora laughed along with the other girls; then, she turned to glance again at Taichi, whose back was facing her.
"Taichi always ends up talking to someone," Rikka said. "He chats with the bartender, sometimes he strikes up a conversation with other guys and other women. It's no wonder he's so popular wherever he goes."
"Have you ever seen him leave with anyone?" Sora asked, the words slipping from her tongue too fast for her to stop.
"Sure, the last time we were here."
Sora felt the sting from those words of certainty. She couldn't find the words to say next.
"Wait a second, tell me one thing," Mimi said. It was a break in the conversation that Sora was glad to hear. "You've been coming here on the weekends to spy on Taichi?"
Rikka and Hana both looked sheepish.
"We can't help it," said Hana. "He's already 'hands off' to any of us, so all we can do is look."
"'Hands off', huh?"
Mimi gave Sora a meaningful stare that neither Hana nor Rikka would understand, but Sora knew that Taichi in her case was anything but. She couldn't help the blush forming on her cheeks.
"Yeah," replied Rikka. "And he hasn't ever looked our way to notice that we were ever here. We're always seated far enough that he wouldn't pay any mind to us, anyway."
"He probably wouldn't pay any mind even if he was close enough," added Hana. "Not when there's a hotter woman sitting next to him."
Sora shifted uncomfortably in her seat, though she saw Mimi scoff at the two of them.
"Come on, ladies!" said Mimi. "You're all beautiful! Don't sell yourself short. You're not even at the office right now, so why bother with any of the rules when you're free to do whatever you want here?"
"Well…" said Rikka thoughtfully. "I've never actually had the courage to start talking to anyone."
Suddenly, Mimi slid her chair back and stood up on her high heels.
"Mimi?" Sora asked.
"It's really easy!" said Mimi. "Just watch what I do."
Sora raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Mimi…" she repeated with a warning tone.
"Don't worry, Sora. I'll play nice." Mimi added a wink toward Sora before turning to strut away from the table, her heels clicking and a few heads turned as she walked by.
And Sora noticed that Taichi's head turned, too.
Rikka and Hana sounded giddy with excitement behind Sora as they all watched Mimi. Sora could only feel anxious.
"Sora, your friend is crazy!" Hana said.
"Look at her go!" Rikka said.
When she reached the bar counter, Mimi flipped her hair confidently and flashed a smile at Taichi.
And Taichi turned to face the counter in front of him, away from Mimi. Sora noticed with intrigue at how shy he seemed, his mouth moving as he chatted but his shoulders slumping slightly. She found it surprisingly endearing. And somehow, adorable.
"She's really leading the conversation here," Rikka commented. "She is amazing."
"And look at Taichi, playing it cool," said Hana.
Mimi seemed to carry a conversation with him for a few minutes. Then, Mimi moved one chair closer. Taichi began to look more interested in their conversation. Mimi smiled and Sora saw Taichi's lips curl as he laughed. He was looking at Mimi the longer they talked, keeping his eyes on her. His shoulders were straighter now, but he was leaning toward Mimi. That was when Sora realized that Mimi was actually luring him in. Was it really that easy for him -
But then, Sora watched his smile fade suddenly, and his eyebrows furrowed. He looked confused. Sora tried to read his changing expression but Mimi suddenly dropped down from her chair, grabbed her drink and threw its contents across Taichi's face.
Both Rikka and Hana gasped audibly and Sora immediately stood up, astonished. Murmurs from the other people in the bar began as they looked in Taichi and Mimi's direction. Mimi quickly sprinted back toward Sora leaving Taichi in shock with his face and hair dripping wet.
"Mimi?!" Sora squealed.
"I'll tell you later," Mimi said with a huffy reply. "Let's get out of here."
"But-"
"Hurry, Sora." Mimi grabbed her wrist and Sora was led out the door with her.
Sora gave one last look around the bar. She took notice of the guy that she was making eyes with before Taichi had walked in. The guy's attention was no longer on her, but now with another woman with their lips already locked together. It was a bullet that Sora was glad to have dodged.
Then, she looked in Taichi's direction, and for the first time that night, their eyes met. It was only a moment before she looked away to keep up with Mimi, but she knew that she was leaving Taichi even more confused than ever.
What kind of conversation did he and Mimi have? What was it that changed the tone and got Mimi so upset? Sora grew more concerned but could not ask any questions due to Mimi's main focus being to weave their way through and out of the bar.
"Ugh, men!" Mimi groaned the moment they ended up on the curb.
"Mimi, what happened?" Sora placed her hand on Mimi's shoulder, her mind full of worry. "Why did you get so riled up back there?"
In a moment, Mimi's eyes shifted to look at Sora. And, in the next, Mimi burst into laughter.
Tentatively, Sora lifted her hand away from Mimi. She was dumbfounded.
"Ooh, man!" Mimi said through her laughter that rang throughout the night air. "That was too much fun!"
"Too much fun?" Sora came to the realization that Mimi's anger was somehow part of her ploy. She crossed her arms across her chest. "You'd better explain what you did, Mimi, or I'll have to face my unhappy boss on Monday."
"I'm sure he'll send you a text." Mimi giggled more than she usually did. She was most likely still on a high from the alcohol that she was able to consume a glass and a half of, with the remaining half thrown on Taichi. Although she felt lighter in her steps after drinking a few sips, Sora was still able to walk on her own.
"You actually threw your drink at him."
Mimi shrugged. "It was just a splash."
After a moment of exchanging glances, Sora burst into giggles along with Mimi.
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Back at Sora's apartment, both Sora and Mimi dressed out of their clothes and into their sleepwear, with Sora standing on the side of her bed next to her closet and Mimi in the bathroom across the room. When it came to storytelling, Mimi was the complete opposite of Sora, who usually gave pauses and withheld some pieces of information. Sora was grateful for that fact when the time arose for her to ask Mimi about exactly what happened with Taichi. Mimi told her every detail.
"He knows how to flirt. I had almost forgotten what that was like," Mimi said.
"Poor Jou," said Sora with a laugh.
"Poor Jou? Poor me! Sometimes my advances go way over his head, and then I have to talk him down when he calls himself an idiot about it…"
"You have your ways of getting to him."
"Believe me Sora, I do." Mimi winked. "But Taichi. Oh, let me tell you. He seemed coy at first but I totally caught his attention. He was interested enough to offer me a drink, so of course, I let him."
"I think we should drink some more," Sora said suddenly. Anxiety had risen in her stomach at the thought about Taichi flirting with her gorgeous best friend. "Want a beer?"
Mimi made a face at her. "You hate beer."
"Not this one."
Sora had bought a fresh six-pack of beer before Mimi had arrived. It was of the beer that Taichi had brought for her the other night; the beer that she had been growing more fond of after each taste. She and Mimi joined at her dining table, both of them now in pajama pants and t-shirts, but they were both ready to drink some more.
"I didn't think I'd like this beer that much when I drank it with him," Sora said after she and Mimi clinked a toast and drank.
"I'm sure he has more to do with that," Mimi replied, which Sora immediately denied, but she felt her face heat up, and the expression on Mimi's face told Sora that she had caught her bluff.
"Okay, Mimi. Go on. What happened after you accepted his drink offer?"
Mimi giggled and continued with every word spoken between them, when her hand flipped her hair back and how he liked to smile and crack jokes, casually taking sips of his drink. Sora listened to Mimi intently, taking longer swigs of the beer than can be deemed 'casual'.
"Well, the bartender placed the drink in front of me, right?" Mimi continued. "So, after talking about this and that, I decided to tell him that I had a boyfriend, and I didn't have interest in going home with anyone tonight. And you know what he said, Sora?"
Sora had finished one bottle, and the second bottle barely touched her lips before she stopped to hear Mimi's response.
"He said, 'That's okay.'," Mimi stated. "'I'm wondering why I showed up here when my mind is somewhere else.'"
Sora's mouth hung open. She wanted to respond, but found it hard to find the words to say, so she lifted the bottle to her lips to sip instead. Mimi was already on her second beer bottle as well, and the story wasn't over yet.
"That was when I asked, 'Does Sora have anything to do with it?'"
The liquid sputtered from Sora's lips before she could speak. "Was that what got him so confused?!" Sora asked in surprise. It had to be the moment she noticed that he looked shocked, probably even horrified.
"Oh, yeah, the look on his face was priceless! And that was when I said, 'Don't worry, I don't mean to steal you away from her, but the other two might get a bit jealous…'"
Sora went into a fit of laughter, feeling more alcohol going to her head again. "That must have gotten him even more confused!"
Mimi nodded in her fit of giggles, then she told the rest of the story, that she had explained to Taichi about Sora and the coworkers being there, and that it might have been a bad idea if Taichi was seen by any party to make a move on Mimi at that moment.
"And then!" Mimi said, raising her now empty bottle of beer, "I thought I should draw attention to him in a way no one would have expected!"
"I am sure he definitely did not appreciate a sugary alcoholic drink thrown on him," Sora replied. "What if the girls took that as a bad sign against him?"
"Ha! Trust me, if it was a bad sign for him, that's less of a chance for him to be stolen away from you."
"Mimi!" Sora blushed at Mimi's wide grin.
"Rikka and Hana will get over it! They'll have to, either way, right?"
"I know, but can you believe those two?" Sora asked Mimi, referring to Hana and Rikka. "They're so obsessed with Taichi! I can't believe they've gone out of their way to stalk the bars he goes to."
"Well, you can't blame them," Mimi replied. "Maybe they're bored with their lives and pursuing a good-looking guy like Taichi is their form of entertaining themselves."
"It sounds like they are so set on the boss-and-assistant love story happening." Sora pouted.
"You say that like it's a bad thing! Either way, after tonight, they won't think about that anymore. In fact, I caught them talking about whether Taichi did anything wrong to me tonight."
"There goes their fantasy." Sora drew her lips to a line. She liked getting acquainted with Rikka and Hana, so she found herself beginning to pity them for having their dreams crushed that night.
"Yeah, but don't worry, Sora, if anything I made them suspect you less, and, oooh…"
Mimi wore a playful smile and looked as though she remembered the biggest secret. The more she giggled, the more Sora wondered how much she had drunk at that table.
"Tell me, Mimi!"
But Sora was giggling too. And when she eyed the table top, she realized that the six bottles of beer were now empty. She and Mimi consumed three bottles each.
"He had his phone in front of him when I went up to him, and guess whose name I caught before he put it away…"
Sora gasped, louder than she meant to. "Mine?"
"Mm-hmm!"
"He was going to call me?" Sora asked. "He was thinking of me?"
She felt something go aflutter within her at this realization, and as she looked at Mimi wide-eyed and nodding vigorously.
Suddenly, they were like two middle school girls huddled together and giggling madly.
"You know, from the looks of it, he would probably go as far as to knock on your door!" said Mimi.
Sora chortled at this. "Maybe if he was still a little bit drunk like we are-"
There came a knock on the door. Sora and Mimi paused and exchanged glances. In disbelief, Sora got up and walked toward her door.
"Who is it?" Sora asked. The next seconds of silence passed with Sora's curiosity and anticipation. Who would have knocked on the door of her apartment so late in the night? She had a hope, perhaps a drunken hope that made it bigger than she realized, even if she thought this night was already filled with enough surprises.
Sora didn't let him answer. Her hand was already on the knob before her head told her to hear his voice through the door first. But when she pulled the door back, she gasped to find one more surprise at her doorstep. Taichi stood before her, his mouth wearing a frown. After a moment's pause between them, Sora held her hand to her mouth, stifling her laughter, and Mimi let out one more giggle from behind her.
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A/N: More next chapter ;) I would just like to note that DutchForStrangers gave me the idea for Mimi's comment on "walking in". :-*
Thank you for reading and for supporting me! I have the greatest friends and readers around here. xoxo