----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Love Potion #9"
Recorded by Ziska Ames
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Six
Serena came up to Grange Electronics at 5:08. She took a deep
breath and hoped that, for once, Darien was late. She went into the
lobby and up to the receptionist.
"Hi. Has Darien Chiba left for the day?" she asked softly, not
wanting to disturb the feel of sobriety the building always possessed.
The secretary scanned a list quickly and shook her head.
"Nope. According to this he's still here. Do you know where to find
him, Serena?"
"I think so. Thanks, Rita," Serena smiled and dashed to the
elevator.
"Good luck. And hurry! I need to meet Andrew at 5:30." Serena
waved behind her and stepped into the elevator.
Darien sat at his desk, his head in his hands. He'd had an
awful day. A client had dropped their contract because he'd failed to
have the necessary figures in time. His secretary had tried
desperately to get a dinner date with him and when he'd refused, had
told Mr. Grange that Darien had sexually harassed her. After assuring
Ken that it wasn't true, she'd quit and now Darien had to go through
the hassle of hiring a new person. He moaned in anticipation of that
particular headache and massaged his temples in an attempt to get rid
of his current one.
Suddenly, he felt gentle hands rubbing his shoulders. In his
state of depression, he only responded with a brief moan as the hands
hit a particular sore spot. His head dropped to the desk and he closed
his eyes as the hands rubbed away the tension.
"Three days ago, I said I hated you," a soft voice quietly
penetrated his relaxed mind. "I meant it. But ever since you first
smiled at me, it was always the past tense."
His eyes opened and he spun around in his chair, grabbing
Serena's hands in mid-air.
"Always?" he asked quietly.
"It's been three days and I still..." Serena began the quote
from the napkin, but couldn't finish. She wanted to hear it from him.
"Love you," he answered softly as he drew her closer. His arms
around her waist, her's around his neck, they kissed. The note fell
from Serena's hand and tears began to fall from her eyes.
"Thank God for curses," she murmured.
"Thank God for you," Darien responded as he kissed away her
tears.
Serena and Darien entered the arcade arm in arm, chattering
with Rita as they walked. Rita winked at Darien once, when Serena's
attention wandered and he smiled in return. Rita was immensely happy
for her friend. He needed a good girl and Serena could definitely
fill that position. Andrew looked up from his conversation with Mina
and beamed at his girlfriend.
"Rita!" He left a slightly hurt and confused Mina at the
counter as he came around to the front and hugged his girlfriend
tightly. He pecked her on the lips and then the forehead. "Hey, you
haven't meet Mina have you?" He escorted Rita over and introduced her.
"Mina's a regular around her, aren't you, kiddo?"
Mina smiled a stunned smile and nodded. "Oh... yeah. Hi. Nice
to meet you."
Serena looked at her friend worriedly and pulled away from
Darien. "You okay?" she whispered.
"Why didn't any one tell me?" Mina asked, bewildered.
"Didn't you know he has a girlfriend?" Serena asked,
bewildered as well.
"No..."
"But... it's so obvious," Serena declared. She blushed at the
volume and giggled slightly. "Sorry, Mina. Didn't mean it that way."
"It's okay," Mina replied quietly. She sighed and looked at
her hands. "He's just so nice and cute and sweet and... oh... my...
god..."
"What?" Serena looked to where Mina's eyes were locked on a
handsome young man with long, blonde-white hair.
"Gorgeous," Mina whispered in awe. Serena shook her head and
wandered back to Darien.
"What's up with her?" he asked as he slipped his arm back
around her waist.
"Oh nothing. She'll be fine," Serena giggled lightly as Mina
seemed to float off her stool and towards the guy. "Everything will be
fine."
Darien looked down into Serena's blue eyes and nodded.
"Everything will be perfect."
"Love Potion #9"
Recorded by Ziska Ames
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Six
Serena came up to Grange Electronics at 5:08. She took a deep
breath and hoped that, for once, Darien was late. She went into the
lobby and up to the receptionist.
"Hi. Has Darien Chiba left for the day?" she asked softly, not
wanting to disturb the feel of sobriety the building always possessed.
The secretary scanned a list quickly and shook her head.
"Nope. According to this he's still here. Do you know where to find
him, Serena?"
"I think so. Thanks, Rita," Serena smiled and dashed to the
elevator.
"Good luck. And hurry! I need to meet Andrew at 5:30." Serena
waved behind her and stepped into the elevator.
Darien sat at his desk, his head in his hands. He'd had an
awful day. A client had dropped their contract because he'd failed to
have the necessary figures in time. His secretary had tried
desperately to get a dinner date with him and when he'd refused, had
told Mr. Grange that Darien had sexually harassed her. After assuring
Ken that it wasn't true, she'd quit and now Darien had to go through
the hassle of hiring a new person. He moaned in anticipation of that
particular headache and massaged his temples in an attempt to get rid
of his current one.
Suddenly, he felt gentle hands rubbing his shoulders. In his
state of depression, he only responded with a brief moan as the hands
hit a particular sore spot. His head dropped to the desk and he closed
his eyes as the hands rubbed away the tension.
"Three days ago, I said I hated you," a soft voice quietly
penetrated his relaxed mind. "I meant it. But ever since you first
smiled at me, it was always the past tense."
His eyes opened and he spun around in his chair, grabbing
Serena's hands in mid-air.
"Always?" he asked quietly.
"It's been three days and I still..." Serena began the quote
from the napkin, but couldn't finish. She wanted to hear it from him.
"Love you," he answered softly as he drew her closer. His arms
around her waist, her's around his neck, they kissed. The note fell
from Serena's hand and tears began to fall from her eyes.
"Thank God for curses," she murmured.
"Thank God for you," Darien responded as he kissed away her
tears.
Serena and Darien entered the arcade arm in arm, chattering
with Rita as they walked. Rita winked at Darien once, when Serena's
attention wandered and he smiled in return. Rita was immensely happy
for her friend. He needed a good girl and Serena could definitely
fill that position. Andrew looked up from his conversation with Mina
and beamed at his girlfriend.
"Rita!" He left a slightly hurt and confused Mina at the
counter as he came around to the front and hugged his girlfriend
tightly. He pecked her on the lips and then the forehead. "Hey, you
haven't meet Mina have you?" He escorted Rita over and introduced her.
"Mina's a regular around her, aren't you, kiddo?"
Mina smiled a stunned smile and nodded. "Oh... yeah. Hi. Nice
to meet you."
Serena looked at her friend worriedly and pulled away from
Darien. "You okay?" she whispered.
"Why didn't any one tell me?" Mina asked, bewildered.
"Didn't you know he has a girlfriend?" Serena asked,
bewildered as well.
"No..."
"But... it's so obvious," Serena declared. She blushed at the
volume and giggled slightly. "Sorry, Mina. Didn't mean it that way."
"It's okay," Mina replied quietly. She sighed and looked at
her hands. "He's just so nice and cute and sweet and... oh... my...
god..."
"What?" Serena looked to where Mina's eyes were locked on a
handsome young man with long, blonde-white hair.
"Gorgeous," Mina whispered in awe. Serena shook her head and
wandered back to Darien.
"What's up with her?" he asked as he slipped his arm back
around her waist.
"Oh nothing. She'll be fine," Serena giggled lightly as Mina
seemed to float off her stool and towards the guy. "Everything will be
fine."
Darien looked down into Serena's blue eyes and nodded.
"Everything will be perfect."