Act 9 - Fashion Disaster

A week later, Setsuna arrived at Timeless Creations earlier than usual to prepare for the day's fashion show. When she had left the house this morning, everybody was still asleep in their beds, taking advantage of their Saturday. Hopefully they would wake up in time to see the show, which was to be held at around noon in the showroom.

Just about everything was already set for the show. She, Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru, along with some of her employees, had spent most of last night arranging chairs and putting up the stage that stood at the front of the room. Setsuna was eternally grateful for their help. The last thing she needed was more stress in her life, especially at a time like this. All she needed to do was to put the finishing touches on a couple of her designs and then she could relax.

Pulling out a set of keys, Setsuna unlocked the door to her private office and turned on the lights. Her office, usually tidy to a fault, was decidedly cluttered with about a dozen or so mannequins scattered around the room and several rolls of fine fabric in every single color of the rainbow sitting on the top of her desk, waiting to be put back in storage. Setsuna ran her hand across one of the rolls, enjoying the feel of the silky smooth navy blue satin on her skin.

She then pulled out her small sewing kit from her desk drawer and got to work one of her designs made out of the same blue fabric. As she pulled up the hemline, Setsuna couldn't help but think that Haruka would look gorgeous in the clingy, strapless gown. She smiled to herself and rolled her ruby red eyes. As if Tenoh Haruka would ever willingly wear a dress. She was most definitely a tomboy, through and through, and not even Michiru could convince her to don more feminine apparel unless the aqua-haired beauty threatened to kick her out of the bedroom for the night.

Setsuna wiped away a tear that manage to fall as she thought about her friends. She had to stop torturing herself like this. So what if Michiru and Haruka were so madly in love with each other that the thought of sleeping one night away from her lover would scare Haruka into being on her best behavior? Who cared that Hotaru spent most of the night talking to Shingo on the telephone when she should have been asleep? Why did it hurt so much to see Ami happily married and ready to start a family with the man she loved more than anything in the world? Why wasn't she happy that Minako had finally found true love after all those years of seemingly being prey to some kind of love curse? How come she wasn't thrilled when Makoto announced that her best friend told her that he loved her, even though Setsuna was often tempted to knock some sense into those two with her Time Staff? And why did even Rei's constant fights with Yuuichiro cause her to feel such jealousy?

On the outside, Setsuna continued to put on a brave face in front of her friends as not to arouse suspicion, but inside, she felt as if her whole world was falling apart right in front of her eyes. She tried to ignore it. Really she did. During the past week, Setsuna had practically thrown herself into her designs in a desperate bid to keep her mind off what happened that night. Sometimes, she became so engrossed in her work that she even forgot to eat. Most of the time, her plan succeeded, but every once in awhile she would be reminded of him, and she would suddenly burst into body-shaking sobs.

It could be something as insignificant as spotting someone with the same exact sapphire blue eyes or passing by a garden of blood red roses. It didn't take much for Mamoru's handsome face to appear inside her head and open the floodgates once again.

They hadn't seen or spoken to each other since the fateful night of the engagement party. Setsuna had a feeling that he was trying to avoid her, as she was trying to avoid him. It wasn't easy, though. She even pretended to be ill to get out of a monthly routine Sailor Soldier meeting for fear that Mamoru would be there as well. As it turned out, she hadn't needed to worry because the prince also decided not to come, stating he needed to catch up on some casework at the office.

The few times she ran into Usagi were awkward. She still didn't know how much Mamoru decided to tell his fiancée about that night. The princess didn't treat her any differently than before, but certainly she must suspect something was going on from the way Setsuna's eyes refused to meet hers whenever they spoke to each other or how her voice quivered whenever Mamoru's name was inevitably mentioned. Either Usagi was an even better actress than Minako or she simply refused to see the truth. Setsuna hoped it was the later.

Setsuna quickly finished sewing up the hem of the navy dress, then walked over to a mannequin hidden in the corner, draped in the finest pure white silk imported from China. It was the beginnings of a wedding dress. Namely, the one she was making for Usagi. The gown really was turning out quite lovely, fit for a princess. The designer fingered the fabric and closed her eyes, imagining just for a moment that she was the blushing bride walking down the aisle as Mamoru stood waiting for her at the altar with a happy smile on his face. He was going to make such a handsome groom. Unfortunately, the bride he would be smiling for wasn't her. It would never be.

Usagi was the one he loved. And Setsuna was destined to be alone for the rest of her life.

"Mamo-chan, why aren't you dressed yet?" Usagi asked, walking into his study and finding her fiancé hunched over his desk. She tapped the watch on her wrist. "If we don't hurry, we're going to be late for Setsuna's showing."

Mamoru's lips turned up into an amused smile. It wasn't often that Usagi was the one telling him, Mr. Punctual, to hurry up so they wouldn't be late. However, he had no intention whatsoever to attend the showing, knowing he would inevitably have to talk to Setsuna. "I think I'll skip this one, Usako," he said, rummaging through a stack of papers on his desk. "I'm working on a big case, and I'm way behind. You go ahead and have fun at the fashion show."

Sighing, Usagi walked up behind his chair and wrapped her slender arms around his neck. Work, work, work. That's all he cared about anymore. She had hoped that because of the inheritance, Mamoru wouldn't have to spend so much time on his job, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. "Honey, you've been working on that case since six o'clock this morning," she said, kissing the top of his black hair. "You deserve to take a break. Come with me to the show. It'll mean a lot to Setsuna-san."

Mamoru's body suddenly tensed as if he had been shot with a stun gun, and he drew in a deep breath. Did she know something about what happened the night of the engagement party? "Wh…What do you mean by that? Why would Setsuna-san care if I went to her show? I've never gone before."

He glanced up at Usagi and was relieved to see that she was laughing heartily. Inside his chest, his heart resumed its normal rhythm. Their secret was still safe.

"Honestly, Mamo-chan, if I didn't know better, I would think you were scared to go to the show. Are you afraid that you won't be able to control yourself in front of all those gorgeous models?"

He cleared his throat. "Something like that," he said, trying to sound light-hearted. If only she knew the real reason why he didn't want to go...

"Don't worry about it, muffin. I won't mind if you ogle the models. After all, you are a man, and that's what guys do. Just as long as you look and don't touch."

His left eyebrow arched in surprise. Since when did Usagi tell him it was okay to look at other women? Mamoru remembered a time when she would become hysterical just at the thought sharing an umbrella with another girl. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with my Usako?" he joked.

"It's still me, you silly," she said, playfully swatting him on the arm. She then held up her hand, admiring the sparkle of her engagement ring in the light of his desk lamp. "I just decided it is useless to get jealous of every girl who crosses your path. I trust you. I know you love me and you would never do anything to hurt me, right?"

His eyes darkened in shame. "Never say never, Usako." Mamoru's voice was so soft that Usagi could barely hear him.

"Hmm? Did you say something?"

He shook his head. "It was nothing," he said, stapling a couple of papers together. The burden of this secret was killing him. He hated lying to Usagi, but it was the only way. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

But despite his love for his fiancée, Mamoru still could not forget about the beautiful time guardian and the wonderful night he spent in her bed. He didn't quite understand these strange feelings he was harboring for Setsuna. Could it be possible for a man to love two women at the same time?

Not that it mattered. He knew his destiny was to marry Usagi and rule the reborn Silver Millennium by her side. That's what he wanted.

Right?

"Mamo-chan?" Mamoru involuntarily jumped at the sound of Usagi's voice. He must have spaced out there for a couple of seconds. Bright blue eyes stared at him with concern. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine, Usako," he insisted, taking off his glasses and rubbing his temples. "It's just a little stress. No need to worry."

"You need to take a break," she repeated. "Come with me to the fashion show. Please? It'll only last for a couple of hours, then you can come home and prepare for your case. As they say, all work and no play make Mamo-chan a dull boy."

"And if I decide not to go…"

Usagi shot him a bright smile. "Then I just might be tempted to hook up with an incredibly hot male model and run away to Tahiti."

Her fiancé sighed and threw his pen aside, finally giving up. He might as well go. No matter how awkward it might be, he couldn't hide from Setsuna for the rest of his life. They were going to have to deal with this one day or the other. Why not today?

He only hoped he was strong enough to resist those gorgeous garnet red eyes.

The sound of a knock on the door to her office distracted Setsuna from her sewing, causing her to inadvertently stab herself with the needle. She swore under her breath, licking the small trickle of blood on her index finger.

Couldn't Megumi leave her alone for just ten minutes so she could get some work done?

"Come in," Setsuna called out, the annoyance evident in her voice.

The door swung open. The designer expected to see the petite figure of her loyal assistant, but instead she was greeted by the ever bright smile of her princess. Usagi entered the room, her eyes wide as she gazed around the office at all the beautiful dresses.

"Wow, Setsuna-san, these are amazing!" she complimented her, looking over a black dress covered with feathers. "Your new line is sure to be a huge hit. Everybody's going to want to wear a Meioh Setsuna original, from Tokyo to Paris. Just wait and see!"

"Thank you, Usagi-san," the designer said softly, returning to her work. "You're very kind. I've worked very hard on this line."

"And it shows."

The princess's blue eyes fell on the exquisite white gown in the corner, her mouth breaking into a huge smile. She went over to the mannequin and ran her finger along the neckline. The dress was far from finished, but Usagi could tell that it was going to turn out perfectly. "Is this what I think it is?" she asked reverently.

Setsuna looked up from the strap she was working on and smiled sadly at the look of pure joy on Usagi's face. "Yes, that's your wedding dress. I just started on it a few days ago, so I'm afraid it doesn't look like much now…"

"No, it looks wonderful! I can't wait until it's finished. Do you think Mamoru will like it?"

Why did she have to say his name? Setsuna bit her lip, trying to keep herself from crying as she concentrated even harder on fixing the loose strap on the pink dress. She secretly wondered if Usagi knew the truth and was purposely trying to torture her by flaunting her engagement at every opportunity, but Setsuna knew that the princess would never do something like that. Usagi was an open book who wore her emotions on her sleeve. If she knew about the affair, the time guardian was certain she would know about it.

Before she could reply to Usagi's question, the two of them were interrupted by the familiar presence of Kitano Megumi. The short redhead stood in the open doorway, her face anything but happy. Setsuna sighed, wondering what happened now.

"Meioh-san? I'm afraid I have some bad news," Megumi said.

"It's always bad news. Can't I ever get some good news around here?" Setsuna muttered under her breath.

"Meioh-san?"

"Never mind. What is it now?"

Megumi pushed her thick glasses up her nose, looking down at the clipboard in her hands. "The Bishounen Agency just called a few minutes ago to inform us that Ogata Kiyoshi has the flu and will be unable to do the show."

"What!? I don't believe this. Can't they send over another model to take his place?"

The dowdy assistant shrugged her shoulders apologetically. "I suppose all the guys that match his measurements already have jobs today. Tokyo Fashion Week is their busiest time of the year, after all."

Frustrated, Setsuna rested her forehead against the shoulder of the mannequin she was working on. This was just great. Where in the world would she be able to find another guy with Ogata's measurements to take his place in less than thirty minutes?

Usagi, eavesdropping on their conversation, walked over to Megumi and looked over her shoulder at the ill model's stats. Her eyes lit up as she thought of a brilliant idea. "You know, Setsuna-san, Mamo-chan is just about this guy's size, and he used to work as a model when he was in high school. I'm sure I can convince him to take this guy's place in the show."

"Mamoru-san's here?" the designer asked, her voice slightly shaking.

"Yeah. He's talking with Ryo-kun and Umino in the showroom. Do you want me to ask him?"

Setsuna shook her head. The last person she wanted to see right now was Chiba Mamoru, even if he could potentially save her fashion show. There had to be some other guy they could use. "No, that's okay, Usagi-chan. I wouldn't want to impose."

"Don't be silly, Setsuna-san! Where else are you going to find a replacement so soon before the show. Besides, I can't wait to see how hunky my Mamo-chan looks in your designs. I'll go talk to him right now!"

"Usagi-chan, wait!"

Before Setsuna could decline her offer once again, the blonde was sprinting out of the office and heading toward the showroom to talk to Mamoru.

The designer sighed loudly, focusing her attention back on the broken strap. This was not turning out to be a good day at all.

"NO!"

Usagi's lips curled up into a childish pout. Mamoru could be so stubborn sometimes. She'd told him about Setsuna's dilemma with the sick model, but he steadfastly refused to take Ogata Kiyoshi's place in the fashion show. It wasn't like him at all. The Mamoru she knew and loved wouldn't hesitate to help out a friend in trouble, even if it meant doing something he didn't want to do. "Come on, Mamo-chan!" she pleaded, yanking on his right arm. "Setsuna-san really needs your help. The whole show will be ruined if you don't take the guy's place."

"Usako, there is absolutely no way I'm going through with this," Mamoru insisted, yanking his arm away from her Herculean grasp. "You know how much I hated modeling when I was in high school. I only agreed to the job to make some easy money in order to pay my tuition at Moto Azabu Academy."

"I know, but can't you do it just one more time to help out a dear friend in trouble?"

Inside his head, Mamoru was thinking just how ironic those words were. The last time he helped the same "dear friend" in trouble, he ended up in Setsuna's bed. Usagi wouldn't be so enthusiastic about this modeling thing if she knew just how willing he was to "help".

"Couldn't she just ask Haruka?" he suggested. "I mean, Haruka-san can certainly pass herself off as a man, and she's almost as tall as I am."

"But Haruka-san's shoulders aren't as broad as yours, and she's a whole lot slimmer. The clothes wouldn't fit right, and I doubt Setsuna-san has enough time to fix all the outfits before the show starts."

"How about asking one of the other guys, then? Ryo-kun is about my size, and I'm sure plenty of women think of him as quite handsome."

"But Ryo-kun's never modeled before and neither have the others," Usagi pointed out. She curiously stared at her handsome fiancé, arms folded across her chest. "Why are you so opposed to this anyway? Would it really be that horrible to dress in some of the most stylish clothes this side of Paris and prance in front of a few hundred people for a couple of hours? It's not like I'm asking you to walk on burning coals or to swim across the entire Sea of Japan."

"Look, Usako, I feel bad for Setsuna-san, really I do, but I just cannot help her out," Mamoru said."I didn't even want to come to the show in the first place."

Never one to give up until she got what she wanted, Usagi pulled out the most deadly weapon in her arsenal: tears. Crying was the one thing that never failed to work on Mamoru. Her pretty blue eyes welled up as she put on her saddest face, looking up at her fiancé. She could instantly see all the antagonism fade away as Mamoru wiped away a tear that streamed down her face.

"Don't cry, Usako," he whispered, pulling out his handkerchief. "If it means so much to you, I'll be in the show. But I'm not going to like it."

Happy that he finally saw things her way, Usagi threw her arms around his neck and gave him a huge kiss on the cheek, causing Mamoru's face to turn red with embarrassment. She knew she could always count on him. "Oh, Mamo-chan, you're the best!"

Mamoru walked down the corridor located in the back of the store, searching for Setsuna's office. Usagi had given him directions, but he was completely lost. Did she say it was the third door on the left? Or was it the fifth door on the right?

He quietly knocked on one of the doors, his heart beating in anticipation. This was a bad idea. A very bad, bad idea. He didn't know how he let Usagi talk him into doing this. No matter how many times he told himself that he could deal with this, in his heart, he knew he wasn't strong enough to face Setsuna just yet. Mamoru wiped his sweaty hands on his slacks in nervous anticipation as the door slowly creaked open.

A sigh of relief escaped from his lips when he saw it was a petite woman with thick glasses who opened the door, a clipboard in her hands. She raised an eyebrow as if to say, "Who the heck are you, and what are you doing here?" Mamoru raked a hand through his thick ebony hair.

"Um…I'm looking for Meioh Setsuna's office," he finally said when it was obvious that the woman had no intention to speak. "Could you please tell me where I can find it?"

"This is Meioh-san's office," the woman said. "I am her assistant Kitano Megumi. Is there something I can do for you, sir?"

"Yes, my name is Chiba Mamoru, and I'm here to fill in for Ogata Kiyoshi-san in the show."

Megumi's dull brown eyes traveled over his body, mentally estimating his measurements. When she was satisfied that he matched Ogata's body type and size, the assistant gave Mamoru a curt nod. "I suppose you'll do," she replied, not sounding very enthusiastic. "Do you have any experience?"

"I was a model for a couple of months in high school."

She nodded again, writing something on her clipboard. "Go to the dressing room at the end of the hall. Someone there will tell you what to do. The show starts in exactly twenty minutes, so I suggest you hurry."

After giving him those instructions, Megumi turned around and walked back into the office, closing the door behind her. Mamoru thought she was rather rude, but decided not to let it bother him. He had dealt with worse assistants before. Before he left to go to the dressing room, he briefly considered knocking again and asking if he could speak to Setsuna, but decided that there wasn't enough time. He would speak to her after the show.

After she finished talking with the dozens of reporters who begged to have an interview with the new "Donna Karan of Tokyo", Setsuna went back to her office to have a little quiet time alone. She poured herself some coffee and took a seat at her desk, flipping randomly though a glossy fashion magazine.

The showing had been a huge success. Offers were coming in from all the biggest stores in Tokyo, and even a couple buyers from New York and Paris were interested in carrying her new line. After years of being mostly know as a local designer, it seemed that she was finally going to get the worldwide exposure she always dreamed of, but, for some reason, she wasn't as happy as she should have been.

There was a soft knock on the door. Setsuna closed her magazine and sighed, silently wishing everybody would just leave her alone for a while. Maybe if she just stayed quiet, they would think she wasn't there and leave. However, the person knocked again.

"Setsuna-san, open the door," a familiar voice said. "It's me. I know you're in there because I saw you go in. We need to talk."

The designer felt her legs turn into jelly as she slowly walked towards the door and turned the knob. Why did he have to come today? Didn't he know that watching him up on that stage today, modeling the outfits she often fantasized him wearing, was pure torture? Still, she took a deep breath and swung open the door.

Mamoru smiled sadly as he entered the room. He was still dressed in the tuxedo he modeled for the finale, looking quite dashing. After all, he always did look best in formal clothes. Setsuna motioned for him to take a seat on the Italian leather couch in the corner of the office, pouring him a cup of coffee.

"Thank you for doing the show, Mamoru-san. I really appreciate it," she said. Setsuna handed him the mug and took a seat beside him, sitting as far away as possible. "Don't worry. Megumi-kun makes the coffee around here," she assured him, noticing him taking a hesitant sip.

"It's good. Your assistant makes great coffee."

Mamoru took another sip, this time larger than before, and an awkward silence fell between them. Now that they were actually alone together, neither of them knew how to approach the subject that was constantly on both their minds. Setsuna began absentmindedly twirling a strand of her long green hair.

"You said we needed to talk, so talk," she finally said, unable to take much more of the silence.

Mamoru sat his mug down on the coffee table and turned to face Setsuna, his midnight blue eyes filled with guilt and confusion. "What happened that night was a mistake," he declared. "We were both hurting, and while it was natural for us to turn to each other in our pain, that doesn't make it right."

The beautiful time guardian nodded her head. "I know, Mamoru-san. We put the entire future in jeopardy. If Usagi-chan ever learned the truth…"

He gently wiped away a tear that streaked down her cheek and lifted her chin so that he could look into those gorgeous red eyes. He instantly felt the same shock of attraction he felt the night of the engagement party.

"Oh, Setsuna-san, what kind of spell have you cast on me?" Mamoru whispered. "I love Usagi, but I keep feeling this overwhelming attraction toward you that I'm lost for words to explain. I thought I would be strong enough to resist, but I can't. The pull is just as strong as ever."

With her heart pounding against her chest, Mamoru brought Setsuna's full, seductive mouth to his own. She could feel her resolve start to disappear as the kiss deepened, and a moan escaped her lips when his hands found their way underneath her shirt and to her breasts.

"Mamoru-san, stop, we can't do this," she insisted, somehow managing to pull herself away even though she should have given anything to continue. "Usagi-chan is probably looking for you right now. She could walk in here any minute."

"You're right." Mamoru sat back up and rearranged his clothes into some semblance of order. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

"The same thing I'm thinking. But you must remember that it is your destiny to marry Usagi-chan, no matter what. She cannot ever know about what happened that night. It could ruin everything."

"We have to forget," he added. "That is the only way."

Wiping away another tear, Setsuna stood up and tucked her black silk blouse back into her skirt. "You better go find Usagi-chan. She's probably wondering where you are."

"Right."

He quickly gulped down the rest of his coffee and left without even saying goodbye.

The smile on Usagi's face could not get any larger as she walked down the corridor. Mamoru had been a huge hit at the fashion show. All the women in the audience were in love with him, as evident by the dreamy sighs and lovey-dovey eyes, and it gave Usagi great satisfaction to be able to hold out her expensive pink diamond engagement ring and happily inform all those lovesick girls that her Mamo-chan was already taken.

When she reached the dressing rooms, she was surprised to discover that Mamoru wasn't there. Megumi, Setsuna's dowdy assistant, told her that she hadn't seen him since the show ended. It was probably nothing though. Mamoru was probably trying to get away from all his new adoring fans, and she was just the person to do the job.

She walked back down the corridor, heading back toward the showroom. As she passed by Setsuna's office, Usagi noticed that the door was slightly ajar. Since she was already there, she might as well congratulate the designer for her success. Maybe she could even convince Setsuna to have dinner with her and Mamoru.

Usagi approached the door, surprised to hear voices. Setsuna was most likely talking to a buyer or something, so she decided not to bother her. The blonde turned to leave when she heard Mamoru's familiar voice coming from the room. So that was where he'd been. Good, she could kill two birds with one stone. She placed her hand on the knob, but something Mamoru said stopped her from going in.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

Usagi pressed her ear against the wall, curious as to what they were talking about. "The same thing I'm thinking," Setsuna said. "But you must remember that it is your destiny to marry Usagi, no matter what. She cannot ever know about what happened that night. It could ruin everything."

"We have to forget. That is the only way."

Usagi was confused. What were Setsuna and Mamoru talking about? Were they keeping something from her? She held her breath as she waited for them to continue with their conversation, but it sounded like they were finished. Setsuna told him he better go, and a few seconds later, Usagi could hear his footsteps coming toward the door. She jumped away just as the door opened, not wanting them to know she was eavesdropping.

"Usako!" he exclaimed, surprised. "What are you doing back here?"

She smiled, throwing her arms around her fiancé. "I was looking for you, muffin! I thought you would be in the dressing room. Did Setsuna-san want to talk to you about something?"

Mamoru's eyes refused to meet hers. "She was just thanking me for filling in for that Ogata guy."

"Oh."

Pulling away from Usagi's embrace, Mamoru gave her a light kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to go get out of these clothes, and then I'll take you out to dinner. Does that sound okay?"

"That sounds great. I'm starving!"

Mamoru laughed. "I thought so. Stay here. I'll be back in five minutes."

Watching as Mamoru headed back to the dressing room, Usagi noticed the faint scent of a sweet flowery perfume lingering in the air behind him. The fragrance was mildly familiar, and her eyes widened as she remembered where she recognized the perfume from.

It was the same scent Mamoru wore when he came back home after the engagement party.