Part Six: A Hungry Secretary

Ami sprinkled paprika liberally on top of the still-warm potato salad, her mother breaking up leaves of lettuce into a large bowl. It was the day after the file-heist, and Ami was in her apartment, making dinner with her mother. Ami placed the potato salad on the table and watched bright drops of water flicker off of the freshly-washed lettuce, her mother's slim, knotted hands working efficiently. Ami took a large tomato, washed it, and began to slice it for the salad, her pale, smooth hands slicing slowly and methodically.

"So how are you doing with this new fellow?" her mother asked, picking up a carrot. "What was his name?"
"Zoicite," Ami murmured. "You remember him – from high school?"
"Yes, Zoicite. How are things going with him?" She dried her hands on a towel.
Ami paused and finished the tomato. "His work is keeping him pretty busy, but he still makes time for me. Mainly, I babysit his nephew, Jared, and see him in the morning. He has to work nights a lot." She added the last to satiate her mother's curious glance. Under those beautiful dark blue eyes, Ami felt like scum. Her stomach was sour with her guilt – how could she have helped rob her own mother? She must be the worst daughter in the world.
"What does he do?" her mother sprinkled the chopped carrot into the salad.
Ami was flustered. "Oh, um, he's . . ." she spouted out the first thing she could think of, "a secretary."
Her mother's eyes widened. "A secretary?" Ami could tell that she was trying to find something nice to say about that. "That's . . . a very fine profession."
Ami laughed a little nervously. "He's working on his business degree. . . ." she explained a little weakly, "going to school at night." Her mother nodded, both of them falling back into silence as they worked.
There was a knock at the door and Ami gratefully went to get it. Her nerves were shot and she was afraid of letting something slip. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to have dinner with her mother tonight.
Ami opened the door and stared at a fuzzy brown face with shiny black eyes and a button nose. Zoicite lowered the teddy-bear from in front of his face and gave a sheepish, hopeful smile, holding the plush animal out like a peace offering. "Can I come in?"
Ami blinked at him and then nodded. "My mother's here," she told him, the softness of the stuffed animal's fur striking her dumb.
"Ah," Zoicite breathed, watching her bury her face into the bear's soft head. He touched her shoulder, fingers and voice gentle. "You gonna be okay?"
Ami nodded, not trusting her voice, and then threw herself into Zoicite's arms, the bear falling at their feet. "I'm scared."
He held her, kissing her hair. He'd never meant for her to get mixed up in all of this, and now they had turned her against her mother. It just wasn't fair. "I know, sweetheart."
"Ami?" her mother called from the kitchen. "Who was it?"
Ami pulled from Zoicite's arms and led him to the kitchen. "Zoicite dropped by," Ami told her, her heart jumping as his warm hand slipped assuredly into hers.
Her mother smiled at them. They made such a sweet couple – and she could tell they liked each other. Ami was blushing and wouldn't look her in the eye, but there was a shy smile tugging around her mouth. "Does he want to stay for dinner?"
Zoicite's eyes lit up at the mention of food. He looked beseechingly at Ami, who laughed.
"Okay, but you have to wash your hands first." Zoicite nodded and turned to comply – when he realized that he'd never been in her apartment before.
"Um," he started, but she realized his problem and gave him swift directions. Zoicite smiled and kissed her cheek swiftly before going. "Thank you."
Just like a real couple, Ami thought as her mother smiled knowingly. Ami, to retain her dignity and calm her fire-red cheeks, picked up a knife and went feverishly at the boneless grilled chicken, slicing it into long thin strips and placing them in the salad. She didn't look up, even though she felt her mother's smiling eyes on her, until Zoicite came back.
He was admiring her apartment. It was pale, very spacious, and expertly decorated. Spotting the teddy bear he'd brought still lying in front of the door, he picked it up and carried it into the living room, which was separated from the kitchen only by a bar.
Ami turned and saw the bear in his hands. "Where should I put him?" he asked, smiling sweetly.
"On the couch," she smiled back, their eyes meeting and holding until Ami realized that her mother was still watching them. She turned quickly back to the salad and let Zoicite settle the bear onto her pristine blue sofa.
"Being a doctor must pay well," he commented, coming over to lean against the bar counter. "This is a nice place."
Ami smiled and picked up the finished salad as her mother started making some iced tea. "It does pay well. Better than your job, I imagine," she smiled at him, thinking of his small apartment, and he rolled his eyes.
"Unfortunately." Zoicite watched her as she got out an extra plate and some silverware for him. As she straightened up, he placed a quick, silent kiss on her lips. Ami flushed in surprise and shot a look to her mother, whose back was to them. Zoicite winked impertinently and sat down, elbows on the table and chin in his hands, smiling up at where she still stood.
"How is your secretarial work going, Zoicite?" Ami's mother asked as she came over with the tea.
Zoicite blinked, looked at Ami, who suddenly wouldn't meet his eyes and had a curious jerking around her lips, and turned back to the elder Dr. Mizuno.
She looked at his blank face and drew a quick assumption, wincing. "Oh, I'm sorry. Is that a touchy subject for you?"
Zoicite claimed his wits quickly and gave the woman a charming smile. "No, no. I was just surprised that she'd told you. She doesn't mention it much to others." He gave her a conspiratorial glance and they both looked at Ami, who was sitting down and giving Zoicite a look laced with annoyed amusement.
"Ami, honey," her mother admonished while passing Zoicite the potato salad, "you really shouldn't be so touchy about what your friends do."
Ami lowered her eyes, more to hide the laughter than anything, and replied softly, obediently, "Of course, mother."
Dr. Mizuno turned again to Zoicite. "Ami tells me that you're taking business courses at night? How is that going?"
He refrained from looking at Ami and gave the elder doctor a brilliant smile. "Very well, ma'am. I'm at the top of my class." The woman looked impressed, Ami looked incredulous, and Zoicite decided to pile it on. "In fact," he gave Ami a sly look, "I've been hit on by many an available young college student." He blinked and added so seriously that Ami had to cover her mouth with her napkin to keep from laughing, "Not all of them female.
"But alas," he put one hand over his heart, "I've had to turn them all down for the love of a beautiful and promising young pediatrician." Here he took Ami's hand on top of the table and looked at her with genuine affection. "Though I can't say I've regretted it."
Dinner went well and Zoicite praised everything, so that Ami's mother was beaming with satisfaction by the time she took her leave – and not just for the young man's appetite. She was thrilled to see her daughter so happily settled with such a fine man. And so very imaginative, too. She smiled, wrapping her jacket around her and kissing her daughter goodbye. "I like him," she whispered before leaving.
"So do I," Ami had whispered back, and the two women smiled at each other.
Zoicite stayed to help with the dishes.
"You could be a writer, you know," Ami told him as they headed back to the kitchen.
"Why's that?" he asked, and she grinned.
"You're full of it."
Zoicite laughed. "Me? Who told her that I was a secretary?! A secretary, Ami! Really!" he shook his head as she laughed, blushing.
"I had to think of something – she surprised me."
He rolled his eyes and exclaimed, "When rookies are startled!"
"Rookie liars?" Ami poked him playfully and he caught her hand. In one instant the mood changed and he caught her up and was kissing her – kissing her until she couldn't breathe.
They parted and gasped for air, Zoicite holding her tight and resting his chin on her hair. "God, Ami, I've been wanting to do that all night."
Ami just held him back, dazed from the kiss. Finally, her thoughts pieced together somewhat and she could form a coherent thought. "Why didn't you call me yesterday?"
He winced a little. "I fell asleep, and then it was too late to call." He hugged her fiercely. "I'm sorry," he smiled down at her, hoping for quick forgiveness, and chuckled a little. "What did you think the bear was for?"
Ami only smiled and shook her head, bringing his face down to hers again. She just couldn't get enough of his lips.