How About a Cup of Coffee?
Chapter 7B
*
Darien Shields stared at his state-of-the-art computer's flat screen. And groaned. Loudly. "Of all the days, Rei… of all the days." He groaned some more and thunked his head down on the black desk.
There was the click of the door opening as he tilted his head to the side and popped one eye open. Andrew's golden head was all that could be seen of him.
"I hope you're not doing what it sounds like you're doing."
He sat up so fast and glared at him so harshly that Andrew brought up his hand—holding a piece of white office paper—in surrender formation.
"I'm just gonna go now…"
The ebony-haired man grunted in approval and turned his glare on the computer screen. "Seriously, Rei. It had to be tonight, didn't it?" He rose from his leather-backed chair, copying something down onto a sticky note. Flicking off the lights, he grabbed his suitcase, and walked out of the office.
***
The music was so loud, he could hear as he parked his car outside. Casting a wary glance upwards, and wincing at the life of the party, he could only imagine what was going on up there.
There was no time to think about that, though, because Rei took the documents for the Firm's travel arrangements to Milan—documents he needed to scan and go over as soon as he could—and then the board needed to review it.
"But such is life," he mocked, and, clasping a hand around the golden door-handle, he walked inside and waited for the elevator.
***
"You gotta do much better if you gone dance
with me tonight
You gotta work your jelly if you gone dance with me tonight
Read my lips carefully if you like what you see
Move, groove, prove you can hang with me
By the looks I got you shook up and scared of me
Hook up your seatbelt, it's time for takeoff
I don't think you ready for this jelly
I don't think you ready for this jelly
I don't think you ready for this
Cause my body too bootylicious for ya babe"
Serena, Mina and Danyelle were in the front of the living room, pajamas on, strutting their stuff. "Bootylicious" was the song of choice by all and while the other girls were getting ready for bed—it had become an impromptu sleep-over, they decided to take some action.
Suddenly, the doorbell buzzed and Mina went over to answer it. "Hello?"
But, dear readers, because of the static and volume of the music, she heard no answer. The pizza guy was late, she mused, and figuring it was him, she buzzed him up.
Finally, Rei, Lita, and Ami came out, fully clothed in pajamas that reflected their personalities. (AN: I'd go into greater detail now, but I have no time, seeing as I want to get this out within the next 10 minutes. You had better review this because I worked my BUTT off for you guys. Ahem.)
Rei was wearing red, beaded, two-piece pajama's, Lita had on a set of boxers and a tank top, and Ami had on a baby-nightgown that was all Ami. (They brought PJ's over just in case. *winks*)
The door buzzed again and Serena heard it over the music. "I'll get it!!! It's probably just the pizza guy!"
She opened the door, singing the last line of the song, "Cause my body too bootylicious for ya babe-bayyyyyy!" Then she looked up at who was at the door and gasped. And then she closed the door in his face—because that wasn't the pizza guy.
***
Few things got to Darien as much as Serena did, but something stirred inside him when she answered the door to her apartment, dressed in a practically see-thru tank top that was falling off her shoulders and a pair of boxers that were way too short. And when she answers the door saying something about her body being to "bootylicious," well, that was a bit hard on the young man.
After all, he just realized how much of a beauty she'd grown into this morning… after he'd gotten quite the view of her legs.
Sighing, and bracing for the worst, he knocked on the door again, as loud as he could, grasping the fact that she hadn't known he was coming. That plastered a happy-grin on his face, so when Rei opened the door a second later, that was what she saw.
***
Meanwhile…
"WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME THAT DARIEN SHEILDS MAKES 'HOUSE CALLS'? Huh? Or am I just too dumb to be told something like that?"
Rei walked over to the blonde, who was in a stage of full-freakout at this time. "Calm down, you meatball headed blonde. Darien is at the door?"
Unable to speak, from anger and shock, Serena just nodded.
"Well. I'll go see what he wants, ok?"
Serena nodded again and Rei opened the door.
***
"Darien?" Rei asked him coolly. "What are you doing here?"
He frowned. What exactly was he doing there? Oh yeah… "I came for the attendance lists for Milan—you took them with you, they weren't on my desk when I left today. I need them," he stated again, unnecessarily.
The raven-haired woman looked at him blankly. "Well I don't have them."
"What?" he asked, not wanting to believe her.
"I. Don't. Have. Them." Said Rei, speaking condescendingly to him.
Unable to suppress the yell that came out of his mouth, he nearly punched the wall in frustration. "You mean to tell me that I came all the way here—for nothing!!!! Is this some sort of cosmic joke?"
She closed the door gently and stepped into the hallway. Taking him by the shoulders, she started to push him towards the elevator, pushing the 'down' button and waiting for the elevator.
"Darien, you need to go home and relax. Do whatever you need to do to calm down."
He sighed and nodded. "You're right Rei, thanks." He stepped inside the elevator and just as the door was closing Rei called out,
"And Darien? You didn't come here for nothing. You go to see Serena in pajama's."
And then the door closed.
***
End part 7B