Stretching, Hitomi rolled her neck as she saved her document, a task that now secretly pleased herself, and grabbed her beige trench coat and left her cubicle, swinging her purse merrily.
"Going for lunch, Hitomi?" Millerna smiled as she was on her way to the photocopier.
"Yeah," Hitomi laughed, "Is Merle sick?" Hitomi added, referring to Millerna's secretary.
"Bronchitis, or something," Millerna nodded, "But I guess I'll rough it here," she added with a beam, and nodding, Hitomi headed down the cubicle walls, her stomach grumbling. Walking by Van's office, she noticed him staring exasperatedly at his computer, slamming the phone down and every so often swearing loudly or taking a bite of his chocolate bar. As he ran a hand through his hair, Hitomi put on a confident smile and knocked at his door.
"Working hard?" Hitomi teased, and Van looked up. Finally realizing who it was, a smile broke on his face and, nodding, Van straightened up.
"Is it your lunch hour?" Van asked.
"Yeah," Hitomi replied, "When is yours?"
"Now," Van admitted, "For the past week I've been living off chocolate bars," he added, gesturing at the candy on his desk.
"That's not healthy," Hitomi replied, tensing up after she said it, remembering her incident with the smoking, "Oh well. When you start resembling a dead twig I'll force feed you," she added quickly, flashing him a brilliant smile.
"Nice to know I have you there," Van laughed, and leaning back he quickly looked her up and down out of the corner of his eye. "So where you headed?" he asked casually, and Hitomi shrugged.
"I don't know, I just moved in this area so I'm just sort of scouting around".
"You should check out the Banana Leaf," Van suggested, "That is if you like Thai food."
"I love Thai food," Hitomi brightened, and Van cringed inwardly as he connected her bright reaction to all the reactions of the women in the office. He recommends anything and they'd automatically love it. Hell, if he recommended a toilet company they'd love it. "But I was actually hoping for sushi," Hitomi admitted, not wanting to hurt Van's feelings.
"You like sushi? As in the raw fish?" Van asked, impressed.
"Yes," Hitomi replied indignantly, "What's wrong with raw fish?"
"Nothing, just a lot of people don't like it," Van shrugged, "Memories has pretty good sushi, considering this area."
"I'll go check that out then," Hitomi smiled gratefully, and there was a pause. "Lots of work?" Hitomi asked, nonchalantly.
"Not really, I should be done in two hours or so," Van answered, and Hitomi nodded.
"Why don't you join me for lunch?" she asked breezily, her grip on her purse tightening as she waited for his answer.
She could hear Van's clock ticking, the smooth silver hands moving flawlessly, all other noises slightly blurred as she could hear her heart thumping.
"Well, I guess lunch with you won't hurt me too much," Van teased after waiting a suspenseful moment, "But force feed me and I'll be forced to some high class kung fu moves," Van added with a playful wink.
"Oh boy," Hitomi laughed as she shook her head, "Come on Judo Master, before you hurt someone." Picking up his jacket, Van followed Hitomi out of the office, several women glaring daggers at her as he kept an almost-kind affectionate gaze on her.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Oh gods, I needed this," Van drooled as he took a gratifying sip of hot green tea, relaxing in the quiet booth, the sound of water trickling into a fountain filled with goldfish audible. "That and a massage, and I'd be in heaven," Van added, leaning back lazily as he broke apart his chop sticks.
"I used to work at a spa as a masseuse," Hitomi thought aloud before realizing it. Van gave her a mischievous look, and Hitomi turned bright red.
"Hitomi's a masseuse, eh?" he grinned slyly, leaning forward in his seat.
"I was lying," Hitomi babbled, "I flipped burgers actually."
"Hitomi knows how to bend men to her will!" Van laughed loudly, "Really know how to manipulate their bodies--"
"Stop it!" Hitomi complained, flushing. "Oh, go lay down on a bed of needles or something."
"Ouch," Van smirked when the bento boxes arrived. Nodding thanks at the waiter, Van dug in hungrily as Hitomi delicately placed a tuna roll in her mouth.
"Mmm, it's fresh," she exclaimed, delighted, her mouth full of fish, rice and sea weed.
"You mean you didn't trust me that this place was good?" Van asked, pretending to be appalled as he shovelled rice into his mouth.
"Trust you?" Hitomi retorted good-naturedly as she popped in another piece, "I don't know…. Kind of hard…." She trailed off, as if it was very difficult.
"Hmmph," Van pouted, and Hitomi smiled as she could seem him fighting back a smile. Studying her hand, Hitomi checked her nails, frowning.
"My fingers are long… Hey, how long are yours?" she asked, interested, and Van set down his chopsticks and extended his hand.
"I don't know, they're fingers," he shrugged, and Hitomi nodded.
"Hmm… Ooh, can you cover your face with your hand?" she asked, and Van shrugged again.
"I don't know," he replied, and lifting his hand, he placed it over his face.
"Fair game," Hitomi cackled as she smacked Van's hand, causing him to smack himself in the face.
"Hey!" Van protested, rubbing his nose. "I hope you don't go around smacking people left and right, you violent woman. Menace to society I say," he added, and Hitomi put her hand to her chest.
"At least I don't go around putting my hand on my face to see if I can cover it!" she retorted, trying not to laugh.
"You asked me!"
"You fell for it!" Hitomi replied instantly, and Van scowled.
"Crazy woman who goes around smacking the innocent public," Van mumbled as he took another sip of tea, and Hitomi cocked her head.
"You're not sore for losing, now are you?" she asked, her green eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Me? Lose?" Van gaped, and Hitomi nodded.
"Who was the one who just smacked himself in the face?"
"You know, you don't have to rub salt in the wound," Van replied, and Hitomi was slightly disappointed at his sudden loss of fight. She wanted to banter, but shrugging to herself, she supposed he was worried about work or something.
"Are you ready to go?" she asked, and after Van nodded, she reached for her purse.
"I'll cover it," Van smiled, and Hitomi shook her head defiantly.
"Don't be a chauvinistic pig, just let me deal with it, I'm not poor," Hitomi retorted, and Van snorted.
"Just let me do it, I make more then you. Besides, you paid for the pizza last night," he insisted. As the waitress came to their table with a check, Van grabbed it, holding Hitomi back with his other hand, and after glancing at it, he placed his platinum credit card on the tray.
"I could have won the lottery or something," Hitomi grumbled, "Or maybe my dead aunt left me a lot of money. For all you know I could be a millionaire."
"Oh please, all mighty rich one, please do not wipe a lowly penny at my head," Van mocked, and Hitomi scowled as she kicked him under the table jokingly. After Van got his card back and signed, the two got up and left the quiet restaurant, walking along the concrete to the office.
"I think you have soy sauce on your shirt," Van commented with a frown, and as Hitomi pulled the collar slightly to see, Van hit her nose up, grinning merrily as she shrieked in rage. As she raised her purse to hit him, Van grabbed her arm, at the same time Hitomi let go her weight. Nearly falling down, Van grabbed Hitomi's other arm, and helped her up as she snorted in a mock angry fashion.
"That was cheap," she scowled.
"Ah, but I won," he grinned moronically, and Hitomi merely tried to kick at him as he dodged out of the way.
Giving a Hitomi side glance a lazy smile spread across Van's face, his eyes twinkling mischievously. Noticing, Hitomi raised her eyebrows, her lips pursing. "What? Do I have something on my face?"
"No," Van replied, his expression growing more mischievous by the minute. Rolling her eyes Hitomi turned back around, trying her best to ignore Van as they walked side-by-side down the street back towards the building. Stopping at the crosswalk Hitomi looked up at Van, eyes narrowing.
"What!?" shouted Hitomi getting a few stares from the other people at the crosswalk. When the sign switched the walk Van started head, quickly followed by Hitomi having to jog to catch up. Calling after Van, Hitomi felt like chucking her shoe at the back of his head. He was obviously thinking about something that concerned her or else he wouldn't have that look on his face.
Looking down at Hitomi once more, his eyes twinkling, Van finally spoke afraid that perhaps if he annoyed her much more she would hurt him or something. "I was just curious about the hair and found it amusing that you are the first girl I really know with that length."
"Is that a bad thing?" Hitomi inquired, warning lining her voice.
"No," Van replied gently, "I like it."
"…Oh," Hitomi replied after a moment, unsure of what to say.
"So you just moved in the area?" he asked, Hitomi nodding. "Did you move away from family? Friends? Your band of men that you slaved, bending to your every will?" he added devilishly, his motives, however different from what they appeared to be.
"I moved away from friends," Hitomi sniffed primly, and Van laughed.
"Oh, so no band of slave men?" he asked, and Hitomi replied a haughty no. "You've got to practice your massage technique then," he teased, "You're losing your touch."
"Shush up," Hitomi retorted with a slight smile, and Van grinned back.
"So, you're not going out with anyone?" Van asked casually, busying himself by checking his watch for the time.
"Uh, no," Hitomi confessed, "But even if I was, I wouldn't slave them away," she added.
"Sure," Van nodded mockingly, and Hitomi scowled as he pushed the button for the elevator.
"What about you?" Hitomi asked, "Are you going out with anyone?"
"Not in particular," Van replied calmly, and stepping out the elevator he nodded briskly at her before striding quickly into his office. "Nice having lunch," he called over his shoulder, and shutting his office door, Hitomi stood in the middle of the cubicles, slightly wary of the sudden mood change.
Sighing, Hitomi decided to shrug the matter off and eased herself out of her jacket, sitting down to read over a few of the papers someone had put onto her desk for her to work with.
"Hey," came a female voice. Looking up, Hitomi saw a red head leaning on her cubicle wall, eying Hitomi up and down.
"Hello," Hitomi smiled uneasily, unsure why the red head had suddenly appeared and wanted a conversation with her.
"Have a nice lunch?" the girl asked, Hitomi not catching the faint hint of maliciousness.
"I guess so," Hitomi shrugged, "Uh, if you don't mind me asking... Who are you?"
"Oh, sorry, I'm Holly. I work over there in the cubicles on the far right, near Mr. Fanel's office," smiled Holly extending her manicured hand, her red fingernails faintly reminding Hitomi of a carnivore and how its claws might look after ripping out the heart of its victim.
"Oh, I'm Hitomi," the green eyed woman replied, and Holly cocked her head to the side.
"I know," she replied shortly, "Anyways, you're new, and I've wanted to talk to you for a while."
Hitomi frowned slightly, un-aware that she was fidgeting with the papers in her hands. "Really? Why's that?" Hitomi faintly asked, brows going together in concern. Holly clucked her tongue in disappointment and helped herself to a seat in Hitomi's cubicle, making herself comfortable and picking up Hitomi's picture frame of her family.
"Nice family," commented Holly absently, not really looking at the picture but rather at Hitomi.
"Thank you," Hitomi replied, "I haven't seen them in a while..." she trailed off wistfully, and Holly shrugged.
"That's nice. Anyways, let's not beat around the bush, sugar," she interrupted, snapping her mint gum slightly. "I came to talk to you about Van."
Instantly Hitomi felt her whole body tense at the mention of her employer. Laughing nervously she smiled trying to draw her eyebrows together in curiosity. "What about Va – er, Mr. Fanel?"
Giving Hitomi a sympathetic smile Holly shook her head and glanced at towards Van's office as though afraid he might be watching. "Well, it's just… you're new and all and don't know much about him and I don't really want to see you hurt like so many of the others…"
"'So many of the others'…?" repeated Hitomi slowly wondering how many of the other employees Van had gone out to lunch with, joked with, complimented with, even bantered with.
"I'd just be careful, that's all I'm saying. I'd hate to have another co-worked quit because of him," sympathetically drawled the red head, looking down and picking away invisible flecks of lint on her skirt.
Unsure of what else she could do Hitomi smiled weakly, a small feeling of disappointment creeping into her body. "Uh, thanks?"
"I mean, I'm not trying to be mean or anything but Van and –" Holly stopped in mid-sentence, her eyes focused elsewhere. Following her line of vision she spotted Van in front of his office conversing with other male employee, his eyes focused over on Holly and Hitomi, his face unreadable. "Well," chuckled Holly jumping off the desk where she had situated herself. "Think about what I said and you and I should, you know, have lunch sometime or something. Get to know each other, be chums."
"That would be nice," Hitomi said unsure if she really ever wanted to talk with Holly again. The woman just had something about her that made Hitomi want to push her chair aside and spend the day hiding under the desk. The air hung heavy with the odour of something… was it fear?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
4.7.03:
MT: I'm addicted
to a new manga... *___*
CxV: What?
MT: MARS. :D
CxV: you do that.
MT: Anyway… Here is the next chapter. Enjoy.
CxV: please review n_n
Disclaimer: We claim no right to Escaflowne and are making no money off of this fanfiction.