Five

# CW: Hi again! Let's see what Seska has to say now! #

'Who, Mai Valentine?' asked Seska. 'Well, yeah, but we're not exactly in the same league. She's, like, the apple of the boss's eye, if you know what I mean. The favourite. Why do you ask?'

'It's a small world, huh?' grinned Joey. 'I'm a childhood friend of hers. Seska, could you do me a favour? Tell her you know me. Tell her 'Hi' from me, Ok?'

'Wow! You know Mai? I have to admit, that is one hell of a coincidence!' laughed Seska. 'Well, will do, Joey. I'll be seeing her on Monday, that is, if she's not busy doing bikini shots or something.'

'Thanks, Seska.' Smiled Joey.

There was silence. Silence, Joey found, was common when he spoke to Seska. They were both so nervous all the time!

'So, uh, you ever been here before?' Joey fidgeted in his seat, trying to make conversation.

'No, actually.' Replied Seska. 'I hardly ever eat out, especially not in a place as expensive as this. I only go out for a meal if I'm with somebody else, and it's real hard to find a decent guy around here.'

'But I'm a decent guy, huh?' asked Joey hopefully.

'Joe, that would be a gross understatement.' Seska smiled.

Joey looked away quickly, his cheeks brightening dramatically.

'In fact, I think you're the nicest guy I've ever met.' Said Seska quietly.

Joey looked up in surprise to see Seska's azure eyes fixed steadily on him, a completely calm expression on her face.

'Really?' Joey's insides were writhing.

'Really.' Replied Seska in the same tone that she had used before.

Joey realized they were getting closer and closer, leaning towards each other over the table.

Please, God, no! You can't make me!

'Excuse me, sir and madam.' Joey and Seska looked up, just in time.

The waiter was standing over them, a plate in each hand. Their meals had arrived, and none too soon.

'Thanks.' Grunted Joey, as his food was placed down before him.

The waiter set out their cutlery and strode away.

'Man, what is this thing?' Joey picked up something that looked like a nutcracker. 'Instrument of torture? Nee-hee-hee!' He pretended to pinch hold of Seska's nose with it.

'It's for your crab!' Explained Seska, laughing. 'You use it to crack open the hard bits.'

Joey gulped as he looked down at the rest of the cutlery.

'So which do I eat with?' he asked Seska, who was looking at hers in an equally bemused way.

'Dunno.' She replied. 'Just use any. I'm sure no one will mind.'

So Joey grabbed a shiny knife and fork from the selection and began to stuff his face, using his 'instrument of torture' as well as he could.

As they ate, Joey realised he was finding it easier and easier to talk to Seska.

'So, what did Téa tell you about me?' he asked her, his mouth full of salad.

'Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you about that.' Said Seska. 'She said: 'He's friendly, or at least he used to be'. What do you think that means?'

'Oh, I think I know what she's talking about.' Joey's tone darkened slightly, and he set down his knife and fork. In Joey's physical dictionary, neglecting his food for the time being meant he was going to say something serious. 'Before I met you, I had a huge fight with my younger sister and her boyfriend. It kinda ended in violence, and I chucked Tristan out and said he could never see my sister again. Yugi and Téa reckon it's depression.'

'Man. That sounds like a bad soap opera.' Said Seska quietly. 'No offence or anything, I mean, who doesn't love a bad soap opera?'

Joey swallowed a piece of crab the wrong way and began to choke.

Mai! That was what Mai once said! God, Seska, stop reminding me of her!

'Joe? You alright?' Seska got up, forgetting the seats were joined at the corner, and hurried round to pat him on the back.

In her haste, she didn't notice the passing waiter carrying a couple of bowls of interesting looking soup.

He collided with her, and the bowls tumbled from his grasp.

One splattered all over the perfect red carpet, and the other caught Joey over the head.

The scalding liquid splattered all over him, and he leapt up sharply, bellowing 'Shit! Shit! This stuff's hot!' and other such curses that I have conveniently forgotten.

The waiter looked up irately.

'Sir and madam, kindly pay for your meals, including the ones you are sporting now, Sir, and kindly seek out some other restaurant that does accept such antisocial behaviour.'

Joey gestured rudely at the man, and Seska drew out her purse.

'You want paying? Huh? Well here it is.' Seska threw a fifty dollar bill at the man, then said: 'Any more expenses you need to settle, kindly ask the President of the United States to sort it out, 'cos if you come running to me, I'm sorry, but you'll be less likely to be listened to.'

And with that, she turned on her heel and marched to the cloakroom, Joey trotting, dumbstruck, behind her.

Once they were out of the door, Seska threw herself at Joey.

'My God, I'm so sorry about that!' she was so contrite she was almost sobbing. 'Joey, are you hurt?'

But Joey was laughing.

Seska looked up in surprise to see him genuinely amused.

'Hurt? Seska, that was the funniest thing that's ever happened to me! Trust me, there've been a few.'

'But the soup was boiling! Joey, are you sure you're not hurt?' Seska was still upset, but Joey was almost hysterical now.

'Man, did you see the look on that guy's face? It was like 'whoops'! Y'know, like when little kids crap themselves or something!'

At this, Seska burst out laughing too.

The Main Street rang with their peals of mirth.

Joey put on a whiney voice. "Dear Lord, I dropped soup on a customer's head! Is that a bad thing?' Tell you something, Seska, he'll be writing in to one of those problem pages. You know: 'I work in a five star restaurant. The other day I dropped soup on a customer's head. I have nightmares about it now, and I don't think they'll ever go away! Please help me!' And that thing about seeing the President! Man was that guy-'

Joey stopped suddenly when Seska put a finger gently to his lips.

'Now, now, Joe. We don't wanna be arrested for disturbing the peace, now, do we?' she purred.

'I'll give you disturbing the peace!' laughed Joey, and before he knew what he was doing, he had grabbed Seska by the waist and their mouths were pressed firmly together.

Their first kiss. Joey loved, and hated, every second of it.

~

They stopped outside Seska's apartment.

'Look, Joey, before I turn in for the night, I just wanna say this.' Said Seska. 'I know we haven't known each other too long, but I've known quite a few guys in my time, and if you added them all together and multiplied by a million, they still wouldn't make up a half of you. I think you're the one.'

Seska leant forwards and they kissed again.

'Night, Joe.' She smiled, pulling back. 'I'll see you some time soon, Ok? Oh, and you better have a shower, Ok? You're still covered in soup!'

She wandered in through the door and closed it behind her.

She leant hard against the solid wood. It was the only trace of reality she could feel at the moment.

Her head was too full of Joseph Wheeler.

Oh, get a grip, girl!

~

Joey rolled over in his bed, unable to sleep.

He felt sick.

What was he doing? Who did he love the most? Was he just using Seska to get to Mai, or using Mai as an excuse to be with Seska? If the time came, and he actually had a chance with Mai, would he figure out he actually loved Seska most of all, having told her they were through and he truly belonged with Mai? Or would he pass up the chance to be with Mai, and stay with Seska, and then figure out that wasn't what he wanted after all?

Joey's brain hurt like hell.

There was a soft knock at his door.

'Joey, get to sleep.' Serenity murmured from the other side of the wall. 'I can hear you tossing and turning from my room. It's three a.m, and we've got work tomorrow.'

'I hate my job.' Mumbled Joey into his pillow.

'Well it's all you've got, so live with it.' Snapped Serenity, and Joey heard her slippered feet padding away briskly.

~

'Er - Miss Valentine?'

'Yeah, what is it, hon? Make it quick; I've got a photo shoot in a half an hour and I've got to get ready.'

'Do you know a guy called Joseph Wheeler?'

Mai snapped to attention, her violet eyes actually meeting Seska's for once. She didn't like to look at the lower employees – she like them to know their place – but this simple phrase had somewhat caught her fickle attention.

'From Domino City?' she asked.

'Yeah.' replied Seska.

'Lots of blonde hair, dark brown eyes?' said Mai.

'That's the one.' Said Seska.

'Never heard of him.' Sniffed Mai, and turned on her six-hundred-dollar stiletto heel to march away.

'He just wanted me to tell you that I know him. He wanted me to say 'Hi' for him.' Seska called after her.

'How do you know Joey?' asked Mai, her back still turned.

'I was on a date with him last night.' Said Seska meekly. 'We went to see a movie, and then we went to Claudette's and got thrown out.'

'Yeah, that's great, hon.' Said Mai with an elegant yawn. 'Did you kiss?'

'Well, yeah.' replied Seska quietly. 'Twice.'

'Bitch.' Muttered Mai under her breath, but aloud she said: 'Well, good for you, hon. I gotta go, ok? See y'around.'

'Ok, Mai. Goodbye.'

Mai didn't look around.

The cheek of it! Bombarding her with trivial matters from her social life and then calling her by her first name? It wasn't as if she'd wanted to talk in the first place.

What was Joey doing sending messages to her anyhow? Sure, she knew the guy had been crazy about her the last time she saw him, but any half-sane guy would have completely forgotten her by the end of the year!

Perhaps he was teasing her. Or perhaps Seska was teasing her. Perhaps she was jealous and had decided to taunt her with long gone memories. Perhaps she wasn't dating Joey after all.

But then, how did she know? Why did she think Mai had ever cared for that single-celled organism? That muscle-headed, half-brained, goofy booger- fish?

What does it matter? I'm a successful model now. I don't need no blonde goofballs. I didn't in the first place.

~

'Ugh! I'm gonna puke!'

'Get a grip, Joey. It's time for you to go to work!'

'I'm sick!'

'No you're not!'

'Uh, what does this look like then?'

'A big, blonde baby, that's what.'

'Ohhh! My head!'

'Joey, is this the type of example you ought to be setting your little sister?'

Joey looked up from the couch, pushing his hair back from his sticky forehead.

'Joey, have you been drinking?' Serenity stood over him, hands on hips, her yellow-green eyes stony.

'No! Serenity, you think I'm turning into Pop, huh?'

'No, I just hope you're not.'

'Oh, man. I've got a migraine. I can only see half your face.'

'Oh yeah?'

'Yeah. It's a shame.' grinned Joey.

'You're not getting round me like that, Joseph Wheeler.' Grunted Serenity.

'D'you know who you sound like?' Joey grinned up at her weakly.

'Mom?'

'No. Mai.' Said Joey quietly.

'What did Yugi say to you?' Serenity looked at him sternly.

Joey pouted grumpily.

# CW: Ok, more next time. I'll bring more of a storyline into it soon, don't u worry! #