Chapter 6
When Kazuya arrived at the club at 11.15 pm all the parking spaces were gone. For a few minutes he circled around the club and then he drove back to the entrance. There he noticed that he wasn't the only one who hadn't found a normal parking space. A dark, huge limo had been parked on the plaza in front of the club where parking was prohibited. Kazuya did not hesitate and parked his Porsche right next to it.
One of the guards noticed it and came up to him. "You can't park your car there," he said.
"As you see I can." Kazuya replied.
"But..."
The other guard approached. "It's alright," he said to his colleague, "he can."
Kazuya left them standing and walked towards the queue at the entrance. He didn't bother to queue up, but instead went right to the beginning. The guy there noticed him and let him through right away.
The club, although huge on the inside, was packed and the music was playing loud. It seemed almost impossible to find someone in here, but since they came here often, Kazuya knew where he might find his brother Lee.
And right where he expected him he found him, sitting at a table with Nina, drinking a Martini.
"Hey Chaolan; Nina." he greeted them.
They both said their hellos.
"How was your fight?" Lee then asked.
"What fight?"
"Armour King."
"Oh that. The usual... So what are we having?" he then asked eying their drinks.
"Martini." Lee said.
"Caipirina." Nina said.
Right at that moment a waitress arrived at their table.
"I have not decided yet. You know what, bring me a Malibu-Orange." Kazuya said to her.
"And another Martini." Lee said.
Nina had her glass still half-full, so she just shook her head.
"I thought you are here with the car!" Lee said to his brother.
"Black limo! That's my lift home."
"You should thank me; I was so considerate and asked the driver to bring us here."
"I will. I'll pay for your drinks. I'm a nice person today. I'll even pay for Nina's drinks."
"Oh thank you. In that case..." Nina began and downed her glass. "...I will get another one." she said and got up to walk towards the bar.
She had just left them when an American girl, hair dyed blonde, shoulder length, forced her way though the crowd towards them.
"Kazuya!" she called.
"Oh no, it's her," he said to Lee.
"Yes, your little girlfriend." Lee said laughing.
"Shut up. Tell me how I can get rid of her?" Kazuya said to his brother.
"Wait a moment, you've taken her from Paul and now you want to get rid of her again."
"She was crap."
"You are very charming; I thought you were nice today."
"That was the nice version."
She arrived at their table. "Hey Kazuya; you promised me you'd call." she complained.
"Well, I lied, Mandy," he replied.
"MELANIE! My name is Melanie! How can you be so mean, after all that has happened?" she asked shocked.
"Natural talent."
"Does this all mean nothing to you?"
"Now don't tell me I am the first one who didn't call you afterwards!"
"My friends were right when they warned me about you." she said angrily and then stormed away crying.
"Bitch." Kazuya muttered.
"You are such an asshole." Lee said.
"Thank you."
"And you are proud of it..."
Nina returned with a new drink in her hand. "What was that all about?" she asked pointing after the girl.
"She has been dumped." Lee commented.
"Three days ago, when I didn't call her." Kazuya said annoyed.
"Not everybody gets your little hints." Nina said to him.
"Be careful not to be one of them." Kazuya replied in a threatening voice.
"Being nice didn't last very long." Nina commented but then avoided Kazuya's gaze.
"So how was work today?" Lee changed the subject.
"Are you really interested in that?" Kazuya asked him disbelieving. "Did you even show up?"
"Of course I was there." Lee defended himself.
"Right after lunch… and you left at 4, correct?"
"That's not fair." Lee complained.
"That's indeed not fair. You weren't the one who had to fight tonight..."
"Speaking of fighting…There's your future opponent," Lee said gesturing towards the bar, "He's heading towards us."
Kazuya looked around to see Paul Phoenix making his way through the mass of people. "He has won? I hoped I would meet the lovely Anna Williams next."
Nina growled.
"Now there is a choice. A girl who wants to get back at you, because you slept with her, and a guy who wants to get back at you because you slept with his girl. I think you have a serious problem."
"Shut up or you will have a serious problem. At least Anna was worth it."
Nina slammed her glass onto the table. "I'll come back when you have finished with this crap." she said and left the table just when Paul Phoenix arrived.
"Mishima, stay away from my girl." he almost yelled.
"Don't worry. I will. I am not interested in her any more." Kazuya replied calmly.
"I hope you aren't. I heard I'd be fighting Armour King next?"
"You wish." Kazuya growled and got up. "I am afraid to tell you that you will meet me in the next round. But of course you did know that, it's not a big surprise. I on the other hand expected to see Miss Williams."
Paul growled in return. "I will show you on Wednesday why I am in the next round."
"You have probably paid her to forfeit. That won't work with me. You have to come up with something better."
"Don't worry, I have something better for you, just wait and see." "I am going to kick your ass."
Lee, who had developed a sense for hostility from his brother, stepped between the two. "Can you two finish that on Wednesday?"
Paul shrugged and then walked away. Kazuya was looking after him his eyes narrowed.
"Calm down, Kaz." Lee said to him.
Kazuya looked at Lee and then turned back to the table grabbing his drink. They were silent for a while.
"Lee, I am frustrated." Kazuya suddenly said and slammed his glass onto the table. "All the girls I have dated in the last month... they were all disappointing to say the least."
"You should try to find a girl for more that one night."
"You don't get it; they are not worth a second night."
"You know what your problem is? You don't feel anything for them, so they are basically all the same to you."
"Want sexual advice? Ask Chaolan." Kazuya said ironically.
"Try a European girl, I am very satisfied..." Lee said grinning to Nina who returned from the bar.
"So you are saying I should give Anna a second try?" Kazuya asked, not sounding very convinced.
"Kazuya Mishima, you are trying my patience." Nina replied to his comment.
"Sorry, no more Anna today." Kazuya said. "Want to offer yourself, Nina?"
Nina gave him a slap in the face. He grabbed her wrist. "I thought you might like it the hard way. That's fine with me."
"Let go." Nina freed herself and walked away.
"Stop hitting on my girl." Lee said.
"Or?" he threatened Lee. Then he got up and walked, with his empty glass, towards the bar. On the way he passed Nina, who looked at him angry and then returned to Lee.
Twenty minutes later Kazuya returned. "I'll be gone." he said to Lee.
"What?" Lee asked. "I don't want to go home yet. Send the limo back when you are home."
"I'm not going home, and I didn't intend to take the limo. I will see you tomorrow."
"You can't drive. Take it from me. I have crashed a car... You know how angry he was."
"I am fine, I can drive. And besides that's not HIS problem." Kazuya said. "See you tomorrow."
"Kazuya!" Lee called after him. He got up and ran after his brother. "I said you cannot drive. You had too much to drink."
"Mind your own business, Chaolan." Kazuya said and left him standing. He walked back to the bar where he picked up a young Japanese girl. Lee returned to the table. He shook his head.
"Tell me that's not true," he said to Nina.
"Stop complaining. It's not Anna. And she seems to be old enough."
"But he can't drive."
"He's old enough as well. I don't understand why you even care what he does."
"He's my brother."
Paul found his girlfriend Melanie sitting at a quiet table in a far-off corner of the club. Her back was turned towards the crowd and her head was sunken. A friend was sitting there with her holding her hand for comfort. She whispered to her when she saw Paul approaching. Melanie rubbed her eyes but it was no use, Paul could see that she'd been crying.
"What's the matter?" he asked seriously.
"Paul..." Melanie said sobbing. "I am sorry."
She had barely finished the sentence when she started to cry again. Paul sat down on the other side of her.
"You are sorry what?"
"It was a mistake..." she sobbed again, "I thought he loved me..."
"Who's he?" Paul asked, although he was certain he already knew the awful truth. There was only one 'he' who would dare getting close to his girl. Melanie didn't answer at first. Instead, she was crying again. Her friend laid her arm around her. Paul just looked at her with an angry expression and repeated his question.
"Who - is - he?"
"Kazuya Mishima." Melanie said.
Paul slammed his fist onto the table. "YOU DID?!!?" he yelled angrily.
The people around them started staring at them. "Mind your own business." Paul bellowed.
"Why?" he then asked Melanie. "What didn't I give you that you go around, screwing the biggest motherfucker in town? He's got a different girl every night. Don't tell me you thought you were something special... more that a one-night-stand."
Every word he said caused Melanie to cry more.
"Leave her alone." her friend said to him.
"Don't worry. I will. She can go running to him for comfort..." Paul growled and walked away.
Paul returned to the table where he had met Lee and Kazuya earlier on. When he arrived, Lee and Nina were alone. There was no sign of Kazuya.
"Where is your fucking brother?" Paul growled at Lee.
"Search me; I am not hiding him from you. He has left."
"Tell him I'll kick his ass next time I see him."
Lee rolled his eyes. "He knows, you tell him at least once a week."
"Don't be smart with me, Lee Chaolan." Paul said annoyed.
Lee's attitude changed from joking to serious. "Listen. Whatever problem you have with Kazuya, leave me out of it, ok? I am not his secretary or anything. That's just between you and him. I will not make you any appointments to get your ass kicked."
"Say goodbye to him, he might not walk out of the arena on Wednesday." Paul growled and walked away.
Lee had returned around 3.30 last night. Around six, he woke up and felt thirsty. He didn't have anything to drink in his room left so he walked down towards the kitchen. In the entrance hall he almost bumped into Kazuya who had just come home. Lee looked at his watch.
"Wow, you are early. Normally you get up around now."
"Shut up."
"Judging from your mood she was 'crap' as well?!"
"Better than the last." he paused for a moment and then added, "That means nothing."
"Oh yeah, right... before I forget. Paul found out, he wants to do the usual stuff."
"Excellent. At least the fight is going to be interesting."
"So what's was the girl's name?"
"Ri-Something."
"Ri-Something?" Lee asked shaking his head in disbelief. "You cannot remember her name?"
"Name... Who cares?"
"But you do know where she lives?" Lee asked joking.
"That's where I'm coming from right now."
"So where does she live?"
"Tokyo."
"Really?" Lee asked annoyed.
"What?"
"Can you tell me more?"
"No. I'm not sober."
"You have no clue where you just came from?"
"Garage." Kazuya replied pointing in the direction of the garage.
"Goodnight, Kazuya. I will speak to you later, when you start making sense." Lee then said and continued on his way to the kitchen.
Author's Note on Chapter 6:
1/0 day before Lara's story starts. It's Friday/Saturday.