Disclaimer: [See previous disclaimer]
Author's Notes:
Well, I'm surprised and pleased at the amount of feedback at my dinky little first chapter! Seven reviews, a new personal best! (Btw, if anyone cares I have two other stories but they were moved to FictionPress.net in case you wanted to read them).
I'm hoping this chapter will be longer, but I wouldn't know since I haven't written it yet.
Lots of lurve and thank-you's to:
Havoc, AmeobaFive, Molly-chan the Anime/Game Fan, Sith, Leena and VampireHunter for the reviews! (April, you don't count!)
And now, on with the story!
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Luckily, the walk from the Bay Hotel to the restaurant wasn't a long one, or else I would've ditched those damn heels within the first half hour.
The place itself had a rather gaudy exterior, as if it were torn somewhere between a flashy nightclub and a sleek, sophisticated restaurant. A bright lit sign hovered over the doorway, stylishly tilted to one sign, reading "The Black Cat" in green cursive lettering and displaying a picture of a large-eyed feline that struck some chord deep in my memory that I couldn't put my finger on. Before the polished glass-paned doors stood a hostess behind a tall, narrow desk, writing in a book of reservations. She looked up as they approached, revealing a heavily made-up blue-eyed face that slapped a big, goofy smile onto Vash's.
"Do you have a reservation?" She inquired pleasantly.
"Why yes, ma'am, we do!" Vash beamed and I elbowed him hard in the ribs.
"Name?"
"Saverem." Vash stated a bit more soberly, eyeing me nervously. I gave him my sternest possible glare though all the while I was rolling in mirth on the inside at how apparently frightened he was at my wrath.
"You're just on time! Please follow me." The hostess beamed at us and led the way into the dim recesses of the restaurant.
"She's way too cheerful." I muttered under my breath.
"You need to lighten up, that's all Sempai," Milly replied.
"I agree! Meryl's way too edgy!"
"Say another word, broomstick brains, and I'll give you a mouthful of my shoe!"
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I felt my lips twitch into a half-smothered smile as Meryl stomped her foot threateningly and glared at me. I'm not so oblivious that I didn't know when I what I said would piss her off. I actually enjoyed watching her gray eyes light up in fiery anger, her face take on a flush of color. I know this sounds a bit sadistic, but I never was serious when I teased her, I just enjoyed getting her all worked up…it was so easy, anyhow.
We arrived at our table, deep within the dim recesses of the restaurant, only a short distance away from the dance floor. I pulled both Milly's and Meryl's out in what I considered a chivalrous act. For Meryl to make amends for the teasing, and for Milly because I didn't want to offend her by pulling out her Sempai's chair but not her own, though I doubted the girl would take offense.
Meryl's scornful, pouty expression softened at this and she smiled slightly at me in a way that for some reason made something in me twist in a way that was not wholly unpleasant.
After they had settled, I took a seat in the empty chair at the small circular table, eagerly picking up the menu and then immediately recoiling in surprise.
"What is this?"
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I smiled at Vash's expression of shock as he stared blankly at the menu. "The names are in French," I said smugly, reveling in knowledge I'd obtained from taking 3 years of French in high school. "You probably can't understand it."
"Well I know what it says," Vash looked up at me and smiled wryly. "It's just that they have something 'with au jus'. It doesn't seem that they know French all that well."
I felt my eyebrows rise and Milly looked shocked. "You know French? How?"
"Come on, insurance girls." He let out a little laugh. "I have lived for 133 years. I did do some productive things in that time."
Despite my lingering resentfulness at his previous teasing, I felt the muscles in my cheeks pull my lips in a real smile. It was so damn hard to stay mad at Vash for any period of time, especially when he turned on his charm.
We ordered dinner, and I realized as we ate that I was no longer repulsed at the speed with which Vash ate. Here he was, shoveling fine cuisine into his mouth and suddenly, all I felt was happiness. Vash had survived his ordeals with the Gung-Ho guns and his brother and he was here, with me, being Vash. All of the stress that had been pent up inside of me for months slid away, leaving me feeling relaxed and utterly satisfied.
"Wow, Meryl, you sure look happy." Milly commented.
"Yeah, for some reason I feel really happy, too." I replied. Vash continued to pack away his meal.
Milly leaned in towards me conspiratorially. "So, Meryl, are you gonna tell Mr. Vash about how you feel today?" She whispered behind her hand.
Across the table, Vash nearly choked on a piece of chicken and thumped his chest loudly as he gasped for air.
I looked at him with alarm, wondering if he had heard what Milly had said but if he had, he gave no indication of it for as soon as he recovered, he resumed the mass consumption of his food.
"I think I might." I whispered back into Milly's ear.
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That time I really almost did choke, though through an act of extreme willpower, I managed to conceal it from the Insurance Girls. Possibilities raced through my mind in an agonizing fashion. What had Milly meant by Meryl "Telling me how she felt"? The most obvious possibility forced its way to the top of my thoughts, but I withdrew from it in shock.
I glanced at Meryl out of the corner of my eye and that possibility strengthened at the sight of a slight blush and smile on her face. I almost wished that I didn't have such acute hearing. All of my thoughts and emotions felt all twisted up inside.
It couldn't be that Meryl…felt something for me…could it?
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Okay, people re-vi-ew!