Author's Note:
Hello everyone!
I'm sorry for the long delay but it couldn't be helped. I wanted to get this chapter juuuust right….so you'll definitely enjoy this one.
Chapter 14: When friends need friends….and lovers?
The library, a place for the studious and academically focused, was slowly but surely turning out to be the destination of choice for after school get-togethers and hookups. Tea, who fit more into the former crowd but could definitely pass for the latter, came traipsing about, keeping a look-out for her girlfriend Serenity who was supposed to meet up with her there.
No sooner did she spot Serenity….and her boyfriend Tristan, cuddling with each other like the two lovesick puppies they were. They didn't even notice her presence until she stood directly in front of them and cleared her throat…LOUDLY…..while watching them as they made their own little love connection. Serenity lifted her gaze to Tea, as she said blushingly, "Oh, Tea! You're here….", as Tristan was still nibbling at the back of her ears. She pushed him away, giving him the "Stop-That!" look, insisting that he behave himself now that they were no longer alone.
"Ugh, you guys seriously need to get a room! Don't you know you two are causing a scene in here?" Tea remarked as she saw Tristan drape an arm around Serenity's shoulders. It was he who answered the rhetorical question, saying, "You know what? I think that's a WONDERFUL idea, don't you sweetums?", as he gazed into Serenity's eyes, full of innuendo. Serenity gave him a mischievous look but coyly said, "No, it's not a wonderful idea. We have some studying to do…Now behave!", as she playfully smacked his hands away.
All the while, while watching this blatant display of affection, Tea couldn't help feeling a twinge in her stomach. She refused to call what she felt right then and there jealousy, but it was that ache you experienced when you felt like you're missing out on something.
Looking at Serenity and Tristan together unfortunately reminded her that she was painfully single and in need of a love life. Everyone seemed to have something going on on-the-side, while she always seems to play the role of the sidekick or girlfriend WITHOUT the boyfriend. She would never be jealous of Serenity but she couldn't help to feel like she was out of place, like she felt now.
She forced a smile on her face, and then looked at Tristan. "What are doing here, Tristan? Aren't you supposed to be with Joey, you know, getting lost somewhere?"
Tristan gave her a sarcastic smile and an even more sarcastic laugh. "Ha…Ha… HA … NOT funny. Joey said he'd be down at the b-ball courts while I've decided to spend some quality time with my girlfriend. Now I think the question should be is what are YOU doing here?", he barbed, clearly in the mood to goad the hell out of her.
"Look, stop it you two. She's here because we need to study for our history exam.", Serenity interjected when she saw that Tristan and Tea were on the verge of going at it like cats and dogs.
Tristan raised his eyebrows at that explanation. "Coulda fooled me…The only 'studying' you've been doing lately, my dear, has been ME."
Serenity poked Tristan in the chest for his outright bluntness, though she tried hard to keep the smirk off her face. "I think it's time for you to go, DEAR."
Tristan, although taking the hint that it was time for him to get lost….like Tea suggested earlier, purposely tried to delay his departure by smooching it up with her one last time. "Triiistan! Go…g-go!" Serenity scolded, squirming away from his embrace. "That's enough! Bye now!"
He finally conceded, giving Tea an exaggerated wink and she did nothing but roll her eyes and smile at his absurdness. "I'll call you later, alright?" Tristan said to Serenity before he walked down the corridor.
Tea still had a smile on her face, shaking her head at Serenity.
"Why are you looking at me like that?", she said when she caught Tea's expression.
"You and Tristan are positively indecent."
Serenity had the gall to look pleased with herself. "Well…we can't help that we can't keep our hands off of each other."
"In the 'library'?" Tea said emphatically as she began to make herself comfortable by taking out her books and setting up the laptop she had brought along to do a paper later on.
Serenity blushed slightly at Tea's disapproving demeanor. "Okay, maybe we were a little too eager but hey…that's what couples do when they're really into each other."
Tea's blue eyes lowered as Serenity mouthed those words. It was so obvious that Tristan and Serenity WERE 'into each other' as Serenity phrased it …. and not just in the physical sense. They were in tune with each other emotionally; first becoming friends then slowly blossoming in the lovers they are today. Serenity, the most innocent and seemingly the most conservative of the girls, was more passionate than any of them had expected.
It took someone like Tristan to bring out her passionate nature that may have lain dormant having to deal with all that drama with her parents' divorce and the near loss of her eyesight. Now that she'd overcome those things, she allowed herself to live her life more freely, more…passionately…. since there was no other way to describe it… and she'd no doubt transferred that into her relationship with Tristan. It was so interesting to see all of that transform before her eyes, yet she couldn't help wishing that somehow she could experience something like that with ……Yami.
Tea adored Serenity, loved her for who she was and what she'd become, but why couldn't something like that happen to her? Romance hadn't been kind to her lately and she was wondering if it had something to do with HER rather than ill timing or bad luck.
Maybe she wouldn't be questioning herself if it wasn't for that less than memorable experience with Yami. To her, it became even clearer that Yami wasn't 'into' HER as she was 'into' HIM, and in the process her pride had been severely pricked. She was left to wonder if her chance at romance with her longtime crush was just a crazy fantasy.
He didn't say it to her face exactly, but if a girl can take the little nuances and hints and was honest enough to admit to herself that, 'Hey…you just may NOT be his type', then there'd be a lot less heartbreak going around.
It's high time she finally stopped looking at Yami as the godlike figure he damn near once was and see him as the vulnerable human being he is these days.
Yami, she knew, is at a crossroad. She was reluctant to approach him and all because he wouldn't let her, and she desperately wanted to be there for him. He didn't want her to be a friend to him right now and that was even more hurtful than his indifference to her in the romance department.
Tea didn't know what would be worse: not having a shot at his heart to begin with or the possibility of losing his friendship. Surprisingly without hesitation, she had decided that their friendship came first and foremost….so if that's all she is allowed to have with him, losing that was completely unacceptable to her.
"Tea?"
"Hmm ?"
Tea looked up at Serenity's face which was curled up in wonder and concern.
"Are you okay? You totally went off into the deep end there. What's up?"
Sheepishly, Tea raised her eyes to look into her friend's warm brown ones.
"It's nothing. Let's get started."
Serenity stared at her good friend for a moment, the kind of stare one gave when trying to gauge one's mood and body language. She usually has a knack for these things and to her, Tea's aura reverberated edginess and reservation at the same time.
"You wanna talk about it?" Serenity said after she decided mentally that she'd prod Tea about it. She pushed aside the history book she had open for a minute to clasp her hand under her chin, resting her elbow on the table space the book once occupied.
"About what?" Tea said, pretending to wonder what Serenity was talking about.
"Don't be silly….about what's BOTHERING you ? You seem to have a lot on your mind."
"I don't want to talk about it. Besides, it's not anything you can help me with anyway." Tea said with a tinge of bitterness that got Serenity's eyebrows going up.
Serenity began to retreat from her original purpose of turning their study gathering into another one of those counseling sessions they tend to have once a week…… until Tea blurted out, "I need a love life!"
Caught off guard, well….then she should have known better, Serenity urged Tea to explain …...
On the weekend, Tea and Mai was on a rendezvous at the mall. Tea in the beginning was not in the mood to go shopping because she was broke. She had planned to stay home and lounge about all day, but there was no use telling Mai that because she was determined to bring her along regardless of what she thought or felt.
"Come on, Tea! If there's anything you want, I'll pay for it. Besides, what's another fashionable outfit to bolster that dull wardrobe of yours?!", Mai quipped over the phone.
Tea took offense to that and was about to say something reeeal smart-ass in defense of her 'dull wardrobe', but Mai quickly cut her off, saying "Just kidding! Anyway, I'm not hearing another word so be ready in the next half an hour. Oh…and look cute. Bye!"
And before she could say another word, that….was that. Mai had this REALLY annoying way of dragging you into her own little world when she felt it convenient. You would THINK that one would learn their lesson the first, second, or third time around when Mai gets her little "bright" ideas, especially when they come so spontaneously.
But just as it was one those things she disliked about Mai, it was also one of those things she loved about her. Weird how that could be…but I guess it's all about timing with her.
There WERE times when she did question Mai's timing…. Like she obviously did now….
….Like she did when Mai concocted her little plan to go clubbing that other night, deciding not to tell Joey about it…. and now they're no longer dating each other BECAUSE of…..ehem…. BAD timing.
Then again, the more and more she thought about it, Joey and Mai had a strange, uneven relationship to begin with. Maybe that was ALSO a result of ……………….
….. 'bad' timing???
Anyway, speaking of BAD…TIMING, she waited for Mai for an HOUR, not the so-called HALF-an-hour she had been told and they finally left for the mall.
Now five stores and 4 bags later, she was already pooped with all the pacing up and down, with Mai's bags no less.
So much for her getting a brand new outfit out of the deal….
Barely able to stand on her feet, Tea called out to Mai, "I need a break. My feet are killing me!"
"Already?" And when Tea gave her a stern look, she quickly backed down. "Okay…how about we get something to eat at that little restaurant over there!"
And that's where they were headed and they sat at a four-seat table on the outside of the Italian restaurant, 'Bella's Hot Stove'.
They were viewing the menus while the waiter who introduced himself as "Fredrick" was awaiting their orders. Tea was about to give her order when Mai voiced, "Hold on, I have to check how much I have left on my card.", taking out her cell phone to dial the 24-hour service number on the back of it.
"I thought you'd check for that BEFORE you decided we eat." Tea said, looking a little embarrassed to have the waiter waiting on them. Tea looked up at the man with brown hair and dark-gray eyes. "Um, Fredrick, we'd like a little more time. We'll let you know when we're ready for our orders, okay?", she said sweetly.
"Sure. I'll be over there when you're ready.", the waiter said politely, walking away from their table to tend to other customers.
"Shit…"
"What?" Tea replied after hearing Mai's use of profanity.
"I don't have enough on this credit card. I have my bank card but they don't take debit card charges, only cash or credit. I'll have to get some cash."
Tea remarked exasperatedly, "Forget it. Let's just be on our way…"
"No, sit down…. I feel bad enough that I dragged you along against your will. The least I could do is treat you to lunch. Just wait…okay? Please? ", Mai's said pleadingly, looking at her friend who was obviously tired and fed up with her day so far.
'Well, at least she admits it', Tea thought groggily. Oh well, besides her feet killing her by wearing these stupid pumps, (What the hell was she thinking? Why the hell did she wear them? To prove she didn't have a 'dull wardrobe' for Mai's benefit?), she was hungry, so food could only lighten her mood. She didn't think she'd make it to the parking lot in her condition anyway, so she gave in.
"Fine! I'll hold our seats and watch the bags until you get back. And PLEASE don't take too long!" Tea said, thinking this was the last time she let Mai drag her along on one of her mindless shopping sprees. It was enough to make a sane person GO insane.
Tea watched as her friend scampered away to find the nearest ATM machine while she sat twiddling her thumbs, biding the time trying to ignore the few cat calls and whistles that came her way …. when she suddenly she saw the most gorgeous man she's seen around in a while. He wore a casual light-gray suit with a black shirt underneath, walking around as if a spotlight was directly on him. Broad shoulders, good height….She was eying him from afar, then he came walking right towards her direction when he caught her gawking at him.
She quickly turned away when she realized who he was.
'Oh my, could it be?'
With those golden yellow eyes and lime green hair, he could only be the guy they had seen at the strip club having a fight with Yami a week ago. It HAD to be him, his eyes and hair was the give-away, his trademark. Other than hearing about him from her friends and seeing him that night at the strip club, this was the first time she saw him out in public.
He didn't know her, so she was surprised to see him right next to her table. "Excuse me…have I seen you from somewhere?", he said with that husky, baritone voice of his.
'Cripes, was it possible that he recognized her from the club?!!!'
Careful not to show her alarm, she replied, "Maybe…maybe not."
The golden-eyed male began rubbing his chin inquisitively. "No, you look familiar. You don't happen to know Yugi, do you? Aren't you one of his friends?"
She decided to reply honestly, "Yes, I am Yugi's friend." She was wondering where this was leading….
"Hmmm….'Tea', isn't it?"
She was caught off guard that he knew her by name since she's never met him or spoke to him in person before. She figured Yugi must have mentioned her to him at some point.
"Yes. I assume he's told you about me in order for you to pin point me in this crowded place… because I don't believe we've actually spoken to one another.", she replied casually.
"Well, you're right, we haven't actually met before because if we DID…… I would never have forgotten how beautiful you look.", he said with the right tone of casual air and seductiveness.
She blushed and she desperately tried to hide it. 'Okay…so he never DID see me at the club that night.' she thought. Tea averted her eyes away from him, not wanting those piercing yellow eyes looking directly into her soul.
"I'm sorry, did I offend you in anyway? You don't take compliments well?", he said when he saw her reaction.
"Oh, no it's not that at all. Don't mind me.", she said as she glanced up at him. She had to be more careful not to give her body language away…..And with him getting closer, it was singing a whole 'nother tune.
"Oh, okay…..are you by yourself?" Tygris said, pushing his hands in his pockets while he assessed her.
"Uh…yeah…I mean, not really. My girlfriend just left to get something. She should be back shortly.", Tea answered, then wondered what was keeping Mai so long to come back.
He shook his head, then he realized that he never really introduced himself so he said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Ty, short for Tygris.", reaching his hand out to shake her hand.
"Nice to meet you, Tygris. So what brings you here at the mall?", she said trying to make some conversation.
"I have some business with a friend who owns one of the stores here."
"Really? Which one… if you don't mind me asking?" Tea asked, not caring whether she was being nosy or not. She was curious to know who this guy really is.
"Oh 'Ritz and Glitz', the jewelry store right around the corner. The owner is a great person and a good friend of mine. I should introduce you to her sometime so you can get some great discounts.", Tygris said, pointing in the general direction of the store.
Tea she nodded her head, and then looked into those mysterious golden, Tiger-like eyes. 'He must definitely get a hell of a discount with THOSE looks. Try…100 percent off?' she concluded mentally.
He approached her closer, standing next to one of the seats that were not occupied with shopping bags. "Tea….I know you don't know me and I know you're waiting for your friend, but do you mind if I speak with you for a moment? It's about Yugi and since I had the luck of bumping into you, I just wanted to know how things were with him."
"Oh." Tea said, liking more and more the way her name rolled off his tongue, like he was seducing her in some way. So he wanted to talk about Yugi…..Well, what better way to find out more about this guy and his involvement with Yugi if he's willing to talk?
She realized he was waiting for her 'yes' or 'no' on the subject.
"Um … Sure." Tea said, even though she might just be the last person to know how Yugi was doing because she barely interacted with him lately. "Have a seat."
"This won't take up too much of your time." Tygris said reluctantly, knowing he may very well be invading her space and that she was only being nice for his sake.
"No go ahead. What do you want to know?", she said, reassuring him.
He sat down in the seat in front of her and folded his hands on the table. "Well, I'm assuming…being one of his closest friends, you'd know of his situation with his grandfather. Do you? Cuz if you don't then I won't continue…"
"Yes, I know about his grandfather being in the hospital after getting sick. We've been helping him out ever since then."
He gave a relieved sigh, thankful that he wasn't betraying Yugi's confidence.
"Okay…well, apparently he needed some more help financially. He and I bumped into each other one day and I offered him…this job…"
Tea watched him as he turned a little shame-faced when he paused. She knew exactly where this story was headed, but she wanted to hear what he had to say.
"Maybe it was a bad idea from the beginning and …I never really thought he'd have the courage to call me back when I offered it, but… I told him about this gig at this …. Promise me you won't jump to conclusions before I finish?"
"Okay…I won't. Now what was this job?"
"Well, no use beating around the bush…it was a job as a stripper."
He paused to wait for her reaction and when he saw none, he licked his lips and continued. "Based on what he had told me in the beginning, he said he needed a lot of money and he needed it fast. He gave the impression that he didn't want anyone knowing he would get a job, ANY job, not just a job as a stripper. He only had a few hours to spare each weekday that would work around his school schedule so I knew a regular day job was out of the question. It sounded like a wild idea at the moment, but it was the only thing that had made sense considering the circumstances then."
He added quickly. "Look I know what you may be thinking, but this was only going to be temporary until he got his financial situation straightened out. He looked so desperate that I figured I could give him a break. I'm not some gigolo or flesh herder or someone of bad character….."
"You're a stripper.", she stated simply, not caring that she cut him off.
He looked around to see if anyone was listening to their conversation, then said, "Yes…I'm a PART-TIME stripper, but I'm not a bad, dirty person because of the profession I'm in."
Tea looked at him and gave him an accusing look. "Why should I take your word for it? …. How do I know what you're telling me is exactly the way you say it is?"
He thought it was a fair enough question.
"You're right. You don't have to take my word for it, but as arrogant as it sounds I'm asking you that you please DO take my word for it." He sat back and slouched, ran a hand through his shaggy green mane.
Yugi's friend was as shrewd as she was cute. Beauty AND Brains…. Deadly combination. He knew this wasn't going to be easy. Even though he claimed to be Yugi's friend, she on the other hand, just met him, so she had every right to be a little suspicious. She was looking out for her friend's best interest and she was doing it by fishing info from him. That was okay, though….
"Is Tygris your real name?" she asked boldly, strategically asking him for the purpose of hoping he'd reveal more about himself.
"No…. my real name is Hedio … Hedio-Kai Ramaza. My stage name, 'Tygris Sinz', was originally taken from a nickname my sister gave me when she called me "Tiger" when we were much younger. Actually she couldn't pronounce the word "Tiger" correctly; it came out sounding like "Tygriz", and for some reason the name stuck on me since and later on I used it as my stage name. I ended up alternating the 'z' for an 's' for 'Tygris' and used the 'z' for the latter part of my stage name 'Sinz'. Friends caught on and began to use it, so it kinda replaced my real name in a way. Besides…I like it better. So please…call me 'Ty'."
She found the origin of his stage name very sweet…and quite convenient. Okay, so the guy had … two names.
"Okay…Ty…I…I don't mean to judge you in anyway. You seem like a guy who has his stuff together, like you got it going for you… I mean, why not quit stripping altogether? And why get into it in the first place? No…. forget I asked…"
"Look, it's not as if I grew up thinking 'hey, you know what I wanna be when I grow up? I want to be a stripper!'. It was never anything like that. It was the circumstances that I was in that kinda led me into this kind of business. Believe it or not, Miss Tea, I wasn't always well-off by any means, in fact I came from humble beginnings as a street kid growing up with just his mom and his younger sister with no father figure to look after us. I know this sounds like another one of those late night documentaries you see on 'LifeTime" but that's exactly how it was…."
"My mom had to have two jobs just keep the roof over our heads and even with that, I still had to have a little job myself to kinda ease her burden, especially when she didn't have it. I'll admit, I was by no means the most innocent teen on the block....I lied to my mom that I was working at a local supermarket when in reality I was hustling, selling some minor drugs, got into some shit here and there. My sister and I are close…and she was the only one who knew what I was really doing, where I was getting a hundred or more dollars a week to spend for her book supplies. No job at the supermarket could shell out that kinda money so I took my chances, doing what I had to do to help out. That's what I've been doing until one day I almost got busted by an undercover cop selling some, ran away as fast as I could when suddenly I was dragged into an alley by a girl named Hasina who had seen me around the way. She said she saw me dancing one day at the after school center where I used to hang, and even though she didn't think much of it at the time when she did, thought that I could use my talent to earn some real cash…legally."
"I was thankful enough that she helped bail me out from getting caught, but when she told me about this gig at the club she was working at, I knew I had to keep an open mind. I had promised my sister that someday I'd stop the hustling and stuff before my mom found out, but at that time I couldn't really keep it because making ends meet was more important. Remembering that time when I almost got caught and went to jail, I knew I was damn lucky. I said what the hell? It's better than running the streets, getting caught up in all that bullshit. Later that week, I called the number…I didn't start right away at first. I began as a waiter making $150 per night serving up high-priced Johns, but when I saw how things were really run, what it really entailed to be a stripper, I eventually gave it a shot."
"Did your mom ever find out about your job?" Tea asked, clearly intrigued with his story.
"Yeah, she did and she told me to give it up. At the time I took the job, I was 17. I managed to hide it from her for 7 months, even though she had her suspicions as to how certain bills were magically paid on time and what not. When she found out about it, I just turned 18 and was officially a legal adult, old enough to do whatever I wanted. When I convinced her that I was safe at my job, and that ultimately the money was something we dearly needed, she relented, getting a vow from me that I would not let this be a permanent solution in my life. Trust me, she wasn't happy about being deceived, but I promised her that I would only do this so we could make enough money to move out of the bad neighborhood we were in and ultimately save up enough to send Renée to college."
Renée had to be the younger sister he was talking about……
Sometimes she forgot that not all people grew up in stable homes and happy lifestyles. "What about you? Didn't you want to go to college?"
"To tell you the truth, college was the last thing on my mind, Tea. I just thought that stuff like that wasn't for me, only for people like my younger sister who was a straight 'A' student. My grades were too low and I barely graduated high school. Besides at the time, I needed to support my family. Remember, I was the man of the house and unfortunately some sacrifices had to be made. My mom already made enough sacrifices, so I'd much rather it be me than my sister… and it was worth taking. Renée is in her 2nd semester at NYU right now studying Pre-Law, and my mom has a nice little apartment on the east side. As for myself these days…. stripping is more of a hobby of mine now even though I still make money off of it when I want to. It's apart of me and I've grown to love doing it, but it's far from the only thing I do for a living or identify myself with. Saving my money, having the right connections, and investing smartly have paid off big time for me so that I no longer have to depend on it solely for income anymore. My other endeavors include my art gallery that's located downtown, my clothing-line that's coming out soon, as well as my new dance studio "Sinful Stepz", which is opening in the coming week. Who knows, college might just be around the corner for me as well, since I now have the financial means to pursue it."
"Wow, that's great, Ty! I'm happy for you." She intervened, truly feeling a sense of elation for his overcoming poverty.
"Thank you, Tea….But it all probably would not have happened if I hadn't taken that job in the first place. It opened doors for me and family, where as without it…who knows what would have become of me, my mom and my sister? No one didn't offer me a million a dollars and a life of happiness and I didn't expect anyone to, cuz that's how it is in this world we live in. Fate isn't always kind and when you are given an opportunity, you grab at it and hold on for dear life."
"I hear what you're saying…..I didn't mean to imply that stripping was the only thing that occupies your time. If I came off that way, I'm truly sorry."
"Don't worry about it … But I just wanted you to know that things aren't as they always seem. Just because you have a certain profession that might not be the most valued in most people's eyes, in fact it's looked down upon but believe it or not, good people enter these professions … just that each and every one of them have their own reasons or circumstances as to why they'd take such a job."
"Like Yugi did…"
"Exactly, and his reasons were a valiant one. He wanted to help his grandpa and being in his shoes at one point, I knew EXACTLY how he felt. Just like my friend Hasina had given me that one break, I wanted to do in return what was done for me by doing the same in Yugi's situation. If I had knew then what I know now, I would have given him the money on the spot, but for some reason I doubt he would have taken the money from me because he had too much pride at stake. He was young and innocent, yes, but he was so determined and at the time it was almost as if he had something to prove to himself." He looked up at Tea, searching her blue eyes for her reaction.
Tea didn't say anything because she was too busy chiding herself inside. How could she have been so blind? So self-absorbed, so … Yami-absorbed? She had assumed Yugi was going through some rebellious faze when in reality he was only trying to help out. She was even angrier at Yami for downplaying their financial situation. Things were worse than had originally been let on and Yugi wouldn't have gone to such drastic measures to begin with if that wasn't the case.
And she began to question her friendship with both Yugi and Yami. Who was she more friends with? And she had to answer...that recently…she'd been more Yami's 'friend' than Yugi's because she hadn't been there for him the way she had for Yami.
The difference was Yami didn't want her help while Yugi probably did but because she was so caught up in her own feelings for Yami and her own drama, she figured that when she was helping one, she was automatically helping the other anyway.
And that wasn't necessarily true…
She keeps forgetting that Yugi and Yami are no longer one combined entity, one within the other. There are two of them now, and the TWO of them needed the emotional support, which she would readily admit she hadn't done so equally.
"What's wrong?", Tygris said when she got quiet.
She sighed. "I was just realizing that I haven't exactly been one of Yugi's 'bestest' friend lately. In fact, you might have been more of a friend to him than I have."
He raised an eyebrow at that. "Well, I won't necessarily say that.…….. I hadn't expected it to happen that way, but we have a budding friendship. That's all! ….. I just wish I didn't feel so guilty about it."
"Well, why?"
"Because I feel bad for what happened that night… Oooh, you may not even know about that…"
"About your getting into a confrontation with Yami at the club?"
"Sheesh, I guess he told you about that too?"
"No…actually I was there to see it. If I wasn't at the club, I would have never believed the things that came out of Yami's mouth."
Ty shook his head at the memory. "Well, he definitely overreacted."
"Well, maybe a little but how did you expect him to react? Maybe he reacted like any person would when they find out someone they care about has been hiding something from them, hiding the fact that they're … stripping? I mean… imagine that was your sister and say that you were never into the profession. Can you truly say that your reaction wouldn't be a lot similar to Yami's?"
He watched her and saw the way the passion lit up in her blue eyes when she had some point to prove. 'Was she ever aware of that?', he thought admiringly…
"Alright, I get your point, but he could have still handled it differently where Yugi's feelings were concerned. He was completely insensitive. That's what I was more upset about and that's why I was defending Yugi ….Well, some good that did cuz now apparently I may be the reason why they aren't on good terms. I can't even call his house for fear of causing another blow up…..That's why I was hoping you'd know how he was since I couldn't get in contact with him."
She looked at the handsome golden-eyed man that sat before her. She could tell when someone was being fake or genuine and in his case, he was truly concerned for Yugi and his wellbeing. Funny, but she didn't think a guy of his breed would care about anyone but himself. The old adage 'don't judge a book by its cover' holds truer than ever before.
"Ty, I'm sorry, but I haven't spoken to Yugi about anything that happened that night or beyond that. He doesn't even know that I know about your disagreement with Yami or that I even know about his job as a 'stripper'….. But don't worry about them. They're bond is stronger than you think. They'll make amends some how and get over it."
"Yeah? Well, I hope you're right.", he said, a little disappointed that after revealing so much of himself that in the end, he never got to find out what he needed to know.
"You surprise me, Ty. There is definitely more to you than meets the eye. I didn't expect you to be so…complex."
Ty smiled broadly at that. "You are not the only one to say that when I WANT people to know things about me. Funny how you're added to that list in such a short time. You got me opened up wider than a whore's legs!" He was certain he'd get a look of outrage and forced humor, but she genuinely laughed at his vulgar little joke.
"Hold on. Wait a minute…It just dawned on me that you knew EXACTLY who I was as soon as you saw me, didn't you? Admit it!….", Tygris eyed her accusingly.
There was no use denying it so….
"Well….yes. I did. It's not everyday you meet the stripper you saw at the club you've been nights before… who all of a sudden comes over and wants to strike a conversation with you about your best friend."
Tygris chuckled. "True…True… You're not as innocent as you look, aren't you Miss Tea?"
She smiled a bit mischievously and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Well, isn't anyone?"
"No … oh, no Miss Tea. No one ever really is…." he said in a husky tone that implied some naughtiness. He looked at his watch, and said. "Ah, shit. I spent almost the entire day chit-chatting with you when I had promised it to be short and sweet. It was a pleasure meeting you and it was even more pleasurable speaking with you. I really appreciate it and I hope to see you around sometime."
She blushed at his compliment, this time not trying to hide it as much as she did the last time he gave her one. "No problem. I was glad to be of service to you." And she knew as soon as she said her parting line that it could also refer to another 'service' of some kind…having some blatant sexual connotations.
Why is she so much more sexually aware of anything she may say or have said or what he may say or have said that may imply something of those regards? Any other time with any other person, she wouldn't even notice such things much less look out for it.
Apparently, he caught the same implications and made it known when he winked at her before he left for the jewelry store he said he was headed for earlier.
'Mai will NEVER believe this!' Tea reflected , still blushing to her ears even after Tygris had left the scene. Speaking of Mai, she realized that she hadn't seen her friend for a while, wondering what was taking her this long to find an ATM machine and get cash from it. She was looking around for Mai in one direction while she was about to turn her gaze to the other, her eye caught something that lay on the table.
"Hmm…that wasn't there before.", she surmised as she picked up what looked like a business card.
It read: Sinful Stepz
Dance Studios
Owner & Head Director: Hedio-Kai 'Tygris' Ramaza
Business Contact: (214) 890-7653
Cell: (917) 865-9020
Address: 1538 East 25th Street
Between Parkview Point and Rochester Avenue
He couldn't have left it there by accident, so he must have placed it there for her benefit. 'Playa', she thought, thinking that all that flirting from a guy with his charm and sex appeal had to amount to SOMETHING.
"Smooth, Mr. Sinz….veeery smooth." she said with an impressed smirk as she stared at it for a while. She was warring with herself whether or not to keep the card…..then she finally tucked it away safely in her jacket pocket.
Five minutes later, Mai raced over to the table, babbling to Tea as to why she took so long. 'Boy, doesn't she have such WONDERFUL timing????', Tea thought to herself.
"I can explain!!! Can you BELIEVE that just about ALL the ATM's in this damn mall are either out-of-service or broken? I had to race outside to get to one and lo-and-behold! …. A long-ass line awaited me and ..….What the hell are YOU smiling about?"
"You won't believe this….", Tea said, giving her the I-can't-wait-to-tell-you look.
Mai's violet eyes lit up with sudden anticipation.
"I will, if you tell me! Something happened when I was gone, didn't it?…What?!"
And Tea told her every detail of her conversation with Tygris over a hot lunch of pasta and spicy shrimp, washed down with a cold glass of sprite…all EXCEPT the part where she found his business card on the table and the fact that she kept the card in her safekeeping.
Didn't someone once tell her that when you are given an opportunity, you grab at it and hold on for dear life?……
End of chapter: So what did you think? Please post reviews!
