Thanks for the wonderful reviews you guys have given! You'll find a shocking scene near the end of the chapter…and I bet most of you will shout for joy!
BetterDeadThanAlone – I'm glad you love it! Did you really seat on your chair the whole time while waiting for this? Hehe! Thanks, keep R&R! Assassin's partner – thanks! I'm happy to know you like it so much! Dark's Assassin – I'll keep on typing I often as I can. I do hope I get in your top 5, but I guess I have to work harder to be on it. Riven – yeah, Matt's feelings are a little bit confusing & Mimi thinks that he's a 'no commitment' type of guy…or is he?...thanks! Keep R&R! Angel – Ola! You're the co-captain in your squad! That is so cool! Yay! Best in luck on your team! Lol jut4reviews – sorry if that chapter didn't turn out so good, but I give you credit for being honest. Thanks! Koumi – yeah, right, I always wear blue but nothing happens…this just proves that what you say is real CRAP! And FYI, I'm not that stupid to carry a blue flag or whatever it is, just so I can get myself shot. That's just bull! Hikari-Kawaii – well, Willis is pretty set on buying Jun's house…let's just see what happens, ok. Keep R&R!
Chapter Twelve
No matter how hard Mimi tried to explain that Jun Motomiya's house wasn't for sale, that she had only driven him past it to help him see what might be done to improve some other house, there was no budging Willis Harrison.
He said once that he would know the right house when he saw it, but never before had one of Mimi's clients been so stubborn & unreasonable. As far as Willis was concerned, now that he'd seen the house he wanted, the only question left was what Mimi was going to do about it.
Which brought her right back to the beginning…trying to explain that she couldn't sell him a house which wasn't for sale.
"Everything's for sale," he announced. "I'll be leaving tomorrow & I'll be back on Sunday, so I expect you to have some answers."
When Mimi got down from the driveway, Sora's house was dark except for a weird flicker beyond the living room windows. For an instant she thought fire, but the glow was more blue than red, & when she came inside she could hear the murmur of the TV. Matt was lying on the couch, his head propped against one arm & his feet, crossed at the ankles, was on the other. He didn't move when she came in.
Poor guy, she thought. The babies must have worn him out. She stood there for a moment, just watching him…intrigued because she'd never seen him so far off guard before. Even though he seemed to have given up the habit of surveying her like a rabbit captivated by a cobra, he never stopped being watchful, even wary. "Running even when no one's chasing him," she muttered.
He sat up. "What was that?"
"Oh, nothing, I thought you were asleep."
"I was watching the tennis match."
"Who's winning?"
"The guy on the left, I think."
"If you don't even know who's playing, or who's ahead, then why are you watching?"
"I was waiting for you to show up. It's not like you to be so quiet. Are you having trouble coming up with an excuse for being late?"
Mimi drew back, puzzled. "And what exactly is your problem? You sound like I missed a curfew or something." She set down the duffle bag she brought in.
His gaze flickered. "I tried to call you, but your phone's dead. I was worried, okay. After everything you've said about Willis Harrison…"
"You thought he'd lock me in a bedroom somewhere?"
"It's been known to happen."
"Yes, it has. That's why women who sell real estate take self-defense classes & carry a small tear gas on their key chains." She dangled her keys under his nose.
"In that case," he said calmly, "I won't give your keys to the twins to chew."
"Give them your own. You're the one who has an extra." A bit too late, she realized that it might not have been smart to remind him of that incident. "So, you were about me?"
"The thought crossed my mind."
"That's sweet, Matt…even if you were really more worried about who you'd get to help out if I was suddenly out of the picture." She sat down on the arm of the couch. "I need a favor."
"Mimi, so help me, if you've scheduled another day out with Willis…"
"No, no. I told he's going back to New York tomorrow."
"Then it's some other client?"
"Well, there are a few things I should probably check on the office. But what I really need is for you to tell me a little about Jun Motomiya."
"Why do you want to know?"
She told him about Willis' sudden fixation with Jun's house, & when she finished, Matt looked at her for half a minute & shook his head in disbelief. "You took him to Jun's house."
"Only to give him an example of how a house can be enlarged in a way that enhances the original architecture instead of overwhelming it."
"Thank you," Matt said quietly.
"Oh, you're welcome. You did a really nice job. I never would have shown it to him, of course, if I had any idea that he'd take one look at the house & fall in love with it."
"It's not the usual reaction, no."
"Exactly, how could I have anticipated that? Nobody buys a house without looking inside."
"You were telling me about someone in Mission Hills who did," Matt reminded.
"That was different. That guy never had any intention on living in it."
"So what are you going to do about Willis' obsession?"
"Well, first I need to call Jun & find out whether she'd consider selling."
"Get real, Mimi. The woman's building on a new room. She's not thinking about moving."
"I can at least ask," Mimi said stubbornly. "If she'll just let me show him through, I'm sure he'll get over it. Willis is in love with an illusion & until that's knocked out of his head; he won't even be able to see anything else."
"Jun's house," Matt said doubtfully, "an illusion?"
"Honestly, Matt, the place looked like a magazine cover tonight, beautifully landscaped & lit. But once Willis gets inside & realizes that the rooms are small & cramped…"
"They're not, angel."
"Or that the bathrooms are old-fashioned…"
"That's why she'd building a new one."
"Or that the kitchen isn't big enough for a caterer to work in…"
"It's huge, Mimi."
"All right," she snapped. "There will be something he doesn't like. I'll find it if I have to crawl through the attic & the basement myself. Once he sees that house for what it really is, he'll get over the whole idea & be more realistic about buying something else."
"But if Jun's not interested in selling, she's certainly not going to let you show buyers in."
Mimi bit her lip, & then quoted Willis. "Everything's for sale."
"At the right price, the question is whether he's willing to pay it. Anyway, I'm not so sure I want her to sell the house."
Mimi was startled. "Why on earth not? All week you've been talking as if you're the biggest goal right now is to get rid of her as a client."
"If she sells before the house is completed, I'll probably be stuck with Willis Harrison…& from what you've said about him, I don't like him any better."
"I may have exaggerated him a bit," Mimi said carefully. "I mean, I'm sure Jun can't really be as kooky as you've painted her, either."
"Think again, princess. Besides, if Jun sells her house, she'll want me to build her a new one."
Mimi shrugged. "But before she makes up her mind to what she wants, you'll be retired & off the hook."
"I'll sleep on it, Mimi." He stretched out on the couch once more, his white-socked feet nudging her off her perch. "See you in the morning."
Mimi looked down at him. "You don't fit on that couch very well."
"Give the girl a prize."
"How have you managed to get any sleep at all? Why haven't you said something?"
"Complaining wouldn't have accomplished anything."
"Yes, it would. I'll be right back."
"What are you going to do?"
"Sleep on the couch so you can have the bed," she said over her shoulder. "Besides, I have this terrible compulsion to watch classic black & white movies tonight, & there's no television set in the bedroom."
She changed into her sweats, dug out an extra blanket, & peeked in on the babies before going back to the living room. Matt had gone into the kitchen & as she heard the refrigerator door closing, she bustled around to make her bed. She tucked herself in with the remote control in hand when he returned with a dish of ice cream.
"You must have felt cheated this morning at the mall," Mimi said, nodding at the bowl.
He waved his spoon at the couch. "You sure you want to do this?"
"I'm sure; go get a good night's sleep for a change, Matt."
He didn't answer, but he walked quietly toward the master bedroom. Mimi yawned & turned the volume down on the TV. The couch wasn't the most comfortable place she'd slept on, but at least her five foot seven frame fit perfectly. She was surprised Matt hadn't just rolled off onto the floor where he could at least stretch out. But the cushions were delightfully warm where he'd been lying, & with the padding provided by the extra blanket, she figured she probably wouldn't have any trouble dozing off…
When she woke, she was dazed for a moment. Was she dreaming? She knew that she slept on the couch last night, but now…she was in the master bedroom, tucked under the comforter. And beside her, stretched out on his side facing her…his eyes closed, his breathing peaceful…was Matt.
Mimi shot up to a sitting position, before she could even think about moving slowly or carefully. The rocking motion of the mattress woke Matt. He opened his eyes, but moved only far enough to punch the pillow up to prop his head a little higher.
Obviously Mimi thought spitefully, he wasn't surprised at finding himself in bed with a female… "I don't know what happened," she said. "I don't remember getting up in the night, but I must have been so out of it that I forgot I was sleeping on the couch."
He nodded thoughtfully. The gesture looked a bit weird, considering that he was still lying down, & she thought she saw the glimmer of a smile in his eyes.
"Dammit, Matt, I certainly did not do it on purpose," she snapped. "Why would I want to get in bed with you?"
"Is that a rhetorical question or would you like a list?"
"You ego is certainly wide awake this morning."
"Oh, the rest of me is, too. If you'd like a demonstration…"
She slid as far toward the edge of the bed as she could. "Come on, Mimi. I couldn't shake the idea that it wasn't very gentlemanly of me to let you sleep on the couch, so I brought you in here. You're no harder to put to bed than the babies are. You're light as a feather & you sleep just as soundly."
Mimi bristled. "And then you stayed."
"Well, I didn't say I was a perfect gentleman. It just seemed silly for either of us to be uncomfortable when there is plenty of room here." He sat up a little higher & the comforter slid down off his chest.
His bare chest, Mimi noted.
He yawned. "So, now that we have all that settled, can we grab ten more minutes of sleep before the twins wake up & start crowing like chickens?"
Mimi opened her mouth to protest & then realized how silly she was being. If they spent the night in the same bed, another few minutes certainly wasn't going to damage her virtue. That had obviously never been in question, anyway, for he was looking amused at the very idea.
They were partners that are stuck in a mad adventure. If he had any thought that she might take their sleeping together in a romantic sense, Matt would have fled the country rather than ask for trouble by picking her up & shifting her into bed.
So she'd better get herself under control before he started questioning why she thought it was such a big deal. She slid tentatively back down under the comforter. She almost…almost…wished that she hadn't been asleep when he moved her. She wasn't that tall or heavy, but her experience with the twins told her that a sleeping body seemed to be twice its actual weight. It would have been interesting to see how Matt did it…
But then he no doubt got lots of practice with carrying things around, not only on the construction site, but in his own bedroom. Mimi thought, a bit maliciously, that a tall woman…even one who was the perfect size of a model…would overweigh her any day of the week…
"That's my girl," Matt said, sounding sleepy.
She almost pointed out that he said he was wide awake. Then she stopped to think where that might lead, & decided there was absolutely no sense in asking for trouble.
Matt draped an arm across her. Mimi tensed & then forced each muscle to relax.
Partners, she told herself. It's no big deal.
AN: Ooohhh! Matt & Mimi, sleeping together! Don't worry guys, nothing bad happened between them. Matt just carried Mimi so she can sleep comfortably. If I was in Mimi's place, I'll enjoy every minute in bed with Matt…hehehe! Don't forget to review!
