This is the longest chapter yet coz we're almost halfway through the story & I didn't want to cut out the good part. In this chapter you will find out what Matt really feels for Sora.
PnkSaKuRaSyAoRaNS2 – you're really great! I'm trying to update as often as possible. I'm pretty excited about this story, too! Koumi – sorry, but I just got to ask, what is Koumi, anyway? You said it's well-known in Japan, and are you part of a gang or something? Coz I think that's really cool, but a little bit scary. There's really nothing wrong in liking Sorato, but dissing other writers, who doesn't meet your way of thinking, is just not right, man. A Fire Inside – Matt's really making effort to make things right between them, notice how he wants to drive her to the doctor or cook food for her & stuff like that. He really wants Mimi to trust him again.
Warning: There's a small scene where you'll find Sora seducing Matt…and most of you might not like it so be warned!
Chapter Twelve
Dr. Joe told her not to run around like a wild thing, but he also said that gentle walks would do her good. Mimi eased herself up from her chaise & wandered around the garden, pausing here as she remembered climbing this particular tree as a child…& there as she recalled scraping her knee badly on that particular rock…and finally stopping at the high stone wall at the foot of the garden, the wall she used to climb as an agile seventeen-year-old when she'd snuck out after her father was asleep, to meet Matt on those wonderful moonlit summer nights.
Matt saw her there, with her hand set lightly atop the garden wall, when he came out of the house. He stood for a moment on the patio looking at her. He could guess where her thought were, & his own thoughts also leaped back in time. How many nights he waited, at the other side of that wall, for her short pink head to appear in the moonlight? How many timed had he caught her slender figure as she jumped down into his arms? How many times had they made love together, on the…
He saw that Mimi had noticed him & she started walking up the path. Fighting to wrestle his memories back where they belonged, he strolled down to join her. They met alongside the gazebo, its tangle of red rambling roses twining in profusion around the white-painted trelliswork.
"The garden is in good shape." Mimi touched one of the scarlet blossoms. "Did you hire a gardener?"
"I cut the grass, do the pruning & heavy work, and my mother takes care of the weeding & flowers."
"Once I get my house back," Mimi said, "I'll be looking after the garden myself." Her tone was as determined as her stubbornly tilted chin. "Just as my mother did, & her mother before her, and…"
"Mimi…"
"…her mother before her! The by will keep me busy, but I'm sure I'll have lots of free time. Yes," she finished, her voice becoming shrill, "I'm looking forward to taking charge of my own garden & my own house!"
"Mimi," he grasped her shoulders tightly, giving her no chance to shake herself free, "listen to me. Can't you see how you're getting yourself all drilled up? It's not good for you…or your baby. I do understand how you feel, but I bought Laurel House legally, paid for it fair & square…"
"I have letters that prove my father had no right to sell! Letters my mother wrote to her best friend, Melissa, telling her she made my father promise to add my name to the house deeds when I turn twenty-one…and I was actually there in the room with my parents when my mother told him he had to do it & I was there when he promised he would and…"
"Just listen to my plan. What I suggest is that you & I both live here…"
"No way!"
"…until after your baby is safely born, then…if you still want to fight me…go ahead, I'll give you a run for your money…but at least I'll know I won't be endangering your health or that of your unborn child. Will you," he said urgently, "at least give my plan your consideration?"
Mimi shook her head. "No, I'm going to move on this right away &…"
"Mimi, please…"
"Don't hassle me, Matt." She stepped back from him as he reached out a hand in appeal. "I'm not going to change my mind."
"Will you at least sleep on it? I promise I won't pressure you any more this evening…in fact, I'm going out later."
"My answer would be the same in the morning."
"Then I'll accept it, in the morning."
She hesitated, & then finding herself unable to withstand his pleading expression, said, "Okay, but…"
"Just think about it, that's all I ask…"
"Matt, you just said you wouldn't pressure me!"
"Sorry, okay, not another word on the subject."
They started walking up to the house together. "Where are you off to tonight?" she asked.
"I'm taking Sora to a 'do' the town center…a fund-raiser for the baseball team."
"What kind of a 'do'?" She kept her tone light.
"A silent auction followed by a dance."
Mimi liked Sora & knew she should have been pleased that her widowed friend finally found someone new to love. But instead, she felt her heart twist at the thought of Matt & Sora dancing close.
"In fact," Matt said, "I'd better get ready & change. I have to be at Sora's in twenty-minutes."
"Is the dance forma?"
"Uh-uh, it's a barn dance, anything goes."
They reached the patio & he turned to her. "Are you coming in now?"
"No, I'll stay out till it cools off."
"Then what will you do?"
"Matt, please don't worry too much about me. I'm perfectly able to look after myself."
"I just want you to take it easy. Remember what the doctor said."
"I do remember what the doctor said; you don't have to remind me. Pleases understand that this baby…" she placed her hand gently on her stomach, "is the most important thing in the world to me. Everything I do will be in its best interest!"
Matt thought over her words as he drove to Sora's place…and they gave him a feeling of hope. If Mimi truly meant what she said, then she would agree to put off any court action till after her baby was born, because avoiding that conflict would be in the baby's best interests.
In a lighter mood, he parked in front of Sora's house & it was with a jaunty step that he walked up her front path. She opened the door before he could knock.
"Hi!" Her auburn eyes sparkled as she came out. Dancing past him onto the path, she twirled around. "How do you like my new dress? Isn't it pretty?"
It was, he thought, as she looked up at him eagerly. And the bronze color brought out the topaz flecks in her eyes…but the only eyes he could think about were Mimi's…& the lonely expression he'd seen in them when he popped out the patio to tell her he was leaving. With all his heart, he wished he could have canceled this evening with Sora & spent it with…
"Well?" Sora prodded.
"You look terrific," he said, trying to inject warm enthusiasm into his voice. "The dress is perfect on you."
She made a dainty curtsy. "Thank you, kind sir. And you, may I say, look fantastic!"
"Well, thank you!" He cupped her elbow & led her down the path. "New perfume, too?"
"Mmm." Her voice was husky as she went on, "Tonight's special…so I decided to splurge."
"Where are the kids?'
"Mrs. Bertuzzi's baby-sitting and…" she paused & he sensed an odd fluttering tension in the air.
"And?" he prompted, opening the car door for her.
Her cheeks were pink, her eyes coyly lowered. "And…" as she slipped by him, her breasts brushed his arm, "I've arranged for them to sleep over at her place."
"Sounds like a good idea," Matt said absently before he slammed the door. It wasn't till he was rounding the trunk that a dismaying thought stopped him short, & he felt a stab of alarm as he put two & two together.
First there was Sora's husky 'Tonight's special,' then the new dress, the new perfume, the coy blush, the brushing of her breast against his arm…& finally…her arrangement to have the kids sleep over at the baby-sitter's house. Was she setting the stage for seduction? The thought appalled him.
He'd never seen Sora as anything but the wife, & then the widow, of his old buddy Tai; and he had never said or done anything to lead her to think of him as anything more than a reliable friend. But somewhere along the way she must have got the wrong idea, & she fantasized their relationship into something more.
He struggled with a growing feeling of horror as he opened the door on the driver's side. How the heck was he going to get himself out of this!
In the end, his worries were forgotten…at least temporarily…when just before the last dance, the emcee came looking for them to tell Sora she had a phone call. The caller was Mrs. Bertuzzi, the boys' baby-sitter. Matt stood by as Sora took the call, & when she put the phone down, she looked distressed.
"It's Tom-Tom," she said. "He's got a fever & he's been really sick & he wants to go home." Her eyes shimmered with disappointed. "I'm sorry, Matt, but we'll have to leave.'
When they got to Mrs. Bertuzzi's house, the baby-sitter had the children waiting. Tom-Tom was glossy-eyed & flushed. No sooner did they get him home, than he was sick again. Sora told Matt he should go home, but Tom-Tom cried that he wanted his uncle Matt to stay. So Matt stayed.
Sora put the boys to bed, & though TJ went to sleep right away, Tom-Tom was weepy & still felt very sick. He wanted Matt to sit by his bed, so Matt did. And it wasn't till almost four that the child finally settled & drifted into a deep sleep. Matt got up from his chair & stretched.
"Thanks so much for staying." Sora wiped back a wisp of damp hair from her forehead & then said ruefully, as she glanced down at her crumpled dress, "Well, this evening didn't turn out quite as I planned, but then with kids in the picture, things rarely do! I'm sorry I've kept you up so late…I'll have to make it up to you another time."
Before then, Matt thought as she accompanied him out, that he'd have to find a moment to tell…in as gentle way as possible…that although he valued her as a friend, he'd never see her as anything more.
Mimi woke suddenly, not sure what had disturbed her. But she needed to go to the bathroom. She rolled out of bed & was almost at the door when she heard the sound of a car outside. She changed direction & padded over to the window. Cautiously parting the slats of the Venetian miniblinds, she peered down & was just in time to see Matt striding from his Honda, the white moonlight creating a long, thin shadow that glided behind him as he walked to the house.
She assumed that he had come home hours ago. Instead, he'd been out with Sora till…she glanced at the clock…after four! She felt sinking sensation deep in the pit of her stomach…& then was furious with herself. Why should the fact that Matt & Sora had been having sex upset her? Two mature adults on the brink of becoming engaged didn't go dancing & then stay up half the night playing tiddledywinks!
She slumped against the wall & stayed there till after she heard Matt come upstairs & go into his room. Then she waited till he had time to fall asleep, so she could creep through to the bathroom undetected.
The last thing she wanted was for him to know that she'd been awake when he came home. It was bad enough that she had to picture him making love to Sora, but if he heard her moving around & came out to investigate, he might sense her misery & might guess what had caused it.
If he knew how she felt about him, it would make life very awkward. Humiliating for her; embarrassing for him. She would have to find some way of making sure he believed she no longer had any feelings for him. And she should do it at the very first opportunity.
When she went downstairs in the morning, Matt had already left for the office. The kitchen was empty but he must have cooked bacon & eggs for himself…the smell still lingered in the air & when she opened the dishwasher to insert her juice glass, she saw a plate with a trace of eggs on the surface.
He had left her a note on the table. I'll Be Home At Noon. Have Your Answer Ready.
"Oh, yes, I'll have my answer ready," she murmured. "And it's going to be the same no as I gave you last night!"
But even as she tossed the note into the garbage, the lingering smell of fried food suddenly got to her & she felt queasy. Her stomach started to roll. She hurried out of the kitchen & ran upstairs to the bathroom and got there just in time.
She was even more violently sick than she'd been yesterday & by the time she emerged from the bathroom, she didn't have the strength to do anything but crawl back to bed. And that's where Matt found her when he came home.
She woke to the sound of his tap oh her half-open bedroom door. Raising her eyelids, she watched him come over to the bed…& the expression on his face was grim.
"For heaven's sake, Mimi, what's going on? Did you…"
Matt," she weakly put a hand to stop him, "don't be mad at me, I didn't do anything. I got up after you left & I went downstairs, but I felt sick, then I felt groggy so I decided to lie down. I guess I fell asleep again."
His mouth compressed into a thin line; & his voice, when he finally spoke, was rough wit emotion. "That's it, Mimi. From now on, you do as I say. Until the baby is delivered, you & I will live here together, whether you want to or not."
As Mimi opened her mouth to respond, he drowned her out. "For heaven's sake, woman, you don't have the energy to look after yourself. How do you suspect to survive if you insist on getting involved in a fight for this property…"
"Stop!" Shakily, Mimi pushed herself up on one elbow. "You're right, I give in. I'm not going to let pride get in the way of doing what's best for this baby. Yes, I'll agree with your plan. We'll live here together, for the time being, because I don't have the strength to shove you out & I don't have the will to go somewhere else to live. So…" she fell back on her pillows, "let's call a truce, till after the baby is born. And then…" she took in a deep breath, "it'll be a fight to the finish, no holds barred."
He had won. Matt could barely hide his satisfaction. The only thing that kept him from dancing was the sight of Mimi's pale pinched face. So instead of showing his delight, he sat down on the edge of the bed & rested a hand lightly on her hip.
"Could you eat something now?" he asked. "I think I could rustle up some chicken soup, s few crackers…"
"That would be great, thanks." She put a casual hand over his, just for a second, before withdrawing it again. "You're being very kind & I appreciate it. I have to admit," she added, "that I was nervous before I came back home, about the possibility of meeting you again."
"You had no reason to be nervous of me."
"Oh, I know that now…but the truth is, I was afraid I might still be attracted to you. I tell you…" she wrinkled her nose, "it's been enormous relief to find that whatever I felt for you before was merely teenage infatuation…and it's totally gone." She closed her eyes & a rueful sigh whispered from between her lips. "It was nice, of course, at the time. But it's even nicer that it's over. I wouldn't ever want to ride that roller coaster of emotions again!"
She might as well have kicked him in the crotch with a pointy-toed stiletto. It would have been less painful.
And as he walked downstairs a few moments later, he reflected self-derisively that, like Sora, he had built himself a fantasy world. A fantasy world in which he & Mimi would end up together & live happily ever after.
He realized it might take a long time to regain her trust, but he managed to convince himself he could eventually do it. He hadn't even considered the possibility that she no longer had any interest in him.
But that didn't change the way he felt about her…the way he had always felt about her. That would never change, & he would look after her for as long as she needed him. He would just have to make sure she never found out that he was still in love with her, because if she ever did, it would make life very awkward. Humiliating for him; & very embarrassing for her.
AN: If you guys really paid attention to this chapter, you'll discover that Matt & Mimi thought of the same thing; Humiliating for him; embarrassing for her…& vice versa. Get it? Things are starting to heat up between Matt & Mimi, so stick around to find out what's gonna happen next.
Chapter 13 coming soon! Don't forget to review! lol
