Hi guys! Sorry it took a while for me to update this one. My cousins came for a visit yesterday & I spent most of the time with them. Anyways, I really enjoyed writing this chapter & I hope you will too coz this is the part where Matt & Mimi go out for dinner & go shopping together. By the way, thanks for all the amazing reviews!

Chapter Fifteen

Matt got home at four-twenty. The house felt empty. He strode across the foyer, calling out, "Mimi?" but no one answered.

He was about to go upstairs when he heard the patio door open. He crossed to the sitting room & saw Mimi coming in from outside. She was wearing a cream silk shirt over slim black pants, & with her brown hair cascading sleekly over her shoulders, she looked so beautiful it made his heart ache.

"Hi," he said. "I was just about to go upstairs & look for you…I thought you might have overslept."

"Sorry…I did hear the car arrive, but I was down at the garden."

"You look fantastic."

Blushing, she said in a flustered voice, "Thanks, I didn't know where you were taking me for dinner but I assumed it wouldn't be at McDonald's or the food fair at the mall, & these pants were the only dressy ones I could fit into…& even these wouldn't meet at the waist so I had to fasten them with a safety pin…"

"Aw, damn," he teased, "there goes the image!"

She laughed & he was glad to see her relax. "So," he said, "you're ready to leave?"

She nodded.

"Okay." He ran a hand over his jaw. "Give me a couple of minutes to freshen up."

As he stood in the bathroom scrapping a razor over his jaw, his high spirits over his outing with Mimi reminded him of the way he used to feel eight years ago when he'd been getting ready for one of their secret dates. He'd always been dizzy with impatience but still he took time to shave carefully first so his jaw wouldn't rasp her skin.

He knew Mimi's father would notice if her cheeks were grazed & he didn't want to alert him to the fact that his precious daughter had a boyfriend. Not that he'd been afraid of the man. Although Max Tachikawa had been six foot three & built like a bull, Matt knew that with his own taekwondo skills he could have knocked him down. But he'd been afraid of Mimi, who couldn't stand up to her father's rages.

He finished shaving…& smiled cynically as he regarded his rugged reflection in the mirror. Despite his slightly crooked nose & scarred lip, women still found him attractive.

Except for the one woman he wanted. She told him straight-out that he left her cold. He wasn't about to give up, though.

"You wouldn't know unless you tried." Whoever had said that first got it right & from now on, it would be his mantra.


"What a charming place!" Mimi said, as Matt drew the Honda up in the graveled forecourt of the Darces Inn, which was situated on the outskirts of Odaiba.

The off-white & slate-blue building was set high above a lake, in acres of green lawn adorned by trees & roses, and along a sloping path to the east entrance, on a knoll, stood a rustic wishing well.

"Yeah," Matt said, "it's nice. Food's great, too."

They strolled to the front door, but as Matt pulled it open a bunch of people came toward them from inside, & putting a protective arm around Mimi's shoulders, he held her back while keeping the door open for the oncoming group.

She was pressed against him for not more than twenty seconds, but it was long enough for her to become excruciatingly aware of the possessive strength of his hard-muscled arm & the intimate pressure of his hip against her thigh. A wave of wanting made her knees weak. She longed to slide her arms around his waist, lean her cheek against his chest, and inhale his sexy male scent…

But if she did, would she also smell Sora's distinctive floral perfume on his shirt…just as she smelled the faint memory of it lingering in his car?

The thought acted like a bucket of icy water, dousing the flame of desire that had licked through her. For a moment there she let her guard down, had forgotten about the painful past, & had forgotten that Matt already has someone else. She enjoyed his company, but now she felt all her pleasure fade.

And the moment Matt released her, she stepped away quickly & walked into the foyer, trying to put as much distance between them as possible.

The maitre d' seated them at a window table over looking the lake. And though she'd have given anything to be sitting at home, alone, she nevertheless put on her brightest smile & pretended to be having a good time.

Their conversation rolled easily over dinner…she asked him about local people she'd known when she was growing up & Matt filled her in on what had happened to them. But when they reached the coffee stage, she noticed that he seemed distracted.

"Penny for your thoughts!" she said & saw him jump. "Or are they worth more?" she teased.

He gazed at her lovingly for a few moments, & then he said, "I don't know what they're worth, but you do."

She raised her eyebrows.

"I was actually thinking," he said slowly, "about the man you left behind in New York. And I was wondering how you feel about him now."

She stiffened, but before she could say anything, he said bluntly, "Are you still in love with him?"

"Love isn't like water in a tap, Matt." She tried to sound faintly amused. "You can't just turn it on & off at will."

"So you're still in love with the guy."

"Excuse me…" the waiter hovered at their table, "would either of you like some more coffee?"

Mimi shook her head. "Not for me, thanks."

Matt said, "No, we're done."

"I'll bring your bill, then." The waiter headed toward the back of the restaurant.

"Mimi…"

"Matt, it's getting late & I'd really like to get to the stores. If you'll excuse me, I'll just pop through to the ladies room first." She pushed back her chair. "I'll meet you outside."

"You're running away."

She rose to her feet. He did, too. "No, Matt, you've got me confused with another Mimi. Mimi Tachikawa doesn't run." She squared her shoulders. "The answer to your question is yes, I still love Michael."

She saw his eyes darkened, but she didn't give him a chance to respond. "I'll probably always love him," she said, "because of what we had together & because he's the father of my child. We were together for five years, & I think about him often. I still shed tears because we had something special & we lost it. But I'm no longer in love with him. He wasn't quite the man I thought he was."

She turned away & made her way to the ladies room. When she got there, she was thankful to find it empty. She stood at the sink, her breath coming fast, as she stared distraughtly at her reflection in the mirror.

To her surprise she looked just as neatly groomed as she had when she & Matt left the house…she'd half expected to look as if she'd been in a cyclone. That was the way she felt, with her heart & mind all blown around & topsy-turvy.

Why had she told Matt she was no longer in love with Michael? Couldn't she have lied about that? Then perhaps, if he believed her heart belonged to another, he would stop gazing at her the way he'd been doing a few moments ago…as if he wanted her more than life itself.


He was standing at the wishing well when she went outside. She walked up the path to join him. A soft breeze gusted from the lake & she put up a hand to hold back her hair as it blew over her face. It was a perfect evening…and very like the June evening when she & Matt had first met, at a rock concert in Morel Park.

The bittersweet memory of that precious evening tugged at her heartstrings & made her throat ache painfully. They had been so sure then that they were made for each other. Kindred spirits. Soul mates.

"Here." Matt held out a shiny quarter as she reached him. "Make a wish."

She dragged herself out of the swamp of nostalgia. No good would come of dwelling on the past; that part of her life was over. Over & done with. She had come back to Odaiba to move forward, not to drift back.

She ignored it & stepped to the opposite side of the well. Looking across at him, she said lightly, "How about you? Aren't you going to make one?"

"I already have."

"What did you wish for?"

"That would be telling." His mouth curved in a lazy smile. "But if it comes true, you'll know it." He gestured toward the well. "Go ahead."

What did he mean she would 'know it'? Perhaps he hadn't actually proposed to Sora yet; but when he did, Mimi would certainly know it because the air would be filled with wedding plans.

So…what should she wish for? She could have wished for Matt's love, but he already proved in the past that she couldn't trust him…and love without trust was a useless thing.

And even if, by some miracle, she could have trusted him again, it was too late. He was Sora's now. Sora's fingerprints were all over him. Her underwear was in his house. Her scent was in his car. Her heart was in his hands.

Mimi dropped the quarter into the well & as it hit the water below with a tiny splash, she closed her eyes. And wished for what she wanted most in the entire world: A happy, healthy full-term baby.


Mimi & Matt split up when they reached the mall & Mimi soon found Mommy's-To-Be, a maternity clothing store jam-packed with attractive outfits.

When she finished shopping, she walked along to the Bay to browse in their Baby Department as she still had some time remaining before she was to meet Matt.

She just picked up two packages of infant-size pajamas & had moved o to admire a crib decorated with Disney decals, when she felt someone touch her shoulder. Turning, she found Matt right behind her.

"Hi," he said. "I saw you pass the bookstore & decided to follow you in case you were done." He glanced down at her pink-&-blue striped carrier bags with their store logo. "Find what you were looking for?"

"Mmm. How about you?"

"I got a couple of books." He indicated a glossy blue bag swinging from his hand.

"Are you ready to leave now?"

"Yeah." He reached up to touch a mobile suspended over the crib, and the zebras, giraffes & lions bobbed smoothly up & down. "Hey," he said with a chuckle, "cool!"

She looked at his laughing upturned face, & it hit her like a slap that this was how it should have been eight years ago. The two of them in a Baby Department somewhere, looking at baby things…together. It stung that he should be here with her now, pushing himself in where she didn't want him to be. She was having this baby on her own; he was the last person from whom she'd accept any help, advice, or support!

She felt overwhelmed by hurtful memories. "I'm ready to leave, too," she said. "I just have to pay for a couple of items."

"Sure." He tipped the mobile again, & chuckled again. "Go ahead."

She walked away toward the nearest cash register, resentment making her head pound.

"What cute little PJ's!" the clerk said as she took Mimi's credit card. "Is this a gift? Would you like a box?"

"No, thanks, they're for me."

"Oh, lovely! When's the baby due?"

"Not till the end of the year."

"So you have lots of time to get everything ready." The woman rang up the sale. "Boy or girl?"

"I don't know…actually, I don't want to."

"Then you're wise to pick purple. Want it to be surprise, eh?"

"It's one of my favorite colors. I plan on having the baby's room purple & white."

"That'll be nice & fresh. And besides…" the clerk returned the credit card, "If your next baby's not the same sex as the first one, you won't need to redecorate the nursery!"

Mimi murmured something noncommittal, & stuffed her credit card back into her wallet. As she did, someone behind her slid a colorful box across the counter. "I'll have this," he said. "Thanks."

It was Matt. And the box contained a mobile similar to the one he'd been admiring. When he saw her quick frown, he spread out his hands in a gesture of mock-helplessness. "So sue me," he drawled. "I couldn't resist."

"This is for me?" Her voice was cool with disapproval.

"Not for you." His smile so big, it almost reached his eyes. "Not for you, silly. It's for your baby."

I don't want you buying stuff for my baby! She sit back the words because she didn't want to be ungracious. Instead she said, "You shouldn't have. You've already bought me a nice meal."

He waved her words aside. And after he completed his purchase, he escorted her back to the car where he tossed all their packages into the back seat.

As they drove out of the car park, he asked, "Tired?"

"Mmm. But it's common in pregnancy to be tired in the evenings. I have to admit that I wouldn't be up to doing this every night!"

"Ah well, tomorrow night you'll have the whole house to yourself. You can have supper on a tray, put your feet up & relax. I'm going out."

"To Sora's, yes, I know." When Matt turned to look at her, his expression was questioning. "She invited me for dinner, too. I didn't know," she added, "when I accepted the invitation, that she already invited you."

A look of annoyance flitted over his face. It was quite obvious that eh didn't want her there…and it hurt. But if he didn't want her there, she wanted it even less.

"I'm sorry." Her voice came out weakly. "As I said, if I knew you were coming I…"

"It's not your fault." His hands tightened around the steering wheel. "It's just that I haven't seen Sora for the past couple of weeks as she & the boys have been coping with flu, but…there was something important I planned to discuss with her about tomorrow evening, & now…"

"I'll call her & I'll make up some excuse so…"

"No," he shook his head. "As I said, it's important, but it can wait."

"Matt, I…"

"Forget it, Mimi." He had become detached. "We'll go over there tomorrow evening for dinner, as arranged. You'll have a good time; you'll enjoy meeting TJ & Tom-Tom. They're great kids & I love them as if they were my own."

But they weren't his own, Mimi reflected unhappily. The child that would have been his own would have been seven years old now. This baby had been a girl. The doctors told her that much.

Mimi sighed as a wave of sorrow swept over her. Not a day passed that she didn't think about her little daughter. Not a day passed that she didn't shed a tear over her. She thought, at the time of her loss, that nothing would fill the aching void. But now she was expecting another baby, & this time everything would be all right. Everything had to be all right.

When they arrived home, Matt opened the car door for her , & after she got out, he retrieved their packages from the back seat.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked, passing over her carrier bags as they walked into the house.

"Actually, I'm ready for bed."

"Can I bring you up something?" he asked his tone solicitous. "A mug of hot chocolate or a couple of cookies maybe?"

He sounded, she thought, like an 'old married' husband; she half expected him to say, "Or how about a cup of tea, dear?" But he didn't look like an 'old married' husband, he looked dynamic, handsome, & more seductive that sin itself…and much more suited to getting into a woman's bed than setting a tray of tea & cookies on top of it!

"No, thanks." She started for the stairs. "I bet the moment my head hits the pillows, I'll fall asleep."

But as it turned out, she didn't, because when she got into bed she noticed that by mistake, Matt had given her his package, too. It lay at the floor of her bed, along with her own unopened bags.

Did he buy a book he planned on reading tonight?

She scrambled down to the foot of the bed & picked up his package. Then curios to see what his reading tastes were, she opened the glossy bag. He bought three books; the first was the latest Grisham novel, but when she saw the other two, she stared in disbelief.

One was: A Handbook for the Mom-to-be.

The second was: A Handbook for the Dad-to-be.

Resentment spread like bushfire though her veins. How dare him! Oh, it was bad enough that he bought her a baby book, but to take upon himself the role of father-in-waiting was…was…oh! She couldn't even come up with a word that was strong enough!

Throwing back her covers, she put on her robe, grabbed his bag of books & headed furiously out of her room.


AN: Uh oh, Matt's gonna be in big trouble. Let's see what happens in the next chapter. Don't for get to review!

Kari-heartily – I'm gonna tell you this, it will end up in a very happy ending! Keep R&R! Janay – thanks! I do try my best. Angel – hey, how's it going? It's been a while since I last heard from you. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about that one. Hesitate – I'm glad you like both my stories. Thanks! PnkSaKuRaSyAoRaNS2 – you know, you're one of my loyal readers. Thanks so much!