Okay, people, there are only three or four more chapters in this story, that's why I'm giving you the chance to read this chapter & I'm sure you guys will love this! It's a pretty long chapter (actually, it's the longest yet!) and it's a Mimi & Matt scene. You will also find out what happened between Matt & Sora when he went back to talk to her…and there will be a little bit of kissing...ooops! I shouldn't have said that. Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead & read it! Enjoy!

Chapter Seventeen

Mimi found Matt already in the kitchen when she went downstairs the next morning. She greeted him with a cheery "Hi." And then because the kitchen door was wide-open, she walked over & looked out. The sky was dazzling blue & cloudless, and the white roses clambering up the red brick wall gave off a heavenly fragrance.

"It's going to be another lovely day," she said as she turned back into the room.

Matt was putting a pot of tea on the table, along with a rack of whole wheat toast. "Yeah."

He already had his morning run & his golden hair still glistened from his shower. He looked dynamic & really handsome in green t-shirt & black pants, but she saw that his eyes were strained.

"Sit down," he said. "Would you like boiled egg? Or maybe a…"

"No, thanks, tea & toast is fine. I'm not very hungry, anyway. I think I had too much of Sora's delicious lasagna last night." She took her seat & as she arranged the folds of the pink cotton shirt she was wearing over her new white capri pants, she said, in a deliberately offhand tone, "I didn't hear you come in last night. Were you late?"

"No."

His tersely spoken response made it obvious he didn't want to discuss it so Mimi changed the subject. "You're not forgetting my doctor's appointment at ten-thirty?"

"No."

"Are you planning to go in the office for a while & then come back for me?"

"No, I have things to do here."

Conversation over breakfast was little. His mood was as sour as it had been on the way to Sora's the night before, so she let him be. After they'd eaten & arranged their dishes in the dishwasher, he excused himself.

"I'm going to be working out back. If I'm not in by ten, give me a shout." And with that he took off.

Mimi had never known Matt to be moody, & as she went upstairs, she wondered what on earth was going on between him & Sora.

She was in the bathroom brushing her teeth when she heard a series of thudding sounds coming from the backyard below. Peeking out the window, she saw Matt over by the garden shed. There was this big dummy bag & Matt, with his taekwondo skills, was attacking it like a madman as if the dummy was a mortal enemy.

Mesmerized, Mimi stared at him. Whatever emotion was hounding him, it seemed like he was using this violent exercise in an effort to work it out. She watched him for a few minutes longer & then, with a sigh, she moved away from the window. She hated to see Matt so upset, but whatever his problem was, it had nothing to do with her; so although he continued to hit the dummy with ferocious kicks & punches right up until ten o'clock, she didn't look out at him again.


"Everything's fine," Dr. Joe said after he examined Mimi. "And you're feeling better? You've had total rest?"

"Yes, & Matt's treating me as if I was royalty. He didn't even allow me to do any driving," she added with a laugh, "the past couple of weeks."

"Well, if you get the chance to be a lady of leisure, I advise you to take it. But you're okay to drive yourself around…as long as you feel comfortable in it."

"Oh, don't worry, my car's pretty comfortable." Mimi got up from her chair. "It was bequeathed to me by my mother's best friend…it was the only time in her life that Melissa had ever splurge on anything, but she bought it when she retired & she absolutely adored her little Porsche. And we had many happy trips in it so it means a lot to me…that's why I had it shipped here. I didn't want to leave it in New York & I wouldn't sell it for anything, so I decided to transfer it here before leaving New York City."

"That must be the reason." The doctor accompanied her to the waiting room." Driving a car after a long flight is pretty dangerous, Mimi."

She gave a long sigh & nodded.

"Matt's not here with you?" he glanced around the room.

"He parked across the street at his office. I'm going to meet him there & he'll be the one to drive me home."

"Make an appointment to see me again in two weeks. In the meantime, take care."

When Mimi went out to the street a couple of minutes later, after the air-conditioned clinic, the heat hit her like a blast from a 500 degree oven. The sun was blistering hot & by the time she crossed the street, she could feel perspiration gathering on her brow.

But as she stepped onto the sidewalk, her attention was caught by an arrangement of flowers outside a nearby flower shop. So instead of going directly to Matt's office, she headed for the colorful shop.

After browsing for a while, she selected a pink-blossomed hibiscus plant set in a heavy ceramic pot. As she paid for it, she said to the clerk, "Can you keep it for me? I'll have someone drop by & pick it up."

Leaving the flower shop, she made her way into Matt's office building & smiled at Yolei, who glanced up as she heard the door open.

"Hi," Mimi said cheerfully. "Is Matt in his office?"

The receptionist snapped, "Yes, go in." And turning her back, she busied herself with some files.

Well, wasn't she in a mood about something! Making a small face at Yolei's back, Mimi walked over to Matt's door. After a quick knock-knock, she walked in. But here, the atmosphere was just as tense. When Matt looked up from his desk, his features were set in a scowl.

"Oh," he said, "it's you." And though he at least attempted to smile, it didn't reach his eyes. He got up & came around the desk. "So, how did it go? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything's fine." Was it her fault that he, & Yolei, was in a bad mood? She could see how it might irritate them both, that she was breaking into their busy schedule. "Matt, I'm sorry to have taken up your time this morning. I know how busy you are & the last thing you need is to see me coming into your office and…"

"Mimi, believe me, seeing you is the only good thing that has happened today." He reached for her hand & steered her unceremoniously to the door. "Let's get out of here."

Mimi hurried to keep up with his long stride. As they crossed the foyer, Matt said, "Yolei, I'll be out the whole afternoon. Call me if you need me."

The woman glanced up from her files & Mimi was astonished to see her throw her boss an even icier look than the one she'd given Mimi. "Will do." Yolei's tone was frigid, her head already bent again over her files.

Mimi heard Matt swear under his breath. And she felt him grip her arm even more tightly as he led her out to the street & along the sidewalk toward his car.

Passing the flower shop, she was reminded of her purchase & indicating the store, she said, "By the way, Matt, I bought a plant in there for your mother. It's a small gesture of appreciation for her kindness. Could you pick it up when it's convenient & deliver it for me?"

"Elena's gone for the weekend," he said in a distracted tone, "but sure, I'll drop it off. In fact…" he changed direction & guided her toward the shop's entrance, "we may as well do it now."

They collected the plant, which Matt set on the floor in the back of the car so as not to disturb the blossoms. Then he drove along Main Street, & down Fourth Avenue, and through a narrow road that ran along the river to the east end of town. When he made a left onto a path lined with cherry trees, Mimi said, "Your mother still lives in the same house, after all these years?"

"Yeah, but it was rented before. Now it's all hers." Matt kept his eyes front as he swept the Honda onto a single driveway & pulled the vehicle to a stop. "Her landlord moved out of town four years ago, & he gave Elena the option to buy it. She always liked the place, so she jumped at the chance & bought it."

"You liked it, too, I remember." Mimi's gaze took in the modest yellow house, with its white picket fence & its tidy green garden filled with petunias & orange poppies. "You always said that although you & your mom never had much money, she knew how to make a house a home."

"Yeah, she did."

Matt still seemed distracted & Mimi looked at him properly. "Matt, I hate to see you so upset. I really am sorry to be eating all of your time."

He turned in his seat. "Mimi, you're not eating my time. I didn't plan on going back to the office anyway. I am going to drive you home & I intend to stay & have lunch with you. There's also something I need to tell you."

"What happened, Matt? I couldn't help noticing that your receptionist was very…unfriendly…to me just now."

He didn't swear again, but she sensed that he wanted to. "Not only to you, but to me, too." His eyes were hard. "It's a mess, Mimi, a freakin' mess." He shook his head irritably. "Let's get this plant into the house and then we'll go out back & have our talk there."

Containing her impatience to hear his story, Mimi followed him up the steps to the door & into the house. Matt went first, carrying the plant, & Mimi followed him into a small, attractively furnished sitting room.

There was a perfect spot for the hibiscus by the bay window. After Matt had set it down, he stood back. "There," he said, "will that do?"

"Yes, that's great. Thanks, Matt." Mimi glanced around. On the coffee table were piles of Good Housekeeping magazines, a couple of mystery paperbacks & a bowl of potpourri that gave off a powdery perfume. "Won't Elena mind you bringing me here," she asked, "while she's not at home?"

"Of course not, when I tell her we were here, she'll wish she could've been home so she could make you some tea. Would you like some tea now?"

"No, I'm fine." Mimi's gaze moved to a glass-door bookcase, but instead of holding books, it was crammed with trophies…Taekwondo & Academic trophies.

She moved over & crouched down in front of them. "I had no idea you had so many."

"The taekwondo ones are mine & the others are TK's."

"Yes, but still…" Her gaze flickered from trophy to trophy to trophy…

"Mimi," he spoke curtly. "Let's go outside."

She knew that he'd given up taekwondo because he'd been badly beaten, but she still didn't know how it happened, or who the woman he was fighting over. There was no point in asking him. He wouldn't tell her. But one day, she might ask Elena.

In the meantime, she pushed it to the back of her mind, & went with Matt through a galley-style kitchen and out to a private backyard with a six-foot high fence, three apple trees, hanging baskets dangling from hooks under the low eaves…and, to Mimi's great surprise, a swimming pool with sparkling blue waters & a blue-and-white tiled apron.

"Matt, I didn't know you had a pool! I was never in this house before, of course, but I don't recall you ever saying you had one…"

"We didn't have a pool here when I was growing up. My mother's landlord put it in five years ago. He planned on moving into this house when he retired & his wife loved to swim. But she died before they could make the move, & he decided to relocate to another city. Elena didn't really want a pool…it's a lot of work, but I take care of it for her. And I actually use it more than she does!"

"It looks tempting right now!" Mimi said excitedly, & tugged her shirt away from her back as she felt it sticky with perspiration. "This is the hottest day we've had so far."

"You fancy a swim?"

She turned startled eyes to Matt. "Oh, no, I…"

"Elena keeps an extra couple of swimsuits when friends drop by."

"No, Matt, I don't think…"

"Oh, come on, it'll do us both good to cool off."

"I thought you wanted to talk to me.'

"I do, but it can wait."

She looked at his strained face & tired eyes. And she wanted to smooth the frown lines on his brow; wanted to kiss his worries away. Instead she told herself to smarten up, because inviting him to intimacy was the very last thing he should be doing. She did want to see his tension eased, though, & if a swim would help, then…

"Okay," she said, "if you can find a swimsuit that could fit me."

He was away for about four minutes & when he came back, he was wearing only a pair of black swimming trunks. Uh-oh, Mimi thought, this was a huge mistake. She would just have to make sure to stay at the opposite end of the pool from him once she got in the water.

He held out a handful of colorful swimsuits. "Here," he said. "This should keep you decent."

Decent, Mimi mused wryly as she saw her refection in Elena's bathroom mirror, was not the word she would have used to describe how she looked in the miniscule bikini. Her breasts grew bigger with her pregnancy & her hips were more rounded, so her figure, which she normally thought of as "slim," now seemed positively voluptuous & sexy!

And she wasn't about to let Matt feast his eyes on it. The last thing she wanted was to provoke him, so she grabbed a towel & wrapped it around herself before she went back outside. But Matt was already in the water & swimming away from her, so she was able to throw off the towel & get into the pool without being noticed.

She started swimming lengths, & it was glorious. The water felt like silk. Once she regained possession of Laurel House, she would have to think about having a pool put in. She swam & dreamed & counted lengths. She was at the deep end when she finished her tenth and she grasped the lip of the pool & took a deep breath.

Matt surged to the surface right beside here & planted a big hand on the tiled apron, just inches away from her own. He grinned at her…a flash of white teeth, a dazzle of ocean blue eyes…and she felt herself grow weak with the intimacy of his smile…of him…of his closeness.

And she realized with a feeling of dismay that instead of worrying in case her voluptuous figure might arouse Matt, she should have been worrying about the effect he had on her!

"So," he drawled, "how was it?" His hair was plastered to his brow and beads of water streamed down his nose & around his mouth & down over his chin. She wanted to reach out & follow their path with her fingertip; she wanted to sway toward him in the luxuriously sensuous water & slide against his body.

"It was lovely." Her voice came out breathlessly & she hoped he'd put it down to the exertion of her swim. "Actually, it's blissful."

"Blissful it is," he murmured. "Odd," he went on amusedly, "I've been using this pool for years & it's never been this…blissful…before."

He was flirting with her. It seemed harmless, yet Mimi felt a sexual tension between them that was anything but harmless. They were alone here, half naked, and the physical attraction between them had always been undeniable.

"Maybe you've never been so stressed-out before," she said lightly. "And then it's so very hot today, you're appreciating the water more than usual."

"Yeah, that could be it. Or…" the intensity of his gaze arrowed right into her soul, "it could be that swimming with the most beautiful woman in the world is what makes it so blissful."

"Ah, how foolish is the male species!"

"Why would say that?"

"Didn't you tell me that you had once lost a fight over the most beautiful woman in the world & instead of winning the woman, you got this!" She tapped his slightly crooked nose. "And this!" She ran the tip of her index finger over the thin scar on his lip…but before she could drop her hand, he grabbed her wrist roughly & held it.

Jolted, she shot her gaze to his eyes & saw that his expression was no longer amused, but hard.

"Foolish isn't something I care to be called, Mimi."

"Then you ought to be more careful on how you label your lovers! You can't have two who were both, to you, the most beautiful women in the world!" Haughtily she glared back at him. "Now can you!"

"No, Mimi, I can't & I didn't. You are…and always have been, to me…the most beautiful woman in the world. That other woman, the one I loved & lost so many years ago, was you."

"Matt, I…"

"I don't want to get into this right now." Matt swore silently. Sheer pride made him say as much as he had. But hearing Mimi call him "foolish" had been too much for him to take. He had never been unfaithful to her.

She snatched her wrist free from his grip. "You can't say something like that & just leave it!" she said. "You haven't even told me who you were fighting with!"

"It's in the past, Mimi. It's the present that matters. And that's what I need to talk to you about." He grabbed the lip of the pool & pulled himself out of the water & stood on the tiled apron. Bending over toward her, he held out a hand. "Come on out…"

But she ignored his help. She swam away for the far end of the pool with long elegant strokes. Climbing up the ladder, she crossed the patio & scooped up her towel. Tipping her head to one side, she started to dry her hair.

He walked around the pool toward her. Decent? He thought the pink bikini would keep her decent? Huh! She would probably look more decent naked, because the pink fabric made what was hidden seem more tantalizingly erotic. He felt himself becoming aroused & decided he'd better make a quick retreat.

He walked past her, heading for the patio door. "I'll be back in a minute," he said over his shoulder. "Want something to drink?"

"Maybe a glass of iced water?"

He stayed inside till he had himself under control. When he went out again, the white towel was lying crumpled on a chaise & Mimi was tucking a cosmetic bag in her purse. Her hair was smooth, curving downward over her tanned shoulders & ending in two fans over her breast.

She looked delicate as a fairy, yet her eyes, as they fixed on him, were to wordly-wise to be fairy's eyes. And they watched him warily as he approached with her water.

"Thanks," she said, taking several sips from the glass before setting it down on the patio table.

"Let's sit over here." He led her to a bench under one of the apple trees. "It'll be cooler in the shade."

Brushing a few dead leaves from the white-painted wood, he indicated that she should sit down. She did, but he did not. For what he was about to say, he preferred to remain standing. She looked up at him questioningly…and waited. He always liked that about her, that she could live with silence, that she knew when to speak & when no to.

"Now that I finally have you here," he said with a self-derisive laugh, "I don't have a clue where to start."

"Then why not start at the end," she said teasing him. "And work your way back."

"That might be a good idea. Okay." He took a deep breath. "Sora doesn't want to see me again."

Mimi's eyes clouded, but other than that, her expression gave nothing away. "I don't need to ask how that made you feel," she said quietly. "I've seen how upset you've been, since your visit last night. Is there any chance you can patch things up with her?" Mimi frowned suddenly. "But why doesn't she want to see you again? I thought…it certainly seemed to me…that Sora was crazy about you!"

"I guess," Matt said, "starting at the end isn't really going to work. Let me fill you in on the background." He told Mimi of the promise he made to his best friend, Tai & told her of his efforts to live up to that promise.

"What I didn't realize was that Sora misread all my intentions. She somehow got the impression that I…was in love with her, & she said as much to several people. Word got out that I was working my way to propose & when I discovered that, I knew I had to set the record straight. That's why I went back to see her last night."

"And you told her…"

"I told her I only thought of her as a friend. She was hysterical, I had a hell of a job trying to calm her down…and then in the end she went frighteningly cold & quiet & she told me she never wanted to see me again."

Mimi didn't say anything for a long moment, & then she said, "I'm really sorry you've had this misunderstanding with Sora, Matt. But…it's a private affair between the two of you. Why…are you telling me about it?"

"Because you're involved."

"Me? But…how?"

"Sora thinks that everything would have gone the way she expected it to go on…if you hadn't come back here. She believes that I've dumped her for someone else. And she believes that that someone else is you."

He could see the dismay in Mimi's eyes. She lurched to her feet. "But it's not true, Matt. I've never done anything to come between the two of you. I've told you already that I no longer find you attractive! Can't you tell her that? At least, if she knew there was nothing between us, she might begin to accept that she had misread all your kindness to her & her family?"

"I can't say it, Mimi."

"Why not?" she demanded fiercely. "If it's true, why won't you tell her?"

He shook his head. "But it's not true, is it?" he said softly. "It'll never be over, between you & me."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "Matt, how many times do I have to tell you…"

"What you tell me & what your eyes tell me are two different things."

She turned away from him but not before he'd seen a tear spill over & trickle down her cheek. With a groan, he caught her & whirled her around to face him. Then with his hands on her shoulders, he pulled her close to him. "Mimi," he whispered. "Oh, Mimi-chan…"

He kissed her then…and she didn't even try to resist. She melted against him & kissed him back with a passion that made his knees tremble. On & on they kissed, his fingers tangled in her hair, his head filled with the smell of chlorine, but his heart was filled with the joy of having her in his arms. When she finally drew back, her cheeks were flushed, lips swollen, & she was breathless.

"Tell me now," he said softly, "that you no longer want me."

She stepped back & came up against the trunk of the apple tree. "You know I can't." Her voice was shaky. "But I don't always take what I want."

"Even when it's freely offered?"

Numbly, she shook her head. "I told you, Matt. I'm on my own, & that's the way I like it. You'd be wise not to waste ay more time thinking things will never be the same between us as they once were. It'll never happen."

He could see, by the steely glint in her eyes, that he didn't have a hope of changing her mind. Not at this moment. But today he made a major step in the right direction: he kissed her & she kissed him back, & she admitted that she still wants him.

She was right at one point: things could never be the same between them again. And it was his hope that they could be even better. They were both older & they both knew that love wasn't enough; two people had to work at a relationship. And he intended to give it everything he had in his power to give. But he would take it slowly. One day at a time.

"I'm sorry," he said, "if I've upset you. But I'm not sorry for kissing you. There are some things…" he threw her a boyish grin to defuse the tension between them, "that a red-blooded guy has just gotta do when he sees a cute gal in a bikini! Now…" he grabbed her hand, & swinging it, led her up the lawn towards the house, "let's go home. I'm starving!"

As they drove back out to the street a few minutes later, Mimi said, "Matt, the night you took Sora to the dance, I heard you come in after four & I thought…"

"You thought…oh, you thought that! Uh-uh, Tom-tom was sick & he wanted me to stay, which I did." He sent her a teasing glance. "So…any other wicked thought?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Well…I saw a wispy lacy bra in your laundry one day, & I thought…"

"What a very busy…and naughty!...little mind you have, Miss Tachikawa." He chuckled. "It would have been my mom's. My mother often takes her laundry to the house & runs it through with mine. Anything more, princess?"

She shook her head, & then looked at him worriedly. "Matt, what are you going to do about Sora? Are you going to try & talk to her?"

He sobered. "She's hurt, humiliated, & angry. She's not ready to listen to anything I have to say."

"But…what about the boys? Won't they miss you?"

"The school term ends next week. Sora always takes them to Tai's parents' house for the first month of the summer holidays. Maybe by the time she gets back, she won't feel so…hostile toward me…and we can mend our bridges then."


AN: Whew! I can't believe how long this came out. My fingers really hurt from typing this much. I hope you guys didn't get too bored from reading. It's a really great chapter coz Matt & Mimi finally revealed what they truly feel for each other, and I didn't want to delay or cut-out the good stuff from you guys coz I don't want to give cliffys & disappoint all of you. So PLEASE review! I wanna know what you think about this very very long chapter. Hehe! See you next week!

Kairi-heartilly – thanks for the review! Riven – don't worry, things are starting to get better for our favorite couple. Koumi – well, red represent blood & I don't like it. You know, a lot of people from around the world like the color blue, so it's not just your color. PnkSaKuRaSyAoRaN – well, Sora will be pissed off, but she'll eventually come to her senses. I agree with you about the whole Sorato thing, but let's not be hater's okay. Even with our differences, we should respect each other. Yay! Lysia Croft – hey, guess what! I just read your fic last night & I think it's pretty cool! I hope you update soon! Angel – at least now you could just sit back, relax, & do whatever you want and not worry about school…then again, spring break only lasts for a week…(sigh)