First Encounter

Chapter 3

By: hitomi-kun

Note before reading:

Italicized words are the character's thoughts, ayt?

Disclaimer:

I am NOT a fan of plagiarism, ayt? If anyone out there has a similar story with the one you're about to read…it is PURELY by coincidence, ayt? Don't sue me…I'm an awfully poor college student…

And no…I do not – I repeat, DO NOT – own Sailormoon…but not for my lack of trying, that's for sure…the only thing that I DO own is the plot of this AU fic….nobody should steal it either…stealing is very BAD…enjoy…

Previously on Chapter 2:

He stifled a chuckle at the sight of the two buns – meatballs; he preferred to call them – on top of her head; contradicting nicely to her mature figure, giving her a hint of childishness that he found quite endearing. He gazed in amazement at how fluidly she still managed to move as if the ends of those meatballs of hers were not a problem to her at all.

:How does she do it without stepping on them and knocking herself over:

He looked up and just in time to read the name of the hotel she was taking him to and he held back a smile.

:This is a first time, that's for sure. I'm usually the one dragging women to places like these, not the other way around.: He let his eyes roam leisurely over her frame once again. :But then again, I'm not complaining…:

Chapter 3: Going Up

Serena bit the inside of her cheek and chastised herself for once again letting her mouth run away from her.

:How come I always have to be the good Samaritan? Always willing to lend help even at my own expense.: she complained. :Why can't I leave my brethren alone to clean up after themselves, literally:

As she walked with Mr. Arrogant in tow towards the hotel where she was staying in, a thought suddenly occurred to her from out of the blue.

:Shoot! My apartment's probably a mess; I'm sure good old Mina hasn't cleaned up yet after last night's wild party…I'm going to kill that Mina one of these days. No, better yet, I'd kick her out of there once and for all. Does she have any idea at all about how hard it is to live in an apartment with the uncanny resemblance of a vermin's grimy hovel:

She sighed wistfully and acknowledged the hotel receptionist's cheery greeting with a subtle tilt of her head.

:But then again, it's not as if we're going to do anything, right? I just offered to wash his suit so I'll have a clean conscience and Mr. Arrogant here doesn't lose his job because of me. What could be so bad about that:

She continued to drag him inside and across the main hall lobby towards the elevator. She finally let go of his hand and pressed the up button on the wall, still not turning her back to face him. She dusted invisible lint from her right shoulder and stopped suddenly upon the onslaught of yet another realization.

:Oh. My. God. MINA! What if Mina's there and she sees me with Mr. Arrogant? She's never gonna let me live it down. Argh! I shouldn't have suggested he come here in the first place:

Putting aside her present dilemma to the back of her head, Serena noted that her companion was in silent mode the whole time they were headed to their current location. With great reluctance, Serena gave in to the role of the commentator/tour guide. "My apartment's on the 13th floor. It's not much but it's all I can afford at the moment," she informed him.

When she didn't get a response in return, she decided to cut the useless chit-chat she was about to subject him to and just let him cook in silence for all she bloody cared.

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow from the corner of her eye and jumped visibly when she heard the elevator announce its untimely arrival with an abrupt clang. The elevator doors parted in the middle to reveal an empty compartment.

"Great! Just great!" she mumbled quietly to herself as she got inside of the elevator.

:Where have all the people gone!Why, of why arethey never around when you need them:

Darien watched quietly as the woman got inside the elevator first and then glanced at his left and right side to make sure if there were still people who wanted to catch the elevator on their way up. Content that they weren't any, he stepped inside and leaned his 6'1 frame on the side opposite of her. In spite of himself, he was having fun just watching her reaction. A while ago, she was little Miss Decorum personified; acting so prim and proper towards him despite his treatment of her a while back. But looking at her now with her eyes darting here, there and everywhere in the elevator except at him, he was reminded of a cuckoo bird, for some unknown reason.

He glanced at his watch and grimaced. It was 8:45. He was 15 minutes (and counting) late for his meeting.

:Well, that's it, then. I'll have to cancel the meeting.:

Darien pulled out his mobile phone from his pocket and dialed Andrew's number, his P.A and best friend.

Andrewpicked it up on the third ring. "Dare! Where the hell are you man? The meeting started, like, 15 minutes ago!"

Darien smiled. "Drew,I can't attend the meeting today. Something came up and it's highly unlikely that I can just walk away from it. You'll have to take my place. I'll be coming in the office maybe late in the afternoon or something. When I turn up, you can brief me then, okay, Drew?"

A smirk on the other end of the line was heard. "Where are you off to now?"

"That's none of your business, Drew," he bit out, a little irritated that his best friend could see right through him so well.

A laugh. "Roger on that Dare. Let me know when you're on your way here, ayt? That wayI can have an excuse to get away from here."

"Okay. Oh, Drew? Before I forget, while you're conducting the meeting in my stead, I want you to have a talk with Mr. Takahashi regarding our exports in Japan. Tell him I smell something fishy that he isn't telling me. Make him sing like the canary he is, ayt?"

"Yes, boss."

"Also, Drew, please tell my secretary to cancel all my appointments and conference meetings for the entire day."

"Yes."

"Ciao."

Having done with his conversation, Darien browsed his phone for Beryl's number. As he waited for the latter to answer his call, he took off his jacket and tried to fold it as neatly as he could with the use of only one hand. When he failed to do so after two attempts, he gave up and merely folded it in half before draping it over his right shoulder. Finally, Beryl answered the phone with a sultry tone. "Hi darling! I wasn't expecting you'dcall."

Darien smiled. "Neither was I. Listen, something came up at work today." He looked at the woman across him and frowned at thepiercing gaze she was giving him.

A giggle could be heard on the other line. "I see."

"And I'm free until this afternoon."

"Go on," Beryl prompted huskily.

Darien cleared his throat at the sound of her voice and fanned his face with his free hand. :Is it me or is it getting hot in here:

"Would you like to get together for lunch? It's on me."

When he looked at the woman again, he noticed a look of disgust on her face.

:What's her problem, anyway:

"Just for lunch?" Beryl asked him coyly.

"No," he replied with a lilt in his voice.

"What, then?"

"We could go beyond lunch and do something fun," he told her with a glint in his eyes that was hard to miss. He turned to the woman again when he heard her hiss and say something about him being a typical man of this day and age.

A moment of silence and then a sigh on the other line. "You know where to find me, anata(1)."

"I'll be there in a couple of minutes."

"I'll be waiting."

And then the connection ended.

He slid his phone back into his pocket and glared at the woman. "Is there something wrong with you, meatball head? Haven't you ever heard about right to privacy in this country?"

A blonde eyebrow raised itself. "Me? Oh, no. Of course not, I'm perfectly fine, thank you. To answer your question, yes. I have heard about the right to privacy in this country. But then, I'm not at all apprehensive about your rights," Serena told him snootily.

When he remained quiet after her initial insult, she let out a frustrated sigh and began to tap her foot impatiently as she looked up to see the light go from the 6th to 7th.

She turned to him then. "I thought your job was at stake here! How come you just cancelled going to the VERY important meeting you had like you own the company you work in?"

"That's because I do," he told her.

A blank look crossed Serena's features. "Huh?"

:He has got to be kidding me:

He sighed and explained to her. "Well, technically, I don't. After all, I'm just a CEO, which means I still have superiors to suck up to." He smiled smugly when he saw her jaw drop unceremoniously to her chest.

Serena closed her gaping mouth and tersely released a breath she wasn't aware she was holding.

:I should change his name to Mr. Braggart, instead of Mr. Arrogant! The nerve of this guy:

Serena crossed her arms in front of her and rolled her eyes to the ceiling.

:I'm in an elevator totally void of human beings; and to make matters worse, I'm stuck with the world's most conceited/perverted conversationalist: she sardonically thought.

Forcing herself to pull on her temper reigns a little bit more despite her thoughts of committing first degree murder on the ungrateful little snout people shouldn't call 'man', Serena closed her eyes against the visual stimulus that was really getting on her nerves and instructed herself to take in several deep breaths. She opened her eyes again just in time to see the light go from the 8th to the 9th button.

:We're still on the 9th floor:

She groaned inwardly. :I never knew an elevator ride could take so long: she thought despondently.

:I'm starting to have this totally insane aversion to taking elevators. Next time, I'll take the stairs…:

hitomi-kun's notes:

(1) anata – kind of a Japanese endearment

So…guyz…how's my baby doing so far? Like it? Hate it? Tell me! Should I make any adjustments? WHAT! Give me your feedbacks, ayt? I'd really like to know how you think my fic is coming along so far. Thanks for reading!