THE JOB, Chapter 6: Taking Care Of Business.
FOREWORD: As I was writing this, I noticed a similar theme developing compared to what occurred in the so-called "rape scene" in Invasion. This time, I think Ryoko's reaction is more in character.
Oh, BTW, Ryoko's dancing in this chapter gets a little more suggestive. There's nothing too vulgar, or ecchi, though.
AUTHOR: Dreamr
LAST REVISION: 12 November 2002
EMAIL: TrueDreamr@Hotmail.com
BEGIN.
Rich Pickin's was full again tonight. Men and a few women of all different types were packed in to enjoy a low-key bar with pretty young women to look at. But it was not the nubile young lady on stage that Ryoko was staring at. It was her sake. Sitting at the bar, facing the bartender, Rachel, she simply stared into her drink, occasionally draining it and then asking for another. She had already forgotten what she was drinking. With a disgusted cackle, she remembered that at least she could pay for her drinks, now, rather than having to steal them, or rely on a guy to buy them for her. They tended to get pissed if a girl sponged drinks all night, then left him high and dry, so to speak.
"Uh, Ryoko?"
The bartender, who also happened to be Rich's wife, tried to get Ryoko's attention. Looking over her off-duty employee's shoulder, she could see the particularly annoying customer that was always coming on to Ryoko when she worked. As the barkeep, it was her duty to keep the customers in drink, so long as they paid. It was also her duty to look out for the girls who worked at the bar, even if they were there as paying customers.
"Leeme alone."
"But it's..."
Too late.
"Well, well!" The oversized businessman breathed into Ryoko's right ear. The smell of alcohol was very strong. "I didn't know you were working tonight!"
Ryoko drew a blow-off from the huge hat of blowoffs that she had learned over years of clubbing.
"I'm not. So bug off."
"Even better." The man, known throughout the bar as Josefu, slipped a hand around her waist. "Why don't you come home with me, tonight? I'll make it worth your time."
Slowly and deliberately, Ryoko set her glass down. A quick mental command sent the point of her elbow straight into his solar plexus. Josefu promptly bent over and smashed his face into the bar top, sending teeth everywhere. Ryoko spun around and cocked back her left fist. Josefu's eyes went wide and he blurted out his typical retort when someone threatened him.
"I'll sue!"
Gritting her teeth in anger, Ryoko cleaned his clock.
CRACK!
The fat man was unconscious before he hit the floor. The music stopped, and everyone looked at Josefu for a moment. Then a smattering of applause could be heard. Many of the other patrons had heard of or witnessed Josefu's aggressive overtures in the past. Most of them apparently approved of his punishment. Sitting back down on her stool, Ryoko rotated around again to return to her drink. She was now wearing a toothy smile, and her foot began to follow the rythm of the renewed musical accompaniment.
"Feel better?" Rachel asked as the phone began to ring.
"Damn right! Gimme another one!"
Rachel could not hide her grin as she poured another shot of sake and answered the phone at the same time.
"Rich Pickin's! How can I help you?"
Her smile quickly faded to a frown. The person on the phone was one of the girls scheduled to work tonight.
"Oh, no! That's terrible!" Long pause. "No, no. I understand. Of course you can't."
Rachel's eyes returned to Ryoko as she refilled her glass from the bottle that had been left on the counter.
"It's all right. I think we can get someone to cover for you."
Behind Ryoko, the sumo-sized bouncer hefted Josefu over his shoulder and carried him out the front door.
"Don't worry. You just take care of your father, okay? We'll talk later. Bye."
Rachel hung up the phone with a concerned look on her face.
"Hey, Ryoko?"
"Yo!" The cyan-haired customer cheerfully replied.
"Ritsuko can't come to work, tonight. Can you cover for her?"
"Sure! Oh! Wait a sec."
Ryoko lifted her glass and drained it again. Slapping the glass down with a thud, she smiled.
"Okay! Now I'm ready."
A good amount of alcohol in Ryoko's system made all the difference in her performance on stage. Normally, the dancers were not allowed to drink until after their shift. But, since she had not known she would be working tonight, she had quite the buzz going on. She was not afraid to do the small things that she usually refrained from doing because they might be a little beyond the bounds of the kind of entertainment offered in this establishment.
It had been a long time since she had danced while drunk. The music, the sounds, the lights, the looks; it was all familiar to her. Ryoko closed her eyes, and the past came back to life. Her body moved almost independently of thought. Each minute brought increasingly suggestive poses and sights. With her mental faculties depressed, it was startlingly easy to relive the times of past experiences. She started hanging off the edge of the stage almost in the customers' laps. She knew they wanted to get closer to her. And the more she pleased them, the more money she would make, and the less she would have to work later.
Something lightly brushed along the bottom of her foot. Ryoko almost kicked a guy in the head when her leg reflexively jerked away. By way of apology, she flipped over from her back to her hands and knees. Bending over as low as she could for balance, she sat back, giving the observer a very close look at what she knew he wanted to see. She stirred her hips around a bit, enticing him to try something. Her breathing began to deepen.
The sound of someone loudly clearing his throat broke the spell of enticement. A feral grin grew along Ryoko's lips as she was reminded that it was not that place, or that time, but this place and this time. As she began crawling across stage on her hands and knees, she could not help imagining how much she wanted to feel Tenchi's warm embrace. Actually, it was not his embrace she was thinking of.
Rolling around on the stage suddenly seemed like a good idea. Ryoko laid down on her stomach at the opposite edge of the stage from where she had just crawled from and began rolling along the edge. When she got about half-way around, she heard a familiar voice.
"Ryoko?"
She just assumed it was one of the regulars. She could not possible remember all the faces and names. Stopping on her back, she reached between her legs slowly stroked her thighs, while her head hung off the edge of the stage. Opening her eyes, she saw Tenchi's father.
"Whaa??"
She sat straight up and slammed her forehead against the stage pole. The world suddenly got very quiet.
Pain. Headache.
Ryoko opened her eyes. At least it was not too bright.
Sound.
"Are you all right?"
Motion.
Ryoko's arm still moved. She raised a hand to her forehead.
"Ai-i-i! Owww..."
Her fingers found a very large lump in the middle of her forehead.
"Who hit me with a lead pipe?"
Rachel's voice surged up and down with brief laughter.
"Actually, it was a brass pole."
"Still hurts like Hell."
Tactile sensation. She was lying on a leather couch. Memories flashed into the front of her mind.
"Shit. Why did HE have to come in tonight?"
"Who?"
Sight. Ryoko opened her eyes and saw that Rachel was looking down at her with concern on her face.
"Tenchi's old-man."
A small grin began to show across Rachel's lips.
"So, who is this Tenchi I keep hearing about?"
Ryoko sat up.
"Somebody I know. Is that guy still here?"
"He's in the corner booth with those businessmen."
Ryoko clucked her tongue in dismay. Her thoughts escaped the confines of her imagination as she considered how to deal with the situation.
"I suppose I could threaten him..."
"Actually, he seemed concerned."
"Yeah. I'll bet he was real worried."
Ryoko sighed in resignation as she swung her legs over the edge of the couch. She had intentionally avoided telling anyone at home about where she was working or what she was doing for work. Because of the lack of information, some of them were growing suspicious. No doubt Nobuyuki would want something from her in return for his silence. As she stood, intending to go find out what he wanted, butterflies of dread began to float around in her stomach.
"Ryoko, why don't you just go home?"
Ryoko stared across the room at the closed door. This room was affectionately refereed to as "The Girls' Room". There was a lit mirror and some small cubby-holes on one side so the dancers would have someplace to stow their things while they worked. Basically, it was the changing room. She shook her head.
"Can't do that."
"This boy, Tenchi, must be something extra special."
Ryoko's posture straightened at that. The statement reminded her that she was doing all of this for something she had never had in her entire life.
"Yeah." She answered just before phasing through the door.
Rachel blinked in surprise. The door was still closed. A girl had just walked through a closed door.
"Guess I shouldn't have snuck that shot of tequila."
There were not very many tables in this bar. There was also only one booth in the corner. Sitting behind the table at that booth was Tenchi's father and two men in business suits. They had drinks and a couple of ashtrays arrayed around them. As soon as he realized Ryoko had returned, Nobuyuki greeted her in an uncharacteristically enthusiastic style.
"Hey, Ryoko! It's nice to see you out and about. Sorry about scaring you like that. Heh, heh. Why don't you come sit with us?"
Ryoko just glared at him. The first man on the left cleared his throat, reminding Nobuyuki that they had not been properly introduced.
"Oh, of course! Where are my manners? Gentlemen, this fine young lady is a friend of the family. She goes by the name of Ryoko. Ryoko, these men are business associates of mine. From my right, they are Misters Yamamoto and Namura."
The men continued to stare at Ryoko, pausing in their examination only to nod their acknowledgement of her existence. Their stares reminded Ryoko that she was still wearing only a thong-bikini. Nobuyuki beckoned her closer with a gesture.
"Why don't you come join us for drinks, eh?"
With a reluctant groan that could not be heard over the sound of the music playing, Ryoko came around the table and made her way to sit between Namura and Nobuyuki. She figured he was the least likely to make any passes at her. As soon as she was settled, she leaned to her left and whispered in Mr. Masaki's ear.
"I keep them entertained and Tenchi never hears that I work here, right?"
"Not a word." The architect replied with a sly grin as their meals arrived.
"Fine. But you're buyin'."
Nobuyuki's face fell.
"D'oh! There goes my bonus."
Ryoko raised a hand and waved across the room to the girl who was working tables.
"Hey, Maki! How 'bout a round over here!"
As the evening progressed, Ryoko found out the guy she was sitting next to had a first name: Daisuke. She had actually smiled at that. It reminded her of another businessman she had met the last time she had worked in a place like this. Unlike the former businessman, this man was married with two children. He seemed a pleasant enough person to her. He was definitely a lot nicer than some men she had entertained in the past.
The evening soon turned to business, and Daisuke asked Ryoko to switch places with him so he could better see the designs Nobuyuki had brought with him. Almost immediately, she felt Yamamoto's hand on her thigh. Immediately her temper began to flare.
"Don't get burned."
Yamamoto did not so much as even acknowledge Ryoko's warning. Daisuke took a quick look at them, then returned his attention to Nobuyuki.
"Say, that reminds me. We're looking for a very specific kind of fire suppression system in this building. Mr. Yamamoto is our resident expert on that."
Pulling the plans a bit closer, Daisuke turned around to face Yamamoto, effectively blocking Nobuyuki from seeing what was going on under the table. Yamamoto took advantage of the well-timed screen and leaned forward to make it appear as if he were examining the plans.
"This does look like the system we wanted. However, I'll need to take a look at the figures. Fire-suppression is how I got into the business. But now I deal with the finances. The final approval on this project lies with me. If I like what I see, then the project will be approved."
When Ryoko felt him squeeze her thigh, she realized what was going on. These guys were not going to base their decision on the merits of Nobuyuki's design, but on whether or not she entertained them in a manner that was satisfactory to their desires. She sure as Hell was not inclined to go along with that. But, if she did not, and Tenchi's old man lost the contract, there was a good chance he would blab about her job. Fortunately for her, she was adept at turning disadvantages into advantages. Using Daisuke's screening technique for her own purposes, she reached under the table and clamped her hand around Yamamoto's wrist.
"I'm sure Mr. Masaki's design will meet with your approval."
Yamamoto gave her a cursory glance as she emphasized her statement with a squeeze of her own.
"Oh? Are you familiar with financing, Miss Ryoko?"
She grinned malevolently.
"I've been known to toss some cash around."
Nobuyuki tried to peek around Mr. Namura's broad shoulders.
"Eh?"
"I see. Then you are well aware that financing can be a very difficult subject. Finding the right price for what we require is a very time consuming process. We have seen many excellent designs. However, if the cost is not acceptable, we will be forced to move on."
This time, Yamamoto's gaze drifted down Ryoko's front. Despite how tightly she was holding his wrist, he fixed his gaze on her ample cleavage.
Ryoko felt a sudden urge to twist his hand off at the wrist.
"Sure. But you wouldn't want to skimp on the money so much that the design suffers."
Daisuke took this opportunity to jump into the veiled conversation.
"Miss Ryoko is correct. I can see some of the figures Mr. Yamamoto is referring to, and I think I can make some adjustments that will be acceptable."
Ryoko and Yamamoto both looked at Namura as if he were crazy. Taking one of the pencils lying about the table, Daisuke began writing near where Yamamoto's free hand was resting on the design.
"Perhaps if we downgraded the fire-suppression system in certain areas, we can apply the savings to the trouble spots, like so."
Yamamoto took one look and smiled.
"Of course! Excellent idea. Those numbers are more than acceptable."
Looking at what had been written, Ryoko began to fume. There was no fancy math or alterations. He had simply written down a sum of money. Releasing Yamamoto's hand, Ryoko grasped the table top and flung it into the air. Paperwork, alcohol, and hot cigarette butts flew for a second, then came crashing to the floor. Flames immediately leapt up where the butts touched the spilt drinks.
"MY DESIGN!" Nobuyuki cried.
Spinning around in unbridled anger, Ryoko grasped the two business men by their collars and lifted them into the air, one in each hand. She was so angry now, that her eyes glowed, and sparks jumped around her almost bare form.
"You guys make me SICK!"
Staring at Ryoko in wide-eyed fear, the men tried fiercely to free themselves from her terrifying gaze. She granted their freedom by knocking their heads together. They promptly sagged into blissful unconsciousness, whereupon Ryoko dropped them to the floor. Turning to Nobuyuki as he tried desperately to save his burning papers, she glared down at him.
"And you... you perverted old man..."
One look at Ryoko sent the architect scrambling for cover as patrons of the bar began to panic. They rushed for the single exit, pressing themselves against one another to escape the quickly spreading flames. The air turned red with flame, lending the scene a bit of a demonic essence as Rob Zombie's Superbeast began to play from the unattended sound podium.
END.
AFTERWORD: Originally, I was going to have a wet t-shirt contest with super-soakers at the bar. Mihoshi does one of her trademark trips and douses the sound podium with water. Poof! One really big fire. Actually, I thought this part of the story was getting a little too long. I'll wrap up this part of the story in the next chapter.
FOREWORD: As I was writing this, I noticed a similar theme developing compared to what occurred in the so-called "rape scene" in Invasion. This time, I think Ryoko's reaction is more in character.
Oh, BTW, Ryoko's dancing in this chapter gets a little more suggestive. There's nothing too vulgar, or ecchi, though.
AUTHOR: Dreamr
LAST REVISION: 12 November 2002
EMAIL: TrueDreamr@Hotmail.com
BEGIN.
Rich Pickin's was full again tonight. Men and a few women of all different types were packed in to enjoy a low-key bar with pretty young women to look at. But it was not the nubile young lady on stage that Ryoko was staring at. It was her sake. Sitting at the bar, facing the bartender, Rachel, she simply stared into her drink, occasionally draining it and then asking for another. She had already forgotten what she was drinking. With a disgusted cackle, she remembered that at least she could pay for her drinks, now, rather than having to steal them, or rely on a guy to buy them for her. They tended to get pissed if a girl sponged drinks all night, then left him high and dry, so to speak.
"Uh, Ryoko?"
The bartender, who also happened to be Rich's wife, tried to get Ryoko's attention. Looking over her off-duty employee's shoulder, she could see the particularly annoying customer that was always coming on to Ryoko when she worked. As the barkeep, it was her duty to keep the customers in drink, so long as they paid. It was also her duty to look out for the girls who worked at the bar, even if they were there as paying customers.
"Leeme alone."
"But it's..."
Too late.
"Well, well!" The oversized businessman breathed into Ryoko's right ear. The smell of alcohol was very strong. "I didn't know you were working tonight!"
Ryoko drew a blow-off from the huge hat of blowoffs that she had learned over years of clubbing.
"I'm not. So bug off."
"Even better." The man, known throughout the bar as Josefu, slipped a hand around her waist. "Why don't you come home with me, tonight? I'll make it worth your time."
Slowly and deliberately, Ryoko set her glass down. A quick mental command sent the point of her elbow straight into his solar plexus. Josefu promptly bent over and smashed his face into the bar top, sending teeth everywhere. Ryoko spun around and cocked back her left fist. Josefu's eyes went wide and he blurted out his typical retort when someone threatened him.
"I'll sue!"
Gritting her teeth in anger, Ryoko cleaned his clock.
CRACK!
The fat man was unconscious before he hit the floor. The music stopped, and everyone looked at Josefu for a moment. Then a smattering of applause could be heard. Many of the other patrons had heard of or witnessed Josefu's aggressive overtures in the past. Most of them apparently approved of his punishment. Sitting back down on her stool, Ryoko rotated around again to return to her drink. She was now wearing a toothy smile, and her foot began to follow the rythm of the renewed musical accompaniment.
"Feel better?" Rachel asked as the phone began to ring.
"Damn right! Gimme another one!"
Rachel could not hide her grin as she poured another shot of sake and answered the phone at the same time.
"Rich Pickin's! How can I help you?"
Her smile quickly faded to a frown. The person on the phone was one of the girls scheduled to work tonight.
"Oh, no! That's terrible!" Long pause. "No, no. I understand. Of course you can't."
Rachel's eyes returned to Ryoko as she refilled her glass from the bottle that had been left on the counter.
"It's all right. I think we can get someone to cover for you."
Behind Ryoko, the sumo-sized bouncer hefted Josefu over his shoulder and carried him out the front door.
"Don't worry. You just take care of your father, okay? We'll talk later. Bye."
Rachel hung up the phone with a concerned look on her face.
"Hey, Ryoko?"
"Yo!" The cyan-haired customer cheerfully replied.
"Ritsuko can't come to work, tonight. Can you cover for her?"
"Sure! Oh! Wait a sec."
Ryoko lifted her glass and drained it again. Slapping the glass down with a thud, she smiled.
"Okay! Now I'm ready."
A good amount of alcohol in Ryoko's system made all the difference in her performance on stage. Normally, the dancers were not allowed to drink until after their shift. But, since she had not known she would be working tonight, she had quite the buzz going on. She was not afraid to do the small things that she usually refrained from doing because they might be a little beyond the bounds of the kind of entertainment offered in this establishment.
It had been a long time since she had danced while drunk. The music, the sounds, the lights, the looks; it was all familiar to her. Ryoko closed her eyes, and the past came back to life. Her body moved almost independently of thought. Each minute brought increasingly suggestive poses and sights. With her mental faculties depressed, it was startlingly easy to relive the times of past experiences. She started hanging off the edge of the stage almost in the customers' laps. She knew they wanted to get closer to her. And the more she pleased them, the more money she would make, and the less she would have to work later.
Something lightly brushed along the bottom of her foot. Ryoko almost kicked a guy in the head when her leg reflexively jerked away. By way of apology, she flipped over from her back to her hands and knees. Bending over as low as she could for balance, she sat back, giving the observer a very close look at what she knew he wanted to see. She stirred her hips around a bit, enticing him to try something. Her breathing began to deepen.
The sound of someone loudly clearing his throat broke the spell of enticement. A feral grin grew along Ryoko's lips as she was reminded that it was not that place, or that time, but this place and this time. As she began crawling across stage on her hands and knees, she could not help imagining how much she wanted to feel Tenchi's warm embrace. Actually, it was not his embrace she was thinking of.
Rolling around on the stage suddenly seemed like a good idea. Ryoko laid down on her stomach at the opposite edge of the stage from where she had just crawled from and began rolling along the edge. When she got about half-way around, she heard a familiar voice.
"Ryoko?"
She just assumed it was one of the regulars. She could not possible remember all the faces and names. Stopping on her back, she reached between her legs slowly stroked her thighs, while her head hung off the edge of the stage. Opening her eyes, she saw Tenchi's father.
"Whaa??"
She sat straight up and slammed her forehead against the stage pole. The world suddenly got very quiet.
Pain. Headache.
Ryoko opened her eyes. At least it was not too bright.
Sound.
"Are you all right?"
Motion.
Ryoko's arm still moved. She raised a hand to her forehead.
"Ai-i-i! Owww..."
Her fingers found a very large lump in the middle of her forehead.
"Who hit me with a lead pipe?"
Rachel's voice surged up and down with brief laughter.
"Actually, it was a brass pole."
"Still hurts like Hell."
Tactile sensation. She was lying on a leather couch. Memories flashed into the front of her mind.
"Shit. Why did HE have to come in tonight?"
"Who?"
Sight. Ryoko opened her eyes and saw that Rachel was looking down at her with concern on her face.
"Tenchi's old-man."
A small grin began to show across Rachel's lips.
"So, who is this Tenchi I keep hearing about?"
Ryoko sat up.
"Somebody I know. Is that guy still here?"
"He's in the corner booth with those businessmen."
Ryoko clucked her tongue in dismay. Her thoughts escaped the confines of her imagination as she considered how to deal with the situation.
"I suppose I could threaten him..."
"Actually, he seemed concerned."
"Yeah. I'll bet he was real worried."
Ryoko sighed in resignation as she swung her legs over the edge of the couch. She had intentionally avoided telling anyone at home about where she was working or what she was doing for work. Because of the lack of information, some of them were growing suspicious. No doubt Nobuyuki would want something from her in return for his silence. As she stood, intending to go find out what he wanted, butterflies of dread began to float around in her stomach.
"Ryoko, why don't you just go home?"
Ryoko stared across the room at the closed door. This room was affectionately refereed to as "The Girls' Room". There was a lit mirror and some small cubby-holes on one side so the dancers would have someplace to stow their things while they worked. Basically, it was the changing room. She shook her head.
"Can't do that."
"This boy, Tenchi, must be something extra special."
Ryoko's posture straightened at that. The statement reminded her that she was doing all of this for something she had never had in her entire life.
"Yeah." She answered just before phasing through the door.
Rachel blinked in surprise. The door was still closed. A girl had just walked through a closed door.
"Guess I shouldn't have snuck that shot of tequila."
There were not very many tables in this bar. There was also only one booth in the corner. Sitting behind the table at that booth was Tenchi's father and two men in business suits. They had drinks and a couple of ashtrays arrayed around them. As soon as he realized Ryoko had returned, Nobuyuki greeted her in an uncharacteristically enthusiastic style.
"Hey, Ryoko! It's nice to see you out and about. Sorry about scaring you like that. Heh, heh. Why don't you come sit with us?"
Ryoko just glared at him. The first man on the left cleared his throat, reminding Nobuyuki that they had not been properly introduced.
"Oh, of course! Where are my manners? Gentlemen, this fine young lady is a friend of the family. She goes by the name of Ryoko. Ryoko, these men are business associates of mine. From my right, they are Misters Yamamoto and Namura."
The men continued to stare at Ryoko, pausing in their examination only to nod their acknowledgement of her existence. Their stares reminded Ryoko that she was still wearing only a thong-bikini. Nobuyuki beckoned her closer with a gesture.
"Why don't you come join us for drinks, eh?"
With a reluctant groan that could not be heard over the sound of the music playing, Ryoko came around the table and made her way to sit between Namura and Nobuyuki. She figured he was the least likely to make any passes at her. As soon as she was settled, she leaned to her left and whispered in Mr. Masaki's ear.
"I keep them entertained and Tenchi never hears that I work here, right?"
"Not a word." The architect replied with a sly grin as their meals arrived.
"Fine. But you're buyin'."
Nobuyuki's face fell.
"D'oh! There goes my bonus."
Ryoko raised a hand and waved across the room to the girl who was working tables.
"Hey, Maki! How 'bout a round over here!"
As the evening progressed, Ryoko found out the guy she was sitting next to had a first name: Daisuke. She had actually smiled at that. It reminded her of another businessman she had met the last time she had worked in a place like this. Unlike the former businessman, this man was married with two children. He seemed a pleasant enough person to her. He was definitely a lot nicer than some men she had entertained in the past.
The evening soon turned to business, and Daisuke asked Ryoko to switch places with him so he could better see the designs Nobuyuki had brought with him. Almost immediately, she felt Yamamoto's hand on her thigh. Immediately her temper began to flare.
"Don't get burned."
Yamamoto did not so much as even acknowledge Ryoko's warning. Daisuke took a quick look at them, then returned his attention to Nobuyuki.
"Say, that reminds me. We're looking for a very specific kind of fire suppression system in this building. Mr. Yamamoto is our resident expert on that."
Pulling the plans a bit closer, Daisuke turned around to face Yamamoto, effectively blocking Nobuyuki from seeing what was going on under the table. Yamamoto took advantage of the well-timed screen and leaned forward to make it appear as if he were examining the plans.
"This does look like the system we wanted. However, I'll need to take a look at the figures. Fire-suppression is how I got into the business. But now I deal with the finances. The final approval on this project lies with me. If I like what I see, then the project will be approved."
When Ryoko felt him squeeze her thigh, she realized what was going on. These guys were not going to base their decision on the merits of Nobuyuki's design, but on whether or not she entertained them in a manner that was satisfactory to their desires. She sure as Hell was not inclined to go along with that. But, if she did not, and Tenchi's old man lost the contract, there was a good chance he would blab about her job. Fortunately for her, she was adept at turning disadvantages into advantages. Using Daisuke's screening technique for her own purposes, she reached under the table and clamped her hand around Yamamoto's wrist.
"I'm sure Mr. Masaki's design will meet with your approval."
Yamamoto gave her a cursory glance as she emphasized her statement with a squeeze of her own.
"Oh? Are you familiar with financing, Miss Ryoko?"
She grinned malevolently.
"I've been known to toss some cash around."
Nobuyuki tried to peek around Mr. Namura's broad shoulders.
"Eh?"
"I see. Then you are well aware that financing can be a very difficult subject. Finding the right price for what we require is a very time consuming process. We have seen many excellent designs. However, if the cost is not acceptable, we will be forced to move on."
This time, Yamamoto's gaze drifted down Ryoko's front. Despite how tightly she was holding his wrist, he fixed his gaze on her ample cleavage.
Ryoko felt a sudden urge to twist his hand off at the wrist.
"Sure. But you wouldn't want to skimp on the money so much that the design suffers."
Daisuke took this opportunity to jump into the veiled conversation.
"Miss Ryoko is correct. I can see some of the figures Mr. Yamamoto is referring to, and I think I can make some adjustments that will be acceptable."
Ryoko and Yamamoto both looked at Namura as if he were crazy. Taking one of the pencils lying about the table, Daisuke began writing near where Yamamoto's free hand was resting on the design.
"Perhaps if we downgraded the fire-suppression system in certain areas, we can apply the savings to the trouble spots, like so."
Yamamoto took one look and smiled.
"Of course! Excellent idea. Those numbers are more than acceptable."
Looking at what had been written, Ryoko began to fume. There was no fancy math or alterations. He had simply written down a sum of money. Releasing Yamamoto's hand, Ryoko grasped the table top and flung it into the air. Paperwork, alcohol, and hot cigarette butts flew for a second, then came crashing to the floor. Flames immediately leapt up where the butts touched the spilt drinks.
"MY DESIGN!" Nobuyuki cried.
Spinning around in unbridled anger, Ryoko grasped the two business men by their collars and lifted them into the air, one in each hand. She was so angry now, that her eyes glowed, and sparks jumped around her almost bare form.
"You guys make me SICK!"
Staring at Ryoko in wide-eyed fear, the men tried fiercely to free themselves from her terrifying gaze. She granted their freedom by knocking their heads together. They promptly sagged into blissful unconsciousness, whereupon Ryoko dropped them to the floor. Turning to Nobuyuki as he tried desperately to save his burning papers, she glared down at him.
"And you... you perverted old man..."
One look at Ryoko sent the architect scrambling for cover as patrons of the bar began to panic. They rushed for the single exit, pressing themselves against one another to escape the quickly spreading flames. The air turned red with flame, lending the scene a bit of a demonic essence as Rob Zombie's Superbeast began to play from the unattended sound podium.
END.
AFTERWORD: Originally, I was going to have a wet t-shirt contest with super-soakers at the bar. Mihoshi does one of her trademark trips and douses the sound podium with water. Poof! One really big fire. Actually, I thought this part of the story was getting a little too long. I'll wrap up this part of the story in the next chapter.