Ok, here's another chapter for you. A friend of mine gave me inspiration to write another one, so here it is! Anyways, I've been thinking about making a Fantasy fic story, but I'm not sure if you'd like it. I'm still thinking about it & I'm not gonna start till this story's done. What do you think? Oh yeah, some of you aresuggesting that I should write sequels to my previous stories. Well, I'm not sure if I can do that coz I'm not the type who write sequels. I just like it the way it is,BUT I'm going to think about it. I'm not promising you anything though.
For all those who gavetheir reviews, thank you!
Chapter Seven: The Date
"Your table, sir."
"Thank you."
"Do you have company, sir?"
"Yes."
"A drink while you wait, sir?"
"A glass of iced water will be fine."
"I'll be right back with it."
The waiter was as good as his promise, bringing a long glass of iced water before leaving him alone to wait for Maruko. Normally he would have ordered a beer to relax his nerves, smoothing away the tension of the day, but he didn't have work on his mind & the tension he felt was exciting.
Tonight of all nights, Matt didn't want his senses blurred buy alcohol. He would order wine when Maruko came. A glass or two spaced over dinner wouldn't dull his mind from concentrating on everything about her. As he settled back in his chair & looked around him, he realized he had never felt so alive, waiting for a woman.
A glance at his watch showed it was still five minutes short of seven o'clock. Reserving for an out-of-doors table, under the huge marble colonnade that led to the theater, Matt was in the ideal position to wait for Maruko, and he found himself enjoying the passing parade of people and the coming & going of harbor ferries.
It had been a warm day for mid-November & the warmth still lingered. With daylight saving in force, tourists were still walking around, happily taking pictures. Men & women with fancy formal suits going in the theater for their choice of entertainment; a concert, a play, a ballet performance. Matt's interest wasn't captivated by any of the stylish women. None of them held a candle to the one he was waiting for.
His wandering eyes picked her out from the crowd of people when she was still fifty meters away, walking past the newspaper & magazine stand. His heart skipped a beat at the sight if her. She stood out from everyone.
Her glorious hair was loose, its gleaming mass rippling down over her shoulders. The dress she wore was like the shallow side of the ocean…turquoise or lighter shade of blue…a clingy, silky creation that flowed lovingly over & around her curvy figure that ended in a fluid flare just above her knees. A creamy wrap hung around her arms. A small bag dangled from one hand & at the end of her long slightly tanned legs flashed an ankle-strapped high heel with the same color as her dress.
She was beautiful…utterly heart-stopping beautiful. She was also so vibrantly feminine, every sexual instinct in Matt started sizzling, demanding primal satisfaction. He rose from his chair & barely stopped himself from striding out to sweep her into his arms.
Charging like a bull…Tai's warning punched through the body grip of desire. Matt forced himself to relax. Take the time to get to know her, he told himself. It was important…yet everything within him screamed it didn't matter. Only his feelings mattered.
The abrupt movement of a man standing up from one of the tables outside the restaurant instantly caught Mimi's eye. Her heart flipped. It was Matt. Matt waiting for her, watching her come to him.
Keep walking, she fiercely told herself, determined not to let her feet falter, thereby revealing some uncertainty about a meeting which should seem perfectly welcome to a woman who was attracted to a man. She should look eager, pleased to find him waiting for her.
Mimi had the eerie sensation of a tunnel opening up between them, with Yamato Ishida at the other end of it, a powerful magnet tugging on the woman she was now, tugging inexorably on the most primitive depths of her sexuality. Arousing needs that confused any sense of romance she's ever had.
The bustle of people around her faded from her consciousness. It was as though only she & Matt were real. Nothing else mattered. She wasn't even aware of her legs moving anymore, only getting closer & closer to him, her whole body sizzling in anticipation of making contact.
He had changed out of his business suit. He wore a dark green shirt with black pants & somehow wearing casual clothes amplified his male physique. She dragged her gaze back to his face, the handsome face that haunted many dreams. He smiled at her and it was like a burst of sunshine chasing away the miseries of the past.
I'm Maruko, she thought & smiled back at him…Maruko Iratoshi, letting the past of broken young heart melt away under the brilliance of being smiled upon.
He stepped around the table and pulled out a chair, a gentlemanly courtesy that was all too frequently overlooked these days in the dubious name of equality. "You look wonderful," he said, his voice a little husky sending a sensual shiver down her spine.
"Thank you," she replied, her mind to fuzzy with pleasure to produce any other words.
He gestured to the chair & she sat, helping him adjust its position for comfortable access to the table. He hadn't offered his hand in greeting…no body contact at all…yet his closeness behind her emanated warmth that seemed to stroke her skin and he lingered there for a moment after she was settled.
Was she imagining it or was he touching her hair? Perhaps the light breeze off the harbor was ruffling it. Yet her pulse quickened at the thought of him feeling it, liking it, wanting to touch.
She was about to look up when he moved, steeping around the table, back to his own chair. His smile seemed to simmer with sensual satisfaction as he sat down & Mimi was instantly certain he has run his fingers through her hair.
"It's a lovely evening," she said, trying to ignore the wild beating of her heart.
"Perfect," he answered, his vivid blue eyes focused directly on her, making the comment intensely personal.
"Is this your favorite restaurant?"
"It's good & it's handy. I live close by."
"Oh?" Her stomach fluttered. Was Sora right about bed & breakfast being on the agenda? For all her bravado about possibly wanting that too…did she really? This fast?
He gave her a quizzical look. "Does that disturb you?"
She shrugged. "Why should it? You have to live somewhere. Though it must be expensive to rent anything in this part of the city."
"I don't rent. I bought one of the apartments built above the colonnade."
"Really?" It was impossible to hide her shock. She remembered his family being rich…a huge two-story house, expensive cars, living well & getting everything…but she never thought of them as the millionare class. To own an apartment in the city overlooking the harbor…had Matt achieved so much in his business with Tai Kamiya?
He frowned. "It does bother you."
"It's just…you're talking very serious money here. I didn't realize…" Stupid girl, the party at the hotel should've told her. Plus the renovated warehouse downtown. Did he own that, too?
"Realize what?"
"How…how rich you are," she blurted out.
He smirked. "Is that a black mark against me?"
It sounded foolish. How could wealth, attained by hard work & talent, be a black mark against anyone? Yet it put him on a level far above her own situation where she & Sora were struggling to make ends meet. All this time she'd been thinking of Matt as the Matt she had known, wanting him to love her, while he…what does he think of her?
"What's the problem, Maruko?" he asked quietly.
Maruko…She had changed from the person she once was.
He had changed, too.
This was indeed a new ball game, and it had to be accepted as the current day reality. Pursuing a dream…an old dream…suddenly seemed very foolish. Yet looking at Matt, she felt the same drawing power he'd always had on her…maybe more.
She took a deep breath & spelled out one undeniable truth. "I'm not in your league. I'm a just a singer & performer, but it's never been what I'd call a steady work & I've never cracked the big time. I love singing & I make a living out of it."
"Nothing wrong with that," he said. "Not many people can make a living out of doing what they really enjoy doing. It's great that you've been able to do what you love doing most in such a tough & competitive field." He leaned forward earnestly, his eyes warmly approving. "I admire you for going after it, taking it on."
Are these sincere words or smooth & persuasive words?"I share the rent for a very ordinary two-bedroom apartment at Yokoma. Not even high class," she stated, needing to clear up this issue of status.
He smiled ironically. "I remember after moving out in my dorm back in college, I rented a room in a dump place at Gill Road. It was all I could afford. I do understand living within one's means, Maruko. And I respect it."
"But it's different for you now, and you're obviously accustomed to its being different," she argued.
"Yes, and I won't say I'm not glad to be in a position where I can buy anything I want."
Did he think he could buy her? Did his money attract Katya Wells?"Things, Maruko," he went on, a more urgent intensity in his voice. "Like having dinner whenever I want to. Driving an expensive car. Traveling around the world. Living in luxury. And all of that is good. I like it, but money isn't everything.
His eyes burned into hers as he asked, "Is money everything to you?"
She blushed. "I'm not a gold-digger."
"And I'm not looking for a cheap thrill from you."
"What do you want with me?" The challenged sliced off her tongue; laced with cynicism Sora had fed her.
"To know you."
"There are lots of ways to know someone," she flashed back, her eyes nailing what she meant. "In what sense are you talking about?"
"Every sense."
She stared at him; desperate to believe he spoke the truth. He held her gaze unflinchingly. The tightness in her chest slowly eased. Sora had to be wrong. Matt looked genuine in his desire to know her more than a one-night stand would give him.
"Did some rich guy hurt you, Maruko?" he asked quietly.
She flushed under his directness. "Why would you think that?"
"Firstly, you are very beautiful. Having you would be an ego boost to many men, & rich guys generally see beauty in a woman as a reflection of their success in life."
"Do you?"
He shook his head. "I want more in a woman than physical beauty. I guess you could say I've been taken in by that a couple of times," he added wryly. "We all make mistakes. I was just wondering if the idea of me being rich has upset you."
Her hands fluttered an agitated appeal. "I hadn't thought about you in those terms. It just came as a shock. I felt…stupid."
He reached across the table & took one of her hands, pressing it into a stillness that was meant to soothe fears, yet the feel of his flesh encasing hers sent a wave of exhilarating warmth through her body & set off deep tremors for more intimate touching.
"Give us a chance, Maruko. You & me. Is that asking too much?"
"No," she whispered, barely able to catch her breath. He was gently stroking her palm with his thumb, sparking off electric tingles. The effect was mesmerizing.
His whole expression emanated a fervent need to convince as he said, "I feel…"
A waited interrupted, offering them menus. The moment was lost & Mimi could barely keep her frustration, sensing Matt was about to reveal something important to her. As it was, he withdrew his hand & turned his attention to the waiter.
She was too distracted to hear them properly & when Matt asked, "Do you want anything?" she had to ask the waiter to go through the good ones.
Even the food combinations were confusing & unfamiliar. Fashionable restaurants were too expensive & she never had the time to take an interest in fancy cooking. Rather than reveal her ignorance, she looked at Matt for help.
"What do you recommend?"
"Do you like seafood?"
"Love it."
"The fried calamari in oregano, shrimp with lemon, & the grilled salmon with lemon grass butter are both excellent here." He named them all, obviously not having problems in remembering the ingredients.
"Is that what you're having?" she checked.
"Yes."
"Then I'll have it, too." She just hoped the herbs & lemon grass stuff didn't turn her stomach.
"Wine, sir?" the waiter asked.
"Yes, The Brown Brothers Chardonnay would be nice," Matt answered without even glancing at the wine list. He smiled at Mimi. "If that's all right with you."
"Fine," she quickly replied, though the name was a complete mystery to her. She & Sora bought wine in a stall from the supermarket. "I won't be drinking much," she warned. "I'm driving."
"I understand," he replied, not even voicing the slightest protest or showing frustration.
Which relieved Mimi's worries about the bed & breakfast agenda. If seduction had been on Matt's mind, he would surely have said something like, "A glass or two won't hurt."
The waiter collected the menus they hadn't even glanced at & departed, leaving them to themselves again. Mimi wished she could ask Matt what it was he felt, but decided it was up to him to continue the conversation. It might appear too forward, too anxious, to do it herself.
"Would you like some iced water?" he asked, picking up the jug on the table.
"Yes, please."
He filled a glass for her, adding to the impression he would respect her wished about the wine drinking & not try to push her into doing anything she didn't really want. It made Mimi feel more comfortable with the situation, certainly less tense about his motives for pursuing a relationship with her.
They sat back, studying each other, assessing where they were now. Matt looked satisfied, content for them to simply be together like this.
Give us a chance. You & me.
It was silly to let doubts & fears get in the way.
You & me…magic words.
Even this much was a wish come true. She had to try for more, wherever it led.
Occupied with her inner thoughts, she didn't notice his expression change until he spoke. His words instantly shattered any peace of mind Mimi had.
"You remind me of someone I once knew."
It was only a couple of words, but she caught the tension in his stillness, the concentration in his eyes, and an iron fist squeezed her heart.
Uh-oh…
AN: Uh-oh! What's gonna happen now? Will he find out the truth before their date ends? What will Mimi do? Will Matt use this to his advantage & play along with her? Find out soon!
As always, please review!
(P.S. Kynna, thank you for giving me inspiration. I'm glad you're feeling better. h&k!)