Thank you for the reviews guys. I'm really sorry to say this, but I don't think I'll be able to update again till September. Don't worry, this is only temporary.
diamonte - I'm flattered you love my stories. Kikyotheevilmaiden - like I said before, I'm not the sequel type, but I'll think about it. Thanks for the review! JaeJae - I think you're an amazing reviewer. I do have my own style in writing...though all my stories came from books I've read, so I really don't own all of them...even the characters (well, except for the ones I made up.) lol Reh - I'm not sure if I'll be able to update on your birthday, but please accept this chapter as my gift to you. Advance Happy Birthday! How old r u now? josiewitchgirl - I was inspired to write. Thanks for the review.
Chapter Eight: A Memory
Matt saw the shock hit her…the tightening of her face, the flare of angst in her eyes, the swift struggle for control…and any possible doubt was wiped from his mind.
Maruko Iratoshi was Mimi Tachikawa.
He should have put it together...the deep sense of knowing her, the physical instincts she triggered, the intensity of feeling she projected, the passion...
The passage of so many years pushed his memory of her into the far background & the physical changes brought by those same years dazzled his vision. But he was seeing straight not & he knew he was about to walk to a tightrope where the wrong step might well mean death to any hope of the relationship he wanted with her.
He had to know what she was thinking or feeling, whether he had a real chance with her. He remembered Tai talking about bad history, & he'd been spot-on. HE was the one who inflected the pain that needed soothing.
He noticed her lashed swept down, covering her eyes as she leaned forward & picked up her glass of water, playing for time, struggling for composure. Her hand shook as she lifted the glass to her lips.
He didn't need to be told why she played the fairy princess for his birthday. The burning desire to interest & excite, to make him wish for what he rejected several years back, to tantalize him with a promise, & then simply walk away. Was tonight about teasing him more before she slapped him in the face with it? When she put that glass down, would she be Mimi Tachikawa or Maruko Iratoshi?
Mimi sipped the iced water, using the glass to hide her face & it's contents to cool the fever of uncertainties that gripped her. Was he beginning to recognize her?
Everything within her recoiled from confronting the past…no, she couldn't bear it. She had to have this chance with him, free & clear of spoiling memories. No, he couldn't know for certain who she really was.
Feeling slightly more composed; she lowered the glass & attempted to smile. "I'm not sure any woman likes to be told that."
He was silent for a moment. Her nerves jangled, fear whispering he'd been waiting for some admission. Then to her intense relief he laughed & shook his head.
"Sorry, I wasn't comparing you. You shine alone, Maruko. Believe me, I feel incredibly lucky that our paths have crossed."
Her smile relaxed into pleasure at his compliment. "Then how do I remind you of someone?" she teased, confident now that he didn't recognize her true identity.
"It's the eyes," he said, nodding in confirmation as he looked directly at them. "I've never seen eyes like yours with so much depth. The color isn't just plain brown, more like caramel. It's beautiful."
Hers? Had he ever noticed them back then? "So who shares them with me?"
He shrugged dismissively. "It was a long time ago. Where I grew up, there were lots of kids in the neighborhood & we hung around together. One of the girls had eyes like yours."
That girl was me! She almost screamed at him. It was hard to contain the sudden violent surge of emotions the pain of being referred to as 'just a girl in the neighborhood' took every bit of common sense in her brain.
A wise person would probably drop the subject & move on. Besides, Maruko Iratoshi was not 'one of the girls.' She shines alone in Yamato Ishida's eyes.
But an old, angry side of her insisted on getting out. It just proves what Matt had thought of her in those days. Painful it might be, but she couldn't let go.
"You must have a very clear memory of this girl. Was she special in some way?"
He smiled reminiscently. "Yes, she was. She always hung around us & joined in whatever we did, regardless of how tough the challenge was. I don't think I've seen her cry before. It might seem she's tough on the outside, but on the inside she's vulnerable."
Her chest tightened. She never knew Matt saw her that way. "Did you find her annoying?"
"No." His expression became more serious. "It's strange looking back. She was fearless, yet there was a terrible innocence in her fearlessness. She made me want to protect her."
"I can't imagine the character you've drawn would want protecting."
His eyes flicked appreciation of her understanding. "You're right. She had a fierce pride. But I was older so a certain weight of responsibility fell on me."
"Why on you?"
"I guess because…she looked up to me. Right or wrong, I felt like I was influencing her." He paused before quietly adding, "In the end I had to stop it."
Mimi's mind staggered at this totally unexpected admission, a weighing of the situation she had never ever suspected. "Why?"
"It became too personal."
The provocative reply made her want to know more. "How did it become too personal?"
He made a rueful grimace. "She didn't even see that my younger brother had a huge crush on her."
Mimi's mind turned. Takeru? TK who never discussed anything but schoolwork with her? She always tried to be nice to him, mostly because he was Matt's brother, but she never thought of him as anything but Matt's little brother.
"Are you saying she only saw you?"
"Something like that. It made TK upset. But I didn't make any moves on her. For me, she was still pretty young & immature. It certainly wouldn't be fair for TK since they're both the same age."
"So how did you put a stop to it?"
he sighed. "I pretended I was attracted to someone else."
"Were you?"
"Enough to make them believe. It got TK off my back."
"And the girl? It got her off your back too?" The question tumbled out on a rush of bitterness. She could only hope he didn't notice the change in her tone.
For a moment there was a pained expression in his eyes. "Yeah, but she didn't hook-up with my brother. She simply dropped out of our lives & moved on. A year or so later, her family moved away to America, at least that's what I've heard."
"But you still remember her very clearly," Mimi commented, hiding the terrible twist of irony in her heart.
"She was part of a big chunk in my life." His eyes warmly invited her memories as he said; "You must have had people in your growing-up years that colored your life, one way or another."
HE colored it black. Totally black in that act of rejection, but only now did she realize there had been grays. He cared about his brother's feelings…TK, who meant nothing to her.
"Where does your family live, Maruko?" Matt asked.
She shook herself out of the dark memory brought on by these revelations. Later she would think about them, put them in perspective. She had Matt here with her & she didn't want to lose what might become between them this time.
"New York City. In America," she answered truthfully. Besides, he didn't know exactly where Mimi lived.
"You're a long way from home."
"This IS home."
He smiled in understanding. "Of course."
"What about your family?" Mimi needed a change of topic.
"My parents still live at out old house. TK lives with his family just outside the city."
"TK has a family?" Mimi asked with astonishment.
"Yes. He married Kari right after college & since then they've been inseparable. They've got two kids already."
It was good to hear TK was already settled. At least now there wouldn't be hindrances with this relationship.
Three waiters descended on them; one with the bottle of wine, another offering a selection on bread rolls, & the third setting down the first course. Mimi was grateful for the interruption, which took Matt's focus away from her. She hadn't realized how difficult it would be pretending to be someone else.
By the time all the business of serving was done, she had almost convinced herself Matt could not be blamed for what he did before, although it was impossible to end feelings.
"Something wrong?"
Matt's voice jolted her gaze back to his. "No, why?" She spilled out, hoping he didn't sense the disturbance in her thoughts.
"You're looking doubtful at the calamari. Do you want to order something else?"
"No, it's just that I've never seen it presented like this," she gave a fake smile. "It's so artistic it's almost a shame to eat it."
He picked up his fork to encourage her. "Bon appetite."
She followed suit & began to eat, concentrating on the taste of the food.
Matt's mind was in hyper-drive, trying to figure out what was going on in Mimi's head…and heart. She was still sticking to Maruko Iratoshi. He had no idea if the answers he'd given her to her questions about the past had satisfied her quest to know how he remembered her & what had driven his actions. He could only hope she now understood his true intentions.
Which led him to ponder protection. She thought herself protected today when she went to his office. And Maruko Iratoshi was now protecting the girl he once knew. But was it protection…or deception?
He instinctively recoiled from this scenario. Many years had gone by. He could understand her being wary of him, scared of letting herself be attracted to him, but to deliberately set him up for revenge at this point…no, he didn't want to believe that.
The Mimi Tachikawa he remembered had been straight & true in everything she'd done. People's characters didn't change. Pride might make her cover up the past, but he was sure there had been nothing false in her response to his kisses. No pretence. No lies.
Mutual desire. Or was he fooling himself?
She put down he knife & fork & smiled warmly at him. "That was delicious. Thank you."
An electric charge hit his groin. "I'm glad you enjoyed it," he returned just as warmly, any concern about her motives completely forgotten.
He wanted her, regardless of what she called herself. A name meant nothing. It's the person who counts. He was not about to let his feelings go. Not about to let her go, either.
AN: Tell me what you think. Matt knows Mimi's true identity, but Mimi doesn't know that Matt knows it. Get it?
As always, please REVIEW!
(P.S. This chapter is dedicated to REH. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Wish you all the best in life.)