$ ssp47's Corner $ Thank you's Sexkitten258, Dark Dragon34, Momiji-chan Wa
Baka and Wolfgang-woman for the reviews! Wow you guys are awesome. I feel
special now! To your question, Wolfgang, Keiji is not a lesbian. She's
a Tomboy with more testosterone than estrogen. Does that make sense? In the
last chapter she was looking at Kira because she thought she looked
familiar that's all. Sorry for the confusion. Oh and today I got my braces
off!!! You don't know how excited I am! And a few last words of advice,
1. Never trust a handmade pioneer hand cart, 2. Never hike with one, 3.
Never go on a hike without a comfy bedroll. Ok I'm done.
And oh yeah, thoughts are in $'s
-Chapter Three- "Searching"
Keiji led Kira to a back room of the bar. It used to be a storage closet but with growing business, Susko decided that they'd move soon, so the closet turned into an office to interview possible employees.
Keiji sat down in the chair behind the small wooden desk covered in paper work. Kira took her seat on a stool in front.
"I've already turned in my application and the manager told me I'd have my interview today." The young woman told Keiji.
"So you're looking for a job here?" Keiji asked suspiciously. She eyed the girl and asked herself silently why in the world she'd come here of all places.
"Yes." Kira replied.
"May I ask why?" Keiji inquired. "Let me tell you something. I have met many people. All of which are tough, rough people who grew up in horrible environments. Looking at you right now, I'm not sure this is the job you're looking for. We get a lot of rough people here."
"I know. I heard this job pays well and I need the money. I don't care about rough people; I can handle anything you give me. I just really need the money."
"If you're that insistent I'm not going to stop you but consider yourself forewarned." Keiji stood up from her chair and began hunting through files. Kira watched her in confusion. $Was that it?$ Finally the young woman withdrew a sheet from the folder.
"This is your new work schedule. If we like you, expect a fuller schedule. You'll work on the weekends starting next week."
"Is that, is that it?" Kira asked.
"Yeah, we're done."
"What about the interview?"
"You remember what I told you about being able to read people? Well let's just say that saves a lot of time."
"Oh." Kira said slowly.
"I hope you weren't lying when you said you could handle it. This isn't a joke job."
Keiji watched the blonde girl bow her head and she quietly shut the door.
"Hey, Rei! You've got a phone call!" The manager screamed through the noise of construction. It was growing late into the night, and the sun was setting so slow that Rei's blonde locks of gold were set on fire. The young man straightened his back and dropped his shovel.
$I could really use Tatsuya to crack my back for me right now$ He thought. Rei turned around and heard the manager scream the same message again. He ran over to Rei and handed him a cell phone.
"You can take a fifteen minute break." He said, when things quieted down, clapping him on the shoulder. "You overwork yourself."
"Only so I can stay in super shape and earn some cash."
"Yeah I can understand that. Oh, and by the way I got a new night crew, so you won't have to work the weekends anymore."
"Oh?" Rei said in surprise. This would be new, though it was kind of weird to think about. He'd have more time on his hands, hopefully with Kira. "Where'd the sudden supply of workers come from?"
"Well you how it is. All of a sudden they all showed up. They look to be a pretty good bunch too; though I don't thin I've ever seen a woman do this kind of work before."
"Woman?"
"Yeah and she ain't bad lookin too, if you know what I mean. Oh! You still got your phone call! You'll probably have to call her back. I'll leave you to it."
Rei rolled his eyes and pulled off a glove with his lips. He typed in the number and dialed.
"Hello?"
"Kira?"
"Oh hi Rei. How are things?"
"Fine. Is something wrong?"
"No, I just wanted to let you know that I got myself a job."
"That's great. Where are you gonna work?"
"At that old bar downtown."
Rei's eyes went wide.
"Then one that's been getting so much business lately? Kira, that's a rough place of town."
"I know but I don't want you to be the only one working all the time."
"That's not going to matter. Listen, Bill got a new night crew so I don't have to work the weekends. We can spend more time together."
"But that's when I have to work. Rei, I want this job."
"Kira, it's dangerous. I don't want you working there."
"And what you're doing isn't?"
"It's not the same. Listen, I'm off in the next hour. We'll talk about it when I get home."
"But Rei-"
"See you when I get home." –click-. Rei sighed heavily. $This is no good if we can't see each other eye to eye.$
When nine o'clock came, the working bell rang and Rei emerged from the dust and dirt. His motorcycle roared as he sped home; weary of the fact that he and Kira may emerge themselves in their first real argument.
The lock clicked and Rei walked in the apartment. Kira was sitting against the wall, staring at the floor. Rei pulled off his bandanna from his sweaty head and dropped it on the floor. He knelt in front of Kira and rose her chin up to his eyes.
"I don't like to wait for you all day when I know I could be doing something to help our situation. I don't like seeing you come home in a sweaty wreck, Rei. I just want to help."
"You can, but there are other jobs Kira."
"But this one pays real well. It would help our financial situation be so much easier. Rei, we could move out of this place in a couple months."
Rei placed his hand on the wall to support his balance and bowed his head.
"We can't stay here forever, Rei."
"I know." The young man replied softly. "And we've still got to finish our senior year. The break will be over in a week."
"Then we'll be on our own, out in the world." Kira softly rubbed Rei's cheek, sweat was still pouring from his forehead. "I just want to help, Rei. Please let me. If it turns out to be bad, I'll quit."
"What's the real reason you want to work there so badly?" Rei asked sternly, looking deep into her eyes. "I know you want to help, but to risk your dignity to work in a lowland-"
"I saw her there."
"Who?"
"The female stranger I told you about that inspired me." Kira took a deep breath. "I know this is crazy because I don't even know her, but yet her colors are so strong. She inspires me to do anything. I want to paint her so badly. I think that if I work at this job, maybe I can get to know her and she'll let me paint her."
"Why don't you just ask her to model?" Rei asked as if it were obvious.
"I don't feel I can." Kira said seriously. "Please Rei. I haven't painted in so long. I know what I do in that job will help us in our future. Please let me work."
$If she truly feels this way she'll do it even if I say no.$ Rei thought. He took Kira's face in his cold, wet hands and rested his forehead against hers.
"Alright. But if anything happens you're leaving, no matter what."
And oh yeah, thoughts are in $'s
-Chapter Three- "Searching"
Keiji led Kira to a back room of the bar. It used to be a storage closet but with growing business, Susko decided that they'd move soon, so the closet turned into an office to interview possible employees.
Keiji sat down in the chair behind the small wooden desk covered in paper work. Kira took her seat on a stool in front.
"I've already turned in my application and the manager told me I'd have my interview today." The young woman told Keiji.
"So you're looking for a job here?" Keiji asked suspiciously. She eyed the girl and asked herself silently why in the world she'd come here of all places.
"Yes." Kira replied.
"May I ask why?" Keiji inquired. "Let me tell you something. I have met many people. All of which are tough, rough people who grew up in horrible environments. Looking at you right now, I'm not sure this is the job you're looking for. We get a lot of rough people here."
"I know. I heard this job pays well and I need the money. I don't care about rough people; I can handle anything you give me. I just really need the money."
"If you're that insistent I'm not going to stop you but consider yourself forewarned." Keiji stood up from her chair and began hunting through files. Kira watched her in confusion. $Was that it?$ Finally the young woman withdrew a sheet from the folder.
"This is your new work schedule. If we like you, expect a fuller schedule. You'll work on the weekends starting next week."
"Is that, is that it?" Kira asked.
"Yeah, we're done."
"What about the interview?"
"You remember what I told you about being able to read people? Well let's just say that saves a lot of time."
"Oh." Kira said slowly.
"I hope you weren't lying when you said you could handle it. This isn't a joke job."
Keiji watched the blonde girl bow her head and she quietly shut the door.
"Hey, Rei! You've got a phone call!" The manager screamed through the noise of construction. It was growing late into the night, and the sun was setting so slow that Rei's blonde locks of gold were set on fire. The young man straightened his back and dropped his shovel.
$I could really use Tatsuya to crack my back for me right now$ He thought. Rei turned around and heard the manager scream the same message again. He ran over to Rei and handed him a cell phone.
"You can take a fifteen minute break." He said, when things quieted down, clapping him on the shoulder. "You overwork yourself."
"Only so I can stay in super shape and earn some cash."
"Yeah I can understand that. Oh, and by the way I got a new night crew, so you won't have to work the weekends anymore."
"Oh?" Rei said in surprise. This would be new, though it was kind of weird to think about. He'd have more time on his hands, hopefully with Kira. "Where'd the sudden supply of workers come from?"
"Well you how it is. All of a sudden they all showed up. They look to be a pretty good bunch too; though I don't thin I've ever seen a woman do this kind of work before."
"Woman?"
"Yeah and she ain't bad lookin too, if you know what I mean. Oh! You still got your phone call! You'll probably have to call her back. I'll leave you to it."
Rei rolled his eyes and pulled off a glove with his lips. He typed in the number and dialed.
"Hello?"
"Kira?"
"Oh hi Rei. How are things?"
"Fine. Is something wrong?"
"No, I just wanted to let you know that I got myself a job."
"That's great. Where are you gonna work?"
"At that old bar downtown."
Rei's eyes went wide.
"Then one that's been getting so much business lately? Kira, that's a rough place of town."
"I know but I don't want you to be the only one working all the time."
"That's not going to matter. Listen, Bill got a new night crew so I don't have to work the weekends. We can spend more time together."
"But that's when I have to work. Rei, I want this job."
"Kira, it's dangerous. I don't want you working there."
"And what you're doing isn't?"
"It's not the same. Listen, I'm off in the next hour. We'll talk about it when I get home."
"But Rei-"
"See you when I get home." –click-. Rei sighed heavily. $This is no good if we can't see each other eye to eye.$
When nine o'clock came, the working bell rang and Rei emerged from the dust and dirt. His motorcycle roared as he sped home; weary of the fact that he and Kira may emerge themselves in their first real argument.
The lock clicked and Rei walked in the apartment. Kira was sitting against the wall, staring at the floor. Rei pulled off his bandanna from his sweaty head and dropped it on the floor. He knelt in front of Kira and rose her chin up to his eyes.
"I don't like to wait for you all day when I know I could be doing something to help our situation. I don't like seeing you come home in a sweaty wreck, Rei. I just want to help."
"You can, but there are other jobs Kira."
"But this one pays real well. It would help our financial situation be so much easier. Rei, we could move out of this place in a couple months."
Rei placed his hand on the wall to support his balance and bowed his head.
"We can't stay here forever, Rei."
"I know." The young man replied softly. "And we've still got to finish our senior year. The break will be over in a week."
"Then we'll be on our own, out in the world." Kira softly rubbed Rei's cheek, sweat was still pouring from his forehead. "I just want to help, Rei. Please let me. If it turns out to be bad, I'll quit."
"What's the real reason you want to work there so badly?" Rei asked sternly, looking deep into her eyes. "I know you want to help, but to risk your dignity to work in a lowland-"
"I saw her there."
"Who?"
"The female stranger I told you about that inspired me." Kira took a deep breath. "I know this is crazy because I don't even know her, but yet her colors are so strong. She inspires me to do anything. I want to paint her so badly. I think that if I work at this job, maybe I can get to know her and she'll let me paint her."
"Why don't you just ask her to model?" Rei asked as if it were obvious.
"I don't feel I can." Kira said seriously. "Please Rei. I haven't painted in so long. I know what I do in that job will help us in our future. Please let me work."
$If she truly feels this way she'll do it even if I say no.$ Rei thought. He took Kira's face in his cold, wet hands and rested his forehead against hers.
"Alright. But if anything happens you're leaving, no matter what."