PART 8:
(Emily's POV)
I met up with Robin at the restaurant suggested by the realtor and looked through the options presented. It felt good to be conquering the first of my major hurdles. After an easy dinner and detailed discussion of realty options, it was time to head back to the house to meet up with the Admiral.
"Are you sure you don't want me to join you Emily?" Robin asked as she ordered a car on her phone.
"Thank you for the offer, but there's no need. Besides, I'd rather you spend the time you can putting together the capital request for that high rise lease. We need to prep at least three options for the leasing group to review. The faster we get the request in and approved, the faster you and I both get actual office space again."
"Yes ma'am! That being the case, you may want this." She held out a manila folder. With a quick glance, I noted that it was a copy of the Navy's UAV contract and notes as well as some internal memos and meeting notes of progress of the given project.
"Perfect! I'll review these on the drive back to the house. If anything important comes up at this thing, I'll let you know."
Robin's phone buzzed, "Looks like your car is here. I'll see you tomorrow then Emily?"
"Yes. I have the audition with Morishita in the morning so I will connect with you around lunch." I clarified as I made my way to the car.
I had about an hour to study the documents Robin gave me so I could be sure I was up to date with any questions the admiral would have. When it got to be ten minutes before the meeting, I made my way to the front corridor to wait. I was checking myself one last time in the hallway mirror when the knock came to the door. I took a quick breath and opened the door coming face to face with the older gentleman in his pressed dress whites.
"Admiral Whitesdale, it's a pleasure. I don't think you or I have been formally introduced but I'm-"
"Mikoro's girl. I know." He interjected taking off his cap and folding it under his arm.
"Yes sir." I grinned hiding my agitation. "If you would follow me please, I have a small office set up down the hall where we can talk."
The man nodded and stayed on my heels as I took him to the study Kaiba's maid had prepared. "Can I interest you in anything to drink sir?"
"Unless you have a well-aged scotch. And by well-aged I mean something at least twice your age darling. No thanks."
"I haven't had time to actually acquire and stock any of the good dinks like my father has.. had... in his office. That means we can get right down to business then." I explained taking the seat behind the desk where I had the contract notes.
"I'm here to make sure that Mikoro Industries intends to keep their promise of delivery and quality of goods that your father promised us sweetheart."
"Admiral, I can assure you that despite my father's... passing... this company is maintaining all production and will produce the same if not better results than what my father promised you."
"If I had a dollar for every time a girl promised me she could 'do it better' I'd have a second yacht. Don't try to be cute with me buttercup. How much do you really know about this?"
I had to hold my tongue. The admiral was turning out to be your classic chauvinistic bastard.
"Sir, unbeknownst to you, I was raised in this world. My father made sure I knew our product and what it they are capable of. I am vastly versed in our arsenal and the deal MI has with the Navy. Your series four UAVs will come out of final testing by the end of next month and we can have your high school recruits trained and flying them out to play bomber man with terrorists in the great sandbox by the end of the year." I reached over to grab the internal testing documents on the UAVs in question and held them out to the man.
He took the documents looking them over. "And what about the next set? How are the modifications coming to the design?"
"The design modifications you requested as part of the S-Five package have hit a couple snags. But the R&D teams are working to resolve them. "
"And if you don't sweetie?"
"You're a big boy Admiral. As the due date comes closer, we can discuss alternatives. May they be to produce additional S-4 units to supplement until we get the S-5 to your spec or release the S-5 missing a couple bells and whistles. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
"Are all projects still on time?"
"Yes sir. If anything, the first shipments of S-4 units should be ahead of schedule. Will you have the recruits ready to train for them?"
"Of course." He kept scanning through the contract packet then got back to his feet. "If you don't mind princess, I'll be taking this with me."
"No problem." I noted as I stood up and walked over so I was next to him holding out my hand, "Hopefully by the time you find yourself in Japan again sir, I will have the new office and a bottle of 50-year scotch waiting for you."
The man looked down not moving. "That sounds acceptable. I'll admit I'm slightly impressed. Here I was told you were only good at making deals while on your back Mikoro. You might just show some promise for a pretty skirt. It'll be nice to see if you can manage this without your daddy to save you from the wolves." He paused long enough to place his cap back on his head, "Take care."
The admiral showed himself out leaving me alone in the office to brood over the subject discussed. I knew there was going to be backlash from my taking over so suddenly. Though what pissed me off the most was he seemed to be more on edge that I was a girl over any "lack" of knowledge I may have had in the area or my age. Like hell if I was going to let something I couldn't control get in the way of success. Even more unsettling, it seemed he knew about some of the lengths my father took to guarantee his rise to power. I'd show the chauvinist bastard that I could deliver just as well if not better than my old man. Of course, I wasn't alone long before my thoughts were interrupted by a voice.
"Mind telling me what that was about?" Kaiba spoke as he stood with his shoulder against the door frame. When the hell did he get here?!
"I do mind actually." I snipped, "I don't ask you for details on your business dealings do I?" I paused but not long enough for him to actually answer, "I don't. So don't worry about mine."
"True, but I think I can question when my home becomes a meeting place with foreign military representatives. I would hate to be blindsided with any... surprise... backlash." He retorted.
I could only half close my eyes as my brooding mood seemed to rise. "Backlash? You mean people questioning why a United States Naval Admiral might visit? It's not like they have a base just over an hour away & last I checked, the U.S. and Japan were on pretty friendly terms were they not?"
"Today may have been someone this country sees as an ally, but what about tomorrow? We both know there are no sides in the weapons industry." He argued pushing off from the door frame and making his way into the room until he stopped in front of me trapping me between him and the table behind me.
"That may be true Kaiba." I glared setting a finger to his chest so I could nudge him back half a step, "But for your information, my father was very particular about who we sold to. He had to be. The United States military is a very good buyer in this day and age, and if they want to set restrictions as part of their deal, well there's probably no way the people you're restricted from will pay the same amount as the U.S. will. That being said, stay out of my business and I'll stay out of yours."
I went to side-step him, but he moved to match me. "As long as you live here, I need to know exactly what you're up to Mikoro."
"What? Are you like a stalker now? No? Good! You don't need to know shit that I don't see as relevant to you."
"I think I will be the better judge of what is relevant Mikoro." He snarled taking a step forward making me take one step back where I backed into the table.
Though he was indeed taller than I, the heels I was wearing had us so we were nearly nose to nose. Being so close almost triggered something, but I kept it at bay. "When's the last time you got laid?" I quipped not moving.
"E-Excuse me." He gawked in surprise as he pulled back only an inch.
"You know? Had sex? Fucked a girl?" I asked pulling myself up so I sat at the edge of the table behind us, "When was the last time your girlfriend gave it up? I ask because you have this giant stick up your ass that I'm sure she can help you dislodge with a good romp or two."
The look of confusion mixed with shock that crossed his face gave me a weird sense of satisfaction. The feeling was so satisfying that I couldn't help but push him further.
"I mean unless you don't have a girlfriend?" I teased reaching up and wrapping his tie around my hand and pulled him so we were nose to nose again, "Who knows, maybe you're not into girls at all? Maybe you prefer the company of another guy. I don't jud-"
The feeling was so sudden, I almost didn't have the time to process it all. One second I was toying with the guy and the next there is a rough grip at my neck under my chin and the arousing sense of someone's lips on my own. The feeling didn't last long as he barely pulled away using his grip under my chin to turn my head to the side so he whispered roughly in my ear.
"To clear that up, I do prefer the company of women. I just tend to be picky as to who and when. Now," He paused just briefly, "Though it is very much against my better judgment, I can certainly find a use for that vulgar mouth of yours if you are offering."
Was this him trying to be scary? Sure, any other girl in this kind of situation would be scared shitless, but as odd as it seemed, I was enjoying this. That's why I couldn't help but lightly laugh as I looked at his stern glance from the corner of my eye.
"Oh sweetheart I would not suggest you even try." I could tell he was taken back with my comment by the way his grip disappeared from under my face, "The things I could do to you would be mind-blowing I'm sure, but," I leaned up towards his ear "I am known to bite." Before he could react, I bit down on the bottom of his ear. He cursed letting go of me as he took a step back. I let myself down from the table and fixed my hair, "So a formal warning Kaiba, if you try that shit again, I won't be nice. Instead of a nip at your ear, I'll probably toss an assault charge on there instead. Just stay out of my God damned way and we'll be fine."
"There is something mentally wrong with you Mikoro. You know that?" He snapped. His words caused me to stop in the door way and look back amused.
"You make it sound like I'm the only one of us with mental issues. " I scoffed eyebrow raised.
"As it stands, I'm willing to bet you are." He muttered.
"This is coming from the son of a Grade-A psychopath." I couldn't help but laugh, "Where you obviously try to hide your twinge of instability, I let mine roam free. It's a great deterrence for idiocrasy when they think you will literally snap their little necks for stepping out of line."
The look on his face told me the conversation was over. I had won. I could only grin to myself as I walked out a made my way to my end of the house where a shower and bed were calling by name.
I had an audition to kill tomorrow.
