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(Opportunity)
Sayuri ordered sparkling water at the bar. She had been drinking more than she was accustomed to and that, combined with the bright lights and the chatter around her, made her feel light-headed. The bartender handed her the drink and she sipped it slowly as she fixed her eyes on Lee and Anna Williams. The two were talking in the middle of the room as reporters snapped picture after picture. She let a pinprick of jealousy make a brief appearance before pushing it away. There were much more pressing matters at the moment. And Anna was not the Williams who worried her.
She had seen Nina at the start of the banquet but lost track of her. The assassin expected useful information about the tournament, about Kazuya's schedule, but Sayuri had absolutely nothing because the entire day at the Mishima Building had been chaos. That had been Nina's fault as far as she was concerned.
"There's the orchestrator." Sayuri gasped as she heard a deep, male voice. She turned quickly and saw Bruce smiling broadly at her.
"What do you mean by that?" She sipped her water and moved her gaze around the room trying to maintain a calm demeanor.
He shrugged. "You planned this event, and you are here."
"Coordinator," she corrected. "Orchestrator sounds a bit...accusatory."
"My Japanese isn't perfect yet, but you have to admit, for a guy who two years ago, couldn't even order at the McDonald's down the street, it's actually pretty damn good."
She managed a smile. "It actually is quite impressive."
"I know it," he looked around before sitting on one of the barstools. "Great party, by the way, you really seem to have a knack for organizing these things."
She scoffed. "Maybe I should have gone into event planning instead of studying business."
He slowly scanned the room again. "I'm sure you'd be good at it, maybe you should go into it now, after the tournament I mean, get out of this place."
Plan weddings instead of murders. "Maybe I should… Why do you care if I get out of this place or not?"
Bruce looked toward the door then looked back at her. "You're like one of my crew now, and you were so squeaky clean before that it's still actually possible for you to get out."
No turning back, no getting out.
He shook his head slowly. "I came here to cheer you up, but you look even worse."
"No, you didn't. You keep looking around like you're looking for someone."
He chuckled slightly then looked around again. "I think someone might be looking for me."
"Who?"
He waved his hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter. I'm here now, and you look like you just lost a beauty contest so let's do something about it."
She chuckled slightly. "A beauty contest?"
Bruce laughed then patted the empty barstool next to his. "Come on, let's have a drink."
"I've probably had enough but…" Sayuri set her water on the bar and took the seat. If Bruce had noticed her demeanor, others would as well, it was best to go along with it and try to look like she was at least tolerating the party. She looked for Nina again but didn't see her anywhere.
"Here."
She turned to face the bar. "What's this?" She picked up the glass the bartender had set in front of her and slowly swirled the amber liquid around.
"Tequila." Bruce smiled as he sipped from his identical glass.
She shook her head. "I don't do shots."
"That's not a shot glass, and this isn't Jose Cuervo."
"I don't know what that means."
He laughed. "It means that it's the good stuff, you take your time and enjoy it."
She brought the glass to her lips and sipped slowly, it was much stronger than what she was used to but not unpleasant.
"So how did you get into beauty pageants anyway? Did you have a pushy stage mom or something?"
"No, she was actually the opposite..." She took a couple of small sips before continuing. "...She hated that I entered beauty contests."
"I thought it was your grandmother that hated it."
"They both hated it."
"That's rough."
Sayuri shrugged. "Not really, my father let me have anything I wanted, so I actually grew up pretty spoiled…" She began to feel lightheaded again and decided to slow down, to be careful with what she said. She couldn't trust Bruce no matter how friendly he seemed, if he found out what she was involved in, he wouldn't hesitate to tell Kazuya.
She decided to question him instead. "What about you? I'm always telling you about me and my family, but I don't know anything about you."
He sipped his drink then spoke casually. "What you see is what you get, there's really not much to me."
"What about your family? Are they in America?"
He furrowed his brow slightly. "No, they're gone."
She looked at him for a moment then back down at her glass. Did they die? She couldn't bring herself to ask him.
He looked around the room and toward the door as he sipped his drink.
She lowered her head. "...I'm sorry." She didn't know what else to say and set the unfinished liquor on the bar.
Bruce shrugged. "It's all right, it was a long time ago."
Her entire adult life, Sayuri had been willfully ignorant, she realized that now. She had been blind to the pain and suffering that plagued the world on a daily basis and that new awareness made her feel ashamed. It was so easy to turn a newspaper over when she read a headline that made her uncomfortable, so easy to lose herself in her so-called problems and pretend that everyone in the world led safe and comfortable lives. She wondered how old Bruce had been when he lost his family. He must have been young. She thought of Lee having to live on the streets when he was a child and hoped that the same had not been the case for Bruce. She thought of Katsi Oshiro's family grieving their lost son...
"I'm usually better at cheering people up." Bruce's voice broke her trance.
She reached for her glass of water. "It's not your fault, this whole day has been..."
Bruce nodded. "Tell me about it." Then spoke with a broad grin on his face. "You're gonna cheer for me tomorrow right?"
She shook her head but couldn't help smiling. "There's already someone I'm supposed to be cheering for."
"You're supposed to be cheering for?"
"I want to cheer for. Are you flirting with me?"
He laughed. "It's my default setting, I can't help it, but at least you're smiling."
A glimpse of long, blonde hair tore her attention from Bruce. Nina was staring directly at her from across the room. Their eyes locked and Sayuri felt her heart thump in her chest. She watched Nina as she walked toward the back of the room in the direction of the women's bathroom. She needed to follow, but her entire body felt like lead knowing that she had nothing to tell, no new information whatsoever.
"...I need to go." She said as she stood. "Thank you for the drink."
He looked around. "Yeah, I should probably find a different place to be anyway. I'm serious, good job putting this whole thing together."
"Thank you."
She left the bar and headed toward the bathroom weaving through guests and hotel staff, smiling and bowing politely while clenching her hands into fists to keep them from shaking.
She opened the bathroom door and stepped inside, the soft light and muted colors were a welcome change as was the blissful silence. She turned the corner toward the sinks and mirrors, even though she was expecting to see Nina, she felt her breath catch in her throat when she saw her standing with her arms crossed tightly and looking expectantly at her. Her apprehension and anxiety suddenly turned to anger; she spoke the first words that she was able to articulate in English.
"You failed." Sayuri heard her own voice echo around her, it was much louder than she had intended. Nina's eyes were pure fire, she didn't move or blink, but her posture and demeanor were suddenly incredibly threatening, forcing Sayuri to take a step back.
Nina spoke in a quiet and even tone. "Give me good information."
"...I…"
The door opened slowly, Sayuri couldn't move. Nina quickly, silently, and casually turned toward one of the sinks, opened her clutch bag and began to apply lipstick in front of the mirror.
The sound of high heels clicking on the tile floor was followed by a playful, sultry voice.
"Hi, Sis." Anna's tone was casual, but her stance said that she was ready for anything. She looked at Sayuri. "Is this woman bothering you?"
Sayuri shook her head. "No."
Nina walked past them without saying a word, without even acknowledging her sister.
Anna looked pointedly at Sayuri once Nina had left the room. "What did she say to you?"
She tried not to blink as she answered and hoped that Anna wouldn't see through the lie. "...She ask if I knowed-if I know you."
Anna gave her one more probing look before walking past her and standing in front of the full-length mirror. She put her hands on her hips and stared admiringly at her own reflection. "I've been feeling deceived today."
"Deceived? What is-"
"It means lied to, do you understand that?" Anna tucked her hair behind her ear. "People lying to me right to my face. But you are not one of those people are you?"
"No, Miss Williams."
Anna turned away from the mirror and looked at her. "Cute dress. A little more conservative than I thought you'd wear, but green works on you. The boss wants to see you, he's in the office. Don't make him wait, I'm sure you know how he gets."
Sayuri bowed deeply and left the bathroom as quickly as she could with her stomach in knots and her hands shaking.
The walk to Kazuya's office seemed too short and too long at the same time. When she arrived, her mind was utterly blank; she could hear her heartbeat in her ears.
Two armed Zaibatsu guards were stationed at the door along with Ganryu. When he saw her, his stern expression changed to a goofy grin. The sumo turned and knocked on the door before opening it slightly. "Miss Yoshida is here." He held the door opened for Sayuri and smiled nervously at her as she stepped inside.
After the incident at the stadium the security team had insisted on moving Kazuya's office to the same floor as the banquet. Having no room that could be called an office on the thirtieth floor, one of the suites had been stripped, painted, had shelving and new carpet installed as well as new furniture brought in to make it a suitable space for the Mishima Zaibatsu CEO.
Upon entering, she saw Kazuya behind a desk made of dark, polished wood, a half-empty glass of liquor in his hand. The walls were painted a muted, gray and the lights were dim, everything was exactly as he liked it. There was a slight odor of fresh paint that she was sure was giving him a headache, judging by the way he was frowning at his drink.
She bowed deeply before speaking. "You wanted to see me, sir?"
"I will be meeting with Genkei Yamaguchi from G-Corporation Tuesday night-"
"This Tuesday? I thought you were going to meet with him after the tournament." She blurted out before she could stop herself. That was too bold.
Kazuya straightened in his chair and crossed his arms. "I forgot, you listened in on that entire conversation...I remember everything before and after too. I remember how you begged me not to tell Lee anything, how you begged me not to fire him… Are you going to beg and plead for his sake again?"
She shook her head before bowing again. "No, sir. I'm here because you asked for me."
He looked pointedly at her. "I know you. You're hiding something."
She looked down at the floor. "No, sir. I'm here to do my job, it's been a long day."
"Have you told Lee anything?"
"No, sir."
He gave her one more scrutinizing look before continuing. "As I was saying before you interrupted, I'm meeting with Mr. Yamaguchi Tuesday at eight p.m. in my office at the Mishima Building. The glass on the window behind my desk is cracked, make sure it's repaired before then."
"Yes, sir. Do you need me there for the meeting."
"No."
"Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"No."
"I will be going home shortly then."
He didn't say anything; she took it as her cue to leave. She bowed slightly to Ganryu and the guards as she exited.
She walked back into the banquet hall and stood at the entrance scanning the room looking for Lee, hoping that he was as tired as she was and wanted to go home. Looking to her right, she saw the table with the gift bags for the tournament participants, some of the bags had not been taken. Sayuri wasn't surprised, she was sure some of the fighters wanted nothing from the Mishimas, save for their blood. She walked over and looked through the tags, Jun Kazama, Michelle Chang, Wang Jinrei, Heihachi Mishima, Nina Williams.
The idea struck her suddenly, it was like a jolt of electricity, a splash of ice water on her face. She reached for Nina's bag with a shaky hand, thanking the Heavens that she was staying at the Mishima Hotel. She exited the banquet hall and took the elevator to the first floor. When the elevator doors opened, she left quickly, her steps echoing in the oversized lobby. She stopped at the reception desk.
"Miss Yoshida," one of the women behind the desk beamed, "how can we help you?"
"I need a pen and paper."
Once she received the items, she began to write.
Miss Williams,
I hope you find this to your satisfaction and hope that your stay in Tokyo is a memorable one. Enjoy the sights, the parks are especially peaceful at sunrise.
She was sure that Nina's partner could translate it. She folded the note and put it inside the bag, set it on the desk and leaned in to speak to the receptionist. "I need you to deliver this to Miss Nina Williams." She said softly. "You specifically, call her beforehand and tell her that it's from me. Mention me by name. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Miss Yoshida, I'll do it right away."
"Thank you."
She heard the elevator chime and turned to see Lee stepping out. She waited for him at the desk feeling apprehensive, hoping that he was there because he wanted to go home.
He looked tired as he smiled. "They told me you were down here. We can leave if you're ready."
She nodded. "Let's go."
"Good, I can't stand being here a second longer."
They walked side by side as they left the hotel and were silent as the valet retrieved their car. When the car arrived, Lee opened the door for her and helped her inside then closed it and settled into the driver's seat.
He took her hand but didn't say anything, just looked at the dashboard for a few moments before turning to her. "You were the most beautiful woman there." He said as he kissed the back of her hand.
"Thank you." She said dejectedly. She knew they were empty words, that he would have said it to anyone who had been his date.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
He sighed. "...I'm sorry that I've been so controlling. I have no place telling you how to dress. It will never happen again."
She lightly squeezed his hand and nodded as she looked out the window, away from his eyes. "Thank you for saying that."
He kissed her hand again before beginning the drive home.
She looked at him as he concentrated on the road. She watched the lights and shadows dance on his face but quickly closed her eyes. She felt so terribly tired, so horribly guilty. She wished that she could tell him everything; she wished that he didn't feel like he was the only one making mistakes, the only one who had something to atone for. Everything would come to light sooner or later because that was the way life worked. It could be in two hours, two days or twenty years, but it would all come out eventually. But for now, she had him, for now, she had comfortable silence. For now, she had the hope that with her help, Nina's mission would be a success.
