**Everything in this chapter was initially going to be a part of chapter 32. However, I wanted to have this one only consist of NaruxMai goodness. So far it's been my favorite one to write. I'm not sure when I will be posting my next chapter since I have super writer's block right now; I know what I want to write about but just cant figure all the details yet. Thank you to everyone who has followed and favorited my story! It's such a rewarding feeling to check my email just an hour after posting a chapter and having so many wonderful reviews. You're all seriously so amazing!**
Chapter Thirty-Three
Swallowing nervously, Mai stared at the handle of the black door in front of her. It didn't help that today of all days was the day she was going to step foot inside Oliver's house. Her dream from the previous night was still so fresh in her mind. Her heart was pounding in her ears and she silently begged it to calm so she could hear herself think.
"Okay, Mai," she whispered to herself. "Think about this logically."
She nervously pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. It was Saturday and last she knew he was planning on returning today. She just didn't know what time. But then again, Luella had given her a key, so that must mean that Naru wasn't home yet...right?
Taking a deep breath, she tried to muster up her courage.
"Just go in. Just go in, drop off the file, and leave," she nodded and held the key out.
Her hand was shaking. "Just unlock the door," she whispered.
She stood there for who knows how long with the key hovering shakily over the keyhole.
"And unlock the door," she instructed to herself a bit more loudly this time. To her irritation, her body refused to listen.
Mai was grateful that there were barely any people walking by in her moment of conflict.
"Oh, sod it." Gulping once more she pushed the key in and unlocked the door.
Her hand gripped the golden handle and turned it, tensing slightly as the door slowly swung open.
She looked inside apprehensively.
"Hello?" she called out into the house.
Silence greeted her.
Feeling a bit more at ease, she stepped inside the house and closed the door behind her. She stepped into the corridor, walking around the stairs. The corridor went further into the house but she needn't go that far. Directly to her right was a doorway that led to a monochrome sitting room. Grey walls, white trim, black couches.
She stepped inside and noted a black standing piano in front of the bay window that overlooked the street. She gave a small smile, remembering how beautifully he had played on their last case together. There were times she swore she could still hear the mesmerizing melody he had played that day.
Shaking her head, Mai set down her shopping bags onto the floor. She reached into one of the bags and pulled out the folder Luella had given her. The brunette walked up to the dark wooden coffee table and placed the file down along with his house key.
She stood up and sighed, happy her mission was complete. Slender fingers picked up her bags and turned to leave the room but jumped in shock.
A surprised yelp left her lips at the sight of Oliver casually leaning against the doorway. Those indigo eyes of his were watching her intently.
She instantly felt her face flush a brilliant shade of red at the sight of him. His hair was damp, clearly having just gotten out of the shower.
Although, what surprised her most of all was the fact that his black t-shirt was draped over one shoulder as his arms crossed over his very bare chest. Her breath hitched at the sight of his chiseled torso while her eyes lingered on the hint of a small trail of hair that disappeared under his dark grey pyjama bottoms.
"Mai," his greeting sent a pleasurable shiver down her spine and she quickly snapped her eyes away from where they had been.
"N-Naru, I didn't know you'd be back," she stammered in embarrassment.
"I did mention I was returning today, did I not?" he said smoothly, addressing her in Japanese.
"You did, yes," she muttered.
"Might I ask why you are in my home?"
Her eyes darted to meet his and she winced apologetically. "I'm so sorry! I was with your mother but she was called away on business. She asked me to drop off the files you needed. I'm very sorry for intruding!" Her words were rushed and she finished with a deep bow.
He didn't say anything, instead she just heard him push off the entryway and the sound of his footsteps grew nearer.
Holding her breath she straightened up and watched him warily. She waited for him to reveal how upset that she entered his house uninvited. However, he made his way past her and reached down to pick up the file from the table. Long fingers flipped through the papers briefly before looking over at her from the corner of his eye.
"My mother had you come?" he repeated calmly.
Mai replied with a nod.
He glanced down at the bags at her feet. "Took you shopping, did she?"
Mai looked down at the bags and sighed, momentarily forgetting her nerves.
"How could you tell?" she asked teasingly. She shook her head at the memory of her shopping trip with his exuberant mother. "I begged her not to buy me anything but there was no stopping her."
An amused smile pulled at his lips and he snapped the file in his hand closed. "When my Mother wants to do something she won't stop until she gets her way. Be prepared for it to happen again. She can be quite relentless."
Mai giggled knowingly. "So I've learned. Eventually I had to ban her from taking me to any more shops."
A faint chuckle left his lips and Mai felt the weight in her chest grow lighter, knowing the man wasn't upset by her unexpected presence in his house.
They stood there looking at each other. There was something behind those eyes as he stared at her and she found herself unable to look away. After a moment the sound of something sizzling reached their ears. Oliver turned and began to walk out of the room only pausing momentarily to look at Mai expectantly. He nodded his head towards the corridor, silently signaling her to follow him.
Caught off guard, Mai followed without a word. They walked past a few closed doors before entering an open doorway. Mai looked around the modern kitchen and was impressed by its size. The floors were made of dark wooden boards in a herringbone design. The cabinets were black while the countertops were a contrasting white marble. There was a large island in the center of the room with two barstools made out of reclaimed wood. Black hanging lights hovered at varying heights above the island.
Mai noticed there were a few containers of food out on the counter and a pot was simmering on the range. She wondered if he had been about to make his dinner and suddenly felt like she was intruding.
"I should go-" she tried to excuse herself but was hastily cut off.
"Sit," he ordered gently and stepped around the kitchen island.
Mai hesitated for a moment before taking a seat on one of the stools. She looked up at him curiously as he placed the file on the island and looked at a few pages with a focused expression.
The silence was becoming unbearable. She nibbled on her bottom lip waiting for him to say something. While he was indisposed with the contents of the file, Mai couldn't help her wandering eyes. She slowly looked over at him and felt her heart race once again. There he was in all his glory; the star of last night's dream, shirtless and fresh from the shower.
Realizing she had been holding her breath she tried to take in a breath of air as nonchalantly as she could. For some reason it suddenly felt as if someone had turned on the heat in the large kitchen. She reached up a hand and plucked her shirt from her chest before wiggling it back and forth several times to create a small breeze.
The refreshing air brought her back to her senses and she glanced up at Naru. She stilled when she realized he had already closed the file and was staring at her with a brow raised in amusement.
"If you're warm you can open a window," he said before turning around towards the food on the counter, stirring the contents of the pot for a moment.
"I'm fine," she embarrassedly shook her head in dismissal. "So, what's in the file?"
"Words."
She glared at the back of his head at his cheeky remark. Even though he was faced away from her she could tell he was smirking.
"Very funny," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Is it for a case?"
"A colleague," he answered.
She waited for him to elaborate but soon realized that wasn't going to happen. He busied himself by taking steak from some parchment and placing it into the skillet he had been heating up on the range. She watched as the muscles in his back moved with his every action.
She cleared her throat and blinked out of her train of thought. She frowned. "Put your shirt on."
"Why?" he asked in feign ignorance, not turning around.
"You're cooking! You're going to burn yourself," she explained exasperatedly.
"Is that the only reason you want me to put my shirt on?" he said deeply.
Mai wondered if he knew how misleading he sounded. If she didn't know any better she would have thought he was flirting. But that was more than improbable. She bristled and refused to let the blush adorn her cheeks.
"I have no clue what you're insinuating," she said stubbornly. "Just put on your shirt."
"And if I don't want to?"
"Then you aren't as smart as you claim to be," she frowned in annoyance. "You're going to get burnt and I'll be there to say 'I told you so.'"
"Unfortunately, I'll have to decline. I'm finding it rather amusing to keep it off for now."
She growled under her breath when she could hear the smug grin through his words. The man was toying with her. Hopping off of the stool, she marched around the island and yanked the shirt from its resting position on his shoulder. Without thinking she lifted it up and over his head and pulled it down around his neck.
She looked up in irritation and saw the genuine look of surprise on his face. Realization clicked and she froze, her hands still attached to the shirt around his neck. Her eyes widened in shock at her impulsive action. She could have sworn she saw an amused gleam shimmer in his eyes even though the rest of his expression was blank.
Her heart began to pulse faster and she finally realized how close she was standing to him. After what felt like a neverending moment, Oliver spoke.
"Are you allergic to mushrooms?" he asked stoically.
His random question took her completely by surprise, causing her brows to furrow in confusion. She shook her head. "What? No, why-"
Before he could say anything else, he had placed a spoonful of risotto in her mouth and he watched her with that calculating gaze of his. She wanted to scold him for playing such a trick but had to swallow the food in her mouth in order to do so. However, with every bite she took her expression softened into one of pure awe.
She brought a hand up to cover her full mouth. "This is really good," she gasped in fascination.
He nodded. "Yes. I know. I made it."
While she was distracted, he gently held her shoulders and spun her around. As she absentmindedly walked back to her seat, he put his arms through his shirt and covered the rest of his torso. With a smirk he turned around and began to plate his dinner.
Mai came out of her stupor to see Oliver holding two plates, one in each hand. She quickly realized one of those plates was for herself. She hadn't realized it before seeing as she had been a little distracted, so to say. Her brows raised and her mouth opened in order to protest.
"Oh, no! You didn't have t-" she began.
"Eat," he interrupted, taking a seat in the stool next to her.
"But-"
"Eat," he said again. Even though it was an order, he had said it so gently and Mai found herself unable to refuse. "It was no burden to add the extra portion if that is what you are worried about."
She looked down at the plate in front of her and smiled warmly to herself. Homemade mushroom risotto with charred tomatoes and steak tips. "This looks wonderful. I didn't take you for the cooking type."
He glanced up at her. "I don't have reason to do it often. However, I do find it rather enjoyable."
"Full of surprises, aren't you?" she laughed softly. Quickly bringing her hands together in front of her, she bowed her head slightly and whispered, "Itadakimasu."
Oliver studied her from the corner of his eye. A large grin spread across her face and her fingers wiggled happily at the sight of the food in front of her. Her forked speared a piece of steak and she brought it to her lips, eagerly popping it into her mouth.
"It's positively delicious!" she melted and took another bite.
Mai looked back down at her plate. She wasn't particularly fond of tomatoes but the last thing she wanted to do was insult the man who just cooked her a wonderful meal. She had been eating around the blasted things for a few minutes before deciding to bite the bullet and nibble on a few.
The action didn't go unnoticed by the man sitting next to her. He watched in amusement as she ate. Every time she placed a tomato in her mouth she stiffened ever so slightly, but her smile never faltered. It was painfully obvious to the man that she was trying to be polite and eat everything he had prepared for her.
"My compliments to the chef," she suddenly praised. "I haven't had a home cooked meal prepared by someone else in a very long time. I couldn't have asked for a better dinner. Thank you, Naru."
She was expecting a smart reply but none came. Looking up, she saw him staring at his plate clearly at a loss for words.
They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before the man slowly stilled and placed his fork on the table.
"Gene told me about your case," he said slowly. Her heart stopped for a moment. She could tell by his tone that something was on his mind.
"Did he?" Mai watched him cautiously, wondering exactly what information his twin had relayed to him.
He was quiet again but this time he met her gaze intently. "I'm sorry."
Mai's breath caught as she was taken aback by the sudden apology.
"For what?" she asked quietly.
"I told you I would stay on the phone with you," he stated, never once averting his gaze. "I ended our call before you made it back safely, and once the call ended you were left alone in an unsafe situation. Forgive me, Mai."
Even though he outwardly appeared composed, she could sense his internal struggle of guilt. She shook her head frantically and gave him a warm smile.
"There's no need for forgiveness," she began. "I was the idiot who ran off on my own in the middle of the night. If anyone should say 'sorry' it's me. A-Anyway, you had company." She nervously looked down at her food. "You couldn't keep her waiting. I completely understand."
She could feel his gaze grow more intense at her words. "While that is true and what you did was not the brightest idea you've ever had, it does not make you an idiot." He ran his hand through his ebony hair and sighed. "And as for the 'company' you speak of, she was part of the group I was teaching this past week."
Mai felt that all too familiar and uncomfortable sensation developing in her chest. She busied herself by pushing the last of her risotto around on her plate, not really wanting to know about his love life and how he met the woman.
"Is that so?" she muttered awkwardly.
"I hadn't been expecting Miss. Laurent. She came to my door in shock and with blood on her hands, quite literally," he added, dissecting her reaction.
Mai's head snapped in his direction in worry.
"Apparently she and her wife, who also partook in the course, had been trying something we had not yet learned. Long story short, they lost control of an item while using their psychokinesis," he explained.
"Her...w-wife? Blood? Oh my goodness. Was she okay?" she gasped.
He gave a small nod. "The wife's wound wasn't severe but the strain upon her body from using so much energy caused her to collapse. She was brought to the A&E for evaluation and so they could keep an eye on her vitals. My student came to me because she knew I've had similar experiences. I helped them talk to the doctor and inform them what to keep an eye on."
Mai looked down in shame. This whole time she had thought he…but in reality...She shook her head and looked up at him and couldn't help but feel even more drawn to him than before.
"They were very lucky you were there to help," she said with a soft smile of admiration.
He watched her with an unreadable expression. "Yet while I was helping them you were being forced to experience vision after vision to the point your body became physically sick and lost consciousness. I don't find that lucky at all."
She locked eyes with him. "Oliver, it was nobody's fault but my own. I made the decision to go back for the equipment. I made the decision to interact with the spirit. I didn't mean to push her over the edge and lose control of the other spirits however, but it was a consequence I brought upon myself. Anyway, I wasn't harmed."
"Other than psychologically, you mean," he added bluntly. "As well as bumping your head the multiple times you fainted. And what happened to your hand?"
His eyes were on the plaster on her hand. The fingers of her other hand quickly covered the bandage.
"Oh, this happened this morning, it wasn't from the case," she said, and thought to herself. I got it because I couldn't stop thinking about you and that dream. Clearing her throat, she quickly cast her eyes away. "I'm fine, Naru. I actually just talked to your mother about everything today."
"Did you?" he asked skeptically. "Or did you devalue what you truly feel, like you normally do?"
The brunette wriggled uncomfortably in her seat. "I do not."
"Mai, I'm good at reading people, call it a gift. And, to be honest, I'm particularly good at reading you," he said seriously.
"Oh?" she said disbelievingly.
He leaned forward slightly. "You wear your heart on your sleeve."
Mai closed her eyes in defeat. "Okay. You might be right," she whispered and stared back at him. "But I'll be just fine, Naru. After all, I've been coping by myself for the majority of my life."
The man was clearly displeased at her admission and straightened up in his seat. His lips were pressed into a thin line while he sat silent for a moment.
"So be it. You leave me no choice. Until you have better control over your abilities you're not allowed on any cases where I'm not present," he stated decidedly.
"Oliver," she tried to reason with him.
He gave her a pointed look. "I'm not going to risk you putting yourself in harm's way, whether it be physically or mentally. You're my employee and inexperienced so there's no room for discussion. You can only attend a case if I am present. Unless, you wish to change your position to a permanent desk job?"
Mai deflated. She wasn't entirely happy about his decision but understood his concern and expected this was always a possible consequence for her actions. There was even a small voice in the back of her head that was grateful for his new rule; until she gained control over her abilities she would feel safer having him nearby.
"I understand," she nodded.
He regarded her before giving a nod of his own. "Good. Now...I would appreciate it if you could tell me in your own words what happened during the case."
"But didn't Gene tell you everything?" she wondered.
"Humor me."
Mai spent the next half hour explaining everything in detail. Everything except her conversation with Cara in which she admitted her feelings and the fact that she had saved Gene back in Japan. A wave of guilt washed over her as she omitted those details. Oliver listened intently making a comment or asking a clarifying question here and there.
"When I woke up Gene and Masako had already cleansed the rest of the hotel and we wrapped everything up," Mai finished.
"So, you had a premonition about Gene's suicide?" he repeated quietly.
Mai nodded slowly, wondering how he would take the news that he had been so close to losing Gene.
"He had mentioned you saved him but I was unaware that he meant it quite literally." Oliver reached up and rubbed his temples as he processed the information. After a moment he looked back at her with a sincere gaze. "Thank you, Mai. I don't know what I would have done if we...if I had lost him. I misjudged this case."
"Don't forget, it was actually Masako who reached him first and stopped it from happening. All I did was have a dream," she replied.
"I'll be sure to thank her as well. However, if you didn't have that dream my brother wouldn't be alive today. I'm in your debt, if there is any way I can repay you, let me know," he added seriously.
She waved her hands dismissively in front of her. "Oh, no, I was just doing what anyone would have done. Please don't worry about it. Anyway, you've saved me loads of times!"
"So, is that everything that happened while I was gone?" he asked.
She nibbled her lip and fiddled with her fingers nervously and his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Mai?" His tone wasn't harsh but it did convey that he could tell she was keeping something from him.
"It's everything having to do with the case," she said.
A black brow raised in question. "What do you mean?"
"Well, there were some other things that happened that...aren't my right to say," she admitted.
"Do you mean what happened between Gene and Masako?" he asked.
"Oh yeah..." she muttered quietly to herself. She had forgotten about that little tidbit of information.
"Tell me," he pressed, seeing her reaction.
She smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, Naru, really I am. I'm not lying to you, I'm just...omitting certain truths?"
"How is that different than lying?" He rolled his eyes in irritation.
"I don't want to keep you in the dark. It's just not my place to say anything. How about you let this go in thanks for me saving Gene?"
"I thought you said you didn't need any debt repaid?" He asked with a raised brow.
"Well, I changed my mind. If you want to know what happened you should go talk to your brother about everything. Please?" She begged.
He was silent for a moment before lacing his fingers together on the counter. "Maybe you could enlighten me as to what happened to the video footage."
Mai gave him a puzzled look.
Letting out a short sigh he continued. "The footage from the case; when you were talking to the spirit on your own and angered her."
The video. She tensed slightly and her mind began to race. He saw it; her confession. He had to have seen it if he watched the footage, right? Maybe that's why he had been acting oddly. Was he teasing her? But, wait, if he had seen her confession then why hadn't he said anything? Or had he not mentioned anything in order to let her keep some semblance of dignity?
Her throat felt tight from nervousness but she refused to let Oliver see her inner struggle. She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head with a lost expression on her face.
"The audio was missing," he clarified.
This time she genuinely looked at him in confusion. "Wait, what?"
"According to Gene, the spirit's presence caused interference with the equipment." His tone was neutral but Mai could tell he was unconvinced and prying for answers.
"That's interesting," she hummed. This must have been what Masako had meant when she was going to have Gene take care of it.
"While it technically could be possible, I don't believe it. If it were true then the video footage itself would have been affected."
"And I'm assuming it wasn't?" she guessed.
He flashed her one of his trademark smirks. "Correct. I was able to watch you make all of your questionable decisions in crystal clear quality."
Mai playfully shrinched her face at his words. "You say 'questionable,' I say 'essential.' Think about it; if I never made Cara upset who knows how long it would have taken to close the case?"
A small chuckle left his lips and he took another bite of his dinner. "Ever the optimist, aren't you?"
The brunette nudged him slightly before taking a bite of her food. "Well someone has to counteract that cynical nature of yours."
"I'm sorry to say that you won't be able to go making your 'essentially' questionable decisions during cases anymore with me around," he drawled, but she could see the smirk trying to pull at his lips.
"Oh, Naru, who are you kidding? That's not going to stop me. I'm sure you haven't forgotten that I'm prone to danger," she said and promptly giggled. "I've got to keep you on your toes and make things interesting."
He let out an amused huff through his nose, trying to restrain his grin. "Yes, well, I'd appreciate it if you at least attempt to refrain from falling off any more cliffs."
"Can't make any promises," she grinned.
Mai saw he had finished his dinner and got to her feet. She picked up his plate and piled it on top of her own before making her way over to the sink.
"Leave them, I can get them later," he instructed as he stood from his stool.
"Nonsense," she replied. "You made me dinner, the least I can do is clean up so don't bother declining my help. I'm quite good at it, too! One of my first jobs required washing dishes at a small ramen shop. It was a tiny little place with a big reputation. The line always stretched down the street. I bet you can imagine the number of dirty dishes. My hands used to be constantly waterlogged."
She walked over to the range and gathered the pots and pans there before walking back to the sink. Wasting no time, she rolled up her sleeves and got to work. Oliver watched momentarily before standing and grabbing a dish towel from the counter. Before Mai could place one of the freshly washed pots on the drying rack, he reached out and gently took it from her in order to dry it.
"So," he began. "How did Mother manage to wrangle you into one of her shopping escapades?"
Mai continued to wash the dishes and snorted quietly.
"She showed up at my flat rather unexpectedly." The burnette paused and pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, I didn't know she knew where I lived."
Oliver rolled his eyes. "Mother can be very...resourceful. She most likely bribed Yasuhara or found the office records on her own. I apologize on her behalf."
"No need to apologize," she assured. "Her company was more than welcome this morning. It was nice to get out. And anyway I was able to learn some exciting news," she grinned sheepishly thinking about the news Luella told her about the Lin's.
"Oh, really?"
Mai nodded and lifted her chin smugly. "I've been sworn to secrecy, so I can't tell you."
"More secrets? I'm beginning to think you get a rush out of keeping things from me." Oliver studied her for a moment with calculating eyes. "Madoka had the baby."
Mai turned her head in shock. "Wait, how'd you know? Did she tell you, too?"
"No. Like I said before, you're very easy to read," he smirked and took another clean plate from her hands before drying it and putting it away.
Mai shook the water from her hands, having finished the dishes. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned her left hip against the edge of the sink. "I doubt you could come to that conclusion just by looking at me. I'm beginning to think you can read minds."
"Ah, telepathy. As tempting as some may find such a skill, I'm rather pleased to admit I don't possess it." Oliver had finished drying the dishes and mirrored her stance as he leaned against the counter and crossed his arms.
"You're telling me you wouldn't want to order people about in their own heads?" Mai raised a brow.
"You're forgetting that telepathy is a two-way street. I can barely stand most people as it is. The last thing I would want is to be able to hear their mundane thoughts all day long," he sighed in annoyance at the thought.
Mai nodded in agreement. "I guess that's true. It would be more like a curse for you rather than a gift. So, then, how did you figure out Madoka had the baby?"
He shrugged. "Simple deduction. First of all, you have the same look on your face you had whenever Madoka would talk about the baby. Secondly, the bags you were carrying are from shops located next to Mother's favorite store for children's clothing. She stops there everytime a friend or coworker has a child. On top of that, take into account the fact that Madoka is well past her due date. Therefore, the secret my mother told you was about the baby being born. I can only assume that they are keeping the birth of their son concealed right now because there must have been some complications with delivery or perhaps there were other unforeseen circumstances. If that's so, then there's nothing to do but wait for them to share the news once they are comfortable and invite us to see the baby."
Mai nodded slowly in awe. "Well done, Mr. Holmes."
"Elementary, my dear Watson," he smirked and pushed off of the counter.
Mai watched him as he grabbed the file from the kitchen island and made his way out of the kitchen. Without pause, she followed him into the sitting room. He made his way over to the settee and crossed an ankle over his knee while scanning through the file in his hand.
The brunette hesitated by the door. Something about seeing him act so casual within his home was oddly comforting.
The sound of a clock chiming somewhere in the house pulled her from her thoughts and she looked down at her wrist watch to check the time.
She gasped when she saw the hour. "Oh! I should really be going."
Bending down, she hastily picked up the bags she had left on the floor earlier. By the time she stood straightened up, blue eyes were trained on her.
"Thank you for the meal, Naru. I'll have to return the favour some day," she smiled appreciatively and turned to take her leave. She made her way to the front door and held out a petite hand to turn the handle.
"Mai."
She stopped and looked over her shoulder questioningly. Through the archway, she could see he was now leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees and the file placed next to him on the settee.
Her head tilted slightly in wonder. "Yes?"
After a moment's pause, he finally spoke. "Have you had any more of those dreams?"
She looked at him confused. "Yes, I told you about them already, didn't I?"
The man shook his head slightly and stood from his seat.
"I'm not talking about the dreams from the case," he clarified. "I'm talking about the recurring dream you've been having."
As he talked, he slowly walked over to her and for some reason she found herself unconsciously stepping backwards towards the front door. Flashes of her dream from the previous night flooded her mind. She tried to keep her face void of any telling expressions; she had learned from his earlier interrogations. If she reacted even in the slightest she had no doubt the man would be able to pick up on it a mile away. Here was yet another lie she had to tell the man in front of her, yet this one played a key in her self preservation. The last thing she was going to tell him was that she had a dream in which the two of them were married and expecting a child together.
He was less than a metre away now and Mai shook her head with an expression of feign ignorance. "Not that I can recall."
He studied her intently for a moment and she resisted the urge to shy away.
"Is that so?" he muttered offhandedly.
"Yes. Is that all? I really should be going," she said with a bright smile.
His gaze fell to her lips and lingered for the slightest of seconds before meeting her eyes and holding them captive. He leaned forward, causing a small breath to escape her due to the sudden closeness. She could feel her pulse starting to beat rapidly in her neck and she wondered if his keen eyes could see it. He held her gaze as he leaned even closer. She could feel his breath on her skin.
In her daze she could hear something click behind her. Suddenly, Oliver straightened up and a small breeze blew in through the door that the man had just opened. Realizing he had only been opening the door, Mai quickly came to her senses and tried to remain unfazed.
"Thank you for the file," he said calmly.
"Y-You're welcome. I'll be off now," she stammered and quickly turned to escape while a furious blush quickly adorned her cheeks. She wasted no time rushing down the steps and around the corner. Her hand clutched her shirt over her chest as she tried to still her racing heart.
Oliver watched with the slightest of smirks pulling at the corner of his mouth. He couldn't deny how entertaining it was to tease the woman. He closed the front door and sighed.
Judging by the way Mai had reacted, he was certain she had that dream, no matter how hard she tried to deny it.
He brought a hand up and desperately pinched the bridge of his nose. Flashes of his dream from the previous night filled his mind. His arms wrapping around the brunette that was his wife. The swollen stomach that held their child.
The question was, why did he keep having these odd dreams? He sighed. Part of him knew, seeing as the first of said dreams just so happened to occur the very night he met the brunette he just shared dinner with.