Striking a Deal

Tea was counting down the days until her two weeks were up and she was done with the diner. She was going to start teaching part time at the dance studio. She would teach the little girls. She liked kids, and she loved to dance, and she would be paid for it. It would look great on her applications. She felt as if this was a step toward the Promised Land.

Sometimes, she wondered if Kaiba liked his job. He had money, he had power, but did he want to spring out of bed every morning? Did he smile just thinking about it? Tea saw no sign of happiness in Kaiba, or even genuine confidence. People who were genuinely proud didn't have to be so sarcastic. Sometimes she wondered if he hated himself.

She still hadn't gotten Joey's birthday gift, but she was close. It was a figurine of his favorite duel monster, the Flame Swordsman. It was eight inches tall, and amazingly detailed. It cost eighty dollars, and Tea now had $58. She was confident she could make the rest tonight, after she cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen for her parents. Life was good.

There was still the matter of Kaiba, though. She wanted to apologize, but she didn't know what to say; she was afraid he would rip her to shreds. She supposed that she could bring her friends alone, but she felt that Kaiba might feel ganged up on with her friends there, even if it would make her feel safe. No, it would have to be private, after school, by his locker.

Her stomach was full of frothy acid.

The last bell rang.

Kaiba stood up and left. The other students stayed seated until he was through the door. It was an unspoken agreement, a way to show respect to the most powerful person they knew.

Tea told Yugi that she would call him later. He just smiled and reassured her that it was okay. He, Joey, and Tristan were just going to practice dueling for a while, anyway. They walked her to her locker, and she watched them leave.

Her stomach ached more with each step they took away from her.

She put her books away, rechecked her syllabus and her assignment notebook, rearranged her bag. The population of the hallway shrank, until the hallway stood empty.

She swallowed and forced one foot in front of the other toward Kaiba's locker. Her knees were about to buckle. Just two words, she thought, just two words.

As she walked, she saw a figure turn down the hallway and walk towards her. The sun shone through the floor to ceiling window, silhouetting the tall, thin body.

It was Seto Kaiba. Her heart jolted and galloped in her chest.

He stopped in front of her. She could see his eyes now, arctic oceans set in his face, giving her permission to speak. How did he know that she wanted to talk to him?

"Um, Ka-Kai—' She swallowed and tried again. "K-Kaiba, I just wanted to say, um, I, a couple of days ago—"

He kept starting down at her, a stone Inquisitor. How could she be so stupid? He didn't remember anything she said to him. He paid as much attention to her as he would to a buzzing fly.

"Well, anyway, what I said was very rude. I mean, I said 'bitch' and all…" She struggled to keep eye contact, but her eyes kept jumping to his chest or one of his shoulders or his forehead. She corralled her eyeballs back from his ear to his eyes, then finally gave up and settled on his right eyebrow.

"I'm sorry," she forced out.

For a moment, no one spoke. Tea stared hard at his collarbone. She realized that his jacket was unbuttoned and loose, and he had a plain, white cotton t-shirt underneath it. Around his neck was a Duel Monsters card suspended from a chain. Probably the Blue Eyes, she thought. He swallowed, and she watched his throat contract and relax. She lifted her eyes a little bit to his mouth. He ran the tip of his tongue over his lower lip. Her pelvis and inner thighs muscles felt funny, like her blood had thickened there. She squelched a shudder.

"Gardner," he said, "I actually found it rather impressive."

Tea blinked. Did she hear him right?

"However," he continued, "your apology is making it less so. Don't you know you should never, ever say you're sorry? Don't you know it makes you weak?"

She tilted her head to look at his eyes. They had a strange glow to them, the glow that tints the clouds before a tornado. His lips curled up at the corners, and he kept swallowing what she assumed were laughs. He was mocking her, but it wasn't as bad as she thought it was going to be.

"I don't think it's weak to apologize, Kaiba," she said. "It took all the strength I had to talk to you."

His lips twitched, and his eyes seemed to glow brighter, like a street slicked with rain in a dome light.

"Gardner," he said. Was there a tremor in his voice? "Gardner," he repeated. "Have you bought the mu—Wheeler's gift yet?"

She tilted her head. She was puzzled, but she allowed herself to smile. "I'm almost there," she said. "It's a Flame Swordsman figurine. It's pretty amazing. I just need a few more dollars."

"I've seen that figurine. How much do you need?"

"I have $58. I'll have it all tonight, after I clean the kitchen and bathroom for my parents, and then I can get the Flame Swordsman tomorrow."

It was just like her to see the glass as half full, focusing on how far she had come, not how far she had to go. His annoyance at her optimism had changed to something different. Looking at her smile and her eyes made him feel a strange crackling in his ribs.

"I think I might have something for you to do, Gardner. I'll pay you for it. That way, you won't have to wait until tomorrow, and you won't have to clean."

She brushed her hair back from her forehead and pushed the ends over her shoulder. Her eyes narrowed. The shiny brown was warmed by the sunlight. Was that red he saw in her hair?

"Um, I…"

"The party's tomorrow, right? You want that figurine, or not?" His voice was sharp and hard. She flinched like he had struck her. She felt a sudden need to defend herself. "Of course I do!"

"Then take my offer." He reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out two bills. "Here's eleven dollars. I'll give you the rest later." He grabbed her wrist and put the bills into her hand. His palms were sweaty and hot, or was it just her? It was the first time a male other than a family member or friend had touched her. The energy was so different, so urgent and nervous. "It'll be really easy. A no-brainer."

"I can take a brainer," she said.

He bit his lower lip. Was he smiling? His eyes had that sheen again.

"Just come with me."