Leftover Bride
Chapter 3
.
THE SEXY SECRETARY!
.
.
"Hngh...Where should I put this vase, Ino?"
A certain pink haired female said as she struggled with the heavy pottery she's working hard to relocate.
"Ah, put it next to the sunflowers."
Said a blonde female who came running towards her from the other end of the shop; her long hair swayed gracefully behind her at every rushing step.
She has these light blue eyes that made her look all the more graceful and pure. Not forgetting to mention that she's tall and slender; the perfect image for a florist.
"That vase is heavy. You should have waited for me, silly girl! Come, let's put a little more to your left, Sakura."
And quite the weight-lifter too.
Thunk!
The girls dusted their hands after they were done and took some time to catch their breath a bit. A few potteries makes a good morning workout.
"I really have to thank you for coming over to help early in the morning, Sakura," the blonde female clasped her hands with a smile,
"I couldn't get this new shop set up in time if it weren't for you. I know you're busy so just charge me as part of your service."
"It's alright, I couldn't charge a dear friend, right?" the pinkette wiped off some sweat off her forehead,
"Moreover, my schedule is open for the day. No appointments. It's a good day to catch up too."
The chubby pinkette chuckled; it has been a while since she paid this blonde a visit when work has taken most of her days.
"Come, take a seat," the long haired blonde invited her friend to a chair by the counter. "Juice?"
"Sure."
That's Yamanaka Ino;
Kindergarten friend,
Elementary friend,
Middle school friend and,
High school friend.
To sum it up, they have been friends since they began education.
She's of the same age as Sakura with a tough attitude; she isn't the kind to quit on an argument when she thinks she is right which makes people around her watch out their tongue. Ino dares to pick fights with boys or girls whenever a particular pink haired friend is in trouble during school days.
Yes, Sakura tends to get sucked in by bullies for being chubby especially during gym class.
The blonde girl once threw the ball right into one of the boy's face, making him bleed by the nose for teasing her pink haired friend. Despite being punished for it, Ino was satisfied.
Not the smartest girl in class but an excellent florist and a green thumb. She loves sharing her stories on flowers and takes certain interests in carnivorous plants.
Her family runs a flower store, Yamanaka Blossoms and as the only daughter in the family, she inherited the business without a doubt. With her running the shop along with some help from her boyfriend, Sai, her parents went living in the countryside.
Enjoying life to the fullest, said their daughter.
"What's with the sudden relocation, Ino?" Sakura asked while inserting the straw into the box of juice.
"Argh, you just couldn't believe what happened," Ino groaned angrily,
"Some flashy people came up to me and offered to buy my old shop. I wasn't planning to move but they were so pushy and I ended up giving in."
"You can admit that you want the money, Ino…," Sakura added.
One more thing, Ino is money-minded. Very.
"Er…Yes, I mean. It's a good sum!" the blonde squealed. "Plus, I needed the money for the wedding."
Sakura got surprised and ended up spilling some juice on the counter,
"You're getting married, Ino!?" growing wide eyed.
The Yamanaka girl nodded shyly with the happiest smile; she almost danced on the spot then dug out an invitation card from her bag, handing it over to her friend.
Sai finally proposed after years of being together. He's a nice guy who loves Ino for who she is even if she doesn't compromise during fights. Still he's stuck with her, saying that she's the only one suited for him and no one who understands him better than Ino does.
Sakura is happy for the both of them that they decided to tie the knot.
"Wow, it's next, next, next month!" Sakura exclaimed excitedly, "Congratulations, Ino!" and hugged her blonde friend.
"Thank you," Ino returned with a warm hugging squeeze, "I'll be expecting you to be my bridesmaid by then."
The pink haired female nodded vehemently.
Of course she would, they've been stuck together for such a long time and the blonde is like a sister to her.
So a bridesmaid it is...again.
Her heart sank a bit, thinking; If…
If one day, she could stand the chance of being the one walking down the aisle,
Be the one tossing the bouquet,
Quit being the one standing by the aisle,
Quit being the one chasing after the bride's flowers.
And finally be the one wearing that white dress…
Vow before the Heaves, her parents in Heaven, before her ring and to her partner.
She chuckled to herself.
Wonder if there's anyone who could see her for his perfect bride?
It's a silly thought, silky hope. She really does hope…
Perhaps that day might never come?
Sakura would worry if she might not be able to find her prince charming when she was far younger; her worries would sometimes drive her crazy and she would do her best trying to stand out among her friends to get the boys' attention.
Unfortunately...
She even got jealous of couples whenever or wherever she went. The sour kind of feeling just made her insides twist and began to wonder what did she ever lack?
Of course, the answer is: she's BIG and BIGGER than other girls who have the 'perfect cut'.
She even cried as she looked at herself in the mirror: short and chubby.
The insecurities and inconfidence began to eat her mind, making her think about all the unhappiness there is in the world and she was the unluckiest girl alive to be SINGLE and BIG.
No one would see the inner beauty, it's all about 'packaging'.
Who would care what's on the inside...
That's how things work in the world.
It's true she's becoming left out among her girlfriends.
So what gives?
But right now, Sakura is just being Sakura.
She learned to chew down that bitterness in her heart and had decided to accept herself as the way she is.
It doesn't matter if she is unable to find a partner and be married. She still had her three siblings who were far more worrisome than herself; something she chose to replace her girlish dreams.
Like that...it doesn't feel so bad after all…
IDontNeedAMan, IDontNeedAMan, JinJia?
IDontNeedAMan, IDontNeedAMan, JeongMal?
Catchy ringtone, eh?
Sakura quickly dug her phone out from her pocket and swiped on the screen to accept an unknown caller. A new customer it seems...or so she thought,
"Hel—"
'HARUNO SAKURA! WHERE ARE YOU!?'
The caller's voice was ear-blasting through the phone, Ino's head even perked from it.
Furious and startled Sakura was, oh, how she came to recognise THAT particular man's voice.
The one and only Uchiha Sasuke.
The rudest man on earth, she labels him.
"How on earth did you get my number!" she growled without completely placing the phone next to her ear, just in case.
She is confident that she hadn't mentioned such information.
'That's not the issue here. Where's my scrambled eggs? My coffee? My octopus-shaped mini sausages! I was expecting breakfast at nine. Now look at the time, it's already ten and you're missing in action!'
Basically, he is screaming to the top of his lungs without proper basis and about something Sakura has never agreed to.
And why on a beautiful peaceful morning by the flowers?
And why does it sound like it was her fault?
"Mr Uchiha. I remember NOT complying to your needs. I don't remember such promises either."
'You are NOT to comply. You are HIRED to do so.'
"Since when was I?" she wouldn't want to give in without a proper fight with someone so impudent!
Uchiha Sasuke is a man out of logic!
Unreasonable!
Selfish!
Arrogant!
Bossy!
Demanding!
And the list goes on…
'Since I said so. Thanks to you I'm running late for a meeting. Where are you right now?' he said.
Sakura could overhear some music coming from the radio at the other end of the line.
Is he using the phone while he's driving?
'My secretary is on leave today so you'll fill in for her.'
"E-Excuse me…?" Sakura somehow couldn't digest what she was told.
Gosh, he sounded so casual as if it was the right thing to do!
'Quit dawdling and tell me where you are. I'm coming to pick you up.'
Wait a second. She? Dawdling?
He really is trying to pick a fight early in the morning!
"Why should I tell yo—!"
"She's at the Yamanaka Blossoms' new store. Search the GPS. It's easy!" Ino cut in cheekily.
'Hn. Got it,' and Sasuke hung up.
"INO!"
Sakura turned to the blonde girl who snickered evilly,
"What are you doing!?" she shrieked.
"I am helping you, girl. Go get him!"
"You don't know who he is! I don't know who he really is!"
"I don't care. You've got to take your chances!" Ino said, folding her arms.
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yessss!"
"No! For the last time, no!"
Sakura fought to the top of her lungs,
"He's not the kind of person you think he is. Plus, he's already engaged!"
Ino rolled her eyes, making the kind of look showing that is nothing to be concerned about. It's do or die!
"So what," here she goes again, "He's not married yet. You still have a chance!"
"I'm not that kind of person and he's a difficult person and a pl—"
"Playboy, yeah, yeah, I know. That's just a rumour and you don't know who he really is!"
"That's what I've been telling you. I don't know who he is, Ino," Sakura felt her head is getting light; running out of breath arguing endlessly.
"It doesn't matter. He's an Uchiha and Uchihas are rich!" Ino slammed her hand into the counter. "This is a chance of a lifetime baby!"
Sakura rolled her eyes then sighed tiredly.
HONK! HONK!
Outside, right at the front of the shop was a very sleek black sports car that appears to be a Lamborghini. Ino squealed out of excitement with high expectations.
"He's here. He's here. Go. Go," Ino pushed her friend who stubbornly refused.
Ino squealed even more when she watched the owner of that fancy automobile step out and hastily entered the premises, stomping towards the pinkette.
Sasuke is neatly dressed completely in black from suit to shirt to tie as if he is about to attend a funeral!
He didn't style his hair like the way he did during the interview and left it naturally messy.
Overall, he is what women call hot.
If Sakura didn't think he had attitude issues, she might think he is too.
"Let's go. There's no time to lose!" and grabbed her by the wrist to get her off her chair.
Sakura had enough of this dragging business without her consent. Uchiha Sasuke just loves doing whatever he pleases without consideration and she's fed up with it.
She yanked his hand off her, it's time to make things clear with him,
"Wait a moment, Mr Uchiha. I'm not goi—!"
"Yes, yes, yes. It's getting really late now. You should go, Sakura or you'll be fired!"
Ino interrupted by cupping Sakura's mouth and pushed her all the way out of the shop and towards the flashy vehicle.
"Wait! Who's hiring who—!"
"Yes, yes, yes. Quit talking and go!"
Ino stuffed her friend into the two-seater car and slammed it shut. She watched the raven haired male jogged out of the shop and headed towards the driver's seat,
"Thanks. She won't be back early," he said.
"No worries. Just take care of her," Ino winked.
Sasuke gave the blonde a thumb's up before speeding away.
The long haired blonde smiled to herself and kept her fingers crossed.
.
"Oh-Oh-Ohmigosh! Watch out for that motorcycle!"
Sakura's heart almost stopped when she assumed they were about to crash into the two wheeled rider.
Of course, that didn't happen.
Sasuke simply avoided it with ease and doesn't seem to break a sweat. He snickered at the frantic female and simply stepped on the accelerator on purpose making her hold her breath in panic.
"M-Mr Uchiha. Slow down!" both her hands were clinging to her seat belt.
The raven haired male didn't heed her and turned on the radio to create distraction.
Sakura wouldn't stand such nonsense she was being forced into; frustratedly, she turned off the audio and stared right at the driving male,
"Mr Uchiha, stop this car imm—"
"Here, take these. You'll need a notebook to write down minutes during the meeting," he shoved a paper bag of stationeries onto her lap while focusing on the road.
Did he hear a single word she says?
Guess not…
"Minutes? What minutes? The time?" she had no idea what he was up to.
"Just note down whatever information you listened to during the meeting. Easy."
"I don't know how to do this!" she shrieked.
"Don't worry, I'll be by your side," he stepped on the brakes as the traffic lights turned red. "You'll be fine," he said, turning to her.
"Why me?" much to her confusion; yes, why her?
"Because you're in the area and you write, don't you?"
Baloney! What nonsense is he talking about?
So what if she's around the area he's driving in?
And anyone could write, darn him!
He is trying to mislead her by sounding innocent just because he is in a hurry and needed assistance. There is no way Sakura is buying that sort of lie. He could pick someone else instead of her.
So coming back to the same question; Why her?
Before that, she had to cling on to dear life as the car swayed side after side when Sasuke overtook as many other cars as he could on such a busy city street.
It was only inches away from the next as he cut past; he seemed to be having fun such dangerous feats!
Sakura couldn't calm down as she could feel her head grow light from all that inner panic. She never enjoys thrill rides, no way.
Moreover, she is being abducted by this dark haired stranger!
"I am not agreeing to any of this. If you keep this up Mr Uchiha, I'm calling the police—ouff!"
The vehicle suddenly stopped at a fast food drive-through; the raven lowered the window, he was greeted with the friendliest 'good morning' by the staff. That reminded Sakura that she had forgotten her manners this morning; seeing Uchiha Sasuke creates bad mood.
"Coffee?" Sasuke turned to her.
She nodded hesitatingly.
"Two coffees, two breakfast muffins with egg and two hashbrowns, please," the Uchiha then dug out some cash from his wallet and paid up.
For some reason, Sakura turned quiet.
She was...utterly lost for words the moment he handed her a bag of breakfast he ordered.
This always happens; he always does whatever he wants without bothering to ask if she is comfortable with his decisions.
Was he always this selfish?
But.
It's not a crime or he's doing anything bad just…
Ah, she couldn't spell her feelings in words right now. She has given up on being mad but wasn't trying to complain further.
He made her feel that he is a different kind of gentleman; not the typical kind.
"Can you pass me the coffee, please?"
Whilst keeping his eyes on the road, Sasuke single-handedly mended the wheel with his right and began to sip his coffee with his left.
"Sakura, add some sugar to it, please?" he handed the cup to the female beside him.
"Uh...okay..."
She lifted the hot paper cup from his hands; being extra careful not to spill the brew as she tore open two sachets of sugar then stirred it well.
"How's this?"
Sasuke took a sip,
"Better. Thanks," he nodded. "You better eat up."
"Er...I already had breakfast…," she checked the paper bag on her lap.
The muffin is warm and soft; stuffed with eggs and a slice of ham.
"Eat more, you'll need the energy to keep up for the day."
"Mr Uchiha, I—"
Great, here comes his handphone ringing; with a push of a button, the caller's voice was clearly on the stereo.
'Good morning, Mr Uchiha. A reminder that today's meeting is at ten thirty.'
"I'm on my way," he answered by speaking handsfree.
Cool. So this is how it was back then when he called her, Sakura is impressed.
She's rather fascinated about such technology...as compared to her crappy old van that has none of it. She would always watch out for the police whenever she tried to pick up a phone call while driving. But this, no one would know if he is actually on the phone, she thought excitedly.
'Another thing Mr Uchiha, your secretary is absent for today. Should I call in a replaceme—'
"No worries, I've got a replacement."
Sakura sighed.
'You have? I wasn't informed that you had a replacement arranged, Mr Uchiha.'
Sakura tried to speak but held her tongue, thinking that it is rude to interrupt in a conversation she isn't sure of the consequences and allowed the Uchiha to speak as he wishes. Knowing it will not turn to her favour.
"This isn't something you should worry about. Prepare the slides and hand out the details first. I'll be there in a jiffy," then added, "With my sexy secretary, of course."
At that, he hung up.
Sexy. Secretary?
"Don't give me that kind of look. Every woman is sexy in many ways," he teased without making eye contact when he felt a glare.
"I don't find it amusing," she rebuked.
"I do. And you are sexy," he peeked at her. "I meant it."
He continued to chew down his muffin he held with one hand as he raced on the roads.
It does feel funny to see Sasuke being less picky about his meal compared to the morning she accompanied him to his exclusive breakfast.
Fast food breakfast just doesn't suit the look of this guy despite he didn't mind one bit as he consumed that cheap piece of muffin.
She couldn't get his sense of logic; what's all this has to do with her?
Sexy? Like what? And where?
He could possibly pick another fancier girl who reads and writes to be his temporary help instead of dragging her along. He rather wasted the time waiting for her to show up at his home, expecting breakfast and ended up speeding on busy streets.
She had to admit that he is not only a skilled driver but does know his way around; taking shortcuts to avoid being stuck in the traffic.
Totally a rollercoaster ride.
.
.
In minutes, they entered the compound of a very tall building. A very classy skyscraper that pierces the sky. At the front was a grand fountain, long and large that follows the driveway and a massive sign in polished silver metal,
UCHIHA CORPORATION
Clearly this is what she thinks this place is.
Sakura began to tense up the moment Sasuke pulled the vehicle at the entrance of the building. Her heart raced nervously when she saw many smartly dressed people busy themselves behind the glass of the building.
"N-No, no, no. I c-can't do this. I'm not going!"
She refused to leave the car even when Sasuke opened the door for her.
"No time to lose. Come."
Sasuke grabbed her wrist, again, knowing what it'll be next.
He pulled her out of the car and made her follow into the building. She tries to shake him off but he is unexpectedly strong to keep her chained in his grasp, pulling her all the way toward the elevator.
This is not good, she thought.
People, men and women, began staring at them. At her.
It didn't take those people long enough to begin whispering gossip among themselves. The direction of their stare towards her is proof that they were talking about her.
Who wouldn't?
It's normal to be talked by when Uchiha Sasuke, the man of the world and the heart ground among women is holding someone who doesn't appear as good.
She didn't dress as good but in common T-shirt and jeans, not the best footwear but squeaky sneakers and she is ROUND from top to bottom; nowhere near the perfect 'S'.
Oh, look. People began grouping together to talk, Sakura noticed before the elevator door closed.
"Don't mind them. People are nosy by nature," said Sasuke, pressing the button leading to the top floor.
Sakura ignored him with silence.
.
Uchiha Corp. Conference Room
"Sorry that I'm late, I have to wait for a snail to cross the street. Wouldn't want to run over it, it's a crime,"
Sasuke lied, the moment he barged into the room filled with serious looking people.
Quickly taking his seat at the front, Sakura quietly followed behind him to take hers on his right.
Again, everyone began staring curiously at her presence.
She understood that she is a stranger. Lowering her head bit she tried to avoid making eye contact with them and took out her pen and notebook.
"Mr Uchiha. This is…?" asked one of the members of the meeting.
Sakura could feel her hands break cold sweat for being too nervous and afraid. She has never been to meetings like this.
Her life is just so ordinary. Completely out of This world.
"Oh, this is my new secretary," Sasuke answered delightedly. "Got a problem?"
"I thought Karin—"
"Alright, no problem it is!"
Okay...he ignorantly avoided the question; something he is rather good at.
"Now let's begin shall we. First, I would like everyone to view the latest proposal. Lights!" snapping his fingers.
With the lights turned off, the meeting began.
Sasuke led the meeting in the most outstanding way despite him sitting laid back in his chair, swirling casually as he spoke; everyone seemed to pay strict attention to his speech.
He made himself clear with no room for doubt, answering any question of any member who raised it without pausing one bit.
Earning himself agreeable gestures and respectful remarks from the rest.
Indeed he is the youngest among these people in this room but that didn't impede him from being wiser and smarter than the elderly members.
Uchiha Sasuke is not only an outstanding young adult like how the media promotes him to be; the real man himself is a genius.
Calm and unwavering.
Sakura couldn't help but to admit that he does look cool. For once.
"With outsourcing, we wouldn't need to worry about the production line. Right, Sakura?" he purposefully directed some attention to her;
His intentional winking only caused a scene and some gossips during the meeting.
Sasuke does love troublemaking.
Now look at what he's done. People are staring at her. She has nothing to do with this, nothing to do with him and is not willing to do any of this; if only she could tell the whole lot of them what she thinks.
Sitting at the front was already stressful and she had to write this 'minutes' thing that she isn't sure how and ended up writing everything and anything was mentioned during the meeting for two hours straight.
Two hours of scribbling and writing.
She couldn't remember the last time she wrote this many words in a day. During school?
Ah...her hand hurts badly and her arm muscles grew hard and tired.
Being a secretary isn't easy, she thought.
Why! Why! Why on earth must she be caught up in this misery?
Thanks to Ino for being so 'kind'.
And this meeting isn't the end of her 'job'.
In fact, it's only the beginning;
Wherever he goes, she has no choice but to follow behind or else he'll start whining and grab her by her wrist, creating a scene in front of everyone to whisper about!
Be it going to stuffy and dusty warehouses and on a staircase adventure, climbing stairs after stairs to get a better view of the stocks. It's amazing to see such massive inventory volume and it's not something she gets to see any day.
"Follow, Sakura. We've got to head to the construction site next!" Sasuke ordered the moment he was done with a phone call.
And zooming they went.
Sakura finally understood the real use of his high speed automobile.
The COO of the Uchiha Company is an extremely busy man to begin with. He could race along the same highway twice in a day and get to one city after another within an hour.
He even did briefings as he drove. Waste no time he said.
To sum it up, his day is all about meetings, briefings, visits, meetings, briefings and more visits.
Basically, he does most of the things himself despite being on the executive level.
Something that she didn't expect him to do when she thinks that he's the kind to skip work and hang around fancy places and people. Seems like she was wrong about that...
Wait, was there no lunch break today?
Hmm...now that she recalled, there was none and she didn't feel hungry at all for being utterly busy. With him.
Does he not take breaks?
Moreover, he didn't seem to need it like she desperately needed one.
By the time she realised and turned to her phone to check the time, it was already six in the evening.
Gosh, it's this late already?
Since Sasuke was still in the middle of a private discussion, she helped herself to wander around the premise.
Where is this place? Which office now? Is it another city?
Whatever, she could hardly feel her feet at the moment and decided to take a seat in an empty corridor next to a vending machine;
Unscrewed a bottle of water to drink, the chilly liquid tasted better than ever after a long day's work. At least some quiet time for the day.
Conclusively, this is the life of a secretary? She chuckled to herself.
She flipped through the pages of her notebook and found it embarrassing to check that there were many spelling errors.
Her scribbling made every page look messy as she tried to cramp up as much detail as she could. Her work was unorganised and she began to worry if Sasuke might be unable to get the message of her notes.
Stop.
Hold on.
Wait a second.
What's there to worry about in the first place?
This isn't her job to begin with!
It's someone else's job she was forced to fill in.
Sakura couldn't help but to feel dumb when she realised she was being obedient from the beginning. She is not, okay...Okay?
Ah...she's too tired to be arguing about it now. All she wanted was to go home, soak in a hot tub, maybe skip dinner and snuggle in bed.
Sigh…
"I wanna go home…," she murmured under her breath resting her head against the vending machine, shutting her eyes a bit.
So tired...she almost dozed off for a second when she heard light footsteps approaching her.
"You okay?"
That's Sasuke alright.
Perfect timing. She needed to complain how tired she was thanks to him but seeing how much more exhausted he looked, she decided to withhold herself.
Hints of red in his eyes and dark ringlets were showing; he was utterly exhausted but he didn't say a word about it.
Casually, Sasuke took the seat next to hers and rested his head on her shoulder.
"M-Mr Uchiha. What are you doing!?" Sakura almost jumped.
"There's no one around."
"But—"
"I'm beat, Sakura."
Yeah, she knows. His tired expression clearly tells. She sympathised with him for pushing himself so hard out of responsibility.
Doing his best at everything and wouldn't let anyone see the weaker side of him as a human.
He blew a tired sigh through his nose as he continues to rest his head on the pinkette's shoulder.
"Give me a massage, Sakura."
"Please behave, Mr Uchiha. There are surveillance cameras everywhere!" she hissed whisperingly.
He chuckled a bit as he regained his sitting posture then turned his back at her,
"Come on, give me a good squeeze on the shoulders."
"I refuse."
"Then I refuse to bring you home."
He could still find the strength to be demanding despite being exhausted.
"Why must you always force me things that I'm unwilling to do?" Sakura said straightforwardly.
"Because I like it," and the Uchiha laughed loudly.
He laughed to his heart's content as his voice thundered throughout the lifeless corridor.
"If you don't hurry, we might as well camp here," he teasingly threatened again.
Sakura had no choice but to comply; not because she was afraid of being unable to get home but because this guy is exceptionally annoying to keep fighting with.
Sighing, she did as she was told.
Squeeze. Squeeze.
"Aa...That's it. Umm...good, good. Put a bit more strength to it. Oh, yeah, that's the spot…"
Sakura rolled her eyes as she continued to massage the Uchiha's shoulders. While she was at it, he suddenly reached out a hand to grasp hers, making a light squeeze.
Shocked at first, she pulled herself away from him after regaining her senses to stare questionably.
Sasuke turned around to face her,
"Life must be tough, huh…?" in the most tender way.
Was that sympathy in his eyes?
Surely he must have felt that she had rough hands from thickened skin and calluses; hard work, yes. Being in the cleaning business is all about doing tough labour.
It's natural.
The way he looked at her was somewhat different as if he was guilty…?
Nonsense! Why would he?
"N-No...it's not that tough…," she lied, in hopes to avoid him in pursuing the topic further.
He didn't when there was only a short silent pause where he sighed quietly, a reaction she could hardly depict.
Soon he regained his lively behaviour,
"It's getting late. Let's go for dinner. I know a good place. Come."
Sakura couldn't help but to feel a little dumbfound.
What was that all about?
.
.
And.
If she thinks Uchiha Sasuke is only all about glitter and glamour,
Well, she is never more right about it.
With his fancy sports car, it only took them half an hour to race to the next city particularly for some seafood spaghetti. The raven claims to be the best in the entire country and the restaurant has the best sea view.
Indeed.
Salty sea breeze.
Dancing palm trees.
Twilight moment.
Candlelight setting.
A luxury outdoor balcony dining by the beach.
Exclusively for two.
The balcony dining area was entirely reserved just for the two of them. Aside from waiters and waitresses.
There was no music except for the sound of crashing waves in the distance, the sound of birds that inhabited the place and a kind of peaceful silence.
It's the perfect ambiance for fine dining to embrace with a stunning five-course meal accompanied with fine wine.
For starters, they were served smoked salmon on crackers with caviar on the top!
Next, a petite bowl of seafood chowder with chunky scallops, shrimps, clam at every scoop. The creamy soup base was flavourful with a perfect amount of salt; enough to bring about the naturally sweet seafood taste. With a piece of biscuit to munch on at the side.
Tangy salad, themed with baby octopuses and sweet cherry tomatoes and crunchy radish slices to go with the greens before entering the entree,
Seafood Aglio Olio; cooked with olive oil, tongue tickling chilli flakes, delicious seafood combination so fresh that it's crunchy!
And ending the dinner with a scoop of coconut panna cotta and mango sorbet, decorated with fine culinary arts of white chocolate and mini meringues.
This spells for a classy meal and nothing Sakura expected to eat for dinner. Probably never. But what she just ate was mind blowing, taste buds exploding.
The food was perfect.
The wine was perfect.
The atmosphere was perfect.
Everything was...perfect. Too perfect!
To the point that she felt off and didn't feel she belonged to such a place.
Spaghetti to her was just noodles to wind up with a fork where the tomato sauce would start splattering all over the place. Then there will be honey glazed roasted chicken wings and mayonnaise-full salad for sides and fizzy ice filled cola!
That is what spaghetti is all about in her level of fancy.
"This place is good, right?"
Sasuke broke the silence between them that lasted since the beginning of dinner.
Sakura was utterly tensed to the extent she couldn't quite get how to behave. Being too concerned about her eating habits throughout dinner, doing her best not to make a sound while using the cutlery.
This place is just too exclusive to 'go natural' when waiters and waitresses are standing nearby.
It really is beyond her.
She nodded replying to the opposite male, swirling his wine before taking a sip.
He chuckled a little,
"You're being too stiff. No one is around, you can relax," he said chucking another time.
"I'm...not used to this kind of nice place," she whispered.
"If you whisper, I can't hear you. I'm quite deaf actually," he teased whisperingly in return.
He really does like to play around with her.
"I knew you would act this way, so I booked the whole balcony. Next time I'll reserve the entire restaurant, I think that would be better," said the raven rubbing his chin.
Since when did he make such a reservation without her notice, she was practically following him the whole day. Curious.
"There's no need, this would be the last time," Sakura replied politely with some bluntness in her tone.
Those words caught his attention from sipping his wine.
He set the wine glass onto the table without a sound, muffled by the tablecloth then brought himself closer towards the table from his relaxed posture.
Smiling with his chin rested on his left palm, fixating his mysterious black eyes on the image of the opposite woman he cannot miss.
"You just don't give up don't you, Sakura?" he uttered audibly.
"You just don't give up, Mr Uchiha," she directed back at him.
"Call me Sasuke," he added with a one sided smile.
Casually enjoying this charade and becoming intrigued by the female's every reaction.
She just gets so worked up at the pettiest of things, he really liked how she darted her eyes away whenever she failed to react instantaneously to hide her defeat.
She isn't very proficient in tongue battles like these but tries very hard to keep up the pace, he observed.
To him it's interesting.
She is...honest and direct.
Fearless yet fearful.
Strong yet weak.
Not the most beautiful person in the world but she is...exceptionally attractive in his eyes.
That's what makes her wholly charming and beautiful altogether. From the beginning he saw her that morning,
She was a blissful being standing in the middle of his living room with the morning sun kissing her pink hair.
Like an angel who finally arrived into his life.
"Mr Uchiha, I'm seriou—"
"I am serious, Sakura," he simply prefers to cut her short all the time,
"Call me, Sasuke."
He watched her give up, almost. But was still too stubborn to completely surrender.
"Look, I am grateful for today. It's nice to be able to learn something new but I am not being hired by you and I'm not very fond of being pushed around without my consent. I do not mind if you need services from my shop just...not like this."
She didn't bother if she might make him upset or anything; all she wanted was to make things clear with the guy whom she hardly knew except knowing he is rich and famous as Uchiha Sasuke.
Any girl would be dying to be in her current position right now.
Following a renowned person like him all day, having the chance to move around from city to city in a sports car and ending up being treated to exclusive dining.
Then what's next?
He is a playboy, she reminded herself.
But that aside.
She is totally not cut out for places like this or a person like him.
They were born into two different dimensions despite the same world they breathe in.
It just doesn't feel right when something this good is happening.
Yes, she did enjoy herself in some way today but this sort of life...Nah…
She watched Sasuke sighed silently before he rose to his feet.
He is tall indeed and she traced his every step that grew closer to her.
Tensing up, she sat rooted in her chair as her heart beated crazily thinking that he might do something bad to her for rejecting him.
Or so she thought.
Sasuke lowered himself by her side and gazed up at her with innocent looking jet black eyes.
"You never change. So straightforward and it hurts," uttering with a small smile; to him, it must be a tender memory.
But Sakura was clueless.
She tried digging into her memories, hoping that something might resurface from what she had missed or forgot due to the busy life.
Sadly, there was none to recall.
She had no memory about him; his name was completely fresh to her ears.
What was it so important that she would miss?
"We met?"
Sakura was starting to sound frustrated; fearing that this playboy is up to something no good by making silly stories to get her wrapped in his plans.
He nodded slightly along with a blink of his eyes affirmatively.
That couldn't be.
She was positive that she had not met such a person.
"If only you would believe me, that is. Since I'm an infamous playboy," he read her thoughts, surprisingly.
Sasuke then regained his tall posture,
"Sigh...it's still too early I guess. I'm getting too carried away...but I'm glad to be able to meet you. Again."
He murmured softly to himself with his hands shoved in his pockets and gazed upon the stars in this cool night.
"Sorry…?"
"What to do? I'm liking you more and more...," he murmured once more, scratching the nape of his neck.
Sakura heard it alright and it's growing awkward.
Despite the darkness having taken over the evening as night fell, for that moment, she saw Sasuke's cheeks blushed as his hand hooked the back of his neck in the shyest manner.
She couldn't speak. Not this moment. Not how tense she is. She...is unbelievingly confused.
How could this ever be possible?
"Let's make it this way," Sasuke snapped his fingers as he regained his confident self,
"For one month, let me impress you instead."
"W-What…?"
"I will make you fall for me, Haruno Sakura," and winked handsomely at her.
"What!?"
Sakura shot up from her seat with her cheeks flushing in embarrassment and at the same time fuming in frustration.
Does he not understand the language they were communicating in?
Does he require a translator?
Perhaps a formal documentation to read?
She is trying to avoid him. Yet.
This happens.
"Mr Uchiha. Do you understa—!"
"Shh. You're not supposed to shout in this place. It's not proper,"
He lightly pressed his index finger onto a set of plump pink lips, gently silencing her. Sasuke then wore a graceful smile with a lot of satisfaction.
Sakura turned her head away to get his finger off her. He did it so unexpectedly; his endless teasing only made her look even stupider.
This man.
He is a stranger she impossibly can't recall yet he confidently recognises her and wants to make her fall in love with him?
He's a psycho!
A playboy to the highest order!
"I still expect breakfast. At nine in the morning. Daily," he insisted.
"I said I'm not going to—"
Sasuke took out his phone from the pocket of his suit and scrolled through the phonebook and lifted it towards his ears. And the next moment,
IDontNeedAMan, IDontNeedAMan, JinJia?
IDontNeedAMan, IDontNeedAMan, JeongMal?
The phone in Sakura's bag began ringing; She stared confusingly at him.
"Pick it up," the raven demanded.
At first she refused.
Because it is embarrassing to be loud in such a place, she quickly dug for the vibrating device and answered it without a word.
"Hello, is this the Sunshine Cleaners?" Sasuke began.
It looks stupid; to be calling each other through the phone when they were only an arm apart. To the Uchiha male, he doesn't find it embarrassing or amusing at all.
He is serious.
She decided to play along since she hasn't got a choice, does she?
"Yes. May I help you?"
"I would like a cleaning service every morning with breakfast prepared by nine," he heard her sigh through the phone.
"Alright. Thank you for choosing us, Mr Uchiha."
"Call me, Sasuke. That's an order," smirking victoriously.
.
.
.
The next, next day - Starlight Tower
Really, it's not about the money.
Double or triple, Sakura knows the Uchiha could afford any sum but the thing is what.
What was that memory she had forgotten that Sasuke held on to?
It's hard to believe that the high and mighty Uchiha Sasuke knew her from who-knows-when!
It has been two days since she was being obedient; clean the place, make breakfast, so the laundry and blah de blah de blah before leaving.
She would be there early in the morning before the sun could rise knowly that his place would turn to a mess every day.
Not sure how he did it but it's impressive; perhaps his personal nightlife is much busier, she wondered as she reorganised a toppled vase back to its rightful position.
She was worried that it might have rolled off the edge of the side table and breaks.
Looks expensive to her when she was assured by the master that she wouldn't need to worry about causing accidents.
Thinking twice, it might not be completely Sasuke who created this mess overnight. Aside from dirty laundry, messy shoes and unwashed dishes.
There still lives a certain feline who shared the same floor.
Tomato, the black furred cat!
It freaked her out on the very first time of her visit.
Oh, yes it did. An unforgettable morning memory that was.
And it still freaked her out every morning whenever the curtains were still left undrawn and the place was dark; the animal would purr and rub itself against her leg the moment she entered the penthouse.
Quite a creepy sensation without good vision in the dark.
Usually Sakura would start off by doing the laundry, draw the curtains, open a few windows for some fresh air, do some cleaning without the vacuum cleaner when it's too early, clean Tomato's litter and feed it.
At first, she thinks Tomato is a picky eater.
Sniffing its food a bit, stared at her with those big green eyes, meow-ed once and left without taking a bite despite it was premium canned food!
It's frustrating until she was informed that Tomato has a set of timetables to the meals it should be served with according to the day of the week.
There's even sashimi on the list and it's on Sunday!
Monday is canned cat food or dry food.
Guess, the master is having Monday blues to be making anything special for it.
Sakura was a little speechless about it but that isn't all about that cat's exclusive lifestyle.
It owns a room just right next to the master bedroom and speaks one word: Royal.
Furnished in cute shades of pink with a harmonious blend of cream and white along with gold linings and carvings. Everything was expensive and regal and exotic!
Very, very exotic. For a cat.
A tom cat.
It has a king sized bed with furry cushions and soft blankets; much softer than the ones she used at home. How envious…
And those aren't as impressive as a collection of cat collars; from premium leather to the ones with precious stones. Diamonds.
Real ones!
Ohlala! What a cat!
So this is how a rich cat is being pampered with. It has many more things than she has, Sakura thought enviously.
The principles revolving Uchiha Sasuke's world is beyond imagination; overly impressive to an extent that it feels like she just walked right out of a movie.
That's so far about his cat.
Now back to the kitchen part. She wouldn't want to be late making breakfast. Before nine.
Sizzle...Sizzle...Sizzle…
It's fun to watch those mini sausages curl up taking the shape of tiny octopuses on the hot frying pan. Something the Uchiha particularly requested, saying that he hadn't tried something as childish as that.
And they smell good too.
Meow…
Sakura glanced at her feet;
At first, it stared at her innocently before jumping onto the counter, startling her a bit. Little did she know that it began sniffing curiously at the frying pan.
POP!
Meeeeoowww!
Tomato cried loudly the moment thr oil from the pan popped, sending it panicking on the counter; crashing itself against a jar of sugar and spilling it all over the counter and floor!
Great, the sauce bottle she failed to catch ended up shattered on the floor as well.
"Ahh! Tomato!"
She grumbled under her breath as she tried to clean up the mess and totally forgot that the stove was still on until the smell of burnt sausages began to fill the place.
"Ahh! Octo sausages!" quickly she lifted the pan off the heat.
Sadly, the food became too charred to be saved.
Stupid cat.
Other than its soft fur and gentle meowing, it is nothing but a troublemaker.
Like master, like cat!
Why would she agree to come in the first place!?
She complained at heart for being stupid while her hands worked on spilled sugar and sauce until she heard someone,
"SASUKE-KUN! SASUKE-KUN! WAKE UP! YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE!"
Came a female's voice with a pair of running high heeled shoes. She stopped the minute she saw Sakura,
"SASUKE-KU—Hnm? Who are you?"
She is a red-head, red eyes, tall not because of her shoes, dressed in formal office wear that accentuates her perfect bodily curvatures. She had this pair of nerdy glasses that does not affect her feminine beauty. Instead, she appeared more womanly and smart.
Sakura quickly picked herself up and upheld some respect towards the stranger knowing that she must be highly acquainted to the Uchiha; judging by how she addresses him.
Moreover, she freely accessed his house without any hesitation.
"I'm Haruno Sakura. Mr Uchiha's new cleaner," Sakura bowed a bit and held out a hand for a handshake.
The red haired female did some analytical staring before refusing Sakura's hand by shaking her head a bit,
"Ugh, thank you but no thank you. You can't just shake hands with someone after you've picked things up from the floor!"
"O-Oh, Sorry...my mistake," Sakura quickly hid her hand behind her, embarrassingly. "And you are?"
"Me?"
Karin raised a questioning brow.
"Can't believe that you wouldn't know who you're talking to despite you're an Uchiha maid."
Maid?
"I am Karin. My uncle is one of the directors of Uchiha Corp. and I'm Sasuke's personal secretary," boasting a bit.
That doesn't sound very friendly no matter how Sakura listens to it.
"I'm here for part time cleaning. Not a maid," Sakura corrected, irritated by the other female's rudeness.
"Oh, so that blondie boy is out of the job, eh?" Karin folded her arms with a smug on her red painted lips.
"Finally. He's so darn annoying. I dislike that stupid sunshine attitude he's faking it so well just to get close to Sasuke."
"Excuse me? Are you referring to...Naruto?"
"I see. You knew him. That makes sense. Guess you're up to that kind of motive are you?" Karin made one step closer towards Sakura. "Everyone wants to be around Uchiha Sasuke; for riches or fame!"
"What makes you think that? Naruto wouldn't do such a thing and he's the kindest guy ever. Don't you bad mouth him without knowing him!" Sakura scolded.
Karin chuckled sarcastically a little,
"You just don't know what kind of guy he truly is. He's a rotten egg—"
"Shut it, lady! You have no manners for someone who dresses elegantly. You should look at yourself in the mirror to find a real rotten egg!" Sakura cared nothing about being polite.
This redhead has gone too far to insult a dear childhood friend she knew very well. Or so. At least, she knew Naruto better than this insolent woman who just spoke for the sake of her own ego.
And so it begins, the battle between women,
"Listen fatty! I'm the one in charge here and everything about Sasuke is my responsibility. Be it his diet, his fashion, his welfare, his connections, everything! I make a lot of decisions on his behalf as his Secretary!" Karin's voice grew louder then softened at the end,
"And you. Are fired."
Hallelujah!
Great!
It's about time that she wanted to walk out of this place and this is good timing. She could leave immediately without bothering to make breakfast and clean up the mess.
Part of her was already yelling 'Hurrah!'.
"Well. Thank. You! I really wanted to get out of this place. Because Mr Uchiha is difficult and annoying!"
"Who's firing who?"
Here arrives Mr Uchiha.
Someone she didn't expect to show up during this hour; half an hour too early for his rising time.
He must have woken up from their loud argument as he is still in his sleepwear; yawning, the Uchiha lazily dragged himself closer towards the two women.
"Sasuke-kun, you're not supposed to allow these kind people to access your home so simply! Do you know how dangerous it is? You don't know who they really are!" Karin complained.
Sakura said nothing but eyed her with dislike.
"Enough, Karin. You're giving me a headache early in the morning," Sasuke scratched the back of his head.
"Why are you here in the first place?" he yawned.
"Why? I am your secretary! I am supposed to be—"
"I told you many times. Don't come to my house. And I don't remember you being in charge of everything," Sasuke kept his cool as he leaned against the fridge, yawning again,
"Leave. I will be coming to the office late today. Thanks to all of the noise," he told Karin bluntly,
"Sakura, I want two eggs, octopus shaped sausages, ham and three pieces of bread. Don't forget, it's two and a half cubes of sugar. Yesterday's was too bitter."
"So it's true," Karin began, Sasuke glanced at her. "I heard rumours about a BIG pink haired secretary that almost replaced me when I was absent."
She directed a dangerous stare at Sakura before looking back at the raven male,
"You can't be serious, Sasuke-kun. That? Is that your new interest now? I thought you prefer pretty girls with sexy curves who could fit in those complicated lacy lingeri—"
"KARIN!"
The whole room thundered; he is angry, very angry.
Not only the red headed female was startled, she was dumbfound. Despite her long years of service, she had never encountered the raven male to be this displeased.
On the other hand, Sakura couldn't feel more confused that she was being caught up into an unnecessary argument in the bright of a morning.
IDontNeedAMan, IDontNeedAMan, JinJia?
IDontNeedAMan, IDontNeedAMan, JeongMal?
Talk about timing, it's Yuno.
He hasn't been calling since competition started and she expects him to be back today.
"Hello, Yuno. Really? Wow! That's great!"
The pinkette was delighted when she got the news that her brother actually won the Grand prize as he said he would.
Being happy and all, Sakura didn't notice that someone was staring at her with his dark eyebrows stitching together with folded arms.
Her jolly behaviour towards the caller is somewhat making him uneasy.
"You're coming home today, right? Okay, I'll come get you. See you."
With a smile on her face after the conversation ended, Sasuke was just pissed.
"Who's that?" he asked impatiently.
"Oh, him? He's just someone I really love,"
Sakura shrugged her shoulders with a smile and began to clean up the mess she left unattended in the happiest mood. Forgetting that an argument actually took place.
Her brother is coming home, she couldn't be any happier.
As for a certain male, he just couldn't stomach the fact whom the caller was could make that pink haired female this happy. But not him.
He's burning in one word: Jealousy.
"Sasuke-ku—"
"Ah, shut up, Karin," grumpily, Sasuke headed back to his room.
Hello dearies, Blue here!
Thank you for reading and thank you for being patient, it has been a while since the last update. Reply to reviews below.
I hope you all are well and beautiful.
Being happy and knowing the best way to enjoy yourselves is the most beautiful thing. You wanna live to the fullest and make every day wonderful and memorable.
And for me, writing and sharing my thoughts is part of it and hopefully I'm able to make your day with a small story like this.
Life's all about lemons but if ya know how to make lemonade with ice and tea; isn't that awesome!
So let's make it together and share some of that lemonade!
REPLY TO REVIEWS:
Guest- Hi there lovely! Thank you for the review. I'm not sure about your name so forgive me if I just address you as 'guest'. Thank you for loving this Sasuke that you find him a charmer. Guess we are all looking for someone who really thinks we are the most beautiful special someone in his/her eyes. Hope to see you soon.
DevilHell - Thank you for the review dear, it has made my day. I am glad that I made your day too. It's lovely to listen to readers if they did enjoy a story and share how they feel about it and if they did enjoy themselves. I enjoy writing my thoughts and I am open to listen to any suggestions you have to share to improve a story, so do feel free to say it.
Life is busy, yes. We all are. Please accept my apology if this new update has been too long and I am too itching to update the soonest. Work is just eating more time of life than it should have.
So I'll see you in the next chapter dearie.
Kathlinee- Helloww Kathy dear. Don't mind me calling you that because your name is just so cute, lovely Kathy. Thank you for reviewing in the previous chapter. I'm so excited with you to reveal what has happened before between our two superstars. I just can't get enough of the SasuSaku pairing, are you too?