Hello, all and welcome again! This goes out to FFNRocks, whose lovely review has given me much encouragement. (Sorry I didn't thank you in the last chapter but... They match! Mai's chapter, a review about a Mai chapter...) Rest assured, I was not and will not make Mai a model. I want her to be strong and confident, just as she is in the anime and manga, and making her a model would be just showcasing her looks, not anything else. And I'm pretty sure Mai hates being thought of as just a pretty face. Your review was appreciated, so thank you! I'm just as addicted to writing this story, weird as it is since I've long since stopped being a YGO fan. I think I could venture into this fandom again actually.
Now for... the rest of you who didn't review. (Yes, that means YOU, and I'm sending an icy Kaiba glare to YOU. I kid, of course, I kid...) Now, how am I supposed to know if I'm doing a good job if you don't review? Just a word would be okay, you know.
Which brings me to another request. Happy ending or sad? Not exactly sad, but... empowering. Like Mai gets a job and moves on from Kaiba. I've been torn between the two, but I think I'm leaning toward the latter. What do you guys think?
Mai woke up at dawn. She didn't like to sleep in. If she did, she felt lazy, as if she'd just wasted an entire day. But Mai was feeling good today, full of energy and determination. This was a relief, especially since yesterday she'd felt like crap, but then again, ever since she'd left him she felt like crap. With her new outlook, she could focus on the important things.
Namely her car.
As Mai got up, brushed her teeth, took a shower and went through the rest of her morning schedule, she'd cursed herself for having forgotten such an important thing. Her jet-black car was at Kaiba's. She did have a dark blue one, but that one was at the mansion. This left some questions in her mind. Why had they moved to the penthouse in the first place and why had he insisted that she leave her car there? The black car was a gift to her from him, but she missed the familiar leather interior of her old car. At the time, she hadn't even thought to ask about it. She shook her head. When she was with him, she'd let her guard down and allowed herself to accept the cards she was dealt. It was a good thing she'd gotten away from him.
Mai's stomach grumbled, which meant it was feeding time. The hotel didn't offer breakfast, as she had found out a few days back to her disappointment, so she would have to venture out into the world to find something to eat. But it was after she stepped outside into the hot, muggy world (so unusual since the sun was just rising, but it was summer after all) that she found her appetite to be severely lacking. And anyway, why eat when she could be out being productive? Revived, Mai back inside to change. Her outfit was too casual to go out looking for a job.
There was a problem however. The white shirt and gray slacks was the only thing she had that was suitable for her tasks. She'd tried to land jobs with her miniskirts, but the bosses weren't fooled by the blonde's tugging-down-on-the-hem-so-that-the-skirt-looks-longer act. By this time, Mai couldn't be picky and not wear the same outfit twice (and perhaps more times), but there was a saucy kimchi stain on her collared shirt. It was small, so she could see how she'd missed it before.
Shit. I mean, fine. It's a tiny setback, but it's fine. Mai went to the tiny bathroom and left the faucet running while she dashed off to retrieve the shirt. Once she found it, she took the rumpled fabric and placed it under the small stream of water directly on the stain. Armed with a little slimy-looking gunk she thought just barely passed for liquid soap, she set upon her task.
Get out, get out, get out, get out! But neither mere will power nor her vigorous scrubbing was enough for the stubborn stain. It remained there like a tightly-packed pebble in a river.
"Fuck!" Mai swore as she flung the shirt to the floor. First her shoulders began to quake in anger, then her arms joined in the dance. Her legs became rigid, her stance mirroring the one she'd faced Kaiba with; the first near-argument they'd had in the kitchen, all over a stupid cup she hadn't washed. She slapped two palms to her aching eyes.
That was when she burst into tears.
Shaking, convulsing, sobbing, Mai expressed her anger, frustration and hurt. Her legs gave out. She crumbled to the floor like ancient dust.
Why am I like this? she demanded as she buried her face in her lap. But her toughen-up act didn't work this time. Instead of making her feel better, it made her cry even harder. All of that talk about being strong and not crying about the past--what a joke! Mai had never felt so pitiful and weak as she did in this moment.
If Kaiba could see me now...
Mai looked up with tears dripping from wide eyes.
...he'd be laughing so hard.
"Since I'm nothing without him, he'd be laughing so damn hard."
Mai stood up.
"Fuck you, Seto Kaiba! You can go to hell! I don't need you! I NEVER needed you, you hear me?! Never!"
Her determined screams echoed back at her from the lonely stained walls of her miserable hotel room. But instead of feeling despair, Mai felt a tiny bit of hope in hearing that extra voice. It was as if the hotel room was supporting her.
"I NEVER NEEDED YOU, YOU BASTARD!!!!"
"I never needed you, you bastard!!!" the walls shouted back.
Then Mai laughed and the room laughed with her. I'm crazy for yelling like this, she thought with a mouth full of giggles. I'm just screaming at myself like--like an idiot! What do my neighbors think? One of them might bang on my door any minute and tell me to keep the party down. With a hand raked through her golden tresses, she squeezed her eyes shut, red mouth still laughing. But--how odd?--Mai was still crying! How could this be? She was amused beyond belief. She wasn't sad. She wasn't...
She knew deep in her heart why she was crying. From leaving him until this moment, Mai had not given herself a chance to really cry about losing him. And she could call him names all she wanted--it didn't change the fact that she still loved him.
But she allowed herself one last lie: she was laughing so hard that she was crying and couldn't stop. She fell back on the futon stomach first and sobbed into the sour-smelling pillow. Her shrieks and tiny screams of, "Why? Why?!" were absorbed by the pillowcase that made her face itch. Mai even took her aggressions out on the poor lumpy head support, pretending the pillow was Kaiba's fat ol' head. And then after a century, she felt her head turn and her eyelids grow heavy from tears and weariness. It was only then, when she was on the cusp of unconsciousness that the truth finally came to her.
She was hurting so bad, she was crying and couldn't stop.
Mai did not know how long she had cried or even how long she had slept. But when her swollen eyes finally cracked open, she peered out the blackening window view. It was night.
"Fuck," she seethed. She would have to wait until tomorrow to make any sort of progress. All that wasted time... How ironic that she had started the day early only to waste it crying and trying to wash a stupid shirt.
I hate myself so much.
She fell back asleep.
Mai didn't like the fat balding guy glowering in front of her.
For one thing, he acted as if everything she said was the most outlandish thing in the world. Mai hated being treated like some dumb blonde. I'm smarter than you, she seethed as she gave the disgruntled male a sweeter-than-honey smile. I'm doing you a favor by even being here, you lazy slob.
Then there was his general disposition. With a disparaging smirk, leaning his blubbery form on his comfy swivel chair and smoking a cigar, he was the stereotypical image of a gangster. He looked like he was supposed to be hiring goons to assassinate his foes and setting up sick teen prostitute rings, not distressing over misplaced documents. Even with his suit, he looked horribly out of place in an office.
The collar of his dress shirt was high up on his neck. It probably had a lot to do with the tightly-tied tie holding his red throat hostage. Mai could see sweat stains on the pits of his sleeves, no matter how hard he tried to hide them, which wasn't very well. Every few minutes or so, he'd raise his arms in an elaborate gesture so as to provide the woman with a whiff of the result of his failing deodorant. His jacket was too small for his bulky frame and looked childish, like a doll's vest on a teddy bear. Only this guy wasn't nearly as cuddly, even with the cute Blue-Eyes White Dragon plushie on his desk.
"So, let me get this straight," the guy breathed, straightening a stack of papers with exaggerated weariness, raising his elbows high as he did so. "You want a job."
"Yes," Mai responded with an eager nod, as if he were offering her the most sought-after job in the universe.
"At my company."
"Yes."
His two chins quivered as his mouth folded into a grimace. His thick lips shone with saliva. Tasty, Mai noted wryly while trying not to smirk.
"Mai-chan, baby." He leaned forward with a sickening, trying-to-be-nice smile that bared his teeth, folding his hands primly in front of him. "How much college education do you have?"
"As stated in my résumé, I have had two years of college education," she said as politely as she could. Leaning forward, Mai crossed her legs and folded her hands just as primly. "And do you know what would really turn me on?" she asked in the same perky voice, allowing something smoky and seductive to enter it.
At last he seemed interested. His bored, glassy eyes acquired a twinkle as he leaned forward even more. The chair squealed in protest. He unfolded his hands and let his thick fingers wiggle around in the air as if he couldn't wait to touch her. And a gold band stood out on his ring finger too. The dick. "And what may that be, Mai-chan?" he asked.
"If you wouldn't call me baby," she replied with a tight-lipped smile. "After all, politeness is essential, especially in the workforce, am I right? When I get this job, I and the other employees would feel more comfortable if a level of respect was kept up."
Taken aback, the obese man's eyes bulged. With a cough, he sank back into his seat. "When? If isn't an option for you, is it. Well, little lady, you sure sound confident."
"I'm not a little lady either."
As if she were the unreasonable one, the man's face steadily pinkened until his face was like a boiling tomato. "You seem to be highly sensitive to what people call you."
"How can I not?" she questioned coolly with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm slowly but surely losing my patience with you, girl."
"Then I ask you to please refer to me properly."
"And what would that be?"
"Kujaku is fine, just fine." But she kneed her voice in the groin of that sentence in a way that left no room for any options. It wasn't a congenial request, but a coldly made command. The middle-aged man seemed to understand this, and so didn't chase after the matter. He coughed instead.
"Okay... Kujaku." He examined his documents again. "It says here you majored in Business."
Mai readjusted her legs. "Yes," she responded smoothly, straightening out the imaginary wrinkles in the cream-colored jacket with her palms. "I didn't want to be idle. A woman should have intelligence."
"And your minor was in Cosmetology."
"Physical beauty is just as important, or even more so than inner beauty. It's an unfortunate fact, but it's there nonetheless. I've been interested in cosmetology for a long time and--"
He held up a restraining hand. "Just why did you quit?" he inquired with a malicious glint in his eye.
Mai straightened up in her seat. "Pardon?"
"Whatever the situation, you could've at least finished your college education, am I correct? Did you flunk out? Get expelled? Get knocked up?" He snickered the last scenario.
"I most certainly did not encounter any of those things," Mai flared. She wanted to keep cool, but she couldn't restrain herself. "And to be honest, I don't think it's any of your business."
"Well, to be honest, I don't particularly need you in my company. Get out!" he roared as he indicated the door with a meaty index finger. "You're a spoiled little brat who won't get anywhere. You have that rich guy, right? Go home and be a good woman then! Imagine, the rich trying to get work," he scoffed.
Mai jumped to her feet, face sporting the shade Red Rage, just like her nails. "All right," she relented. "I'll go. I didn't want to work for this stupid place anyway. I feel bad for your employees, especially the women. Having to be sexually harassed by a fat, sweaty oaf like you has got to be a downer. Good luck, asshole. You're gonna need it."
And with that, the passionate woman turned on her heel and left him sputtering behind her.
Sorry, hon, Mai thought as she slammed the door behind her and pressed her back against it as if the overweight man would come barging after her. She laid her palm over the pocket of the rich fabric of the jacket. With mournful eyes, she looked down at the gold buttons twinkling like brass. Looks like this outfit went to waste, huh. Her mind fled back to earlier that morning, when she broke her vow to be self-reliant just for a little while...
The fact glaring up at her was that she needed a clean outfit to go to interviews in.
She refused to get her shirt dry-cleaned. That was money spent too carelessly. It was nothing a toothbrush and a little bleach wouldn't fix.
She could've worn the linen shirt if she had access to bleach and a toothbrush, which she didn't. Her red toothbrush was for her teeth only and she couldn't find a supermarket nearby, making finding bleach all but impossible. Her hotel didn't provide an iron, so she couldn't get the wrinkles out of her clothes. Basically, Mai was stuck.
When Mai took a bus to her house, she refused to see it as dependency. Mai had no choice. She would find an excuse for the sudden need for clothes to borrow when the time came.
And the time came quicker than expected. The bus stopped in front of a small street near where she lived. She got off at her stop and walked up the street to her house.
Anzu Mazaki's house was neither too extravagant nor too modest. Mai knew that the girl could live in a mansion if she wanted, but had chosen a simpler lifestyle instead. Oh, but what a charming house it was. Despite how large it was, Mai felt the comforting sensation of a woodsy cottage when she looked up at the wedding cake frosting-white house. Pink roses grew in vines all over the walls and French windows stood highly on the brow of the home, a set on the upper and lower floors.
She rang the doorbell.
A petite brunette answered the door. "Hello!" she greeted cheerfully. Her azure eyes widened in recognition. "Mai?"
"In the flesh." Without waiting for an invitation, she swept past her into the foyer, mentally hitting herself for being so sarcastic. "Nice place you got here," she remarked softly, casting admiring eyes at the marble floor, the potted plant beside the door and the winding staircase.
"Thank you," Anzu replied. "I see you haven't changed," she hollered back at her as she ventured into the kitchen. The older girl wasn't sure whether she was to follow her or not. "Still barging into other people's places unannounced."
"It's part of my charm." Mai heard Anzu laugh. She craned her neck to see her while taking one step forward. "You got any servants? This place is huge."
"Huge?" Anzu was getting some cups, as evidenced by the tinkling of glass. Now she heard something being poured. "Nah. I have a maid, but whatever's worth getting, I can get myself. I don't need to be waited on."
Mai snorted. "Figures."
"Hey, come into the kitchen. My throat is getting sore."
"And you complain a lot," she replied under her breath as she walked through the hallway to the adjourning kitchen. But she didn't mean anything vicious by the remark. Mai had a lot of respect for Anzu actually. She wasn't a strong duelist, but her heart was big and she loved her friends, and that was enough.
Sunlight streamed through wide windows. Anzu's pastel pink dress fluttered in the hot summer breeze as she swiveled around with a smile. She was wearing a teddy bear-print apron. In her hands was a tray of lemonade in a pitcher and some cookies.
Mai's laugh made Anzu's eyes narrow. "Just what's so funny?" she asked.
"Lemonade and cookies! You're like a mom!" Her purple eyes widened in shock as she pointed a fake accusatory finger at her belly. "No way. Don't tell me you're--!"
"No!" Anzu shouted, reddening. "I'm not pregnant. I'm not planning on being a mom for a long, long time."
"No?" Mai picked up a cookie and broke it in half with her teeth as Anzu set down the tray on the counter. Warm and freshly-baked, the cookie was quite good. Oatmeal raisin. And Mai didn't even like oatmeal raisin. "You didn't meet a nice boy in Russia?" she asked around crumbs of the cookie.
She shook her head. "No. But I had a fantastic time there!"
"Ah. So the dancing thing's going well. That's good."
Anzu beamed. Other than her family and friends, the one thing that could get a reaction like that out of her was ballet. Mai had seen the girl dance once and was amazed. She had such grace, it almost made her jealous.
Mai picked up the glass Anzu had poured for her and gulped down the sweet, tangy contents. Sadly, she had to move quickly. Mai did want to catch up with her friend, but she was pressed for time.
She took hold of the crook of Anzu's elbow. The shorter girl looked up at her, a question in her eyes.
"Let's take this party upstairs," Mai said with a huge grin as she pulled Anzu to the staircase.
"H--hey! What about my cookies? And lemonade?"
"Not now, not now. Delicious, by the way. You make the lemonade yourself?"
"Yeah, but Mai--! You're hurting me!"
Mai loosened her grip. "Sorry. Where's your room? You know this house better than I do."
"I'll take you there." Anzu led the way up a staircase that seemed to stretch on until forever. They reached the top and encountered a hallway of doors. Mai looked on in awe.
"A family of five could live here."
She opened the first door and gestured inside. "After you, my lady," she said in a voice dripping with sarcasm.
Mai smiled. "With pleasure." She flounced inside.
Anzu's room was big, but as cozy and comfortable as a small library. On the walls, Mai saw posters of dancers in intricate poses. A few pictures of other places like Italy, India, and Puerto Rico flanked the walls as well. Anzu had been around the world several times in her dancing career. A princessy bed rested in one corner, packed with lace and frills and ruffles, all the things a little girl might love. Even the white wire headboard had a little studded crown atop it! There was a soft chair with a teddy bear in one corner and a small sofa in case she had guests. There was no T.V., but there was a huge mirror with a wooden bar aligned beside it covering almost all of the wall behind her.
"If you had any gentlemen callers... I doubt they'd bang you in this room."
"Mai!" A deep flush went into her cheeks as she crumpled up her hands into fists.
Mai smiled to show she'd meant no harm. "Kidding. But clean up before you sleep with some guy, okay?"
"Why'd you come here anyway? To tease me?"
"No. To borrow some clothes from you." Anzu watched on with a gaping mouth as the blonde marched over to the double doors framing a large closet. She flung it open. "I knew it!" she exclaimed with a peal of excitement, examining the long skirts and wholesome shirts.
Anzu raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Why would you need to borrow something of mine? You hate my taste in clothes."
"Oh, give me some credit, Anzu." Mai parted the hangers of clothes and looked over at the far corner of the closet. "Sometimes I want to look my best."
"Mai... Is something wrong?"
Damn that girl for being so intuitive. Mai kept her head buried in the clothes as if she were transfixed. "What do you mean?" she asked offhandedly as she took out a hanger and fingered the skirt laying on it. "I'm just fine."
"It's just that... you seem down. Like you're trying too hard to be cheerful and... borrowing clothes from me is kinda... weird, even for you."
"Even for me?" Mai chuckled. All the while her heart was pounding. "That's a bit insulting, don't you think?"
A hand rested on her shoulder. Mai turned around. Under eyebrows curved in concern were cerulean eyes sparkling in concern.
"Don't tell me you're going to cry," she said as dryly as she could. But try as Mai might, she couldn't stop the tiny dampness of tears edging her disparaging remark.
"I won't push you," Anzu said gently, like a mother. "Just come talk to me if you ever need anything." She hesitated, then pressed on with, "Hey, is everything with you and Kaiba going all right?"
"Anzu... Everything's fine. Really. Now... Let me borrow this!" she cried cheerfully as she yanked an outfit out of the closet and brandished it above her head like a prize. The cream-colored jacket had beautiful gold stitching and nice gleaming buttons as if they'd been polished. The slacks were the same color as the beautiful jacket, but had sharp creases in the middle of each pants leg. No matter. She could iron them out if she wanted... at Anzu's, of course. The black camisole underneath was almost daring, with lace that might show a little cleavage. It was perfect.
The brunette stood with her hands on her hips. "No way."
"Oh, come on!" Mai pleaded her case with shining violet eyes, clutching the outfit to her chest. "You're the only one I know with a wardrobe this dorky and I really need this!"
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" she asked coolly. She snatched the hanger out of Mai's hand held it up as if she were a skyscraper. Mai knew she could grab it anytime, but still looked on helplessly. "Well if my wardrobe's so dorky, you won't want to wear this old thing."
"I didn't mean it like that! You have such a nice, modest style, so clean and fresh and I'm really envious of that!"
"Envious? Wow, what a big word! Stepping up your vocab, I see."
"Stop teasing me and let me borrow! Puh-lease?" Without warning, Mai flung her arms around the younger girl's shoulders. "I love you like a sister and... I think I'm ready to tell you everything. I've been in hell, really."
Showing compassion, Anzu wrapped her arms around her cautiously. "Really?"
Mai laid her head on her shoulder. "Yes."
"So... What's going on, Mai? Really, what's going on in your life?"
Mai took a deep breath and let it loose. "Well... Truthfully, I'm... a thief." And with lightning speed, Mai snatched the hanger out of the surprised woman's hand and ran away like mad, laughing.
"Mai! Argh, I'm such a dumbass! I can't believe I fell for that!"
Leaving the girl stewing in the huge room, Mai rushed down the stairs. When she looked down she saw lean ballerina legs taking off after her. Mai dragged out the plant from the door's side to the middle of the floor, walked a few steps back, ran forward and jumped over it just for the hell of it. Now Anzu was within arm's reach, but Mai was quicker. Flinging the doors open to stage her great escape, she slammed the doors in her face. Her own appeared in the glass. "Sorry, babe. See ya!" she yelled, blowing a kiss before she took off.
Mai began her walk to the company elevator, chuckling. "I'm sorry, Anzu," she said in between chuckles. She knew the girl wouldn't be mad at her for long. Sure, they'd gotten and still got on each others nerves, but they were really close. She wasn't lying when she said she loved her like a sister. Mai really cared about the girl.
But her mirth faded with a sigh. This outfit, which was supposed to help land her "dream" job, had been stolen for nothing.
"I guess I gotta go back and return this," she muttered.
Defeated, the woman trudged to the automatic doors and left.
"So that was what you needed my clothes for!"
Anzu gaped at her companion, wide-eyed as she took a sip of her beverage. It was night and the two were at a gloomy bar with blue lighting, kinda like the bars depressed protagonists drank at in Korean dramas. The two women were seated directly in front of the bartender at the counter, who was drying off a mug. His muscles rippled under tanned skin. His golden hair and emerald eyes glimmered under the dim lights. Mai had to admit that he was very handsome. She almost considered flirting with him, but Anzu was right there after all. And anyway, she didn't feel much like flirting if she were to be completely honest with herself. Kaiba was still a huge, bleeding scab on her heart. Flirting with this guy would be like putting a band-aid on a serious wound, and one with weak adhesive at that. It wouldn't work at all.
When she wouldn't respond, Anzu pressed, "Care to tell me why?"
Mai gazed deeply into her shot of whiskey before glancing over at Anzu. She was enjoying some orange juice with, get this, only a squirt of sake. Such a kid, she thought with a smile.
"C'mon, let's get drunk," Mai coaxed. She downed the small amount of liquid and slammed it on the counter. "Another," she said hazily to the bartender even though she wasn't drunk. But Mai decided to get into the act. If she acted drunk, then perhaps she would get drunk faster. Mind over matter, she reasoned. Or something.
Again with that worried look, but this time it was coupled with a frown. She reminded her of a certain dark-haired boy she knew. Anzu's hand found Mai's forearm. She looked up. "Mai, are you sure everything's all right? I mean, going to look for a job out of the blue... That isn't like you, Mai." She gave her a searching look, as if hunting for clues of her distress. "Your mannerisms are different compared to... how you were back then. And two months back, you rarely even went out to see us. What the hell happened to you, Mai?
"Anzu, what are you training to be, an amateur psychiatrist?" With a convincingly breezy laugh, Mai pushed her hand away. She was getting much better at lying, but then again, she had been getting a lot of practice lately. " 'Mannerisms'? C'mon, hon, I'm doing just fine. I thought I told you that."
"Did you have a fight? With Kaiba? Is something bad going on between you two--?"
With a sigh, Mai slammed her hands on the counter. Her freshly-poured shot jumped up a little with her outburst, as if deeply fearful of the enraged woman. Anzu sure did look scared, like she would join the alcohol and jump up too. "Why does it always come back to Kaiba?! God, you and Mokuba are the same, exactly the same! You guys just won't let go of anything! I can tolerate him, but not you too, Anzu. I don't need to hear your shit!"
Her stricken look passed, but she still looked a little pale. Soon her shock turned to rage. Anzu scrambled to her feet. "First, you come barging into my home and without a proper conversation rush up to my room and take my clothes. Now you're yelling at me?!"
Mai's anger evaporated in the heat of her own. Anzu really was pissed. "Anzu..."
"All I want to know," she cried, reddening and with a film of tears over her irises, "is if you're okay, Mai."
"You're pushing me," Mai said quietly.
"What?"
"You said you wouldn't push me."
"Well, some promises are meant to be broken. If you hadn't attacked me like that, then I wouldn't have to push you."
"Anzu... I'm sorry. Shit, I'm sorry, okay? Is that what you want?"
With a sigh, Anzu sank back down into her stool. She fiddled with the heart-shaped garnet of the ring on her pinkie before looking into her eyes. "No, that's not what I want. This isn't about what I want. I'm sorry for pushing you. I just want you to know that I'm here for you if you ever need anything." Then a lop-sided grin. "Just remember to ask me when you want to borrow clothes, okay?"
Mai threw her head back and laughed. "I did ask!"
"Okay, then. Ask and then wait for my answer."
"You would've said yes regardless, admit it."
"Oh, I don't know. After you called my clothes dorky, I probably would've banned you from my closet. Where'd you try to get a job at anyway?"
"At a toy company. As a secretary."
"Really?!"
"Yeah. With a perverted boss."
"Ew! I don't know how I would've stood it."
"He was pretty rude. Self-centered too. He didn't have to say anything, but he had this I'm-so-cool look in his eyes, like the whole world was supposed to bow down to his royal highness."
"And I bet you talked back to him."
"Yeah."
"And that's why you didn't get the job."
This time, Mai looked down with a bit of sadness mixed with sheepishness. "Yeah. But I think I wouldn't have gotten the job anyway. Not only was I a ditz in his eyes, but I didn't have the proper education and work experience."
"Why don't you go to your parents? You're loaded, right?"
She nodded. "Yeah, my family's pretty rich. But we're not... on the best of terms. It was bad from the beginning and my parents don't approve of me being with Kaiba. Never did, but when do they ever approve of me doing anything? So I'm on my own."
Anzu shook her head. "Nope," she grinned. "I'll help you out. Maybe I can get you hired at my old job."
"Your old job?" Mai blanched. "Anzu, that's a teenage grease job! I'm a woman! I can't be seen there!"
She looked offended. "I worked at that grease job, remember? And I didn't like it any more than you do just hearing about it. But listen, Mai, you gotta work your way up. Just start off small, then you can move on to bigger and better things. It'll be good for you," she giggled. "Maybe you'll learn some humility."
"I'll get my own job," Mai said stubbornly. "But thanks for the offer. Maybe I can work at a ramen shop or a convenience store or something." Her mouth moved uneasily around her options, but Anzu was right. She had to start small, and that meant swallowing her pride. But no way in hell would she work at a fast-food joint. That was where she drew the line.
"Hey, Anzu."
"Yeah?"
"Don't tell the others about this, 'kay? I'll tell them, but... I want to work things out myself first."
"No problem."
Mai dug into her purse and found a carton of cigarettes. She slammed them on the counter as Anzu watched with wide eyes.
"Hey, guy, you got a lighter?" she asked nonchalantly as she leaned forward. She allowed herself a sexy smile. It was only the kind of smile she used to get what she wanted. There was no invitation for further involvement, a fact the handsome bartender seemed to grasp very quickly. That didn't stop him from giving her a flirty lop-sided grin as he told her he did and went to fetch one.
"M-Mai! You smoke now?"
"Not all the time," Mai answered smooth as silk as the lighter exchanged hands. And she was telling the truth: she didn't smoke all the time. She'd started two days ago after she'd left him. She almost felt guilty for doing this in front of her when it obviously made her nervous, but Mai decided to be selfish. And anyway, she deserved it. Getting hit on by a greasy loser, lucking out on finding a good job, riding this emotional roller-coaster with Anzu and having a screaming match with her... Mai had had a long day. What better way to end it than with a nice smoke?
After singling out one special cigarette's company, she jammed it between her lips and flicked her thumb over the lighter's wheel. After a few sparks but no flame, Mai asked the guy for some lighter fluid and handed it back to him, still with that charming, wheedling smile. He obliged; anything for a pretty girl.
"But smoking's bad for you!"
Mai chuckled throatily. Anzu sounded just like an after-school special. "Relaaaxxx," she drawled. "I only do it when I'm agitated. It has nothing to do with you," she assured her friend. "I'm just thinking about some things." Like my family, she thought bitterly. And my ex. And my broken life. And my car. No, wait. My cars.
The blonde was weary of waiting for the guy, who was tending to other customers. But she needn't have worried.
Or maybe she did.
Out of nowhere, a lighter came gliding in close to the tip of the tobacco-stuffed stick. But lighters, as well as other things, don't come out of nowhere. This lighter was attached to a hand, which stuck out of a blue sleeve. And that sleeve could only belong to him because that hand could only belong to him.
The thumb clicked the lighter's wheel once. A flame spurt forth like a volcano ejecting lava. Then just as quickly, he made the flame disappear.
And that voice, that voice could only belong to him as well. Mai didn't have to turn around to realize she'd just been dumped even further into hell. But even hell would've been better than being here with this terrible person.
"For once, I agree with the loser. You shouldn't be smoking..."
She swiveled around to find that hell had just frozen over, and it was all because of those icy blue eyes.
"...Mai."