"Now folks, the new season of the IG-1 kicks off in just eleven days as the reigning champions Team Satomi battle the always constant challengers Team Sledge Mamma. But before that colossal match-up takes place you can be sure that our coverage will be nonstop up until the moment that lights go green and the racing begins!"
Benjamin Bright's voice was the first thing Michiru heard when she stepped out of the bathroom, her hair damp from a much needed and very much enjoyed shower.
After a full week of walking around in stiff high-heels, the feeling of walking with her feet flat on the ground was a most fantastic sensation. She had also swapped her skirted business suit for a more casual outfit of a white t-shirt and shorts. Her black hair was down, almost to the bottom of her shoulder blades, and she ran a soft brush through her locks, humming to herself as she did.
"Coming up next, our expert panel will announce their picks for the upcoming season and what surprises we can expect along the way. So stayed tuned for the latest-."
Michiru turned off the television with startling casualness. Sorry, Benjamin. There's only so much of you that I can take for one day. She set her brush down on her dresser and ran her hands through her long hair before heading for the kitchen.
Her apartment was by no means lavish or luxurious, but for a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment it was pretty nice. Her living room and kitchen were really one large room with large glass windows on the far side overlooking the city and the racetrack in the near distance. Many of her appliances and furniture were new; she had moved into the apartment right after Team Satomi had first won the IG-1 so she could be closer to her workplace and during that time she had taken the opportunity to spruce up the place to her own desires.
For the moment however, Michiru was content with making herself a nice hot meal and spending a nice, relaxing evening alone to recover from a hectic week.
After deciding on what she would have for dinner and setting it on the stovetop to cook, Michiru moved into the living room and plopped down less than gracefully onto her furred armchair. She squirmed around in order to work out the kinks in her joints and muscles, stretching out her arms and legs to their fullest extent, and yawned long and loud.
She would never allow anyone in the team to see her act this unprofessional, but here she didn't care. This was her time alone, far away from the paperwork, the meetings, the hassle that was her job, and she would do whatever she felt like.
It feels like I'm back in high school…she thought lightly.
High school…
Her eyes blinked open as something came to mind. She got up and walked over to the far side of the living room, got down on her knees and started searching through her collection of music.
I know it's here somewhere. After having heard that particular song for the first time in a while, Michiru found herself wanting to hear it again, having rediscovered why she found the song so appealing.
She eventually located the music disc amongst the large number of albums. She blew the dust off of the case, coughing once as she did, and stood back up.
It has been a while.
Michiru's living-room was equipped with surround-sound, meaning that she had speakers set up in each of the room's corners for the optimal sound quality for her music. When she placed the disc into her music player, it only took seconds for the room to be filled with that particular song.
Hearing the song for the first time in an eternity had been heart-felt. Hearing a second time was mesmerizing.
The way the song's instrumental introduction filled her entire apartment made Michiru feel as if she had left the apartment completely. The atmosphere made her feel as if she were outside, under a dazzling moonlight on a warm summer night, without a care or worry in the world.
I don't want you to give what you don't have.
Don't make a vow that you can't keep.
I don't want you to change your position.
Don't hang around just to please me.
Michiru was suddenly moving, her feet skating across the floor of her apartment in coordination with the beats and movements of the song. When she was younger, and in need of some relief from the stresses of everyday life, she would often shut herself in her room and let the song control her movements and relax her. She let that happen again now; she was beginning to wonder why she had forgotten about the song in the first place.
But I have one request,
And if you don't think it's senseless,
Let me give you something else.
Like any little girl dreamed, Michiru had taken dancing lessons when she had been younger. As time had passed, she had given up professional dancing to focus on her career and her role within her family's company. However, that didn't mean she had forgotten what she had been taught.
Now, she was moving in syncopated motion to the song, letting it overwhelm and consume her entire being. She let the music transport her from inside her apartment, to the place she had envisioned in her mind; under the moonlight on a clear summer night, a dazzling display of lights in the distance, herself clothed in a stunning gown, her hair and eyes sparkling.
She had suddenly entered paradise.
Let me love you, let me love you.
Free of all rituals, nothing habitual.
Something you can sink your teeth into.
Let me love you, let me love you.
Free of where have you been,
Freedom what's take command
Something you can fall right back into.
My love for you…
The moonlight and lights reflected off the of the ground all around her, making it seem as if the ground below her feet was glowing where she stepped.
Her body was lithe and light as she danced, as if all her weight had disappeared, leaving her as light as a feather, being moved about by the sound of the music.
Michiru had had this vision in the past, when she had allowed herself to be entranced by this music. Being allowed to see it again was the most amazing feeling she had experienced in quite a long time.
We can go deep if you need to.
I won't draw a line that runs against you.
Don't hold back if you're afraid to.
A sensual sin is what awaits you.
As she danced, an unknown figure took her by the hand.
She couldn't see his face, but the way he twirled her and held her close as they danced made her feel as if she had known him forever. He was so full of security and warmth that Michiru felt as if she could lose herself completely in his arms.
Together they danced, their figures moving as one, gracefully dancing under the moonlight, the lights illuminating their surroundings to create a masterpiece of scenery and atmosphere.
But I have one request,
And if you don't think it's senseless,
Let me give you something else.
She had danced with him before. He too had been a part of her escape, a way to leave the struggles of everyday life behind her and enter a world of pure fantasy.
He was someone who she could be with, could lose herself within. He was her rock, her fortress, who she could run to and have an endless sea of support and comfort.
He was who she wanted most.
Let me love you, let me love you.
Free of all rituals, nothing habitual.
Something you can sink your teeth into.
Let me love you, let me love you.
Free of where have you been,
Freedom what's take command
Something you can fall right back into.
My love for you…
The song reached its apparent climax and their dance slowed to a halt, their arms wrapped securely around each other, holding each other close, as if they were afraid that if they didn't, one would disappear forever.
She sighed in content as the beats died and the splendid female voice called out in sincerity.
Let me love you…
"You're the best, Mark."
Mark?
She looked up.
Suddenly he had a face. Well-rounded and set, with lips curved up into a smile, glasses positioned over a set of perfect eyes twinkling due to the lights shining all around them, long brown hair flowing behind him.
Mark was now the person holding her, making her feel secure and safe from everything bad in the world.
She would have pushed away, but the music still had her in its grip and when it abruptly began again, she couldn't bear to pull away from him.
Let me love you, let me love you.
Free of all rituals, nothing habitual.
Something you can sink your teeth into.
They danced on. Mark danced better than he should have been able to, at least as far as she was concerned. The way he twirled her, moved in stride with her, and held her, transformed him into someone she casually knew and into someone she trusted with her entire heart and being.
The music continued to play out around them as they continued to dance and Michiru allowed herself to remain where she was; calm, secure, and comfortable, in Mark's arms.
Let me love you, let me love you.
Free of where have you been,
Freedom what's take command
Something you can fall right back into.
My love for you…
Michiru felt herself smiling. She looked up into his eyes, giant orbs filled with love and hope, and melted into him.
She closed her eyes and held him tightly, as if he were the one she was to devote her heart to.
Let me love you…
The song disappeared, and with it went the atmosphere, the scenery, and Mark.
Michiru found herself back in her apartment, standing in the middle of her living room, her stove alarm ringing, signaling that her dinner was ready.
Some time passed before she was able to gather herself, to return fully to reality, and turn toward the kitchen.
As she walked however, she couldn't get her mind off something.
Why Mark…?
Why had he been the one she imagined dancing with? Why was he the one who she felt so secure with, so calm, so emotionally free?
Mark didn't seem to fit any of those characteristics and yet she had felt so good, better than she ever had when she had taken part in that vision.
She realized that she had actually enjoyed the idea of dancing with him, of being in his arms, of being that close to him.
"It sounds to me like you two have a lot in common with one another."
Remembering Jesse's words earlier in the day and what the conversation had been centered on, Michiru could only laugh.
"I think I'm getting way too into the song," she told herself.
Nevertheless, as the night went on, she couldn't help but remember the vision and how good it had felt to be with Mark in that setting.
"Ow, ow, ow, hot, hot hot!"
Mark pranced into the living room of his apartment on his tip-toes. Even with only the tips of his fingers barely brushing against the bottom of the tray, he found himself feeling as if he had thumb tacks sticking into each one of them.
He set the tray down less than gracefully on his coffee table and placed each one of his fingers into his mouth one after another in a primitive attempt to cool them off.
You can fix the most sophisticated machines in the world like it's nothing and yet you manage to burn yourself making your own dinner. Nice, Ramsey!
His apartment was small, yet quaint. It had everything that he needed; a bedroom, a bathroom, a serviceable kitchen, and a final for him to do whatever his heart desired.
Mechanic magazines, recordings of old races, and other things he collected were strewn about his living-room in a disorganized manner. Compared to the way he managed his workspace in the garage, his apartment would be considered by many to be a dump.
Not to mention my parents, he reminded himself lightly.
Mark's parents had never seen his apartment; if they had, it would be likely that they would locate somewhere more extravagant and splendid for him to live, something he didn't want. He felt that if he began to live his life as the business-man and millionaire that he was born to be, he would not only be deceiving his friends and colleagues, but he would also be deceiving himself.
That wasn't who he was. This was.
Before he could enjoy his dinner, his phone rang. With a painful sigh, Mark withdrew the device from his pocket and brought it next to his ear with one hand, while he shoveled a fork-full of food into his mouth with the other.
"Hello?" he said, his voice muffled by the food in his mouth.
"Mark?"
He almost choked at the recognition of the voice. He swallowed his food forcefully and coughed once. "M-Mom?"
"Oh good, I did catch you!" His Mother's voice was happy. "How are you?"
Mark fought back the surprise that had crept into his psyche and managed to smile. "I'm fine, Mom," he responded. "How are you?"
"I'm doing well. The usual dealings with the company aside. I haven't had the chance to talk with in quite a while. What have you been doing?"
"Well, the race season starts next week, so for the past month or so I've been hard at work in the shop, getting the mechs ready."
"You're still working as a mechanic right?" Mark tensed slightly. The way his Mother said mechanic made it still seem as if she would rather have him doing something else.
"Yes, Mom. Although my official job title is Chief Mechanic."
"Chief Mechanic? Does that mean you're in charge of some people?"
"Not necessarily. It's more like I have other mechanics that work with me in order to get the mechs up and running."
"Oh, I see. How is your life outside of work then?"
"Outside of work?"
"Well, you do have a girlfriend don't you?"
Mark frowned. Not this again.
"No, Mom. I don't."
"What? Why not?"
"I don't know why."
"Why on Earth would anyone not want to date you?"
"Uh…I really don't know."
"Are you even trying, Mark?" his Mother asked deliberately.
"Yes!" Mark answered in a louder tone of voice than he meant. "I'm working on it, Mom."
"Oh, good!" Mark breathed a sigh of relief. "So what's her name?"
"What?"
"You said you were working on it, so there must be someone you're interested in. What's her name?"
"Her name…uh…her name is…"
Sally, Betty, Jane, Lauren…
"Michiru!"
What?!
"Michiru…oh, what a lovely name! You must have her over for dinner with us at some point, Mark!"
"Uh…yeah…sure."
Way to go, Ramsey! You dumbass!
"By the way, Mark. Would there possibly be any chance of you coming to work with your Father and Me at the company in the near future?"
Oh, great…
"Mom…"
"I know, you don't like it when I talk about this, but we really want you to come home and work for the company, Mark." Her voice took on a soothing tone. "You know your Father has been there for so long and he would so love to retire at some point and have you take his place."
"Yes, I know, Mom."
"Because you know at some point you're going to have to step in as the President of the company," his Mother pointed out.
"I know, but I just don't have time for it now, Mom."
"Well, when would be a good time for you to start?"
Mark sighed. "I don't know…after the season maybe."
"Okay, good! It won't be anything major. Just working with your Father and the other executives so you get a good idea of what it takes to run the company."
"Yes, Mom."
"I'm so glad you're finally going to come work for us, Mark."
Mark rolled his eyes. "Alright, Mom, I've got some stuff I need to take care of. I'll call you again some other time."
"Okay, dear! Your Father and I will be keeping tabs on the races. We expect you to win, remember!"
Mark managed to smile. "I know you do. I love you, Mom."
"I love you, Mark. Bye-bye."
The conversation between he and his Mother ended there. But inside his mind, Mark was still conversing with an unseen entity.
Nice…real nice, Ramsey. Way to stab your team in the back. Now I've got to spend time in the off-season working with my parents instead of the team. That could cost us big-time next year.
Not to mention the fact that you just threw Miss…Michiru under the bus!
That last part stung Mark. After everything she had done for him today, he had now insinuated to his Mother that they were in a relationship. How could he have done such a thing?
And why did he blurt out her name?
"She just seems like the kind of girl a guy like you would go for."
Takeshi…?
Mark suddenly remembered the conversation he had had with the pilot earlier in the day.
"Someone who's smart, someone who knows how to organize and plan things, someone who isn't too overly critical of everything and most important of all, someone who understands who you are and what makes you tick."
He thought back to what she had said when she had driven him home, and how it had felt to be that close to her in a more personal setting than the workplace.
It had felt really good.
Maybe…maybe I do like her.
His stomach growled loudly.
Mark smiled and shook his head. First things first. He was starving. He put those thoughts into the back of his mind and finished his meal.
AN: Let Me Love You is a song written and recorded by Island Records recording artist Schiller. I am not affiliated with Island Records and do not own the rights to this song.