Michiru was on her way to her car on Friday afternoon after another week of hard work. She would now have about half a day to relax and cool down before she had to look forward to another meeting with the Board of Directors on Saturday morning. And knowing just how much she cherished those meetings, she was going to be sure to enjoy tonight, no matter what she did.
She had hoped that she would be able to get together with Mark tonight, but his schedule wouldn't allow it; he had to make sure that Takeshi's mech wouldn't have the same problem it had in the Velshtein race. Although it saddened her to know that despite their best efforts they still hadn't found the time to go out on a date yet, she knew that this was for the better if it meant helping the Team win. So she would push aside her own desires and think of what was best for the Team.
She heard her cell-phone start ringing and she stopped.
Why me? she asked herself as she retrieved it from the pocket of her jacket.
"Hello?"
"Is this Michiru Satomi?"
"Yes, this is she."
"I'm calling on behalf of the TAL Corporation and my superiors have shown a great interest in sponsoring your IGPX Team."
Michiru rolled her eyes. Another sponsor?
"What did you say the name of your company was?"
"The TAL Corporation. I'm sure you haven't heard of us, we're fairly new into the business world."
"I see."
"We would love to meet with you and provide information about ourselves and what we would like to offer Team Satomi in the way of sponsorship and funding. Are you available this evening at around 8:00?"
Great…there goes my evening. "Yes, I can make it."
"Fantastic! Do you know Vincent's?"
"The restaurant? Yes, I know where that is."
"Could you meet us there at 8:00? We'll pay for everything, naturally."
Michiru nearly sighed, but she restrained herself. "Okay. I'll meet you there. I look forward to meeting you."
"As do we, Miss Satomi. Oh, and by the way, I'm not sure if you know, but Vincent's has a bit of a dress code, so I'm going to have to ask you to wear something a bit formal. Is that alright?"
Michiru frowned. "Yes…"
"Excellent! We'll look forward to meeting you this evening then!"
The line was cut before Miss Satomi could respond.
Now she let herself sigh dejectedly. So much for having any free time. Such was the drama she would have to endure in order to help the Team win.
She then found herself looking herself over. Normally her typical white business suit would do fine for a meeting with a potential sponsor, but based on the way they said formal, she guessed that maybe her suit wouldn't be enough.
She checked the time on her cell-phone. It was quarter to 6:00.
I have time. I can go home, wash-up, and change.
She started walking to her car again.
Next thing you know they'll be telling me how to style my hair.
The golden scripted letters spelling out Vincent's and the spotless red carpet adorning the adjacent hallway was not something that Mark would typically subject himself to. Neither was the polished black suit that he was wearing, but the dress code enforced by the restaurant demanded that he swallow his pride and dress himself accordingly.
To that extent, his hair was freshly washed and combed, tied into its usual knot at the back of his head. He'd made sure his suit and dress shoes were cleaned so that he looked at least somewhat decent. He'd even made sure to clean his glasses and remove all traces of dirt that he had built up on the lenses over the past few days.
He checked his wristwatch; 7:55.
Still no sign of whomever the hell called me.
He'd received an unknown call while he was working in the shop earlier that afternoon inviting him to dinner at 8:00. Whoever it was said they had something they wanted to discuss with him and that it couldn't wait. When Mark asked who they were, they had given him a name that he didn't recognize. Although it was suspicious, and despite the fact that he really should be back in the shop preparing for the finally races of the season, he had agreed to the meeting, even though his counterpart was still unknown to him.
Probably someone working for my parents…
Mark laughed to himself. It would be just like his parents to set up an anonymous meeting under a false pretense and then show up to ask him to come back and work for the company.
Oh well, at least I get a free meal.
"Mark?"
Mark snapped his head to the right so quickly that it hurt his neck. The voice had shocked him to his core only because he recognized it.
Now, with his head turned and his eyes focused, he was even more shocked.
"M-Michiru…?"
Michiru was standing a few feet away from him, her face reflecting the same shock that his expressed.
But what affected Mark even more was how beautiful she looked. She wore a simple, flowing black dress and an embroidered black jacket over it. Her hair was in its typical style, tied back into a long ponytail, and her eyes and face were sparkling from her makeup.
Both of them stared at each other dumbfounded.
"What are you…?" they both said in unison.
The door to their right opened with a soft sigh. "Ah, you must be Mr. Ramsey and Miss Satomi." The sudden appearance of a well-dressed gentleman in the doorway was another startling revelation to both of them. "We've been expecting you. Please come in, your table is ready."
After a bewildered glance at each other, they both looked through the open doorway and into the dining room. Besides the maitre-de and a sole waiter, there wasn't another soul in the restaurant. Across the room, next to the massive windows overlooking the start-finish straight of the racetrack, underneath dim lighting with a candle burning in the center next to a vase containing a bouquet of blue roses, was a single table setup for two.
Mark gradually realized what had truly taken place.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" When he looked at her, she was smiling; not in embarrassment or slyness, but in happiness.
"That it's pretty obvious we've been setup?" he answered lightly. She nodded.
The maitre-de again invited them in. "What do you think?" Michiru asked Mark. "Shall we?"
"Well…it's not exactly how I figured we'd meet for our first date," he admitted. He then looked inside the restaurant again.
"Neither did I," Michiru responded. "But…as it turns out…my schedule's clear now."
Mark smiled. "What do you know, mine is too."
"And it looks like they went to a lot of trouble for us," Michiru observed.
"Why let it go to waste?"
"Exactly."
Mark extended his hand toward the door. "After you, ma'am."
"Thank you, sir" she responded kindly.
The maitre-de led them to their table. The view was even more extravagant than they had at first thought. While not directly overlooking the starting line, the restaurant was positioned in such a way that could see down the straight and into the first turn.
"May I take your coat, sir?" the maitre-de asked as they sat down.
"Yes, thank you."
"And you ma'am?"
"Please."
"Your waiter will be here shortly."
"So who do you think it was?" Michiru said after their maitre-de had departed.
"Huh?"
"That set us up."
"Oh…" Mark thought about it. "Probably Takeshi…doesn't he have an endorsement deal with this place?"
Michiru laughed. "Yes. And I'm the one who negotiated it!"
Mark sighed and then laughed. "Way to forget something important, Michiru."
"And I just realized something else!"
"What?"
"The people that invited me here…they said they're name was TAL."
"Takeshi, Amy, and Liz," Mark surmised. "Nice, Michiru!"
She put her hand over her mouth to stop her laughter. "I'm sorry…I've just been so caught up with things that I didn't realize it until we got here."
"Me too," Mark admitted.
Their waiter arrived with their menus. He was a tall, slender man with high cheek bones and he spoke in a quiet, but polite manner. "Good evening and welcome to Vincent's, you two."
"Good evening, sir."
"My name is Charles and I will be your waiter this evening. May I start you two off with something to drink?"
"Water is fine." Both Michiru and Mark glanced at one another after they had both said the same thing in unison.
"Actually," Mark said quickly, "could you please bring us a bottle of raspberry wine along with the water?"
"Absolutely sir. I will be right back with that."
Once their waiter departed, Michiru glanced carefully at Mark. "Why did you order wine?"
He shrugged. "We may as well. We are on a date after all. Plus," he added lightly, "I wouldn't have expected someone as dignified as you to be happy with just water."
Michiru blushed. "No, as a matter of fact I don't drink wine regularly."
"Oh…"
"But that doesn't mean I won't enjoy it tonight," she said smiling. "It does sound really nice after thinking about it."
"I thought you'd like it."
"But how are you going to pay for it?" she asked.
Mark responded, "Well, based on how this entire thing appears to have been setup, I assumed that costs have been taken care of in advance as well."
"Let's hope they are," Michiru said, opening her menu. "Have you seen the prices here?"
Mark glanced at his menu and his face paled. "Huh…" he murmured.
"We'd better ask the waiter when he returns to make sure," Michiru said.
"Uh-huh," Mark responded unhesitatingly.
"Not how you'd have pictured our first date, huh?" Michiru said lightly.
"Oh, no. I was planning on taking you someplace like this."
Michiru was stunned. "Why?"
He looked at her incredulously. "Because I think you'd deserve to be taken someplace as nice as this."
Her mouth fell open slightly. "Really? You'd go to all that trouble for me?"
"Of course." He leaned forward. "Michiru…a moment alone with you in a place like this…is worth more to me than anything else right now."
Her return smile was so sweet that it almost made him fall out of his chair.
Even with his view partially obstructed, he could see the table and the two figures seated at it clearly enough. It was everything that he had hoped for; Mark looked about as groomed and polished as he had ever been and Miss Satomi was her usual elegant and dignified self. Every few seconds, one of them, or both of them would smile or laugh, which added to his enthusiasm.
The waiter returned with the previously ordered wine and poured each of them a glass, took their orders and disappeared once again.
Afterward, the two diners each picked up their wine-filled glasses and clanked them together in a mutual exchange of cheers.
"Get down idiot!"
Takeshi suddenly found himself being dragged down onto the floor. He lay on his back, in the middle of an empty waiting room, looking up at a disgruntled looking Liz and an amused Amy and Jessie.
"What's the big idea?" he demanded in a whisper.
"Do you want them to see you?" Liz asked roughly. "If they saw you spying on them it would ruin the mood."
"Okay, okay." Takeshi rubbed the back of his head. "You don't have to be so rough, though."
"Get out of the way sooner and I won't have to do it next time then," Liz retorted.
"What?"
Amy and Jessie looked at each other and sighed. "How were things going, Takeshi?" Jessie asked excitedly.
"From what little I could see, I think it's going well."
"How could you tell?" Liz asked.
Takeshi snorted. "Judging by how much they were laughing and smiling at one another, I think it means that they're having a good time."
"I really hope we got everything right," Jessie said. Once they had all agreed to participate, they had gathered up every piece of information regarding both Miss Satomi and Mark that would help to make this night memorable for them. "I'm pretty sure Miss Satomi said that blue roses were her favorite kind of flowers."
"You're right, Jessie. I've seen them in her office before," Amy added. "And we made sure that their table was positioned close to window overlooking the racetrack so they could enjoy the view. And we even got the restaurant to play the music you picked up."
"Don't remind me," Takeshi groaned. "I had to use all the goodwill I had managed to build with this place in order for all of this to happen. I'll be lucky if they ever let me eat here again."
"Takeshi, they're sponsoring you. As long as you win they're not going to cast you out," Liz pointed out.
"Thank God for that," Takeshi responded. "Otherwise I wouldn't be able to take you here one day, Liz." The brown-skinned girl blushed brightly.
Jessie and Amy both peeked over the bottom of the window to the waiting room to get another look at the scene. The waiter had just returned with their orders. "He's right. They are having a great time," Amy whispered. "Mark looks pretty handsome as a matter of fact."
"Miss Satomi looks really nice tonight too," Jessie echoed.
Liz looked through the window as well. "How can you tell? She looks the same as she always does."
"What do you mean?"
"I really can't see anything different about her."
Amy narrowed her eyes and smirked at Liz. "Have you ever seen her wear that dress before?"
"No."
"And have you ever seen her smile like that?" Amy continued.
"No…not really."
"And have you ever seen her with a look like that that says, 'I'm completely falling for you, you handsome-.'"
"Okay, I get it!" Liz interrupted. Then she smiled. "You know, you're right. She does look happier than I've ever seen her."
"Mark too," Takeshi echoed. Amy and Jessie nodded in agreement.
The food was exquisite. Both Michiru and Mark agreed that is was one of the best meals they had ever eaten. And most important of all, they found out that it had already been paid for in advance, which made the food easier to enjoy.
After the waiter took away the empty plates, the two spent many minutes conversing about almost anything that came to mind. They talked, they laughed, and most of all, they enjoyed being with each other in such an intimate setting.
"You know what?" Mark said.
"What?"
"Remember how it felt when we won the IG-2 championship and got accepted into the IG-1?" he asked.
"Of course. It felt fantastic."
"And do you remember how it felt to win the IG-1 the next year and then again the year after that? After we overcame all the adversity and other stuff that happened along the way. Remember how great that felt?"
"I do," she answered. "Why do you ask, Mark?"
He paused. Then he slowly folded his hands. "Well…I think I should tell you…that…tonight…I feel even better than I did then."
She smiled. "You're lying."
"No, I'm not," he answered seriously.
"Someone who loves the IGPX as much as you do?" she asked incredulously. "There's no way."
"I'm telling the truth," he maintained. He reached across the table and gently covered her hand with his own. "Michiru…this has been one of the greatest nights of my life. Everything that's happened since I've known you…it all pales in comparison to this. I can't express to you how great I feel being here with you now."
Michiru's smile did not disappear. She parted her lips to say something in response, but something made her stop.
Mark was about to ask what it was, but then he realized that a familiar sound had appeared.
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 change your position.
Don't hang around just to please me.
They both smiled. "They really pulled out all the stops for us, didn't they?" Mark said out loud.
Michiru nodded. "I think this also means that someone was on my computer when I wasn't looking," she said slyly.
"Jessie?"
"Probably."
"What are you going to do?"
Michiru thought about it. Then she smiled again. "Nothing. If I do anything, I'll thank her."
Mark tilted his head slightly. "Did I hear that right? Michiru Satomi, the most professional and rule-abiding business executive in the IG-1, is going to let a girl get away with snooping around on her computer?"
Michiru shrugged. "I guess I'm losing my touch." Mark laughed.
But I have one request,
And if you don't think it's senseless,
Let me give you something else
"Can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"What is it about this song that makes you love it so much?" Mark asked.
Michiru's smile didn't disappear. "It's not anything major really. I guess I really just enjoyed dancing to this song when I was younger."
"Get out of here, I didn't know you were a dancer?"
"It wasn't anything big, Mark," Michiru answered. "Yes, I took ballroom and ballet lessons when I was little, but I haven't done anything serious since. But I still like to dance every once in a while. And whenever I hear this song I can't help but imagine myself dancing with someone."
"Really," Mark murmured. "Like me?"
Michiru giggled.
"That wasn't meant to be funny," Mark responded, feeling hurt.
"No, it's not that. It's just…"
"What? Tell me."
"It's just…well, you're not really someone I would think would enjoy dancing, Mark."
Mark frowned and then he sighed. "Alright." He stood up and walked over to her side of the table.
He extended a hand to her. "Mark?"
"You said this song made you want to dance, right? Come on, then." With her face exhibiting elements of surprise and bewilderment, Michiru took Mark's hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet.
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…
Although she couldn't believe it, Michiru allowed Mark to spin and twirl her around like one of the professional dancers she had seen performing onstage in the glamorous theaters around the world.
It was like moving on air, how soft his hands' caresses were as they guided her through a majestic dance. She found herself smiling back at him as they danced, moving as one along the restaurant's floor with the racetrack and city looming large through the windows behind them.
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.
Michiru felt oddly familiar and it was then that she realized that she was reliving the dream she'd continuously had whenever she had danced to this song in the past. Only this time it wasn't a dream.
It was everything she had dreamed. His strong arms holding onto her gently but securely, never once giving an indication that they would let her go. The graceful manner in which they moved, letting the song's motions overcome every fiber of their being.
But I have one request,
And if you don't think it's senseless,
Let me give you something else.
"Mark…" she breathed as she slipped her free hand behind his neck.
"Yes?"
"Where…did you learn to dance like this?"
He smiled and she cried out quietly as he dipped her so that she was facing up at him. "If I say my Mother will it make you think any less of me?"
She couldn't help but laugh. "No."
"Then there's your answer," he said, pulling her back upright and spinning her around once again.
Let me love you, let me love you.
Free of all rituals, nothing habitual.
Something you can sink your teeth into.
One after another, the lights outside on the racetrack's start/finish straight blinked on, casting long beams of blue light down upon the dancing couple, illuminating the scene all around them to the point where it appeared as though they were dancing on air itself.
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…
"Mark…?" Michiru whispered, her voice blending in expertly with the music.
"Yes, Michiru?" he asked.
She spun around so that she was facing him directly. "Remember what you told me earlier…about how you had never felt better than you did tonight?"
"Of course," he answered, almost absent-mindedly slipping his free arm around her slender waist.
She smiled. She leaned her head forward so that it was resting on his broad shoulder. "It's the same for me," she whispered, her voice tickling the insides of his ear.
He smiled. "I'm glad."
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…
"Hey guys!" Takeshi said in a hushed voice.
"Yeah?"
"Take a look," he said, gesturing for them to join him in the window.
Liz, Amy, and Jessie took their places beside them and once they saw the sight before them, their faces lit up.
Mark and Miss Satomi were holding each other close, smiling, slowly swaying to the music under the gentle lights that the racetrack was shining down upon them.
To them, it looked like a scene from a movie, where two people who had been searching for someone for so long had finally found one another.
Let me love you…