Chapter 4: Wine and Dine

Luna was getting ready to leave after work one day. "Good night, Mr. Kaiba. I'll see you in the morning?"

"No you won't." Seto frowned.

Luna's heart sank. "Am I fired? Did I do something wrong?" she asked, horrified.

Seto smiled. "No, not at all. I'm giving you the day off."

Luna sighed with relief. "Good. But who will watch Mokuba?" she asked, confused.

"Let me worry about that. Go enjoy your day off." Seto watched her leave and shut the door. Now for step two.

Luna was watching TV the next afternoon with Hailey, when there was a knock on the door. Hailey got up and answered the door. Luna, it's for you."

Confused, Luna went to the door. Seto was on the step with two people she didn't recognize. A blond woman with curled blond hair and a man with short violet hair. Seto was wearing a white suit with a light blue dress shirt and a rose in the breast pocket. "You know what I want." He told the pair, and left.

"What's going on?" Luna asked, lost.

"Mr. Kaiba asked us to get you ready for a date with him." The woman explained. "I'm Ciara."

"Nice to meet you." Luna shook her hand. She didn't ask what she meant by date, since he hadn't mentioned it. "Come in." she stepped aside to let them in.

"Nice place you have. I'm Rick." The man commented, gazing around as they entered. "Where can we work?"

"Work? Exactly what do you do?" Luna was confused.

"I'm a makeup artist and Rick is a hairstylist. And this," Ciara held up a dress Luna hadn't noticed she was holding, "is what you will be wearing."

"How much did it cost?" Luna sighed, thinking of how she would pay for it.

"Don't worry your pretty little head none." Rick smiled. "Mr. Kaiba has already paid for it."

Luna groaned, feeling her anger rise. She tamped it down. She looked at the tag. It read: 300,000 yen. Enjoy the evening, then let him have it. She decided. She smiled a little forcefully. "My room will be fine. I have a dressing table."

"Perfect." Ciara nodded. "Lead the way."

As Luna headed upstairs, she asked, "What are we doing on the date?"

"I can't answer that. Boss's orders. We are to get you ready before he returns." Ciara explained.

Luna led them to her room. They got her ready and she headed downstairs as Seto arrived, looking as handsome as ever. "You look handsome." She smiled.

"And you look absolutely stunning." Seto smiled, showing brilliant white, perfect teeth.

Luna blushed. "Thanks."

Seto held out his elbow. "Ready to go?" he asked.

"Lead the way." Luna smiled, taking his arm. He led the way out of the house to the limo and he held the door open for her. She slid in and he sat across from her.

"Do you want something to drink?" Seto reached into the fridge.

"We're sixteen, remember?" Luna reminded him.

"Relax, it's sparkling grape juice. I had Rolland stock it." Seto pulled out two flutes and filled them with blond bubbly liquid. He handed her a glass. "To a great night." He toasted, holding up his glass to her.

"I'll drink to that. Cheers." She clinked glasses with him. She tasted it. "Mm! This is good! What is it?"

"My own personal creation. From California. Napa Valley, to be specific." Seto looked proud of his accomplishment.

"Wow. Did you know I'm from California?" Luna asked, smiling.

"I know." Seto nodded. When Luna scowled, folding her arms across her chest, he added, "Background check, remember?"

Luna laughed. "Oh, right. Sorry for the paranoia."

"It's okay, join the club. Paranoia is in a CEO's job description." Seto grinned.

Luna laughed again, finding that she was enjoying herself, even though they had just begun the date. "So, where are we going?"

"That is for you to find out." Seto gave her a cocky grin. He tapped the partition behind him. "You know where to go, Rolland."

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba." Rolland's voice replied from the other side and the limo sped off.

Luna pouted and Seto laughed. "Don't worry. You'll like it." He promised.

The limo stopped at a restaurant and Seto got out, pulling Luna with him. It was a Chinese restaurant. "Isn't it a little ironic that Japan has a Chinese restaurant when China is across a body of water?"

"So? You have Japanese restaurants in America." Seto pointed out. "And it's farther away."

Luna shrugged. "Fair point."

Seto led her into the restaurant and the hostess greeted them. "Ah, Mr. Kaiba. We've been expecting you. Follow me." The hostess smiled warmly and led them to a table by the window.

Luna was impressed at the welcome as they sat down. The hostess set two menus and bustled away. "So, is there anything I don't know about you?" Seto asked, absently flipping through the menu even though he already knew what he wanted.

"I have a twin sister." Luna looked through the menu, waiting for the reaction.

"Oh? What's his or her name?" Seto asked, looking up.

"You already met her. The one that answered."

Seto blinked and then recovered quickly. "So who's older?" he asked.

"Hailey is. We're fraternal twins." Luna explained. "How much younger is Mokuba?"

"Five years." Seto explained. "He's the only family I have at the moment."

"Who raised you?" Luna asked, taking a sip of water the waitress brought.

"We were adopted by Gozoburo Kaiba. The subject is not appropriate for this venue or a first date." Seto answered, making it clear that the subject was closed for now.

"Okay." Luna nodded. "But when it is the right time, I would like to know the story."

Seto raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"How someone was raised affects who they become." Luna smiled.

"No kidding." Seto muttered, dryly. Luna laughed.

The waitress returned with an order pad. "Have you decided what you want?" she asked, smiling down at Seto.

"Ladies first." Seto nodded to Luna, giving her a small smile, which she returned.

"Grilled teriyaki chicken with stir fried vegetables over fried noodles." Luna smiled, handing the menu over.

"Same here but over fried rice instead." Seto nodded, handing his menu without moving his eyes from Luna. Luna blushed.

"I'll put the orders in." the waitress left.

"I guess we have something in common." Luna smiled, resting her chin on her hand. "We both like teriyaki chicken, though different ways."

"Guess we don't have to cook two meals when we eat at home. Unlike sometimes with Mokuba." Seto chuckled.

Luna laughed, a sound that delighted Seto. "He's a picky eater? I'll keep that in mind."

"Only when he thinks he can get away with it." Seto smiled at the thought of his brother.

"You should smile more. It makes you look more approachable." Luna suggested.

Seto laughed for a few seconds, genuinely amused by that. "People at work would think I'd lost my mind if I started doing something as outrageous as smile."

Luna shook her head. "I didn't think a guy like Seto Kaiba would care about what people think."

"People I meet outside of work, no. But image is everything in the business world. Have a bad image and you're ruined."

"That sucks. It shouldn't matter." Luna growled, fuming.

"It's the first rule of business. Learn it or get out." Seto frowned.

The waitress brought their food to the table and set it down. "Hope you enjoy it." She smiled at Seto.

"Thanks." Luna answered.

They ate their meal, only commenting on the food every few bites. Seto paid for the check and they left in the limo. "So I guess we'll do this again sometime?" Luna asked, hating for the night to end.

"The night's not over yet. We have one stop to make before our next destination." Seto replied with a grin. The limo pulled up in front of the mansion and he got out. Rolland handed him a dress bag and he handed it to her as she got out.

"Another outfit?" Luna raised an eyebrow.

"Don't worry, you'll like this one." Seto winked. "I won't look. You can change in the spare bedroom. Just hang the dress up in the closet and don't mess up the work my people did.

"Yes, sir." Luna nodded, looking very serious.

Seto laughed as she headed upstairs. Luna undressed with trepidation and removed the outfit from the bag. It was a sparkly purple halter top, flare jeans, and her favorite sandals. "This is so awesome! Where is he taking me?" she wondered aloud.

Luna returned to the living room where Seto waited. A smile broke across his face. "I knew that would look great on you."

Luna went over to him, raising an eyebrow. "You trying to tell me something?

"Hardly. I am very straight. If you were willing, I'd prove it. Instead, I'll just do this." Seto pulled her to him, kissing her until she was shivering. He pulled back. "You cold?"

"No." Luna shook her head. "She smiled. "Where are we going?"

"That's a surprise. Ready to go?" Seto held out his arm.

Luna took a deep breath. "As ever." She smiled and took his arm.

Seto led her to the limo and they got in. The limo drove through the streets and stopped in front of a club catering to the underage crowd. "Here we are."

Luna looked dubious. "You dance?"

"I have many talents you have yet to discover." Seto gave her a cocky grin and she shivered.

Seto stepped out of the limo and helped her out as well. He led her to the front door, where a bouncer was taking the cover charge. "Mr. Kaiba, welcome." He greeted. "This must be your date. Welcome."

As they were waved in, Luna hissed. "How often do you come here?"

"This is the first time." Seto replied, leading the way to the bar. "What do you want to drink? Don't worry, no alcohol here."

"Mountain Dew." Luna told the bartender. She turned to Seto. "Then how do they know you?"

Seto shrugged. "I am always in the paper for various things. They probably heard about it." He glanced over at the dance floor. "Want to dance?"

"I have got to see this." Luna giggled, letting him pull her toward the dance floor. A fast paced song had come on and Luna found herself surprised that Seto was a good dancer, despite the six feet of body he had to work with.

As the song ended, a slow song started and Seto raised an eyebrow. Luna nodded and he stepped closer, clasping one hand with one of hers, his other finding her waist. He led, finding the rhythm easily. "So, are you impressed?" he asked, smirking down at her.

"Very." Luna giggled.

"You laughing at me?" Seto growled, in mock annoyance.

"Just a little." Luna admitted, still giggling.

When Luna was done dancing, Seto agreed to go home. Seto led her to the limo and the rode home. Luna turned to Seto. "How much did the clothes cost?" she asked, piercing him with a glare.

Seto met her glare. "I wanted to have nice clothes for you to wear to the date." He replied, sensing a fight coming on.

"I read the tags. "300,000? That is way too much to spend on a dress."

"That's in yen." Seto pointed out.

"What?" Luna was startled.

"The price tag was in yen. It's only about $2,700 in American." Seto explained.

Luna's eyes widened. "And that's better? God, you just throw money around." She snapped.

"Luna, I-" Seto started, but Luna cut him off.

"No, just take me home." Luna folded her arms across her chest and looked away.

Seto sighed and tapped on the partition. "Luna's house." He ordered.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba." Rolland's voice came back to them.

The limo pulled up to the front of her house. "Goodbye, Mr. Kaiba. I'll see you tomorrow. I will dry clean the clothes and return them to you."

Seto felt the cold front that had appeared in the interior of the limo. "You can keep the clothes."

"Good night, Mr. Kaiba." Luna got out and headed to the front door without looking back. When the door closed behind her, the limo pulled away.

Seto was eating breakfast with Mokuba the next morning. Luna hadn't arrived yet, but she was expected soon. "Did she have a good time last night?" Mokuba asked.

"Until she found out how much I spent on the dress she wore. Then things went downhill." Seto took a sip of his coffee.

"So you didn't have sex?" Mokuba continued his inquiry.

Seto set his coffee cup down and raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you know about sex?"

Mokuba shrugged. "Just that older people do it." He explained.

Seto laughed. "No, we didn't do that."

"Is she going to be my sister?" Mokuba asked, curious.

"I don't know. It's too early." Seto was wondering if there would be a second date at this point, let alone the answer to that question.

"So what did you eat?" Mokuba wanted to know.

"Grilled teriyaki with stir fried vegetables. She had it over fried noodles. I had it over fried rice." Seto explained.

"She said it was her favorite. You know what you could do?" Mokuba's eyes lit up.

"Oh? What is that?" Seto raised an eyebrow.

"Get something with a cat on it. She loves cats." Mokuba grinned.

An idea popped into Seto's head and he smiled. "Good idea. I might just do that."

Seto called David to ask permission. "David, I want to ask you something."

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba?" David was wondering what this was about.

"I was wanting to get Luna a cat, but I wanted to make sure it was okay with you. I know she loves cats."

"It's fine with me. She seems like she needs something to take care of. Do you want it to be a surprise?" David asked.

"Yes, I don't want her to know until I am ready for her to. It'll mean more to her." Seto nodded.

"A word of advice: It'll mean more to her if you get it from a shelter. She has a soft spot for shelter animals." David advised.

"I'll keep that in mind." Seto said goodbye and hung up.

The next day, Seto went to the animal shelter and looked at the cats. He spotted a small kitten that looked like it was wearing a tuxedo and he knelt. "Hey, little guy." He greeted.

"Do you want to get a closer look?" the employee asked.

"Yes." Seto nodded.

The employee opened the pen and picked the kitten up. She carried him to a courtyard with Seto following. "There are toys in that bucket, so spend however long you want. Just use that intercom when you're done and I'll return." She set the kitten on the grass and walked away.

Seto sat on the bench and picked up what looked like a plastic fishing pole with a shiny fish on the end of the string. He dangled the fish in front of the kitten and he batted at it. "You like it, little guy? You want to live with my friend?"

The kitten gave a mew and sat down on the grass. Seto went to the intercom with the kitten watching him. He pressed the button. "Yes, Mr. Kaiba?" a female voice asked.

"I'd like to adopt this kitten." Seto answered, smiling.

"I'll be right in." she replied. The employee entered and picked the kitten up. She led them back to the room. "We'll need to neuter him and you'll be able to pick him up the day after." She gave him the price of adoption.

"Where shall I pay?" Seto asked, reaching for his wallet.

"Follow me." The employee led him to the front desk and gave him forms to sign and swiped his card. "We will call you when you can pick him up, Mr. Kaiba."

"Thank you." Seto left and stopped at a pet store. He bought all the items Luna would need and hid them in a spare room.

The kitten was allowed to go home two days later and Seto brought him home in a pet carrier, the poor thing mewing the whole way. As soon as he got home, he got the kitten settled and thought about how to surprise Luna.

The next day, Luna arrived for work. Mokuba was in on the surprise and was sworn to secrecy. Mokuba was at a friend's house. Seto sent Luna to clean the house. Seto arrived home quietly and began making dinner.

Luna smelled the Chinese food and headed downstairs, sniffing. She spotted Seto at the stove, "Mr. Kaiba, what are you doing?" She asked, surprised.

Seto turned, smiling a little. "What does it look like I'm doing?" he asked, stirring the vegetables.

"You know how to cook?" Luna asked skeptically, going over. She leaned over the wok, inhaling appreciatively. "Smells delicious."

"Didn't I tell you I had many talents?" Seto raised an eyebrow. "Take a seat and prepare for your favorite food."

"How did you find out?" Luna raised an eyebrow.

"A little birdie told me." Seto removed the food from the stove and served it. He sat across from her.

"About four feet tall, likes video games?" Luna guessed with a grin.

"Sounds about right." Seto chuckled.

Luna tasted the food. "This is the tastiest version I have ever had!" she exclaimed.

Seto grinned. "I'll never tell my secret ingredient."

"Aw, come on." Luna batted her eyelashes.

"Sorry, family secret." Seto shook his head. Luna pouted. They finished eating and Seto spoke again, "Did you clean the spare bedroom in the west wing?"

Luna bit her lip. "No." She had hoped he would be in a generous mood and let her go home.

"Would you take care of that before you leave?" Seto requested.

"Of course, Mr. Kaiba." Luna headed upstairs.

Seto followed at a distance. As he reached the top of the stairs, he saw Luna open the door and the kitten trot out. He rubbed against her leg, purring loudly. "When did you get a kitten?" Luna asked, picking the kitten up. She turned to him, smiling down at the kitten.

"He's not mine." Seto smiled.

Luna looked up, confused. "Not yours? What?"

"I adopted him for you. I'm giving him to you. Mokuba said you like cats and David says you can have him."

"Really?" Luna asked hopefully.

Seto nodded. "Really."

Luna hurried over, hugging him, squishing the kitten between them. The kitten mewed loudly. She pulled back, giggling. "Sorry."

"What are you going to name him?" Seto asked.

"How about Neko?" Luna suggested.

"You're going to name him cat? Isn't that a little redundant?" Seto raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, he's my kitten. It's my decision." Luna stuck out her tongue.

Seto laughed, shaking his head. "All the things you need are in the room. You can go home."

Luna leaned in and kissed him. "You are the best boyfriend."

Luna laughed at the shocked expression on his face. "I'm your boyfriend?" he asked.

"Well, if you want." Luna shrugged.

A smile spread across his face. "Oh yes, very much. And you're welcome for the kitten."

Seto gave her the cat carrier and carried the cat supplies to the limo. "Now bring Neko to work whenever you want." He suggested. "Mokuba was very fond of him. Think of him as a therapy cat."

Luna laughed. "That's a good one. Good night, Seto."

"Good night, Luna." Seto replied, relieved to hear his first name. He knew the fight was over. He watched her get into the limo and he waved as it drove away.