Mia: So it's ok if I record this

Me: I said it was.

(Seriously I already said it was. What is up with her?)

Mia: I know but I need to record you saying it. I know it's stupid.

Me: It's not stupid. (Even though it totally was. I mean seriously, I was beginning to wonder whether she had been playing with fat Louis's catnip.) It's just kind of weird. I mean, to be sitting here being interviewed by you.(Weird understatement of the century. Try torture yet I wouldn't be anywhere else but here right now.) First of all, it's you. (The love of my life, the reason for my existence.) Second of all . . . well, you were always the celebrity.

Mia: Well, now it's your turn. (Translation I have to do this all the time so suck it up.) And thanks again, so much, for doing this. I know how busy you must be, and I want you to know I really appreciate your taking the time out to meet with me.

(Seriously when is she going to get it? I wouldn't be anywhere but here.)

Me: Mia . . .of course

Mia: OK, so first question: What inspired you to invent the cardio arm?

(Talk about weird questions she already knows why)

Me: Well, I saw a need in the medical community and felt I had the technical knowledge to fill it. There've been other attempts in the past to create similar products, but mine is the first to incorporate advanced imaging technology. Which I can explain to you if you want, but I don't think you're going to have room for it in your article, if I remember how long the stories are in the Atom.

(Should I remind her?)

Mia: Uh, no, that's OK—

(I've got to. Here goes.)

Me: And, of course, you.

(Oh God, her face was turning bright red.)

Mia: What?

(She seriously doesn't remember. Being with JP seems to have caused her brain damage.)

Me: You asked what my inspiration was for inventing the CardioArm. Part of it was you. You remember, I told you before I left for Japan; I wanted to do something to show the world I was worthy of dating a princess. I know it sounds dumb now, but…that was a big part of it. Back then. (Still is. I mean that with every fiber of my being. I just wished she knew that to.)

Mia: R-right. Back then.

(This is an example of how little self-confidence Mia has, for some strange reason she doesn't feel that she is worth loving. Actually I have a pretty good idea whose fault that is. Or well at least partly.)

Me: You don't have to put that in the article if it embarrasses you though. I can't imagine you'd want your boyfriend reading that. (Oh I would love to see his face when he was reading that. But it wasn't gonna happen so there was no point imagining the outcome when the means was impossible.)

Mia: J.P No . . .no, he'd be fine with that. Are you kidding? I mean he knows everything about all that. We tell each other everything.

(Little Liar. I could tell she was lying even without her nostrils giving her away.)

Me: Right. So he knows you're here with me?

(Why? Just why did I have to go and say that?)

Mia: Um. Of course! (Yeah, right.) So where was I? Oh, right. What was it like to live in Japan for so long?

Me: (Torture) Great! Japan's great highly recommend it.

(Despite the torture of longing for Mia Japan was an amazing experience. And I had done as I had achieved my goal of proving to the world that I was worthy of her. Although I had lost her on the way.)

Mia: Really? (Did I detect a tinge of disappointment?) So are you planning on . . . Oh wait, that question's later . . . Sorry, my grandmother woke me up really early this morning and I'm all disorganized. (The Dowager Princess in Mia's apartment was never a good sign. In fact I seem to remember Mia asking me if it was legal to kill her Grandmother the night before my senior prom.)

Me: Oh right. How is the Dowager Princess Clarisse? (Dead I hope. I'm sorry but between her and my sister they seem to be the root of all Mia's troubles and I blame Clarisse for giving me an inferiority complex leading to . . . Well this whole mess.)

Mia: Oh not her. (Phew. But Huh?) The other one. Mamaw. (Oh Miss Thermopolis's mom, the last time she was in town was for Mr. G's and Miss Thermopolis's mom's wedding. Wow what a fiasco that was.) She's in town for my Birthday Party.

Me: Oh, right. I wanted to thank you for the invitations to your party. (Not that I think she had anything to do with them.)

Mia: . . . the invitations to my party? (Suspicion confirmed. This is the only time I will ever say this, but thank you Clarisse)

Me: Right. Mine arrived this morning. And my mom said hers and Dad's and Lilly's came last night. That was really nice of you, to let bygones be bygones with Lilly. I know she and Kenny (I still cant understand why my sister is dating him.) are planning on going tomorrow night. My parents, too. I'm going to try to make it, as well. (Try, like I'd miss it for anything. Which reminds me I still need to find her the perfect gift.)

Mia: (under her breath) Grand'Mere!

Me: What was that?

Mia: Nothing. OK . . . so what did you miss most about America while you were gone?

Me: Uh . . .(Is it worth it? Ok deep breath.) You? (There I said it. And nothing terrible happened. Except that Mia's face is turning bright red and lets face it that's not exactly an irregular event.)

Mia: Oh ha ha. Be serious. (I was but ok.)

Me: Sorry. OK. My dog. (Which is no lie I really did miss Pavlov. But I think Pavlov misses Mia more than he ever missed me. She is literally his favorite human being in the world. Not that I blame him Mia is mine to.)

Mia: What did you like best about Japan?

Me: (Is she seriously asking me this? I can't help feeling she's hinting at something, I just can't work out what.) Probably the people. I met a lot of really great people there. I'm going to miss some of ones I haven't brought over here with the rest of my team a lot.

Mia: Oh. Really? I mean so you're moving permanently back to America now? (Yep. Thank God. I don't think I could have survived living in Japan for much longer.)

Me: Yeah, I have a place here in Manhattan. Pavlov Surgical will have its corporate offices here, though the bulk of the manufacturing will be done out of Palo Alto in California.

Mia: Oh. So—

Me: Can I ask you a question now?

Mia: Um . . .(She sounded so scared, I wanted to just reach over, pull her into my arms and kiss that look off her face. I extended my hand and then realizing what I was doing quickly retracted it.) sure.

Me: When am I going to get to read your senior project? (I really want to read it I am not just dong this to get into her good books. Not that it would be a bad thing.)

Mia: I knew you were going to ask me that—

Me: So if you knew, where is it? (She just got that look she gets when she has been caught out lying)

Mia: I have to tell you something.

Me: Uh-oh. I know that look. (Seriously. When she gets that look the results are never good.)

Mia: (She took a deep breath.) Yeah. My project's not about the history of Genovian olive oil presses, circa 1254–1650. (I knew that already Mia hates the Genovian Olive Oil industry. I seem to remember many conversations on the subject. Anyway I decided to pretend to be surprised.)

Me: It's not?

Mia: No. It's actually a four-hundred-page medieval historical romance novel.

(Wow. Just wow. I love this girl so much.)

Me: Sweet. Hand it over.

Mia: Seriously. Michael. (Oh wow I love the way my name sounds when she says it.) – You're just being nice. You don't have to read it.

Me: (She seriously thinks that I don't want to read it. I seriously want to kill all the people responsible for Mia's self-confidence issues. Granted it has improved but not enough. Unfortunately that list would involve a lot of important people including my sister, who despite everything I would miss.) Have to? If you don't think I want to read it now, you're high. Have you been smoking some of Clarisse's Gitanes? Because I'm pretty sure I got high once on the second hand smoke from those. (I seriously did even Felix thought I was high.)

Mia: She had to quit smoking. (C'est un grande miracle.) Look, if I e-mail you a copy, will you just promise to not start reading it until I've left?

Me: What, now? You mean this minute? (Captain obvious much) To my phone? I completely and totally swear. (My fingers were crossed behind my back.)

Mia: OK. Here it is.

Me: Outstanding. Wait. Who's Daphne Delacroix? (Why oh why is Mia using a pseudonym? Unless, wait is she trying to get her book published?)

Mia: You said you wouldn't read it! (Uh-oh she's using that tone of voice Jesus it's scary.)

Me: Oh my God, you should see your face. It's the same colour red as my Converse. (Why the hell did I go and say that!)

Mia: Thanks for pointing that out. Actually, I changed my mind. I don't want you to have a copy anymore. Give me your phone. I'm deleting it. (Sorry Mia but no way.)

Me: What? No way. I'm reading this tonight. (I seriously can't wait to read it. I've been waiting to read her senior project for ages. Mia then attempted to wrestle my phone away from me, which was completely pointless, as I have had a lot of practice a keeping hold of my possessions. I mean I grew up with Lilly who lets face it is a very violent person. A much as I was enjoying having her in my arms I really wished she would cut it out.) Hey—cut it out! Lars, help, she's attacking me!

Lars: (Hiding his smile behind a coffee.) I'm only supposed to intervene if someone is attacking her, not if the princess is attacking someone else. (Traitor. But I was glad to see that our old camaraderie still stood.)

Mia: Give it to me!

Me: No— (Seriously Mia not a happening thing.)

Waiter: Is there a problem here? (Just go away can't you see we are having a moment?)

Me: No.

Mia: No. (As she sat down she knocked over my hot chocolate all over my jeans)

Lars: No. Please excuse them. Too much caffeine. (Thank you Lars. The last thing Mia needs right now is a picture of us in the New York post wrestling over a phone. Just then Mia noticed the hot chocolate stain on my jeans.)

Mia: Sorry, Michael. I'll pay for dry cleaning…. (Really Mia I think you have spent too much time with your Grandmother or J.P has turned you brain to mush.)

Me: Don't be stupid . . . are you still recording this?

After that Mia looked at her watch and said "Sorry Michael I've got to go I'm taking Mamaw and Papaw to the zoo." Then she stood up and stuck her hand out for a handshake. (A handshake J.P really has turned her brain to mush.) So I looked at it and said, "I think we can do a little better than that, can't we?". Mia laughed and said, "Of course." So I held my arms out for a hug and she hugged me and I was home. I never wanted to let go of her again but I forced myself to let her go and as I did I felt my heart rip apart once more. And then she walked away from me. As she was leaving Lars turned to me and said, "You still love her. Don't you. Please for both your sakes get her back. J.P is not good for her. Philippe and Helen both agree with me." I smiled and said, "I'm working on it!". He nodded, smiled and followed Mia.

After they were gone I sat down ordered another Hot chocolate and began to read Mia's book.

Hi Guys

I am sooooooooooo sorry after I posted the last chapter my life went insane. First I was on a school trip to France with my school then my aunt and uncle arrived from America, so I spent loads of time with them. My uncle is also a complete computer hog and spent all his free time reconfiguring my laptop. As always shout outs to those who reviewed CheeseLUVAH, Alice_Moscovitzhutchersonforce, katherineg00de, tainabe, les_amoureux, Estelle1286. Thanks Guys and I promise that I will finish book 10 no matter how long it takes me.

Ly guys sooo much

Love Momo xx