Slow Burn

Chapter Two:

"Third Time's the Charm"

The next morning, Kokoro woke to the sun's light in her eyes. She sat up, rubbed her eyes. Her stomach growled. Wearily, she slid out of bed and looked at her clock. "Only ten o'clock?" she said to herself. Then stretched and proceeded to do her usual retinue of morning exercises, 50 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, 50 crunches, plus 30 oblique crunches for each side. It always helped her wake up in the mornings. She walked into the kitchen and sat down next to her mother. "Good morning, mother!" she said happily.

"Good morning dear," her mother smiled. "Did you get enough sleep last night?" Kokoro was busy mixing various fruit juices together, and was in the middle of a gulp when her mother finished her sentence.

She smiled and she caught her breath. "I did, I slept unusually well, too."

Miyako, smiling, asked, "Any idea why, sweetheart?"

"Not sure, I must have been tired yesterday."

"Well, when you get finished with everything, you have dance again today." Kokoro, smiled.

"Yes, mother."

"Think he'll be there?" her mother asked casually.

"He said he would." Miyako was please with her daughter's optimism.

After breakfast Kokoro got up and went into her room. "What to wear today?" she said with a finger on her bottom lip. She looked down at what she slept in: a pair of dark blue shorts and a plain white t-shirt. She decided on a blue shirt and dark grey wide legged pants that stopped above her ankles. She went into the bathroom to brush her teeth after she changed.

She did her chores and her training for the day, excitedly. "My Kokoro, you are in a good mood today, aren't you?" her mother commented while they ate lunch together. Soon afterward they left for the hotel.

"Mother, why is it that I am taught these techniques in a hotel and not in a dance studio?"

"Because, dance studios are very expensive, Kokoro, and they only cater to larger groups. So as you know there aren't many geisha left in Japan, much less here." Kokoro nodded, though disappointed with the answer.

When they arrived Kokoro walked up the stairs to Matt's room. "The first room on the left of the third floor." she whispered to herself on the way up. As the ascended the last steps of the last flight of stairs she saw him come out of his room. She couldn't help but smile as wide as she could. "Good afternoon, Matt. Are you ready for today?"

"I am, if you need me." he said as he smiled back at her. They walked down the stairs together, Miyako near the door to the make shift classroom.

"Matt, this is my mother, Miyako." Miyako bowed and smiled.

"Hello Matt, glad to formally meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine." They shook hands.

Kokoro spoke up after a moment, "We needn't be late." She pushed him into the room. He seemed a little surprised at her strength. As they walked through the door and onto the floor, the teacher gave a raised eye brow. Kokoro bowed.

"Alright class, you proceeded well yesterday, so there is little need for further instruction of this dance. Just continue practicing with your partner."

Kokoro stepped close to Matt, "Ready?" she asked as she placed her arms up, around his neck. He only nodded, as he placed his hands at her back and above her hip, less nervously than the first time, though still nervously. "Nervous about holding me?" she whispered.

"A little…yes." he said quietly. She smiled.

"Don't be. I am not going to hurt you if you mess up."

"Like yesterday?"

"I found that funny to be perfectly honest."

"I told you I can't dance well."

"I don't care. I have a partner who is more fun to be close to than the one that got me into trouble all the time." He blinked for a moment. "By the way, do you want to get dinner with me tomorrow night?" There was a pause. "It's okay. You don't have to, if you don't want to." She diverted her eyes from him and to the floor.

"That's not it at all, I was thinking if I was busy then." he said with a smile.

"…are you?" she asked quietly. He shook his head. She smiled. They continued to talk together quietly for the remainder of the lesson. At the end Kokoro turned to see her mother walk out of the room, along with everyone else. She turned to him. He looked at her questioningly. "So you're from America?" He nodded. "Is there a girl waiting for you?" He paused and shook his head.

"Nope." he said plainly. She ran up and hugged him tightly. With a grunt, he got out, "Geez, you're pretty strong for a girl…" She just squeezed harder.

"C'mon." she said with a giggle. She released him and he caught his breath. "Tomorrow?"

"Awesome." No one was looking so she hugged him again but kissed him on the cheek lightly before she let him go this time. He just looked at her is a sort of bewilderment. "See you tomorrow." she said sweetly and innocently as she left with her mother. And he walked up the stairs.

This night went about like the first except he was on her mind a lot more. He mother wasn't the happiest about her dinner plans but could do very little about it.

Then next morning was much the same, she was a little early waking up at 9:45, but it didn't really matter. She exercised and went to eat breakfast with her mother.

As she walked into the room her mother's eyes followed her to the table where she sat down next to her. "Good morning, dear."

"Good morning, mother."

"Are you tired still?" Kokoro nodded. "How late were you up?"

Kokoro looked up at the ceiling, "Um… I went to bed a midnight, but I didn't fall asleep for a while." She looked back at her mother and smiled.

"Uh-huh. Eat sweetheart." Miyako motioned to her daughter's food. Kokoro mixed her usual cocktail of fruit juices and finished her breakfast. Her day went by as normal until the time came to go to class. As they were leaving, her mother turned to her, "Kokoro, when you go to dinner with this boy…" Kokoro smiled.

"Don't worry, mother, I will be careful." Kokoro hugged her mother. Miyako smiled. When they arrived, Matt was already waiting for them. Kokoro smiled and greeted him. "Hello, Matt. How have you been today?"

"I've been okay."

As they were walking into the room, the quiet of the area was interrupted, "Sorry I haven't been here Koko!" She turned to see Jin walking through the door. "Are you ready to dance today?" He saw Matt next to her.

"What are you doing here, Jin?" she asked.

"I am your partner." he responded, smugly. Kokoro shook her head.

"You were my partner. You skipped out on me, so I found a new one, and I like to dance with him more that I like to dance with you."

"Is he better than me?" he asked venomously.

"That's beside the point!" She was becoming aggravated.

The instructor interrupted them, "Ah! Jin, glad you could join us today! Kokoro will you be dancing with Jin today?" she asked, looking at the American. Matt, was just standing there watching, waited for the 'See you later,' It never came.

"No ma'am. I'm keeping Matt as my partner for the duration of the lesson."

"These are the last ones." her teacher commented.

"It doesn't matter. Matt is my partner for this. I'll see you later Jin." and she walked into the room with Matt beside her, she led him alongside her. Jin just shook his head and walked off. Miyako just raised an eye brow and sighed, and followed them inside.

The instructor gave the same instructions as the day before, so Kokoro just slid her arms around his neck again and smiled. Still nervous, he placed an arm around to her back and a hand above her hip. She smiled. "Is it easier this time?"

"Not really."

"Why not?" He shrugged. "That doesn't make much sense."

"Not much does, apparently." He smiled. She raised an eye brow.

"And what, exactly, does that mean, Matt?"

"Well, he's better than me…why would you keep me?"

She smiled, "It is because you have been dancing this dance with me for longer than he danced with me, so you know it better than he would." He just looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "That and I like dancing with you more than I like to dance with him. Mostly that reason though." she whispered with a smile.

"Really…why?" She smiled and shrugged. He smiled back. The rest of their last dance went well, and at the end she hugged him again and thanked him for being her partner. "It's nothing really. It was my pleasure to help you."

"Mine too." She smiled "Are we still having dinner together?" He nodded. "Well I will and come find you, here in an hour or two, after I get ready. Nothing too fancy, okay?" He smiled and nodded. "Well, I'll see you in a little while." she said waiving as she left with her mother.