"Welcome, Kou-san! I'm so glad that you've arrived!" Mai-san greeted me at the door as soon as I arrived at her and Ushio's house.

"Thanks, Mai-san. I came baring gifts, " I replied, handing her the bottle of Bollinger R.D. Extra Brut 2002.

She offered me a polite smile and moved aside to allow me inside. "Why, thank you, Kou-san. How thoughtful of you to have brought this for us. Make yourself at home while I find a home for this, " Mai said, disappearing somewhere inside the house.

I shrugged off my jacket and hung it up on a nearby coat rack, then took some time to take in my surroundings.

The entire house could pass for something a bachelor or a millionaire would have instead of one for a young couple like Mai and Ushio. There was so much space in here that Yumi, Masao, Tama, Tama's kids, Akihiko, and myself could live here!

I gawked at all the expensive-looking things inside of here when a picture frame caught my eye. Picking it up from its place on the table, I examined Mai and Ushio's faces in the picture and could almost feel a knot forming within my gut at how happy Ushio looked.

His face was practically glowing inside the picture as he embraced Mai at some kind of dinner party. I could see the genuine love for her within his eyes. My thumb subconsciously traced over his face inside the picture, longing making a home within my chest.

Then I found myself narrowing my eyes when I glanced at Mai's profile again inside the picture. Her face didn't even hold a glimmer of love that Ushio held for her; it was more like a perfectly formed mask filled with Botox that was incapable of showing love. How they are together, let alone getting married is a mystery to me.

"… Because we love each other …"

I nearly jumped several feet away at the sound of Ushio's voice behind me. I made sure to sit the picture back where it was and turned around to face him.

Ushio had a soft, loving smile on his boyish face and a dreamy look within his eyes. "I don't know what I would do without Mai-chan in my life …" he breathed dreamily, then met my gaze.

"How long have you two been together?" I asked, feeling slight admiration and nauseous about his devotion to Mai.

"Since I was in junior high and she was in high school. I was 14 and she was 17 when we started dating. It took a while and a lot of obstacles, but it worked out, " he explained proudly, moving over to my side to look at the picture himself. His thumb traced across the glass with such love, I almost wished for the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

So he likes older women …. Yumi was right … I shouldn't have come …

Shaking myself clear of that thought, I maintained my cool exterior as I asked him another question, "You really do seem to love her. What obstacles were you referring to that almost broke you two apart?"

He sat down the picture to look at me. "Age difference, personality difference, different preferences, different lifestyles, potential lovers, and so many other things … " Ushio shrugged nonchalantly, then a look of sadness crossed his features. "But I'm all she has nowadays."

I frowned, leaning against the table. "What do you mean by that?" I prodded him and could feel fear clenching at me within my chest.

Does this mean that she's …?

Ushio gave me a sad look that nearly made me embrace him if it weren't for Mai. "I'm the only family that she has. Yes, Mai may be rich because of all the money she inherited from her parents, but she's been alone for most of her life, " he explained and looked down at his hands, "She grew up an orphan since her parents died when she was young, so it was only her for a very long time until she met me."

His smile from earlier returned to his face as he brought his eyes back up to meet mine. "So that's why she doesn't seem too affectionate with me, but she really does love me. I can feel it every day and I can't wait for us to get married soon, " he gushed, his face basically glowing with pride and overall love that nearly made me throw myself out a window.

So I don't have a chance with him …

"Ushio-kun! Mai-sama! What the hell is taking all of you so long?! We're starved!" bellowed a nasally female voice from the other room.

"Bachi-chan! Stop it! You're probably interrupting Mai-san getting her knickers knocked into next week by Ushio-san, if you know what I mean, " was the lewd commentary heard from a gruff male voice.

"Ooh, what I wouldn't give to see that!" another male voice barked in laughter.

"Isoro-kun! Zinan-kun! You're disgusting!" screeched 'Bachi' in the other room, which I'm guessing in the other room.

I scowled and turned my attention back onto a blushing Ushio. "I thought you guys only wanted me over tonight."

Ushio scratched at the back of his head, a sheepish smile on his face that added onto his boyish looks. "Anou … Mai-chan sort of neglected to tell me that she invited some of her co-workers over for dinner tonight, so …" he let out a light, nervous giggle afterwards.

I shook my head, suddenly feeling a strong sense of anger at Mai for Ushio.

She had this shit planned out!

"Ushi-kun! Come help me with this bottle! I can't get it open!" called the conniving bitch from the other room.

Ushio offered me a look of sympathy and sadness. "You can leave if you want to. I wouldn't blame you if you did, but I assure you that Mai-chan isn't this forgetful usually, " he lamented, his brilliant blue eyes dim in color at the prospect of upsetting me.

And allow her to beat me? No way! I'd be damned to allow that bitch to win after what she pulled!

Looping my arm with his, I offered him a dazzling smile. "It's okay, Ushio. I understand; my brother-in-law is a doctor after all so I know how it works. I'm not upset at all, " I reassured him, stroking his arm.

His face instantly brightened up at that. "Really?!"

I held back a giggle at his cute display and replied, "Yes, yes, I'm sure about staying for dinner. It'd be quite rude of me to leave after Mai-san slaved away for hours to make dinner for us all. And I'd like to get to know you a bit more as well."

Ushio perked up even more after that as he led me to the dining room. "I'm glad that you're staying because ... Well, no offense to Mai-chan, but she and her friends always talk about medical stuff and work and it just confuses the hell out of me, so it's nice to have someone else here who isn't a doctor, " he whispered to me, chuckling huskily.

Damn … why isn't he mine?

I giggled, "That's understandable. It'll turn us into some zombies some day if we hear enough of it."

He laughed and shook his head. "No way. I wouldn't look cute as a zombie!"

"And I wouldn't be as sexy either, " I joked, giving him a wink that made him blush.

"Umm …"

"Finally, Ushi-kun! This cursed thing won't open and I need your help to …" Mai started, but trailed off when her eyes caught sight of us. Her mouth nearly dropping and steam almost bellowing from her ears.

Pop! went the cork of the Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires Brut 1995 in her hands. No one seemed to notice nor care about where the cork landed that caused the loud shattering sound seconds later as all eyes landed on Ushio and myself.

"Mai-chan! Look at how gorgeous Suki looks tonight? Don't you think her dress brings out her eyes?" he gushed innocently, a brilliant smile spread across his face.

I smirked at Mai and offered her a wave. "Hello, Mai-san. What's for dinner?" I purred, winking at her.

Let the games begin …