I apologize for making you all wait.

With a restaurant that allowed its customers to have as much as they want, it was certain that when Yusei and Akiza arrived, they came during peak business hours. There were lines upon lines for all the good stuff. Fortunately, Yusei had a strong sense of patience and calmly stood by until the foodstuff he craved was readily available. Akiza, on the other hand, showed her restraint until she got her chance. As if by chance, it was the dancer who returned to their table first, whilst Yusei filled up his plate as best he could.

"This looks delicious," she thought as her fork stabbed off a piece of Swiss steak. "And it is." Her stewed piece of meat was 1/3 devoured when Yusei came back with a slab of prime rib draped with brown gravy.

"Do you think you can finish that?" Akiza questioned him.

"I have a very good chance that I will," the mechanic calculated. "By the way, I think your...choice of attire has gotten more than your fair share of attention."

"What makes you say that?"

"While I was looking around, I overheard a few guys making reference to your exotic dancer days."

"I say let 'em," she dismissed with a piece of steak lightly obstructing her speech. "They can say whatever they want and make any wild accusations or assumptions. I'm past that."

"Still, doesn't it get to you in any way?" Yusei pondered.

"Of course, but not in the way you might be thinking of," the dancer countered.

"Explain then."

"I make sure I remember what people have said about me during my days pleasing the horny slums," Akiza listed. "That way, once I remake my image into something respectable, they'll retract everything bad they've said about me and watch me rise up in this world."

"That…makes a lot of sense," the mechanic commented.

"Here's how I divide respect: one-sided and two-sided," she compared. "One-sided respect means people only support someone without having much knowledge on the person. Two-sided is defined by gaining support for something notable and overcoming some form of adversity in your life before."

"And is that why you're trying to be a champion duelist?" Yusei quizzed her.

"That's one reason, but I've already told you the other," the young woman recounted. "When we met, you showed a genuine interest in me as a person. You talked to me, although briefly, and said you had a strong deck of throwaway cards. Then by that logic, a throwaway girl like me is even stronger for having been resigned to being at the bottom and trying to get out."

"I don't doubt your sense of resiliency," he stated. "After all, it was that resiliency that got you out of your boss' clutches."

"Thank you for that," she thanked him. "You're most likely the greatest thing that's happened to me, ever."

"I'm not that great," Yusei waved off. "When you came by and asked for my help, I couldn't say no. Simple as that."

"Regardless, I'm grateful for everything you've done for me," she rhapsodized. "And I think I have a way to pay you back."

"You don't say," the mechanic wondered. Akiza resumed to her meal, winking a few times whenever she and Yusei locked gazes.

Their date didn't exactly end at the restaurant. Just to kill time, Yusei and Akiza drove in and around the city before returning to the workshop.

"That was good," the dancer exhaled, stepping off the runner. "Tasty too."

"A full stomach leads to a full night's sleep," her date philosophized. "What do you think?"

"With what I have in mind, neither one of us will be doing any sleep," the young woman smirked. "I need you to sit down, though." All Yusei could do was shrug and flop onto the couch.

"Now what?" he asked.

"Just sit tight," she instructed him. "I'll be back." She kicked off her heels and hopped up the stairs, ready to put her plan into action. Lucky for them, they had the building all to themselves. She zipped into the bathroom and switched into something more…enchanting.

"Yusei, are you still waiting?" she called from a cover of shadow atop the stairs.

"With bells on my toes," he replied with an echo.

"Good enough." The dancer stepped out of the dark veil and descended down the stairs. What Yusei saw made his jaw drop: Akiza had brought back her sexy gardener outfit, except the top was cut in half to show her toned and sculpted stomach.

"Full of surprises, aren't you?" the guy chuckled.

"What makes you say that?" she purred, swaying her hips back and forth, and gliding over to Yusei. "This is just me." All that was missing was the pulsating dance music. Yusei's heartbeat started to accelerate. How could it not? He was getting a private show from an attractive woman.

"You look (ahem) marvelous," he complimented her.

"Well, it's all for you," Akiza told him. "I've decided that you are the only one my striptease expertise should be dedicated to." She made him lie down and stood over him on her knees, rotating her chest around.

"Uh…" the mechanic stammered in the presence of tantalizing beauty. "I'm kind of at a loss for words here."

"Then maybe this oughta leave you speechless," the dancer winked. First, she removed the rose from her bun and then untied it to have her long hair flow over her shoulders. Next, she unzipped her gardener's top to reveal her abnormally large but desirable breasts.

"Sweet mercy," Yusei whispered.

"Now all your troubles shall disappear," Akiza winked again, reaching down and unzipping his jeans. "Although I had to do other guys when I didn't want to, I held out hope that I'd find someone I want to do."

"Does that mean—?"

"Exactly: I love you, Yusei." She leaned down and lightly pressed her lips over his. It was the kind of the kiss that said "I thank you by devoting my love to you."

"And I love you Akiza," he breathed softly. In the shadow of the moonlight, they went about consummating their newfound love for each other.

There you have it, folks: Akiza performed a striptease for Yusei before doing the do. As for their conversation in the restaurant, I felt like it added depth for Akiza's character. Who says different? As for the story, it's complete…..for now. Once my "Missing Link" story is done or whatnot, I may decide to wrap up one last issue in this story. You might have to reread to find it. Review if you wish and thanks for reading.