My mother had set up my phone so I only had to press one button to get to the contacts screen. Because of how he'd entered his 'name', I was able to call my stranger by pushing only a single button after that.
It would have been unbelievably easy to dial his number. Several times, I found myself drifting into my room, grabbing the tiny contraption off my nightstand, and bringing up my list of contacts.
Then I'd realize what I was doing, scold myself for being an idiot, and set it back down.
I couldn't fathom how difficult it was not to call him. I had to remind myself numerous times that he would think I was an idiot if I attempted to do so. After all, my place in his life consisted of two hour meetings every Friday afternoon. It was currently Monday. Therefore, I had no right to think he'd want to speak to me- that he even had time to speak with me. He was an important businessman after all, and was quite possibly even out of the country.
Still… I wanted to tell him. I so badly wanted to say something- even just a simple 'thank you'- before Friday.
Because I'd gotten a job, and it was all because of him.
Well, mostly.
See, the first thing I'd done after getting in the vehicle that previous Friday was apologize to my mother. I told her about how, in the 'support group,' they'd talked a lot about growing up and attitude and things like that- I admitted that I did need her, and was pretty close to helpless, and that I was sorry for talking back like I had.
Then I'd gone on to say that I wanted to work at being a little less helpless.
She was shocked speechless, and I really didn't blame her. After all my talk about how I wasn't supposed to be blind, and how I going to go along with learning how to do things the 'blind person way' because I wasn't like all those other people, my sudden change of heart was about the last thing she'd probably expected.
And the thing is, as overprotective as I'd sworn she was, she was thrilled when I told her I wanted to try doing more stuff. We talked on the way home, discussed different options, and eventually decided I'd have to start out doing something simple, with people I knew around so that I could ease into whatever it was I was going to try. Later on that evening, she'd called Joey to see if he couldn't think of anything that might work. I'd hovered in the background, praying he had something in mind.
Finally, my mother hung up and turned to me, and I was pretty sure she had a smile on her face.
That was when she told me about how Joey was going to take me to Yugi's that next day, so I could talk to his grandfather about getting a job at his shop.
Despite myself, a little part of me cringed away from the idea. I couldn't help but think that I'd hardly do any good in a store that mainly sold painted cards.
Then I thought of my stranger and what he'd said about Joey- about how he'd placed so high in those tournaments when most people hadn't thought he stood a chance- and I decided that if my brother could come out on top against odds like that, then I could at least talk to Mr. Moto and see if we couldn't work something out.
That next morning, despite all my nerves, I forced myself to follow Joey out the door when he came to pick me up. He made things a lot easier for me too, going on about how proud he was of me for doing this, and mentioning that he'd already talked to Mr. Moto about what kind of stuff I could maybe help out with. He'd been so genuinely thrilled that I wouldn't have had the heart to back out, no matter how scared I'd been.
As it turned out, there wasn't any real reason to be frightened at all anyway. Mr. Moto had been super nice about everything. I even made sure to let him know that I was kind of clumsy, and reminded him of all the things I couldn't do, but he'd chuckled and said he would've kicked Yugi out a long time ago if clumsiness was such a problem. Then he went on to list everything he'd thought of that I could do.
Somehow, his list was a whole lot longer than mine.
Yugi- who'd been there the whole time too- added that he'd be glad for the extra help, and Mr. Moto tacked on that his grandson would show me how everything worked and would take care of all the stuff I couldn't handle. I told them that they were really being too nice, and asked if they were sure I didn't need to interview or anything. They both assured me that they were perfectly willing to help Joey's sister in any way they could, and little as I liked riding my brother's coattails onto my path to independence, I knew I wasn't going to get any other opportunities like what they were offering. Graciously, I thanked them again and said I'd be happy to take the job.
After that, the conversation got a little more boring- mainly a discussion of work hours (I made sure to let him know I wouldn't accept the job if he didn't give me Friday afternoons off) and weekly pay- but Mr. Moto kept it quick. Then he shooed me out of his shop and told me to be back Monday morning.
That evening, I gushed to my mother as though I'd accepted a marriage proposal rather than a job offer.
Honestly?
I think she wouldn't have been any more thrilled if it had been a marriage proposal.
Of course, despite how wonderfully thrilled I was after the 'interview,' the actual 'having a job' bit wasn't half so great. My mother dropped me off at the shop at least an hour earlier than when I usually woke up, and nothing very exciting happened after that. Yugi spent all morning telling me where stuff was before leaving me to memorize all the things he'd pointed out. After a half hour or so, he'd pop back up and quiz me on what I could remember, correct anything I'd gotten wrong, and repeat the process.
I understood how necessary it was, but the work made my head hurt. I think Yugi saw that too, because when Mr. Moto became available to run the counter, he suggested the two of us go back and start organizing boxes of newly arrived cards.
That wasn't much more entertaining, but it was nice enough. I hadn't ever really gotten to know Yugi, not with Joey and Tea being so outspoken at any gatherings I went to, so I enjoyed the one-on-one time with my brother's best friend. Yugi, it turned out, was almost as quiet as I was, and always kind and patient. Whenever I grabbed the wrong box or had to ask silly questions, he'd laugh off my concerns and gently help me with whatever it was I needed. Neither of us said all that much beyond that, but we were busy working, and anyway, it wasn't an awkward silence. I found it somewhat peaceful, even.
Actually, working in that room with Yugi was quieter than the time I spent in the library. There, my stranger was always typing or rustling papers, and whispered conversations and shutting books could be heard constantly in the background.
Funnily enough, I didn't like the silence in that back room half so much as I did the silence in the library.
It was an odd thought. Before, I'd been certain that I enjoyed the quiet moments with my stranger simply because they existed, because they represented a break from my noisy, hovering mother and brother. But after working in that back room with Yugi for a while, I came to realize that I'd been wrong about that the whole time.
It was my stranger's big, intimidating presence that made that time so special. Not the peace or quiet.
And I really didn't know what, exactly, that meant.
Thankfully it wasn't long before all the work in the back was finished up, and I was able to push the issue from my mind. When Yugi and I reappeared, Mr. Moto declared it time for lunch, and we all three ate in their home behind the store. Weird as it was to share a meal with people I wasn't especially familiar with, I also found it very nice. In any case, I suppose Mr. Moto's topics of conversation were certainly a lot more… 'unique' than what I- or probably most anyone else- was used to.
Yugi only worked a little bit after lunch, leaving early to go to the museum, where he apparently had something of an internship. Later, Mr. Moto told me that he actually wanted to be an Egyptologist once he was finished with competitive Duel Monsters, and that putting so much time in at the museum was his way of staying involved in the field until he was ready to put aside his cards and take the time for further schooling.
When I asked why Yugi was so interested in Egypt, Mr. Moto started telling me about where, exactly, Pegasus had gotten the idea for Duel Monsters. He didn't get very far into the story- between working to teach me where everything was at and dealing with customers, there wasn't much time for talking- but what he did say was interesting enough to help the work pass a little faster.
I was still rather relieved when my mother finally came to pick me up. I was tired and had a headache and entirely sure I'd spent most of my day trying to memorize display placements that I'd forget before the next morning. After doing so little for so long, actually working was hard.
The thing was though, it also felt so, so good. Like I'd done something I should be really proud of, no matter how simplistic my job was. Because simplistic or not, it was a job, and knowing that I'd done it, that I was now employed, was a huge dealto me.
Which was why, from the moment I'd gotten home from work, I'd found myself wanting to call my stranger.
I didn't know if he'd be proud of me, wasn't sure if he'd even care. He'd certainly made it clear that he thought I needed to do something with my life, but did that mean he'd have the least desire to know what, exactly, I'd done? And happy as I was with myself, did he really have any reason to be happy for me as well?
Much as I wanted him to know I'd taken his advice, as badly as I wanted to thank him for giving me the push to get the job, I was scared to do so because, well… what if he really didn't want to know? If he thought I was silly and clingy and pathetic for wanting to tell him?
I mean, he was a hugely successful businessman, and probably busy, and likely didn't care.
Except he wouldn't have bothered saying I needed a job if he didn't care whether or not I'd go out and get one…
Right?
I wasn't sure, really had no idea what he might think. It would probably be best to simply wait until Friday. Just four days. Then I could tell him.
But four days felt like such a very, very long time.
It was his idea that'd prompted me to find a job, after all, and not letting him know about it felt wrong. And anyway, it would be a brief call. I would even ask if he had time to talk, and if he didn't, I would say it wasn't important and could wait until Friday.
Then again… he hadn't given me his number to make social calls. He'd given it to me for one specific reason. Telling him about my newfound job, big of news as that was, had nothing to do with whether or not I was going to be at the library that Friday.
Surely it could be considered an exception though.
Maybe.
But if I was wrong, he might think I was abusing the privilege of possessing his phone number.
Still… it was unlikely that one call could do too much damage, that he'd give up speaking to me entirely because I made a single mistake…
It was right about then that I decided I was tired of thinking myself in circles, took a deep breath, and pressed the call button before I drove myself insane.
Despite my nerves, I still found it in me to hope he wouldn't recognize my number, that he'd answer the phone by saying who he was. Businessmen did that, after all, and if he thought it was an unfamiliar caller, he might introduce himself-
"What's going on, Wheeler?"
Or not.
I fidgeted. It was disconcerting, hearing his voice outside of the library.
"Um, I was just-" Calm down. He doesn't sound mad. Doesn't even seem to be annoyed. "Do you have a moment? Not long. Just thirty seconds- a minute at the most."
"Given that I doubt you're stupid enough to waste my time dribbling about something I don't care to hear, yes. I can spare a minute."
I sighed in relief.
"I… Well, first, I'm sorry I used your number to call you about something that doesn't involve whether or not I'll be there this Friday. I won't make a habit of it though, since you obviously have better things to do than talk with me, but it's just, I wanted to tell you- thought you should know-"
"Thirty seconds."
I didn't think he was really timing me, but I got his point. Spit it out.
"I got a job."
Silence on the other end, and then, "You had said you were going to talk to your mother about doing so."
"And I did- I talked to her about it right as soon as I left the library," I said. "And then she called Joey, and you know who Yugi Moto is, right?"
"What do you think?"
Which, of course, made me blush beet red. My stranger was a duelist who worked for a company that produced Duel Monsters-based technology. He would have had to have been a blind, deaf hermit not to have heard of the King of Games.
"Right, sorry. It's- well, Joey talked to Yugi, who talked to his grandfather, who owns this little game shop. And Mr. Moto, he said he'd love to have me work for him. Joey took me down there so we could get all the details worked out, and everything turned out perfectly. I even started already- today was my first day. I didn't do much- helped Yugi organize boxes, and then spent a lot of time memorizing the layout of the store, but-"
"You're working with Yugi Moto?"
Which hardly surprised me, that a duelist would focus on me and Yugi working together.
"Yeah. It's nice- he's surprisingly quiet, despite being so popular and everything." I paused, and then, thinking of working in the back room and the silence that hadn't felt quite right, couldn't help but add, "You're better company though."
The indignant snort that followed was so undignified it had to have come out unwillingly, which I found very, very odd. Why in the world would my stranger find what I said so surprising? Sure, he wasn't the most likable of people, but I'd willingly placed myself in his presence near every week for the last several months. Was it really that unbelievable, then, that I'd think he was better company than someone I'd only worked with for a single day?
"What?" I asked. "You sound skeptical."
"Yugi Moto has a reputation for being very likable," he responded dryly. "I'd be hard-pressed to find a single person who finds me so much as tolerable."
"I like you well enough," I argued, which was true. He was a jerk, and frustrating, and sometimes a bit colder than I would have appreciated, but I'd liked him well enough almost right from the start. "Yugi is infinitely nicer than you are, but that doesn't necessarily equate to better. For one, I highly doubt Yugi would have had it in him to give me the motivation I needed to go out and find a job."
I paused, then found myself adding, "I want to thank you for that, by the way. A job in a game shop isn't exactly a huge step forward, and I can't say how long this enthusiasm I've got is going to last, but- well, I still appreciate that you gave me enough incentive to do something."
"It's business," he replied gruffly. "Trying to get the most productivity out of any one employee."
"Yeah," I said, smiling. "But I don't work for Kaiba Corp. It wasn't your job. You didn't have to pay attention to me, didn't have to try making sense of my whining, or anything like that, so don't try writing it off. I'm not sure why you did help me, but I don't want an explanation; a simple 'you're welcome' would be perfectly fine."
He exhaled, then reluctantly said, "You're welcome."
"Good." I realized then that we'd been talking for a lot longer than I said we'd be. "Now, er… I should probably let you go. I just wanted to tell you about my job, and to thank you-"
"Did finding work help with your mother?"
I smiled so big that it hurt.
"Yeah," I said, trying not to sound too giddy at the prospect of extending our chat. "It helped a lot. Joey was real happy too."
"And what about you? Are you happy with your choice?"
"Well… it's only been a day," I reminded him, "so I'm not all that sure yet. It did feel nice though, doing something I could almost be proud of. The work itself wasn't so exciting, not when I'm so used to being lazy all the time, but that'll probably get easier after a while. And Mr. Moto and Yugi are both great, which helps."
"That's… good," he said awkwardly, obviously not half so good with praise as with criticism.
"Yeah…" Somewhat embarrassedly, I added, "I made sure to get Friday afternoons off too. I told Mr. Moto it was for something extremely important."
"Wheeler?"
"Yeah?"
"…it's been eleven minutes."
Which hadn't been what he was going to say initially, I was almost sure of it. I knew pushing wouldn't do any good though, and it probably wasn't anything important anyhow. Curious as I was, I knew it'd be best to let it go.
"Alright then," I said, like I hadn't noticed how oddly he'd spoken that last line. "I'll leave you to your work then."
"Ten minutes later than you promised."
"Were you actually timing…?"
"There's a clock in my office."
I blinked.
"You're in your office? It's nearly seven o'clock."
"I have an office at home."
"Then why do you bother going to the library?"
"A deal I made with my brother," he admitted. "I'm to spend at least three consecutive hours each week 'relaxing', so long as he puts more effort into his schooling."
That was so not what I expected that I couldn't help but laugh. His younger brother had essentially exiled him from his job. Brilliant.
"So you go to the library to do work without getting caught?"
"More or less."
"But why always at the same time?"
A hesitation, and then: "I appreciate consistency; the first week after I made the deal, I found myself with three consecutive hours to spare on a Friday afternoon. I decided the time worked well enough, and so have continued to use it."
"Lucky for me, I guess."
"I could count on one hand how many other people on this planet could have said that without sarcasm."
I laughed, unable to help myself.
"You know, if you're so aware that people don't like you, why not… I don't know. Try for a brighter personality?" I thought on that for a second, realized how disturbing my stranger would be with a 'bright personality,' and amended, "On second thought, don't. That would be too weird. I like you just fine when you act like a jerk."
He didn't say anything for a moment, and then, in a voice oozing with sarcasm, replied, "You like me… as a jerk."
I cringed, realizing how that probably sounded; 'jerk' really hadn't been the best word to use.
"I s'pose I could have phrased that more elegantly," I allowed. "How about this? I like you as a cocky, sardonic, very intimidating business person. That's a bit more accurate. And true. You've grown on me, I guess."
A loud swallow, and then:
"…fourteen minutes. You're dragging out the conversation."
"But-"
"Good-bye, Wheeler."
And then he hung up.
…
Author's Note-
Just over a week. This chapter came really easy for whatever reason, and although it's a little different than the others- no library time at all- there's also a nice chunk of Seto/Serenity interaction, so I hope that makes up for it. You guys were wonderful about reviewing last chapter, and I really hope you keep it up for this one. I'd love to hear what you think about Serenity's job and the phone call.
I'll try to update again as soon as possible. Thanks so much for reading.
