After a few hours of shopping, going through clothes in his rucksack and trying on clothes, Kai was running late. He stared at the ticking clock; it was a quarter to seven and the team was still arguing about what he should wear, how he should do his hair, and what he should do if the paparazzi found him with Princess Charlotte. If he didn't leave soon, he would be late. While they were arguing, he knew that he was not going to make it if he stayed much longer. He pulled on a black shirt and jeans, brushed his hair roughly and sneaked out the door.
"Hey, where's Kai?" Tyson asked after a while, holding a bottle of hair gel. Kai had caught a taxi and was on his way to the restaurant.
Five minutes later, he paid the taxi driver and got out. There were a host of photographers outside the restaurant. He assumed Charlotte was already here. He walked in the door and headed straight for the head waiter.
"I'm here to see Charlie." Kai whispered to him.
"Oh, right this way sir." He said in English but with a thick French accent. He led him through the rows of tables to a little room in the back of the restaurant. Kai was about to go into the room when the waiter stopped him.
"Wait, I have to announce you. What is your name?" the waiter asked.
"Kai Hiwatari." He said. The waiter nodded and entered the room.
"I'm so sorry to bother you, Princess," he said, bowing as he entered. "But a mister Kai Hiwatari is here to see you." The waiter said and Kai walked out from behind him. She smiled at him put down her glass.
"Oh, you made it, please come in. Sit down." She said, gesturing to the chair next to him. He sat down and the waiter closed the door. "Wine?" she asked him.
"A little." He said in a stifled voice. She waved her hand and the waiter standing in the corner came forward to pour him a glass.
"Hungry?" she asked him. He rolled his eyes. Finally, food and someone that made sense.
"Starving, what do you recommend?" He joked in his best French accent, that didn't impress the waiter. She laughed and covered her mouth with back of her hand.
"Well, any meat is delicious, so go with something meaty. But I recommend the fillet." She said, before sipping her white wine and putting down her wine glass.
"Great, I'll have what she's having." Kai looked at the waiter. He bowed and disappeared into the kitchen. She leaned over to him and smiled.
"You look very handsome tonight." She smiled at him, slightly averting her eyes. She was very well mannered, even in private.
"Thanks. You had no idea what I had to do to get away from my handlers." He laughed and took a sip of his wine.
"Let me guess, they were trying to tell you how to behave in the presence of a Princess?" she asked, turning sideways in her chair to face him.
"Yeah." He said, looking embarrassed now.
"Well don't pretend, I want to get to know you, not a mask." She said, moving her chair closer to his.
"I had no idea that this is the kind of life you live." He said, looking around the immaculately decorated room.
"I won the genetic lottery. I'm related to the right people. But when I don't have my tiara on, I'm just Charlie. I like ice-cream, long walks in the park and beyblading with my friends." She laughed.
"Sounds like you're selling yourself." He laughed.
"I am… in a way. I'm trying to impress you." She smiled at him and blushed.
"You, impress me. It is I, milady, who should be courting you." He bowed and she laughed.
"You're really funny. That was a great English accent, for a Russian." She laughed.
"Thank you, Charlotte." He said. She stopped laughing and smiled.
"Thank you for using my real name. It's been a while since I heard a man just say Charlotte. Even my sister calls me Charlie." She said, sitting back in her chair with her hands on her lap. There was the sadness in her eyes again. "I miss her." She said.
"Where is she?" he asked, leaning forward onto the tabletop.
"In America, she is competing in the first round of the beyblading singles final." She said, and sighed. "She's really good. She will definitely win… again."
"Why haven't I ever heard of her?" Kai asked, leaning back, running through the names in his head.
"She is so good she doesn't need a team. She's won five times in a row. Not like me. I can't really do anything. I'm the public face of the family. She's the hero." She added, sipping her wine.
"That's not true." He said, moving his knives and forks around.
"Oh, what else can I do?" she asked, leaning forward over the table. He leaned further forward over the table.
"If there is one thing I learned leading the Bladebreakers, it's knowing how to inspire every member of the team. Even the little guy." He said, almost in a whisper.
"And…" she urged him on.
"Today, you had a whole stadium of bladers inspired to do the right thing. To blade from the heart. To keep the beyblade spirit alive. That's something not everyone has." He said, putting his hand over hers. She was struck at how hot his skin felt. She gasped as she looked at his hand and then back at his grey eyes. "You have it." He added. She blushed and turned her head away from him. He was flirting with her, on their first date no less.
"Well, for the winners of the tournament, there will be an even bigger inspiration to win next year." She whispered to him, still holding her hand under his.
"What?" he asked. His interest was peaked now. What was the BBA planning?
"You'll have to win to see." She said. Progressively through this conversation they had been getting closer to each other. Their lips were only inches apart now. He saw that her eyes became soft and dreamy. She felt her troubles melt away and felt herself been drawn to him like a moth to a flame. To him, she was the flame that needed his unwavering attention. They closed their eyes and prepared for the kiss.
"You're Hors d'oeuvres, Princess." The waiter barged in. They pulled away from each other, letting go of each other's hands, and both were clearly embarrassed.
"Thank you." She said to him as he put down the plates.
"Escargot, Princess. Enjoy." He said, leaving the room.
"Wait, I don't know a lot of French, but that means…" Kai said, looking at the plate covered in cheese and smelling of garlic.
"Snails. That's right." She said, taking one and popping it into her mouth. She savored it and swallowed, opening her eyes to see his shocked and frowning face.
"Come on, it's not that bad. Just try one. If you don't like it, we'll order something else." She said. He picked up the fork and tried one. The soft and tender texture wasn't as bad as he had imagined. He swallowed.
"Mmm, not bad. You have good taste, Charlotte." He smiled and tried another one.
After mains and dessert, Kai did what any man would do with a woman he liked.
"Can I take you home?" he asked. She laughed at him and he laughed too, but he didn't know at what.
"How much have you had to drink?" she asked, looking at the bottle of wine.
"Well, the bottle is empty, but as I recall, you were drinking too." He smiled.
"How about I take you home, in my limo? With more champagne." She said, standing up. He got up and opened the door for her. They walked out together, where her limo was waiting for them. A few lucky photographers got a few pictures of them together. They got in the drove away.
After a few minutes, the limo stopped. She opened the window to look into the lobby of his hotel.
"Looks like we're here." She said to him. He sighed.
"I wish this date could go on forever. I wish I didn't have to go back." He said, leaning back in his seat.
"It's late, and you're blading tomorrow. You need your sleep." She touched his leg. He looked at her hand and she promptly removed it.
"I'm sorry; it seems I've had too much to drink." She said, looking down at her hand in her lap. He had humiliated her. Maybe he should leave now he thought.
"Goodnight, Charlotte." He said as he opened his door but she touched his shoulder.
"The winner will get a kiss from me." She said to him. He sat back down and closed the door.
"What?" he asked. He wasn't sure that he had heard right. Maybe he had too much to drink as well.
"The winning team members of the tournament will each receive a kiss from me." She said and blushed. She leant over slowly, watching his eyes and gently kissed him on the cheek.
"Good night Kai. See you tomorrow." She said. He blushed, smiled and opened the door again. She prepared for the door to slam but instead he sat back down and closed the door. She looked at him.
"What are you do…" she said before she was stopped mid sentence by his lips silently touching hers. She closed her eyes and kissed him back softly. She leaned into him and laid her hand on his chest, softly tugging as his shirt. He pulled away slowly, watching her dazzling expression. She opened her eyes and started slightly astonished at him.
"Goodnight, Charlie." He smiled and opened the door, got out and closed it. She blushed as the car drove off into the lit streets and disappeared behind a building. Kai smiled and made his way back to his suite.
The team was waiting for him, although, asleep. He opened the door and saw them sleeping on the couch. He closed the door softly and tried to sneak back to his room, until Tyson came around the corner with a tub of ice-cream in his hand and a spoon in the other.
"Hey, how was the date?" he asked and with that the others woke up.
"You're back, what's the time?" Kenny asked.
"It's past one." Ray said, looking at his watch.
"Um, it was good, I think I'm gonna turn in. I need to get in a practice session tomorrow. Goodnight guys." He said and swiftly walked to his room and closed the door.
"Oh, it was good." Hilary laughed.
He lay in his bed, looking at the ceiling. He was sure this is what it felt like. To like someone that every second without them was agony, and the moment they met again, would last forever in the space of their minds. He kept seeing her walk up the stairs to the podium, looking like an angel. There were no sounds in his dream, just the sound of her heels on the floor and the sound of his heart beating faster every time he imagined her smiling.