So much for having a day off.

The workhorse that was Geese Howard did not allow himself to laze about for a full day. He could spend a few hours training before the hustle drew him back to work, answering inquiries and whatnot. Of course, not in his office but rather from his personal study. It was here where he did some personal reflection, penning letters, and whatnot. Now he used it as his home office because he liked the feeling of how his kimono fitted today.

Under the stack of organized papers, Geese found a copy of the employment contract for Mai. Until now, she had worked as a server, and she was getting the hang of it. Maybe it was time to move her to a different position. One start could be as a secretary. Or perhaps she could just go behind the bar instead. By the end of the week, Geese would have to discuss it with her anyway.

Maybe he was under the influence of wishful thinking but he had the slight feeling that things might be a little better between himself and Mai. From observing the Bogard boys and their friends, he had always pegged Mai to be the most reasonable of the lot and he didn't discriminate against those who wished to work for him – her included. While he related to her issues, he would be lying if he denied that Andy was an obstacle in obtaining Mai and her talents.

Heck, getting one of the Bogard boys working in Geese's empire would be a bonus as well but that would sure as hell never happen. Not in a million years. But there was Mai and Geese did what he could to be mindful of her vulnerabilities. He didn't intend to break her, but he would have to find a way to make her accept the savory sides of Howard Connection. Suffice it to say, chance and circumstances had been fortunate enough to provide Geese with such an opportunity with Mai. Only a fool would squander it.

He left the office afterward, deciding to make good on his time. The two top floors of the tower were exclusively Geese's private quarters, the uppermost of which contained a hobby room he seldom visited. Today was one of those rare days. He opened the door, expecting to be alone, and was surprised when he was not.

Like a kitten getting accustomed to its new home, Mai found herself in his presence. She stood over the baseball and gloves before hovering over the golf bag. She hadn't noticed him, and Geese could have said something but he enjoyed watching her flutter about for she so rarely did.

Strangely, her presence was comforting for the simple reason that Geese was a man with a heart and Mai was a pretty girl. Well, that and the fact that he never quite held any strong feelings towards her like he did the Bogards. Maybe she was beginning to feel something similar. Especially if she sought him out herself. The first day of her break wasn't even over but it would appear she was beginning to settle. Just a bit.

Besides, it wasn't as if Mai was trapped here forever. She could leave whenever she wanted but Geese had a slight feeling that she needed this tower more than initially thought. Much more than she was willing to admit. A path to convalescence as she reestablished connections to other people and gained some semblance of a steady routine.

Perhaps it would help her overcome her woes and return her to the spunky woman, she was before with a zest for life and a reason to go on. Geese was not a therapist but inadvertently, he felt like he was walking that fine line.

"Hello, Miss Mai. Didn't expect to see you here," Geese greeted and she flinched, turning around. Her shoulders slumped a little in relief. She shuffled on her feet, unsure of what to say in response so he took the task of breaking the ice some more.

"Do you know how to play pool?" he gestured at the billiards table, unsurprised when she shook her head. Without further questioning, Geese stepped forward to take the cue sticks and offered one to Mai.

This was not a date.

Maybe he should say that to her as she stared at the stick like it was an alien artifact. Considering she had spent so much time serving drinks in the casino, she must have seen them at this point.

"Do you want to play? I promise I'll make your defeat hurt as little as possible," he asked with a cheeky, self-assured grin, watching a deep red spread over her face as her lips thinned.

Contrary to the jest, he made, he held out the pool stick, and she snatched it out of his hands, staring intently at the balls in the middle of the table. Thus a game was quickly set up. From an outsider's perspective, no one would suspect a thing if they watched Geese and Mai engaged in the simple pastime of billiards. It looked like an easygoing activity but for Geese, it served as a lesson.

With each turn, he spent more time observing Mai than keeping track of her score. He had to give it to her though; she was talented for someone who didn't know how to play. More amusingly, she was engrossed in the game, grimacing whenever she didn't hit her target. Much to Geese's relief, she carried herself a little less tense now although sudden movements made her flinch. The shock from the shootout wasn't entirely gone.

And more frustratingly, the mystery of the "J" ended with the leader of the gang who attacked. In less than a day, they had been eradicated and that was the end of it. Their leader was not J however and he had refused to give any information on who had ordered the hit.

Geese had initially told Mai that it was random gangbangers but the truth was that it was a deliberate assassination attempt. They so rarely happened anymore so someone must have it out for him and Mai just got wrapped up in the mess. Despite her woes and grief, Geese would reckon that this hadn't broken her; she just needed a little more time to pick up the pieces and assemble them to recreate herself. It could be a long wait, but that wasn't a concern for Geese.

In the end, he won their game of pool and celebrated with a self-serving hum, watching Mai pout and grumble. A musing quiet had fallen over the room since the start of their game and it had been a time of reflection, but Geese knew she hadn't come here to play pool. Something was on her mind; there usually was when she sought him out.

With yet another round of silence, they left the hobby room, emerging into the hallway with its Japanese paintings, sliding doors, and American flags. And the ukiyo-e portraits of Geese, naturally. He just managed to close the door before Mai stopped with a single word, clear with confidence.

"Truce."

"What?" he turned around, more bemused than amused. Most of all, maybe a little bit elated assuming he heard her right.

"I mean, I want a truce," Mai uttered, a little less assured. "I'm not going to be mean to you anymore and you won't be a goose to me either."

No. He heard her correctly. Geese had to poke the inside of his cheek with his tongue to prevent himself from smiling. Shit, if a week off and a game of pool was what it took to draw her closer to him, he should have done so much earlier. At this rate, she'd be serving him with her talents before her contract had run out. But first, he needed to clear some misunderstandings. "I don't think I've ever been mean to you. I never had any issues with you after all."

"No, it's the way you look at me. I can't tell if you're mocking me half the time – also you're the worst winner," Mai shuffled on her feet again, rubbing her arms for comfort.

For a moment, Geese recalled listening in on a conversation between Ripper, Hopper, and Billy about some scientific study that showed women were better at reading nonverbal cues than men. It seemed Mai had used this skill. That said, Geese never intended to mock her, just be direct with her. Maybe her lingering distaste colored her judgment.

"Huh. Well, they did always say I was a mean-looking bastard when I got my wins. I mock those who deserve it. You've never been on that list," Geese assured her, watching her shoulders relax again. A subtle tint of red spread over her face as she must have realized her misunderstanding.

"Oh…"

"With that out of the way, I think this development needs celebration. Care to join me for dinner today? It's steak night How do you like your steaks, Miss Mai?"

The questions made Mai visibly shudder, then hum with musing thoughts like she was processing each word individually in great detail. She folded her hands behind her back while she mulled over her preferences. "I don't eat those ever but…almost brown? Like a little pink?"

"That would be medium well. I prefer rare myself. Maybe medium rare."

"So like super red? Raw."

"Yes but it's not raw."

She was not impressed. He wasn't trying to impress her either; he was just being honest. Leaving the hallway, they entered the sitting room adjacent to a library. Both of which were never in use, but Hein did like to linger in the latter when he was off duty. Apparently, a few books about handicrafts had caught his interest.

That aside, Geese had little reason to be here. Perhaps he just liked to watch Mai's reaction to the opulence he lived in. She seemed to stare and flutter about, staring with wide brown eyes at whatever happened to catch her interest. It just happened to be literally everything. Most particularly, the elaborate mahogany wood sword stands with the samurai swords on it. She just seemed to fit so well in here like she was meant to be part of this place. Watching her was mesmerizing. Her presence was calming.

"You really are a Japanophile. Wow," she said, wonderous and perhaps a little admiring. Interesting that she had made such a comment that could be interpreted as snide without meaning to. And here she was, worrying so much about getting mocked.

"I take pride in that label," Geese chuckled. He remained in the opening of the room, leaning against the frame to watch her observe and touch certain things when curiosity got the best of her.

She had found herself in the library and pulled out a few novels. The Scarlet Letter and The Stepmother's Diary were among them. There were a few hours to kill before dinner time and Geese wondered if Mai intended to flutter about during all this time. So far, she seemed to entertain herself just fine.

And admittingly Geese liked the atmosphere she brought. Was she happy? No, and he didn't expect her to be, but she was getting there, and the positive influences seemed to make the journey easier. Perhaps Geese was bit of a sap for thinking this but he wondered what she was like when she was genuinely happy and relaxed. He wondered if her beauty translated into a genuine smile; it probably did. Ah, for a moment, he felt a slither of envy toward Andy for being the one to bask in her jubilation.

"You won't get through those books in one afternoon," Geese said to her as she sat down and opened the first book. She looked up with those wide brown eyes of hers and cowered into the pages.

"Don't worry, you can borrow 'em," he shrugged and in turn watched her relax. Hm. Suppose Geese had become a therapist for Mai after all. He moved out of the library again as she got to reading, comfortably nestling in the lounge chair.

By the opening to the living room stood Billy now with a transparent expression of discomfort. Something must have happened. Something unpleasant had been discovered.

"Uh, a word with you," he said, and Geese followed him down the hallway until they were far enough away from Mai. Best she wasn't here to hear the bad news. The look on Billy's face tightened a bit as he drew a deep breath to compose himself and relay the information.

"So the murdering pillocks from yesterday were actually a cog in a massive network of gangs and small-time mobsters. They all seemed to work together under a common leader, but we have no idea who that is."

Not the first time such a plot had been orchestrated. It wouldn't be the first time Geese had to deal with such a force either. He had been part of such a group when he was a street urchin. He had quelled them when he obtained power. It was hideously easy because of the fact that they weren't exactly subtle or graceful. He had hoped that this matter would be solved rather easily too. Yet…

He narrowed his eyes a bit, "And?"

"Well killing the small fry caused the whole rat's nest to blow a gasket. I think it's a coalition against us," Billy explained.

"How big is it? Anyone on our side?"

"Not counting the one we got rid of…five gangs and three crime families. They began acting really weird after last night. I think they panicked so that gave us reason to believe they were involved," the younger answered while he searched through the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a piece of paper; a list of all the organizations said to be involved with this coalition.

Geese took the paper and scrutinized every suspect. On the list were five rather large gangs and two rising crime families, moving from Chicago when the crackdowns began. A partnership had been discussed with one of them if Geese remembered correctly. Individually, they could be easily handled but combined and organized under one leader, they would a nuisance.

Dammit. And he had a business trip coming up in a few weeks. Perfect timing. This would have to be handled quickly and efficiently. Geese would have to be there for the aftermath because of that trip but he reckoned Billy knew how to handle it.

"Root out the crime families first. Street gangs tend to be more chaotic and without the big shots there to organize, they might begin warring with each other. The fish rots by the head after all," he said and folded the paper, giving it back to Billy who nodded in affirmation of the order given to him.

At that moment, a faint buzz came from his pocket, and he immediately scowled, pulling out his phone as he cursed. "Oh, for fuck's sake"

"Lily?" Geese raised a brow, mildly curious and mildly amused. He had a feeling it had not been her for then Billy wouldn't have reacted like that.

"No, I wish. It's that knobhead in the trunks who hung out with the Bogards. He wanted my number and Mai made me give it to him. He's just sending me bad jokes and awful pictures," Billy scoffed and showed the screen, on which was a picture of a cat with its head stuck in a piece of toast. It was tepidly amusing although Geese was far more interested in who had sent it and why.

As far as he knew, Billy wasn't too keen on the one in the trunks. What was his name again? Joe? Either way, it all tied back to Lily and some past scuffles so to think that things had come down to this was interesting to say the very least. It all seemed comical, enough to make Geese chuckle.

"W-what?" Billy looked up from his phone screen with his cheeks dyed in a deep red.

"Yet here you are, answering him back."

"With angry faces so he gets the hint. Now if he'd only stop sending me hearts in response."

"Heh, do keep me updated on this saga of yours," Geese folded his arms over his chest, watching Billy grow increasingly more flustered. There was no response from him then, only a strange sound and further blushes as if he wanted the earth to part in two and swallow him. The exchange was a nice break from the looming presence of the nuisance ahead.

Evening came about when the fated dinner date came about. Mai continued to linger, although she sank into small talk with the maid staff – in particularly the private chef who was around her age. Which was good as Geese could retreat into his office for a while, mulling over the information from Billy until he had enough, and went to change into something more presentable. When he emerged into the dining room, a peaceful quiet settled within.

By the table stood Mai, staring at the plates, until her eyes snapped upwards to Geese. Someone within the maid staff had decided to dim the lamps a bit, thus bringing an unintentionally intimate atmosphere to the dining room. Geese gestured for Mai to sit, knowing her well enough to figure out that she might not have been a fan of him pulling out the chair for her considering the concerns of patronizing.

However, he did step in as a gentleman and was about to pour some wine for her when she declined, settling for some iced water from the pitcher. As promised, tonight was steak night and Mai poked at her meat before cutting it open, checking it for any redness. Geese had been wise enough to mention to the maid staff there would be no redness.

There was little conversation during most of the meal, just the ambiance of Mai getting busy with picking everything apart and cutting away any fatty pieces before she even began eating.

"I take it you're not a steak person," Geese said, spearing a piece of grilled asparagus. She looked upwards at him for a moment and shook her head.

"All right. I'll let you decide what we'll be having next time," Geese promised her, watching excitement flicker in her eyes. He'd have a toast for that, reaching for his glass of wine. He closed his eyes for a moment before she responded with; "Tonkatsu!"

Geese hummed in acknowledgment, and they fell back into silence. Not a bad start, he concluded, slicing through the piece of seared meat.