-XXX-
SASUKE
Miss Haruno was as accurate as a clock. She arrived promptly at 7 PM, accompanied by Kabuto, who had informed me a few minutes earlier that Miss Haruno had already arrived for our agreed appointment. Just like yesterday, I opened the door for her, let her in, took and hung up her coat, all in complete silence without a spoken word.
We were acting stiffly, very formally towards each other, and it was clear to me that we had to change that. The problem was, I didn't know how to do it.
Again, I went into the kitchen and she followed three steps behind me. I gestured to the bar stool she had sat on the day before and I handed her a glass of wine from the counter. "I ordered Chinese." My errands today had taken up so much time that I'd gotten home barely an hour ago and hadn't managed to cook anything decent.
"You didn't have to..." She remarked, but she smiled a little at that anyway. But I knew that even though I wasn't hungry, I remembered how her stomach had been growling last night around the same time. I sat down across from her and pulled a brown envelope out of the suitcase placed on the counter. "I wrote up the contract earlier this afternoon, as well as my list for you. Read it and then we'll discuss it."
"All right." She reached for the envelope, but paused before reaching for it, as if she was worried the paper would hurt her. After a moment, I slid another envelope toward her. Smaller and duller. "This is your first payment." She waited, not touching the innocent-looking little envelope. "Take it." I prodded her, but she still didn't touch it, she just eyed me.
I reached out and tapped my finger on the envelope. She pouted in response. "We're not moving anywhere until you take it." I was slowly losing patience with her stubbornness, though I could tell she was just being coy. "It's work, Miss Haruno." I had to start getting used to calling her by her first name and treating her as my fiancée, not my secretary, but I was still more comfortable with calling her by her last name. "And this is money for your work. Take it." I groaned and she finally took the envelope. Although she didn't even look at it and shoved it in her purse.
"I want you to quit tomorrow." I requested unintentionally just as she was taking a sip from her glass of wine. Of course it go down the wrong way, and it honestly scared me more than I thought it would, when she began to choke and cough. I don't know how I would have impressed Namikaze with the story of how I killed my fiancée. Fortunately, she cleared her throat safely before I would be forced to save her. She looked at me in total surprise. "What? Tomorrow already? That's too fast..."
"If it works, and I know it will..." I kept running the scenario through my head. "I'm gonna have to leave fast and I want you out of here before things get ugly at work." It was clear to me that Danzo was going to freak out and it wasn't going to be pleasant. Miss Haruno bit the inside of her cheeks anxiously, but remained quiet. "'Spill it...'" I sighed and put my elbows on the table to support my chin.
"What if it doesn't work out?" Miss Haruno piped up. "Will you give me..." She glanced at the wine glass she was fiddling with with her fingers. "Will you give me a recommendation?" She took a small breath and straightened up. "I'll have to find another job somewhere-" I jumped in. "I've thought about it."
"I have a number of connections, and if this doesn't work out and I move to Konoha," I mumbled through my teeth in irritation. "Then I have two companies on retainer for you that will hire you immediately." I explained and her chest sank in relief. "You don't have to look for a job yourself if you don't want to." She took a moment to process the information I'd just given her, and as she took a sip of wine she opened her mouth to speak, so I continued. "Yes, I'll give you a great recommendation." It was clear to me what she wanted.
"Even if you think I'm a terrible secretary?" She asked in amazement, and her question took me aback as well. I got up from the counter, reached for the wine and poured myself a glass as well. "I never said that." I objected as I stood with my back to her. "Actually, you're very good secretary." I never gave compliments, nor did I plan on starting with them, I was just stating the facts.
"But you could deceive me." She said defiantly in a hard tone she hadn't used yet tonight. I turned over my shoulder to say something to her because her disbelief was starting to piss me off, but we were saved from my response by the doorbell.
"Dinner." I set my glass on the counter. "Read the contract and we'll talk about it after dinner." She opened her mouth to speak her mind but I slammed my palms on the countertop and she jumped in. She's really driving me crazy... I took a breath and in a muffled voice I said "Stop bickering. We'll have dinner and you'll eat first. Then you can overwhelm me with protests and arguments." I turned around in dismay and walked to the front door to pick up the food from the courier.
Why is she so resistant to accepting even simple food from me?!
She'll have to get used to accepting a lot of other things from me if this is going to work.
Around the corner in the hallway, I slipped my hand into my pants pocket and fumbled for the small box I'd stashed there earlier in the afternoon. If she's this thrown off by 'first paycheck and dinner', she's going to be beside herself because of what I have in store for her afterwards.
...
Dinner was again held in quiet. She read the contract and asked me a few questions, which I answered truthfully. Then I handed her a pen and she signed the documents. Then she watched as I did the same.
"There are two copies, one for each of us." I said as I flattened the documents and shoved them back into the envelope. "They will be kept here in my safe and I will give you the code to it." I could see the awe in her eyes when I mentioned that I had a safe, but she didn't challenge my decision as she normally would and I was glad.
"Will your lawyer also have a copy?" She asked me worriedly, probably out of fear that someone else would know about our contract. "No." I shook my head. "No, it's just an agreement between us. He'll only know about it, but he'll be bound by confidentiality." I trusted Obito to do a good job as our best family lawyer and keep it to himself. He might tease me now and then, but he'd be discreet about the contract.
"When this show is over, we can destroy them. I had our contract made especially for you."
"Really?" She asked, pleasantly stunned. "That was thoughtful of you, thank you." She smiled thankfully at me, and I handed her a small box during that moment. "Here's your new private phone." Her gaze slid from the box back to me. I knew she probably didn't own a mobile phone, or I'd never seen one in her possession, but it didn't matter. "I saved my private number in there so you can call and text me."
This time, fortunately more willingly, she reached for the box which she unwrapped, examining her new phone carefully as if it was going to fall and break at any moment.
"How much stuff are you going to move in here?" I broke her concentration. "I don't have much things, so you don't have to worry about that..." She said without even giving it a second thought. I didn't know what "I don't have much" meant for her, so I braced myself for the pile of stuff the movers and I would be moving from her apartment.
"What about cancelling the lease?" She lowered her eyes and gently traced over her new phone. "I'm on a month's notice, so I'll probably miss my last payment." She said cranky, but I didn't blame her. I knew she was saving wherever she could. "I'll pay it." With that, I indicated that it was a done deal.
"What time do you want me to book the movers?" I asked while pulling my phone out of my pocket and looking for the number of the moving company. " There's no need for that. It's just a few boxes, I can handle it myself." She shook her head and put on that fake smile again. I frowned at her comment. "No furniture either?"
"No." She replied. "I just have some books, a few personal items and a few clothes." She stated and without thinking I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "You won't need clothes, you'll get a new wardrobe." Her face turned red at my decision, an angry glint appeared in her eyes, and she immediately protested. "What's wrong with my clothes?" She put her hand to her hip, obviously expecting a compelling reason, and most likely an apology.
"Nothing." I didn't care that she wore old, bland and unflattering clothes, because it didn't concern me in the least, though I supposed there would have been something better for a woman her age. Would she have saved so much on clothes, too? After all, her salary is not at all small that she couldn't afford something better to wear. But now it was different, she was supposed to play my fiancée. "But it's better if you wear more appropriate clothes for social occasions."
I was sure she wanted to resist, but she said nothing. "After you pack your things, I'll bring the boxes in my car." I assumed that if she had so little stuff, it would fit in the car. I handed her another envelope. "Here's the contract for your new bank account and your card." She accepted the envelope with an uncertain hand and shoved it into her purse again as quickly as if it would bite her. "I don't think this was even necessary, I'm not going to spend your money." She stated determinedly and I brushed over her comment.
"Be here early Saturday morning so you can get ready for the barbecue at Namikaze's house." I reminded her of the weekend event that would kick off this whole show. Today was Tuesday, so moving would take place tomorrow and we'd go to the barbecue on Saturday afternoon. But I didn't like the idea of waiting uncertainly until Saturday to see if Miss Haruno would arrive or if she might change her mind at the last minute. "Maybe you should spend the night here on Friday, at least you'll spare yourself the trip."
She looked up in alarm. "Spend the night?" She repeated in a slightly shaky voice and I got up from the counter. " I'll show you the house." She waited a moment, but also got up and followed me. She didn't say much during our simple tour. Occasionally, out of politeness, she complimented the modern furniture or the spaciousness of the rooms. I showed her the guest rooms, my study and the gym located at the end of the first floor. She already knew the hall, kitchen and living room.
Then when we went up the stairs to the second floor to see the main bedroom, she was visibly nervous. "Very… nice..." She cooed and I gave her a nod. "Hn..."
I pointed with my hand to the end of the hall where the largest guest room in the house was. "That one over there has its own bathroom." She turned to face the door I pointed to. "It should suit you." Her tense shoulders relaxed with a deep exhale, and this time it was I who looked at the other person with a visible question written in my eyes.
"I thought you might be..." she paused and moved her gaze towards the vase in the hallway, but then boldly returned her eyes to me again. "I thought you might want to share a bedroom." She stated with relief in her voice and I had to sigh.
"There is only a business contract between us." I said clearly and sternly. "You will have your own space inside here and I will have mine." While she was happy to have her own room, she was getting uncomfortable. I could tell she felt stupid for thinking of it, and for saying it out loud. "I don't expect anything from you, Miss Haruno." I couldn't help the sneer that escaped me and asked, "Did you expect us to sleep together too?"
She snapped her head up and screamed loudly. "Of course not, shannaro!"
Her defiant energy surprised me. Her little bursts of rebelliousness were annoying, but refreshing in their own way. She turned on her heel and made her way along the hallway to the staircase and back down to the first floor. Her footsteps echoed hollowly on the wooden floor. I followed quietly behind her, listening to what sounded like cursing under her breath. When we were back in the living room, she turned to look at me, lightning flying from her eyes. "You're the one who expects something from me, Mr. Uchiha. Not me from you."
"But you agreed."
She folded her hands on her chest, oozing anger. It was certainly a change. It could have been the acclimatization of the surroundings or the contract negotiated and hidden in the safe. But the fact was that her early phase of shyness had been replaced by anger. Slightly unjustified, in my opinion. But I was grateful for even the slightest progress.
"I agreed because I have no other choice. Your decision directly affects my life and I'm trying to cope with it. I hate lying and I'm not a good actress." She explained truthfully, putting emphasis on every word. But I didn't learn anything new, I already knew this.
"What's your point?" I wanted to get to the heart of the matter.
"If you don't put in the effort, it won't work. I can't control my emotions that fast." She remarked and I looked at her. "What exactly do you want from me?" I asked bluntly, shoving my hands in my pockets.
"Can't we at least try to get along?" She waved her hands and sighed deeply. "I'm sure we could find some common ground that would be better than your condescending attitude and not-so-well-hidden hostility." Her voice didn't waver, it was clear, concise. A barely visible smirk crossed my lips. I saw further evidence of Miss Haruno's courage, which she had probably been suppressing all along.
"I'll take that under consideration." I tilted my head. "Anything else?" I urged her to continue, but she faltered. Her fingers toyed with the gray blouse she was wearing. "You mustn't..." She bit off a sentence and paused. "What?" I said with slowly running out of patience. "You're not allowed to see other women as long as we're... as long as we're together."
Miss Haruno looked everywhere but at me. "I'm not allowed to see other women?"
"I don't want you to sleep with other women during our fake engagement." She explained properly to make it clear, even though her cheeks were so red I thought her head was going to explode. Still, she straightened up and looked me straight in the eye. "It would be humiliating..."
For the first time in a long time, it was me who was taken aback and speechless. This part of our convention, and this subject altogether, had not occurred to me in the least. I had never been in a serious relationship, and therefore I found her request ridiculous. While I'm not a family man, I know for a fact that I'm not the kind of bastard who would cheat on my own fiancé, nor would I cheat on a fake fiancé. Those types of men have always disgusted me. I was a little offended that she thought this of me to the point where she felt the need to put her concerns into those words.
Unbelievable... I grunted and turned my back on her. "I'll drive you home, it'll be a long day tomorrow."
Fuming that she hadn't gotten the answer she expected, she remained standing in the middle of the living room, watching me move away from her towards the front door. When I realized I was standing alone at the door, I turned over my shoulder and called out to her, "Or do you want to spend the night here today too?"
She shook her head and was behind me in a flash, saying, "No, thank you." I grabbed my coat, she grabbed her stuff, and I opened the door for her to go ahead to the car.
The ride was silent again until she told me in a gentle voice to pull over to the curb where she pointed and thanked me for the lift. At least we ended our evening on a good note.
I leaned my head exhaustedly against the armrest of the car seat and finally released my firm grip on the steering wheel. It was clear to me that my life was about to change in a way I had never planned. I could only hope it would pay off.
-XXX-
End of Chapter 11