I felt the vibrations of my circulatory system on the tip of my tongue, making it hard to force the muscles in my throat to do their job.

Watching male faces as they studied my midriff, accepting my pour of warmed sake, a sensation I concluded was a split second free falling before my backside landed on one of the loveseat cushions. The hand wrapped around my wrist freed itself, belonging to a rounded face man with an oncoming mustache, completely contrasted to the blonde locks framing his cheeks.

He introduced himself, but I already knew about Eiichi Takahashi through employees' ID cards. I topped his cup off as he encouraged me to join him for a drink, not wanting to draw unneeded attention to myself, and quickly noticed some of the other girls had their sake glasses in hand I agreed.

I hated alcohol ever since I'd snuck into Steve Mason's bottle of rum from his desk in his home office and I was sick the whole night as a preteen. One of the few things I've experienced that could be considered normal.

So, I only pretended to slip away at my drink as we started out talking.

"I hope Yotsuba considers Misa for your next spokesperson, she'd be great."

I remind myself to act normal, not needing to use such big words since I'm not trying to keep up with much smarter individuals than myself.

"It's surprising to see such camaraderie in your line of work, why aren't you interested in the position?"

I took a deep breath, noticing Takahashi catching the movement with his eyes.

"Well. I didn't think I had a chance, not against someone pretty as Misa."

He took another tug from his sake, slipping his arm around my lower back his right hand laying on the hem of my yellow skirt. Takahashi's fingertips warmed up my exposed flesh, I hadn't even realized how chilled my body had gotten.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that I'd say you are just as beautiful."

I let myself blush because a complement is a complement no matter where it comes from. I replied with my appreciation, feeling our skin-to-skin contact growing deeper on his part as his fingers buried themselves just a little farther into my bare dermis.

Feeling the drink he'd been throwing back, Takahashi was barely keeping his eyes off of me at this point. I smiled at him only faking another slip of mine.

"I just realized I never asked you your name."

As I was about to answer him, a figure slid across my peripheral vision slipping into the bathroom. Without moving my head towards the creature drawing in my attention, fearing Takahashi might follow suit if I did, I tried to work out the problem with the bit of information I was collecting.

If it was Matsuda, I needed to try my best to aid him, but if it was any of the other members of Yotsuba I should keep track of the situation.

The feeling of a strange hand on my upper thigh pushed the ongoing process to the back burner.

"It seems like you can't handle your drink, good to know."

He let a warm chuckle, and I offered an apology and my name, Violet. After repeating it once, like tasting an old brandy, he asked me if I was single. This time I was much faster at answering because it was technically true.

"Yes, I'm single."

I pushed a few loose locks back behind my left ear, baring more of my neckline. Happy to hear about my romantic status, he scooted me closer so now our legs were touching. I didn't need to ask him the same question as I felt the imprint his wedding ring left on my naked back.

"Is Matsui still in the bathroom? He's been in there for a while now." One of the other suited men, Hatori, I believed was his name, spoke out.

Hatori had a worried look on his face and I wasn't sure if that was his normal features or not, but it made me a little nervous.

I took a soft puff of air, planting a smirk of another kind on my lips.

"Maybe he can't handle his drink?"

The air in the living room thinned out, and the mixer hummed back to life as jokes about Matsui being a lightweight circulated.

I was in the middle of listening to Takahashi tell me a story about his time in New York City growing up when a loud bang echoed throughout the room. The bathroom door had hit the parallel wall hard enough that I was surprised nothing needed to be patched up.

His red tie was now around his head, flopping over the framing of his face and it made Matsuda's normally neat black hair ruffled up.

"Oh, man,"

He said, moving throughout the room like his head was spinning off his shoulders.

"It's time for the Taro Matsui show!"

Nobody took their eyes off of him as he made his way to the opened balcony, getting on top of the railing and acting like a trapeze artist.

I laid my head on Takahashi's chest, burying my face into his suit.

"He's going to hurt himself! You have to get him to stop!" I told him, looking horrified up into his eyes.

I was hoping I wouldn't have to make myself cry or tear up.

The room filled with Matsui's screams as he slipped off, only becoming silent after a hard thump along the nighttime pavement. I made sure to gasp and cover my eyes once more, letting whimpers of make-believe fall out of my mouth. I felt his wandering hand from my thigh moving up and I knew he had bought into the act.

"We can't be here, it'll ruin Yotsuba's reputation." A man with wire-rimmed glasses noted, keeping calm in the upset.

Misa chimed in with the preplanned solution.

"Go, the girls, and I will take care of everything. Just remember me for the next spokesperson spot."

The sound of sirens drew closer as the men of Yotsuba made their way back down before too much of a crowd gathers around outside. As Misa watched the scene down below as I leaned over her loveseat texting Watari so he could finish paying people off.

"Geez, even from up here, Light is so cute."

I could hear the bubbliness in Misa's voice, shoving the cellphone into the only holding place I had at the moment, inside my top. Walking over to the only other female on the building floor, I looked over the railing and saw Light and L load the stretcher into the medic vehicle.

"You love him don't you?" I asked offhand, as people below us started to go back inside.

"I do, he's everything. Oh, that reminds me, these are for you, Violet."

She passed me three Yotsuba business cards, all with handwritten numbers on the back of them, besides each of their office numbers. I had expected Takahashi's but not the other two. After asking Misa if she got any and finding out she also had three in her possession.

"But, you know, none of mine are married. That means I win."

I listened to her as we walked back to the basement level to regroup. Not knowing it was ever a contest, all I could do was agree. After scanning my thumbprint to let the two of us in, seeing everyone again and still in costume.

Misa rushed past me to hug Light, acting like a star-crossed lover. I stood by L as the others welcomed Matsuda back from harm. The rush of embarrassment coated my tongue, as heat threatened to expose me.

"Are you alright, Miss? Petrillo? You look pale."

I cursed at the sound of L's voice, as he was the cause of my ailment.

"I'm fine, maybe just a little tired."

Even though I was barely dressed, I felt completely naked right now.

"You know Ryuzaki, Violet tonight got some numbers from some very important men."

My mouth dried up at Misa's words, understanding the direction she was trying to push the two of us in, but God a little tact would suffice.

"Oh? That's very good. It means she did the job well enough."

Misa's mouth flatlined, the emotions on her face clear to read.

Thank God for small favors as Watari came in with the tea trolly and a new clean white shirt. L excused everyone for the night as he wanted to maul over his next steps alone.