Chapter 162: Where it Started

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Kuon would overcome his sadness with Kyoko by his side.

Tina smirked as she watched Damian diligently wipe down the last of the glasses and put them in their proper place. She never paid attention to what happened once the bar closed. Damian had a checklist for everything that needed to be done before locking the doors and calling it a night. The staff had done their job and left ten minutes ago. Now she understood the staff's jokes while leaving regarding his OCD tendencies. He needed to confirm that everything was to his standards before closing up.

He had rejected her offer of help earlier so she resigned to just enjoy the view. The man was handsome in that all-American boy sort of way. The soft t-shirt he wore strained at the seams, showing off the contours of muscle in his arms and torso. Did he work out?

"Ahem," Damian cleared his throat, making Tina jump. He laughed softly and flashed her a dreamy smile. "You're making me blush. I'm almost done here. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"I don't mind," she replied with a shy smile.

"You aren't going to let me off the hook, are you?"

"There's no hook. It would just be hard to sleep," Tina explained.

Damian cocked a brow and smirked.

Tina's cheeks burned with embarrassment. "Don't take that out of context. We need to talk."

"We talked plenty earlier."

"Flirting is not talking."

"Oh," Damian smirked.

"Don't distract me. Why didn't you tell me about your wife?"

"Ex-wife," he corrected her.

Tina huffed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Sorry for shocking you. That wasn't how I wanted to tell you. You were here and Kyoko presented an opportunity. I just got excited. I can't believe she performed a new song in my bar. I didn't even get to thank her or anything. They were just…gone."

"I know what you mean." Seeing the Japanese couple so happy in love gave her mixed feelings: sadness for her loss and hope for the future.

"If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have come tonight," Tina admitted, avoiding Damian's intense blue eyes.

"Then it seems like I owe them big. I heard Ren say he would see you tomorrow or today given the hour. Would you guys want to come to my gig tomorrow night?"

"Who are you playing with?" She asked, perking up. It had been years since she heard him play.

"Cody, the Band," Damian answered leaning against the bar. Tina groaned. The band was good despite the terrible name. "He called in a favor because their drummer injured his wrist a few days ago. They're playing at the amphitheater."

"I'm sorry, I can't. I have a thing."

Damian's enthusiasm waned a little by her answer. "No worries," he smiled through his disappointment. "I kind of sprung that on you. Big plans then?"

"Yeah," Tina breathed slowly. "It's a charity event for K..." Tina stuttered. "For kids." She almost blurted out something unnecessary.

"Wow, that's a big deal. You never cease to amaze me." Damian gazed at her like she was Mother Theresa reincarnate. The Hizuris only invited her the other night at the fashion show. She had no idea it was something they had hosted for the last several years; otherwise, she would have participated from the beginning. It was nice of them to include her, but Tina insisted on donating to the cause. Several of her photographs would be added to the auction along with a monetary donation. Tina wanted to make up for the years she missed.

"Come with me," Damian said, motioning her to follow him into the back room just off the bar where his office resided.

"Wow," Tina exclaimed. The office was just as organized as she remembered, but the furniture had been replaced with more contemporary pieces and upgraded technology. Damian pulled on a cabinet door and revealed a decent size safe inside. To give him privacy, Tina busied herself with the camera screens on one wall. They covered every inch of the club outside and inside except for the bathrooms. She kept her eyes off the screen that was trained on Damian and noticed there was a screen for the parking lot too.

"I feel like Big Brother with all these screens," she joked. Damian laughed. He locked the safe and closed the cabinet.

"In this day and age, video surveillance is necessary. How do you think I knew you were coming?"

"You saw us?"

"There's a motion sensor on the lot gate that notifies my phone of any movement. Does your gallery have security?"

"I have an alarm," Tina replied in a tiny voice. Cam had warned her several times that she needed more to protect the business.

Damian frowned. "That's something, but you should get cameras too, just in case. I'll dig up the name of the company that did the bar. They won't overcharge you or try to sell you any unnecessary BS."

"Thanks that would be helpful!"

"I wanted to give you this." He held ou 6- inch paper to her.

Tina took the small sheet and read it. "What is this for?"

"For the charity. I want to help."

"Are you sure?" Tina asked incredulously. It was a generous amount. On top of it, he had left the receiver line blank.

"I'm not hurting so bad that I can't support kids in need. I should have been doing more all along."

"But you don't know anything about it, how could you just trust that…"

"I trust you," he replied sincerely and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"But.." Damian pecked her on the lips ending her protest.

"So are you free later, for lunch?" He grinned at her as Tina took a moment to process his question.

"Sorry," she smiled apologetically. "I have plans with Kyoko."

Tina smiled as he pouted. "We can meet after if you aren't too tired."

"You don't mind?"

Tina answered with a shake of her head.

"Then it's a date," he whooped, making Tina giggle. He was such a big goof, sometimes. Just like Rick used to be.

"Come on, I'll take you home."

Kyoko kept her eyes closed and sat still as the team of makeup artists, hairstylists, and nail technicians worked their magic on her. She was unused to this level of attention that all she could do was let them pull and prod at her. It was like she had a person dedicated to beautifying each part of her. She felt three brushes on her face simultaneously: one on each cheek and the last one on her right eyelid. Two technicians, one for each hand, were brushing a dark polish on her nails. Behind her, she felt the tug of two separate curling wands in her hair. This was a first for Kyoko. She didn't even have this much attention the night of the R' Mandy fashion show and not once during her work in Japan were there so many assistants just for her. She wondered how they managed to work over each other and worried that when she opened her eyes she would look disjointed, further delaying the film.

They had spent the last two hours going over the final storyboards for tonight's scenes, rehearsing said scenes, and determining the overall look for the couple. Debbie was a firm believer in the proverbial saying measure twice cut once. She wanted them to be completely prepared before the cameras began rolling due to the compressed schedule.

Now that she had some "quiet time," the worry she had suppressed for her boyfriend while they were working began to gnaw at her. Yashiro had sensed something was off when they arrived on the set ten minutes late and withheld his lecture for the time being. The couple had bowed profusely to the director, cast, and crew in apology. As they transformed her, she began to replay what happened after they left the bar's parking lot in her mind.

Kyoko ducked lower in the passenger seat, too embarrassed to show her face to the public at the moment. She was mortified when Kuon suggested they roll down the windows as they drove down the street to air out the car. The smell of their sex had engulfed the tiny space and even fogged up all the windows. She was ashamed of their reckless abandonment and lack of self-control. They couldn't keep their hands off each other for one night. Now, she was still sitting on Kuon's jacket because the crotch of her pants was a little damp and she was worried it would ruin Kuu's seat. The thought of it made her want to crawl in a hole and hide for eternity.

Since Kyoko was hiding in her seat, all she could see from the open window were lamp posts and tall buildings. After several minutes on the road, Kyoko was yanked forward in the seat but was stopped from hitting the dashboard by the seatbelt. Kuon had stomped on the brakes causing the tires to squeal, and the car to stop in the middle of the road. The man in the car behind them narrowly avoided them, blared his horn, and flicked Kuon off while screaming obscenities as he drove away. 'Did we get into an accident?'

Kyoko shot up from her seat and glanced around the area wildly. She didn't see a person or animal that would have warranted an emergency stop. She finally looked at her boyfriend and found him breathing heavily, clenching the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles appeared pale under the street light.

"I'm sorry, Princess." He seemed to recover but didn't look at her. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

She hummed and shook her head then examined him closely. For a moment before he spoke, she thought he was frozen like the incident during the Dark Moon car scene. Kyoko twisted in her seat to look out the rear window for any cars before taking off her seatbelt. They were the only car on the road at the moment. She cupped Kuon's face in her hands and searched his eyes. The melancholy shadows of the past had crept up into those false brown irises. "Are you okay, Corn?" He shook his head and averted his eyes. She twisted his face again so he would look at her. "Can you tell me what's wrong?"

Kuon ignored her question and pulled away from her, making Kyoko scowl. He put the car in gear but instead of driving off, he pulled the car to the side of the road and got out. Kyoko watched him move to the front of the car and sit down on the curb. He rested his elbows on his knees, dropped his chin in his intertwined hands, and just stared ahead unblinking. 'What in the world is he doing?'

Kyoko was completely baffled by his behavior. It was so unlike him. She scrambled out of the car and sat down next to him wrapping her arm around his tense body despite his relaxed position. She tried to follow his line of sight, but couldn't see anything. After a moment of silence, she laid her head on his shoulder and waited for him to speak. Maybe he just needed some air. They would probably be late for their first night on the job. Kyoko thought that just this once the 'Never-Late-King' could be late.

Kuon stirred after a minute or so. The first thing he did was kiss her on the forehead then wrap his arm around her, pulling her in close. She took the opportunity to ask the suspicious question that had popped up into her mind as she waited.

"Corn... is this by chance where Rick-san…" She let her voice trail off unable to finish her question.

"Yeah," he sighed. "I've never had the opportunity to drive down this road before, but I recognized that sign." He nodded to a lit sign on the adjacent building. "It's scorched in my memory."

Her eyes wandered around the area after looking at the sign. 'This is where it all started.' The place where he lost his best friend forever changing the trajectory of his life. "I'm sorry, Corn," Kyoko sniffled and swiped at the tears threatening to spill out of the corner of her eyes.

Kuon stood up, pulling her with him then embraced her tightly. Kyoko could barely breathe, but she didn't care. She wound her arms around his waist and held him just as tight. "Thank you for being here with me," he whispered into her hair.

"You never have to thank me, Corn. I'm not going anywhere."

He kissed her softly on the lips then pulled away. "Come on, we have to go." Kuon smiled down at her, but there was still a hint of shadow in his eyes that was understandable.

"Are you sure? We can call Yashiro-san and..."

"No," he interrupted. "I'm a little sad, but I'm an actor. I won't ruin this for you."

"I don't want you to force yourself." If only she knew how to drive. She could have taken over and let him rest. With Japan's excellent transportation, she didn't see a need to learn before; however, with her upcoming debut, she wanted to learn. Eventually, there would probably come a time in their future where she would need to be the one to drive.

"I'm not. I've been looking forward to working with you all night. Besides, I promised Rick that I would live my life to the fullest for his sake. I can still be sad later."

He could be so stubborn sometimes. Kyoko huffed and let him guide her to the passenger side of the door to help her in. He made sure her seatbelt was secure before climbing into the driver's seat.

"Don't bite your lip." One of the makeup artist's scolded, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry," Kyoko mumbled and released her lip from her teeth's grip. She didn't realize she was doing it. She pushed those thoughts out of her mind and focused on the job at hand, trusting that he was fine.

"You can open your eyes now," another one instructed her. "We're going to apply the false lashes."

Kyoko blinked rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the bright light shining in her face from the make-up mirror. When her eyes finally cleared, the face of a gorgeous golden-eyed woman stared back at her through the mirror. Their make-up application was a little more dramatic than what she was used to wearing. Fuji always made it a point to make her natural beauty shine through. Tonight, they went heavy with the contouring and the eyeliner. The makeup reminded her of Setsu with her dramatic eyes and red pouty lips. That's where the similarities ended. Her hair tumbled in soft waves at her shoulders and the little black dress she was to wear was too much of a modern Audrey Hepburn for Setsu's taste.

Once her makeup was done, Kyoko was guided behind the screen by the costume designer. "I'll help you dress," the designer told her.

"I can…" Kyoko began to protest.

"It's not a problem. We can't have you ruining your nails."

"Right, thank you for the help," Kyoko replied with a small bow. Removing her robe in front of this woman was going to be embarrassing with the marks Kuon had left on her. Thinking about the suction power of his mouth made her blush. The lingerie they gave her to wear did not cover it, but she was grateful for the clean pair of underwear.

"Sit in the chair, please. We have to start with the tights."

Kyoko smiled at the elegant low chair fit for a princess. The frame was designed with a romantic and ornamental swirling scroll motif in Venetian gold and had a cream-colored cushion on the seat. Kyoko swept her silk robe out and sat gracefully. She held her leg out to let the woman slide on the polka dot sheer tights. Kyoko insisted that she pull them up over her private areas alone and made sure to be very careful with her nails.

Once the tights were on, she removed her robe and draped it on the chair. She turned slowly to find the designer holding the dress low for her to step in it. The woman was so engrossed in getting her dressed that Kyoko doubted she even noticed the tiny bruises or the chafing marks on her skin. If she did, she didn't let on. She gave thanks to the heavens for the neckline not being low.

Kyoko came out from behind the changing screen and stood before the full-length mirror admiring her overall appearance. The costume designer presented her with a pair of red close-toed heels that strapped at her ankles to polish off the look. Her feet wept with happiness that the heel height was less than three inches. A few more touch-ups and she was ready to go.

…

Meanwhile, in a separate trailer, Ren had nothing but time on his hands while they waited for Kyoko. There wasn't much to his hair since the director liked the brooding way his bangs hung over his right eye. Make-up wise they had applied foundation and powder to his face, some moisturizer to his lips, and that was it. He had the rest of the time to himself...with Yashiro.

Although Yashiro seemed preoccupied with documents, Ren could tell the man was squirming in his chair now that they were alone.

"Something on your mind, Yukihito," he sighed, gazing away from the email he was composing on his phone. Kyoko's performance tonight had set the bar high and inspired him to take a thorough look at the verse Kei sent him. He made the changes he wanted and hoped it didn't insult the music producer. He couldn't pull this off without his help.

"Did you two have a fight?" Yashiro asked bluntly.

"No, why?" Ren asked, startled by the question.

"Kyoko looked like she had been crying and you seemed out of sorts when you guys first arrived. And not to mention you were late."

"That was my fault. My past caught up with me," he commented without elaborating.

"Should I be worried?"

"No, it won't interfere with work."

"That's not what I meant. Work aside, I'm asking about your overall mental health. Are you okay?"

"No, but I will be," he answered truthfully. Perhaps, seeing the place where Rick died hadn't fully settled on him. Shouldn't he have been more shocked?

"It's good that you two didn't fight. If you ever want to talk about it. I'm here for you."

"Thanks, that means a lot to me," he smiled warmly. Ren read over his reply message to Kei, once more, then pressed the send button. His plan was slowly coming together. He glanced at his manager and decided to indulge his overexcited fangirl tendencies.

"I got an email from that place. They said they would support those dates. How are things on your end?"

Ren had expected it, but it was still scary to watch his manager's eyes transition from serious to hardcore fangirl within a millisecond.

"Kyoko is in the clear. I have a stubborn producer that is unwilling to cooperate, but we still have plenty of time to work it out. Have you figured out any other details? Maybe one very important one, perhaps," Yashiro teased.

"I have a few ideas and so does my mother," he groaned. He had another one from her waiting in his inbox. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate his mother's help, he just wanted to do this part on his own.

"Since you're being so cryptic, it seems I need to talk to Julie-san," Yashiro threatened him.

"Please do, maybe you could exhaust each other out while you're at it include my Dad too."

Yashiro chuckled. "Can you blame them?"

"No, it's my fault for neglecting them for so long."

"Maybe you could give them a gift. I want to show you something." Yashiro picked up the document he was reading and handed it to Ren.

He turned the blank cover page and looked at his manager. "It's a script?" This whole time Yashiro was sitting beside him reading a script.

"I wanted to check it thoroughly before handing it to you."

Ren skimmed over the contents of the next few pages before looking up at his manager. The summary was dark and depressing. It was a different kind of psycho-thriller compared to Tragic Marker. It didn't have all the bloodshed but had all the potential to mind fuck the hell out of the audience.

"Ms. Janine sent that to me. She recommends you audition for the side character. She also added that there is a possibility you could be considered for the lead role if the director likes what he sees."

"What's the catch?"

"The catch is the schedule. The audition for the male lead is two weeks away. You would have to come back."

Ren dismissed the idea of returning so soon. He had obligated himself to several contracts in Tokyo. It would be wrong to delay them further.

"And the side character auditions?" He asked curiously.

"Which leads us to another problem, it's on Monday. That gives you less than twenty-four hours to prepare. If you're interested, I can delay your flight another day."

Ren sat quietly in thought weighing his options. When he left the Duris agency the other day, he told himself he would give building his international portfolio a chance. He had not expected it to come so soon, but this was a chance. Ideally, he wanted to try for the lead role, but the timing was not doable. Many of his colleagues back in Japan had sacrificed for him to come to fashion week. Missing one day was preferred compared to several. The Ryu schedule would take a hit if he left again.

"I want to audition for the secondary role," he declared after deliberating within himself. The faster he got the name Tsuruga Ren out there the better. People were waiting for him.

"I'll make it happen."

While Yashiro went to work, Ren busied himself with listening to the song for the MV and preparing more paper cranes until it was time for him to get dressed. It took less than five minutes for him to put on the three-piece suit. The make-up artist and hairstylist returned gushing about his beautiful girlfriend. They could not compliment her enough about her clear complexion and the softness of her hair. He smiled to himself, knowing first hand what each felt like on his fingertips. All their talk left Ren eager to see her. As soon as they were done touching up his make-up and hair, he left in search of her. She would be proud of the decision he just made.

A glance around the area told him that she wasn't out of her trailer yet. Knocking on the door would only disrupt her preparations, so he had to wait a little longer.

"Ren, would you like some more coffee?" Yashiro asked, pointing toward the trailer with the refreshments. It would be good for him to have another cup given the late hour. He followed Yashiro to the trailer where an actual barista took their order. The refreshment stand was a food truck that specialized in baked goods and breakfast items.

"Is that a pumpkin muffin?" He asked the barista. When she nodded he asked to have one with his coffee.

"Of course," she replied. "I'll get it out once your coffee is ready."

While they waited for the coffee, Ren noticed a gaggle of the female staff heading their way. This is going to be annoying. When the women greeted him, he plastered on his gentlemanly smile and nodded. He turned to engage Yashiro in conversation, but the man had abandoned him to stand at the counter.

"How do you like LA?" The woman that appeared to be the ringleader of the pack asked. Ren noticed immediately that their main objective was to talk to him and not order anything.

"I like the weather," he replied curtly, thinking such a boring topic would deter them from bothering him further.

"The weather here is gorgeous in the fall," she cooed. "I'm Liz by the way," she said introducing herself. The other women with her sounded off their names as well.

"Ren, here's your order," Yashiro interrupted, handing him the coffee and muffin.

"Thanks, Yukihito." The women's eyes were on them as he took his food from Yashiro.

"You don't strike me as a muffin kind of guy," Liz teased.

Ren shrugged. "My girlfriend loves this flavor. Well, you ladies take care," he said dismissively and walked away.

Once they were out of hearing distance from the women, Ren scolded Yashiro. "You left me hanging back there."

"Someone needed to collect our order," Yashiro replied innocently. Ren narrowed his eyes at his friend's lame excuse. "Besides, you handled yourself well. The Ren of the past would have flirted and made them all doe-eyed for him."

"I never did that."

"Really? Then I wonder where the nickname co-star killer came from," Yashiro snickered beside him.

Ren scowled. "I didn't flirt," he grumbled then sipped his coffee absentmindedly. Kyoko did accuse him often of being a playboy. He sighed heavily and hoped her impression of him has changed now.

Phil and Debbie eventually joined them with their large cups of coffee. Rather than talk more about the MV, the conversation shifted to the mobile barista they had hired for the night. Somehow, they began sharing their worst coffee stories. Ren confessed that the worse coffee he ever had was made by him.

Yashiro snorted, "That's not hard to believe. Let me guess, you forgot to use a filter."

Ren pursed his lips together, making the group laugh at his expense.

After what seemed like an eternity to him (a whopping three minutes), Ren's body tingled at the sound of her trailer door opening. As soon as she caught sight of him, she flashed him a radiant smile that threatened to take his breath away. She looked beautiful in the dress picked out for her. The cut of the dress was short and cinched at the waist with a flowy skirt that flattered her in all the right places. The square neckline elongated her neck and showed off the creaminess of her skin. What made this little dress unique to her were the large red roses embroidered over the black. He couldn't help but smile at the flowers.

Mid-walk, she twirled in front of him with a cute laugh when the skirt billowed out around her. She used her hands to stop it from going up further lest she flashed everyone watching her entrance. From what Ren could see, almost the whole crew had stopped what they were doing to look at her.

"There she is," Phil exclaimed as he noticed her approach.

"You look perfect," Debbie complimented her when Kyoko joined the group. She bowed slightly in greeting and brushed up against him.

"I'm sorry to keep you all waiting."

"It's nothing, we factored in your prep time. A woman always takes longer than a man which is why we had so many helping you at once. Believe me, this is record time compared to other actresses I've worked with," Debbie explained. "Now that you're here, we can get started. Do you have any questions regarding the scene?"

The couple shook their heads. They were ready and eager to get started.

"Good!" Debbie exclaimed. She put on the single ear headset and pressed on the device clipped to her hip. "We're ready to begin. What's the status? " she announced into the mic.

"I got this for you," Ren whispered as they followed her across the street. He held up the muffin. "I thought you might be hungry. It's pumpkin-flavored. Now that I think about it, you'll ruin those sexy red lips of yours. We can get a new one afterward."

"Wait," she cried as he made a beeline for the public trashcan sitting on the sidewalk. She tore a chunk off the muffin and popped it in her mouth bypassing her lips. "Mmm," she moaned while chewing. "It's delicious!"

"Do you want some more?" he asked before throwing it in the can.

"It's such a waste," she bemoaned, tearing a bigger chunk off and eating it. "Okay, go ahead, but I can't look!" She turned around dramatically shielding her face.

"It's safe to look again," he chuckled. He should have considered her situation

With hands intertwined, he guided her toward the group assembling around Debbie. Yashiro hung back so he wouldn't be in the way. The crew completed final checks on the equipment stationed outside the bar while Debbie gave last-minute instructions. The most important thing the couple had to remember was that there was no dialogue. Ren was the only one permitted to lip-synch with the music as he pleased everything else had to be expressed with their body language. Laughter and cheers were also encouraged.

Once the couple and the extras took their marks the director called for "ACTION!"

Tugging on the tiny hand he held, he pushed open the door and let her out first. She giggled when he yanked her back into his arms and hugged her against his chest. Her eyes darted around them noting the people mingling about the entrance so he guided her to a more secluded spot. In the shadows, he pulled her close and caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers. He felt himself drowning in those golden orbs, unable to look away even if he wanted to. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever met and he didn't even know her name.

With wide eyes, she gulped as his fingers trailed her jawline and brushed over pouty red lips. He could feel the heat of her breath on his fingers as she exhaled slowly. The hand at her waist closed the gap between them. He brushed his lips against hers, the edges of his fringe tickled her nose and made her giggle. Pulling away slowly, he slid the hand on her waist lower to once again entwine with her delicate fingers. The way those rosy lips gasped in wonder when he brought the back of her hand to his lips ignited every fiber of need within his being.

To calm himself down, they walked down the street in silence hand in hand. It was the dead of night so traffic was scarce leaving him dreaming that they were the only two souls still awake in the city. He stole sidelong glances at her whenever he felt her gaze on him. When he turned his head to look her way, she always met his stare with wide-eyed curiosity. He wasn't sure how long or how far they walked. All he knew was that he could have gone on forever with her by his side, but there was just one problem with that, she was wearing heels.

He slowed his steps and glanced around for a place to rest. Luckily for them, they had stopped in front of a hotel. He guided her up the pathway that led to the lit lobby entrance.

"CUT!" the assistant director yelled in the megaphone as soon as Ren and Kyoko entered the automatic doors that led them into the hotel. In reality, they didn't walk far. The lounge they started at was part of the resort. Walking its exterior made it seem like they walked several blocks together.

Debbie and Phil converged on them when they came back out of the hotel and were greeted by a round of applause. Kyoko was presented with a bottle of water and thick fluffy slippers to rest her feet in between takes. It was something Yashiro had negotiated into her contract.

"You two were brilliant. I know I got a lot of good footage. How are you both feeling? Kyoko, how are your feet?" Debbie asked excitedly in a torrent of words.

"Thank you," they bowed in unison.

Kyoko added, "My feet are fine. Thank you, for the concern."

"That's good to hear," Debbie replied.

The cameras were already set up in the lobby bar of the hotel ready to go. While the film was being reviewed an assistant reminded them of the scene. They would have the music playing this time for Ren to sing along. He was given the lyrics they wanted him to use for a final review. He had memorized the lyrics and listened to the song repeatedly in the trailer. He felt confident that he wouldn't make a mistake. They took their marks again and waited for the resounding, "Action!"

They followed the host to a table nestled against the window that overlooked the garden. He held out the chair for her to sit before taking his seat. With their drink orders in, he reached across the table to reclaim her hand and began singing.

"It's crazy I'm thinking, Just knowing that the world is round, Here I'm dancing on the ground, Am I right side up or upside down, Is this real or am I dreaming."

She blushed and gazed out the window shyly. He didn't realize it, but she was watching his reflection on the window. Her eyes eventually darted back to his and never left him. They took sips of their drinks when it arrived but never broke eye contact. A glass of red wine for her and a tumbler of liquid so rich in amber it matched her eyes.

When their glasses were empty, he stood and held out his hand for her to take. They passed through the lobby nodding to the hotel staff on their way out. As they walked toward the circular driveway in search of a taxi, a restored 1964 convertible GTO pulled up in front of them with the top down. The driver must have mistaken him for a valet because he tossed the keys at him and kept walking. He shrugged his shoulders and waggled his eyebrows at her while dangling the keys between his fingers. She had no choice but to laugh at his silliness. The sound of her laughter was music to his ears.

With great showmanship, he strutted to the passenger door and opened it, sweeping his hand out to help her enter her carriage. Her head darted every which way to make sure the coast was clear before they stole a man's car. She squealed and took his hand, kissing his cheek as she jumped into her seat. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he rushed to the driver's seat. The V8 engine roared to life and the tires peeled out of the driveway when he stomped on the accelerator. They howled with laughter and victory as they sped down the road. The night was theirs!

AN: Hiya, thanks for sticking with me. My procrastination level is at an all-time high these days. Like seriously, anyone else still have their Christmas decorations up? LOL...Anyway, I will be continuing the MV in the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one.

Thank you for reading and I appreciate your reviews of the last chapter.

Once again the lyrics Ren sang were from the song "Crush," by Dave Matthews Band.

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^