Red Champagne
Usagi-chan
Usagi@lunap.com
http://www.geocities.com/minako_usa
Insert Standard Disclaimer.
Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone who replied to me! Especially
Shana who didn't assume the worst! ^_^ Thanks as always to Eclipse-chan
and Minako-chan.
Chapter Two
Usagi straightened her skirt as the elevator came to a halt on her floor.
She walked through the still opening doors and headed straight towards her
office. Her spring show was in exactly one week, and Minako still owed her a
male model. Usagi was out for blood.
"Hizashi, get Minako on the phone. And clear my morning schedule, I'm
going to be very busy." Usagi told her secretary.
"Actually, Minako is waiting for you in your office."
"Oh." Usagi paused. "Even better."
"Poor Minako..." Hizashi whispered as Usagi threw her office door open,
her bad mood evident.
"Minako." Her voice was calm and controlled. This did not bode well for
Minako.
"Hi Usa." Minako smiled sheepishly as she sat in Usagi's chair, spinning
around. She put her heeled feet down to stop the chair.
"Well?" Usagi asked. She perched onto the corner of her desk and looked
at Minako.
"Well what?" Minako asked.
"Why are you here and where is my model?" Usagi raised one eyebrow at
Minako.
"Oh! Right! That's why I'm here. I brought the model with me." Minako
pointed behind Usagi. Usagi pivoted on the desk and her eyes fell on the man
standing in the back corner of her office. Shock rippled through her body
as she stared at the man. Somehow she managed to keep her jaw shut as she
fought back tears.
Luckily, she was able to cling to her professional air by a thread.
After snatching his profile from Minako and glancing at his name, Usagi slid
off the desk and made her way over to where the man stood. Offering her hand,
she introduced herself, hoping he didn't notice how shaken she was.
"I'm Tsukino Usagi." Her voice shook as she spoke and she wanted to
snatch her hand away from his. Before the man could speak, Minako took over.
"We'd better get over to the hotel. Usa, you have to make sure everything
is in place and finish fitting his clothes."
Usagi nodded her consent.
"I just have to finish a few things up here, but I'll meet you there."
Usagi promised. Minako nodded and pulled the silent model out of Usagi's
office.
Usagi shut her door behind them before loosing control. Sobs wracked her
body as she slid down the hardwood, to the floor. Shaking and crying, Usagi
leaned into the door for support.
"Oh God, oh God..." She moaned. "It's not fair..."
Usagi hugged her knees close to herself as her thoughts raced on.
'What was Minako thinking? How could she do something like that?' Usagi's
thoughts were out of control. It hurt. It hurt too much. Just as she was
finally getting over him...
"God, they could have been twins." She moaned. "Identical twins..."
'Except for their eyes...' Her mind whispered, and flashed a picture of
the model's stormy blue eyes. They were nothing like his calm green ones. That
was the only difference between Chiba Mamoru and Usagi's dead fiancé, Hino Yuu.
Usagi sank deeper into the hot water until her head was completely submerged.
She came up with bubbles all over her hair, but she didn't care. She let her head fall
against the cushion attached to the back of her large bathtub and sighed.
"This has been a long day." Her head tilted until the single candle she
had lit came into view. Her blue eyes stared intensely into the flame as her
thoughts raced.
'What had Minako been thinking? Why would she let Mamoru be in my show?
She knew how if would affect me... She must have known!' Usagi sighed again.
'It must have affected her!'
She sat up and shook the bubbles from her hair before reaching over to
turn the water on. The temperature was becoming too cold, and Usagi turned the
tap to the hottest temperature.
"Minako! What were you thinking?" She muttered before leaning back and
finally relaxing.
Usagi sat in front of the walkway as Minako directed her models.
No one was wearing their appointed clothing because someone had dropped a
bottle of perfume so Usagi had sent everything to the dry cleaners.
Usagi heard a minor scuffle back stage and stood up to see what was
going on. She glanced up as she stood, and found her knees going weak.
Usagi sank back into her seat as Mamoru walked out. He was dressed in a
pair of designer khakis (she'd have to check the label later, but she was
sure they were hers) and a blue button down shirt. Her eyes were riveted
on him as he moved down the catwalk, and then back. Her heart stopped as he
paused and smiled at her. Usagi could only smile back weakly.
The man was absolutely gorgeous! It was obvious to see how he had
become a model.
"I'll have to find out how Minako discovered him..." Usagi muttered
before she began to mentally berate herself. 'Dammit Usagi! You are
still in love with Yuu! How can you think that way!' But even as the
thoughts raced through her mind, she began to question if she really was
still in love with Yuu.
"Minako? I wanted to ask you something." Usagi hesitated as she
clutched the phone to her ear.
"Sure thing. What is it?"
"Where did you find Mamoru? And how did you get him to do my
show?" Usagi blurted out. Minako paused before answering.
"Promise me you won't get mad." Minako pleaded. "Promise!"
"Alright..."
"I didn't find him. He found me. He came into my office and
wouldn't leave until he spoke to me directly. Then he said he wanted
to be in your show and wouldn't leave my office until I got him to in."
"What?! Why on earth would he do that?"
"He said that he was present at your last show, and he liked
the way things had been run." Minako laughed nervously.
"Right Minako. I believe you." Usagi rolled her eyes. "Tell
me the truth."
"He was at your last show. He said he saw you, and wanted to..."
Minako let her voice trail off as the realization struck Usagi.
"He wanted to get to know me." She whispered into the receiver.
"Yeah. Look Usagi, don't be mad. He doesn't know about your... your
past. You can't be upset with him if he thinks your cute and sweet or
anything." Minako sighed. "I tried to tell him, but he wouldn't listen.
He said he wanted a chance. That's all. I think you should give it to him."
"Minako, I'm not sure. I mean, with everything that's happened…
I'm just not sure."
"He only wants a chance, Usagi…"
Usagi raced up the temple stairs clutching her purse to
her chest. She was dressed in a pair of flared jeans and a red
tank top. Platform sandals adorned her feet and flopped as she
ran.
"Rei! Rei I'm here!" Usagi cried as she reached the top
out of breath. She stood gasping at the top of the stairs looking
around for her friends.
"Usagi! You are late!" Minako scolded. Usagi smiled.
"I'm sorry. Traffic was bad." Usagi bit back a laugh.
"Traffic, eh?" Makoto asked peering down the stairs. "And
where's your lovely little jag?"
"Oh, umm.." Usagi scratched the back of her head and giggled.
"Why don't we just go shopping! The malls opened five minutes
ago." Ami pointed out, trying to prevent an argument.
"Aiiiieeee!" Minako screeched before grabbing the two people
nearest to her and running down the stairs. Usagi, who happened to
be one of the unfortunate victims screamed the entire way down the
stairs.
"Minako! Wait for us!" Rei called from the top of the stairs
before grabbing Ami's hand and running down towards the trio
racing precariously down the stairs.
"Minako are you insane? You could have gotten us killed!"
Makoto berated the triumphant blond.
"I agree. Look, I may not be getting any younger, but I'm
certainly not ready to die!" Usagi snapped. Minako just sighed.
"You can't honestly expect that I would have been willing
to give up on the shoes, can you? Besides, I knew she was bluffing."
Minako flipped her hair over her shoulder.
"What if she hadn't been? That woman was bigger than
all five of us!" Rei glared at Minako.
"And all for shoes..." Ami mused.
"Honestly Minako." Usagi sighed before something caught her
eye in another store. "Oooh!"
Usagi took off like a shot and dashed into a small boutique.
The four women followed her slowly.
"Usagi seems to have had a complete attitude change overnight."
Makoto commented. "She seems so much more like her old self."
"I know what you mean. It's like our Usagi is back." Minako
bobbed her head.
"It's like she's 100% over Yuu." Rei added softly.
"You can't hold that against her, Rei." Ami defended her friend.
"No, and I don't. I'm happy for her. Usagi deserves only the best.
I'm glad she was finally able to move on. I wonder what caused it though."
Rei mused aloud.
"You guys have to promise to keep this utterly top secret if I
tell you." Minako glanced nervously at her three friends.
"What is it?" Makoto asked.
"Okay, I had to get a new model for Usagi's spring show. I
did. The thing is, he looks exactly like Yuu. They could be
identical twins. The only difference is their eye colour."
Rei gasped and looked at Minako in complete surprise.
"Your joking. Tell me your joking." Minako shook her head.
"He's nothing like Yuu, either. He's not calm and kind and
caring and gentle like Yuu. He's passionate spontaneous and wild. I
think he'd do Usagi a world of good. I also know he's very much
interested in her." Minako glanced from Rei, to Makoto, to Ami and
back to Rei.
"Do you think that's what caused it?" Makoto asked. "It's
almost like finding Yuu again."
"I'm not sure. They only met once, and were never alone together.
She was shocked when she first saw him, but…" Minako shrugged. "She
seemed to get over it all pretty fast."
"Try to get them alone together, and see what happens." Rei looked
at Minako with intense violet eyes. "See if there is any chemistry."
"Hey! What are you guys talking about so seriously? I got a
new shirt. I wanna go back and see if they had that blue skirt in
my size over at…" Usagi's voice trailed off as she noticed her friends
staring at her. "What?"
"Nothing. Let's go look for that skirt." Ami smiled and linked
her arm through Usagi's. "Come on you three! Slow pokes."
(
geocities.com/minako_usa)