RIVALS-Chapter 7
By: R.Umali
Rated: PG13
RIVALS readers - thanks so much for being real patient with
me...the story has to be put on hold at times as other
situations come up. I have a new editor and we are having
fun working on the story together! =) I hope you all like
the combination of writing and also hope that you'll stay to
the end! =) Please let us know how you like it! You can e-
mail comments to me at umalific@hotmail.com . Now I would
like everyone yo meet my editor...(take it away Jillian)
Hi Everyone! I'm Jillian - you might also see me floating
around the net as Teala373 and Jillian373. I'm very excited
to be working with R.Umali on this story! Some of the delay
is my fault - GOMEN NASAI! I had multiple problems with my
computer and my other e-mail server. Everything's back on-
line and we're excited to give you Chapter 7 of Rivals. You
can e-mail comments to me at teala373@hotmail.com . I look
forward to hearing from you all and hope you enjoy Rivals!
Translation of Japanese words used in the story:
Gomen ne/Gomen nasai - I'm sorry/I'm very sorry
Kawaii - cute
Minna - everyone (like saying 'Hey, girls' or 'Hey, guys')
Baka - fool/idiot
Nani - what
Arigato - thank you
-chan - suffix added to the name (usually first) of a
person you are on friendly, informal terms with
-san - suffix added to the name (last or first) of a
person you are being formal with.
Ja ne - bye (informal)
"A special delivery just arrived for you, it's on your
desk", Mina's assistant told her boss as the striking blonde
returned from a meeting.
"Arigato. Please screen my calls - only let the managers
through. I have quite a bit of paperwork to review."
"Yes Ma'am, but how about Mr. Jacobs?" her assistant asked
smiling, knowing that her boss and Mr. Jacobs were somewhat
of an item.
"Umm . . .he's an exception", a slight blush touched Mina's
cheeks. She quickly retreated to her office before her
blushing increased. Her eyes immediately caught sight os a
vase holding delicate yellow roses. Setting her briefcase
down, she sank in her chair with a dreamy expression on her
face. She plucked a single rose and inhaled he sweet scent.
'Oh, Michael', she sighed before opening the attached card.
"I request the honor of your presence at the Café Millenia
this Thursday at noon. The head waiter will take your
invitation at the door", she read aloud. "Michael, you're so
romantic', Mina sighed dreamily again.
She quickly dialed his number, and patiently waited for that
familiar voice that always caught her breath came over the
phone.
"Hi Mina", Michael was very happy to hear from her.
"Hi Michael! I know you're busy, but I just wanted to thank
you for the roses. They're lovely, and yes, I'll be there!"
"Flo . . . wers . . . What flowers?" Michael was puzzled,
and that soon turned to jealousy at the thought of someone
else sending his Mina flowers.
"Oh Mike!" Mina giggled, "Stop pretending! I just received
the yellow roses and the invitation to meet you for lunch
tomorrow at Café Millenia." Mina sighed romantically as she
thought of their future date.
"Gomen ne, Sweetie, but I didn't send you flowers . . . and
I haven't been able to plan for lunch tomorrow."
"If you didn't, then who did?" she asked herself aloud. She
was not only extremely confused and curious, but a little
disappointed that it wasn't Michael.
"I don't know, but you better not go! I wouldn't want some
psycho to meet you." He said it out of concern, but also out
of jealousy.
"I know, but I have this feeling that I have to go and that
it's important." As Mina looked at the roses, she had a
sense that they symbolized something special, but she
couldn't quite place her finger on what it was.
"Alright . . . but be careful", Michael was getting angry
that Mina would actually meet this person. "By the way, what
time did you say this was?"
"It's at twelve . . . Wait a minute! Michael, you don't plan
on spying on me, do you?" she said as she sensed his
jealousy over the phone.
"Umm . . . of course not. I was thinking of having lunch
there with Darien anyway . . ." , he replied calmly, tying
to cover up his tracks.
"Yeah, right! Anyway, I would probably feel better if you
were there, so I don't mind", Mina admitted as a knock on
her door came "Come in!" she called out. "Michael I have to
go, I'll talk to you later. Ja ne!"
Michael stared at the phone in slight disbelief over what
just happened. As anger and jealousy swept through him
again, he quickly got up and stormed towards Darien's
office, where he knew he was in conference with Zen.
"Darien!" Michael came barging into the office, taking both
men by surprise, "Cancel your meeting tomorrow! You and Zen
are going to Café Millenia with me at noon tomorrow!"
"Michael, what the hell is the matter?" Darien cocked an
eyebrow at his friend. "What's so important about lunch
time tomorrow that we need to cancel a meeting?"
"Mina just called, and she received some flowers with a note
inviting her to lunch", Michael paced back and forth angrily
as he relayed the information.
"Yeah, so?" asked Darien
"Well, she thought I sent it to her, WHICH I DIDN'T!" he
stopped pacing to look at Darien and Zen. "Don't you guys
see?! Someone's trying to move in on my Mina!"
Darien and Zen exchanged glances.
"What do you want us to do about it?" asked Zen.
"I just need you guys to be there . . . incase I get the
sudden urge to annihilate this guy!" Michael practically
roared. Darien wanted to laugh, but knowing how serious his
friend was, choked it back.
"Okay Mike, we'll be there - I'll call off the meeting. I
can also call Andrew to reserve us a seat next to Mina's
table." Darien began ringing his secretary to make the
arrangements.
Throughout the day all the other girls received invitations
that mirrored Mina's. Ami received a bouquet of lavender
roses, Rei's were pink, and Molly's were white. They were
all so very secretive about it, they didn't want anyone to
know about their mysterious admirers. The rest of the day,
they were each lost in thoughts of their delightfully
mysterious deliveries. Anxious to know who their secret
admirer was, they were to soon to find out as the day
quickly passed and their luncheon drew nearer.
Thursday --
Molly had impatiently endured her ten o'clock meeting. She
could hardly wait for lunch. As she headed out, she ran into
Amy and Mina near Jayson's office.
"I'm on my way to a special lunch at Café Millenia.", she
heard Amy relay to Mina.
"That's where I'm going, too . . . and for the same reason!"
Mina and Molly revealed with shock.
"Minna" ,Amy began, "you didn't happen to get a bouquet of
roses and an invitation did you?" Ami watched their eyes
widen.
"Yes" said Mina and Molly in surprise. Then they looked at
each other "You got one, too?"
"What is going on here? What's this about roses?" asked
Jayson, as he emerged from his office and joined the girls.
"It seems that all three of us received roses and are going
to a luncheon", said Ami. "Do any of you know who sent
these invitations?"
"What invitations? . . . and why wasn't I invited?" asked
Jayson, never one to pass up a meal.
"I certainly don't know. I first thought it was Michael,
but he denied everything", Mina quickly relayed the
conversation she had with him the previous day.
"Well, at least we don't have to go alone" Molly sounded
somewhat relieved.
"Can someone please tell me what's going on here?" asked a
frustrated Jayson as the girls giggled and gossiped amongst
themselves.
"Minna, we better go or will be late!" Ami began heading
towards the elevator with the girls quickly in tow.
"Jayson, we're sorry! We'll explain to you on the way"
Molly called over her shoulder.
"Come on, Handsome. You get the lucky job of playing
bodyguard in case we end up dining with a looney!" Mina
playfully grabbed Jayson's arm and dragged him along.
Lita hummed a pretty tune as she put the finishing touches
to the table. Each plate had a single rose that
corresponded with the color of the bouquet that was sent
earlier.
'Oh this is gonna be so fun!' she smiled as she looked at
her watch. 'They should be coming any minute now !'
"Lita", called out a familiar voice.
"Hi, Honey!" She walked over to her finance, giving him a
hug and a kiss.
"Lita, what's going on here?" asked Andrew looking at the
elegantly decorated table.
"Well . . .umm . . .someone paid extra to have this table
reserved with finishing touches." Lita giggled. It wasn't a
complete lie - besides, he would find out soon enough. "Why
do you ask?"
Andrew chuckled. "Because, I have a very worried Michael
insisting I sit him and the guys next to the table where
Mina will be sitting. I asked Joshua where Mina's
reservations are and he said table 14 - this table. You've
not only added special touches to it, but you brought out
your best china and linen!"
Lita tried to speak, but found herself in a fit of giggles.
"Honey, it's not funny. He actually thinks that someone's
trying to move in on Mina! He had Darien cancel his meeting
incase he needs them to hold him down" ,he said glaring
seriously at his fiance.
"I'm sorry", Lita tried to control her laughter, "but,
Honey, Michael doesn't have anything to worry about. As you
can clearly see, it's a table for six not two."
"I see that, but will you tell me what's going on?" Andrew
asked again, "or are you some how part of this whole
fiasco."
"Yes, I am! It's a girl thing, you'll see!"
"Hey Andrew", Darien called out as he led Michael, Zen and
Nathan into the restaurant.
"Hey guys, your table's right here", Andrew pointed to a
table to the right of the especially reserved one.
Lita had to choke back more laughter as she saw Michael
staring down every man in the restaurant.
The group was no sooner seated, when they caught sight of
Ami, Mina, and Molly entering the restaurant, with Jayson
trailing behind them. The men watched as they gave their
invitations to Joshua.
"Hey, the girls all have invitations", Nathan observed,
"Maybe there's nothing to worry about"
"See, Michael, it's not just Mina." Zen pointed out.
"You're worrying over nothing", Darien remarked.
Andrew motioned Jayson to sit with them since he remembered
Lita saying that it was a girl thing.
"Don't tell me you guys got invitations, too?" Jayson asked
curiously, "Where was my invitation?"
"No, we didn't. We're . . .", Zen began.
"We're actually here to spy on the girls" Nathan stated
blandly before getting hit over the head with a spoon by
Michael.
"Good, I was actually feeling a little left out!" Jayson
took a seat next to Andrew, smiling at his friends.
"Hey, there's Rei!" Nathan motioned towards their raven-
haired friend, as she presented her invitation and was
seated.
"She was invited too?" Jayson asked surprised "How come she
didn't tell me?"
"Maybe she didn't want you to react like Michael!" Darien
smiled sarcastically, dodging his swatting friend.
"Well, there's a seat for Lita and Rei, but there's still
one more setting. . . " Zen observed.
"Look Mina! There's Michael . . . and he doesn't look
happy." Molly giggled as she glanced over at the table full
of handsome men.
Mina waved and proceeded to follow Joshua with the rest of
the girls in tow.
"Oh my! Is this is our table?" Ami asked, admiring the
beautiful decor of delicate white and pastel colors.
"Wow! Lita even used her fine china!" Molly ran her fingers
over the white toned china. It had an elegant floral design
matching the elaborate centerpiece.
"Minna, I have a feeling Lita is up to something."
"Me, too - and it looks like it will be great!" Mina loved
surprises.
"Should we take our seats? I assume we sit at the place
setting that has the same rose color as out bouquets."
"Hi, Minna! Don't tell me you got invitations and roses,
too?" Rei came to join her friends at the table.
"Yay! You're here, too, Rei! This will be fun!"
"Why don't you guys have a seat" Lita came up behind them,
anxious to get their surprise moving along. "Lita . . .what
is going on here?" Ami asked, still unsure.
"You'll just have to wait and see . . ." Lita gave her
friends a sly grin
"We demand what this is all about!" asked Rei.
Lita rolled her eyes at Rei's fiery temper. "Minna!
Everything will reveal itself soon, just take your seats!"
The guys looked on curiously. "Hey Andrew, do you have any
idea on what is going on here?" asked Michael.
"Well, all I know Mike is that it's a girl thing, so you
don't have to worry."
"Lita is part of this whole thing?"
"Yes she is, but she even tell me what's going on. It looks
like something pretty special, though . . ."
"You know, all these roses remind me of Serena . . . I miss
her so much . . ." sorrow touched Molly's eyes as she turned
a rose over in her hand and remembered her old friend.
A similar expression soon swept through the other girls as
they remembered their beloved friend.
"Yes", Amy sighed, "she did always love roses. I remember
her giving us each a rose right before she left for New
York."
"I still have mine pressed between the pages in my
scrapbook."
"Mine, too! I even still have some of notes we passed back
and forth in class!"
The girls slowly went into a melancholy state as they
thought of their beloved friend whom they hadn't seen in so
very long. Missing her greatly, they began reminiscing. A
few stories were exchanged before Molly caught a familiar
figure out of the corner of her eye.
"LOOK!" she pointed towards the entrance. Everyone turned to
see an amazingly beautiful woman in a light pink suit that
tightly hugged her body. Her short skirt was detailed with
deeply embroidered flowers and finished off with three-inch
slits on each side. Her beauty caught the attention of the
male clientele, but it was her old, familiar hairstyle that
caught the attention of the five waiting girls.
"It's . . .It's . . ."
"Angel . . .", murmured Darien.
"SERENA!" the girls squealed in perfect unison. Of course,
with all five girls calling out excitedly, the whole
restaurant heard and now knew who the beautiful enchantress
was.
Darien and Michael both looked at each other "SERENA! So
that's her name!" They turned back towards Serena who was
now closer to their table, but was stopped by the girls
running towards her.
The group hug, more like a group tackle, was filled with
laughter and tears. The girls were so happy to be reunited
again. They couldn't believe that this day had finally
come.
"Oh, Minna! I've missed you all so much!" Serena's sweet
voice was music to their ears.
"We've missed you, too . . . Meatball Head!"
"Oh, Rei! You haven't changed one bit!"
'Serena . . .Serena . . .Why does that name sound so
familiar . . .' Andrew thought to himself. He snapped his
fingers as he then remembered the photo of six girls that
was in Lita's office. One of them wore the same hairstyle
of pigtailed buns. Lita had told him that she was their
beloved friend who moved away - Serena.
"That's her!" Andrew called out as he remembered.
"Who's her?" asked the guys.
"Hold on a sec . . . be right back!"
"Drew! Where are you going? It's just starting to get good!"
Nathan called after him.
"Geez, Meatball Head! I see you still use these . . ." said
Rei pulling one of her pigtails " . . .but you know what?
I've missed them!", she smiled as she gave one final,
playful tug.
Serena giggled before giving her friend a hug. "I wore them
just for you!"
'Wait a minute . . . Lita, when did you find out that Serena
was here?" The girls suddenly realized that if Lita was in
on this whole surprise, then she must have been meeting with
Serena.
"I found out Tuesday!" the secret competition, that was
always an underlying factor in the girl's friendship, made
Lita feel a little pride in being the first to know about
Serena's homecoming.
"Hey! How come she got to find out on Tuesday?" Mina asked
with a little pout.
"Well I needed her help to surprise all of you, I surely
couldn't do it myself", said Serena. "Besides, if I invited
you guys to my place, you might of thought that some psycho
sent you an invitation or something!" Mina and the girls
turned to the next table as they heard laughter. Michael
had suddenly taken an interest in the ceiling as he stared
at it, turning red from his friends' laughter.
"Yeah. Psycho!" Nathan nudged Michael with a wink.
Mina laughed as well when she remembered the exact thing
Michael had said. 'Obviously these guys are listening to
us' ,she thought to herself. She glanced over to Darien and
realized his eyes were fixed on Serena, who resumed her
conversation with Molly.
Andrew came back with a frame in his hand. He sat down
quietly and turned the frame around for all of them to see...
"You see, this is Lita, Rei, Molly, Ami, Mina and that's
her", he pointed to a younger version of the pigtailed
blonde. "That's Serena!"
Darien took the frame, studying it intently. 'She was even
cute back then', he thought with a smile.
"Do you know where she came from?" Darien was interested in
knowing more about Serena.
"One day I found Lita wrapping some cookies up to send to
New York and I asked her who they were for. She said it was
for Serena, one of her best friends that moved when she was
in junior high. She then showed me this picture."
"Do you know why she moved?"
"I think Lita said that her father decided to start a
business in New York or something." Andrew looked at
Darien, who was still staring at the photo.
'She's just probably coming to visit . . .' he sighed at the
thought before putting the photo down and stealing another
glance at her. She had such grace and elegance.
"Serena, where are you staying?"
"Oh, she bought a house here! Isn't that great!" Lita piped
up happily. She was so excited that Serena was staying for
good and couldn't wait to share the news with the others.
"You bought a house?!" The girls were pleasantly surprised.
"So, this isn't just a vacation?"
"Does that mean you're here for good?"
"Do you have a job?"
"I bet you have a way cool job! What is it?"
"What happened in New York?"
"Are you working for your dad's business?"
"What was your dad's business, anyway?"
"Are your parents here, too?"
"C'mon, Serena, spill!"
"Well, she can't spill anything with us firing away
questions at her!"
"Answer mine first!"
"No, mine! Where do you work, Sere?"
"Oh! I wished you worked with us! Then we could see you
everyday!"
Serena turned a few shades of pink at the difficult
questions her friends eagerly asked. She turned pleading
eyes to Lita for help, hoping to dodge the awkward situation
for the time being.
"Let's enjoy our meal first, Minna." Lita had already
motioned for Joshua to have their food brought out.
"Sounds like the girls are drilling Serena for information .
. ." Zen was seated with his back turned towards the girls
and he leaned back in his chair a little, trying to grab as
many pieces as he could of the conversation.
"Shhh! I can't hear!"
"Wait! I think I missed what Ami said!"
"That's because she didn't say anything, baka!"
"Lita's starting the lunch - I think they're holding off on
the questions."
"Well, I wouldn't know - I can't hear anything above your
yapping!"
"Would all of you be quiet!!! " Darien growled impatiently.
The guys closed their mouths quickly and settled for leaning
as close as they could without being obvious. Nathan
glanced over at Zen, waiting for him to tip over.
"Well, let me put it this way. Yes, I bought a house. No
I'm not here for a vacation. Yes, I have a job, and I am
definitely here to stay...."
"Did I just hear right? Did Serena say that she was here to
stay?!" Rei asked excitedly.
"You better believe it!" Lita replied happily.
A chorus of cheers went around the table. Mina even threw
her napkin up in the air to show her joy.
"Hey, you! That's my good linen, not confetti!" Lita
playfully scolded.
"Guy's, she's staying", Zen reported as he leaned back more.
"Shhh!", the others hissed.
"We're united again!" Molly clapped her hands together
excitedly.
"I really didn't think you would ever come back!", Rei
began, "For once, I'm happy to be wrong!"
The girls continued to celebrate the happy news as they were
treated to the best food in the house: filet mignon, baby
asparagus and sweet potatoes.
Serena was about to dig in, but then began eyeing the dish
cautiously. "Lita, this looks so good, but..."
"Don't worry, babe. I cooked it myself and gave my
assistants strict instructions." Lita then giggled. "Silly
rabbit, did you think I would forget! I was always so
careful when I sent you cookies!"
Serena smiled gratefully as she picked up her utensils.
"What are you taking about? Are you watching your weight,
Sere?"
"Don't you remember? Serena is fatally allergic to any type
of nuts! It's actually a fairly common allergy - we have
had several requests for meals free of any type of nuts."
Rei knitted her brow together. "Right, but this dish don't
look like it has nuts in it." Sometimes Lita would dress up
asparagus with almond slivers, but she hadn't seen any on
the dish.
"True, but the dish can be cooked in peanut oil or have an
extract from nuts that she will react to. People with food
allergies really have to be careful and double check
ingredients. You would be surprised at what types of foods
can be found in a recipe."
Remembering a terrible incident where she had to be
hospitalized, Serena quickly changed the subject and began
sharing happy times with her friends.
Unsuccessful in his attempts to get Darien's attention,
Andrew turned to Michael for conversation. "Never seen him
so entranced before", he pretended to look confused as he
followed Darien's gaze to Serena. "I can't imagine what
could possibly be on his mind!" he drawled sarcastically.
The others laughed as Darien continued to study the
beautiful blonde.
"Remember when we talked about the mishap on him trying to
get a certain angel's name?" asked Michael knowing that
Darien was still in a daze.
Andrew nodded as he remembered how his friend was so hung
over after the girl had given him a bouquet of roses.
Nathan waved a hand in front of Darien's face and laughed
when he got no response. He was about to pour salt in his
water when Jayson poked him with a fork.
"Well, we now know the angel's name . . ." Michael gestured
towards Serena. .
"I see . . ." said Andrew. Then, a slight grin eluded his
face.
"Mr. Furuharta, what are you plotting?" asked Michael.
Andrew began making plans when he stopped to notice Darien
still off in another world.
"Have you ever seen him look at another woman like that
before?"
"Can't say I have."
"Maybe this is the one."
"Man, I sure hope so! It's about time!"
"Yeah, I know! His grandparents are even starting to bug me
about him settling down!"
"How did his grandparents get your number?"
"Don't ask!"
Joshua came over to stand beside Serena. "Excuse me, Miss
Serena, but the gentleman would like to know if you are
attached." He gestured towards a window table where two
well-dressed business men were sitting. The man facing them
was directing a charming smile towards Serena, who returned
it. Both tables turned to look at the man, particularly
Darien.
"That's Steven Mancini, the owner of Nitron Electronics",
Molly nudged Serena as she offered the information. Steven
smiled at all the ladies, raising his wineglass to them.
Darien felt a little surge of anger flowing through his
blood system. He hated Steven Mancini even more now than he
already had before. He turned back towards Serena, anxious
for her response.
"I see that Mr. Mancini isn't wasting his time", Andrew
noted.
"Have Lita kick him out", Nathan said while continuing to
try playing more practical jokes on Darien. Jayson smacked
his arm and whisked away the objects he was playing with.
"Keep it up and you're going in the corner for a time-out"
Nathan stuck out his tongue and poured salt in Jayson's
water.
"Mancini is Darien's number one contender for the most
eligible bachelor in Tokyo", Michael reminded the group,
unaware that Jayson was switching glasses with him.
"Serena, answer the man" Rei prodded, anxious herself to
hear the response.
Mina was also about to add her two cents when she caught
site of Darien's angry face.
"Well . . .I . . ." she muttered as she turned to catch
Darien's gaze. She hadn't even notice his presence till now
and was completely stricken to see him watching her. He
smiled at her sweetly, causing a faint blush.
"Joshua, please tell Mr. Mancini that I am flattered, but I
am currently involved in a relationship."
She could feel Darien smile in agreement. He could tell
that she was just saying that to politely discourage
Mancini, and wasn't involved.
"Serena, why did you tell him that you are involved in a
relationship? I don't remember you mentioning anything like
that", asked Lita.
"I just arrived and need to settle in. I don't think I'm
ready to jump right into a relationship with a man I don't
even know."
"So you're saying that you are not involved with anyone?"
"So you're saying that you lied to the man?"
"So you're saying that you don't have a boyfriend?"
"So you're saying that once you are settle in, you'll start
dating again?"
Serena laughed at her friends' curiosity. She had missed
them so much. "Correct!" she responded.
"Oh please! You're just playing hard-to-get! I mean, look at
you! You are probably never without male company!"
Serena stuck out her tongue in response.
The guys were deeply interested in the girls' conversation,
taking note in Serena's private life. Darien was happy to
hear that she was very single, and was silently grinning in
defeat as he glanced over to Mancini. Michael and Andrew
exchanged amused glances with each other as they watched
their friend flaunt his hidden victory. Darien suddenly had
a major delayed reaction as he turned to frown at his water
glass. "What the hell did I just drink?"
Nathan burst out laughing, "You mean that sip you took a few
minutes ago? That would be a special blend of grated
cheese, hot pepper, and sugar."
"Oh, is that new? Don't remember that being on the menu
before . . ." Darien became distracted again as Serena began
speaking.
"Oh yeah. He's got it bad!"
"Yeah, he definitely does . . . Bleeech!" Andrew spat out
his sip of water. "How did I end up with the salt water? I
thought Mike had it last!" Nathan laughed as Andrew called
Joshua over. "Another round of drinks . . . and put rat
poison in Nathan's!" Joshua smiled as he cleared away the
contaminated drinks and Nathan's ammunition.
"You might as well clear the center piece, or we'll end up
drinking that, too!" Jayson remarked dryly as he eyed the
flower arrangement.
"No, Mina, I'm not playing hard to get! I'm just not...",
Serena shifted uncomfortably in her chair, "I just haven't
found the right man, and I'm inexperience when it comes to
relationships." She tried whispering quietly only for the
girls to hear, but on the other table the men were quiet as
a mouse, leaning as far as they could to hear.
"WHAT?!" said Rei, this outburst startled the men who
literally almost fell out of their seats. Michael grabbed
onto Zen before he went flying backwards into the girls'
table.
"Shhh!" Lita hissed at Rei, aware of the curious table next
to them.
"Did you say that you were inexperience?", whispered Mina
"Minna, I think we better talk about Serena's love life
later . . . and in private", Ami discreetly gestured
towards the guys' table.
"I guess we aren't the only ones curious about Serena's
life", Molly giggled.
"Thanks Ami", a blushing Serena suddenly became very
interested in her dessert.
The girls laughed and chatted happily long after their meal
was done, catching up on their missing years. Serena
always seemed to keep the conversation on what the others
were doing and stayed elusive as to her own doings. The
guys were interested in the small tidbits they gathered
about Serena, as well as what they were learning about the
others. Unknowing to the others around them, Darien and
Serena were stealing glances at one another, both blushing
at times for getting caught. The restaurant now was almost
empty, it was 2:15 the usual time for afternoon closing in
preparation for dinner. There was still the usual outburst
of laughter from the girls, and the usual outburst of anger
from the guys from Nathan's pranks.
"I noticed your outfit is a Setsuna. That's a big designer
label! You must have money to burn if you can afford that",
Ami began, trying to pry a little something more out of
Serena. The others waited for Serena's answer, wondering
just what she did. Darien, already knowing what type of
house she lived in, knew that she must be very wealthy.
"Yeah, Sere, just what do you do?" asked Mina as she looks
at her friend.
Serena, not wanting to give it away just yet, looked at
Lita. Knowing that Serena wasn't quite ready to drop the
bomb, nodded in agreement to not say anything just yet. All
eyes focused on Serena as they waited for her response.
"There's plenty of time to talk about that. Right now, I
want to talk about all of you", Serena tried to change the
subject.
"Why won't you tell us Serena?" Molly was curious as to her
friend's secretive nature.
"Honestly Serena, why so tight lipped? It's not like you're
a call girl or something, right? Right?" Rei eyed her friend
suspiciously.
Darien practically fell out of his chair at the accusation.
Nathan laughed, "That would just figure for you, wouldn't
it, Dare?" He ducked an angry hand.
"Serena, you're not involved in anything illegal are you?"
"Oh my goodness, Serena! Was this dinner a cry for help? Did
you come to Tokyo to escape your life of crime?"
"I've heard that moving to New York can really change a
person! Oh Sere, I knew you shouldn't have moved there!"
"Are you in the witness protection program?"
"Are you undercover for the police?"
"Will there be a trial?"
"I know a great lawyer!"
Serena looked incredulously at her friends as their
overactive imaginations got the best of them. A blush
tainted her delicate cheeks from their line of questioning.
"MINNA! Knock it off!" Lita stormed at her friends. "Bakas,
all of you! This is Serena we're talking about! She'll tell
her about her legitimate job when she's ready! Geez . . ."
The guys chuckled at the girls' crazy antics.
"Poor Serena! Guess she'll have to get readjusted to the
girls' again!" Andrew laughed as he sipped the coffee that
Joshua had just served.
"And to think that we thought the afternoon would be spent
holding Michael down!" Nathan joked as he stirred sugar into
his coffee.
"C'mon, Sere, admit it! You're a stripper, aren't you!" Rei
accused mockingly as the guys all spit out their coffee
loudly. They turned bright red as they faced the ladies on
the next table.
"I think we just got caught" said Michael, wiping his mouth.
"Nice. Who managed to trick me into getting salt in here?"
Nathan asked a laughing Jayson.
Andrew rolled his eyes. "You and your salt!"
Serena watched with amusement as Darien dabbed at his shirt
and the other guys soon followed suit. All the girls had
comical looks in their faces as they watched the guys
desperately trying to clean their coffee-splattered shirts.
They were just about ready to burst out laughing at any
moment. When Zen accidentally hit his cup and sent more
coffee flying on both Andrew and himself, they lost control.
"This is NOT funny, girls!" Andrew frowned as rubbed at the
stains in frustration.
"Yeah!" Michael chimed in.
"Oh, yes it is!" the six girls cried in unison as they
laughed even harder.
"Serves you right for listening in on our conversation!" Rei
got up to help Jayson clean up. Lita and Mina quickly
followed suit.
"How are we suppose to go back to work like this?" Zen
wondered aloud.
"Simple, just take your shirt off" Ami casually remarked
before turning several shades of red and then quickly
covered her mouth. "Oh my gosh! What did I just say?" All
heads were turned on Ami as she resembled a tomato.
Everyone was in deep shock that quiet, conservative Ami
would make such a remark. All Zen could do was smile at the
attractive, blue haired girl in a flirtatious manner.
"Minna, all this laughing is going to make me explode!"
giggled Serena, "Point me in the direction of the nearest
bathroom?" she asked.
"Why don't you use our private one, it's upstairs second
door to the right", motioned Lita.
"Thanks" she said walking away from the table. They all
watched her disappear from sight so they could ask
questions.
"How long have you've been listening?" Lita interrogated.
"Not long - just since we got here!" Jayson laughed, but
quickly shut his mouth as he caught Rei's glare.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you guys are trying to
find info on our dear friend", Mina eyed Darien, directing
her comment more towards him. "So. who's the lucky man that
would like her number?"
Molly sighed. "Who wouldn't?"
"Michael wouldn't", Mina sweetly stated, caressing his hair.
"Jayson wouldn't" Rei barked, giving him a sharp look.
"And I know my Drew wouldn't!" Lita smiled at her fiance.
"But we would!" said Zen and Nathan proclaimed, getting a
rise out of Darien. Their joke suddenly didn't seem so
funny as Darien shot daggers at them with his eyes.
"On second thought, we wouldn't." Nathan replied quickly and
out of fear for his life.
"Yeah, that's okay. I'm interested in another girl anyway .
. ." Zen spoke softly as he shyly looked at Amy.
"Ah, I see. Well then, how about you Mr. Chiba?" Mina
turned her taunting eyes towards Darien. "You've been
staring at Serena throughout lunch, do you have any
intentions?"
Darien was caught off guard. He tried to act cool and not
be so obvious. "Come off it Mina. You know me, I wouldn't
have hesitated if I was interested."
"Whatever . . .Ow!" Nathan rolled his eyes before Darien
kicked him under the table. The other guys rolled their
eyes as well, knowing that Darien was crazy about Serena.
"I see, well if you do, just remember she's not like the
other girls you've dated!"
"She's not like those . . . what's the nicest word I can
think of? . . . scandalous women you've been with!"
"She has morals and values!"
"She's not the type of girl you date for a week and drop
when you get bored!"
"She's is as pure, as innocent, and as sweet as she seems!"
"We won't tolerate anyone who hurts her!"
Darien realized that the girls were all lording over him
with serious, glaring faces. Before he could defend himself,
Serena came back down the stairs. Darien, and the rest of
the men, stared at Serena with the deepest admiration for
her beauty. She had removed her blazer, revealing a one-
piece, low-cut spaghetti strap dress. The flattering design
and cut of the outfit revealed just how shapely her figure
was, not to mention her fully engorged breasts. The guys
all swallowed the lumps in their throats as she came closer.
The ladies were also in surprised, they hadn't realized that
their skinny little school friend had developed so
seductively.
"Who died?" asked Serena noticing the eerie quietness in the
dinning hall. She then realized that they were all staring
at her. She looked down at herself. "Minna, do I have
something on me? Why are you all looking at me so..."
"Nothing Serena!" Mina quickly answered.
"Oh, gomen ne, Serena! We haven't introduced you! " Lita led
her friend over to the guy's table. She introduced her to
each of the men. Serena charmed them all with her natural
friendliness and kawaii smile.
It soon came to Darien's turn for an introduction. Darien
rose to meet Serena. They stared deep into each other's
eyes. Brushing Mina aside, Darien opted for his own
introductions. "It's nice to finally catch your name . . .
Serena. . . ." her name rolled off his tongue as though he
were caressing it.
Serena extended her hand with the introduction, and was
pleasantly surprised when he kissed the back of her hand. A
small blush stained her cheeks as her eyes sparkled.
The men smiled as the two continued to stare at each other.
The girls, however, held worry in their eyes.
"Well, If it wasn't for all those interruptions", she
laughed lightly, "it would have been given to you days ago."
Serena and Darien shared a hearty laugh, Michael joining in
as he remembered the events at the market.
"You mean, you two have met?" asked Lita, taking note that
Darien was still holding onto Serena's hand.
"Well, sort of" said Michael
The three explained the embarrassing situation that they all
went through that day, laughing the memory. During the
story, the connection between Darien and Serena had been
broken. He immediately missed the warmth of her hand in
his.
"See Darien, I told you not to toy with woman's hearts!"
challenged Rei. 'Especially this one' she thought to
herself looking at Serena.
Another conversation soon developed, but Darien was
completely lost in Serena. She was so feminine and breath
taking that he couldn't help but stare at her, drinking in
her beautiful sight. He slowly came back to reality as he
heard Lita bragging about how she had been to Serena's house
in the exclusive Moon Rose Country area.
The girls looked at her with wide eyes. "You live in Moon
Rose Country?!" they exclaimed.
"Yes. Why? What's the big deal?"
"Moon Rose Country is very exquisite property and is only
available to those who qualify, 'money' and 'status' wise"
Darien stated.
"That's where the rich and famous live" Mina was still
looking at her in awe.
Serena shrugged it off. "It's just a house . . ."
"I told you they wouldn't believe it" Lita smiled at her
friend's modesty.
"Now, I'm really dying to know what you do!" Rei leaned in
towards Serena, preparing for her to spill at least a clue
as to what she did.
"I tell you one thing!" Serena cocked an eyebrow at her
curious friends. "I . . .am . . . not . . . a . . .
stripper!" She pointed her finger at all of them,
emphasizing her words. The group stared at her, then
laughed at her comical display.
"I hate to break this up, but we can't be late for our next
meeting!" Amy glanced at her watch as she motioned for Mina,
Molly and Jayson to gather their things. The rest followed
suit and began their good-byes. Serena handed out her
number to the girls with an invite for a get together on the
weekend. Nathan and Zen took the opportunity to approach
Molly and Ami with their numbers before they had to go.
"Smooth move, Zen. Didn't know you had it in you!"
Zen blushed lightly. "Well, Ami is a great girl . . ."
"I didn't think her to be your type." Nathan noted, thinking
about Molly.
"Really? And what type of girl do you see me with?"
"You know the one that Darien usually goes out with then
dumps after he . . ." Nathan began jokingly before being
smacked.
"Baka!" Michael hissed, trying to save Darien's image for
Serena.
"After he . . .what?" asked Lita asked before being hushed
by Andrew.
"Finish it Nathan! After he what?" Rei challenged noticing
Darien's angry eyes.
Darien who usually was very cool when hiding his tracks, was
speechless and it didn't make it any easier that Serena was
staring at him with her gorgeous eyes. 'She's so beautiful .
. . I'm going to KILL Nathan!' , he thought with clenched
teeth. 'How could he say that in front of her? Now, she'll
probably be scared to go out with me, even though I would
never treat her like that . . ..' he thought as he looked at
his angel.
Serena waited for an answer as she stared back at Darien.
His blues eyes seemed to be filled with guilt and regret.
'He couldn't be like that . . . could he?'
"After he realizes that . . . um . . ." Michael tried to
think fast and looked to Andrew for help.
"That he . . . doesn't like them anymore!" Andrew piped in.
Darien thanked his best friends silently before returning
his gaze to Serena.
"Yeah, and I'm a monkey's uncle!" Rei crossed her arms in
front of her chest and glared at Darien. She wasn't going to
let him save face just so he could take advantage of her
friend.
"You know, Darien", Serena shifted the conversation as she
came up to him and took his arm, "How come it feels like
everyone is just interested in our affairs?" she questioned
sarcastically.
'Is she helping him out' thought Andrew.
Darien was a little surprised, but smiled at her sarcasm and
playful mood.
"I agree, Serena. They do appear to be interrogating us,
don't they?"
"You would think they have their own lives to question...",
Serena grinned mischievously at everyone before turning to
Darien, who smiled at her with hidden passion.
"Alright, already! We get the point!" Rei remarked dryly.
Noting that Serena was preparing to leave, Darien grabbed
Serena's blazer and helped her into it. As she slipped
inside the sleeves, Darien stepped closer. He inhaled her
intoxicating scent and reveled in the warm, electrifying
feeling of being so close to her.
Serena turned and smiled at Darien. She had also enjoyed
being so close to him "It was nice to finally and formally
meet you"
"Yes, it is . . ." he took her extended hand and gave it
another soft kiss. They stared at each other for what felt
like an eternity, neither wanting to let go.
"Well, Serena . . ." Lita began, "I hope we can all get
together this weekend!"
"Hmmm . . . . Oh! Yes, that would be great!" Serena snapped
out of her reverie and turned to her friends. "Lita, Rei,
I'll see you guys tomorrow. As for you handsome men, it's
been fun and I hope to see you all again" With that, she
picked up her belongings and soon disappeared out the door.
Andrew, noticing Darien's still sparkling gaze, nudged
Michael.
"Earth to Darien!" Michael called out mockingly.
"Nani?" he replied, slightly irritated that his thoughts of
Serena were interrupted.
"What was that all about?" Rei eyed her boss suspiciously.
"I thought you said that you didn't have any intentions on
Serena?"
"I didn't say that . . . all I said that If I did I wouldn't
hesitate!" said a smiling Darien, "and I didn't. . ."
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