Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ WALK LIKE A MAN ❯ Chapter 8

**Don’t own it......but you knew that didn’t you?**

Mai couldn't wipe the unmistakable look of contentment off her face. Under the chassis of her restoration car all she could do was smile. Sure she had no job and her bills were piling up, but she had one perfect night to remember. It had bee way too long since she had her world rock. Trunks was in a whole category by himself.

Josie kept leavening messages for her to return her call, but Mai's head was still soaring above the clouds. But she promised she would call her back this afternoon after she put on the new carburetor. She had only talked to Trunks twice after that night. She promised she would meet back up with him when his schedule cleared up. It had been about 12 day of wishful thinking, fantasizing and quirky girly thoughts. It was really starting to bug her brother out. When she visited, she still seemed to be on cloud nine. The last time she went this gaga of a man, it put her in the hospital. So this visit was to make sure she kept a level head.

“Mai? Mai?” Jamie had entered the garage just coming form downtown.

“Under here bro” she yelled under the sound of the music on the radio and the power tools in hand.

“I want to talk to you”

“In a minute....I ....just have.... to turn this. Finished”

She rolled from under the car, grittily overalls and all. One minute she a diva out chasing a man next a grease monkey tomboy.

“So you never told me what happen that night?”

“Inquiring minds want to know?”

“Hell yea. Don’t blow smoke up my ass. Am I going to have to get physical with is punk or what?”

“You don’t want to go there with this one. He definitely ain’t no Malachi” She slipped out her stale clothing and washed her face.

“I just find it strange you come over soaking wet and bruised in the most unmentionable places. You sure he didn't hurt you”

“Yea.....but in a good way”

Brothers always look out for there little sisters. It the code of life. Protect those who can’t think clearly because their sprung.

“What do you know about his guy? Except what you hear on TV.”

“I worked for him remember? We were getting close.”

“His girlfriend Simone?”

“Passé”

“You sure” Jamie said round the front of the car leading into the house “You know those upper class have those tedious “on a again off again” relationships”

“I trust him. Besides were just testing the waters. Ok?”

“Sure”

They both went into the kitchen and Mai made some tea.

“Stay for lunch?”

“Yea. Ty's visiting his sister he’ll be back Monday”

“Brother lonely?” She sat on his lap and hugged him.

“Yea”

“Love him don’t you?”

“Sometimes too much”

“See, I want what you have. The happy ending. Remember when momma wouldn’t set foot in your house because you came out”

“Yea”

“You didn’t cave in you stood strong for you and Ty’s love. I want to have that look on my face”

“What look?”

Mai stood up and took a picture off the fridge and handed it to her brother. He smiled and nodded. It was a picture of him and Ty, just being themselves in love. Jamie had never looked so happy, content.

“I want to look like that”

“I understand” he sat his sister back on his lap “You want to be in love. It's is the best feeling, besides having a child”

Jamie tried his best to hold back the tears “I miss my baby” he tried to choke back the sadness “I’ve missed so much”

“One day it will be all right”

“But the lies......you can’t be happy living a lie”

Jamie buried his face in the comfort of his sisters loving arms. His sorrow was her sorrow. Lies were keeping him away from his child. Then it hit her. She shouldn't see Trunks anymore. Their friendship was based on a lie, her lies and deceptions. The cell phone had rung but she was hesitant to answer it.

“Hello” her voice a bit girly

“Mike. Thank goodness”

It was Trunks at the other end.

“Good news. We found the error in the Feral case” his voice sounded excited “You weren't to blame for the mix up”

Catching on she lowered her voice “What. Not my fault?”

“No” he laughed out loud “I want you back here Monday. That's if your not working somewhere else, in that case I'll double the salary”

Her heart stopped beating and all the life left her. Jamie looked up at her perplexed face.

“What’s wrong? He said.

“He wants me to come back to work”

She thought all her disguising herself was over; she wanted to know him, as Mai not Mike.

“What do I do?” Her hand barely covering the receiver end of the phone

“Mike!” Trunks shouted getting her attention “I should call back if you have company”

“No it’s ok. He understands”

“I need you here Monday, or sooner. We've got Ginger town in two weeks. I need you prepped. But look who I'm talking to. You can handle it”

His over confidence in her was honorable, considering it was all a farce. She did promise him nothing less then perfection in Ginger town, when she was Mike. Oh how did this get so complicated?

“I'll be there first thing Monday” she said half heartily “Can’t wait to get back into the office sir”

“Now come on did the time off make you dense? My grandfather was “sir”. I’ll see you Monday”

Mai fell back against the wall. She couldn’t believe what just happened. She went form 60 to 0 in less than 5 seconds.

“What just happened?” She asked out loud not really wanting an answer.

“You just had a taste of karma” Jamie got out his seat and stood next to her “I’m sorry” he added.

“For what?”

“I hoped this whole thing would fail. But I didn't expect your heart to get caught in the crossfire”

“I know it’s my own fault. I played around with fire” her face saddened.

************************************************************** ***

It was a bittersweet Monday morning as Mai stood in front of the mirror and adjusted her tie. Her hair was a bit longer but in all she still looked like Mike. The butterflies in her stomach were racing around, her palms were sweaty and she had the jitters. Actually she was doing better then she expected. But she had not made it to the office yet.

This was her first day back. She barely was aware of her surrounding as she drove into work. Everything seemed minute compared to the problems she was having deep within her. But she’s had to put o n a game face to pull off the first day and hope the rest fall into place. She headed up the elevator and with each passing floor her breathing got more labored.

“I’m going to die” she mumbled to herself as the doors opened as she stepped out.

“WELCOME BACK MIKE!!!”

Mai took a step back, being totally surprised by the entire floor of well wishers. Brittany held one end of the banner, bubbly as ever and Trunks stood in the middle of the chaos smiling and giving an approving nod. All she could do to keep from crying was to keep smiling. From the sea of well wishers came familiar faces, faces of coworkers happy Mike had returned to keep the peace between themselves and their boss.

“You could have come by and said hello” Brittany caught a hold of Mai’s arm tightly “ we missed you so much”

She gave Mai a quick hug in front of the audience then scurried away blushing after her openly outward show of affection.

“Guess everyone is going to get their wish” Trunks decided to have a word with the returning assistant after the crowd died down.

“Wish?”

“I don’t know what magic spell you put on the ladies on this floor” Trunks rested his hand on Mai’s shoulder as they walked back to his office “they were about to rip me a new on if I didn’t get you back soon”

“I’m sorry sir; they have been kind of protective of me. I guess I spoil them”

“It's ok happy workers a productive ones”

They entered his office and to her surprise it wasn’t the disaster se though it would be. Granted there were files on this desk, he seemed to have a handle on them. He sat in his chair and handed her a folder.

“Ginger Town. This is where deals are made or loosed”

Mai sat on the small sofa and looked it over. They had talked extensively about the conference over the weeks before she was fired. It seemed so far off at the time.

“I need to have the quarterly reports” Mai asked loosening her tie “I wasn’t here to see them. I’ll need to see how much of a profit margin we can....”

Mai’s eyes left the report only to find Trunks staring at her.

“It’s like you never miss a beat. You get right in and take charge”

“It’s my job”

“I know but you make it seem more than just a job. Like you really want to help me out , make sure I look good . Hell sometimes I with my mother would toss the reins to you”

He always commented that taking over Capsule Corp. not his first choice in careers. Per haps the idea of having something handed over to him instead of him rolling up his sleeves and working hard for it made the excitement and the challenges a bit boring.

“Do you ever tell your mother about not wanting this as your long life dream?”

“No. She’s one tracked minded. I’m the heir, I should run it”

“Maybe you should pump out a few brats and that way she’d couldn’t say “You’re the last Brief and who will this all when I'm gone”

“I’d have to be married first. And in all likely hood that's’ not going to happen anytime soon”

“Simone out of the picture?” Mai asked wandering

“Basically. But I did meet this young lady” Trunks became a bit excited “ she was shopping with her sister. Actually she was the lady I didn’t hire before you came along. We went out once, but this dam job has kept me so busy I haven’t had time to ask for a second date, although the first one would be hard to top”

Mai felt a bit strange listening to her boss talked about her as she sat next to him, disguised as a man, but a smile did manage to appear on her lip as she reminisced about the night in question. It seems they had gotten back to their normal routine and selves. Trunks overly chatty about anything but his job. And Mai sitting patiently listening ht him rant on. She was in pure heaven.

“So you and me are sharing an adjoining suite in Ginger Town”

Mai finally pulled her head out of the clouds “what?”

“Yea, that way we can be together”

She nearly dropped her folder when she heard the words come form his lips. They could be together. Words she so wanted to hear the first time he kissed her. Words she wasted to hear as she laid on his chest in his room as he tried his best to explain about transforming. Words she wanted to hear as he made love to her over and over again until the sun peeked thought the sheer curtains and gently touched their bodies.

She let out a sign and shut her eyes tightly. Her heart almost stopped beating with grief, as if it was being ripped form her. She knew he meant it as a business proposition to Mike, but in her heart, as Mai, she wanted more.

“You ok?” He asked now sitting next her on the small sofa “All the color just left you man. You’re not getting sick on me are you?”

“No I’m fine. Breakfast was a bit too rich for me I guess” her voice sounded shaky.

“Well I’ll just order you some soup for lunch” He picked up the receiver to the phone “I’ll have one of the girls take this file and get the quarterly for you”

Again he was being too kind.

“No really I’ll be ok”

“You sure?”

“Positive”

“Ok then let’s get back into the swing of things”

It as if nothing changed, like someone pushed the pause button when she left leaving everything ready for her return But things were different. The way she felt about him, the way she looked at him when he was taking a call or just sitting. He was familiar to her so differently now. She had seem him go through all his emotions in one night. Happiness, sadness, excitement, wonder and pride. He had opened up to her so wide, she felt ashamed knowing his inner most thoughts and secrets. She didn't return for the money, she could have made by on another salary. But she had promised him her best at Ginger Town, and that she would be at his side. Mai always made good on her promises.

&n bsp;

** Guess who’s back! But this time are things going to be different between the two? After all she did sleep with her boss. Next chapter will be up soon. I’m out!**