Gundam Seed Destiny Fan Fiction / Gundam SEED Fan Fiction ❯ Play of the Fates ❯ III: The One With The Phone Call ( Chapter 3 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: PaolaAdara 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Seed Destiny Fan Fiction / Gundam SEED Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 04.16.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.6K | Visits: 451 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Gundam Seed Destiny Fan Fiction / Gundam SEED Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 04.16.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.6K | Visits: 451 | Status: Work In Progress
Title: Play of the Fates (3 of ?)
Author: Paola
Disclaimer: Play of the Fates is based on characters and situations that belong to Sotsu Agency, Bandai Studios, and TV Asashi (and other production affiliates that have the right of ownership). No money is being made, and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Considerations: Similarities to other stories/events/passages are purely coincidental unless otherwise cited.
The idea to make the chapter titles begin with “The One…” is from the TV show, F.R.I.E.N.D.S
This may, in all possible intent, be differently written compared to any of my previous literary ventures.
Rating: Rated M for language and adult situations. You have been warned.
Play of the Fates
Chapter Three
Cagalli had handed in her resignation letter two weeks ago, and today, she was at the end of her two-week’s notice. She’d be entering a new lobby come tomorrow; she’d be sitting behind a different desk; and she’d be greeting new faces and trying to adjust to her new job. It sounded so easy in her head, but she knew better. She wouldn’t be some nameless employee at a renowned company – she’d be introduced as Uzumi’s daughter right off the bat, and being the big boss’ heiress would surely make it hard for her to find new friends who wouldn’t just be involved with her superficially. She’d be facing ass-kissers, and she’d be damned if she couldn’t recognize one easily. It was a good thing she took a breather from her sheltered life in the Athha mansion for it sharpened her.
Cagalli listlessly pressed the elevator button that would take her down to the basement parking lot where her car was deposited. She would miss this place, she knew, even if not everyone was agreeable. She knew this turf; she was familiar with the people, the hallsthe do’s and don’t’s, and although she only worked as a secretary, she was a secretary in the best department.
Working for the PR department brought about new and unexplored horizons for her. She had gotten to know the right people, had mingled with the A-list, and the heads of the other departments envied her contacts. But now she had given up her job for another. Sure, her job at the magazine publishing house wasn’t what she originally wanted, but it had grown on her, and – she allowed a semi-sardonic smile to be comfortable on her lips – she could even go as far as saying that it had changed her. Back when she was the spoilt princess of the Athha household, she couldn’t care less about her social life because she knew she could get anything she wanted, but after working in this office and getting lucky, she’d expanded her connections, broadened her social activities, and that had solidified her belief that she was finally able to stand on her own. She knew people Uzumi didn’t, and even if her job weren’t as fabulous as some might believe – and aside from her constant complaints about the other secretary – she really didn’t have much to gripe about.
The elevator dinged, and a man in Versace stepped in. “Cagalli.” It was her boss, or, more appropriately, her former boss. “I know I’m not the most pleasant of bosses, but you’re ditching me?”
Cagalli chuckled openly, giving him a friendly, though unprofessional, hug. “Oh, Mat, if you’ve offered me a raise, I wouldn’t have to move!”
Cagalli’s boss had always acted more like a friend to his staff than a padrone. She hadn’t expected that since he had seemed so stern and distant when she first met him.
Matthew Atwood was a good-looking man in his early-forties, with carefully mussed-up hair, an ever-present five o’clock shadow, and a lady-killer grin. He was one of those white-collared bachelors that had enough going for them, but still not enough to tie them officially to one woman.
A little snooping around on her part – with Miriallia’s help – and she’d learnt that he had been previously engaged, only to have the engagement called off later on when he and his fiancée realized they just weren’t the marrying type. It was a clean, harmless, friendly break-up that was almost always unheard of. And while she never felt ashamed about putting her nose in his business, she had belatedly felt that that measly piece of information didn’t really serve a particular purpose in her life. She stuck her nose in another person’s business because of a fairly decent excuse: she used to have a crush on Mat. And as she wasn’t very professional in her work relationships back then, a little gossiping about her boss didn’t send her on guilt trips. But as she worked on her office skills, and as they both progressed in their professional relationship, that crush had waned and disappeared, leaving Cagalli a fond memory of their first meeting. She’d told him of it, and he’d teased her incessantly about it, too, like how men were expected to, and they’d had a good time laughing at how silly they were acting.
She’d miss Mat for sure.
He laughed and hugged her back. “We’ll miss you.”
“I’m not so sure that Sheila would,” Cagalli replied, though she wasn’t exactly being bitter towards the other secretary. Now that she’d resigned, it was all water under the bridge, at least for her. “She’s always been competitive.”
“As have you.”
Cagalli rolled her eyes. “You really should be siding with me since I’m the one you’re with now.”
Mat laughed. “But you’re the one leaving me.”
Cagalli harrumphed. “Point.”
“Say, as a parting gesture, why don’t I treat you to dinner?”
“You know, Mat, if you’d said that during the time I started working for you, I might have swooned.”
“You can still swoon now,” he grinned at her.
The blonde rolled her eyes again. She briefly wondered if the security operating the surveillance camera inside the elevator car thought they were flirting, and she inwardly smirked. It didn’t matter. She was stepping out of this office and wouldn’t be coming back anytime soon. Besides, Mat was a friend, and friends were allowed to participate in casual and innocuous flirting.
“So?” he asked, pressing the button for the second basement parking lot.
“Sure. I don’t turn down free food. But are you sure you know whom you’re inviting?” she grinned when Mat looked amused. “Let me just tell you that I’m not a salad girl.”
“Salad girl? Am I old that I don’t even know what a ‘salad girl’ is?”
Cagalli breezily waved a hand. “Oh, you know, those girls who guys take to expensive, fancy restaurants and just order a salad.” She gave him a once-over. “You don’t look old. Just a few shots of botox here and there needed. But not old.”
Mat favored Cagalli a hearty laugh as they waited for the elevator doors to close after stopping at Cagalli’s previous destination. “I never thought you were a salad girl.”
“That’s plenty good to hear, Mat,” Cagalli smiled.
o-o
Having dinner with Mat was everything Cagalli expected, and she wasn’t disappointed to note that he was how she had imagined him to be: a suave bachelor who knew how to work his charms to get what he wanted. As proof, they were currently occupying one of the best tables at Tavern City – a debuting bar and restaurant in downtown Orb that had a stringent guest list which didn’t have their names on it.
“You know what, I’ve never had crawfish before,” Cagalli offhandedly steered to another topic as she finished her meal.
“Never? I once overheard you and Ms. Haw talking of this dinner you had at The Casa. They offer the best crawfish.” He leant closer and whispered conspiratorially, “The one they serve here doesn’t even come close.”
Cagalli laughed. “You shouldn’t talk bad of a place you wouldn’t be in if the girl by the door didn’t have a crush on you.” She made a face, jerking her thumb at the general direction of the door.
“She doesn’t have a crush on me. I just know how to charm her.”
Cagalli rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Anyway, I usually order safe food.”
“Hn.”
She shrugged. “You know, food I know I’d like. I’m not much of a fish…junkie…eater…whatever,” she paused to shake her head at the humor Mat apparently found in her choice of words. “Besides, you’re here to pay even if the food didn’t turn out to be very…palatable.”
Their waiter removed the empty dishes from their table, and Cagalli ordered another Cosmopolitan while Mat refreshed his Black Russian.
“So, you haven’t told me the reason behind your resignation,” Mat broached another subject.
“I furnished a resignation letter, didn’t I? I suppose you read it since you allowed my termination of employment.”
Mat grinned at her. “Yes, you’re resigning because of a conflict of interest with a commitment prior your employment at Orb Aesthete, I believe it was?”
Cagalli mockingly glared at him. “I hear heavy sarcasm.”
“Thank you,” Mat addressed the waiter when he returned with their requested beverages. “It’s because it’s laden with lots of it,” he directed at Cagalli.
“Fine, fine,” Cagalli chuckled. “Jeez, does anything get by you?”
“Not much. It’s why I call the shots.”
Cagalli shook her head. “It’s really a familial matter, and I prefer not to talk about it, if it’s all the same to you.”
Mat shrugged. “All right. Fair enough. Maybe I should have fired you instead of letting you off that easily. Lying in your resignation letter,” he clucked his tongue in a teasing manner.
“Mat!” She giggled. “You know everyone lies in their résumés and resignation letters.” She took a sip of her cocktail then shifted in her seat, enjoying the atmosphere of the newly opened establishment.
When she let her gaze wander back to the man in front of her, she was slightly puzzled to notice him with his head slightly raised, seemingly looking for someone over her shoulder. A little curious about his behavior, she nonchalantly looked behind her, but saw no one she was well-acquainted with.
“Hey,” she called his attention.
“Oh, sorry. I thought I saw someone I–” he cut himself off as he appeared to have finally spotted a familiar face among the crowd. He raised a hand in greeting when whom he was searching for spotted him, too, and the name that slipped off his tongue almost made Cagalli choke on her cocktail, “Athrun!”
She whipped her head to catch a sight of him, but Athrun didn’t seem to have noticed her yet. Then she hastily took her eyes off him when he started moving towards them.
“Mat Atwood. Fancy seeing you here,” Athrun spoke with a friendly casualness that could only be bred from a friendship that had an ample time to grow. He stood by their table and shook hands with Cagalli’s former boss.
“I was having dinner with an associate,” Mat motioned towards Cagalli, and Athrun finally landed his eyes on the blonde sitting across their common friend.
“Athrun, this is–”
“Cagalli,” Athrun uttered, a flicker of recognition igniting in his emerald orbs.
Mat seemed surprised. “I see you know each other.”
Cagalli off-guardedly eyed the hand Athrun offered, which was slanted in a way that didn’t propose a handshake. She tentatively smiled up at him, placing her hand in his, and she was again surprised when he made to take her hand like he was asking her to dance, gave it a gentle squeeze, then let go.
“We’re just having drinks. Why don’t you sit down and join us?” Before Athrun could answer, Mat had already signaled the waiter to add another chair to their table.
“I’ll have a Godfather,” Athrun replied when the waiter prompted him for drinks.
Cagalli just knew that that wasn’t a handshake, for if it were, he would have shaken hands with Mat the same way, which, now that she thought about it, would have been a disturbing sight to see. That had to mean something else, but she couldn’t be too sure because right now, Athrun didn’t seem to even be paying her any special notice. He was amicably chatting with her former boss about how the other had been, their jobs, and how each of them had wound up in this restaurant with him just having finished dinner with two close friends. She, on the other hand, was left in anagrams. She didn’t know if she would be offended that he seemed to have ignored the fact that they knew each other in a different sense, or be relieved that he wasn’t outwardly showing signs of being extra familiar with her.
This was why she didn’t do one-night stands. In theory, it would be awkward if they ever met again, and in practice, it was more than awkward – it was downright mortifying. She didn’t want not knowing how to act around people, and this was just one of those few nightmares she had to live out.
Cagalli took an emergency swig of her cocktail, hoping that her mind was just exaggerating about her current condition.
“So, how do you two know each other?” Mat asked.
For some reason, that question made her all the more queasy inside. Meeting him twice in the same month after they had not-so-innocently cavorted was not her idea of fun, especially when their meetings had all been accidental. Accidental and hard to get out of. If this were some sort of cosmic karma, then she knew she had done something irreparably wrong in her past life.
“Her father is an associate of mine,” Athrun smoothly provided a safe answer, which was sort of true anyway.
Despite herself, Cagalli was impressed. She hadn’t missed his surprised look the first time they had faced each other after that night, but now he seemed totally composed, not missing a beat when acknowledging her and answering Mat’s question.
“We were introduced through him.”
“Oh, is that right. The little darling dazzled you the first time you met her, I’d wager,” Mat grinned, obviously paying Cagalli a compliment.
She smiled at him, slightly shaking her head at Mat’s incorrigible humor. “Adulation is undue, Mat.”
“You,” Athrun began, “can put it that way.”
Cagalli felt like whacking him in the head – along with wanting the earth to open up and swallow her whole – for playing with his words. It wasn’t as if Mat knew what little history she and Athrun shared, but her thoughts were dictating her reactions, and as much as she didn’t appreciate being affected by his indifferent answers – which, in the first place, she thought of as double-entendres – she couldn’t just tell Athrun off. Not only would it be uncouth and crass, but it would also be very weird for the three of them: for Mat, who was ignorant of their real first meeting; for Athrun, who, for all she knew, wasn’t really insinuating anything; and for her, who was letting her thoughts run off.
“Damn straight,” she finally put in, deciding to ignore the uncomfortable feeling that had settled at the back of her mind.
The three of them laughed, and for a split second, Cagalli thought Athrun glanced at her just a tad too longer than was necessary.
Cagalli blinked, and Athrun was back to chatting with Mat. Maybe it was her imagination.
o-o-o-o
“How’s your first day?” Miriallia asked over the phone.
“Aside from my old man’s introduction of me – which, let me tell you, had me feeling awkward until now – things have been pretty uneventful,” Cagalli answered, sifting through a file folder her own secretary had handed her. It was such a nice change to have a secretary instead of being one; she didn’t have to answer calls all day, and she could screen those she wanted to talk to without having to think up an excuse for herself.
“Did you wear the pant suit I told you to wear?”
Cagalli was befuddled. “What?”
“The pant suit I recommended you to wear on your first day, did you wear it?”
“And you’re supposed to be making sense because…?”
Miriallia clucked her tongue at Cagalli’s sarcasm. “It’s supposed to make your day…eventful.”
Cagalli carefully placed the yellow folder on top of the stack she’d finished going through. She was handling the PR firm of her father’s business empire, and she had been very relieved when he’d told her about it since it was the kind of work she was familiar with. “How does that figure?” she asked, confused.
“How many new friends have you made?”
“Aside from my invisible friend?” Cagalli made a funny face. “You’re confusing me.”
“I meant: how many new male friends have you made?”
“Miriallia!” Cagalli bit her lip to cut off the scandalized pitch in her voice. “What’s the suit got to do with that?” she exclaimed.
“Remember that night we went out with Damien? That crazy night at the bistro?”
“What of it?” Cagalli thought back. Damien was her and Miriallia’s gay friend who loved to drag them to the hippest and trendiest places on a Friday night. He also claimed to be her fashion guru because, according to him, she needed one so badly if she wanted to fit in with the A-list guests she invited to the Orb Aesthete parties. She’d told him that she was a practical woman and that she had no use for party clothes, but he’d dismissed her concern with a flippant wave of his hand and taken her shopping for stylish suits that mixed sophistication, business, and the latest style, accommodating her practical needs and his party attitude.
Cagalli shook her head at their friend’s perceived autocracy.
Miriallia sighed exasperatedly on the other end of the line. “Really, Cagalli. Remember how many times you’ve been hit on by cute guys?”
Cagalli rolled her eyes. “It’s not something I gladly recall.” It wasn’t one of Cagalli’s fondest memories. On the other hand, Damien had a blast that night, pushing her to dance with some of the guys who had walked up to her and introduced themselves. If he weren’t so pushy, and if she had been in the mood to squabble with him over his audacious ideas, she’d have saucily turned down every offer. But, as the case had been, she owed him a favor for accompanying her, when Miriallia was unavailable, to Onogoro to scout for a place to hold one of Orb Aesthete’s launching parties on that side of Orb, so she didn’t have the right – as he’d so cleverly put it – to argue with him.
“You were wearing those hip-huggers, and Damien was happier than a kid on Christmas!”
Cagalli glared at the ear piece as if it could somehow transmit her icy stare to her brunette friend. “I didn’t accept this job to be hit on, Miriallia Haw.”
“I know, I know! But it’ll make making acquaintances easier! And more fun!”
“Miriallia!” Miriallia laughed heartily at her outburst, but Cagalli wasn’t amused. “I’m hanging up.”
“No, No! Wait!”
“Bye,” Cagalli said with finality, but her austere tone didn’t lessen Miriallia’s chuckles. She hung up. “Crazy girl,” she muttered.
Cagalli glanced at the wall clock above the door: 4:00. She still had an hour to go before she could slip out of the office without attracting the attention of her father for leaving too early. She had reviewed all the files of the former officer in-charge of the PR department, whose position she now possessed. She had run over the multiple guest lists the company kept, and she had made note of whom to add, whom to delete, and whom to keep. She’d made the proper calls, and since it was just her first day, the workload wasn’t too heavy. She was done the moment she hung up on Miriallia, and the temptation to up and leave the office was beginning to be harder to resist with each passing second.
Swiveling her chair, she clicked the mouse to awaken her computer, immediately checking her lotus notes to see if there were office memos being circulated. Upon landing on the first office memo on her system, she hastily deleted it. She didn’t fancy reading the memo about her being new to the company and taking over the Public Relations Department like she was born to head it. She just knew her father would put her in this high position, and although she appreciated the favor, she didn’t like having to hear people gossip about how she was only in this position because of her father and not because she was capable of fulfilling her duties as a department head.
Scrolling over the new messages, she glanced at the digital time on the bottom right of the screen: 4:30 PM. She grimaced at how time passed so slowly. She already wanted to go home, soak in the tub, order Chinese, and eat in front of the television, watching the news for a few minutes then surfing the channels until she found a program that suited her.
Before she could reach for her third cup of coffee that afternoon, her intercom buzzed, disrupting the silent air in her office.
“Yes?” she answered, pressing the button to talk.
“A Mister Athrun Zala on the line, Ms. Athha,” her secretary’s voice rang out.
Cagalli was startled out of her boredom. Why was he calling her? And more importantly, how did he get her number?
“Ms. Athha?”
“Ah, yes, put him through.”
“Will I link him to the video phone?”
Cagalli covered her mouth before she could scream No. “I’ll take an ordinary phone call.”
“Yes, Ms. Athha.”
Cagalli waited for the beep before retrieving the mouthpiece from the cradle. “Yes, Mr. Zala?” she kept a professional tone even when she was inwardly trying to guess the purpose of his call.
“Good afternoon to you, too, Cagalli.”
His informal greeting made her chew on her bottom lip. Were they friends now? Was that night at Tavern City a signpost that they were on first-name basis? As far as she was concerned, they were only being friendly for Mat’s sake. One just didn’t act cozy with one’s one-night stand partner.
“Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Zala?”
Athrun chuckled at the other end. “If you like to keep it that way, it’s fine with me. I’ll still address you as Cagalli.” Cagalli only hummed her acknowledgement. “Anyway, about your father’s purchase of your personal Justice, he forgot to give me your preferences.”
“Is there anyone I can meet with to discuss this over?”
“That would be me. Uzumi has personally assigned your automobile acquisition to me. This way, it will be easier to make transactions should you have a change of mind or personal customizations you want to the Justice.”
“You can make it easier for me?” Cagalli couldn’t pull back the astonishment in her pitch fast enough.
Athrun chuckled again, causing Cagalli to flinch. “Yes. Being the acting CEO of the Genesis Motors here in Orb does have its privileges.”
“Oh,” she paused. “Oh.” Truth be told, she was amazed. She had thought that her father was meeting with just a representative of the Genesis Motors, only to find out this afternoon that he was the head of the company. By accepting her father’s offer, she was led to make business with a power-wielder businessman whom she had also spent a night with. Even if it would just be a short transaction, as it would only be her own car she would be dealing with, it still sent an uncomfortable jolt in her stomach.
“I have a busy schedule, as have you, I’m sure, so let’s make quick work of this. Why don’t we meet for lunch next week? Next week, Monday? My lunch hour is free.”
Cagalli cursorily skimmed over her schedule in her electronic planner, which she had updated the moment her secretary was able to book her the appointments she needed to make. “So is mine,” she answered the implied question.
“I’ll have my secretary call your secretary for the arrangement.”
She nodded even though he couldn’t see her.
“I’ll see you then, Cagalli,” he replied, and she briefly wondered if he somehow knew that she was nodding.
The line went dead, and Cagalli was suddenly horrified to realize what she had just set up. Not only did she allow herself to transact her business with him directly, but she’d allowed for them to meet. Again. Something she didn’t want to ever happen once more since day one.
Cagalli fought the urge to bang her head on her desktop. She had really done a good job in screwing herself over.
x-x-x-x-x
Author: Paola
Disclaimer: Play of the Fates is based on characters and situations that belong to Sotsu Agency, Bandai Studios, and TV Asashi (and other production affiliates that have the right of ownership). No money is being made, and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Considerations: Similarities to other stories/events/passages are purely coincidental unless otherwise cited.
The idea to make the chapter titles begin with “The One…” is from the TV show, F.R.I.E.N.D.S
This may, in all possible intent, be differently written compared to any of my previous literary ventures.
Rating: Rated M for language and adult situations. You have been warned.
Play of the Fates
Chapter Three
Cagalli had handed in her resignation letter two weeks ago, and today, she was at the end of her two-week’s notice. She’d be entering a new lobby come tomorrow; she’d be sitting behind a different desk; and she’d be greeting new faces and trying to adjust to her new job. It sounded so easy in her head, but she knew better. She wouldn’t be some nameless employee at a renowned company – she’d be introduced as Uzumi’s daughter right off the bat, and being the big boss’ heiress would surely make it hard for her to find new friends who wouldn’t just be involved with her superficially. She’d be facing ass-kissers, and she’d be damned if she couldn’t recognize one easily. It was a good thing she took a breather from her sheltered life in the Athha mansion for it sharpened her.
Cagalli listlessly pressed the elevator button that would take her down to the basement parking lot where her car was deposited. She would miss this place, she knew, even if not everyone was agreeable. She knew this turf; she was familiar with the people, the hallsthe do’s and don’t’s, and although she only worked as a secretary, she was a secretary in the best department.
Working for the PR department brought about new and unexplored horizons for her. She had gotten to know the right people, had mingled with the A-list, and the heads of the other departments envied her contacts. But now she had given up her job for another. Sure, her job at the magazine publishing house wasn’t what she originally wanted, but it had grown on her, and – she allowed a semi-sardonic smile to be comfortable on her lips – she could even go as far as saying that it had changed her. Back when she was the spoilt princess of the Athha household, she couldn’t care less about her social life because she knew she could get anything she wanted, but after working in this office and getting lucky, she’d expanded her connections, broadened her social activities, and that had solidified her belief that she was finally able to stand on her own. She knew people Uzumi didn’t, and even if her job weren’t as fabulous as some might believe – and aside from her constant complaints about the other secretary – she really didn’t have much to gripe about.
The elevator dinged, and a man in Versace stepped in. “Cagalli.” It was her boss, or, more appropriately, her former boss. “I know I’m not the most pleasant of bosses, but you’re ditching me?”
Cagalli chuckled openly, giving him a friendly, though unprofessional, hug. “Oh, Mat, if you’ve offered me a raise, I wouldn’t have to move!”
Cagalli’s boss had always acted more like a friend to his staff than a padrone. She hadn’t expected that since he had seemed so stern and distant when she first met him.
Matthew Atwood was a good-looking man in his early-forties, with carefully mussed-up hair, an ever-present five o’clock shadow, and a lady-killer grin. He was one of those white-collared bachelors that had enough going for them, but still not enough to tie them officially to one woman.
A little snooping around on her part – with Miriallia’s help – and she’d learnt that he had been previously engaged, only to have the engagement called off later on when he and his fiancée realized they just weren’t the marrying type. It was a clean, harmless, friendly break-up that was almost always unheard of. And while she never felt ashamed about putting her nose in his business, she had belatedly felt that that measly piece of information didn’t really serve a particular purpose in her life. She stuck her nose in another person’s business because of a fairly decent excuse: she used to have a crush on Mat. And as she wasn’t very professional in her work relationships back then, a little gossiping about her boss didn’t send her on guilt trips. But as she worked on her office skills, and as they both progressed in their professional relationship, that crush had waned and disappeared, leaving Cagalli a fond memory of their first meeting. She’d told him of it, and he’d teased her incessantly about it, too, like how men were expected to, and they’d had a good time laughing at how silly they were acting.
She’d miss Mat for sure.
He laughed and hugged her back. “We’ll miss you.”
“I’m not so sure that Sheila would,” Cagalli replied, though she wasn’t exactly being bitter towards the other secretary. Now that she’d resigned, it was all water under the bridge, at least for her. “She’s always been competitive.”
“As have you.”
Cagalli rolled her eyes. “You really should be siding with me since I’m the one you’re with now.”
Mat laughed. “But you’re the one leaving me.”
Cagalli harrumphed. “Point.”
“Say, as a parting gesture, why don’t I treat you to dinner?”
“You know, Mat, if you’d said that during the time I started working for you, I might have swooned.”
“You can still swoon now,” he grinned at her.
The blonde rolled her eyes again. She briefly wondered if the security operating the surveillance camera inside the elevator car thought they were flirting, and she inwardly smirked. It didn’t matter. She was stepping out of this office and wouldn’t be coming back anytime soon. Besides, Mat was a friend, and friends were allowed to participate in casual and innocuous flirting.
“So?” he asked, pressing the button for the second basement parking lot.
“Sure. I don’t turn down free food. But are you sure you know whom you’re inviting?” she grinned when Mat looked amused. “Let me just tell you that I’m not a salad girl.”
“Salad girl? Am I old that I don’t even know what a ‘salad girl’ is?”
Cagalli breezily waved a hand. “Oh, you know, those girls who guys take to expensive, fancy restaurants and just order a salad.” She gave him a once-over. “You don’t look old. Just a few shots of botox here and there needed. But not old.”
Mat favored Cagalli a hearty laugh as they waited for the elevator doors to close after stopping at Cagalli’s previous destination. “I never thought you were a salad girl.”
“That’s plenty good to hear, Mat,” Cagalli smiled.
o-o
Having dinner with Mat was everything Cagalli expected, and she wasn’t disappointed to note that he was how she had imagined him to be: a suave bachelor who knew how to work his charms to get what he wanted. As proof, they were currently occupying one of the best tables at Tavern City – a debuting bar and restaurant in downtown Orb that had a stringent guest list which didn’t have their names on it.
“You know what, I’ve never had crawfish before,” Cagalli offhandedly steered to another topic as she finished her meal.
“Never? I once overheard you and Ms. Haw talking of this dinner you had at The Casa. They offer the best crawfish.” He leant closer and whispered conspiratorially, “The one they serve here doesn’t even come close.”
Cagalli laughed. “You shouldn’t talk bad of a place you wouldn’t be in if the girl by the door didn’t have a crush on you.” She made a face, jerking her thumb at the general direction of the door.
“She doesn’t have a crush on me. I just know how to charm her.”
Cagalli rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Anyway, I usually order safe food.”
“Hn.”
She shrugged. “You know, food I know I’d like. I’m not much of a fish…junkie…eater…whatever,” she paused to shake her head at the humor Mat apparently found in her choice of words. “Besides, you’re here to pay even if the food didn’t turn out to be very…palatable.”
Their waiter removed the empty dishes from their table, and Cagalli ordered another Cosmopolitan while Mat refreshed his Black Russian.
“So, you haven’t told me the reason behind your resignation,” Mat broached another subject.
“I furnished a resignation letter, didn’t I? I suppose you read it since you allowed my termination of employment.”
Mat grinned at her. “Yes, you’re resigning because of a conflict of interest with a commitment prior your employment at Orb Aesthete, I believe it was?”
Cagalli mockingly glared at him. “I hear heavy sarcasm.”
“Thank you,” Mat addressed the waiter when he returned with their requested beverages. “It’s because it’s laden with lots of it,” he directed at Cagalli.
“Fine, fine,” Cagalli chuckled. “Jeez, does anything get by you?”
“Not much. It’s why I call the shots.”
Cagalli shook her head. “It’s really a familial matter, and I prefer not to talk about it, if it’s all the same to you.”
Mat shrugged. “All right. Fair enough. Maybe I should have fired you instead of letting you off that easily. Lying in your resignation letter,” he clucked his tongue in a teasing manner.
“Mat!” She giggled. “You know everyone lies in their résumés and resignation letters.” She took a sip of her cocktail then shifted in her seat, enjoying the atmosphere of the newly opened establishment.
When she let her gaze wander back to the man in front of her, she was slightly puzzled to notice him with his head slightly raised, seemingly looking for someone over her shoulder. A little curious about his behavior, she nonchalantly looked behind her, but saw no one she was well-acquainted with.
“Hey,” she called his attention.
“Oh, sorry. I thought I saw someone I–” he cut himself off as he appeared to have finally spotted a familiar face among the crowd. He raised a hand in greeting when whom he was searching for spotted him, too, and the name that slipped off his tongue almost made Cagalli choke on her cocktail, “Athrun!”
She whipped her head to catch a sight of him, but Athrun didn’t seem to have noticed her yet. Then she hastily took her eyes off him when he started moving towards them.
“Mat Atwood. Fancy seeing you here,” Athrun spoke with a friendly casualness that could only be bred from a friendship that had an ample time to grow. He stood by their table and shook hands with Cagalli’s former boss.
“I was having dinner with an associate,” Mat motioned towards Cagalli, and Athrun finally landed his eyes on the blonde sitting across their common friend.
“Athrun, this is–”
“Cagalli,” Athrun uttered, a flicker of recognition igniting in his emerald orbs.
Mat seemed surprised. “I see you know each other.”
Cagalli off-guardedly eyed the hand Athrun offered, which was slanted in a way that didn’t propose a handshake. She tentatively smiled up at him, placing her hand in his, and she was again surprised when he made to take her hand like he was asking her to dance, gave it a gentle squeeze, then let go.
“We’re just having drinks. Why don’t you sit down and join us?” Before Athrun could answer, Mat had already signaled the waiter to add another chair to their table.
“I’ll have a Godfather,” Athrun replied when the waiter prompted him for drinks.
Cagalli just knew that that wasn’t a handshake, for if it were, he would have shaken hands with Mat the same way, which, now that she thought about it, would have been a disturbing sight to see. That had to mean something else, but she couldn’t be too sure because right now, Athrun didn’t seem to even be paying her any special notice. He was amicably chatting with her former boss about how the other had been, their jobs, and how each of them had wound up in this restaurant with him just having finished dinner with two close friends. She, on the other hand, was left in anagrams. She didn’t know if she would be offended that he seemed to have ignored the fact that they knew each other in a different sense, or be relieved that he wasn’t outwardly showing signs of being extra familiar with her.
This was why she didn’t do one-night stands. In theory, it would be awkward if they ever met again, and in practice, it was more than awkward – it was downright mortifying. She didn’t want not knowing how to act around people, and this was just one of those few nightmares she had to live out.
Cagalli took an emergency swig of her cocktail, hoping that her mind was just exaggerating about her current condition.
“So, how do you two know each other?” Mat asked.
For some reason, that question made her all the more queasy inside. Meeting him twice in the same month after they had not-so-innocently cavorted was not her idea of fun, especially when their meetings had all been accidental. Accidental and hard to get out of. If this were some sort of cosmic karma, then she knew she had done something irreparably wrong in her past life.
“Her father is an associate of mine,” Athrun smoothly provided a safe answer, which was sort of true anyway.
Despite herself, Cagalli was impressed. She hadn’t missed his surprised look the first time they had faced each other after that night, but now he seemed totally composed, not missing a beat when acknowledging her and answering Mat’s question.
“We were introduced through him.”
“Oh, is that right. The little darling dazzled you the first time you met her, I’d wager,” Mat grinned, obviously paying Cagalli a compliment.
She smiled at him, slightly shaking her head at Mat’s incorrigible humor. “Adulation is undue, Mat.”
“You,” Athrun began, “can put it that way.”
Cagalli felt like whacking him in the head – along with wanting the earth to open up and swallow her whole – for playing with his words. It wasn’t as if Mat knew what little history she and Athrun shared, but her thoughts were dictating her reactions, and as much as she didn’t appreciate being affected by his indifferent answers – which, in the first place, she thought of as double-entendres – she couldn’t just tell Athrun off. Not only would it be uncouth and crass, but it would also be very weird for the three of them: for Mat, who was ignorant of their real first meeting; for Athrun, who, for all she knew, wasn’t really insinuating anything; and for her, who was letting her thoughts run off.
“Damn straight,” she finally put in, deciding to ignore the uncomfortable feeling that had settled at the back of her mind.
The three of them laughed, and for a split second, Cagalli thought Athrun glanced at her just a tad too longer than was necessary.
Cagalli blinked, and Athrun was back to chatting with Mat. Maybe it was her imagination.
o-o-o-o
“How’s your first day?” Miriallia asked over the phone.
“Aside from my old man’s introduction of me – which, let me tell you, had me feeling awkward until now – things have been pretty uneventful,” Cagalli answered, sifting through a file folder her own secretary had handed her. It was such a nice change to have a secretary instead of being one; she didn’t have to answer calls all day, and she could screen those she wanted to talk to without having to think up an excuse for herself.
“Did you wear the pant suit I told you to wear?”
Cagalli was befuddled. “What?”
“The pant suit I recommended you to wear on your first day, did you wear it?”
“And you’re supposed to be making sense because…?”
Miriallia clucked her tongue at Cagalli’s sarcasm. “It’s supposed to make your day…eventful.”
Cagalli carefully placed the yellow folder on top of the stack she’d finished going through. She was handling the PR firm of her father’s business empire, and she had been very relieved when he’d told her about it since it was the kind of work she was familiar with. “How does that figure?” she asked, confused.
“How many new friends have you made?”
“Aside from my invisible friend?” Cagalli made a funny face. “You’re confusing me.”
“I meant: how many new male friends have you made?”
“Miriallia!” Cagalli bit her lip to cut off the scandalized pitch in her voice. “What’s the suit got to do with that?” she exclaimed.
“Remember that night we went out with Damien? That crazy night at the bistro?”
“What of it?” Cagalli thought back. Damien was her and Miriallia’s gay friend who loved to drag them to the hippest and trendiest places on a Friday night. He also claimed to be her fashion guru because, according to him, she needed one so badly if she wanted to fit in with the A-list guests she invited to the Orb Aesthete parties. She’d told him that she was a practical woman and that she had no use for party clothes, but he’d dismissed her concern with a flippant wave of his hand and taken her shopping for stylish suits that mixed sophistication, business, and the latest style, accommodating her practical needs and his party attitude.
Cagalli shook her head at their friend’s perceived autocracy.
Miriallia sighed exasperatedly on the other end of the line. “Really, Cagalli. Remember how many times you’ve been hit on by cute guys?”
Cagalli rolled her eyes. “It’s not something I gladly recall.” It wasn’t one of Cagalli’s fondest memories. On the other hand, Damien had a blast that night, pushing her to dance with some of the guys who had walked up to her and introduced themselves. If he weren’t so pushy, and if she had been in the mood to squabble with him over his audacious ideas, she’d have saucily turned down every offer. But, as the case had been, she owed him a favor for accompanying her, when Miriallia was unavailable, to Onogoro to scout for a place to hold one of Orb Aesthete’s launching parties on that side of Orb, so she didn’t have the right – as he’d so cleverly put it – to argue with him.
“You were wearing those hip-huggers, and Damien was happier than a kid on Christmas!”
Cagalli glared at the ear piece as if it could somehow transmit her icy stare to her brunette friend. “I didn’t accept this job to be hit on, Miriallia Haw.”
“I know, I know! But it’ll make making acquaintances easier! And more fun!”
“Miriallia!” Miriallia laughed heartily at her outburst, but Cagalli wasn’t amused. “I’m hanging up.”
“No, No! Wait!”
“Bye,” Cagalli said with finality, but her austere tone didn’t lessen Miriallia’s chuckles. She hung up. “Crazy girl,” she muttered.
Cagalli glanced at the wall clock above the door: 4:00. She still had an hour to go before she could slip out of the office without attracting the attention of her father for leaving too early. She had reviewed all the files of the former officer in-charge of the PR department, whose position she now possessed. She had run over the multiple guest lists the company kept, and she had made note of whom to add, whom to delete, and whom to keep. She’d made the proper calls, and since it was just her first day, the workload wasn’t too heavy. She was done the moment she hung up on Miriallia, and the temptation to up and leave the office was beginning to be harder to resist with each passing second.
Swiveling her chair, she clicked the mouse to awaken her computer, immediately checking her lotus notes to see if there were office memos being circulated. Upon landing on the first office memo on her system, she hastily deleted it. She didn’t fancy reading the memo about her being new to the company and taking over the Public Relations Department like she was born to head it. She just knew her father would put her in this high position, and although she appreciated the favor, she didn’t like having to hear people gossip about how she was only in this position because of her father and not because she was capable of fulfilling her duties as a department head.
Scrolling over the new messages, she glanced at the digital time on the bottom right of the screen: 4:30 PM. She grimaced at how time passed so slowly. She already wanted to go home, soak in the tub, order Chinese, and eat in front of the television, watching the news for a few minutes then surfing the channels until she found a program that suited her.
Before she could reach for her third cup of coffee that afternoon, her intercom buzzed, disrupting the silent air in her office.
“Yes?” she answered, pressing the button to talk.
“A Mister Athrun Zala on the line, Ms. Athha,” her secretary’s voice rang out.
Cagalli was startled out of her boredom. Why was he calling her? And more importantly, how did he get her number?
“Ms. Athha?”
“Ah, yes, put him through.”
“Will I link him to the video phone?”
Cagalli covered her mouth before she could scream No. “I’ll take an ordinary phone call.”
“Yes, Ms. Athha.”
Cagalli waited for the beep before retrieving the mouthpiece from the cradle. “Yes, Mr. Zala?” she kept a professional tone even when she was inwardly trying to guess the purpose of his call.
“Good afternoon to you, too, Cagalli.”
His informal greeting made her chew on her bottom lip. Were they friends now? Was that night at Tavern City a signpost that they were on first-name basis? As far as she was concerned, they were only being friendly for Mat’s sake. One just didn’t act cozy with one’s one-night stand partner.
“Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Zala?”
Athrun chuckled at the other end. “If you like to keep it that way, it’s fine with me. I’ll still address you as Cagalli.” Cagalli only hummed her acknowledgement. “Anyway, about your father’s purchase of your personal Justice, he forgot to give me your preferences.”
“Is there anyone I can meet with to discuss this over?”
“That would be me. Uzumi has personally assigned your automobile acquisition to me. This way, it will be easier to make transactions should you have a change of mind or personal customizations you want to the Justice.”
“You can make it easier for me?” Cagalli couldn’t pull back the astonishment in her pitch fast enough.
Athrun chuckled again, causing Cagalli to flinch. “Yes. Being the acting CEO of the Genesis Motors here in Orb does have its privileges.”
“Oh,” she paused. “Oh.” Truth be told, she was amazed. She had thought that her father was meeting with just a representative of the Genesis Motors, only to find out this afternoon that he was the head of the company. By accepting her father’s offer, she was led to make business with a power-wielder businessman whom she had also spent a night with. Even if it would just be a short transaction, as it would only be her own car she would be dealing with, it still sent an uncomfortable jolt in her stomach.
“I have a busy schedule, as have you, I’m sure, so let’s make quick work of this. Why don’t we meet for lunch next week? Next week, Monday? My lunch hour is free.”
Cagalli cursorily skimmed over her schedule in her electronic planner, which she had updated the moment her secretary was able to book her the appointments she needed to make. “So is mine,” she answered the implied question.
“I’ll have my secretary call your secretary for the arrangement.”
She nodded even though he couldn’t see her.
“I’ll see you then, Cagalli,” he replied, and she briefly wondered if he somehow knew that she was nodding.
The line went dead, and Cagalli was suddenly horrified to realize what she had just set up. Not only did she allow herself to transact her business with him directly, but she’d allowed for them to meet. Again. Something she didn’t want to ever happen once more since day one.
Cagalli fought the urge to bang her head on her desktop. She had really done a good job in screwing herself over.
x-x-x-x-x