Chapter 19 - Friendly Banter

It was the first time I’d ever seen Hanabi in a dress. 


Honestly, it was a little disappointing. 
The fine onyx outfit hugged her body well enough, but aside from it, she didn’t look any different. Same face, no heels, no drip or anything to show off the bust. Her hair at least looked sexy, wrapped up in an elegant braid. Honestly, the suit might have flattered her better, it added to the air of power and domination that made her her. 

“You should wear your hair up more often,” I said, first thing after seeing her. 

“Well aren’t you a sweetie?” she said with a grin, patronizingly slapping my cheek. We’d met at the restaurant, I took a cab, I’d have to take a cab back after all, nothing suspicious about that. These thoughts and others raced through my mind as my arm was wrapped around hers, as I walked with her for all these nice restaurant people to see. 

She wasn’t gentle when she stopped me. Yanked on my arm to keep me in place, to tell me this was the guest we’d be meeting. The guest. Her friend, business associate, the reason for this whole dinner the woman I was supposed to have sex with how could I forget her! 

Whatever disappointment I’d had in Hanabi’s modest dress vanished in an instant. 

Long fire red hair in a beautiful topknot, complete with something shiny holding it all together. Full lips, and sharp eyes, all contrasting with the dark blue dress draped over her. She even wore gloves! She looked like an aristocrat, no, real fucking royalty. I felt suddenly insecure in the simple bar clothes I’d worn out.

I’d fucking asked Hanabi for notes hadn’t I?

‘She’s the most gorgeous goddamn redhead I’ve ever met in my life, you might want to know that I suppose’

“Naruto!” 

I jolted, laughed, and sat with them. I’d been staring a noticeably long time. She gave me a coy smile, smug almost, friendly almost, but it vanished quickly. Everything seemed to go quickly. Dinner fucking flashed by, I don’t even remember what I ate. The two of them asking questions, making threats, bargaining, all in thinly veiled language. 

“Well!” Hanabi said, loud enough to get even my attention. “I insist you let us drive you back to the hotel, it's on the way, no sense in taking a cab,” she declared.

“Of course, so kind of you,” she agreed through gritted teeth. 

With that, we were off. The night was almost over and I still barely knew what the fuck was happening. Hanabi told me to start fucking her by the end of the weekend, was this the only in I was going to get? The hell did she expect me to do, just ask for her phone number casually as we walked out of here? Ask for an invitation up to her hotel room? 

“Sit in the back with her,” Hanabi ordered casually, with no further explanation, taking the driver seat of her simple vehicle. I looked at her confused a moment but went along with the request. We shared a smile as I took a seat next to her, looking at each other until it felt awkward silently staring at the strikingly pretty woman.

Gods in hell I think I was blushing. 

It was that damn look. That smile with that glazed look, that smug fucking face, like she was looking right through me like she knew exactly what I was thinking and it amused her. Still, she said nothing as our car cruised across the dark city. It was Hanabi that broke the silence.

“So Mei, can I share something personal with you?” she asked, just a ghost of annoyance as she looked at me through the rearview mirror.

“Of course,” she replied politely.

“Naruto is my sister’s husband, isn’t that wild? She knows about our little arrangement, of course, doesn’t even seem to mind if you can believe it!”

Mei looked shook for the first time all night.

“He actually had sex with me by accident if you can believe it, he was drunk out of his mind and thought I was his wife. We decided to come clean to her, and when she wasn’t too upset I asked if we could keep seeing each other. The sex was just so good,” she said with utmost subtlety. 

Mei laughed, a genuine laugh.

“A meek little lamb like you? That is wild,” she agreed, laughing again and even squeezing my knee when my face went red. 

“Oh he’s not usually like this, I think he likes you,” she teased. I bit my tongue and glared at her. “He picked me up and threw me on the bed like a piece of meat our first time together. Even yanked me back by the ass when I tried to crawl away after round one,” she continued, laughing with our guest this time. 

“Oh stop, your embarrassing the poor boy!” 

Boy made me angry.

“He even fucks me in the office most days, really helps clear your head you know? You ever taken a ride on that little secretary of yours? Always thought I noticed something there between you,”

“No,” she deadpanned, humor gone in an instant.

“Shame,” 

The silence resumed, but it was unbearable this time. It was more out of desperation than anything else that I turned to make eye contact with Ms. Terumi. She smiled, this time raising an eyebrow. Panicking, I began speaking without thinking. 

“Sorry it's uh… you know we don’t really work together in any practical matter so it's not like… a problem for me and her,” I began rattling off. She chuckled quietly. 

“Does your wife really know?” she whispered, speaking just to me.

“Yeah, she does, I’ll text her right now,” I offered, reaching for my phone and getting a hand clamped over mine. 

“You don’t need to do that. Believe it or not, I don’t think you're capable of lying to me,” she teased, still sitting a respectable distance. Even still the skin-on-skin contact of our hands was making my heart speed up rapidly. 

“Your uh… your not married?” I asked, casually almost.

She sighed.

“No, too focused on my career you know?”

“Still, surely you have…suitors, you know, guys trying to get with you,” 

“I don’t tolerate inappropriate behavior at work, and I’m rarely anyplace else,” she replied dryly, though I could see the amusement in her eyes at the compliment I’d inadvertently paid her. 

“Oh uh, I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable or anything talking about…that kind of stuff, here,”

“Worried you made me uncomfortable?” she asked, returning to the teasing tone she’d seemed so fond of before. Before I could think of a dignified reply she gave that sexy little chuckle. “Don’t worry, this was a very casual thing we did tonight. Just dinner and drinks with work friends,” she assured.

“Did either of you actually drink?”

She laughed again.

“You know nothing on the menu caught my eye,” she explained coyly. “Maybe I’ll have a couple at the hotel bar before I retire for the night,” she said, giving me a long look at the remark.

“Yeah nothing wrong with that, I like a good drink too,” I grinned. Her face remained completely unmoved as she stared at me. Well, maybe just a smidge annoyed, or impatient. “You uh… don’t want some company for that, do you?”

Now the grin pulled up.

“Oh don’t you have a hot young wife to go home to?” she placed a hand on my knee. “You have better things to do than hang out with an old lady like me,”

“I would love- that is uh…” goddamn it was hard to think with her leaning in like that. “Your very good company?” I eventually settled on. It seemed like the wrong thing to say but she laughed quite loud, loud enough that it caught Hanabi’s attention. 

“You know…” she began, waiting until both our eyes came up to her. “We could just pick up a bottle of wine, drink it in your room, not have to worry about nosy people or a noisy bar…” she offered.

A stab of panic went through me at the bold offer.

Not to mention the thought of Hanabi joining us.

Mei squeezed my knee hard.


“Well that sounds grand,” she agreed.

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