Disclaimer: Lyrics mentioned in this chapter are from the song called "Closer" which is the property of Dido.
Chapter Eight: The Hunter And The Hunted
Two weeks. Give or take a day or two, it had been two weeks since Michiru's encounter with the handsome Haruka. She would have been lying to herself if she couldn't admit she'd been counting the days. The time had passed quickly; Michiru's charcoal portrait had catapulted her into a series of events which marked a very important time in her life as an artist. But as busy as she was, she simply could not forget the feeling of Haruka's toned body moving against hers. For the first time in her life, Michiru could say that perhaps she had fallen in love. And fallen hard for a stranger no less. Memories of the too short evening spent with the woman assailed her and a slow burn ignited within, much like a burning ember that catches flame with a gust of oxygen, growing and consuming as time went on. It wasn't the first time the feeling visited her and Michiru had tried to some degree of embarrassment to "scratch the itch" so to speak on her own without avail.
"Michiru...," a low voice, Nagi's, interrupted her flow of thoughts and Michiru looked over to her right to see the short brunette staring at her quizzically, "class is over. Are you okay? You look a bit flushed."
"Oh hi Nagi, just thinking of something," hoping the smile she flashed Nagi was convincing she gathered her books quickly. There was no way she could let on she was having such thoughts in class. But more importantly, she realized, there had not been much time to speak with Nagi alone. And every time she tried to bring up the topic of Haruka Nagi switched the subject to something else, or excused herself claiming she had something to do. Michiru more than understood on some of those occasions the brunette couldn't talk, not with Hikari lurking nearby. Once more the blonde was waiting for Nagi and the smaller woman flashed Michiru an apologetic glance before following her cousin.
Bathed in afternoon sunshine immediately after exiting the building, Michiru sighed in pleasure. The heat of the summer day felt glorious after being indoors all day long. Most of the student body on the grounds seemed to share her sentiment, she realized as she looked at her surroundings. Those who had walked out of the building in a rush suddenly slowed their footsteps in order to bask in the sunlight. She made it out of the gates and was about to turn towards the direction of her apartment when a figure caught her eye.
It was Haruka, even from behind there was no mistaking the tall woman's frame. Her short blonde hair shone gold in the sunlight as she flung one leg over a motorcycle parked at the curb. Before Michiru could call out, Haruka had already strapped on her helmet and taken off with a roar. The excitement the art student felt at seeing the blonde immediately turned to disappointment but she had no idea her face displayed the sudden misery she felt. She'd been hoping for a chance to see Haruka again, to fill her in on the changes in her life and to also find out more about the woman. But seeing the Haruka walk away from her a second time she couldn't help but feel hurt.
With a sigh she turned towards her apartment and began to walk. But there was something about the day itself that refused to let her stay dejected. The thought occurred to her that perhaps Haruka had not seen her. That doesn't matter though. I've seen her twice in this area, which means there is a definite possibility of us meeting again. With that thought she felt much better. Perhaps it was stubborn of her but she was determined to not let their only time spent together be a one night stand. Halfway home, her phone buzzed and she absentmindedly checked her messages.
A smile of triumph adorned her lips as she read her most recently received message. It was time to go on the offensive.
-x-x-x-
Michiru was not sure what to expect when she entered the bar but she found she liked the ambiance of the place immediately. The lighting was dim but bright enough to navigate her way through the crowd. Immediately to her left was a bar that took up half the length of the interior. Towards the back was a small stage setup which was currently empty. Music flowed in from overhead speakers, playing an english song she was unfamiliar with. Directly in front of the stage was a space that could be referred to as the dance floor that was five by five feet wide and nearer towards the entrance of the bar a few tables and chairs were situated for patrons. And speaking of patrons, her eyebrows went up a notch, the bar was filled with women. Only women. She had been directed to a lesbian bar. I can't believe I'm here to seek out Haruka. Does that make me a stalker? An amused smile flitted across her lips.
"Haruka will be at Etoile tonight." Nagi's cryptic message had read and Michiru had not understood until she scrolled further down and noticed a link to a website.
She intended to ask Nagi how she knew where Haruka would be later but for now she was fully immersed in seeking out the blonde. Michiru, standing in between the crowd saw her right away. Haruka was standing behind the bar while another woman spoke to her animatedly. Michiru, too far away to hear the conversation, felt a burst of jealousy when Haruka smiled back at the woman who then turned to the crowd and yelled above the music,"Haruka's going to play for us!"
Catcalls and whistles immediately rent the air and Michiru found it hard to contain her curiosity. She was pleasantly surprised when Haruka, bartender apron still wrapped around her hips, approached the stage with an acoustic guitar. The instrument looked so at home in the blonde's hands the image took Michiru's breath away. The crowd quieted, the music from the overhead speakers muted and Haruka, standing on the stage looked down at her instrument while she strummed the opening notes of a song the art student was quite fond of.
"So leave your taxi waiting
And turn and close my door
And sit back down where you were sitting
A little closer than before
When you look that serious
It just makes me want you more
And I've been needing to tell you
The closer you get, the better I feel
The closer you are, the more I see
Why everyone says that I look happier
When you're around
The closer you get, the better I feel"
Michiru's heart was in her throat. Haruka's husky tones and acoustic accompaniment made the song one of her favorites all over again. She even felt she preferred Haruka's cover of the Dido song. The emotion carried in the blonde's voice was breathtaking. She couldn't remove her eyes from the tall woman if she tried. Halfway through the song Haruka glanced up at the crowd and their eyes connected. Strong fingers continued to strum the guitar but the blonde's voice faltered on the next line before regaining her momentum.
The rest of the song was quickly over and Michiru realized it was because she had lost herself in the blonde's gaze. A need was growing in her while they stared at each other. It was only when the crowd of women cheered that Michiru became aware that Haruka had stopped singing. A voice behind her yelled 'encore' but Haruka, smiled and shook her head as she stepped off the stage. The crowd groaned in disappointment. Michiru headed for the bar when the blonde quickly moved behind the counter.
"What are you doing here?" Haruka glowered as Michiru situated herself on a barstool.
"I'm here for a drink," Michiru answered blithely to cover the thumping in her chest, "imagine my surprise when I noticed you work here."
"Uh-huh," the blonde's disbelief was easily apparent. She sighed, "fine then. What are you having?"
Not having thought her plan of pursuing Haruka through completely, Michiru was startled at Haruka's question. "Er..martini?"
A blonde eyebrow rose, silently mocking her, "a martini."
"Yes, you know, the drink with the olive?" Michiru answered with a blinding smile. It was the first time she was ordering alcohol. She had no idea what she was doing but she recalled her mother ordering a martini a few times while they were having dinner together. Of course she wasn't going to let Haruka know about her lack of cocktail knowledge. She was in a bar, therefore when in Rome do as the Romans and all that jive, she thought to herself.
The blonde gave her an indiscernible glance before shrugging, "whatever, you're the customer."
"That I am," answered Michiru as charmingly as possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment