And Before I Forget....

You can peep a preview of Femme Fatale on the Exchange right now if you'd like. c: 
 -Jada

A Break

I'm finished taking pictures for chapter five, but it's the writing part that has me stumped. I know where Mimi Says is headed - I already have the ending planned out. I'm only writing ten chapters of the story, and I'm halfway done. This is the first Sims story I've ever completed (Sims 2 stories included), and I really don't wanna crap out when I'm almost there. I think my problem is that I feel I need to rush into things just to keep the readers more updated, but I need to understand that my own pace is just as important. So it's going to be a while before I'm in the mood to write and finish chapter five. This chapter has a lot of pictures that I love to death, and the one above of Mimi and Matthew is in my top five favorite pics. c; I'll keep everyone updated, but in the meantime, don't expect anything within the next few days or so!
-Jada 

Working, Working, Working!

Finals week at school, and I'm trying to juggle both Mimi Says and Femme Fatale while studying for tests before the new semester begins. ;o Of course, I'd easily choose The Sims over studying, but grades are important! 

This is so far my favorite picture from chapter five of Mimi Says - the male pose that Matthew is doing is a part of a couple pose where the man is (stereotypically - it's not a word but deal with it for now please haha) taller than the woman, but I think it's really adorable since Mimi's character in my mind is a short, but feisty girl. 

Oh, yes! Before I forget as I'm ending this post, I uploaded a sneak preview of Femme Fatale on the Exchange, you should definitely check it out! 

Au revoir! 

-Jada

A Little Treat

I'm VERY grateful for the reception of all of my Sims 3 stories, so I decided to give a little gift with the long break with my previous story Dancing with Angels and my recommendations for Mimi Says! I present to you a story filled with suspenseful chills and sensual thrills coming very soon - Femme Fatale, a self-explanatory title, is about a woman named Veronica Roland who plays men who have a casanova reputation, and then she kills them soon after performing sexual favors. When she meets an undercover spy and ultimate womanizer Trent Davidson, Veronica stops at nothing to seduce him and victimize him in a special way. But how long will it take before she can claim him before he finds out about her haunting background? 
ASDFGHJKL I'm just really elated that I thought of this. It's kind of cliche, yes, and it's probably in several different forms of novels around the world, but I haven't discovered a Sims 3 story with this plot! 
I should release it on Valentine's Day just because of its sensual, yet twisted love story, but I just might let my excitement get the best of me and let it come to public view before the month is over. Eeeeeek! c; In the meantime, I'll keep myself distracted with Mimi Says. Well, au revoir for now! 
-Jada

Rise and Shine!

Working hard on chapter five even though I should spend my last three-day weekend day sleeping...merp. Oh well! Writing is fun, and I'm obsessed with the new poses I got for chapter five. c; Here's a lovely picture of Mimi and Matthew cuddling even though their somewhat short-lived relationship is over. Weeeeee, I'm excited to release this chapter!

-Jada 

New Location!

HELLO! 

If you've been following my story Mimi Says for the past month, you'd know that I make my story on the Mimi Says page powered by www.webs.com - well, no longer! Blogspot is popular with the majority of Simmers on the forums on the Sims 3 website, so I decided to give it a shot as well. I'll still be releasing the chapters onto the Exchange for the ones who prefer that viewing style. Out of all three - Blogspot, the Exchange, and Webs - my personal fave is Webs. It's easier to manage, but their storage limit is not beneficial to someone who doesn't want to spend their money on space to upload their photos. ;o 

That's all; now I'm off to work on chapter five! 
-Jada 

Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO: Mimi finally settles in rural New York with one of her father's best bodyguards in the world, making herself comfortable with surrounding people - including Matthew. Ren continues to face furious threats from Shark despite his daughter's absence out of Japan. Enjoy and rec if you like!

 "I could have sworn I told you about Mimi."

 "Well, you weren't very clear about it!"

 Matthew Gregory sighed, totally tired of trying to explain to  his girlfriend that Mimi Takanoa was just a part of his occupation and that he wasn't cheating on her. Where was the trust in their relationship? "Taryn, we've been dating for two years. I love you to the moon and back, and I tell you that everyday. I shower you with random gifts to make up for my nightshifts at the clubs, so why are you acting so hostile with this?" 

 Matthew watched as Taryn sat across from him in his kitchen table, running her long fingers through her red mane. Oh, how bad he wanted to do that to her. Just to soothe her mind and make her feel more at ease about Mimi staying with him. 

 "I knew I should have listened to my mom when she told me not to date a German guy. She kept telling me that all of the Russians had fast cars...but no! I gave up on my mom and stood by your side regardless. Now look at me!" Taryn wailed like a child, glancing up at a shocked Matthew for a brief second. She closed her eyes and squeezed them tightly, trying to shake the image of the gorgeous, young Mimi from her mind. "I can't compete with that girl upstairs, Matthew!" 

 Matthew rolled his eyes to the ceiling and reached out for his crazy girlfriend, rubbing her arm gently. "That's ignorant, Taryn! Race has nothing to do with this at all. Your mom just doesn't like me," he exclaimed, wincing at the thought of Taryn's god-awful mother who carried moth balls with her everywhere she went. 

 Taryn finally emerged from the darkness of her palms and looked over at Matthew, who looked desparate to stop this fiasco. She frowned, her lips drooping over to one side as she regarded his facial expressions. Slowly, she made herself comfortable on the seat closer to Matthew, pulling it closer to his warm figure. "I guess I'm just jealous," Taryn murmured with sorrow. She knew Matthew could snag any girl he desired, and she prayed everyday that she was his one and only. 

 Matthew breathed in a loud sigh of relief, but at the same time, he understood Taryn's point of view - any girl would be irate, and some even would've went crazier if they had to deal with their boyfriends watching over another female all alone under the same roof. "I know baby, I know. And you're fine; don't think you're overreacting. Ignore Mimi...she's a little jokester. She comes from a family who lets her run wild and speak as she feels, and she just caught you in the wrong moment." Matthew scowled at the thought of Mimi's outrageous outburst of him having his way with her and closed his fingers tightly around Taryn's hand. A smile formed on her lips, and she straightened up before rising from her chair. 

 "I just wanted to stop by and drop off some cookies I made for you; I put them on the counter and wrapped them in foil because I thought you'd be asleep. But I have to get back to the apartment since my grandma's visting, so I'll call you or something," Taryn said in her normal, calm voice. Matthew followed suit and stood as well, walking her to the front door of his one-bedroom home in the countryside of New York. 

 Taryn stopped in the front of the sliding door and turned to face Matthew, a sly smile dancing on her thin lips. "I'll hear from you tomorrow, alright?" she said with a wink. "I won't get jealous either, but you better answer your phone by the second ring."

 Matthew laughed and swooped his beautiful Irish girlfriend in his arms, letting her DD size breasts press against his body as she kissed him passionately on the lips. 

 "Drive safe," Matthew whispered to Taryn as she pulled away and turned the knob of the door. She grinned at him before blowing him a kiss, and Matthew watched her longingly as she waltzed over to her car. 

 Feeling as if someone were watching him, Matthew turned around to find Mimi sitting awkwardly on the steps, her face srunched up in response to his heated kiss with Taryn. Realizing that she'd probably been there from the start, Matthew blushed and scowled, his eyebrows furrowed. "Why the hell are you eavesdropping?" Matthew exclaimed, crossing his arms. 

 Mimi scoffed and flipped her hair back, obviously not afraid of Matthew's intimidating physique. "If I wanted to do that, I'd just watch an American love movie or something," she joked coldly, standing up to begin her journey upstairs and into the only bedroom. "I wanted to ask you what side you sleep on so I wouldn't break any rules." Mimi did finger quotes when she said rules, which really grinded Matthew's gears. 

 Matthew threw his hands up in the air in frustration, wondering how Ren put up with such a devious brat. "Okay, I don't know what kind of ritual you do in Japan, but interfering with someone's happy relationship in America is fucking rude, Mimi," he stated boldly, watching as Mimi froze on the top stair. "I don't think you understand the value of the relationship I have with Taryn, and we've already been over this at the airport - you don't have to like me and be friends with me, but all I ask is that you respect what I do. Is that too much to ask?"

 Mimi continued to stay frozen in her position, her eyes staring down at her Converse. She didn't want to admit defeat, but she couldn't help but feel terrible. As fun as it seemed in the beginning, she didn't want to be the reasoning of a good relationship turning bad. And besides, Matthew was willing to take her in on such short notice. "I'm sorry," she murmured, retreating upstairs and closing the bedroom door gently behind her. 

 Matthew stared at the spot where Mimi just stood, baffled at her short, but meaningful statement. 

Well, that was easy. 

***

 "Their reviews were stellar. I'm telling you, Mr. Takanoa, you'll love it there," Hillary said with optimism as she stood in Ren Takanoa's large office. Ren smiled politely at Hillary, grateful for her professional and friendly relationship. "And their shrimp teriyaki soup is absolutely amazing!"

 Before Ren could make his own personal commentary about Hillary's dining suggestions, the buzzer on the phone went off and interrupted their casual conversation. "Mr. Takanoa, sir, there's a man coming up to see you. He said it's top secret information and that it's important that no one else is in the office," one of his Japanese secretaries said in a frightened tone, and Ren tensed up. Fuck.

 Hillary gave a small, apologetic smile to her boss and didn't say a word as she exited the office. In that moment, all Ren wanted to do was beg Hillary to hide in a corner to witness the scene that was about to unfold, but that would only make things a lot worse...

 Ren dabbed his dampening forehead with his hand, expecting a large Asian man with long black hair and a beard ugly enough to match Paul Bunyan's to walk in the office at any given moment. Finally, after what seemed like hours of waiting, the door creaked open with so much calmness that it was eerie. Ren gulped as the man with a terrible beer belly entered the office, one hand secured on his waist. Oh, no. He brought a gun. Ren's heartbeat quickened, and he felt as if he was going to collaspe right then and there. The big man examined Ren's office with silent, emotionless brown eyes before he made himself comfortable in Ren's forest green desk chair. He rolled around the room in it for a few minutes, tilting his head back and letting out a boisterous breath of air. "This is what it must feel like to be a big CEO like Mr. Ren Takanoa, wouldn't you agree?" the man said with a dark, tremendous voice. Ren gulped and nodded, even though the man couldn't see his physical response. Catching his breath, Ren put his hands behind his back and stood up straight like a professional. 

 "You're definitely right, Shark." 

 Shark's eyes opened at the sound of Ren's voice as if his words were the key and his eyelids were stubborn locks. Shark stood up and walked slowly over to a shaking Ren, the wrinkles around his eyes becoming more defined as his eyes narrowed at the sight of the wealthy man. "You're a lucky bitch. Your popularity, your business, your hot ass daughter - all of that was sheer freaking luck," Shark muttered, his frown growing more menacingly. "Too bad you won't have it all for long."

 Ren couldn't hold back his emotion for much longer, and he started to whimper. "Oh, God. Please, Shark, let's just talk this over, alright? I can probably get the jury to rethink their decision, but please, don't take my Mimi away from me. I'm begging you as a father - take my own life, but don't take hers!" At that point, Ren's face was red, and his eyes brimmed with tears. He didn't care if he looked unmanly; his daughter's life was at stake. 

 Shark threw back his head and laughed for a long time, and for a second, Ren thought that the laugh meant he was in the clear and that the whole situation was just a test to see how much he cared about Mimi. But his daydream got the best of his mind - Shark inched closer to Ren and backed him against the wall, his fists clenched and his breath coming at a fast pace. 

 "You better do what you can, Takanoa. Because I'm thinking about ending your life as well as your beloved Mimi," Shark grumbled, a smirk flashing across his features at the sight of Ren's scared expression. 

 Before Shark left Ren's office that night, he produced the .45 automatic pistol from his waist and pistol whipped Ren across his right cheek before Ren could even make a sound. Ren's body slumped against the wooden leg of his desk, and a satisfied Shark exited the room without further hesitation. 

 Mimi, oh, Mimi. I love you. Stay safe, and daddy loves you, Ren whispered as he slipped painfully out of consciousness. 

***

 "Daddy..."

 Mimi's frequent whispering of the word daddy made Matthew stir in his sleep, wondering if she was homesick. As he moved an inch to get up, Mimi's cool hand grabbed onto his back tightly, a whimper escaping her lips. Matthew's face flushed and turned over to look at Mimi's innocent appearance. Mimi's lips trembled as she continued to chant in her sleep. Her cheeks were flushed as well, and Matthew felt her face to see if she was coming down with a cold from the adjustment of a new atmosphere. As Matthew moved his hand away from her face, he examined her a little more. For what her attitude was worth, Mimi Takanoa was definitely a pretty girl. Disgusted with his wayward thoughts, Matthew groaned and stretched before walking into the adjoined bathroom to prepare for the new day. 

 After he shaved and brushed his teeth, Matthew felt generous and decided to make Mimi a nice bubble bath so she wouldn't have to worry about fighting over the shower with him later on that night. As he leaned against the bathtub to wait for its completion, Mimi woke up just on time and entered the opened bathroom door, totally ignoring Matthew's presence. 

 "Good morning, sleep talker," Matthew exclaimed happily,  placing his hands behind his head as he watched Mimi walk over to the sink. She reached for a small purple bag containing her toothbrush and grabbed his new tube of toothpaste, getting to work on her teeth. "I don't talk in my sleep," she mumbled through a mouth full of minty suds. Matthew smiled, even though he couldn't understand her bland words. 

 Mimi began to reach for her headband soon after brushing her teeth when Matthew quickly stood up to stop her. "Eh, eh, eh," he said in a fatherly voice, moving his finger from side to side. "You have a bath waiting for you, missy." He grabbed Mimi on either side of her shoulders and made her walk in the direction of the tub. She didn't comply; instead, she walked right back to the counter to continue messing with her hair. 

 "While you do that, I'm just going to take a wizz. Limited photographs, and no flash please," he said teasingly as he pulled down his sweats and boxers in front of the toilet seat. Mimi walked up to his side, but looked away with a thoughtful expression. "That's funny, judging by the fact that I was just scolded by you last night after almost ruining your relationship when you're the one that's prompting me." Matthew didn't respond. Instead, he smiled at what she learned from the previous night. "Nice ass, by the way," Mimi added as Matthew flushed the toilet. 

 Once she finally accomplished to get Matthew out of the bathroom, Mimi stripped free of her undergarments and splashed into the tub, relaxing in the mountain of bath soap. As she sunk underneath the bubbles, she felt a million thanks needed to be given to Matthew for making a kick-ass bath. After fifteen minutes of heavy-duty cleaning, Mimi decided to exit her peace and resume getting ready for the day. 

 Mimi curled her black locks into a wave of beauty and changed into fresh summer clothes, admiring her look in the mirror as she put on the finishing touch of make-up. Today, she decided, was the day that she was going to search for a part-time job; even though her time in New York was short, she still wanted some excitement. Suddenly,  she moaned with a pout, deciding instantly that she didn't like her hair curled. Without hesitation, she plugged up the straightener and went to work on her hair for the second time that morning, not paying any mind to Matthew's impatient knocking on the other side of the door. 

  Mimi let Matthew take control of the bathroom once she was finished, and while he got dressed, Mimi trotted downstairs to make them both breakfast. Like any other typical guy, it didn't take long for Matthew to get ready unlike Mimi, so he appeared in the kitchen right as Mimi was done cooking their meal. Matthew, impressed with Mimi's daringness to make herself at home, leaned against the counter to watch her.

 "So, you think you can cook anytime you please?" he murmured, tapping his fingers on the counter top. Mimi ignored him as she removed the large metal pan from the oven and placed her creation down on the stove to cool. 

 Mimi propped herself on the back of a nearby dining chair, flipping her bangs out of her face as she stared at Matthew's questioning glance. "I don't think I cook; I know I can cook in here anytime I please," Mimi muttered smartly, fidgeting with the buttons on her shirt. Matthew laughed at her response and shrugged his shoulders. The aroma of French toast overwhelmed his nose, and his attention drifted to the sight of his fresh breakfast. 

 "Well, that might just end up being fine with me anyway - that smells delicious," Matthew exclaimed as he rubbed his hands together and licked his lips. Mimi watched Matthew staring at her attempt to make food with a smile. He reminded her of an elated kid at Toys R Us. 

 "Where do you keep your powdered sugar?" Mimi asked Matthew, wanting to put the finishing touch on the French toast before they ate. Matthew propped his elbows up on the counter and smiled widely.

 "Why should I tell you?" Matthew responded, his blue eyes growing wider with amusement. Mimi scoffed and walked towards Matthew, wondering if the powdered sugar was in the cabinet above his head. "You're getting warmer," he taunted, making Mimi's assumption seem accurate. 

 "Yeah, well your food won't be getting any warmer if you don't move your fat ass out of the way," she muttered. Matthew laughed and finally moved away, watching as Mimi stood on her tip toes to obtain the sugar. She was just too adorable. 

  Once the syrup and sugar were put on the pieces of French toast, Mimi and Matthew sat down at the table and dug into their sweet breakfast. Matthew, cautious to take a bite of a girl with a horrible attitude's cooking,  cut into a side of a toast slowly before placing it in his mouth. Two chews later, he was heaping slices of toast onto his plate and stuffing his mouth with every syrup-infused bite. 

 "You actually like it, I see," Mimi murmured, not looking away from her plate. Matthew responded with a slurred, high-pitched sound, and Mimi couldn't help the giggle that left her lips. "I guess I should look into adding strawberries and eggs to the next batch I make," she spoke again, this time looking over at Matthew to see his optimistic expression.

 Matthew finally took a swig of his nearby orange juice carton and smiled, ready to take on round two of the perfect French toast. "What's your secret?" Matthew asked her, knowing that the French toast wasn't store-bought. 

 Mimi fell silent for a moment, toying with the crust of the toast with an impassive stare. Matthew continued to eat, but regarded her closely as if her body would physically speak for her.

 "I found some loaves of bread, put a dash of cinnamon on them, added some ant guts...." Mimi's voice trailed off as if she were too amazing to finish the rest of the sentence. Matthew stopped chewing and widened his blue eyes, staring at Mimi with a mouth full of "ant guts." 

 Matthew literally threw down his plate on the table within a matter of seconds and gasped, reaching for his orange juice and taking a long sip from the straw. When he realized that there was only a drop left, he quickly raced to the fridge to grab another and almost choked in the process of drinking the new  pack. 

 Mimi moved over to his previous spot to clean up the mess he made, watching him with a straight face. "You're so gullible, you know that?" she said, shaking her head from side to side. "I can't believe you actually thought I put ant guts on the fucking food. Why would I do that?" 

 Matthew frowned at Mimi and suddenly felt stupid - why did he believe her? Letting the straw slip away from his pink lips, he threw the half-full carton on the floor. "I don't freaking know why I thought you'd do that, but all I know is that I'm mad because I wasted my good food," he muttered. 

 Mimi cracked a smile and shrugged her shoulders. "Well, at least now we can get a move on and go job hunting for me." Matthew once again gave Mimi a crazy look, trying to remember Mimi mentioning that to him last night. "There's no way in hell I'm letting you out of my sight - New York is dangerous." 

 Mimi grabbed her plate and Matthew's and walked over to the sink, turning on the hot water to let their crumbs soak away from the platters. "I'm not five, Matthew," she stated with attitude. "I can handle myself. Just because you're a bodyguard for the good people of New York and my dad, doesn't mean you're the bodyguard for me as well." 

 Matthew propped himself against the counter next to the sink and gave a silent smirk, enjoying his smartass remark in his mind. Oh, Mimi, if only you knew I was your bodyguard too, he thought, examining the way Mimi cleaned the dishes with such precision. She turned to face him, watching him watch her, and they sat in silence for the next two minutes. 

 "So are you gonna just stand there, or do you want to go get your car started up?" Mimi asked him innocently. Matthew shook his head and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he walked over to the table to grab a piece of French toast. "I was thinking we could just go to the movies and maybe get you to do some sight-seeing before your naptime, little girl," he teased, biting into the toast and walking back over to Mimi like an over-protective parent. 

 Suddenly, Matthew's eyes lit up like Christmas as he began to lose his balance, and Mimi lurched out to help the falling man. "Ahh!" Matthew yelped, trying to grab onto the nearby chair for support. But his stubborn feet gave out on him as he crashed to the ground and landed hard enough to where the table shook nearby. 

 It didn't take them long to realize that the culprit of his fall was the thrown down orange juice carton on the ground, and to give him the ultimate middle finger, it landed right by his face. "Oh, goodness! Are you alright?" Mimi asked with sincerity, putting the negative vibe between them behind her for that one moment. 

"Let's just go look for a damn job," Matthew muttered, rising his head to take a final sip from the orange juice carton. 

***

 New York City in the late morning hours was fairly busy - people hurried alongside the sidewalks if they weren't hailing taxis, and construction slowed down the incoming traffic. Matthew parked his 2006 Mustang in a five dollar parking lot space, wanting Mimi to walk around to examine businesses that seemed safe enough.

 "Slow down!" Matthew groaned, trying to catch his breath as Mimi flew between people walking. Muttering apologies to every person she bumped, Matthew finally caught up to Mimi and managed to keep up with her fast pace. "Jesus, where did you learn to walk like that?" 

 Mimi giggled, her topaz eyes bounding from every other building to see which one caught her eye. "In Tokyo, people walk quickly to get to where they're going," she explained, moving a little kid out of the way gently as she walked past him staring at balloons. "Americans are lazy creatures."

 Matthew smiled, not being able to argue with her on that. 

 After thirty minutes passed, Mimi's once optimistic attitude became groggy, and she pouted as they neared the Lower East Side, obviously unsatisfied with what she saw. She stopped and looked over at Matthew, who stopped as well. "Are there any good workplaces around where you live?" she asked, her eyes wistful. Matthew was taken aback - why did Mimi want to work in the countryside all of a sudden? He figured that maybe she'd like working around the colors of Times Square. 

 "Erm, yeah," he stammered, running a hand through his hair. "There's a summer lodge a few blocks down from the house that gets great reception during this time of year." Matthew cringed at the thought of going there however, and the annoyance was evident. Mimi cocked her head to the side. "You don't seem too happy about it," she said softly. "Sorry for making you drive all the way out here for nothing." 

 Matthew straightened up and shook his head, waving his hands in the air. "Oh, no! It's not that, it's not that at all," he said, trying to find a quick distraction to not talk about it any further. "Let's just get a taxi to drive us back to where we parked, and we'll get a move on." 

 Mimi grinned as they got a taxi and slid in the back. "Told you Americans were lazy!" 

 Matthew and Mimi drove in his red Mustang for about three hours before making it back to the area of his home, turning on a dirt road a few miles away from the house. Beyond them laid a large wooden building with stones and lush green grass surrounding the entrance. Cars were parked along the front, families unpacking their luggage luggage to vacation for the incoming weekend. Around the lodge, there were green hills and blanketing forests that made one feel as if they were in an enchanted meadow of nature, and Mimi instantly liked it. 

 "Here we are," Matthew said as they stepped out of the car and onto the walkway. "Do you like it so far?" 

 When Mimi didn't answer, Matthew looked over at her to see what was wrong. Mimi was deep in thought, her hand around her left ankle. "When something is good, my left ankle will itch. So this place must be pretty damn amazing, because it won't stop itching!" she exclaimed. Matthew laughed at her superstition and patted her on the back. 

 "Okay, well that's nice to know. Let's focus on the matter at hand though," he said in his deep voice. 

 "Is that who I think it is?" A shrill voice exclaimed from behind the counter of the lodge's main desk. Matthew grumbled something under his breath, and Mimi looked at him questioningly. Maybe it's a past girlfriend, Mimi thought to herself, and she understood his hesitant attitude about coming to the lodge. But if he didn't want to see his ex, why did he suggest the place so quickly? Mimi put that thought on hold as they neared the counter. The girl who spoke was a beautiful, quirky blonde with rosy cheeks and dark red lipstick. Her summer dress fit her body perfectly, and she stood with class despite her outgoing persona. 

 The blonde leaned against the counter, staring at Mimi with a sly grin. Oh, no. Maybe she was examining Mimi to see if she looked and dressed better and was going to compete for the affection of Matthew. As if it would answer the girl's thoughts. Mimi blurted, "We're not dating; I'm just staying with him because he works for my dad."

 The girl gave a wry smile and shook her head, trying not to snort out loud. "Oh, don't give me that crap - you two obviously have something going on here," she said with a wink. "Tell me - have you done the nitty gritty with my cousin yet?" 

 Matthew whined and threw his head back, slapping his face. Mimi could feel the air leave her body as she realized that the girl and Matthew were just cousins, and she visibly relaxed. Throwing an arm around Matthew, she mirrored the girl's smile. "Oh, yes. Matthew and I are always all over each other no matter where we are!" 

 The girl laughed loudly, and Matthew bit his tongue. He just couldn't handle these two at the same time. 

 Matthew escaped Mimi's embrace and sat down on the chair behind him, crossing his arms and pouting as his cousin pulled up a barstool and sat down as well. She turned to Mimi, resting her hand on her smooth knee. "Seriously though, are you two dating?" she asked curiously, her high velvet voice driving Matthew insane. 

 Mimi shook her head and gave an awkward smile. "No way - my dad is his boss, and I live in Japan, but my dad ordered him to let me live with him for a few months," Mimi explained politely, and the girl widened her eyes at this. 

 "Japan? That's amazing!" she said, staring in awe at Mimi. "But if you're staying at Matthew's, then what brings you guys here at a resort? I know it isn't to visit me since Matthew hates my guts," she snorted, looking over at a bored Matthew. 

 "She's looking for a job here - her name is Mimi Takanoa," he stated blandly, staring off into space. Mimi felt bad as she noticed how Matthew was acting, but she let it go; right now, she was in need of a job, and she wanted to act mature. 

 The girl's face lit up at the mentioning of Mimi looking for a job, and she jumped out of the barstool. Grabbing Matthew and pulling him up, she turned to Mimi with a glowing smile. "That's fantastic! In that case, my name is Christina, and I'm the manager of this whole damn place! You'll most likely get the job since we need an extra hand, so I'll go get the assistant who will show you the applications. Matthew, you're coming with me - she doesn't need any distractions " Christina said, her words coming out of her mouth fast like daggers. Mimi watched amused as Christina dragged her resisting cousin out of the main lobby. 

 Mimi looked around at all of the decorations of the lobby, instantly loving every aspect of the lodge. It was very cozy, and despite the summer weather, it gave the impression that there was snow outside. Two seasons in one - it was absolutely amazing. 

 A guy with a multicolored crewneck and dark brown hair walked over to Mimi with a cute smile on his face, his green eyes regarding her with a look of curiosity. Mimi wondered why in the world he was wearing a sweater in this weather, but his multiple piercings distracted her. One silver hoop decorated his left eyebrow, one on his left nostril, and the final on the right side of his lower lip. He had one earring secured on his left ear, and Mimi had a weird urge to play with the little patch of a goatee underneath his mouth. This must be the assistant. 

 "Hello," he said in a friendly, silky tone. His voice made Mimi's ears sing - this guy was definitely something else. 

 "Hi," Mimi said, frowning to try to show that she wasn't interested in him outside of the professional zone. He continued to smile at her for a few seconds before reaching under the counter and producing a few pieces of paper and a pen. 

 "Christina told me that you wanted to work here, so here's some flyers to fill out," the guy explained. "I'm Xander by the way, and I'm assistant manager here at the lodge." Mimi leaned against the edge of the counter and made herself comfortable, skimming through the applications with ease. She felt Xander's green eyes boring into her, and she tried her best to ignore it. Even though he was totally hot, he made her feel...uneasy. 

 "You've filled out a job application before, right?" Xander asked her, a bit of a smartass edge clear in his voice. Mimi rolled her eyes to the back of her head and didn't look up from the paperwork. "Yes, I have," she stated simply, picking up the pen to begin the dreadful task. 

 Xander, amused by her distant responses, continued to probe her. "Okay then, so what's the first thing you put on a job application?" 

 "Your name."

 "Okay, and what would that be?" 

 "Mimi Takanoa," Mimi said in a monotone voice, having just written her name in a beautiful cursive script on the dotted line. Xander didn't respond right away, which made Mimi curious. When she looked up at him, his eyes were wide with shock. "Mimi Takanoa?" he asked her slowly, putting emphasis on her last name. Mimi nodded with a frown - he'd probably heard of one of her dad's many franchises and couldn't believe that Ren's only child was looking for a job in this small New York town. 

Once again, Xander didn't respond right away. He scratched the back of his neck and and bit his lip, continuing to stare at Mimi. "I gotta go to the back and finish up some inventory. Since you can do this on your own, I'll be back soon," he said, turning away from Mimi and disappearing behind the EMPLOYEES ONLY door. 

 Once the door was shut tightly and locked behind him, Xander quickly pulled out his phone and dialed a number, holding the phone to his ear impatiently. When a deep voice answered on the third ring, Xander almost couldn't find the words to speak.

 "Shark, you'll never guess who's in New York." 

 ***

End of Chapter Two

Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE: Japenese entrepreneur Ren Takanoa lands his life in quick sand due to a drug deal scandal gone wrong, and it put his only child and heiress to his fortune in danger. Will sending his beloved daughter Mimi Takanoa to a country with one of his trustworthy bodyguards protect her?

 Ren Takanoa closed his tired brown eyes and clasped his wrinkling hands in his lap, satisfied with his day. His booming business grew exceptionally over the past twelve weeks, and all of his employees work more diligently with the new, higher income they received. The early morning press conference didn't give him a pesky headache for once, and he didn't find one fruitfly in his black coffee. 




 Life, life was just fantastic in every form of the word. 




 The ring of Ren's office phone snapped his eyes open, and they naturally travelled to the white phone holder. The red light flashed with every tune, letting him know that his secretary needed a moment of his time. Feeling optimistic about how his day was already going, Ren quickly pressed the green button and brought his mouth closer to the speaker. "Konnichiwa, Hillary. What is it?" he spoke in the best English he could for his only American secretary. "You have a call, Mr. Takanoa. He says his name is Shark," Hillary responds in her professional voice. Just the sound of the word Shark is enough to make Ren's smile disappear, and he feels a bead of sweat forming on his creased forehead. Oh, goodness. 




 "Okay, thank you very much, Hillary. Put me through to him please." After Ren spoke, the line went dead momentarily. In that brief time, Ren thought of creative scenarios to say as soon as he heard the familiar, deep voice on the other end. Why in the world was Shark calling him now? He didn't have to pay for another week....




 "Takanoa." The manly voice grumbled with anger. Ren suddenly had the urge to pee, and he grabbed the phone and placed it to his reddening ear. "Shark," Ren stated in a forced, calm manner. "What's up, how're you doing?"  

Ren stepped closer to the large windows facing out to the afternoon skyline of Tokyo, admiring the distant Mt. Fuji and praying that his conversation with Shark would be just as peaceful as the old volcano. "Good. Just trying to take care of the business that you screwed up," Shark spat with a low  tone, catching Ren off guard. Screwed up? Ren Takanoa does not "screw up" under any circumstances. It's just not in his blood. 

 "What seems to be the problem?" Ren spoke slowly, trying to weigh out what he could've done wrong. He didn't ask for any cocaine recently, so whatever the case, it's probably a big misunderstanding. 

 A loud thud sounded on the other line, making Ren jump. Another thud followed quickly after, and Ren gripped the phone's base tightly. Oh, no. This can't be good. "The problem is your stupidity!" Shark yelped, his scream loud enough to make even the toughest sumo wrestler back off the mat. "The coke you sold to your last buyer was a scam - not only that, but the guy snitched to the pigs, and now they're looking for me! Takanoa, how the fucking fuck does that low-life bastard know my name?!" 

 Ren swallowed back the might to throw up his fear and leaned against his desk, running a free hand through his sweaty hair. "I-I don't know," Ren stammered, trying not to lose his cool mentally. Physically, he was definitely unstable at that point - his legs quivered with every ticking second, and his fingers shook beneath the phone. "That was my number one request, the simplest fucking rule, Takanoa! Don't. Mention. My. NAME!" Ren could almost feel the furious heat radiating from Shark, and he tried to remember if he did accidentally slip up and utter Shark's info to the buyer...

"Maybe one of your other sellers knew him from somewhere and said something about you from a previous exchange?" Ren suggested, biting his lip for the nth time. He really didn't like disorder, and this was not his cup of tea - being accused. 

 Shark laughed, a fake, dry laugh that scared Ren even more. "Other sellers? Ren, what the fuck. You're my only seller because all of the others proved untrustworthy, so I had to get rid of them. And now, I'm about to do the same to you. So help me, if the jury doesn't let me off easy for this, I'm going to slaughter your daughter right after I have my way with her. You have two choices - set things right some sort of way, or spend the last few days with your kid wisely. And if you even think about reporting me to the police, I'll just rat you out as well and you'll lose every dime you own. See you in hell, Takanoa."

 The line went dead, but Ren still held the phone to his ear. His hands suddenly weren't shaky, and his figure was frozen to the ground. His eye twitched, his breathing becoming heavier by the moment. 

About five minutes went by before Ren came back to the harsh reality of his life. Placing the phone back in its rightful position, Ren leaned his fifty-three year old body against his desk once again and rested his head in damp palm. He tried to stifle back a pained groan, but he couldn't hide his negative emotion for long. 

 How could this be happening? 

The door to Ren's office slowly creaked open, and a raven haired woman casually walked into his sanctuary. Ren didn't bother rising his head to see who dared entered his office without warning, but he silently scowled at the fact that none of his secretaries informed him of incoming company. He really didn't want to fire any of them, so why weren't they following procedure?

 "Still don't have time for me?" A female voice murmured with sarcasm, and Ren finally looked up from his distressed pout. 

"Mimi." Ren whispered, his eyes widening at the sight of his nineteen year old child. As always, her long black hair flowed over her skinny shoulders, and a few loose strands blanketed her usual aggravated expression. Her honey brown eyes that she inherited from her deceased mother gazed emotionless at her father, ignoring the fact that he looked like he just witnessed the presence of a ghost.

The very sight of Mimi made Ren want to crumble into a million pieces. He just didn't want to think about the only thing he had left aside from his fortune slipping away from him so easily. He grapsed her arm and leaned against it, holding onto his baby girl for dear life as if Shark was on his way right now to go through with his threat. Mimi flinched and tensed up at her father's sudden contact, and a pang of sorrow overwhelmed her. Her dad was actually hugging her. 

 "Mimi! Oh, sweet Mimi," Ren whined, holding onto his confused daughter with all of his strength. "How would you like to go on a trip to America for a while? I know how much you want to study abroad in New York, and I found the perfect opportunity today. How does that sound?" 

 The young adult stared down at her father quizzically  "Yeah, I wanted to go when I was like five. I'm not really interested in that anymore, dad. I just want to spend time with you," Mimi muttered, pushing her father off of her gently. "If you paid more attention to me, maybe you'd know that it wasn't New York I wanted to go to in the first place." 

Ren straightened up awkwardly and shrugged his shoulders, his eyes warming up despite Mimi's cold response. "Regardless, I'm booking you an immediate flight there, and you should be on your way first thing tomorrow morning. As a matter of fact, it's the next thing on my list to do, and that's technically paying attention to my princess!" 

 Mimi sighed and rolled her eyes at her usually busy father's attempt to make her feel wanted. But she figured that it was the best she could get out of him for now. "You're going along with me and taking a few days off, right?" she asked him, crossing her arms across her flat chest. Ren cringed, and Mimi's already deepened frown got even more defined. "Wait, don't even answer that question," she muttered, turning away from Ren and walking towards the door. 

 "I love you, Mimi. Remember that." Ren murmured in a sincere voice, and for a moment, Mimi felt her heart constrict in her chest. She bit her lip and felt tears stabbing the back of her eyes, but she maintained herself and closed the door quietly behind her, leaving Ren all alone in his huge office once again. 

Once the door shut behind Mimi's skinny silhouette, Ren reached for his phone and dialed a number with skilled fingers. The phone rang once before a Japanese voice answered in a perky attitude. 

 "I'd like to arrange a first-class flight to New York under the name of Ren Takanoa, and I want it done by sunset." 

***

 Matthew Gregory sat in the cold barstool and clasped the glass of Sprite in his hand, taking a sip every other minute. The electro music buzzed one ear and out of the other, and he wondered to himself why in the world an airport bar would be so..."clubbish." There weren't many people in the bar to begin with much to Matthew's liking - he couldn't stand crowds of people. Maybe it was just the bodyguard in him; large bodies of people meant most of the time that he had to keep his blue eyes on the lookout for danger, and that got tiring. 

 Speaking of looking out for danger....Matthew's thoughts trailed into a different topic - where the hell was that girl? Millie or something like that. It's Matthew's latest objective to keep watch over the daughter of Ren Takanoa, and his reward for her safety for the next few months would be a heavy cash payment of a hundred grand. Just the thought of possessing that much money made Matthew's skin crawl with anticipation, and he began to scope the bar to see if he could spot the girl's description. 

To no avail, Matthew continued to lightly sip his soda and try to zone out the sound of the corny music. Hopefully Millie would show up soon so he could get the hell out of that place. 

"Would you like some more Sprite, sir?" the cute bartender asked Matthew as he placed the empty glass on the counter in front of him. He shook his head, his spiked blonde hair staying perfectly still with the sudden movement. He couldn't help but notice the batting of eyelashes whenever the bartender looked at him, and he tried to hold back a chuckle. He knew he was good looking, but that didn't mean he was always interested. 

 As she reached over to take away the glass, she looked up and scowled. Confused and curious to see what her look meant, Matthew turned his head to the side and let his eyes search in the direction. A girl with long black hair stared at him, her mouth twitching as if she wanted to say something. She stood out amongst the few people in the room with her Oriental appearance, and Matthew knew right away that she was his target. 

Matthew slapped five dollars absentmindedly on the counter and gave a random wave to the bartender before standing up and walking towards the girl slowly. He smiled at her, but she remained impassive and glared at him with her honey brown eyes. As Matthew got closer, he found himself lost in them. She has award-winning eyes, he thought to himself. If this Millie girl is that gorgeous, he may have to keep an eye out for pedophiles as well. 

 "Are you Matthew?" the girl asked slowly, her well-spoken English giving Matthew an invisible slap on the face. He figured that her English may have been broken and that she couldn't find the proper words to speak to him, but she had it in the bag. 

 Matthew nodded and extended a friendly hand out to her that she failed to take, and he coolly put it in his pocket. Well, then.  

 "And you must be Millie Takanoa - it's nice to finally meet you," Matthew said polietly in his deep voice, putting a strong arm around her. She crossed her arms and huffed, looking away from his Sprite-scented mouth. 

 "It's Mimi, not Millie," she muttered, trying to squirm out of his too-friendly gesture. Matthew sensed Mimi's annoyance, but he tried not to let it faze him. "Oh, my bad," he said with a chuckle. "I'm terrible with names."

 Mimi finally managed to struggle away from him and smoothed out her letterman jacket. "Look; I'm not in New York to be friends with you. I'm here to enjoy myself, and my dad just sent me to be with you so I don't have to spend money to rent an apartment for a few months."

 Before letting her snobby attitude get to him, Matthew gave her a confused look. Did her dad lie to her about her whereabouts in New York? Did she not know that she would be a drug dealer's sex slave before she got murdered by him? When those questions floated in his mind, Matthew understood from a father's point of view why Ren would give Mimi a bogus excuse like that. 

 "You know what?" Matthew began, standing up straight and mimicking Mimi's bratty pose. "You're totally and absolutely right. We don't have to be friends, but you will respect me. You're living with me, so you need to treat me with some dignity. I'm a trained bodyguard, and don't think just because you're a girl I won't body slam you into this floor. Just be nice, alright? It's not that difficult."

 Mimi didn't respond with words - instead, she silently looked up at Matthew and blew out an exasperated breath through pursed lips. No one ever talked down to her like that, not even Ren. Matthew knew this as well, judging by the phone call Ren had with him the previous night about his daughter's attitude. It may be alright with Ren to be talked to by some kid, but it wasn't going to slide with him. No way in fucking hell. 

A minute passed before Mimi finally broke the infuriated ice between them, and she threw her shoulders back as she spoke. "I'm sorry, okay? It's been a long flight here, and all I want to do is sleep." She clapped her hands together and looked away dreamily, examining the colorful photographs and the walls of the bar. "My whole life I've wanted to come to America and just enjoy myself with my dad, but he's just so damn busy every waking moment of the day, and the absence of a parental figure really makes a girl sour." With that being said, Mimi glanced up at Matthew's intense gaze and sighed. "Can we please just start over and go to your place?" 

Matthew lightened up at Mimi's sudden, but positive change of heart and smiled at her maturity. "That sounds great - this music is making my ears bleed," he laughed, beginning to walk away from Mimi. She gave a dry laugh in return and followed him out of the doors and into the humid summer night in New York City. 




***

"That's wonderful to hear that you got off the plane safely," Ren Takanoa spoke in Japanese to Mimi, the morning sunlight of Tokyo beaming into his bedroom windows. "How do you like New York so far? Is the food there any good? Do you miss Ryoko's cooking?" he asked, referring to their personal maid and chef. 

 Mimi laughed lightly at her father's interest of what was happening miles away from him. It seemed that the distance between them made him care more about her doings. "Dad, I've only been in New York for an hour, I haven't eaten anything yet. But I'm pretty sure nothing could compare to Ryoko's cooking. Tell her I said hi by the way," she said softly, watching herself talk in the mirror of Matthew's too-big bedroom. 

 "What time is it there?" Ren asked, his soothing voice making Mimi feel a wave of homesick emotion. "It's only 8:30 at night here, but I feel so tired," she said, twirling with a lock of black hair. She knew it was 10:30 in the morning over in Tokyo, and she could almost taste Ryoko's famous eggs and sausages. Her stomach grumbled, and she realized that she was in desperate need of food. 

"You need to get to bed right now, young lady," Ren joked to Mimi, and her laugh made him beam with happiness that was immediately shot down by the thought of her reasoning in New York in the first place. He needed to make sure that Mimi was in Matthew Gregory's sight at all times - even if it meant her having to shower with him. 

 "I'm not a little girl anymore," Mimi murmured softly, and the thought made her sad. She always wanted to be his little girl no matter what age, and she knew he felt the same. 

"I don't care how old you are Mimi, you need your rest. I love you sweet angel; I'll talk to you later. Be safe for me, okay?" Ren said, and Mimi hung up without saying a word to her father. She closed her eyes and put her cell phone in her pocket, fighting back tears of how kind Ren acted towards her. 

 "I love you too," she whispered to herself, walking to the bed and sitting on the edge to replay the conversation in her mind. 

 Mimi's mental replay of the phone call is interrupted by the door to the bedroom opening, and Matthew emerges in nothing but gray sweats and a smirk hot enough to bring all the boys and girls to the yard. She couldn't help but let her feminine mind take over and scan Matthew's ripped chest - for what it's worth, American guys are definitely sexy. 

 "Waiting in bed for me already, I see," Matthew joked in a seductive tone, and Mimi's breath hitched in her throat. Mimi scowled at his attempt to "seduce" her and blew out her tongue at him like a child. "You wish, pretty boy," she grumbled. 

The door opened once again, and a beautiful girl with long red locks of hair looked shocked. Her surprise is immediately replaced with anger as she takes in the scene in front of her. Firm hands on nice hips and a scary frown on surgical lips, she gives Matthew daggers with her blue eyes. 

 "Would you like to explain to me what the HELL another girl is doing in your bedroom while you're HALF-NAKED?!" She exclaims in a high, but intimidating voice. She has a strong Irish accent, and her already natural red cheeks flare up with every syllable. This woman was undoubtedly Matthew's girlfriend. 

Mimi, seeing this as her chance to give Matthew payback for acting so cocky moments ago, stands up from the bed and places a hand on her hip, throwing her head back. "Well, you could say that he was about to have his way with an innocent nineteen year old girl like me," Mimi murmured like an angel, trying to sound as Japanese as possible to make it look like she was some foreign exchange student Matthew found around the block. The woman seemed to believe Mimi, because she nearly ripped out her hair and made Matthew eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

 "AND she's younger than you? You sick motherfucker!" the woman squeals, trying to leave the room. Matthew wails his arms in the air helplessly, blocking the door from her. 

 "No, Taryn! This is the girl I was telling you about, the one that I have to watch over while she's here for some months!" Matthew cried, trying to calm down the woman. She began to let a string of swears emerge from her mouth in a different language, and Mimi felt Matthew's angry stare on her.

***

End of Chapter One