At work Miku was all business. Her long black hair pinned up, the white lab coat hugging her slender curves as she walked about the lab. She was sitting at her desk when the knock on her door frame made the lab scientist raise her eyes from the black rimmed glasses she wore. "Wanna have lunch?" Mitzumi was all smiles and leaning heavily against the door frame. 

Miku smiled at her friend and nodded. "Yes!" She nearly hoped out of her chair and arm in arm walked to the cafeteria. All giggles and smiles as they gathered the items on the trays. She gave a knowing glance at her friend as they sat down to eat and gossip. Of course Mitzumi was going to try to tell her about all the juicy details of her single life weekend. As the girls lips parted slowly to start her tale Miku began instead. She told of her run in with the cute bag boy at the local market. How blue his eyes were, how thick his hair was, how their fingers touched ever so briefly.

Mitzumi was silent. Her eyes wide for the start of the story. She knew her friend, knew the look, knew what Miku was really saying and it made her sad. Even though she tried to smile. With a fake laugh she teased Miku about it, on how young boys were always like that. She tried to tell Miku in a very indirect way how it was harmless. The boy was simply helping and the manager did the right thing by curbing his enthusiasm. Mikus friend of ten years knew there were fights and money was tight. That dream home and their school debts were making them live check by check. On the surface they had made their dreams. But under the surface a riptide that threated to drown them both was silently ready to take them under. She could tell her friend Miku was starting to sink in that moment. "You should send a text to Aki. Tell him you need to see him tonight. [i]All night long.[/i]"

Miku's face dropped to her tray as her voice grew cold. "He sent me a voicemail saying he would see me tonight but I'm not counting on it. ...He has help now, at work. Female help."

She didnt know it but Mitzumis mouth hung open. "No. He is a good man. He would never." Is what she wanted to say, should of said. There was a few times when they were in a Karaoke and she had one too many she might of leaned on him a little too long but he never made a single move or suggestion that wasnt honorable. Mitzumi was there at their wedding. She knew what type of man he was. He would never do that sort of thing. He worked himself to death for them at that job trying to be number one! "You're wrong." Is all she said to her frined of ten years without even looking at her. Instead she go up without her tray and walked away. 

Mitzumi had his number but never called. It was for an emergency only and hell if this didnt count as one in her eyes. "Mr. Hanzo. Its Mitzumi. You have to go home Mr. Hanzo. You have to go home [i]now... tonight.[/i]" She leaned against the wall and sighed. Her mind began to race with options. Maybe she could get the kid fired, or have him move, or just kidnapped for a few years until this was over and Miku was back to normal? She sent a text to Aki, "Miku isnt feeling good she needs you to come home." She quietly cursed at herself for getting involved. 

____________________________________________

The morning came and Mr. Hanzo woke to his 630AM alarm. He shaved and got dressed with some air freshener to his jackets arm holes. Turning on his computer and raising the blinds first to the window and second to his office door. He gasped at what he saw next! The were in their desks respectively a little disheveled from sleeping on the sofa but already typing like crazy! He stepped out into the common area to see everything was orderly and the blankets were put away. Walking over to the coffee pot that was already full and hot! He made a cup silently watching their drive, though admittingly not certain what they were working on so hard. He slowly walked closer first to Askana. She was already murdering incoming emails from local vendors and had a long list of replies... since FIVE AM?! Her desk had a half cup of coffee and the woman's fingers blazed away at the keyboard easily typing sixty words a minute! With a silent nod he moved over to Miss Ejins desk. She had an empty cup with the fresh stain of coffee in the bottom. Her fingers were slower but she was working on... restructuring the lower east side distribution numbers?! That was a mess! Even Hanzo hated dealing with the constant stream of invoices, and corrections, and deletions or last minute adds to orders. Ejin was typing slower because she had a second screen and was ten keying the figures in [i]real time[/i]!!! He was about to offer praise when the phone rang. Only three steps to his office yet Yuki had picked up the call on her desk. They were making his job more streamlined then it had been in the last five years! Silently he continued to his desk.

Everything seemed handled he would get the occasional transfer call to someone wanting to speak to him directly, a few points requiring his decision. The new hires had by lunch the day 90% completed. As a reward he made time to have catering delivered. He ate with them in the common room. The new hires casting smiles at each other as they ate and talked about the figures, emails, and issues. Keeping to themselves the events of last night.

After lunch everyone returned to their prospective desks and resumed their work. Hanzo received an email from the Marketing director wanting to speak with him when the time was right. He felt now would be fine as the office was operating smoothly. Getting his jacket he stood at the doorway. "I need to see the Marketing director. I will be back shortly. I have my cell if there is an emergency." He returned their head nod and left. Heading to the elevator. He never had to go up before except for the one time where he was given the warning of his performance. The managing director was on the tenth floor. He knew they had hired a new one ever since Mr. Tanaka retired last year over health concerns. The man was nearly seventy, Hanzo imagined his retirement during the elevator ride up. 

He knocked at the door, it was a corner office. His nose picked up the scent of perfume. It was unmistakable the same as his wife. The door opened to reveal a tall blond woman. "Mr. Hanzo?" 

He bowed respectfully and she returned it, "Please come in." Amanda took her seat first then waited for him to take the other one. "I never got the chance to meet with you. I am Miss. Willis the marketing director. You are the logistics director yes?"

"Yes. I run the operations for the south of Tokyo, Australia, and our manufacturing divisions." He sat a little on edge. 

Amanda felt her dislike for him fade a little. He was handsome but a two timer and literally with two other women in his own department? The man was a dog. "I see I wanted to ask your opinion about the Australia region..." An hour later their meeting was over. Amanda had to admit he was good, very good at his job as far as his knowledge base. He even was offering to include her on correspondence and loops with clients to try to expand the brand. The cologne he wore while feint reminded her of another time. As he left her office she leaned back in her chair and sighed. "He's still a dog." 

On the way back from the meeting his phone vibrated. Stopping in his tracks he read the message from Mitzumi. In the elevator there was no signal. He rushed to his office and heard the voice mail. The time his wife was still at work he sent her a text, then another, and another. "Where are you? What happened? Mitzumi called and text me this. Are you okay? I'm coming home tonight. Let me know you are all right!!" The a text to Mitzumi, "What happened? She isn't answering her phone." He walked past their desks and into his main office. The phone was ringing but he wasnt focused. 

"Mr. Hanzo the phone. It is from store seventy two." Askana looked at him. He was focused on the phone in his hand. Had the meeting been about last night? Did they cause him to be fired?! "Mr. Hanzo. Mr. Hanzo? ...Aki." 

He looked up a little shocked, more that he was spacing out at work then the first name being used by a subordinate. 

"Line two. Southern store seventy two." She felt her face blush a little. She had used his first name. It was too real. Casting back a glance at Yuki an her dark face as she had done the unimaginable by using a first name. That big cow was going down!