Tilli’s Second Chance – Chapter 9

I groan as I blink my eyes open. Where am I again? The morning light filters through the curtains in Myra’s apartment, and the weight of Ivan sprawled across my legs is comforting. I tug my blankets a little higher to keep warm under the onslaught of Myra’s air conditioning. She likes to sleep in an icebox. Mochi, Myra’s skunk pair, snores gently at the foot of the bed.

“Morning, sunshine,” Myra says from her spot at the small table by the window, tablet in hand. She doesn’t even bother looking up. “You should probably start getting ready for work.”

“No.” I groan, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “I’m quitting, remember?”

I certainly remember. The water splashing onto Riku’s face. The slap. My declaration that I quit. Hiroko’s frown as she watched me leave the table. Everyone’s eyes on me. It was the worst public blow-up I’ve ever had. It’s a good thing Dad isn’t mayor anymore, or I’d be hearing about it from his team.

Hopefully, he never, ever catches wind of what happened.

But, wait… The kiss… Now that was worth remembering forever.

But the kiss is not enough to return to the I.A.

Myra frowns, setting her tablet down. She leans forward, studying me with concern. “Tilli, you can’t be serious. You? Give up? You’ve been working so hard for this opportunity for years. No. That’s not what Kimura women do. We keep going until we get what we want.”

I sigh and flop back onto the bed. After so many failed ventures, it’s hard to believe this time could be any different. “Yeah, well, maybe it’s time for a change,” I mutter, avoiding her gaze.

“Come on. Don’t let Riku Saito, of all people, set you back. He has been an asshole for years. I’m convinced he was born that way. You can’t let him take everything you’ve worked so hard for.” Myra stands and walks over, sitting on the edge of the bed. She places her hand on mine, her touch gentle and comforting. “You’re stronger than this.”

“I don’t know. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be.” The depressive cloud is back, hovering over me. It so rarely shows up, but this morning, it’s bigger and darker than ever.

Myra opens her mouth, but I plow forward.

“Maybe all of those failures were the universe’s way of telling me to move on to something else.”

Myra sighs. “You’ve always been a little fatalistic, even when you’re one of the sweetest of us.” Her gaze hardens. “You’re going back to work. I said so.”

I roll my eyes. “Well, okay then. Because you said so.”

I stare at her ceiling. She’s probably right. I shouldn’t let Riku deter me from getting my dream job. He’s just jealous.

“Fine.” I take a deep breath, steeling my resolve. “I’ll go back to work today. But if things don’t start looking up soon, I’ll have to reconsider.”

“Fair enough,” Myra agrees with a nod.

With a quick glance at Ivan and Mochi, still fast asleep, I add, “Now let me get up and get ready.” I wonder if I can borrow some of her clothes for the day, or should I go home first? I have plenty of time. It’s only nine.

“Besides,” Myra adds, a mischievous glint in her eye, “Kaito’s cute and obviously interested in you. I waited until you were done sucking face last night before I ran over.”

I throw my head back in a laugh, waking both animals on the bed.

“You have a way with words.” I sigh as I search for my bra. “That was probably a mistake, too.”

“The kiss?” Myra raises an eyebrow, and I nod. “Nope. I saw the way he was looking at you. He held your hand. You wrapped your arms around his neck.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “And besides the kiss, he was so sweet and supportive. You should give him a chance.”

“Kaito’s just being nice.” Kaito has been nothing but kind and patient with me, even when I’m at my most stubborn. But he’s my mentor. The kiss was great, phenomenal, but I’m not even sure if we’re allowed to have a relationship.

“Nice or not, you won’t be able to avoid him for long.” She grins. “He messaged me thirty minutes ago to see how you were. He’s on his way over with coffee.”

Panic flares in my chest, and I scramble out of bed, nearly tripping over the slumbering pairs. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I need to get out of here.”

Forget dressing in Myra’s clothes. I have to find my bra, brush my hair and teeth, and get the hell out of here. I’m not ready to see him yet. We should meet on neutral ground at work. It was already a mistake trying to go out to eat together last night.

“Relax.” Myra laughs softly. “Just take a deep breath and try talking to him. It might do you some good.”

Easier said than done. I fish my bra out of the corner, put it back on in the bathroom, and smooth down my unruly hair.

What was I thinking? There’s no time to brush my hair and teeth.

“Let’s go, Ivan.”

Ivan lifts his head, yawns and stretches. “Right behind you.”

When I step outside the apartment building and the door closes behind me, though, there’s no time left for second thoughts — Kaito is already there, holding two steaming cups of coffee.

“Morning.” He greets me with the warm, genuine smile that never fails to disarm me. “I thought you could use a little pick-me-up.”

Shit. I can’t get away from him now.

“Uh, thanks,” I manage, accepting the cup and taking a tentative sip. The bitter taste of black coffee washes over my tongue, and gratitude overtakes the earlier panic. Ah, coffee.

“Your cheek looks okay.” He steps to the side to let me down. Ivan trots down the steps and walks over to Max to sniff him. “I was worried.”

I smile and wince. “It’s a little sore, but Myra helped me ice it last night and gave me some meds. I don’t think it’ll bruise.”

We sit down on the front stoop, shoulders brushing ever so slightly, and Kaito looks at me with those earnest eyes. “You should press charges against him,” he insists.

“No.” I shake my head. “I’d rather we all just forget about it.”

His eyes and face scrunch up. Oh no. “Well, I reported him last night to Professor Nishimura. She may say something to you.”

I sigh and stare into my coffee.

“Maybe it’s for the better. I don’t know if I have what it takes to make it in the Interstellar Agency.”

“Hey.” His voice is gentle but firm. “You’re one of the most talented and determined people I’ve ever met. Don’t sell yourself short.” He slips his arm around my waist and pulls me to him. “I’ve known you were smart and gifted since we were kids. You can’t give up now.” He kisses me on the forehead, and I rest my head against his shoulder. “You still have work to do.”

His words sit in my head. It’s one thing for my family to believe in me, but it’s another for him to. He must see some talent in me to say this. I guess I made an impression on him when I was younger.

I rest my hand on his leg, drumming my fingers against his pants.

“I swear. You and my sister. You’re tag-teaming me.”

He smiles as he squeezes me to him. “Does that mean it worked?”

“Fine. I’ll give it another shot.”

We exchange a lingering glance, our eyes locked for just a moment longer than necessary. The air between us is charged with sexual tension.

“I enjoyed kissing you last night,” he says, lifting an eyebrow. “I’d like to do it again.”

I clear my throat and stand up. “I’d like to do a hell of a lot more than kissing.” Ooooh, I’m feeling forward this morning. “But I’m not sure it’s allowed in a mentor-mentee relationship.” I gesture between us.

His returning gaze is dark and lights up my insides. “I checked last night. It’s not forbidden.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s allowed.” I roll my eyes. “But I’ll take it.”

I point at him as I back down the stairs. “You’ll get a kiss and more than that, but not before I clean up.” When I reach the bottom stair, I hop and tilt my head. “See you at work.”

“You’re a tease, Tilli!” he calls out as I walk away.

My returning smile is just a little evil.

Just a little.

—-

Stepping into my bedroom, I stand in front of my closet, staring at the rows of clothes that stare back at me.

“Is this really the right thing to do?” I ask Ivan as I swipe through my shirts. “Or am I just setting myself up for another disappointment?”

Ivan looks up from my feet. “Oh no. Not this again.” He sighs. “Listen up,” he says, his tone commanding. Well, well. “So you’ve had a few setbacks and critics poking their noses where they don’t belong. What of it? Life comes with setbacks and critics — it’s just the way it is. You’ve worked hard to get here; don’t let a few obstacles undo it all. Your skills and talents didn’t disappear overnight. Now stop your moping, pick that silly human head of yours up, and get back to proving how wrong all those doubters are. You’ve scratched and clawed your way this far. Don’t give up now.”

He stands, flicks his tail, and heads for the door.

“Honestly, what would you do without me here to knock some sense into that daft brain of yours…” he mumbles as he exits the room.

Well, okay, then.

Cats.

I pull out a clean pair of jeans and one of my favorite tops, clean underwear, and head to the bathroom. As I shower, I let my thoughts drift to Kaito, wondering where things will go after this. He’s into me, for sure, but this could be a huge, giant, enormous mistake.

But the kiss was nice… and there could be more where that came from.

“Focus, Tilli,” I chide myself, shaking off the distracting thoughts and turning off the shower before I get any ideas. “There’s no time for this.”

Once I’m dressed, I grab a sweater for the cold study room and head out to the rest of the house. In the kitchen, I snatch an apple, a muffin from the bread box, and a bottle of orange juice. I guess Mom went shopping yesterday. I barely see her now that I’m at the I.A. all the time.

Stepping outside, I squint against the bright sunlight as I notice my dad in the garden. He’s bent over, pulling weeds with a focus and determination that brings a smile to my face. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him work in the garden.

Looks like he took my suggestion.

“Hey, Dad,” I call out, walking over to him. “How’s it going?”

“Ah, Tilli!” He straightens up to greet me and wipes the dirt from his hands onto his pants. “Good. I figured I’d give the garden a shot. If you can try again at getting into the Agency, then I can certainly attempt to turn my life around, too.”

I nod as I look around and try not to get choked up. He’s really trying.

His words hit me hard, and guilt washes over me. The thought that my dad had gained inspiration from my struggles is both humbling and motivating. I never realized how much my actions could affect others — especially those I love most.

“Suri and Finn are here helping me clean up the garden.” He points to the far end of the path.

I glance over to see Suri, her long hair tied back, kneeling next to a vibrant patch of flowers. Her Golden Retriever, Finn, sits by her side, wagging his tail at the sight of me. “Hi, Till,” she greets me with a wave.

Well, will you look at that? Just last year, Dad and Suri were hardly talking to each other. He was so hard on her about finding a boyfriend and moving out of the house. She nearly disowned him after what he pulled. I think that’s why he hasn’t insisted on me leaving. After his heart attack, he re-evaluated his life.

“Hey, sis,” I reply, reaching down to give Finn a scratch behind the ear. “It’s good to see you. On planet for a while?”

She nods. “Four days. Lots of meetings at the I.A. We should get lunch.”

Suri is the head of Quality Control for the ships we’re building in orbit. She got the promotion last year. It’s been nice to have her on the ground more, though she loves going into orbit.

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

I turn to Dad, squinting into the sun. It’s going to be hot out today.

“Is that a new idea for the garden?” I ask, nodding towards the potted plants he’s been moving around.

“Ah, yes!” he says, excitement bleeding into his voice. “I thought it would be nice to have a more modular setup this time. That way, we can keep the seasonal plants in rotation and always have something fresh and beautiful to look at.”

“That sounds like a fantastic idea. Very impressive.”

“Thanks,” he says, beaming with pride. “Now, you’d better head off to work.”

“Okay. I’ll see you later!” I give him a quick hug before turning to leave.

He looks into my face and furrows his eyebrows. I suspect he sees my cheek is still a little red and swollen, so I turn away quickly. I don’t need to get into it right now with him. It’s not as if he likes Riku Saito either, after the way he tried to drag our family through the mud all those years ago.

“Bye, Tilli!” Suri calls out, waving as she returns her attention to the flowers.

“Later!” I call back.

I turn away and let myself through the gate, gripping the straps of my bag tightly.

All right. Let’s do this, Kimura style.