Mafia Fluff, Chapter 5
“What?”
“Mitz, don’t…don’t be so mean to me.”
His words were slurred together. He’d been drinking. Again.
“Bryan, I’m not sure exactly what part of ‘I never want to see or hear from you again’ you don’t understand.”
“But you know…Mitz…I’ve-I’ve been thinking…”
“That’s a first.”
“Aw, come on…I know you was the brains of our relationship, but…you have to remember that I…”
“Was a selfish lying bastard.”
“Mitz, I love you. I think I always did.”
“Well, it’s a bit late for that realization now, isn’t it?”
“Mitz…I can’t…I can’t live without you…”
She heard him burst into tears and fought the urge to bang her forehead against the surface of the desk.
“Bryan, do you honestly not remember why we broke up?”
“I know, I know honey…but that was a one-time thing…and I’ve changed, you know?”
Mitz had had enough. “Listen,” she snapped. “calling me drunk is not the best way to win me back.”
“I’m…I’m not d-drunk…I’ve just had a couple of…”
“No. I am done with you, do you understand me? You lied to me on several occasions, so it was most certainly not a ‘one-time thing’. I gave you everything I had for almost a year. I did everything within my power to fix your sorry life, because I thought it would even out in the end. You had a hell of a way of paying me back.”
Her voice was rising, but she didn’t notice. “Listen, I am through with you. When I said I never wanted to see or hear from you again, I meant it. I am going to block your calls, and if you try to contact me in any other way, I will file a restraining order.”
She clenched her fist as he slurred and stumbled his way through a series of half-formed apologies and promises. She’d had enough. Mitz lost it. She told him exactly how she felt, pulling every single swear word out of her vocabulary and putting them to good use. When she finished, she hung up her phone and threw it into her purse. She was out of breath and slumped back into her chair, not remembering at what point of the conversation she had gotten to her feet.
“So, she does have a backbone after all.”
Mitz’s eyes snapped open. She stared openmouthed at the doorway to Makoto’s office, where he was leaning against the doorframe.
“I-I’m terribly sorry, sir. I thought everyone had gone home, and…and I just-“
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Sir?”
With a smile he sat in the chair opposite her and leaned on her desk, his chin propped up in his hand. “If anything, I found your little…argument…quite amusing.”
The printer beeped, and Mitz turned to see what was wrong. Makoto smiled and pulled out the first packet of paper. “You do fine work, Mitz.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Call me Makoto.”
Mitz reddened. “I…um…okay.”
“So these past few months have all been a front?”
Mitz blinked. “No! Of course not, I mean, I just…” she trailed off. She had no idea how to phrase it.
Makoto burst out laughing. “Really, you can be honest with me. I promise I won’t fire you. That’s Riley’s job.”
Mitz bit her lip and fidgeted. She noticed that his coat and tie were missing. Maybe he really did sleep in his office. “Um, well...it’s just…” She hesitated, not knowing exactly how honest she could be with him. “Riley, she-“
“Takes any other halfway attractive female as an immediate threat and tries to dispose of them?”
“Well…yes.”
Makoto picked a pencil up off of Mitz’s desk and twirled it between his fingers. “I must admit, your strategy seems to be working pretty well so far.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Makoto.”
Mitz wrinkled her nose. “It just seems so…”
“Casual?” Makoto shrugged. “Well, your secret is safe with me. And I’d prefer if you called me by my name. Maybe not in front of Riley, but at times when we’re alone like this.” He stood and stretched. “It’s late. You really ought to be getting home. I’m going to be leaving soon, myself. Do you need a ride?”
Mitz shook her head. “No, but thank you. I drove here.”
“Alright then. As you know, I’ll be on a business trip the next couple of weeks, but I hope to see you when I return. I’d put money on it that you’ll still be here.”
Mitz smiled, and tried to ignore the heat rising in her cheeks. “Thank you…Makoto. I’ll do my best.”
“I know you will, Mitz.”
The shock didn’t fully hit her until he’d gone. She laid her head on the cool wood surface of her desk and stared at the pencil he’d been twirling.
Makoto. The boss.
He wanted her to call him by name. He wanted her to prevail against Riley. He knew that she was using a fake persona to keep her job, and he approved of it.
He wanted her to stay.
For the first time since she’d started the job, Mitz grinned as wide as she could, throwing her arms out to the side and spinning around in her swivel chair.
She had someone on her side for once.
“Mitz, don’t…don’t be so mean to me.”
His words were slurred together. He’d been drinking. Again.
“Bryan, I’m not sure exactly what part of ‘I never want to see or hear from you again’ you don’t understand.”
“But you know…Mitz…I’ve-I’ve been thinking…”
“That’s a first.”
“Aw, come on…I know you was the brains of our relationship, but…you have to remember that I…”
“Was a selfish lying bastard.”
“Mitz, I love you. I think I always did.”
“Well, it’s a bit late for that realization now, isn’t it?”
“Mitz…I can’t…I can’t live without you…”
She heard him burst into tears and fought the urge to bang her forehead against the surface of the desk.
“Bryan, do you honestly not remember why we broke up?”
“I know, I know honey…but that was a one-time thing…and I’ve changed, you know?”
Mitz had had enough. “Listen,” she snapped. “calling me drunk is not the best way to win me back.”
“I’m…I’m not d-drunk…I’ve just had a couple of…”
“No. I am done with you, do you understand me? You lied to me on several occasions, so it was most certainly not a ‘one-time thing’. I gave you everything I had for almost a year. I did everything within my power to fix your sorry life, because I thought it would even out in the end. You had a hell of a way of paying me back.”
Her voice was rising, but she didn’t notice. “Listen, I am through with you. When I said I never wanted to see or hear from you again, I meant it. I am going to block your calls, and if you try to contact me in any other way, I will file a restraining order.”
She clenched her fist as he slurred and stumbled his way through a series of half-formed apologies and promises. She’d had enough. Mitz lost it. She told him exactly how she felt, pulling every single swear word out of her vocabulary and putting them to good use. When she finished, she hung up her phone and threw it into her purse. She was out of breath and slumped back into her chair, not remembering at what point of the conversation she had gotten to her feet.
“So, she does have a backbone after all.”
Mitz’s eyes snapped open. She stared openmouthed at the doorway to Makoto’s office, where he was leaning against the doorframe.
“I-I’m terribly sorry, sir. I thought everyone had gone home, and…and I just-“
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Sir?”
With a smile he sat in the chair opposite her and leaned on her desk, his chin propped up in his hand. “If anything, I found your little…argument…quite amusing.”
The printer beeped, and Mitz turned to see what was wrong. Makoto smiled and pulled out the first packet of paper. “You do fine work, Mitz.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Call me Makoto.”
Mitz reddened. “I…um…okay.”
“So these past few months have all been a front?”
Mitz blinked. “No! Of course not, I mean, I just…” she trailed off. She had no idea how to phrase it.
Makoto burst out laughing. “Really, you can be honest with me. I promise I won’t fire you. That’s Riley’s job.”
Mitz bit her lip and fidgeted. She noticed that his coat and tie were missing. Maybe he really did sleep in his office. “Um, well...it’s just…” She hesitated, not knowing exactly how honest she could be with him. “Riley, she-“
“Takes any other halfway attractive female as an immediate threat and tries to dispose of them?”
“Well…yes.”
Makoto picked a pencil up off of Mitz’s desk and twirled it between his fingers. “I must admit, your strategy seems to be working pretty well so far.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Makoto.”
Mitz wrinkled her nose. “It just seems so…”
“Casual?” Makoto shrugged. “Well, your secret is safe with me. And I’d prefer if you called me by my name. Maybe not in front of Riley, but at times when we’re alone like this.” He stood and stretched. “It’s late. You really ought to be getting home. I’m going to be leaving soon, myself. Do you need a ride?”
Mitz shook her head. “No, but thank you. I drove here.”
“Alright then. As you know, I’ll be on a business trip the next couple of weeks, but I hope to see you when I return. I’d put money on it that you’ll still be here.”
Mitz smiled, and tried to ignore the heat rising in her cheeks. “Thank you…Makoto. I’ll do my best.”
“I know you will, Mitz.”
The shock didn’t fully hit her until he’d gone. She laid her head on the cool wood surface of her desk and stared at the pencil he’d been twirling.
Makoto. The boss.
He wanted her to call him by name. He wanted her to prevail against Riley. He knew that she was using a fake persona to keep her job, and he approved of it.
He wanted her to stay.
For the first time since she’d started the job, Mitz grinned as wide as she could, throwing her arms out to the side and spinning around in her swivel chair.
She had someone on her side for once.