So yeah, I'm back with a vengeance :P since my wifi is back up and running and I got a little extra time on my hands.

ALSO! U HAVE GOT TO CHECK OUT N RISA'S Story " BROKEN". It is awesome!

xoxo Lexi1989

Previously:

"Hello?" The voice on the other end was smooth and velvety.

"Tsubasa? It's Mikan. I'm free Saturday afternoon. Pick me up at eleven so we can have lunch?" The words came out in a rush and she felt somewhat giddy inside. There was an interminable pause before the answer came.

"I'll see you then." For the first time in five years, she felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. She smiled at her reflection in the window. She had deprived herself of happiness for so long that she felt like a giddy schoolgirl once again.

It was time to hit the reset button and restart her life.

CHAPTER 8: DATE INTERRUPTED

Mikan released a sigh of frustration as she stood in front of her bedroom mirror. The floor was scattered with discarded pieces of clothing as she had attacked her closet, searching for the right clothes to wear.

"It's not even a date, idiot." Hotaru's bored voice floated across the room. Mikan, who hadn't been thinking straight had skyped Hotaru, disturbing the latter's morning. She could see Hotaru on the screen of her laptop, drinking her morning coffee in her penthouse apartment.

"I know. It's just that I haven't been out alone with a guy for years." She retorted and the latter rolled her eyes.

"I don't really care, idiot. That one sucks, wear the green long sleeved blouse and the purple miniskirt with your boots." Despite her indifference, Mikan knew Hotaru had her best interests in mind. Professionalism and ethics aside, Hotaru knew that Mikan going out with Tsubasa would be good for her.

She had sat Mikan down for a heart-to-heart talk awhile before and Mikan had told her all her frustrations and everything she'd went through when she left them which explained the many changes that Mikan showed now. Despite her smile, one could detect the sadness and heartache in her eyes. And only those who were close to her could see it. Hotaru had decided then that she had to do something about it. But she had to do so with utmost discretion.

"You know I'm going to the office this morning, right? I can't wear something this short!" Mikan said as she looked at her reflection yet again with said outfit.

"Technically, it's your day off, and you are only going in to the office because of your desire to oversee the work that your capable staff is doing. Plus, Saturdays are considered casual days so as long as your hooha isn't showing then it's fine." Her response made Mikan smile.

"Thanks Hotaru. I'm leaving now. Enjoy your day off with Ruka!" The brunette said with a sly wink.

"Wait, how did you know –" Mikan cut off the skype call before Hotaru could even finish. Only she would dare to do so.

Ruka had mentioned he had asked Hotaru out and she didn't say no, so implicitly, it had meant that Hotaru had said yes. And it made Mikan happy that Ruka was finally able to ask her best friend out. She'd known about his crush on Hotaru even before he left, but with how Hotaru was when they were in uni, he didn't get a chance to act on it until now.

Mikan put on her favorite brown boots and grabbed her sling bag filled with her essentials before leaving the condo. She opted to call an Uber rather than have the company provided car and driver take her to work since she would be leaving with Tsubasa later in the day. She had a good feeling for today and she hummed to herself as she waited for her uber in the condominium building's lobby. Yes. Today would be a good day.

Time seemed to run at a slow pace that morning and each minute that passed, she became increasingly nervous. At ten-thirty, Nobara notified her that Tsubasa had arrived and was waiting for her outside.

"Wow, he's early. Let him into my office Nobara. I'd like to discuss something with him for the contract before I leave for the day." She said with a smile.

A few minutes later, Nobara knocked on her door with Tsubasa in tow. After offering coffee or tea to which he both declined, she left them to wrap up her work before leaving for the day.

"You're looking good today." She said to him.

"You don't look too bad yourself." Tsubasa responded with a wide grin while taking in her appearance. "Is there anything in the contract we need to change?" He asked her as he took a seat in front of her desk.

"No. Actually, I wanted to be frank with you about some things before we go out." She said as she shut down her laptop and closed it.

"Oh alright, shoot." Tsubasa's change in demeanor, from worried to relieved, was visible by the way he relaxed back in the chair he was sitting on.

"I've thought things through on what I said to you about me still not ready to date again. And I realized that I may not be ready now, but I just need you to know that it doesn't mean I won't ever be ready. Like what you said, Tsubasa, we're friends. And I'm grateful that you're here for me…" She felt the blush creep up on her cheeks and he chuckled as he saw her nervous state.

"I stand by what I said Mikan. I care for you. And I know, right now, you may not feel the same way I do, but I am willing to wait until you're ready to try and see if you might have feelings for me more than before." His answer made her feel less uneasy and she gave him a sly grin as she responded.

"Yeah. That and we have a professional contract so I technically can't date you until our contract is over." They both fell into a burst of giggling and laughter.

"But once the contract is over, would you be open.." Tsubasa shifted consciously on the seat, strugging to get the words out and Mikan smiled. It was a similar scene to when he confessed to her.

"We can hang out outside of the workplace as friends while the contract is in place. It's due to end in the next three months anyway. We can revisit the idea of dating the minute the contract ends. Does it sound like a fair deal to you?" She extended her hand for a handshake and waited for him to respond.

"Sounds good." He smiled and stood up to shake her hand.

The chimes on the wall clock in her office announced that it was already eleven o'clock. "Shall we?" He asked as he offered her his arm to which she gladly accepted.

"Let's go!"

"Ready to revisit your homeland?" Tsubasa asked as he handed the waiter his credit card for their bill. They had just finished lunch and he had a full afternoon planned for their 'friendly' date.

"Yes. Thank you for the treat, though you could have let me split the bill with you. You're going to spoil me." She chided him with a laugh. She was used to taking care of herself and was new to the idea of someone spoiling her.

"Nonsense!" He chided her in response. They had argued when the bill came, she vehemently offering to split the bill in between the both of them and he retorting that he had asked her out so it was his obligation to pay. In the end she had relented, but not without trying once or twice to convince him.

They walked out of the restaurant and Mikan glanced at her phone as she waited for the valet to bring Tsubasa's car around to the front. She noticed she had a couple of work emails but since she was already out of the office, decided to check them out later and shut off her phone.

"So, where are we going today?" She turned to look at him and he blushed.

"Well, I was thinking of taking you to a couple of museums and art galleries which I remember you were fascinated by when we were in Alice U, then probably the amusement park that's down by the pier when it's no longer scorching hot outside?" He said with a nervous smile. The valet arrived with his car and he opened the passenger side door for Mikan.

"That sounds lovely." She said as he sat in the driver's seat and turned on the radio.

It was a lovely day out so he decided to go top down on his convertible. Mikan closed her eyes as she leaned back on the comfy leather seats and let the wind blow through her hair. Since it was cut short, she didn't worry about it too much and just let go, enjoying the breeze.

"What?" She asked as she caught Tsubasa stealing glances at her.

"You know, I think you look better with your hair like that.." Tsubasa blushed out of embarrassment, having been caught red-handed.

"A mess?" She laughed as she caught sight of her reflection on the side mirror.

"No silly, I mean shorter than how you usually sported before. It makes you look more mature and beautiful. When did you decide to go for the short hair?" They were still minutes away from the museum and Tsubasa wanted to fill in the time to get to know her again.

"Yeah, well. I cut it short after starting the internship with Li Enterprises in Hong Kong. And I guess I kinda got used to it being this short." She gestured to her hair that was cut just a little below her ears.

"Were you scared? Living alone?" He asked and she let out a wistful sigh.

"I was. I didn't know a single soul there except for Miss Kinomoto. And I barely knew the language. The first six months was horrible."

"I learned about your disappearance a few days after you left. Hyuuga came to me one afternoon, asking if I'd contacted you. He said you disappeared and nobody knew where you were. He was a mess…" He trailed off when he realized what he was saying, profusely apologizing to her for bringing up a sensitive topic.

"It's okay, Tsubasa. It was a long time ago. And we're all in a better place now. So I would say, that it all worked out for the best." She said with an easy smile.

He was about to respond when his phone that was docked on his dashboard rang. It was Mikan's office. With a perplexed look from the both of them, he pushed the button and put it on speaker. It was Nobara.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mr. Andou? This is Nobara from Mikan Sakura's office at HIN-TECH. Is Mikan with you?" Tsubasa looked towards Mikan who nodded.

"Nobara? It's Mikan. What's up?" She responded. They had reached the museum and Tsubasa was parking the car.

"So sorry to disturb your da- uhm outing with Andou-san Mikan, but we have a situation."

"What kind of situation? And aren't you supposed to be home with Rei and the kids this afternoon?" Mikan asked.

"I received an email from Li Enterprises regarding the transfer of Miss Harada which I forwarded to you 30 minutes ago. Since I didn't get a response from you and your cell was off, I called Miss Imai who informed me to call Mr. Andou."

"That isn't until next weekend, right?" Mikan rummaged in her bag for her phone and turned it on, unconsciously tapping her foot, impatient for the small device to boot up.

"Apparently something went wrong with the dates and Miss Harada is already on her way to Japan as we speak. Her flight lands at the airport in the next hour."

"That can't be right! Hang on." Mikan exclaimed as she quickly scanned the details from the email that Nobara sent to her.

"Shit. It is today. Her condo isn't ready until next week and we don't have a car arranged to pick her up."

"Perhaps you can call your driver?" Nobara suggested.

"I already gave him the day off. He said he was going to the country with his kids and I gave him permission to use the company car for that." Mikan shook her head, trying to think clearly.

Tsubasa cleared his throat before interrupting the conversation.

"How about we pick her up? We're near the airport anyhow. We can get there just in time for her flight to land." Mikan gave him a dubious look.

"Are you sure Tsubasa? I mean I can have her call an Uber to pick her up and let her stay with me while waiting for her condo to be ready." She knew that if they did that, his plans for their date would go out the window.

"It's fine Mikan. We can always 'hang out'… " he gestured with air quotes with his fingers. "some other time. I can see that this has more importance. No need to worry." He assured her as he once again started the car.

"Okay. You heard the man, Nobara. Please respond to the email informing them that I will be picking up Misaki and she will be staying with me until her condo unit is ready."

"Copy that Mikan. Thank you Mr. Ando!" Nobara said as she hung up and Mikan looked at him apologetically.

"Tsubasa, you're a lifesaver. I'll make it up to you somehow." She said as he started driving towards the airport.

"I'll hold you to it, Mikan." He said with a wink.

They got to the airport ten minutes after Misaki's flight landed. Mikan and Tsubasa stood near the arrivals gate as throngs of people came out.

"Oh there she is!" Mikan said as she called out to the redhead who was in the middle of the crowd. "MISAKI! OVER HERE!" She waved her hands and finally got Misaki's attention.

"MIKAN!" The redhead dragged her suitcase on wheels away from the direction that the crowd was going to (the exit) and dropped her bags when she was face to face with Mikan to give her a big hug.

"Don't you look smoking today!" The redhead greeted the brunette who blushed profusely.

"You don't look so bad yourself!" Mikan responded as both she and Tsubasa took in Misaki's appearance. The redhead was in her casual attire, a tiger striped midriff that bared her toned stomach covered by a jean jacket paired with jogger pants and sneakers.

"I'm finally here! I can't wait to start working with you again!" Misaki said.

"And a week early too. We thought your flight was for next week. Come on let's talk about the details in the car."

Misaki stooped down to get her luggage but was interrupted by a gentle touch on her arm by Tsubasa.

"Please let me." He said as he took the duffel bag in one hand and the suitcase on wheels with the other. She thanked him and he walked on ahead of the two women.

"Is he the driver? He looks hot!" Misaki whispered to Mikan who tried to stifle her laughter.

"No silly, Ahhh I forgot to introduce you two. Shit! My manners just went out the window with all this excitement!" She said as they walked towards the car. Tsubasa had just finished putting the bags in the trunk as they reached him and Mikan called him over for proper introductions.

"Tsubasa, this is Misaki Harada, our soon to be social media rep for our project at HIN-TECH. Misaki, this is Tsubasa Andou, a good friend of mine, and one of our contractors." Both of them shook hands and Tsubasa couldn't help but chuckle as he heard Misaki tease Mikan.

"So, is he a friend-friend? Or a boyfriend?" Misaki asked and Mikan chided her.

"He's an old friend from university who was supposed to be taking me on a tour of the city before we were informed of your sudden arrival."

"Oh, so you were on a date?" Misaki asked as she settled in the backseat.

"You know, you really still haven't changed Misaki. You're still as nosy as ever." Mikan teased the redhead who apologized for interrupting their date.

"You're not the only one who got surprised you know. I received an email from the boss just two days ago about my transfer. All my good clothes was in the hamper and I had to do my laundry nonstop for 6 hours to bring them here!" She pouted.

"No wonder the bags were heavy." Tsubasa muttered in a teasing tone as he started the car.

"I heard that!" Was the reply from the backseat and they all burst into laughter.

"So, shall we?" Tsubasa asked for the second time that day.

"Let's go!"

END OF CHAPTER 8

So by the title, I bet you were thinking of a different interruption huh? Sorry to burst the bubble on that, it ain't Natsume. XD\

And I know I've said this at the beginning A/N but YOU ALL HAVE TO CHECK OUT N RISA'S STORY " BROKEN" because it is awesome!

loveisfun – No problemo! Hope you like this chapter!

newroz – We all love it when Natsume gets jelly don't we? Haha. He's not in this chapter though.

Derp1Derp2 – Thank you so much for your patience! Koko was mentioned in Chapter 3:Opportunities, as an owner of a successful chain of Ramen Karaoke Bars.

Millie - Well, not this time, it's a different kind of interruption though. And Tsubasa has met Misaki now but he still has eyes for Mikan. As for the Syaoran thing, I'll see if I can make it happen. No promises though but I'll do my best depending on how the story goes. ;)

Anilissa – You definitely said it. Things are hectic at work and I only got to update my stories now. Well, the marriage isn't anytime soon, they are just engaged for now, so we'll see ;)

bukspiks – I agree. That goes for anyone. If they don't care, they don't deserve our time ;)

lychiis – Whoa. Four Wisdom teeth? You are brave! I hope you got to eat a lot of ice cream for that! Teehee.. thank you for waiting! Mwah! Enjoy this update!

N Risa – That must have been one delicious salsa! Now I'm craving for salsa. And it's 1am here now. And also I'm broke. So no salsa for me. And yeah I appreciate your awkward (not so really) free form insanely immature reviews. I love it! And yeah that hiatus was supposed to end but with real life in the way, I can't really help it. Hope you get the really nice dorm with how hard you've been working too though!

ester meihong – Thankies! And I miss you guys all too! Enjoy this light chapter. Not too much drama this time. I'm saving it for later ;)

PH – I'm actually from DVO and now I live in Cebu where I work. :) Thank you for following and reading my works! Where in the country are u from?

STORY CYCLE UPDATE:

The Scam - Probability - Philophobia - Secrets (ON HOLD)- Fairie Tales - Starting Over Again

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Ja Ne!

xoxo Lexi1989