TMIS 13 Red String PART 2 of 3

Mei fidgeted on her seat as she looked over her open book at the young man serving coffee a couple tables over. She had meant to ask him for a hot beverage, but he hadn't noticed her, so she went back to reading her book on History of Economics.

"Would you like anything?" the voice startled her from the text as she almost jumped. He had approached her without making as much as a sound. Her heart pounded on her chest at the shock, her breath quickened for just an instant.

"What non-caffeinated drink would you suggest?" she tried to keep her cool, seem curious, leaning forwards just enough to seem curious in something more than just the drink, but not enough to make it seem wantonly.

"The hot coco is a specialty around here." he commented with a brief perfect white smile, holding the notepad on one hand and the pen on the other as he stared straight at her hazel eyes with dark brown ones. "The cold weather has made it one of the most popular orders."

"Then I'll take one." she sheepishly looked away for a second. "And a biscuit if you still have those."

"One hot coco and a biscuit coming right up." he nodded and left with only a smile.

The Chinese girl wondered for a second if he had noticed what she had been wearing. Was her skirt too long? Her pantyhose too dark? Her blouse not revealing enough? She didn't want to seem whorish, but perhaps she was cutting too short and she hadn't done as much as catch his eye?

Mei sighed while leaning on the table. "What am I doing wrong?"

"I don't think you're doing anything wrong." the voice made her jump again. Her eyes barely had time to catch the sight of the white sleeved arm as the plate with three biscuits was placed on her table. "But then again, I don't know what it is you're doing. Class related by any chance?"

"No, yes, maybe, I don't know!" Mei had jumped to her feet as she mumbled the words. Once more, the young man had reached her table on the corner of the room without her even noticing.

He looked at her for a second and burst out in laughter. The young woman felt herself growing hot on the face as she blushed heavily. "First time I hear that answer." he grabbed the edge of one of the chairs and sitting down in front of her. "You're not good at thinking when startled, are you?"

She felt like telling him she had more than once broken bones when startled, but instead shook her head and looked down at her food feeling herself blush even a bit more. "No..." she mumbled.

"Mike Lawson." he stretched out a hand. "Haven't seen you around before. You new around town?"

"No, not really." she felt herself surprised at the forward introduction. So Mike had been his name... she had seen him serving coffee from outside a couple weeks ago, but hadn't managed to work up enough courage to come here until now. "My name's Mei Wu. I'm studying business."

"Really?" he looked surprised at this. "I'm going for a degree in architecture." the young waiter saw her meek and nervous demeanor. "Oh, sorry for being so forward, but those that take our hot coco always become regulars. I might as well get familiar now."

"Does that really happen?" Mei felt herself loosen a bit, her breathing techniques were helping her become more calm as well. "I don't see that many people." actually, there were no people except the two of them at the time, something else she hadn't quite noticed until now.

"Oh, that's because we're only half an hour away from closing." Mike pointed out as a whistling sound came from somewhere behind the counter. "Mind waiting a minute?"

"Sure..." Mei muttered, though she wasn't sure he heard her.

Mike was gone for less than a full minute. But for the young woman it felt like a short eternity. Her mind would run through every single pose he had taken, every word, every gesture. Trying to deduce if he had an actual interest in her or if it had only been friendliness.

When he came back, he was carrying a relatively large white mug with the cafe's insignia on a side. It was steaming hot, even if the cup was just a tad warm to the touch. "Careful, most get slightly burned with their first cup."

His warning did little for the girl, as even when blowing a bit before taking a drink had not proven enough to stop her from hastily placing the cup on the table and jumping up and down on her seat while muttering "Hothothothothothot!"

"Here, take a drink." Mike held back the chuckle as he handed her a glass of water he had brought with him.

"Thanks." she whispered as she took the spoon and began slowly moving the contents of the cup while avoiding eye-contact.

"How long have you been here, Mei?" he tried to break the awkward silence that had settled in. "You are from the States, right? You don't have that much of an accent."

"Yes, though I was born on Hong-Kong, I pretty much grew up in the States." she answered. "Though I haven't been here-here for too long, only a little over a year."

"A year and you haven't heard of this place?" Mike put up mock shocked expression. "Where do you live? At the opposite end of town?"

"Might as well." something inside Mei's head told her she actually lived quite close, but then the image of the apartment she was in came into mind and the sensation was forgotten. "Because of my timetable, I pass in front of here only twice a week. And it's usually at times you're closed."

"Oh, I see." Mike nodded, then touched the warm cup for a second. "I think you've stirred it enough, don't want it too cold, right?"

Mei nodded as words failed to come to her mind, and took the beverage and very carefully drank from it. The hot liquid hit her stomach and spread all over her body like lava. Any sensation of cold was thoroughly swept away as the sweetness of the cocoa was just right. Not too much yet not too little.

"The coco comes in different variations." Mike explained, smiling a bit at the satisfied look on her face as she took another large yet slow gulp. "I guessed you're more of the type that doesn't like it too sweet nor too bitter. Did I guess right?"

"Yes..." she had initially wanted to moan out the words, this was almost like an orgasm in her tongue, but she managed to hold back just enough to realize who she was talking to. She blushed. "What sort of chocolate does it have? I never tasted this kind."

"It's a trademark secret, sorry." Mike's smile only disappeared a bit. A beep came from his watch, he frowned. "Tell you what, I've gotta close shop now. I'll tell you what's the secret chocolate if you agree to come back tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me." she would have probably ran all the way to the other end of town and back if he had asked her. But she held that thought back from escaping her lips. "Does three afternoon sound good to you?"

"Perfect." Mike stood up, so did his only client.

"How much do I owe you?" Mei realized she had finished the coco and was about to leave without paying, though her hands fumbled through her purse in search of her wallet.

"Don't worry about it, I'll charge you the extra tomorrow." he quickly replied.

"Ok, see you then." Mei tried to stretch the conversation even if just for a second.

"See ya." Mike replied softly, his smile still not quite gone as he took the cup from her hands.

Their fingers touched and they both froze as their eyes locked into place, the cup shattering onto the floor with neither of them really noticing. Mei felt the faintest hints of a blush appear on her face, unable to break away from his gaze, as if being sucked into his stare. God, Mei prayed inside over and over, she wanted him to kiss her, to hug her close and claim every inch of her flesh. Why was he waiting so long? She'd jump him there and then if not because her knees felt so weak.

Then, for a fraction of a second, a pained look crossed Mike's face, and he pulled away before breaking eye-contact and turning around. "You should leave, it's late and the last buses won't be running for much longer."

"Y...yeah..." Mei hesitated, what had happened? She felt there was something hurting him inside. Had it been her? Did she do something wrong?

Struggling inwardly as she walked out the door, she fought every cell in her body as they screamed for her to rush back inside and reassure him or do whatever she had to do to stop his grievance.

"Um... Mei?" his voice carried through the cold air with enough strength for the young woman to turn around immediately.

"Yes?" her chest fluttered, the cold disappeared, hope rose within her as every possible scenario ran through her head.

"Sorry about that, don't take it the wrong way." he was avoiding her eyes. "It's been... weird lately." he looked up at her for a moment and put up a weak smile. "See you tomorrow then."

"Sure." she nodded with a smile herself, though inside was wondering with burning passion what had been all that about.

As Mike disappeared into the coffee shop, Mei looked at her watch. It was half past eleven. She had to hurry back home.

Oddly enough, she found herself walking up a street she didn't remember and taking out a set of keys from her purse. To then open a door and immediately rush upstairs into a room she knew yet wasn't sure of how was there. Once inside, she bent down and removed the shoes and pantyhose to immediately after do the same to the red string from her right ankle.

The world became a haze and she blacked out. Leo hurriedly took off the remainder of the clothes before his body fully grew back to its original size. And once his wanker came out and the change finished, he sighed in relief and put on his own usual clothes.

This was taking him much longer than what he had expected. Just a full week to manage start talking to him, and even then the closest he had been to even suggesting to take *Mei* to his place had been that awkward moment of tension when they had touched.

Leo hid the clothes in one of his drawers and booted his PC, where a file named *Mike's doom* was opened, it contained the information about that other side of him, all the details he had been extra sure to remember when putting on the string so as to make the character more *full*. It had taken him almost a week of trial and error, but he was satisfied with the detail.

Mei Wu, age nineteen. Born in Hong-Kong and daughter of an American model and a Chinese business man. She was raised by her mother in the States since her father would be always traveling around.

She knew Chinese (duh) and other dialects, as well as English, French and German. Her mother had managed to put her on the path of strict and full education since early on. She had been a prodigy since young, and had taken many advanced classes for someone her age. So it wasn't so strange that she not only knew how to play the violin, but was also an expert in literature and cooking.

Leo had also added black-belt in the first half-dozen martial arts that came from the top of his head. After all, what was a Chinese that didn't know Kung-fu?

Right now she was doing a major in economics and business. Though her true objective was to do computer science, she had been fascinated by video-games since little, even though she hadn't been able to play that much due to be constantly studying.

She had strong desire to create, and had secretly spent her free time writing down ideas for games and stories (one of which was discovered by a teacher accidentally and awarded first place in the school she went to after being submitted to a contest). Leo nodded to this, the info he had on Mike from Gabriel told him he had won several awards of his own on this particular field, so *Mei Wu* and he would be very compatible.

Once he finished reading it, he added a couple more notes about quirks he'd need to get Mike into a vulnerable position and also the fact that they had met today for the first time.

With a quick glance over the images he had taken of *her* to make sure he'd remember the details for later, he turned it off.

His plan, even if slowly, was coming into motion. The fact that Mike had shown such an expression only meant he was that much closer.