Interlude #6: Mai's Anecdote

I was really glad my Yugi-bear agreed to stay home this time.

I had four tournaments that I had registered to compete in as a duelist before our quickie wedding. I could have cancelled my registrations but Maxi and I both agreed that it was probably better if people still considered me a serious threat and a few solo duels here and there would help 'the Pegasus Pair' over all.

Especially this particular tournament – the Gyrl Power Duel. I've either won or place in the top five every year since they started the damn thing and I don't want anyone thinking that just because I got hitched, I've gone soft.

I very patiently explained to Yugi-bear that this was an all girl thing and if he tried to tag along, I'd pound him – and not in the good way. He took the hint and went back to studying for his finals.

The nice thing was that since this year's tournament was in New York, I could squeeze in a dinner with Joey, preferably without that sleaze ball he was hanging with. That guy totally set off my 'Danger Will Robinson' alarm.

As soon as I touched down – after I called hubby and told him I loved him, but that I was not going to call again until I checked out of the hotel – I called Joey.

"Mai! Where are you, chick?"

"Still in customs; too many morons in line, so I'm going to be a while."

"It's cool. We can wait."

"We?" I asked with a sinking feeling.

"Yeah, 'Tani came with."

"Wheeler!"

"What can I say? We hang kinda tight right now."

"He's a total loser, Wheeler. You know that, right?"

"Yeah." He laughed. "But he's hung like a horse."

I had to laugh. "Ok, that justifies a night, maybe two. But come on! It can't be that good!"

"Yeah – hang on." He muffled the phone for a minute and I moved up in line. "Sorry. 'Tani says hey."

"Tell him to go fuck himself."

"He'd enjoy it too much." Joey snickered.

We chatted until I got to the customs desk. I got through it as fast as possible – I'm here to duel, yes I've been here before, no I'm not staying long, no I'm not smuggling contraband in my makeup case. Then I found Joey and Asshole on the main concourse.

Yugi-bear was really good at acting like he liked people – mostly because he really did like almost everyone. So when my hubby said he didn't like you, there was something seriously wrong with you. Take it as a fact.

Yugi did not like Hirutani. Nuff said.

But we both liked Joey - even though I gave him hell most of the time. I really missed the whole group hanging out, but nothing lasts forever.

Anyway, I gave Joey a hug and a kiss from me and Yugi and took a couple pictures of him and me – not the dick-wad – and teased him about the way too short hair cut over an airport coffee.

"It was in my eyes, so I buzzed it." He grinned. "I thought it was slick, all military, you know?"

"You and Kaiba have totally swapped." I said, scrolling through my camera's memory. "Here. This is at the shop. That's him."

"It's past his shoulders!" He laughed. "What happened – his hairdresser go on strike?"

"Nobody knows! I think his girlfriends like it."

"Girlfriends?" Joey's face damn near turned white.

I had to laugh at him. "The girls he works with. They're so wet for him I'm shocked they don't swim around the store!"

"Oh." He said sheepishly.

"Gotcha." I teased. "So, you want to give me a lift to the hotel? The jet lag's catching up with me."

"Sure. Come on – you can see my new ride."

Which turned out to be a new, true blue, mustang convertible.

"Oh sweet!" I exclaimed when I saw it. "Yours? Seriously?"

"Gift from my employer." He pointed at Sleazy as he opened the door for me.

I stopped. "Is it hot?"

"What?" Dick-wad actually looked offended. "Bitch, chill!"

"'Tani!" Joey snapped.

"Hey, the skirt's been riding me since she got here." He reached in, pulled paperwork out of the glove box, and handed it to me. "There, happy?" It was the receipt, title and insurance. I handed it back without a comment and got in. I did feel better having seen it.

I told Joey which hotel and we made it there without being stopped by authorities. I promised to call him as soon as I knew what my schedule was going to look like and gave him another kiss. I frowned at the asshole, but at least said 'bye' this time.

There were too many people in line for the hotel registration, followed by too many people in line for the tournament registration, plus I had to go register for some special 'past champions' event where I supposed to speak or present or something.

Of course a ton of people asked to see the ring once I had my nametag on. And most of them asked where Yugi was – which was a stupid question at Gyrl Power. But I answered that and a bunch of others while I tried to make my way to my room. Once there I didn't even undress; I just dropped on the bed.

I hate sleeping alone. I totally get why poor Mokuba has nightmares and I had no hesitation about letting him sleep with Yugi-bear and me when we travel together. Yugi, I think, thought it was going to get freaky, but I have enough of an issue sleeping with a guy three years younger than me. I like 'em young, but at least close to legal!

No doubt, some of Yugi's friends were hot, but most of them were gay too. I thought Yugi was gay, actually, until I realized he was sprouting wood while we were dueling one time. He beat me mostly because I was trying too hard to figure out if it was me or the duel that was getting to him. After dinner, I put on something slinky and found where the Kaiba posse was hanging out. I bent over in front of him and asked him if he wanted a rematch the next day. He tried really hard to keep his eyes on mine, but every time he blinked his eyes went down then came up to meet mine. For the duel, I wore a top that showed side boob every time I pulled a card. He lost in his fastest defeat on record.

When he suggested I was cheating, I pointed out that I could accuse him of sexual harassment. He turned twelve shades of red. It was adorable. I told him he could make it up to me by taking me to dinner and the rest sort of fell into place. As much as anything else, I was thrilled that I'd never have to sleep alone again.

Except, of course, the occasional tournament alone. This whole thing was going to suck without my Yugi-bear, but I had to be independent. Just because I was Mutou Mai, I wasn't going to become a marshmallow like the rest of them. Besides, with the jet lag, I was pretty much guaranteed to sleep.

The next morning I had a 9am duel, which was way too close to the crack of dawn for my tastes. I won it pretty fast – mostly because, after spending too much free time dueling Yugi-bear and Yami, I have learned the art of the double-trap. Winning was a good thing because it gave me most of the rest of the day off to sleep.

The tournament was pretty standard, and without Yugi-bear, Yami or even Kaiba, pretty dull. I wound up placing Second after some American chick named Gardner and I had to have a sudden death face off. Those always come down to luck of the draw. We did some posturing and some posing and then I went to the Grand Champion discussion board – where Gardner was a spectator not a speaker – and told people what made me so great.

The Tournament wrapped up Monday afternoon, but my flight back wasn't until Wednesday morning. Which gave me a day to kill in New York. I called Joey as soon as the tournament people gave me my check.

"So where are you taking me to dinner tonight?" I asked him.

"How about Italian?"

"Someplace nice? I got a new dress I want to test before the spouse sees it."

"Yeah, I know a place and we'll go clubbing after."

"Cool with me." We arranged where to meet and when, and I wore my 'I'm still young and hot' dress.

Joey showed up – without Dickwad – looking pretty hot himself. I didn't like the buzz cut, but it did give him a kind of dark and dangerous look that was just a little tempting.

Not that Yugi-bear wouldn't approve, just he'd be upset that he missed out.

So we went to this place that looked right out of Scarface. People looked at us oddly as we were led to a table. Joey waved to a couple guys on staff and they settled back down.

"What, mob friends of Asshole?" I asked only half joking.

"Hey, keep your voice down, ok?" He pulled out my chair like a gentleman. "Just be cool."

The menu did not have prices. He told me to order what I wanted so I went with the surf and turf. If Joey was a little short, I had an Industrial Illusions credit card with me for emergencies.

Joey and I talked. "So how is, you know, everybody?"

"Same old, same old." I said shrugging. "We see a lot of Otogi these days. We're all on the same convention circuit now."

"Yeah? How's Honda? He and Anzu get back together?"

"Ok, you have to swear not to tell Honda this." I took a sip of wine and waited.

"Ok, I swear! What gives?"

"Me, Anzu and Isis talk a lot."

"Honda says she never calls."

"He's Kaiba's roommate; of course she can't call him. We're girlfriends. It's different. Anyway. I think Anzu's falling for someone else."

"No fucking way."

"Way! She won't tell us who, just that she works with him. At first she couldn't stand him, but she's gone out with him a lot. And he must be loaded because he took her to dinner at Aragawa twice."

"Is that place nice?"

I stared at him. "It's the most expensive restaurant in the world."

He chuckled. "So, outta Honda's price range."

"Hell, it's outta Kaiba's price range! I can't figure who this guy is, but he totally rocked her world, if you know what I'm saying."

He shook his head. "Honda's gonna be a wreck when he hears."

"Why do you think I won't let Yugi tell him?" A pair of well-dressed thugs headed toward us. One was tall and angular, the other shorter and box-y. I tipped my glass to point them out. "Friends of yours?"

Joey looked over his shoulder, wiped his mouth then stood up to meet them. "Cavallaro-san, Donnafugata-san. Uh, hey!"

He offered his hand and they both shook it. "I did not expect to see you this evening, Joseph, and certainly not with such a lovely young creature."

Joey actually blushed. "Yeah, well my girl wanted to go someplace nice and this is the nicest place I know."

"Thank you." The wide one said.

"This? This is your girlfriend?" The tall one pointed to me in shock.

"Well she's not my –" Joey stopped suddenly. "I mean, we've been apart for a while. Right, Honey?" His eyes pleaded with me to play along.

"Oh. Yeah." This was definitely a case of better to play along than get shot. "I live in Japan." I explained.

"Uh, here. Cavallaro Salvatore, Donnafugata Vince, meet Kujaku Mai."

I almost corrected him but stopped myself. Instead, I smiled and offered my hand.

Cavallaro laughed. "He still says it wrong, but he's a good kid." He took my hand and squeezed it gently. "How do you do, Miss Mai?"

"Fine. Thank you."

"Donnafugata-san owns this place." Joey said.

"Really? It's beautiful. And the food's great!"

"Thank you." He replied.

"What an extraordinary ring!" Cavallaro exclaimed holding my hand up for Donnafugata to see. "Vince, is that not exquisite?"