Strolling towards Toma’s office with my stiletto on felt like walking on a cat walk. This feeling always comes every time I walk through these corridors where people have their own cubicles and then they raise their head up just to look at me. Becky, the lobby clerk on the ground floor told me I looked good today. Thank goodness for skinny jeans and good shoes I’m feeling like a super model today.

Giving a sweet smile I waved at Ueno Juri, Toma’s secretary. She’s been so used to having me loitering around Toma’s office, with or without him in it. Since she’s busy and had this head phone and mike on her head she just nodded in return.

It gave me a shuddering thought to be in her position. Never would I try to be a secretary and be stuck like that with a head phone on my head 8 hours a day. That would be very bad for my health and my sanity.

I opened the door and entered the office.

“Hey hot shot… I have something for you.”

“Really? Are you going to pay me for sleeping at my place every night? Have you realized I can’t even bring a girl this couple of weeks at my own home??? You’re such a nuisance Mao.”

He was saying this while typing on his Mac and not even looking at me.

As I look at my best friend like this, he was practically a gorgeous guy. With his thin framed glasses and tie he was already a “smoldering hottie” as the prepubescent girls would say.

I feigned a scowl on my face.

“What??? I thought you wanted me there. I told you we can have anytime you want, but you never gave the go signal.”

I went over to Toma’s chair and sat on his lap and blocked his computer intentionally so he would stop typing but he still reached out for it and started typing again.

Handing him a red envelop made him stop what he’s doing though.

“Is this what I think it is?” He looked at me wide eyed.

“YES!!! I am finally, finally, FINALLY getting my first art gallery show!!! Don’t you dare be late on my opening night.” I warned him in advance as I pointed my finger at his chest.

I automatically wrapped my arms around him and gave him a very big hug. He embraced me back and chuckled.

“Finally I’m getting you out of my place.”

Hearing this, I felt the need to smack him but he hugged me tighter and whispered,

“I’m so proud of you Mao-chan.”

Smiling inwardly I gingerly hugged him more and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks for letting me stay at your house ne? You knew how convenient it would be for me since the gallery is nearer to your place. Offering your place was really helpful. Oh… we could finally have now as a payment for your good deed if you want.”

Untangling myself from him, I stepped up and reached for the phone and pressed the speaker button.

“Hey Juri!!! Good news… since I’m going to open up my first art gallery show you’re invited and… I’m finally going to have with Toma!!!”

There was a moment’s silence at the other end of the line, then suddenly Toma and I could hear snickers from the back ground through the speaker phone.

“Ano… Mao? You’re actually on Loud Speaker.”

I quickly withdrew my finger away from the button and gave Toma a mortified look while he kept laughing his out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Toma, my guy best friend is someone who works as a researcher and earns millions through it, while Erika, my other female best friend is a chef.

Erika’s restaurant which she named “TODA” is one of my favorite places because I get to eat anything I want and for free too. 

Ah… the advantages of having best friends with so much on their plates.

One who is a multi-millionaire which I never really understood how he earns through research… and another who cooks. I’ll never die of hunger or be homeless.

Truly I am blessed.

We were currently hanging out on the kitchen counter since it wasn’t that busy during that time of day.

“So it was on loud speaker. How could you be so careless Mao?” Erika looked at me with a pair of round eyes.

She was shaking her head and smiling amusedly while handing over a plate of mango crepe ala mode. I dug my spoon into it and nodded my head vigorously.

“Hai! It was so embarrassing. But since they all knew me anyway it wouldn’t matter right? As far as they know, I’m Toma’s non-girl-friend-but-best- friend-.”

“Mao, you are so twisted you know that? Anyway, when will this gallery show be happening? And where is my invitation???”

“Oh! I almost forgot.”

I fished out her invitation in between spoon feed, the crepe was so good I can’t get enough. As I handed out the envelope to Erika, she smiled suddenly that it took me by surprise.

“Nande? Why did you suddenly smile? Are you turning psycho on me?”

“Haha... no I’m not! That’s you’re job not mine. I was just thinking. Well, after graduating I took my path and Toma took his. While you… you kind of drifted Mao, but finally here you are. Your very first art gallery show! I’m just so glad you were able to do what you want. We all have gone our ways ne?”

“Hai. I guess we did…”

When we were back in Junior high school, Toma still looked skinny, his nose was too big for his face and he kept insisting on wearing those big old stupid glasses because as he highly believed, it was going to be his trademark in the world… a pair of dorky looking glasses. Erika on the other hand, always wore long dresses and skirts that reached her ankles while I had already started wearing make-up, mini skirts and pumps that looks like I’m-already-a-lady-kind-of-pumps.

By high school, Toma decided that he would be the president of the United Nations, Erika will be a nun and we all decided that I would probably get pregnant and at least have 10 babies by that time.

After finishing the crepe, I got the lasagna that Erika packed for me and shoved it into my bag before getting up from my seat.

“Yosh! Since I’m done eating your fantastically made crepe I have to get going. My gallery is waiting for me. By the way Erika-chan… please don’t forget that you will be catering the food during my show. And please don’t let me pay big, ok? Or else Toma would end up paying for it!”

She gave a laugh with this statement for she knew that Toma always end up paying for everything. It was like having two girl friends but with no ual advantage whatsoever.

“Hai. Don’t worry, I would definitely take care of it and you don’t have to pay. Since when did you pay anyway?”

She stuck out her tongue at me and went back to the busy kitchen of the restaurant while I headed for my gallery. This was going to be an exciting week, I can’t wait for my gallery to be set up and open for the public.

~To Be Continued~