Skye

“I can’t find any good paper lanterns.”

“Paper lanterns?”

“Yeah; I need paper lanterns.” Skye cradled her phone between her shoulder and her ear as she went about putting up groceries, her bags spread around her tiny kitchen floor. On the phone was Zoie, who was at her own place, bustling around as well.

“Why do you need those?”

“Come on, Skye, this is me we’re talking about,” Zoie told her. “Any house of mine isn’t complete without paper lanterns.” Skye laughed a little, shaking her head.

“Alright, I see.”

“It feels like I’ve been all over this city and I have yet to find a decent lantern,” Zoie continued woefully. “The Haight doesn’t have any, and Japantown doesn’t have any…a couple furniture stores have some, but do you know how much those things cost?”

“I’m sure Akio wouldn’t have a problem buying them.”

“Well yeah, but I don’t want to have to depend on him and his income for everything.”

“True, true.” Skye paused to put up a carton of juice before turning back to her bags. “Maybe you should try Chinatown,” she offered, struggling to move items around on the shelves above her refrigerator, her 5’2” height proving to be a hindrance; an arm reached over her and easily put away the cereal she was trying to put up – Skye smiled up at Kaito, who was still dressed for work in a white button down, black tie and black pants, his suit jacket in the living room. He gave her a smile in return before leaving the kitchen, returning to his laptop at the dining table.

“Oh, Chinatown,” Zoie repeated wistfully. “I’m such an idiot; that’s the one place I haven’t gone.”

“It happens to the best of us.”

“I should go this weekend,” Zoie mused. “Hey, are you working this Saturday, Skye?”

“Um…for a couple of hours in the morning, yeah.”

“Come to Chinatown with me, please?”

“Sure, why not.”

“Yay!” Skye smirked, shaking her head.

“So all you’re missing in that house is paper lanterns?”

“Pretty much,” Zoie responded. “I mean, we still need furniture for the roof deck, and Akio wants a grill, and I want some more plates and stuff for the kitchen, but those aren’t necessities.”

“So we can finally see this house of yours?”

“When we get the deck furniture, yes.” Skye groaned dramatically.

“We’ll never see this house!”

“No you will, I promise!” Zoe insisted earnestly. “It’s almost done, I swear!”

“Yeah, yeah; if you say so.”

“What do you have up for tonight?”

“Nothing much,” Skye answered with a shrug. “Kaito’s got an account he has to finish up and he’s hogging my dining table, so I’m just gonna make some dinner and work on C r u s h for the night.”

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