Zoie     “Please…?”   “I can’t.”   “Pretty please?”   “Seriously, I can’t!”   “Puh-lease?” Zoie could only stare at Akio, laughing as she shook her head. She sat up in the middle of Akio’s unmade bed, clad only in one of his T-shirts, her hair piled on top of her head in a curly mess of a bun; Akio lay with his head at the foot of the bed, in a pair of sweatpants he’d thrown on – the cuts of his pelvis disappeared into the waistband. His slanted, sparkling hazel eyes were intent on her through his ebony bangs, his lip poked out in a pout. It was his puppy dog face, the one he used whenever he wanted her to stay with him and, nine times out of ten, he usually got his wish.   “I really can’t, Akio,” she told him. “I have to work tomorrow.” After earning her Master’s degree in Sociology, Zoie had decided to go for her doctorate in Anthropology; in the meantime she was a professor of both subjects at three City College of San Francisco locations, in SOMA, Mission and Westwood Park and Sunnyside area.   “I live closer to the downtown campus than you do,” Akio pointed out. “I could just take you in the morning.”   “I don’t have an outfit or my lesson plan, and I have a test to give first thing tomorrow.”   “I could take you to go get them before class starts.”   “You have to be at work for seven, Akio,” Zoie shot at him. After finishing up his Master’s degree in International Business Akio had joined his father in his publishing company, taking over the branch that handled works in South Korea and Japan; he helped Skye with some of her endeavors overseas, especially with C r u s h, backing the controversial story when Hana to Yume had faltered, afraid of the backlash.   “Yeah, but…”   “No buts,” Zoie said, pointing a finger at him. “I just have to go home; I’ll spend the night another night.” Akio groaned loudly, kicking his feet.   “Fine,” he relented, sulking. “I’ll take you home.”   “Thank you.”   “Take a shower with me first?”   “Akio!”   “I’ll be good, I promise.” He put on his face again. “Please?” Zoie laughed, shaking her head.   “Okay, okay.” With a grin Akio pushed his long, 6’4” in body up from the bed, venturing into his bathroom; the sound of water running from a