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                 35 Millimeters II - Behind the Lens
                          By Lady Aishiteru
                     Chapter 4 - What Lies Beneath
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	I woke up with a splitting headache.  It felt like a hundred 
angry monkeys were pounding on my head, and my skull seemed intent on 
caving in.  I rolled over and hit the snooze button on my alarm clock.
It was five thirty a.m., far too early for any sane individual to be 
awake.  I pulled the quilted down covers up over my face and closed my
eyes tight.  I hate getting up early with a passion.  It's not fair.  

	"Not even the sun rises before six o' clock, so why should I?"
I grumbled into my bed sheets.  "I don't have to get up to work for 
another hour, so why did I set my alarm clock at five thirty?" The 
mystery continued to plague me until the alarm went off again fifteen 
minutes later.  Then I remembered why I set my alarm for that god-
awful hour; I had an appointment with Kunzite.  I hoisted myself out 
of bed, much to Artemis's disdain; he had been asleep by my feet.

	Well, that's not exactly true.  I didn't bother making one.  I
figured anyone as brainless as Kunzite would have a moron for a secre-
tary.  And morons are easily seduced.  "Seduction," I thought, licking
my lips for effect.  "I can do that.  This should be a small task for 
the Goddess of Love."  I wished that only my anti-male persuasions 
were as effective, for this would be It, the day I would convince 
Kunzite to leave me alone forever.

	I pictured it in my mind.  I would march right past his dim-
witted secretary, then straight into his office.  I would put on my 
angriest face, the one I reserved for potential threats.  I would 
walk up to his desk, and I would be damned if I let him talk me out of
it.  

	The seemingly endless barrage of orange and yellow roses had 
to stop, and it had to stop NOW.  The building I lived in was 
beginning to look as if a bulldozer had pushed an entire garden's 
worth of flowers into my front door.  And to make matters worse, every
time I would try to get rid of a dozen or so, someone would ask me who 
they were from.  I'd mumble something unintelligible under my breath, 
deposit the flowers, and run like hell.  There was no way I would 
accept anything from that jerk.

	I rummaged through my closet and found an appropriately 
revealing dress.  It was a multi-colored, floor length dress made of 
chiffon and silk.  Two large pieces of fabric crisscrossed over my 
chest and trailed off into billowy, translucent ribbons in the back, 
which stopped just short of the base of my spine.  The fabric started 
off as crimson, then gradually turned into a bright yellow as it faces
my back.  A layer of crimson chiffon covers the rest, which is yellow 
satin.  It was one of my favorite dresses, and guaranteed to stun.

	I put my hair up in a French twist, and put matching golden 
combs in my hair on either side.  Levina, one of my hairstylists at 
Tokyo Inc, taught this particular kind of French twist to me.  I was 
shooting my very first ad, and I was wearing the same kind of dress I 
had just put on.  Levina had carefully combed, teased and spritzed my 
hair until it framed my face perfectly.  Rubina had applied to my face
a subtle combination of eye shadow, lip liner, mascara, blush and 
foundation that brings out my best features.  

	As the final touch of blush had been applied, Rubina stepped 
back to view me, her masterpiece.  "Something's missing," Rubina had 
mused, her hand placed pensively on her jaw.  It was one of the rare 
instances of lucid thought I have seen in her.  

	"What do you think, Levina?" I asked, grinning playfully.  
"Am I done yet?"

	Levina put down the blow dryer and stepped back a few paces, 
where Rubina was.  "No.  I'm going to have to side with Rubina on this
one." she said, smiling her lopsided smile.  For some reason, Levina's
smile had always tilted upwards on the left side of her face.  

	"Aw, man!  Two against one!  That's unfair, you guys!"

	I remember seeing Rubina stand silently there for a moment, 
then realization lit up her features like a Christmas tree.  "I know!"

	"The earrings!" Levina had squealed.  I've heard Ami say that 
twins may have some kind of telepathic abilities, where they can 
transmit their thoughts to each other.  I was seeing evidence of this 
theory now, as Levina bolted off in the direction of the jewelry.  

Levina had always been the artistic, levelheaded twin, but Rubina was 
almost her polar opposite.  Levina was a devout Christian, and very 
conservative.  Her ultra-conservative viewpoint was strange enough in 
America, but over here in Japan, where nobody takes religion very 
seriously, she is very unusual.  She had graduated Harvard in the top 
of her class, and then moved to Japan to work.  She still keeps up-to-
date on American politics, and her English is better than anyone else 
I know beside myself. 

	Rubina was a Bohemian; in other words, she lived on sex, 
drugs, pleasure, and the belief she could do whatever the hell she 
wanted.  She had dropped out of high school at sixteen, then she 
somehow got into Tokyo Inc. as an entry-level hairstylist.  I had 
heard that Levina had talked the execs into hiring Rubina, but it's 
always been regarded as veritable gossip.  I know Rubina's free-
wheeling lifestyle bothers her a lot, but I've never seen Levina 
preach at her sister, well, not in words, anyways.  I have seen it in 
subtle body language, like whenever Rubina brings up the latest rave, 
Levina would sigh and roll her eyes like she had heard it all before. 
The only thing that the two had in common, besides the gene pool they 
had originated from, was their profession.

	The next thing I can remember was Levina bolting back into the
room.  Rubina seized the earrings and put them in my ears.  The twins 
both stepped back and gasped at the same time.

	"It's-" started Rubina.

	"Perfect!" Levina had exclaimed, ending the sentence.

	"Well, let me see!" I said, giggling and clapping my hands.  
This was in the early days, when I was excited about my work.  

	The twins parted like a velvet curtain, revealing me, their 
masterpiece.  I got up and twirled around, the ribbons following my 
motions like a ballerina's dream.  

	I caught a glimpse of a beautiful woman in the mirror.  I 
stepped closer and touched my reflection with my right hand, to see if 
it was real.  The mirror woman touched the same spot with her left 
hand, and we stared at each other, wide-eyed and breathless, until 
either one of us could come to terms with the fact that we were both 
one and the same, this goddess named Minako.

	"Well, what do you think?" I recall Rubina asking when my 
thoughts had returned to Earth.  

	"Is...that...me?" I asked, placing doubtful emphasis on the 
last word.

	Levina laughed.  "Yes, it's really you, Minako."

	"You look like some kind of goddess," Rubina breathed.
	
	"Kind of like Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love," finished 
Levina.

	Even when I had left the dressing room, the image of the 
mirror woman, this modern Aphrodite, haunted my mind.  It was as if a 
piece of me had fallen away, and for a moment, I saw what lay 
underneath.

	A plaintive meow from Artemis brought me back to the present.  
"Yes, I know, it's time to feed you."  He jumped on top of my right 
shoulder, and I quickly pried him off.  "Arte-MIS!" I moaned.  "I 
can't hold you now!  I'll get cat hair all over my dress!"  He looked 
at me as if he was deeply offended, then leapt onto the floor.  I 
shook my head as I watched him make a beeline towards the kitchen.  
That cat is trouble; he's far too smart for his own good.  If I didn't
know any better, I would swear that he understood me.

	I could picture Artemis in his tomcat days, strutting around 
the neighborhood like he owned the place.  Maybe he'd come up to Luna,
Usagi and Mamoru's cat, and lick her face playfully.  Luna would swat 
him gently in return, Artemis he would circle around her, far away at 
first, but the circle would narrow in diameter slowly, ever so slowly.
His eyes would shine a feral, predatory blue, and then the mating 
dance would begin...

	I shook my head as I set the food dish down.  It's too bad 
that Artemis didn't talk, or share tips on charm and poise with his 
previous owner.  I'd be willing to bet that Kunzite would benefit from
such lessons, if he listened, of course.  Maybe he would be a regular 
Don Juan; instead of a man I wanted nothing to do with.  I sighed.  
Life is so unfair.

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	I found a parking space without incident at Chiba Inc, which 
is rare.  Usually, I have to keep circling the parking garage until 
someone decides to leave.  I noticed that Kunzite has a reserved 
parking space right next to Mamoru.  "Hn... Mamoru must like him a 
lot," I mused.  "But for the life of me, I can't figure out why.  
Maybe he sees something in Kunzite that I've missed."  I frowned a 
bit.  That almost sounded like I was wrong about Kunzite, and I'm not
...am I?  I sighed a bit as I walked into the double doors.  

	I do think very highly of Mamoru.  I like his quick wit and 
dry sense of humor.  I never would have known him if Usagi hadn't 
pointed him out to me nine years ago as "that jackass from Azabu."  
When I met him, I thought he was a stuck up idiot.  My reasoning was 
that Usagi didn't like him, and she likes almost everyone.  It took me
half a year to realize that he was being a jerk because he loved her 
and didn't know how to tell her.  Since then, he has opened up a lot, 
and I'm glad to have him in my circle of friends.

	"Maybe my feelings were like Usagi's.  Maybe my dislike of 
Kunzite was merely the result of wounded love.  Maybe I could be 
wrong, after all.  Nah.  That can't be it."  I shook the alien thought
out of my head and walked over to the receptionist in the main lobby.

	"Hi, can you tell me where Kunzite works?"

	The secretary squinted really hard, then a look of surprise 
and exhilaration crossed her face.  "Venus?  Is that you?"

	"Damn!" I thought upon hearing my modeling pseudonym.  "The 
jig is up!" 

	"Yes, that would be me.  Would you keep it quiet, please?"

	"OH MY GOD!" she shouted.  "It's Venus!  The Venus!"

	"Shit!" I thought.  "I knew I shouldn't have gone out in 
public in my work clothes!  What the hell was I thinking?"  I dug my 
heels and prepared for the inevitable.

	I blinked twice.  Nothing happened.  "Nani?  Am I missing 
something?"    

	"Would you like me to give you my autograph?" I asked 
politely.  Not being mobbed always puts me in a good mood.

	"YES!" 

	I winced as the woman's loud voice assaulted my ears.  "I 
don't have any paper on me.  Do you have anything I could sign?"

	"Sure!  Here, you can sign this," she said, handing me the 
latest issue of Sassy.  I dug in my purse until I finally pulled out 
my favorite pen.  "Okay, whom do I make this out to?"

	"Seiishi," she breathed.

	"Interesting...your name is a number?"

	"Yeah.  My dad named me Seiishi because that was how many 
sakes it took him to pass out the day I was born."(AN: Seiishi = seven)

	I nodded sympathetically, and signed my name on the cover.  
"May I ask you a favor?" I said as I returned the magazine.

	"Sure, anything you want."

	"Could you not mention where you got my autograph?"

	Seiishi looked at me as if I was from another planet.  "Why?"

	I sighed.  "It's a long story.  Anyways, where does Kunzite 
work?"

	"35th floor.  Take a left once you exit the elevator and keep 
going straight.  You can't miss it."

	I smiled my trademark megawatt charmer.  "Thanks!  Later!"

	"Bye," she said, as if she was still a little confused.  I 
shrugged my shoulders once inside the elevator and waited for my 
number to come.  I was surprised that the elevator went straight to 
the top, as it seemed odd that nobody else would be using it.  Could 
it be an omen?  I shook off that thought.  I hate superstitions.

	I walked right up to his office door, and was about to knock, 
but for some reason, I hesitated.  Was this really the right thing to 
do?  I frowned, doubting my conflicting logic and myself.  I decided 
to knock anyways.

	"Um, miss?  Do you have an appointment?"

	I turned around.  "Not this again!"  I moaned, and then turned
around to answer the source of the voice.  "Are you his secretary?"

	"Yes.  My name is Danburite.  Nice to meet you," he said, 
gripping my hand in a firm, confident handshake.

	"Aino Minako," I returned.

	"Ah, so you're the famous miss Mina, ne?"

	I raised my eyebrows.  The man standing in front of me was of 
average height, average build, and he had platinum blonde hair like 
Kunzite's, except his was cropped close to his head.  Maybe the two 
were related, or something.  "What are you talking about?" I asked.

	He smiled at me, the kind of smile that meant he knew some-
thing he wasn't about to share.  "Go right in," he said, gesturing 
towards the door.

	"Thanks," I said curtly.  I gave him credit in my mental 
account.  He didn't take the bait, and he didn't allow me to seduce 
him.  I like that.  

	I closed the door behind me and stood silently.  The office I 
was standing in was huge, and unlike Kunzite's apartment, impressively
decorated.  The floor had a thin, navy blue carpet, and the entire 
office was surrounded on three sides by shelf after shelf of books.  
Rare pieces of fine art that Ami had told me about were placed 
selectively around the room.  The side that was not shelved was 
nothing but a huge series of windows, overlooking an impressive view 
of the Tokyo skyline.  

	I don't know how long I just stood there, taking it all in.  I
was awed, and didn't know what to say.  I was wrong about something 
else; despite the seemingly random series of boxes scattered around 
his apartment, he was neat and had an impressive sense of interior 
design.  

	"Minako?"

	"Uh...hi, Kunzite," I returned.  

	"What a pleasant surprise.  Here, have a seat," he said, 
moving in front of his desk and pulling out a chair.

	"Thanks," I said, feeling unsure of myself.  I sat there, 
looking down at my fingernails, not daring to make eye contact.  My 
hands were shaking, and I bit my lip.  All of my fury and bluster had 
gone out the window.  

	"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" he asked.

	I looked up at him and honestly admitted, "I have no idea."

	He laughed a little, the kind that's with me, instead of 
against me.  "You have no idea?"

	"Nope," I said, laughing.  The whole thing was looking pretty 
ridiculous, and I couldn't help laughing at myself.   Once I had 
regained my composure, I spoke, "Well, I was going to ask you to stop 
sending me flowers," I said, frowning.  

	"Ah, so you did get them," he said.

	"Yeah."  I looked him in the eye, and for a few minutes it was
completely silent.  I looked into his eyes, and he looked into mine, 
each of us probing and testing the other.

	"So, would you like to go out for breakfast?"

	I smiled, the first genuine smile in a long time.  "Sure."

	He returned my smile.  "Great!  Can you hold on a second?"

	"Okay," I said.

	He punched a button on his telephone.  "Mamoru?"

	"Hey, Kunzite.  Can I help you with something?"

	"Yes, can I take the rest of the day off?" Kunzite asked.

	"This is very unexpected.  May I ask why?" asked Mamoru 
curiously.

	"Sure.  A very special lady is visiting," replied Kunzite, 
winking at me.

	"Ah.  No problem," Mamoru returned knowingly.  "Tell Minako I 
said hi."
	
	"I will," said Kunzite, smiling from ear to ear.  "Thanks."  
He pressed another button and walked around the desk.  "Shall we?"

	I smiled again.  "Let's."  He linked his arm with mine, and we
walked out the door.

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Lady A: Don't you just hate me now?  *Lady A laughs fiendishly*  I 
have something very special planned for the rest of the story...and 
you'll just have to wait and see.  BTW, Danburite is an intentional 
manga reference to Minako's days as Sailor V.  I won't say any more, 
because it would spoil the story.  Let's just say that it won't
be smooth sailing for Minako and Kunzite...hee!  Later!