****This one got forgotten in a pile, sorry:)) ****
The woman who walked into Sakura Sushi was tall, blonde, blue eyed, with the 'perfect' figure. It was as if she had walked right out of a fashion magazine. Anyone with half a grain of knowledge could see that her clothes were top of the line. Confidence wafted off of the woman in waves and, in many ways, she did not seem to belong in a small town sushi restaurant.
Eien blinked at her when she walked in, taking in all of it. But his manners were always on the surface. "May I help you?"
The woman looked at this dark man with the Japanese accent and spoke to him with one of her own. A German accent. "I vould like to speak please to Stephanie Yamada."
Stephanie was in the cooler counting stock and checking it off on an invoice "Oh you tricky bastards.....that was 7 not 8......but you charged us for 8..." She's speaking to no one of course and she knows it and then laughs at herself as she walks back out of the cooler to see Eien talking to some blonde goddess creature. Well He was having a good day! She casually moved to the cork board by the cooler and then heard the woman speak her name asking for her. Stephanie turned and looked at the creature with a tilt of her head "I'm...Stephanie Yamada..." She offered curiously as she walked forward.
The woman smiles politely. "Hello. Is it possible I can have a private vord vit ju, bitte?" she asks, glancing at the door. "My name ist Sara. Sara Schneider." she pauses. "I used to be Sara Reinhardt."
Stephanie starts to smile back and follows her gaze to the door and then her eyes widen and her mouth drops open "Uh...Sara....hi, sorry. Yes, let's....go for a walk?" She looks at Eien as if to say please call someone if I never return and then heads for the door, pushing it open and slowly walking along the seaside walkway.
Walking out of the door, Sara looks incredibly elegant. It seems she is one of those women who would look simply elegant in the grip of a bad case of food poisoning. She walks along the walkway, her full length leather coat flapping in the wind. For a while, it seems she isn't actually going to say a word, never mind many of them, but as they get nearer the beach she asks softly, and perhaps a bit suddenly. "Do you love Michael?"
Stephanie works not to stare at Sara but catches her from her periphery view and feels uncommonly short, under-dressed and painfully plain. She nervously adjusts her glasses about 4 times and tucks her hair behind her ears as they stop near a bench and Sara asks a ludicrous question. After a blink she says with no hesitation "More than anything. Why would you think I wouldn't?" If they sit, will she still be this much shorter than Sara?
The answer makes Sara smile and sigh a bit. "Nein. It is not zat I doubt ju." she explains. "Please do not think so badly of me. He ist mein best friend. Und I vant only the most happiness for him." she glances down a royal nose. "He loves you. I know zis is so true, zo at first I thought he vast only trying again to be .. vat Heinrich vanted of him to be." the name comes from her mouth as if it has a disagreeable taste.
Stephanie isn't sure where this is all coming from but admits "It did start that way..but then it changed. Does Michael know you're in town?"
With a small smile, Sara admits. "Ja, he told me ju vere vat I once vas ... but for ju he feels vat he never felt for me." she smiles. "Ja, ja .. of course. I drop off his check to him every month," she tells her. "But zis ist last month of it."
Stephanie smiles back "Well that part must be a relief? Look it is nice to meet you finally." She reaches out a hand to shake.
Looking at the hand, Sara does not immediately take it. "Not really. I am ... moving back to Munuch." she says. "To vork." she cants her head and nods slowly. "Harley's money vill go into the account automatically now." she bites her lip and finally takes Stephanie's hand. "Und ju." her grip is solid and sure.
Stephanie looks kindly at Sara "Mmm I guess Mike's going to have to miss you. But do you like the work in Munich?" There's something odd about her reaction.
There is a bittersweet look about Sara. "He vill miss me, but I think he vill be fine." she shrugs. "It is vork. I have missed Germany. But ven I first come here it vas very ... um ... frightening. Michael help me. Speaking German. Teaching me English .. is very hard for me. But now . my job ist done. I just want ... I do not vant to see him hurt, ja?"
Stephanie frowns a bit and then smiles "Listen Sara, I love Mike. I honestly don't plan to hurt him. Are you Ok?"
A sad smile comes across Sara's face. "For many months, I have been ... so jealous of you." she confesses. "To have what I wanted for many years." she laughs a little bit. "You know how ze vomen look at Michael. But is much more zan just zat."
Stephanie gasps as it dawns on her what Sara is really saying and she feels sudden guilt "Oh...." She looks down and then up at her "You....you love him? I'm sorry..."
The woman shakes her head, her beautiful perfect blond hair shimmering. "Nein ... vell .. ja." she sighs. "I had hoped ven ve married ... perhaps. But ... it vas not to be. Zere vas Harley und by ze time Harley die ... is like Michael die alzo. But vas long before zen I accept he cannot love a voman. He vas gay man. But he explain to me ... zat you are ZE voman for him. Is not zomethin he can explain. But ... you ... are ze voman for him." sme smiles. She can accept it.
Stephanie sighs sadly at her and sits on the bench now "Does he know, or did he know how you feel?"
With a chuckle, Sara joins Stephanie on the bench. "Michael is very male." she replies. "I do not tink he ever know. Or vould never believe. Und .. is not zomething he needs to know." she smiles. "Zere is a man in my life now. Ze one I have ze not real affair vit." she blushes a little bit. "After ze divorce he und I ve date for real."
Stephanie nods "I won't tell him. Do you love the man in your life now at least?" She feels absolute compassion. She can imagine simply wanting to curl up and die if her love for Michael had been forever unrequited. The poor woman.
The question makes Sara's face light up. "Ja. Derrik could not understand vhy Michael thought he und I vere having an affair. But after he und I become closer und ...." she smiles. "He heals me."
Stephanie finds herself taking the other woman's hand "I'm so glad.....Michael heals me....not from the same kind of thing...but from other things...a guy who left me in labour with a kid...Michael's adopting my son. Maybe the universe sent you Derrik...you know for a reason."
A nod and a smile are only part of Sara's answer. "Ja. I think zo alzo." she smiles and squeezes the hand. "I vanted to meet you. But not vit Michael around. Or .. vell .. his mother .. I htink she knew I vas not .. for .. her zon." she can't help but giggle a little bit, remembering Kaitlin.
Stephanie doesn't confirm that, even though she knows it. It wouldn't be helpful at this point to rub it in "She's an interesting lady. I think she's finding herself right now...but she's happier."
With a snort, Sara agrees. "Zat horrible man." she frowns again, but even in darkness her face is radiant. "I pretend ot like him but .. he ist .. the vorst of Germany." she sighs. "I tink ven I her he is deat zat it is gut thing. Ze whole family .. is like liberated, ja?"
Stephanie nods "Big time. There was a lot to let go and they may still need some work with it, but it's started." Steph looks curiously at Sara. How could Michael not fall in love with Sara and yet then fall for her? She was simply a magical being. If Steph was inclined towards women, hell she'd fall for her in an instant. Best maybe never to introduce Sara to Tams.....ever...or at least not until the new cop girlfriend is a well established phenomenon.
Nodding, Sara agrees. "Ja. For all of zem." she smiles. "Now he can be open und honest und ... truly Michael. Danke." she squeeses both of Stephanies hands. "FOr giving him zat."
Stephanie squeezes back "I don't know if I gave him that, I think maybe he gave himself that when he was able to mourn Heinrich...but we're pretty open with each other. You have Skype right? I know he values you Sara..."
A smile lights her face. "You do not. I know." she insists and nods. "Ja, I do." she goes into the pocket of her coat and pulls out a business card. "Please add me. I vant to send a present both for your vedding und ven Michael becomes father, bitte."
Stephanie takes the card and nods "I will. I was nervous when you walked into the restaurant but now I'm really glad we met." She laughs a little and confesses "I still feel short though."
With a laugh, Sara shakes her head. "I am too tall." she complains. "But is good for modeling." she looks a little confused. "Ah did ju think I vas ze evil ex wife bitter und angry? Oh I hope not. Even ven I loved Michael he vas my best friend first. Und you ... mein Gott ... your hair." she sighs wistfully. More proof that women will kill for what is on someone elses body sometimes.
Stephanie qualifies "Michael never gave me the impression you were evil, bitter or angry. In fact I've never heard him say anything bad about you - that's the intimidating part!" She laughs and smooths her dark hair self consciously as she looks at Sara's blonde hair. Sara was the tall blonde on every magazine cover she'd seen as a teenager growing up. They rarely showed Japanese women in the mainstream media as she was growing up except to fetish - ize them for gross men who had little Asian girl fantasies. But the tall blonde white girls were known to be every man's wet dream. It was improving now, but society still had a long way to go.
Even Sara's laugh is beautiful. "He ist a vonderful man und I am glad to have had him as a friend. Vell, still ve are friends, ja. Many say ze ex ist evil, but for me und Michael is not true. Und some vimmen." he scoffs. "You know how others look at him, ja?" she shakes her head and shrugs.
Stephanie laughs "Yeah he gets checked out a lot. I've been working on my resting bitch face." She demonstrates and it's honestly a little intimidating. She smiles after "I'm not even sure your face would do it."
Pulling back a bit at the resting bitch face, Sara then laughs. "Let zem check. He ist YOUR man." she lets out a breath. "I must go. Ze drive to ze airport vill not be fun. Please keep me in touch vit your family." she offers a hug, still sitting.
Stephanie hugs Sara back with a squeeze "I will... we will. You take care Sara."
Grinning, Sara finally stands. "I vill." she turns and heads for her car. It was good to meet this woman that Michael was going to marry, and she was able to return to Germany confident that he would be happy.
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