When The Little Mockingbirds Sing Their Mockingbird Lies

Chapter 2: The "Request" (Re-written)

Today was a particularly good day for Naomi. To start, it was Friday, the end of the week. That meant tomorrow was Saturday, the day she could work from home. She was given special permission to work from home so that she could visit her mother in the hospital. She smiled to herself. Not only that but she had gotten up early so the drive to work had been blissfully free of traffic. She heard a noise at the entrance to her office, she didn't need to look up to know who it was.

"Hey there Sakura."

"You seem happy."

"I am. Days like this are hard to come by. It's enough to make up for that day last week."

"Don't you think that's a little extreme? He didn't really do anything to you."

"I suppose...but there's just something about him that ticks me off, I don't know what it is. I really just don't like him. But I suppose saying he ruined my day is a little extreme."

"Yes, just a little. You should try to put that behind you. Or at least not blame him for your bad days." Naomi nodded and smiled a little. She was just happy today started so well.

"Woods-san." Sakura stepped aside and Naomi stood, walking out of her cubicle to meet the head of their department Biwa Juzo. She bowed to him and he nodded curtly towards the two women in response. He turned back to Naomi and she tilted her head slightly in question.

"Uchiha-san wants to see you in his office; says it's urgent so get going." That's all he said, nodding again and taking his leave. The two women looked at each other and Sakura shrugged and she gently pushed the younger woman toward the elevator.

"If I don't come back tell them I fought valiantly to the end." Naomi joked. Sakura laughed and nodded before giving her one final push towards the elevator. Naomi sighed heavily and continued the rest of the way to the reflective golden colored doors. She grimaced. Some of the women in the department referred to it as the "doors to heaven" since it led to the floor with the Uchiha's office. She pushed the button and waited for the doors to open. When they did she glanced back at her friend one final time. Sakura waved and left for her cubicle. Naomi walked inside the elevator, pressing the button for the top floor. She partially hoped the elevator would break down. She decided to distract herself, entertaining herself with the fact that even someone like "the great Uchiha" was superstitious enough to exclude a fourth floor of his building, much like how the buildings of her home country excluded a thirteenth floor.

Although this didn't entertain her for long; and the elevator ride was far too short for her liking. Then again, any amount of time in an elevator on the way up to the Uchiha's office was too short.

Unlike on most other floors there was only one actual office, the Uchiha's, and only six cubicles. Each cubicle housed an employee. They didn't look at her, for which she was eternally grateful. She walked toward the office, already feeling sick to her stomach. There was an empty desk in front of the large doors. She really hoped this was some mistake. But it was a slim hope, Uchiha Itachi didn't make mistakes. She knocked on the door loud enough to announce her presence but soft enough to not disturb those working in the cubicles.

"Enter." His voice was cold and stern, calm and commanding. She opened the door and entered the large, carpeted office. The back wall was almost entirely floor to ceiling windows while the other three walls were lined with tall bookshelves. A large mahogany desk was situated in the center of the room towards the back. In front of the desk were two chairs. Sitting behind the desk in a large black office chair was the man who had called her. The chair was slightly taller than him and cast a shadow over his body. He was writing something. He made no further comment on her presence in the room, didn't even look up from his work. She stood by the door, feeling increasingly awkward.

"You uh...called me?" She asked. He made no reaction to her inquiry. He just continued to write. She cleared her throat and looked around. She felt so tense. She could hear the sound of his pen on the paper. It was unnervingly methodic. She hated it. It was making her more and more anxious. She stood there for another thirty seconds before turning to leave.

"Sit."

"I'm sorry?"

"Sit." He pointed to the chairs. It took her a moment to catch up with the present. His demand had been so sudden. She glared at him and walked forward, clenching her fist.

"I am not a dog, sir." She replied through clenched teeth as she sat down. She watched a smirk cross his face, he didn't even lift his gaze from the paper. It irked her.

"Yes, I am aware, now that you are seated though, I need to speak to you." His tone was smug, almost mocking, indirectly pointing out that she sat down anyway. She glared at him harder but his face remained unchanged. He set his pen down and looked her in the eyes.

"I need you to pretend to be my lover for the next three months."

"E...excuse me? Could you repeat yourself? It...sounded like you just asked me to pretend to be your lover."

"You heard me correctly." He replied. There was silence. A silence that permeated the room and pressed down like a heavy weight on her normally sturdy shoulders. A silence that lasted for nearly a minute as she stared at him, dumbfounded and trying to sort out the current reality presented to her.