The CEO & The Avatar

Chapter 8

Korra's P.O.V.

"Good morning, Pema." I yawned when I walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Korra." She replied wiping sweat from her forehead. I feel bad for Pema. She always looks so tired of everything. Despite the fact that Tenzin works from home, he doesn't always have time to take care of the children, so Pema has to deal with four crazy kids by herself. "Here's your instant noodles..." I usually buy food in the streets, but Pema demands I ate at home too, so I choose the food that's easy to cook cause she does all by herself and doesn't let me help in housework. "I don't know how you kids eat this in the morning, but who am I to judge."

"Thank you." I replied and grabbed the chopsticks. There is nothing like instant noodles in Southern Water Tribe. When I first tasted it with Bolin at our favorite spot, I understood that I couldn't eat anything else.

***

"Pema, do you know where I can buy some new clothes?"

Asami's P.O.V.

"Zhu Li, I don't think I'll be working overnight today." I whispered when she entered the cabinet holding a cup of hot spiced tea. Zhu Li knows that it's my favorite, from Fire nation, reminds me of the time when my mom used to be around. 

"Is there anything I should know?" Zhu Li asked and sat down on a chair in front of my working table. I rarely took breaks from work and last week was something that might have attracted a close friend's attention.

"Nothing much, I guess." I replied and continued working on the laptop. Rude much? Zhu Li has done nothing else than getting things done when I wasn't around. And the fact that she cared about me and wanted to help, shouldn't have been so bothering to me. But after what happened with dad, I was so scared of opening up to someone because they might have ended up hurting me. "I'm going on... um...a date. It's a date with a friend of mine." I blushed, realizing what I just said. 

"So, it's a friendly date?" She looked at me raising a brow. 

"Yeah, a friendly date." I repeated her words, feeling a bit distracted by the thought of meeting Korra again. A friendly date? How is a date suppose to be friendly in any way? "With Korra."

"So she knew you after all." Zhu Li gasped, leaning back on the chair. "I could have never imagined that a businesswoman would wear a hoodie and trainers."

"She's not a businesswoman. Korra is my friend." Am I not allowed to have friends who aren't involved in business?

"I thought you were only interested in business deals and business buddies." Zhu Li answered and pointed at the cup. "The tea's getting colder." Am I that boring? I can't remember when was the last time a had a friendly conversation with Zhu Li or with anybody else really. I have been so busy doing all these business crap that I forgot to enjoy life. My eyes froze at the cup. Everything used to be so simple when mom was alive, Hiroshi was so much happier and maybe he wouldn't have been in the prison now if Yasuko hadn't been murdered. I was too young and naive to realize what my own father was capable of, until it was too late. Zhu Li glared at me at last and understood that I wasn't willing to open up so continued to talk business. "Mr. Varrick had called. He had contacted one of the main reporters in Republic City and she agreed to interview you for the next week. Mr. Varrick was able to silence some of the break up rumors, so don't do something inappropriate in public. And by telling this, I mean, no more fighting with Mako in front of paparazzis." Zhu Li sighed. "I'm saying this not because I'm your assistant and that's my duty, but as a friend who really cares about what you've been working so hard for. Don't ruin your future because of some guy." She added, placing her hand on mine. 

"That some guy will be my husband soon." I interrupted. I hated how quick Zhu Li was able to turn from assistant into a friend and vice versa. "How are things with Varrick?" I didn't want to think about my career or whatever. A quick blush covered Zhu Li's face as I mentioned his name.

"Nothing much. Mr. Varrick is so interested in his publicist job, that's all he's talking about." She replied and sighed. Am I like Varrick?

"Don't give up hope yet. I believe, there is a part of him deep deep down that cares about other stuff than money." I replied but wasn't so sure about the answer. Is Varrick capable of loving something else than money? Am I?

***

-A knock on the door.-

"Come in, Zhu Li."

"I'm not Zhu Li." The voice I hated so much. "I've heard about break up rumors... I don't want to be displayed in media as a douche." Displayed? "That's what feminists do today, don't they? They blame men for everything wrong in the world and they will blame me for the break up." I don't usually listen to what Mako says most of the time, but the last words caught my attention. "So, let's go on a date together, to prove them all wrong... Our love stands as strong as before." I let out a short snort but Mako decided to ignore it and continued. "Then I'll ask you to marry me, officially, and then we will share the date of our wedding and invite influential people and do all the stuff a married couple does."

"Like be loyal and respect each other's decisions, cause that's what we do right now, Mako, don't we?" I rolled my eyes. I wanted to say everything I've felt for the last three years. I wanted to blame him for ruining my life but I was the one who agreed on the proposal.

"Listen, Asami, I'm trying to correct your and your family's mistakes and you always make it so difficult." He snickered, clenching his fists in anger. 

"Oh, and how exactly do I make it difficult?" 

"Let's go on a date." Mako repeated again.

"No, I don't want to. I have job to do unlike you and I don't like being interrupted so if you don't mind, I'd like to be left alone." I took a deep breath and returned back to reading the terms of an upcoming business deal. 

"You will regret this, Asami." Mako whispered, quickly turning around. 

"No, I won't." I replied almost immediately. Mako grinned and shut the door behind him while leaving.