When Shun Met Tatiana

"M...McDonalds?" he asked, trying not to be as surprised as he was. "...why?"

"It's a restaurant, right?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "I've been there, the food is good. Why? If you want to east somewhere else, speak up--I told you I do not eat out often."

She finished her cake and sipped the last of her second martini.

"No, it is not a restaurant!" he replied, disgusted. "How can you call it that?"

She stared at him, bewildered.

"They serve food...do I have the wrong word? I thought this place is a restaurant, there is food here."

Shun frowned, but backed off.

"Never mind," he replied, slicking his hair back into his poofy ponytail. "Just...choose anywhere else."

She thought for a moment.

"I...I think I've heard of a restaurant called Burger King? It sounds kind of fancy, from the name."

Shun knew this was going to be impossible.

"On second thought, why don't we go to Red Lobster?" he offered. It was better than any of the other places, though still cheap.

"What's Red Lobster?" she asked. "Isn't that just a food?"

"I'll pick you up at your house, alright?" he offered, trying to smile still. "Would you like a ride home?"

"That depends," she said, biting her lip. "Are you actually going to let me out of the car, or will you kidnap me?"

"If I had wanted to kidnap you, which for the record I don't, I would have done it one of those many days when you were home alone," he replied, laughing. "So, I'll let you out, of course."

She pulled a cellphone out of her bag, frowning suspiciously.

"...I will call Maxim, first."

She dialed the number on her phone and waited for her brother to pick up, tapping her neatly trimmed fingernails on the table.

"Ah, hello, Maxim! I will be home soon, okay? By eight. Yes, I will see you then. Goodbye." She hung up, satisfied.

"Okay. You may give me a ride now."

He smiled as he stood up, handing a large bill to the waiter and telling him to keep the change as a tip. Shun took Tatiana's arm and led her to his very nice car.

"Borrow from a higher up," he joked, smiling at her as he opened the door for her.

She slid into the car, glancing at him warily.

"So...the Triads pay well?" she asked.

"They pay the higher ups well," he replied, as he got into the car beside her. "Me? Not so much."

"Oh," she said, biting her lip. "So you must be close with your boss...I can't imagine a man who would prey on us when we are weak could be very generous."

"You obviously haven't dealt much with the mafia, then," he replied honestly. "Most of the bosses are very nice...if you're on their good list."

"And we're on his bad list," she sighed, pulling her coat around herself more tightly. "I understand. That's just our luck, I guess."

She looked closely at him, frowning. "Do you honestly think you can get your boss to erase our debt? I don't think that's very possible, if he hates us so much."

"It's possible," he replied, smiling at her. "It just means extra work for me."

"Why would you do that for only a date?" she asked suspiciously. She toyed with her purse, resisting the urge to call Maxim and ask him to call the police.

"You don't deserve to deal with your brother's debt," he replied, shrugging. "I don't want to see the guys get out of hand...I don't want anything bad to happen to someone as pretty as you."

He cleared his through.

"We're here."

"But you think my brother does deserve his debt," she said, unmoving. "I see."

"I don't know how you racked up this much debt," he replied, honestly. "...but in my experience, it's never good to get involved with your siblings problems."

"Maxim and I are the only family we have," she said, glaring. "Do you not understand that? He made a mistake, yes, but he's a good man and it's my job to help him.

"The only problem is awful people like you, who would prey on his mistakes." She tucked her hair behind her ears, sighing. "I don't know how you can live with yourself, harassing good men all the time."

"Good men?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "The men I deal with are not good men. Good men do not become entangled in the mafia. They do not drag their sisters into their problems, they do not get their families maimed and killed in exchange for their freedom, good men don't rack up debt gambling away their wife's life savings and then beg and grovel at the feet of the mafia for a loan that he has no chance of paying back."

Shun furrowed his eyebrows, his grip on the steering wheel tightening more.

"You'll forgive me for not believing your brother to be a good man."