------------     --------     ------     --------     ------------

                    PREVIEW OF EPISODE THREE:

     ..."Welcome to Cafe Pierrot.  Can I take your order now, or 
would you like a few more moments to decide?"  The girl flipped to 
a fresh page on her pad and clicked her pen.
     Hiroshi tried to keep conscious.  More decisions!  He tried 
to telepathically contact Tanaka.  Perhaps if he could get Tanaka 
to make a decision for him, he could get away with cool agreement.  
Hiroshi shook his head behind the menu, which he pressed closer to 
his face.  [Cool doesn't work.  Remember this afternoon?  Don't 
try a bad plan twice!].  He saw in slow motion the few seconds 
that were the turning point for his conversation with Mari.  He 
scanned the memory again, and thought he saw a tear well up in her 
eye as she hesitated.  "Why are you acting like this?"  She said 
again and again in his mind.
     "I think we're ready to order now," Tanaka announced firmly, 
yanking Hiroshi back to reality.  He lowered his menu enough to 
get a good look at his table-mates.  They all had their menus 
down, and were looking at Hiroshi expectantly.
     "Have you decided, Hiroshi?"  Marie asked genuinely.
     "Ye-yeyes!  Yes!  Yes I have!  Umm... I'll have..."  He 
glanced at the menu, picking a random item.  "A White Russian.  
Yes that sounds good.  And some teriyaki yakisoba with pork.  No, 
beef.  No, pork.  Yes, pork."  The waitress scribbled, crossed 
out, and scribbled again.  Hiroshi exhaled finally, hoping he made 
at least a decent choice.  The other three blinked for a long 
moment, then proceeded to order.
     "I'll have what he's having."  Tanaka looked over at Hiroshi, 
a rather large smile on his face.  Hiroshi straightened a little 
in his seat, feeling his confidence build, little by little.  If 
Tanaka ordered the same, it couldn't be all that bad.
     Mari seemed a little nervous when she ordered her meal, and 
Marie ordered only a chocolate milkshake.  Then came the question.
     "Would you like this on separate checks?"
     Hiroshi and Tanaka answered first.  "No!"  Mari was only 
slightly behind with her "Yes, please," and Marie remained silent 
with a ponderous look weighing on her face.
     "Okay, then.  I'll have your drinks in just a moment!"  The 
waitress strode to the kitchen.
     "Hey, pops?  The two boys at table 9 ordered White Russians.  
Can you make 'em?  You're a lot better than *some* people here."  
Yoshiko looked accusingly at a certain young man in the kitchen, 
who looked down, his face flushed with embarrassment.
     "Certainly, Yoshiko."  Kenji tried continuing the 
conversation.  "Did they seem nervous?  The boys, I mean."
     "One did.  It doesn't look like he gets out much.  The 
other's a playboy.  You can tell by looking at him."
     Kenji nodded in approval and began mixing the drinks.  "Good 
eye, Yoshiko.  I agree."  He finished the drinks and placed them 
on her tray, next to a Coke and a chocolate milkshake.  "This one 
here is mixed very weak.  The other one is mixed strong.  I leave 
it to you to decide who gets which drink."
     Yoshiko hesitated, then smiled.  "Oooh, I get it.  Smart 
move, pops."  With that, she trotted off, out of the kitchen.
     "Which one do you think she'll give to which?"  The young man 
inquired from the stove.
     "I trust she'll make the correct decision.  I think she's in 
agreement with me that a playboy is less dangerous sober."
     "But what about the other boy?"
     "I'm taking a small leap of faith with him.  If he's the 
person I believe him to be, however, he'll appreciate the extra 
courage I just provided him."
------------     --------     ------     --------     ------------

Boku No Marie: Music-Box Angel, Episode 3
Available soon...


--Matt

---------------------------------------------------------------------
"..."  --James LaBrie, "Hell's Kitchen"
---------------------------------------------------------------------