Dessert (2 page)

Amen.

“Sake?” Rai asked.

I dragged in a breath and nodded, grateful for the distraction. My thoughts weren’t helping the pressure in my pants.

He handed me a small shot glass of clear liquid. We touched rims and I tried to look cool and unflustered. As though having bare breasts below a clinking gesture was everyday routine for me. I was cool, it didn’t bother me.

Hastily I knocked back my drink. The flavor was like wildfire, a crisp slap to my tongue. I hissed in a breath in an attempt to put out the flames and at the same time welcomed the alcohol hit that accompanied the burn.

Rai topped up our glasses and I studied the girl’s face. Her heavily kohled eyes were closed and her enormous black lashes created long shadows on her pale cheeks—

pale except for a round blob of raspberry rouge in the middle of each. Her lips gave the illusion of being in a permanent pout because the white powder on her face covered them almost entirely, making the blood-red, fingertip-sized dot of lipstick at the center of her top and bottom lips look all the more startling.

I downed my second shot of sake, the scald no less intense, the alcohol equally welcome.

The curtain drew back. A waiter bowed low.

Rai dipped his head and I followed suit, as if I did this sort of thing all of the time.

“We will have the tasting menu,” Rai said. “It is Mr. Alan’s first visit and I wish him to have the full experience.”

“Yes sir,” the waiter said in a clipped tone before re-drawing the curtain and leaving us alone once again.

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Dessert

“We will eat off our living plate,” Rai said, gesturing to the woman. “It is an ancient Japanese practice known as
nyotaimori
. I thought it would be something a little different and I very much hope it will be to your satisfaction.”

“I, er, yes, it’s an interesting concept.”

I glanced at the woman again. As her chest rose and fell with her slow breaths her breasts shifted slightly. She had a freckle beneath her left nipple, on the downward slope toward the heavier underside. My dick responded to my perusal of such a perfect set of tits, my shaft filling and pressing up against the zipper of my suit pants.

Damn.

“She has bathed in fragrance-free soap and her body will warm the sushi and sashimi to perfection,” Rai said. “As you can see she has absolutely no body hair for us to worry about.” He looked pointedly at the aperture of her thighs and I couldn’t help but follow his gaze. The satiny skin of her outer labia was a fraction darker than the rest of her, a little rosier than the just-baked-biscuit look she sported everywhere else.

I shifted on my seat, irritated by my arousal when Rai was so calm and matter of fact. I guessed years of dojo discipline could come in handy in more ways than one.

“The girls have many hours of training, learning to lie still and quiet. For they are not allowed to move or speak throughout the meal, though if they feel they are touched inappropriately they ring.” Rai pointed to the brass bell just within reach of our living plate. It had a red tasseled pull string and a fire-breathing dragon etched onto the dome.

“If the minders hear the bell, all diners in that booth are physically removed and will never be allowed back to The Geisha Plate.”

“Oh, okay.”

“You understand that there must be such rules to protect the girls who work here.”

“Yes, of course.”

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“And you must also understand that The Geisha Plate does not advertise its unique style of serving Japanese cuisine. As you are my guest, it is my duty to ask you not to discuss the evening’s unconventional serving methods with anyone.”

“Well, no, of course not. If that’s what you want.”

“Some Western and Eastern cultures see
nyotaimori
as degrading. But for many Japanese, we see sushi as an art form and it should be a delight to every sense. What better way to serve it than on a truly beautiful woman?”

“Well, I love sushi and I have to say I love women too, so I couldn’t agree more.” I held out my glass and had a sudden rush of appreciation for my supplier who had thought to treat me to such a unique experience.

Rai filled my glass and his. We drank once more.

“So,” I said, trying my best to get into business mode. “Tell me about the improvements in the satellite communication in the 230 model.”

“There are many improvements in all areas,” Rai said, his face and voice also becoming professional. “Starting with the new lightweight casing, which makes…” He chatted on about technology for several minutes. I purposely didn’t look at the sweet body lying in front of me. My dick settled, not back to complete softness, but the tightness in my balls receded and the zipper stopped imprinting itself on my shaft.

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Dessert

Chapter Two

Rai fell silent as two solemn waiters appeared carrying large silver trays.

The trays were set on folding wooden stands at the foot end of our
plate
, then the task of spreading out our meal began.

I watched, fascinated as a long, rubbery bottle-green leaf was set down on her sternum, the pointed tip just touching her navel, the stalk not quite reaching the delicate semicircular dip of her throat. On the leaf small pats of rice topped with slivers of vibrant-pink salmon and deep-rose tuna were arranged. Thin strands of knotted nori held the fish to the rice, in the center of the leaf more salmon, the thin slices carefully arranged to resemble a flower. Briefly I wondered what that fish would have thought about ending up as a piece of body art.

Several pink petals were laid on her breasts, but not over the now erect points of her nipples. Perhaps the long tropical leaf and the sushi were making her cold, even though the restaurant itself was warm. The petals shifted slightly with her breaths. One fluttered down and landed on the table just in front of me. My fingers twitched to reach for it, place it back on her smooth skin, balance it on the sweet rise of flesh sloping toward me. I clasped my hands tighter, fearful of inappropriate touching and the bell being rung.

The waiters worked in silence, their movements swift and efficient. More leaves were laid, smaller, paler, and carefully arranged on the balls of her shoulders. I shifted on my seat, an ache in my balls telling me my cock would soon be getting an extra shot of blood. It was those pretty nipples that were doing it; they were so tight and small, their dark-cocoa color exquisite. Rather than looking at the wonderful sushi and wondering what that would taste like, all I could think of was how her nipples would feel on the tip of my tongue. Flexible but also hard, they would give some resistance to 13

Lily Harlem

a flick I was sure, but then if I sucked them deep into my mouth they would be soft and pliant on my tongue.

I licked my lips, tried to concentrate on the culinary artistry of the moment.

On the new shoulder leaves, rice layered with prawns was set, the fanned tails lying perfectly horizontal and just touching one another in the center. The waiters busied themselves with yet more leaves, heart-shaped this time, setting two over her slight hipbones and one at the juncture of her thighs.

Part of me was relieved that her bare pussy lips were now covered—it might ease the pressure in my cock—but the other part of me wished I could still see her lovely nakedness.

Tofu wrapped in ribbons of seaweed were set on the hipbone leaves, and one enormous fluffy white flower rested over her pussy, making it appear that in place of pubic hair she had a cloud of petals.

Rai offered forward the bottle of sake. “Would you like more?” I dragged my gaze from the slivers of sashimi being balanced on her thighs. “Er, yes, please.” I held up my glass.

Rai filled our glasses. “
Kampai
, here is to a wonderful meal.”

“
Kampai
,” I replied, knocking back my drink and once again relishing the burn and the fuzzy feeling it created as it slipped down my gullet.

“Sir, please.” A waiter handed me a black linen napkin and a narrow white tray holding a finger bowl and soy sauce.

“Thank you.” I set the tray down and laid the napkin on my lap. I was hungry. It had been a long time since lunch in my office, and I had to say, this was a little different from the cheese sandwich and apple I’d had then as I’d trawled through emails.

The waiters disappeared, the curtain was drawn and Rai wasted no time in tucking in. “Be careful of the prawn. The chef likes to hide wasabi in the center of the rice. Fine 14

Dessert

if you like wasabi, a bit of a shock if you don’t.” He lifted one, dipped it in his soy, then popped it onto his tongue, fish side down.

I stared at the meal. Where to start?

Nipples? No! Think food, John.

I reached for smoked salmon, pinched it up between my index finger and thumb, but halfway across her breast a chunk fell. I watched in horror as the tiny pieces of rice bounced on her areola and skittered down her flesh. Some bits stayed stickily where they landed, others rolled down to the table. “Oh shit,” I said. Then frowned and glanced at her face. I hated to swear in female company. “Sorry.” But there was nothing, not even a tiny reaction of surprise to either the shower of rice or my language.

“Don’t worry,” Rai said, “sometimes body warmth means the rice is not quite held together.”

I was sure he was only being kind, and it was my clumsiness that had caused our beautiful girl to now have white chunks stuck to her perfect breast. I placed the remainder of my food on a side plate and wondered about using my napkin to remove the tiny pieces of food stuck to her. But I decided not to. I didn’t want that brass bell rung.

“So tell me a little about yourself, John, while we eat. Are you married?” I held up my left hand, waggled my ring finger. “Not anymore, my wife and I were divorced a year or so ago.”

“I am sorry to hear that.”

“Thanks, but it was for the best. She had eyes for another man and I’m not good at sharing.” I shrugged.

“I quite agree. Any children before the divorce?”

“Nope, but one day, hopefully, when I meet the right woman. You?”

“Yes, Jun and I have twin girls.”

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“That’s lovely, how old are they?”

“Three and into everything. They certainly keep us busy.” I smiled and gently picked up sashimi from the long leaves on our plate’s thigh.

The thigh nearest me. She had nice knees, perfectly smooth and unscarred, small too, she was very finely boned. I wondered if she was married or if she had any children.

My gaze was drawn to her left hand. She wore no ring.

“So what do you do in your spare time?” Rai asked, munching on tuna sushi.

“I like to hike, check out equipment for the business and I’ve also just enrolled on a youth volunteer scheme to help city kids get outdoors and learn survival skills.”

“Sounds good.”

“Yeah, should be. I hate to think of kids not being able to put up a tent, get a fire going or find food in the forest. These are skills which should be kept alive, not left to die out.”

“I could not agree more.”

And so the conversation led onto Rai’s experiences of outdoor expeditions not just in Japan and the UK but also in Nepal. He had a keen interest in climbing and spoke of fantastic adventures at the foothills of Everest, somewhere I’d also visited, but luckily without snowstorms or colleagues with fractured ankles.

The sushi and sashimi gradually diminished, my stomach felt full and I have to say, so did my dick. The lovely breasts shifting before me and the absolute physical control our Geisha plate had over her dainty little body could not be ignored.

“That was truly delicious,” I said, wiping my fingers on my napkin.

“I am glad you approve.”

I smiled and licked my lips. The fresh, fragrant flavors hummed gently in my mouth. I had enjoyed so many tangy essences and delicious tingles on my tongue.

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Dessert

The curtain drew back and with perfect swiftness waiters removed the now empty leaves from our lovely plate, exposing her slopes and curves in all their lusciousness once again.

Another glass of sake was poured and enjoyed.

“Thank you so much for accompanying me to The Geisha Plate,” Rai said. “I hope you enjoyed your meal as well as hearing all about Koni’s new products.”

“Very much,” I said, my head a little muzzy from the strong rice wine. “I will certainly be interested in contracting stock for both national and international stores.” Rai grinned, balling his rosy cheeks into two apples. That news and the wine had made him flushed too. I was pleased—it made me feel less inept at handling my drink.

“I hope you won’t mind,” Rai said, “if I leave you to enjoy dessert alone. Jun will be waiting up for me. Naturally Koni will be picking up the evening’s bill so have whatever you fancy.”

“Well, I…” Dessert? Despite the small morsels of sushi, I’d eaten a whole big pile of the stuff. I wasn’t sure I could handle anything more to eat.

“Dessert in this restaurant is highly recommended,” Rai said, standing, his expression one of firm insistence.

I glanced at our exposed—except for the white flower over her pussy—plate. She was, as she had been throughout the entire meal, completely still, completely passive.

Rai held out his hand. I shifted upward and took it.

“Enjoy,” he said with a smile. “I will call you next week, with your permission of course, to organize contracts.”

“Absolutely, looking forward to it.” I sat back on my cushion. Perhaps something sweet before I caught a cab home would be nice. I was in no rush to get back to my bed—alone. Stretching out on cool sheets and sleeping without being disturbed by another human presence had gotten old several months ago.

Rai gave a brief bow, shifted from our booth and drew the heavy curtains up tight.

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Chapter Three