No Ordinary Love (27 page)

Here I’ve been writing about him while he’s been writing about me.

Another knock sounded.

“Who is it?” I felt stupid saying that behind a guest room door, but some things just couldn't be helped.

A young voice came through. “Mr. Sato asked me to deliver this package to you.”

I opened the door. The boy from before stood This time purple hair outlined his face.

This kid really digs color.

“Purple looks good on you.” I stepped out into the hallway.

“Umm … thank you.”

“What color are you going to dye it next week?”

His cheeks shaded to a rosy red. “I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about pink, but … ”

“The Dragon would hate that,” I finished for him.

He plastered a silly grin on his face and shifted his view to the floor. “Yes, he would not like it if I made all of my hair pink.”

“The ladies may think it’s cute.”

He eyed me quickly and then looked the other way. “You think so?”

“The right lady for you will. I can tell already that you need a female with some spunk.” I snapped my fingers. “The girl for you will see your pink hair and go crazy.” I shrugged. “However, no girl is worth getting in trouble with Kenji over.”

He nodded and handed me the big garment bag in his hands.

“Do you know what’s inside?”

“No. I wasn’t supposed to open it.” He did a sort of half-bow and backed up in the hallway as if he was worried about staying for too long.

“Do you do things like this for him a lot?” I asked.

“What things?” Again, he refused to look my way and focused on everything else around me.

“Do you bring packages for Kenji’s women all the time?”

He directed his attention from left to right as if we weren’t the only ones in the condo. “Mr. Sato doesn’t have women. You’re the first woman that I’ve done these things for.” He edged back again. “You’re the first that’s been inside of his condo.”

“No way.” I scrunched my face up in confusion.

He tucked his purple hair behind his ears. “Yes way.”

I laughed. “Well, thank you … for everything.”

He bowed and hurried off down the hallway and out the condo's front door.

“Alrighty. I guess we’re done talking.” I carried the bag over to the bed, unzipped it, and gasped.

“I want you draped in diamonds.”

I slipped my hands around the rough edges of the hundreds of diamonds that formed into a long evening gown. “You just always get your way. Don't you?”

Something tapped in my head, the mischievous part of me that always hated following the rules. It screamed,
Don't wear it! Kenji is not your boss, and if you put this bright, beautiful thing on, it will get too damn much attention.

Too bad that tapping at my skull couldn't stop me from tearing away all my clothes and sliding my legs into the massive opening. The diamonds had been sewn onto ivory silk.

Now these can't be real diamonds. But still, this gown is expensive. The sewing alone would require a hell of a lot of skill.

It took no time to raise the smooth fabric over my body, zip up the side, and twirl around in front of the mirror like a deranged princess. I even snapped a few selfies and sent them over to Zo.

To which he replied:

Zo: What have you done to get that gown??

Me: Nothing. He bought it for me so that we can go out tonight.

Zo: If I told you how much that shiny monstrosity of fashion awesomeness cost, you would piss yourself.

Me: Then don't tell me.

Sighing, I took off the gown. I couldn't let Kenji cloud my head with luxury.

Stay in the moment and just try not to get carried away.

My phone beeped

Zo: Where are you? I'm coming over to do hair and make up!!

Oh God. Now I have to stop myself
and
Zo from getting carried away!

Hours later, once Zo helped me get into the limo that had been waiting for me in front at Kenji's precise instructions, silence filled my space. Kenji hadn't been in the limo to greet me. He didn't call or text to say where I was being taken or what he was even doing. Unease sat in my stomach.

The sky darkened above me in streams of shaded gold light that faded as the black seeped in. Stars glittered. Lights illuminated buildings. People scurried about, crowding the sidewalks and crossways. Cars packed the roads. Smoke and the aroma of food saturated the air.

And I thought New York was crowded. Tokyo might be the busiest city in the world.

The limo moved me along past shiny buildings and small storefronts, subway stations and street food vendors handing out signature meals. The city breathed in and out as if it was alive, and for that moment as I sat within luxury, I felt in sync with a place for the first time.

I pressed the button, and the window slid down with a hum. Cool air brushed against my skin. Zo had gone with subtle shades of silver for my eyes and ended with a smoky finish. A chilled brandy color coated my lips. Zo had flat-ironed my hair and then swept it all into an updo that sat elegantly on top of my head. The dress had no straps and with all the diamonds covering the silk, there was no need for a necklace. I only wore small diamond studs in my ears.

I feel like a damn queen. Kenji is good. But is this gown given with positive intentions or another way to trap me? Is he trying to get me hooked on the money so that I forget about the beast dangling the good life in front of my face?

Kenji didn't seem completely like that sort of man—controlling, sure. A barbaric beast with a tight leash, I wasn't so certain. His red journal came to my mind. I picked it up from its place on the seat next to me and opened it. I'd decided that if he was going to take my computer, I would be very mature and take his crap, too. Tonight, my bargaining chip would be his journal.

See how he feels when someone just walks off with his passion.

I reread the first haiku again. He must’ve written it after we met. The rest of his poetry talked about a tiger and dragon. Surely, he was discussing us.

With one gaze,

a trap is formed from withered rope—

the beast is caught.

“But who's the beast?” With my finger, I formed an invisible circle around the word
caught
. “Is he saying I caught him or he trapped me? And the withered rope? Is it symbolic or not? Is this a rope that he would want to be choked with or is it something else? Maybe the withered rope is … oh fuck it.”

I flipped the page over.

Like faces,

no lover's path is the same—

the dragon greets a roar.

“Okay. It's clear that he would be the dragon, but why is he greeting a roar? Maybe it's the roar of a tiger. Okay, so I'm roaring at him, and he's basically like, whatever, because … fuck.” I looked back at the first lines. “Because, no lover's path is the same. Alrighty. He's determined not to give up even if I act like a loony person and roar at him. I don't really know what to say about that.”

I went to the next haiku.

Silent toes skitter across grass.

The tiger sleeps,

while a hunter grips his staff.

I snorted. “Well, I won't go any further with this one. The tiger sleeps. Sure, buddy. I never sleep. My eyes are open and I’m awake, and as far as you gripping your staff, well … ”

Warmth flowed through my body.

“Well, that’s not any of my business.” I giggled and checked out the next one. It was my favorite one. I’d spent most of the afternoon thinking about it.

In cold rain, a lost tiger

peers into a cave.

The dragon awakens.

I closed the book and returned my view to Tokyo. The tiger was me. That was a given.

In cold rain, a lost tiger

The cold rain made sense. It could be symbolic for a cold world, one riddled with freezing rain and graying skies. Definitely wasn’t a pleasant place to be.

And that’s how you chose to start that haiku, with a depressing world.

The lost tiger part irritated my ego for many reasons. I’d prided myself on being the one person I knew in my early twenties that had become financially independent and had a clear future for my career.

“I'm not lost. Why would you think that?”

Was I lost? I would ask Zo, but he would say yes. Mom would say yes, too. Dad would design a shirt with the word “lost” stamped on my face. And now Kenji looks at me and sees the same thing.

I moved on to the next line. It was my favorite part. It set a whole image in my head.

peers into a cave.

I bit my bottom lip and imagined a tiger stalking along a battered land in another universe where dragons soared over the planet. I considered what would happen to this lost, wet tiger, far from home and unsure of how to get back. There, this cave lay in front of this wild beast. Lightening crackled overhead. Rain poured down, saturating the tiger's fur and causing her to go into cold shivers. No one would fault the tiger for creeping into this mysterious cave. Even a furry animal requires shelter.

Even if she’s lost.

But there, deep within the darkness of the cave, a massive dragon slept. And the tiger didn't sense him.

Should we worry for the tiger?

And when that poor, wet tiger got all the way inside, the dragon woke up.

In cold rain, a lost tiger

peers into a cave.

The dragon awakens.

“And then what happens?” I pressed the button to make the window slide back up. “Do they fight over the safety of the cave? Do they become friends because maybe this dragon is not all monster and that tiger isn't all beast? Or … what?”

I don't know how to get through to Kenji and stop this madness. Either way, at least he’s a deep thinker. His poetry shows me that. This isn’t the usual madman. He’s something else. The only thing I could do is
…
just be real with him
…
just be me.

The limo stopped. I checked to see where we were. A big building stood before me, done in Japanese architecture—thatched roof with an upward curve. This one looked grand, yet ancient. It was all white, except the blue tiles and gold bordering. It must have been three or four floors. On the bottom level, glass casings were near the front doors and displayed posters of plays.

I raised my eyebrows. “We're doing theater tonight?”

Chapter 29

KENJI

Tora strolled through the lobby, her face darting from side to side as she breathed it all in—cream marble floors that glowed more than shined, gold lanterns dangling above, elaborate ivory carvings on all the walls. I'd had enough of my district's slumming with her. If I was going to convince her to stay it would not only mean that I had to romance her, but my city would be forced to court her, too.

What if getting her to fall in love with me or Tokyo isn't enough? She keeps saying two weeks, and I continue to say it’s fine, but neither of us are stupid enough to think that an end would go over smoothly with me. I won't think about that now.

She spotted me and walked my way, the trail of that diamond gown sliding behind her. My breath escaped my parted lips. I rubbed my mouth with my hand and wondered how many minutes it would take me to slip that captivating fabric off her body. Her cleavage sat perfectly above the gown's top, jiggling every few steps. Electricity coiled in my chest. Hunger rumbled in my veins.

I won't let her leave.

“This theater is beautiful.” She stopped right in front of me.

I should've said something, like “hello,” or “yes, you look lovely,” or even, “everything about this moment has surpassed any other for me.” Instead, I dropped away all manners, captured her in my arms, and devoured that lovely painted mouth. Not pushing me away, she gasped as I sucked on her tongue.

I do have some power with her, and it's through her body.

She couldn't resist me. It was clear in the upward tilt of her face, those dilated eyes that fogged with lust, and even the way she pressed her whole body against mine, as if she yearned to be consumed. She lifted up her arms and rested them on my shoulders as I sucked on her more, everything—those lips, that tongue, the taste of her mouth on mine.

“Tora.”

Her body tensed against me as if she'd been asleep and had suddenly been woken up.

“Shit,” she sighed, climbed out of my grasp, and backed up. “I didn't mean to—”

“Kiss me?”

“Yes.” She held her hand in front of her like that would be enough to stop me.

“We kiss. That hasn't changed.”

“I'm not sure if it’s the right thing to do.”

“Why not?”

“Besides the obvious.” She tossed me a wicked smile. “You're a bit out of the ordinary. Then we can bring up the kidnapping.”

“I thought we agreed to call that something else.”

“Look. This is weird.” She shrugged and walked around me. Those diamonds sparkled in the light. Her whole image lit up. “I don't truly get why you want me in the apartment or how all of this is going to play out.” She kept a few feet of space between us as she circled me. “In fact, if I was a more normal woman, I would probably be freaking out right now and calling the cops.”

“But you're smart enough to know that the cops won't help you.”

She flipped her middle finger at me. “This is true.”

Oh, the things I could do to that little finger of yours.

“This time is different. You’re not the typical captor I deal with. You’re a bit more.”

“You've been kidnapped before?” I asked.

“Maybe.”

Rage filled me. “Who and when?”

She frowned. “It doesn't matter … Dragon.”

The very thought of someone closing in on her like I was didn't sit well with me. Looking at our situation from the outside didn't make me happy, either. The man I was being wasn't the one I could stomach for another woman. I relaxed my shoulders once I realized I'd had them hunched up as if readying my body to brawl.