Down and Dirty (23 page)

“Not quite,” Ichiro said. “I don’t see two of the members of Distraction nor their manager.”

“Maybe they’re running a bit late,” Shaundra said, wondering how Hiroyuki got there without the others.

“Maybe Kioshi is being difficult,” Ichiro said. “I swear he reminds me so much of Satoshi it’s frightening.”

Shaundra thought so too, and she had only spent a small amount of time with Distraction to come to this conclusion.

The band Harper hired finally started to play.

“Let’s dance,” Ichiro said to her.

Lord, how long had it been since she’d danced with her husband? She gave him her hand and he led her to the dance floor. They were quickly joined by others.

Ichiro’s moves were as smooth as ever and she allowed her eyes to devour him as she tried to keep up with his steps.
Gawd, he is so handsome
. His face had lost that pretty-boy look since he put on some weight and taken on a more masculine appearance. Of course, she still missed his hair, but his new cut was very becoming. The rest of his body had muscles in all the right places and he had one killer ass.
Damn, how did I get so lucky
?

The music slowed and he pulled her into his arms. “Ooh, you feel so good, Shaundra. I think I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

Shaundra put her head against his chest. No, she was indeed the lucky one. It just took her a little time to figure it out. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the gentle sway of their bodies. The music filled her mind and made her relax and pretend they were the only two in the room. Unfortunately, the song ended and their peace broke when Cristal and Yi-jun appeared next to them.

“Look who just blew into town,” Cristal announced as the four of them found a spot where they could chitchat.

“It’s nice to see you again,” Shaundra said to Yi-jun after he and Ichiro shook hands. “Where is your blonde costar fiancée?”

“Ouch,” Yi-jun said, rewarding her with a killer smile afterward. “You don’t even try to be nice, do you?”

“No,” Shaundra said. “Not when it comes to my baby sister and her feelings.” She grabbed Cristal’s hand and spun her around. “That gown is to die for.”

“I found it in a boutique in Amsterdam,” Cristal said.

“You do look good, Cristal,” Yi-jun said. “And Ich, my man, where’s the hair?”

“All gone,” Ichiro said. “I’m a father now, and the hippie days are over.”

“Yeah, I heard the news. Congratulations. I can’t wait to see the twins.”

“You can have them,” Ichiro said. “They’re a lot of fun when they get the colic.”

Shaundra punched him playfully on his arm. “Don’t give away the babies yet. He can have them when they’re teenagers.”

“No, thanks,” Yi-jun said. “Babies would cramp my style.” He winked at Shaundra. “And look at you. That body has curves in all the right places.”

Shaundra chuckled. “Don’t try to kiss up. You better be on your best behavior this time around.”

“I promise,” Yi-jun said. “I couldn’t wait to see my best girl. And you’re right, that dress is to die for.”

Cristal mimicked Shaundra and punched Yi-jun playfully on the arm. “Shaundra’s right. You have a lot of making up to do.”

“I plead temporarily insanity,” Yi-jun said.

The music started up again.

“Come on and let’s dance,” Cristal told Yi-jun. “See you later,” she said to Shaundra and Ichiro.

Shaundra watched them go to the dance floor. “You think it’s going to last this time?”

“No,” Ichiro answered. “Those two don’t belong together. He is just going to push her aside again when the next pretty blonde costar comes his way.”

Ooh, I think I like his new personality
. Her baby did not beat around the bush anymore.

Shaundra spotted Harper talking to two men she didn’t know. The taller of the two was Japanese and apparently good friends with Harper by the way they laughed. The smaller one just stood next to them, wearing dark shades and looking out of place and bored.

Takumijo led Amaterasu to the dance floor and wrapped his arms around her neck. Shaundra scanned the room for Osamu. She found him over by the bar with a drink in his hand, checking out the dancers. She really didn’t know much about him except he and Takumijo had been friends since they were in elementary school. Next to him stood Amaya and Yori. Funny, she never knew the three of them were close, but she had noticed how animated Amaya often got when Osamu showed up at a function.

Three more people entered the room. “There’s the rest of Distraction now,” Shaundra told Ichiro. “And who’s that with Saburo?”

“Don’t you recognize your own sister-in-law?” Ichiro asked. “That’s Estuke.”

“Ooh,” Shaundra said, trying to get a better look. “How did they meet?”

“He came to the restaurant on a night that she worked, and the rest is history.”

“I’m so happy for her. Mr. Saburo seems like a nice guy.”

“It’s one date, Shaundra. Don’t go marrying them off yet.”

“But wouldn’t it be nice to have a brother-in-law?”

“I suppose,” Ichiro answered. “But unlike you, I’m prepared to let nature take its course. Don’t interfere.”

“Spoilsport,” Shaundra said as she wrapped her arms around Ichiro’s waist. “You won’t let me have any fun.”

He leaned in close to her. “There’s a garden right outside. Come with me. I’ll show you lots of fun.”

****

“Why have you been avoiding my calls?” Yi-jun asked Cristal as he slow danced her around the floor.

“I haven’t been avoiding them,” Cristal lied. “I’ve been busy.”

“With what? Aomori is home.”

Why did he automatically assume that was all she did for a living? “You act like those big doofuses are my only responsibility. I’m now the publicist for a new group called Distraction.”

“Distraction?” Yi-jun asked. “So you’re been avoiding me for another boy band?”

“No, I was busy promoting Ichiro’s birthday bash, and now that it’s over, I’ve been busy working on promotions for Distraction. It’s only been a week, so I haven’t really had time to breathe.” The object of her affection looked totally hot in a black suit and white shirt. She’d seen him when he entered a few minutes ago with Izanagi. Hiroyuki had let it slip Hiroshi had hair issues again that made him late.

“So how have you been? And are you still dating Tae Hayashi?”

Cristal stopped dancing. “Have you been reading teen magazines again?” She began dancing again. “No, I am not still dating Tae. We went out a couple of times, but I think he only invited me to aggravate Satoshi.”

“The two of them never got along,” Yi-jun told her. “Not even as kids. And why would going out with Tae aggravate Satoshi?”

Ooh, she was so not going to go there with him. “Because the two of them obviously have this sibling rivalry thing going and Tae was trying to make Satoshi jealous.”

“Why would Tae assume Satoshi would be jealous? I thought the two of you were just friends.”

“We are just friends. Maybe he just assumed.”

“Um hum,” Yi-jun said. “Why do I feel there is more to this story, Cristal? Have you been sexing up both the Hayashi brothers while I was away?”

“No, and don’t say it like that. You sound like Takumijo. I have not been doing the Hayashi brothers.”

“But you just said that you and Satoshi were close.”

“Not that close,” Cristal said.

Kioshi walked past them and headed for the men’s room.

Cristal tried to continue to watch him, but Yi-jun danced her in the other direction.

“Who are you watching?” Yi-jun asked.

“No one,” Cristal said. “I’m trying to concentrate on dancing.”

“You tensed in my arms like something had distracted you.”

“It’s all in your mind, Yi-jun. So what brings you back to Japan?”

“You,” Yi-jun said. “I missed you.”

“Sure you did. So what exactly happed to your fiancée?”

“She left me,” Yi-jun finally admitted. “She said we didn’t have anything in common.”

Cristal took some comfort in this information, but it didn’t change what he’d done to her. It also didn’t change the fact he had ditched her for another woman. “So she didn’t fall for that charming personality of yours? Damn, she must be a nut job. Didn’t she get impressed by your private jet?”

“No, and she and Beatrice were always arguing.”

Beatrice was Yi-jun’s female chauffer. And he had a couple of female pilot friends and stewardesses all over the world.

“She is so out of my system,” Yi-jun told her. “Now I can put all my concentration on you. Where would you like to go this time? Africa? Or perhaps some uncharted Brazilian island?”

“Sorry, sweetie,” Cristal said. “I can’t drop what I’m doing and just fly off with you into the sunset.”

The song ended and Cristal and Yi-jun walked over to the bar for a drink.

Satoshi and Akemi arrived at the bar at the same time.

“Yi-jun, is that you?” Akemi asked. She left Satoshi’s side and walked over and gave Yi-jun a hug.”

Cristal turned up her nose.
What does Satoshi see in her
? She was short, had an infuriating high-pitched voice, and it was rude of her to speak Japanese in front of an American.

“Yes, it’s me,” Yi-jun said when he finally broke free from Akemi. He ordered champagne for the four to them from the bartender.

“No alcohol for me,” Satoshi said. “I’ll have a soda.”

“What’s wrong with you?” Yi-jun asked Satoshi.

“Stomach problems,” Satoshi said. “And I gave up alcohol as a New Year’s resolution.”

“Watch my drink,” Akemi told Satoshi as she dragged Yi-jun off. Yi-jun put his glass on the bar before he spilled it.

“She’s a bossy little thing, isn’t she?” Cristal asked Satoshi.

“Don’t start. She and Yi-jun go way back.” He looked her over. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Cristal reached over to inspect his outfit. “I like the color of this vest. It brings out the color in your eyes.”

“I’m trying something new. Do you like it?”

Cristal nodded. “And you’re drinking soda?”

Kioshi walked past them but didn’t speak.

“Are you trying to be good for your fiancée?” She stopped fingering his clothes and picked up her glass of champagne.

“She’s not my fiancée,” Satoshi said. “My mother insisted that I bring her tonight.”

“You took her home to your mother?”

“No. Akemi went to visit her and the next thing I knew, my mother had told her about tonight’s party. Akemi wanted to come so badly, and I didn’t have the heart to turn her down.”

“Boy scout,” Cristal teased, turning her attention back to the dance floor. Akemi’s arms keep lowering down to Yi-jun’s butt.

“Would a fiancée do something like that?” Satoshi asked.

“No, I guess not,” Cristal said. “But you guys are known to swap girlfriends.” She didn’t feel bad at all for saying it. Their friendship was mending, but she had not forgotten what he had done to her in Amsterdam.

“Her parents never did warm up to me,” he said as they continued to watch the others dance.

“What? They did not fall for the Satoshi charm?”

Satoshi nudged her with his hip. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“A little,” Cristal said. “But it is kind of nice to see you out with a date. You’ve been living cooped up in the farmhouse since we met.”

“If another person tells me that, I’m going to scream.” Satoshi finished off his soda and placed the glass on the bar. “You have no idea what it’s like to be under the microscope twenty-four-seven. I stay home because I like being there. I’ve been on the road at least six months out of a year since I turned fifteen. And I’ve been dating women just as long. I’m just tired of having to put on a smile and pose for cameras and trying to be the bright and popular Satoshi Hayashi.” He paused. “I finally realized why Ichiro acted the way he did all these years. Sometimes, it’s good not to talk and just relax and observe.”

Cristal finished her drink. Who did he think he was fooling? He’d given everything up on the hope he could get next to Shaundra. Now it looked like Ichiro had taken that hope away from him by fixing his life and going back to his wife. Satoshi now sounded depressed and the only way to get him out of it was to either sleep with him or fix him up with a decent single woman. “I understand,” she said.

The music changed to a slow number. Akemi continued to monopolize Yi-jun’s time.

“Would you care to dance with me?” Satoshi asked.

Cristal took his hand. “Sure.” She’d dance with him, but sleeping with him was not an option at the moment.

Satoshi wrapped his arms around her neck and she wrapped her arms around his waist, and for a few minutes, they put aside their problems and were just Cristal and Satoshi…best buddies.

****

Amaterasu went to the ladies’ room, leaving Takumijo pretty much on his own for a couple of minutes. He looked around. The place was packed and the band Harper hired was playing some great songs. He and Amaterasu had danced almost every dance since they entered the door, and she looked simply beautiful in the red-and-black beaded gown he’d purchased for her for the party.

Of course she made quite the fuss when he presented it to her, even though he assured her it hadn’t cost a fortune and he liked doing things like this for her. He didn’t understand this generation of independent women. They wanted to do everything on their own and didn’t understand when a man was just being chivalrous.

And their outfits matched. He’d always wanted to go on a date with a girl and wear matching outfits. The red beading in her gown matched his vest. Takumijo sighed. When had their relationship gotten so comfy?

“Would you care to dance?”

Takumijo turned to find Osamu at his side. “Would you like a punch in the nose?”

Osamu smiled at him, revealing beautiful capped teeth. And his eyes sort of twinkled and made Takumijo happy to see that his old friend had not lost his sense of humor. “No,” Osamu said. “You know my face is my meal ticket.”

Why did actors always say that? “Have you been enjoying the party?” He’d been quite surprised to see Osamu there, since he didn’t work for KiNii or Mr. Niigata.

“It’s okay,” Osamu said. “Harper invited me and some other actors because he invited one of his movie producer friends.”