In Deep Kimchi (8 page)

They started walking again once the commercial ended, stopping at a corner. Traffic came to a complete stop from every direction to allow for the massive crowd of walkers to cross the streets safely.
This would never happen back home
, she mused as she walked alongside Dorothy. Drivers weren’t that courteous. She looked back.
Aomori
had stopped and were looking through a big glass window. They spoke to each other rapidly in Japanese.

“Arcade,” Masaaki explained. “They’re still just boys at heart.”

Aomori rejoined them shortly. Yori ended up at her left with Satoshi at her right while the others sort of blended into the crowd. They passed another building. Shaundra stopped to look at it. There weren’t any windows to the place, just a door. “What’s this place?”

Several of the Asians laughed.

“What’s so funny?” she asked as she walked around to inspect it.

Yori took her hand and led her away. “This is love hotel.”

“Love hotel? Who would rent a room in a place with no windows?”

“Lovers,” Yori explained.

Shaundra did not understand at first. “Oh!”

The Asians continued to laugh at her naivety.

“In the middle of a shopping district?”

“It’s very discrete,” Satoshi said, looking down at her and Yori’s interlocked hands.

Shaundra pulled her hand away. “You mean it’s for secret liaisons?”

“We have a lot of lonely single men in Japan.”

There was no way Satoshi or any of Aomori had to visit a place like that. She couldn’t imagine them lacking companionship.

“It’s a very lucrative business,” Masaaki explained. “It is operated solely for the purpose of allowing couples privacy to have sexual intercourse. It’s windowless so no one can see in. There is minimal interaction with the staff, and the bills are paid through the use of pneumatic tubes or given to a pair of hands behind a pane of frosted glass.”

She looked back, half expecting to see scantily clad prostitutes lurking about. They walked past another strip of shops with tiny cafes that served snacks and coffee, clothing shops and more video arcades before Masaaki turned the corner and stopped in front of a restaurant. There was also a long line of people waiting to go inside.

“Maybe we should have made reservations,” Dorothy replied.

“Already taken care of,” Masaaki answered. “Mr. Niigata has planned ahead.” He walked away from them and to the front of the line to speak with the young woman at the door. He signaled for them to follow him in.

 
Shaundra expected some groans from the waiting crowd, but they didn’t offer a peep.

Delicious aromas assaulted her nostrils as soon as she stepped into the waiting area. Masaaki spoke with the kimono dressed hostess who led them into the restaurant to a large room in the back. Shaundra was thankful to see chairs because she doubted that she could sit down on cushions in the mini dress without flashing everyone.

Each little area had a small hibachi grill place in front of them. Surprisingly enough, the waitress positioned them in an odd seating arrangement with Yori at her right and Ichiro at her left. The impact of their colognes sent conflicting emotions through her body.
Damn, what are they wearing
? Usually, cologne and body sprays made her cough. Thankfully, not this time, she mused as she crossed her legs at her ankles to ignore her raging hormones and dampening panties.
This is so embarrassing
.

“Is something wrong, Ms. Morrison?” Chirau Narita asked from across the table. “You look a bit flushed.” Chirau was seated across the table from her between Satoshi and Riley and her cheeks were very rosy too.

Shaundra looked down shyly. “No, it’s probably from the heat of the grill.”

Chirau giggled. “Yes, I know exactly what you mean.”

Shaundra rose. “Excuse me a minute. I need to use the little girl’s room.”

“I’ll go with you,” Dorothy replied, hopping up from her seat between Harper and Masaaki.

Dorothy was standing next to her before she could reply. They had to walk out of the room and back into the main dining room to access the ladies room. Shaundra pushed the door open slowly so she wouldn’t knock anyone down. There were a couple of ladies standing before mirrors fixing their hair and makeup. Shaundra ducked into one stall while she heard Dorothy go into the one next to her. She really didn’t have to go, but she needed to get some air and quiet the thoughts in her head. Her bladder complied to justify with Dorothy that she had to go. The next thing she knew, both she and Dorothy were standing at the sink washing their hands.

Dorothy dried her hands under the blow dryer. “He’s cute,” she replied.

“Who?”

“Ichiro.”

“Oh, him. Well, I think the correct description is beautiful.” She pressed the button on the dryer.

“Have you ever seen guys as handsome as those four?”

Shaundra rubbed her hands vigorously under the air to dry them. “No, I haven’t. Where the hell were men like that when I was in my twenties?”

“These weren’t born yet,” Dorothy said into a girlish chuckle. “He likes you.”

“Who?” Shaundra asked as she stepped over to the mirror to check her hair and makeup.

“Ichiro.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed the way he’s been watching you.”

“No, I haven’t,” she lied. “He’s just a kid.”

“So is Yori.”

Ah hell, where is this conversation leading
? “I’m flattered, but I didn’t come all the way to Tokyo to get involved in some scandalous triangle with two Japanese pop stars.”

Dorothy hugged herself and giggled with glee. “Wow, wouldn’t that make one hell of a novel premise?”

“Probably.” She finished with her hair, and washed and dried her hands again. “We’d better get back before they think we’ve fallen in or something,” Shaundra said, changing the subject. She led the way to the door and Dorothy followed.

“Do you think I can get one of them interested in me? You know, if you’re not in interested in dating either one.”

“Sure. You’re a pretty nice lady, but don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t happen. They have some pretty strange customs in some of these places where they can only date their own race, or worse, they have to stay pure until they’re married.”

“Yuck. What an antiquated, Victorian idea.” They re-entered the dining area. The waiter had arrived with the food and there were several red-clad chefs preparing meat on the hibachis. Shaundra and Dorothy scooted back into their seats as the chef set the meat on plates and passed them around to the diners. The waiters returned with steamed rice and soups. Everything looked delicious.

“Ooh, what’s that?” Shaundra asked.

“Yakimono,” Ichiro answered. “Grilled fish.”

Mostly everyone stopped what they were doing when they heard him speak.

Shaundra looked over at him and smiled.

Ichiro shook his bangs back out of his eyes, revealing his adorable face and capturing her full attention. He began scooping some of the fish into a bowl and then he reached for Shaundra’s set of chopsticks, opened them and began feeding her.

Shaundra chewed, never removing her stare from his. She swallowed. “Thank you. It is very delicious.”

Ichiro handed the chopsticks to her.

“I don’t know how to use them.”

“Let me show you.”

Those were the most words she’d heard him say since she met him. She pitied the world for not hearing his silky and mesmerizing voice. She bet there were a lot of wet panties in the audience when he performed.

Ichiro demonstrated how to use the chopsticks and then reached them back to her to try.

Shaundra lifted the chopsticks, noticing the stares she was receiving from around the table. She maneuvered the sticks between her fingers, ignoring the onlookers, picked up the meat between the two sticks and put it into her mouth without spilling.

“See, I knew you could do it,” Ichiro replied with an impish smile.

Shaundra smiled back at him. “I can manage big things, but what about rice?”

Ichiro picked up his bowl to demonstrate. “The object is not to waste.” He put the bowl closer to his mouth.

Shaundra followed his movements up to his lips, checking out their fullness as he shoveled the rice into his mouth. Ichiro lowered the bowl, licking the rice residue from his bottom lip. That little movement nearly stole her breath away. “I feel so silly. I thought I had to pick up the rice with the sticks.”

“Ichiro is a very good teacher,” Yori said from her right. “And very talkative this evening.”

“Ms. Morrison brings out the best in him,” Masaaki replied from his seat as he speared a piece of roasted meat. “Maybe we should arrange for her to join him when he is composing music. I have a feeling she can be his muse.”

Ichiro flushed pink at the collar and went silent. His hair covered most of his angelic face again.

“He’s blushing,” Jackson replied. “I like that.”

Shaundra thought Jackson’s statement embarrassed Ichiro even more. “I think I’d like to watch him rehearse,” Shaundra replied.

“That can be done,” Masaaki said between chews. “They are rehearsing after the photo shoot tomorrow. I’ll arrange for you to be there if the band doesn’t have a problem with you watching them.”

“I don’t have a problem,” Satoshi replied as he picked up his bowl of rice.

“Neither do I,” Yori stated.

Takumijo did not answer. He just pretended indifference, an act she’d witnessed a lot that evening.

“Then it is settled,” Masaaki replied.

“What about the rest of us?” Dorothy asked.

“Anyone who wants to come,” Masaaki told her. “But you have to be very quiet and not get into their way. “

“I promise.”

Neither the men nor the Asian writers seemed enthusiastic about attending the rehearsal. Shaundra went back to her food acutely aware that a male knee touched her from both sides beneath the table. Heat radiated up through her body. She finished eating without much waste. The meal was followed up by a cup of hot tea. The evening ended once Masaaki settled the bill and called for the drivers.

Chapter Six

“Ichiro likes Shaundra,” Takumijo teased in the car on the way back to the hotel.

Ichiro blushed and Satoshi pulled his hair. “I believe he does. Who would have thought that Ichiro would make such a suave move on her? Feeding a woman is a very sensual act.”

“I just showed her how to use chopsticks. It’s called common courtesy.”

“Yes, but you also fed her some fish first. I’m jealous. You never show me such attention.” Satoshi teased.

Ichiro buried deeper into the seat.

“You better be on your best behavior tomorrow, Ichiro, and none of your silent routine. You’re going to have to talk to both those women since its apparent the’re coming to see you rehearse.”