Loving Jiro (3 page)

"What do you do?” She had assumed this was a simple question, not prying in any way as people loved discussing what they did for a living, whether it was to complain about it or sing praises that they were lucky enough to be doing it at all. Jiro went stiff and quiet, and Ayumi began to hum pointedly while dipping her chicken in her sauce. “I...” she began.

He waved two fingers. “I work in the family business.” His tone told her to drop it. She did. “Tell me more about you? Any family?"

She hated talking about herself, but wanted the conversation to move smoothly. Besides, if she was forthcoming, maybe he would be. “Not much. My parents were killed hiking in the Chugach National Forest. An avalanche came down on them."

"Alaska?” he questioned knowledgeably.

She nodded with tears in her eyes, even after so many years. “Yes, I should have been there but I couldn't go. I was sick with a fever at the last minute before they flew out there. They left me with my cousin. My only living relative."

"I'm sorry. That must hurt still after so long."

"Yes, it feels like it was yesterday. They were so great, taking me everywhere, or as many places as my dad's money could afford. The Alaska adventure had been in the works for three years before we could go. I was disappointed, so angry with them for leaving me. I would have gone if I had to be carried on the plane."

"Mmm."

Not to be left out of the conversation, Ayumi spoke up. “I know how it feels to lose my parents too, Ms. Jackson. My parents were murdered. They—"

"Ayumi, enough!” her brother growled.

Kiara jumped. She stared at him in surprise, but he didn't appear to regret his meanness. Possibly he hurt just as bad as she did if their parents had been murdered. She studied Ayumi who sat sullen not sad in her chair. She shuffled apple pie and ice cream around on her plate, and Kiara suspected she had eaten too much before the dessert. A classic case of eyes bigger than the stomach, she guessed.

After a while, Jiro spoke again, calmer, back to his quietly kind voice. “My family is into the import-export business. We shift around anything from cars to computers. You name it, we have our fingers into it. It is big business, and I help to keep things running smoothly. It's what I have always known I would do and what I have been doing since I lost my twin brother and my parents, as Ayumi so indelicately stated. Now, family is everything to me. Our honor, our traditions come before all else, except for Ayumi."

Kiara tried to understand. “I'm so sorry for your loss. I can't even begin to imagine losing a sibling, let alone a twin. I can see how Ayumi has become everything to you. Do you mean if it was ever a question of your honor or Ayumi, you would choose her?"

He grinned. She bit her lip and he noticed, his eyebrow flicking upward with interest. “Yes, that's exactly what I mean. However, caring for her
is
one and the same."

What must it be like to be so absolutely loved that someone would die for me? Would give up everything to keep me safe?

Kiara stood. “Well, I thank you very much, Ayumi, for taking me to lunch. It's getting late, and I must go."

Jiro stood and bowed slightly. Kiara nodded her head. She thought he would settle the bill, but Ayumi clicked open her purse and pulled out a credit card. The cost of the meal and the tip was soon settled. On the sidewalk outside, Jiro asked, “May I offer you a ride home, Kiara?"

She shook her head. “No, thank you. I have some other things to do. If you could take me back to the strip mall where we met up, that would be great."

To her relief, he agreed without argument. She hugged Ayumi and shook his hand and was soon off on her trek to make money. At least her feet didn't hurt, and her belly was full. That was a huge bonus in itself. She was able to face the next few hours with a positive attitude that produced fifty-three dollars before she headed back to the city on the bus.

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Kiara stepped off the bus two blocks from her street, after an hour and a half ride. Even from her distance away, she could see Odell and friends camped out on the front steps of her building. Her heart sank. Most Saturdays, he disappeared for hours and didn't return until late at night. On those special occasions, he didn't come back for days.

Too soon, she walked up to the steps and greeted them all. Odell's friends didn't respect her because he didn't. One of the men looked her up and down with a sneer. She couldn't remember his name, nor did she try. “Damn, Kiara, you used to be hot, could bounce a quarter off that round ass. Now, you ain't worth shit. Odell, why do you keep her, man?"

Odell laughed. “She can cook."

Another guy slapped the first one in the back of the head. “Can't tell by looking at her."

They all fell out laughing while Odell frowned, and Kiara tried to squeeze by. He grabbed her ankle nearly making her fall over backward. “Where are you going?"

She hesitated. “In the house. I'm tired. I thought I would lay down a while before cleaning the house."

"No.” He stood up. “Get down here. We're going to see my mother. And where's that cake I smelled before? She might like a treat."

Kiara thought fast. If she admitted to taking it to her cousin, Odell would go off complaining she cared more about her family than his, which she did of course, but the admission need not be made. It would only set him off and cost her pain. She lied. “I screwed up on the measurements. I can make another real quick."

"Fine. Hurry up."

She scurried into the house trying to think what she would do for eggs. She had budgeted the dozen she picked up from the corner store as that twenty dollars wouldn't buy much food. Maybe if she skimped on Odell's morning omelet, she could make it work.

Flipping on the oven with one hand, she dug the other into the utility drawer by the sink for a book of matches. When she found them, she dropped to her knees and reached into the broiler section of the stove to light the pilot. “One day, I will never have to do this again,” she muttered.

The cake turned out well, and since she had made some money out in the county, she could maybe walk down to the grocery store a few blocks away to pick up a few cheaper items. Not many, though. She needed to start saving up for more bills. She sighed at the thought. Why couldn't one ever pay off the electric, the rent or any other ongoing bill? There should be a law.

She was soon strolling slightly behind Odell as they headed to his mother's house. Odell had had a car last year, given to him when his great uncle had gotten too old to drive. But Odell, living for the moment, decided to sell it for two hundred dollars to buy tickets to a concert he had been longing to attend. Now she had to listen to his incessant complaints about how much his feet hurt walking and what an idiot he had been for selling the car. She had to agree, but didn't voice that opinion out loud.

May, Odell's mother, lived just eight blocks from Kiara's apartment. That was both a blessing and curse. When Odell was in a mood, he wasn't above humping it to his mother's place for a day or two. When he wanted to pretend he wasn't a loser and could hold onto a woman from sheer love, he dragged her along. May wasn't fooled.

"Kiara, baby!” she exclaimed when Kiara walked through the door. “I haven't seen you in ages. Come here, girl, and give me a hug.” She dragged Kiara into her arms, squeezing so tight it hurt. “Are you taking care of him, Kee?” she whispered.

Kiara cringed. She hated being called Kee, and only hoped Odell hadn't heard. He took great pleasure in tormenting her with the nickname when he remembered it, which thankfully wasn't often. She gave a vague nod and mumbled something she figured sounded in the affirmative.

Odell flopped on a chair near the TV and popped open the beer he had swiped from the frig. “Hey, Ma, you got a couple dollars until payday?"

May rolled her eyes, “You know damn well you ain't got a job, Odell. Why can't you be like your brother? He's a dentist, went to school and everything."

"Oh here we go,” he shouted. “Why can't you accept me for who I am? Why does it always have to be about me and Otis? Huh? Damn, I come to visit you and look what I get."

As usual, May's attitude changed in a heartbeat. She jabbed her hips with her hands and glowered at Kiara. “Girl, I don't get why you stay with him. He's my son and I'll always love him, but I couldn't take it. That's why I left his father years ago. Like father, like son."

"You gonna stop that talking about my father, Ma,” Odell threatened. Kiara sat down, rubbing her temple. Odell was all bark when it came to his mother. Like he said, she loved Otis more, but Odell was always trying to win her over. Too bad, he didn't get she would accept him if he didn't continue to remind her of her cheating husband. Kiara would be caught in the middle for the next hour until they ran out of insults to hurl at each other.

She wondered if she could cut it short early. “May, how about some cake? I made it especially for you.
Odell
asked me to because he knows how you love my desserts."

She sucked her teeth. “Sucking up is what I call it.” She waved her hand. “Go on in the kitchen. You'll find what you need. Give me a little small piece.” Kiara grinned. Small to May meant big and thick. She had made the mistake of taking the woman literally just once.

Glad of the excuse to get out of the living room, she slid to the end of the plastic-covered couch and headed into the kitchen. Busy slicing, she hadn't heard anyone entering behind her until arms encircled her waist and a hard shaft pressed against her ass. She swallowed her disgust. “Hey, Otis."

"Hey.” He tried to kiss her on the lips, but she turned her head. “Why do you reject me, Kiara? I could take care of you, give you everything you could ever want."

She paused in her slicing, examining the man before her who looked so much like Odell, he could be his twin, except that Otis was three years older and three inches shorter. Once upon a time, she had decided to take him up on his offer, if only to get away from Odell. That had been the fourth time she ran away. Then too, Odell had found them, together in bed, and nearly beat his brother to death. Kiara had promised herself she would never again bring another person into her misery, to risk their lives. She would get away from Odell on her own.

"You forget what happened the last time,” she reminded him.

He stroked her face. “We can try again."

"No.” She saw the back door slightly open and went to close it as an excuse to get away from him. Otis must have parked in the back. She peered out the window and spotted his Mercedes.
Showy
. “I don't have feelings for you like that. I didn't then, but I admit I was desperate. I'm not risking your life again, and you seemed to forget that May had a slight heart attack behind that."

He sighed, choosing the biggest slice of cake for himself. “That's because she loves that fool. I'm the one who spent years in college to get a job I hate. Odell's name still drips from her lips every time I turn around. It's not enough."

"Maybe you should buy her a house.” Kiara couldn't get over how two grown men whined endlessly about who their mother loved more. She would have thought at thirty-four and thirty-seven they would have matured enough. Still, Otis did take care of his mother. He paid all of her bills and drove her where she wanted to go. He dropped everything to come at her call. Maybe that was only to shove Odell out of the picture, but it was something.

He laughed. “You know that woman is not leaving this neighborhood. I've tried to get her to come live with me, but she won't. Says my area is too uppity, that she would miss her friends. The sad thing about it is, half of them have passed already."

"Mmm, yes, that
is
sad,” she agreed. “Maybe moving would solidify it in her mind, make it all the more real that she could join them next week or next year."

"True.” He stood chewing cake and staring down at the table. Finally, he said, “I have an idea. We can be lovers. Odell never has to find out. I remember making love to you. Your body is so beautiful. Those breasts, playing with your nipples..."

"Stop!” she screeched. “Don't you dare fantasize about me. We are over. It was a mistake to get involved with you in the first place, but I thought you could take me away. Then how could you, being we would come back here for May.” She shook her head. “Let it go, Otis, please.” Then she had another thought. “If you really want to help me, you can let me paint a mural or two in your office. The kids would love it."

He frowned. “I don't have many child patients."

"Then I'll do something adults would love. I could use the money.” She willed him to say yes.

"I'll think about it.” His gaze dropped to her breasts, and she felt naked before him. She quickly gathered the plate filled with slices of cake and hurried toward the door. No matter what she said, Otis wouldn't stop trying to get back with her. He wanted what he couldn't have.

He stopped her before she could get out. “Wait, here take this.” He put a wad of bills in her hand.

Her eyes widened. She had never been in love with money or one of those people who did anything for it, but when a person is so desperate, temptation was easy to give in to. “No, I can't take that.” She held it out to him. “I said I would paint a few murals..."

"You know I don't like that crap, Kiara. Take the money. You need it, and I've got it. No big deal."

"It is a big deal,” she insisted. She set the cake on the table again and turned to shove the money into his pants pocket. “The first time your desires get out of hand, you'll feel I owe you, that I have an obligation to open my legs to you. I won't let myself get into a situation like that. Thank you. Really. But no thanks. I'll make it on my own.” She snatched up the plate and fled the room.

When she entered the living room, Odell looked up from the TV. His eyes narrowed on her. “What have you been doing, and why are you rushing in here?"

Common sense should have told him that she was rushing from an unwanted situation, but when his brother entered soon after Kiara, his mind conjured deception on Kiara's part. She knew the signs. His fingers tensed around his can of beer, squeezing so hard liquid sloshed over the top onto his pants. That sent his temper up another notch.