by Lila Mina
Lana winced and joined her in the restroom. “I’m so, so sorry Gabriella. I owe you big time.”
“And then some! Gah, the horror! Well, at least it worked.”
“Yes, they owe you too.”
Gabriella grunted and spit the water she had been gargling. “There is one good thing that came out of tonight: I confirm you have great taste in picking up dark, brooding and powerful men and their dashing, sexy and flirting wives,” Gabriella said after a while, disgruntled. “It will be a mess but forget about being careful. Go for it and have fun. They are a walking disaster for anyone with an active libido. And I want all the lurid details, to have something to spice up my lonely evenings! Just be careful, okay?”
Happy to see her friend had her priorities straight, Lana snorted. “Well, you know what? I got a lunch date with him, to talk. Really.”
“Good for you! I hope you won’t be alone in the room with him, because I can’t imagine him talking to you with your clothes on. He’s drinking you up—don’t tell me he’s only here for a ‘teaching experiment.’ Both of you are cute if you believe this. You got under his skin, and he’s making this up just because he can’t face it.”
Lana made a dubious noise. “If you say so… He’s doing a good job at hiding it. And don’t forget I still need to figure out how to handle her, for all her attractive assets and positive inclination toward me. Anyway. Come now, let’s go home. I’ve had enough excitement for one night.”
“Look who's talking! Next time, you get to let Awful Guy grope your ass.”
With a hearty laugh, Lana took Gabriella by the arm, leading her back to the hall and reception room. “Sure, sure, I’ll be the one making the ultimate sacrifice next time.”
“Be sure not to do it in front your new ‘personal trainer.’ I can’t see him reacting well to that.”
Lana tried not to snort again. “Yeah, well, he doesn’t have to know everything either. Our days of mayhem and doing stupid things aren’t over, cara mia. I’m not marrying him.”
“Good to hear!”
As they were approaching the entrance to the main room, Yuki came out and gave Gabriella a critical glance. “Gabriella san, are you unharmed?”
“Ah, Yuki san, don’t worry at all. As usual, Lana had my back. I was ten seconds away from making that big bad boy cry. She beat me to it, to her great satisfaction, I’m sure.”
A sparkle in the eye, Yuki threw a knowing smile to Lana. “Dangerous and lovely then.” Lana managed not to blush.
“I would say, in dire need of practicing her taisabaki on katatedori kotegaeshi,” came the stern voice of Honda from behind them as he walked out of the elevator. “We will work on it as soon as practice resumes.”
Lana stifled a witty retort about his amazing sense of timing when it came to offer aikido lessons. He was right: her body movement had been more than approximate on that defense and being childish or temperamental in front of an audience wouldn’t go well. She went with a deep bow, acknowledging his rebuke.
“Oh good, Honda Sensei, you could get rid of that pig?” Gabriella chimed in, aware Lana’s nerves were being tested.
Honda cast Gabriella a piercing glare. “I put him in a taxi and gave strict instructions to the building’s security team. I will also make sure he is denied access to the company’s offices throughout Japan. We will also conduct some additional background checks.”
“Excellent.” Gabriella nodded. “Please tell us if you need more information from Italy about that family and their network. They are unfortunately smarter than him.”
“Yes, I’ll share this information with you, off the record,” Lana added. “Let’s be careful and not leave any electronic trace. I’d recommend increasing your information security, not only at the IT level but also training your employees on how to handle sensitive data stored on physical support. Please do not assume that your data being in Japanese protects you.”
“I need to talk with my father,” Yuki told Honda with a deep frown.
“I agree, tonight.”
“Okay, cara mia, I’m ready to go now,” Gabriella said. “And don’t forget whom you’ve got to entertain the day after tomorrow: Cruella in the flesh!”
“Well, thank you for reminding me of my personal hell. But yes, we should take our leave.”
Yuki quirked an eyebrow at Lana. “Nothing too serious, Lana san?”
Unable to hide her annoyance, Lana shook her head. “Don’t worry. An overbearing and annoying member of our senior management comes every year to Tokyo to grill our office and make everyone miserable.”
“Yes, and our dear Lana here, would you believe it, is the only one among us with enough guts and spine to take a stand against her. Even our general manager folds down against that difficult lady. So, to protect us all, she needs her rest and beauty sleep, don’t you, cara mia? No overtime, no extraneous activity, nothing, just rest.”
Exasperated, Lana stared at her friend. Gabriella’s lack of subtlety grated on her nerves but made Yuki laugh. The woman was incredibly relaxed about this entire situation. She didn’t seem to mind for an instant that the brunette was in confidence. Honda looked aggravated, but it was his default mood. They were similar in that, to Lana’s chagrin.
“Well, off you go!” Yuki told the two friends while patting their lower backs. “Thank you again so much for your help. What a blessing to meet you here tonight. Gabriella san, thank you for your extra efforts. I hope to see you again.”
“Oh, trust me, you will. I’m always hovering around Lana. You know, never far from her, checking on her...”
“Okay, that’s it!” Lana exclaimed in Italian, pushing her friend away. “Can we not make this more obvious than it is?” Switching back to Japanese, she bowed respectfully to Honda and Yuki. “Honda sensei, Yuki san, if you will please excuse us, we have already taken too much of your time.” Gabriella was already walking to the elevator, laughing out loud, enjoying her sweet revenge for the events of earlier.
“Good night, Lana san, we will meet on Friday,” Honda replied, and Lana could have sworn he was smiling. In the dimly lit hall, it could have been a trick of the light though.
“I’m looking forward to it, Sensei. Good night,” she answered before catching up with Gabriella, who held the elevator doors.
Once the doors had closed, Lana sagged against the wall. With any chance, not all of their interactions would turn out so eventful… at least outside a bedroom.
12
Master and Apprentice
On the following Friday, Lana left her office to go to her lunch date with Honda. They’d need two hours at most, so it wasn’t necessary to clear her afternoon. Just another business lunch. At 4:45 pm, she had a conference call with their Dublin office, so she’d be back at her desk with time to spare.
The restaurant was one block away, so she walked there. It was a good way to transition from her pile-up of work-related worries to the important discussion ahead of her. Like for any top-level business talks, she had to come out of it with two results: a better understanding of their own dynamics, and how to handle Yuki. She had a nagging feeling he’d never agree to let her take the lead as far as Yuki was concerned, but she had to try.
She sighed in discomfort as she crossed the last street before the building where the restaurant was located. The weather channel said the rainy season was nearly here, way too early for May, and she turned too hot and sweaty for her own comfort. Lana let out a breath of relief as cool and dry air greeted past the venue’s sliding doors. Wait until July hits...
A quick glance at a mirror reassured her. No perspiration stains on the back of her pearl-gray business dress in sight, hair held in place. Honda had seen her in many states of disarray, but she wanted to look perfectly professional during their discussion.
The maître d’ led her to a cozy private room, where Honda already sat at small table for two.
“Sensei, my apologies for keeping you waiting.” He remained in his seat and retu
rned her deep bow with a smaller one, pointing at her seat.
On her left, a large window revealed a beautiful and serene Zen garden, with a pond where golden and red carp swam leisurely. They wouldn’t be disturbed, however good manners dictated to wait to address the reason for their meeting.
“I trust your week went well?” Honda asked after they placed their orders.
“As well as expected with the visit of our CFO. She is a… challenging lady to handle, but nothing out of the ordinary happened.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Ah yes, the woman your friend mentioned. She said you were the only one who could handle her. What does it mean?”
She offered him her most predatory smile. “It means nobody speaks ill of my team and their work or tries to challenge our results with no valid reason and walks out of the room with all their toes. She’s a bully who thinks she can substitute competent management with downright intimidation, and it is always my pleasure to crash her party.”
“And your management is fine with your attitude toward her?”
“My management counts on it. So far, they have deflected any of her attempts at getting me fired.”
“Still, good people skills aren’t enough. You must excel at your job for them to value your temper and your natural aggressiveness.”
Her eyes met his unreadable stare; she didn’t flinch under his intense scrutiny. When it came to her career and professional skills, she wouldn’t excuse herself or downplay her achievements. She had worked too hard for that. “Yes, I am. We’ve got a saying in French. We say it’s impossible to get rid of your natural tendencies, as they always come back to bite you at full speed. I’m making efforts, of course, but I don’t eliminate those traits.”
“An interesting way of putting it, but it defeats the whole concept of self-control, discipline, and self-improvement. Tell me, little mudansha, how will your natural tendencies affect our training sessions?”
This time, she accepted lowering her eyes in acknowledgment of the shift in their conversation. “Goshujin sama, when it comes to you, I will express them as much as you want me to,” she said, careful to pick the right words.
“How elegantly put,” he chuckled. “I see why your management will not let you go. So, when it comes to me, hm? Just as I thought. You seem to have other plans regarding my wife, then.”
Her shoulders and jaw tensed; she had to glance out of the window to collect herself, trying to find flimsy threads of composure in the quiet scene of the Zen garden.
“Well, about her…” Her voice trailed off when the right words failed her.
“What is it? Don’t tell me you cannot handle her. Don’t say you don’t appreciate her either—you proved the opposite convincingly. So. What is your plan?”
His pushy manners were so annoying! “I have no ‘plan,’ I assure you,” she replied with a colder voice. “Granted, this situation is challenging; being number two runs against my nature. However, Yuki sama is your wife. She has every right to—” His impatient hand gesture cut her off.
“Stop right here. Yes, she is my wife, and yes, she has decided you would submit to her. Your submission is what she wants, this is how she has been with her other lovers, and they have followed suit. But it is not engraved in stone.”
Lana didn’t hide her bewilderment. “I beg your pardon, but I… I have no legitimate grounds to—”
“I am the head of my household and I am the one who decides what is legitimate or not as far as it is concerned,” Honda growled.
Reclining in her seat, Lana crossed her arms, taken aback by his choice of words. Your household? Ah, yes, such a traditional way to talk about your family. But I don’t belong to it, do I?
He continued his scolding. “Being my wife or not is irrelevant. Both of you are dominant women. Yuki saw it right away when she first met you. Anyone with such a sensitivity does. She decided to play, to test herself and her capacities when she chose to insert herself into our relationship and ask you to accept her as your mistress. Frankly, I would have preferred her to let it go and stop interfering with my training. It is a bet, but depending on what you will do now, she could lose.”
Lana’s head swirled, and she didn’t reply right away. She picked her chopsticks up to eat a few bites of her grilled vegetables and fried tofu before emptying her cup of tea.
“Why are you telling me this? Why do you want me to turn the tables in relation to Yuki sama?”
“There can be only one dominant woman in my bed, and I will always enforce her position, whoever she is. Yuki knows this and perceives you struggle accepting her as your mistress. But as long as you allow this to persist, there is no reason for her to change her behavior and not treat you differently. It is up to you to decide whether or not to accept this, but I will not tolerate indecision much longer. Make a decision, or the three of us will stop seeing each other.”
When Honda leaned across the table, not for the first time, Lana found she couldn’t look away. Her heart pounded wildly. He was in charge of the conversation, and she saw no opening to counter him. Downright infuriating and… challenging.
“And now, let’s talk about us. What I am about to share is highly personal, so pay attention. Our marriage was set up, negotiated and concluded without either of us having a proper say in the matter. This is as it should be, as the interests of our families required it; it was our duty. We found our own path and are satisfied with it, but Yuki didn’t choose me. I didn’t choose her.” His voice became a low grumble. “When I decided to train someone at a more intimate level, in a way that matched my needs, I chose you.”
She blushed against her best judgment. He chose me? Is this…? No, impossible.
“I admit I find it challenging to understand what this ‘training’ means in your book.”
“We are not in a standard relationship, and despite your language and cultural skills, I realize there are gaps that can lead to misunderstandings regarding my expectations. You should not try to apply your usual references. Like I told you from the start, you are free to leave at any time. Do not blame me, or even Yuki, for any frustration. Embrace what I am offering you or walk away from it.”
Honda must have seen something flashing on her face because his eyes narrowed. His voice took a steely edge. “This is not a level, equal relationship. Accept it. I am training you, I am your master, and you are my apprentice. When we are together, I demand your obedience, self-discipline, respect and loyalty, and control over your body, passions and desires to meet my needs. In exchange, I give you what you crave and meet your needs as well. I will help you become even stronger, like I told you on the first day. I will be demanding and harsh, but never abusive or humiliating.”
He stopped and seemed to be resting his case. But after a few seconds, he continued with a softer tone. “Do not expect it to transform into something else down the line. Do not compare your position with my wife’s. I am expecting different things of you, as you have different roles to fulfill. As strong as she is, Yuki will never be tested as hard, nor required to give me as much. I am not your lover, not in the childish, emotional sense your Western culture portrays it. There is care, yes, but only because there is loyalty and obedience. You will learn, step by step, what this entails.”
Her breathing had turned shallow and fast. Lana lowered her eyes and tried to regulate it while pondering his statement.
Well. This was what she had been hoping for: an open conversation about the situation. His approach seemed to be another expression of bushido—the warrior code of ancient samurai—with its range of complex intricacies in terms of discipline, authority, devotion and mutual respect between a master and his student, a lord and his retainer. It permeated not just all martial arts but also other aspects of life in Japan.
It was now up to her to determine if she wanted this, regardless of Yuki. The delicious sensation spreading from her core told her the picture he drew didn’t scare her.
“Thank you for taking the time to exp
lain this. This sounds good. Now—”
He stood from his seat. “If you are in agreement, then we are done here. The next part of this conversation will take place elsewhere.”
Dumbfounded, Lana looked up and gaped at him. He was now right next to her, his face a blank. She blinked and shut her mouth to avoid looking like a fish out of water. Where he wanted to go was crystal clear, but ending up locked in a bedroom all afternoon hadn’t been on her agenda, and there was that call...
“Well? Is there something you don’t understand?” He was on the verge of losing his patience at her slow reaction time.
Lana got on her feet, shaking her head. “My apologies, goshujin sama, but this is unexpected, and my professional agenda for this afternoon is already—”
Quick as lightning, Honda nudged the chair between them out his way and stepped forward until she had her back against the panel window. “What part of ‘obedience’ is so hard to understand, little mudansha?” His voice was a dark purr.
Frustrated but attempting to hide it, Lana tensed, yet didn’t cower. The rush of blood to her head and elsewhere told her she liked his attitude a little too much. She shifted on her feet to face him squarely.
“Again, let me apologize, goshujin sama,” she replied with just enough deference, but not breaking eye contact. “It was a lack of foresight on my part. I need to find a solution regarding an international conference call at 5 pm where my presence is required.”
His hand went to rest beside her head on the window, and he was now so close that even with no contact, all his body heat radiated on hers. To her surprise, she reacted right away; it took her a lot not to moan and mold herself against him.
“Yes, find a solution. We can arrange a break if it is so imperative, but you will not leave the bed until I say so. While you are at it, if you had any plans for tonight, cancel them.”
A fresh wave of annoyance and anger washed over her. So now she had no longer any control over her social life and agenda? She clenched her jaw, trying to find the right way to protest.
