by Lila Mina
“Good evening Richard,” she replied, ignoring his rude language and anger. “My apologies for not getting back earlier. I had no chance to do it before now, but you’ll soon understand why.”
“Really? It’d better be good, because this thing is taking up like wildfire and I don’t know how long I can have your back. But first, where have you been all afternoon? How come you went AWOL?”
“I didn’t!” Lana lied through her teeth, her hands squeezing her bathrobe out of sheer exasperation. “The other evening, Gabriella and I ran into high-level people from Nakazawa Holdings at a party.”
“Nakazawa?! Are you kidding me?”
“Anyway, I ran again into the same people today at lunch and… well, we had a non-stop conversation for two or three hours straight. Extremely intense,” she added, grateful her boss couldn’t see her blush. “And then, we took a break, I had my Skype call with Jeb and Christie who broke the news about Michelle. I’ve just finished talking with the Nakazawa people, and now I’m calling you. Do you see now why I didn’t drop everything? Nakazawa, Richard! Can you imagine?”
“That… that would be the contract of the decade…” His dreamy voice told her everything she had to know. If his team landed something like this, his annual review would be off the charts; he would get any transfer he’d ask for. “Okay, okay, I’ll let it pass this time,” he continued, regally. “But please, next time, drop me a line before getting out of touch like this. Now about Michelle…”
“Richard, she is crazy. We can’t just allow her to go bonkers like that, CFO or no CFO. She’s terrorizing everyone, it’s pure power harassment. I’m her target because I’m the threat. We can discuss this on Monday, but don't listen to her mad ramblings.”
“Hm, well, she’s well-connected and holds many people by the balls, which is why she can continue like this. But I hear you. She’s a harpy. Okay, let’s talk about this on Monday with Yukiko and Toshiro. We need to come up with a strategy to stop making this sound like it’s just about you.”
“Thanks, Richard, I appreciate it. Have a nice weekend, then.”
“You too! And… good job with Nakazawa. I want to hear more about this soon.”
“Yeah, of course!” Lana grimaced; she would have to come up with a plan to wriggle herself out of her lie. After hanging up, she stretched her arms.
Gabriella had sent her a couple of frantic IMs over the previous hours. She decided against a phone call as this would lead her to a delicate conversation she was not ready to have. Besides, who knew who would be right next to Gabriella? Lana sent her friend an upbeat message, telling her everything was under control and that she was meeting her ‘main contact’ at Nakazawa Holdings. Gabriella wouldn’t have to lie to anyone else.
Lana wasn’t surprised when she got an instant reply under the form of a string of emojis that said, ‘you naughty and lucky girl, enjoy your ride, I want all dirty details ASAP’. She snorted in an unladylike fashion. No way she’d give Gabrielle the whole picture. The M-rated version would be enough.
Back in the room, Honda still lay on the bed, flat on his stomach, with a simple white sheet that had fallen off him. She lay down next to him and seized this chance to take a good look at her companion. There were many details on his smooth, heavy-set body that had gone unnoticed when she had been otherwise busy handling him.
While his unlined face and smooth hands were tanned, he was otherwise pale brown. His large and robust back revealed taut muscles. Her nail and teeth marks, some made a couple of hours earlier, others inflicted over a week before, were obvious. But there was also older, paler scar tissue on his lower back that she had missed until now. Other pale pink marks crisscrossed the back of his biceps.
The long scar she had spotted earlier, almost invisible, made her frown. It had too many jagged edges and ridges for a blade or knife to cause it. An accident, most certainly. She couldn’t fathom how the wound had looked. Would he ever tell her about it? Asking him seemed impossible.
His thick waist and shapely ass gave way to sturdy legs powerful enough to carry her weight effortlessly. Like his wrists, his ankles betrayed the fact that he was an aikidoka: decades of practice had thickened them to a point where they were next to non-existent.
Lana had always found sleeping men endearing; it was hard not to reach out and caress him. But he was not one to cuddle, so she turned her back to him and closed her eyes for a short nap.
Lana woke up surprised by the lack of a warm body at her side. The sound of running water came from the bathroom. Already 8 pm. On a whim, she got up to knock at the bathroom door but heard nothing. After a second of hesitation, she went in anyway and was greeted by the breathtaking view of Tokyo’s skyline and, most importantly, the sight of Honda sliding in the hot tub.
“Goshujin sama, forgive the intrusion…”
Honda waved his hand. “It’s fine. Join me, but first, please order room service for dinner. A rare steak with vegetables for me; order whatever you wish.”
“Very well. Would you care for red wine or anything else?”
Honda smirked at her. “Red wine is fine, but I am no expert. You are Italian, so choose something suitable.”
Lana made the call. Back in the bathroom, she took off her bathrobe before stepping in, opposite to him. She hissed at the scalding hot water’s touch.
“Too hot for you? You never go to onsen? I thought your skin to be thicker than this.” Honda chuckled.
Lana threw him a wry look. “I love hot springs, but usually I’m not so bruised when I go there.”
His eyes narrowed, and he extended a hand. “Come closer. Let me see.” She glided toward him, ending up between his arms. “Stand up and turn around.” Lana rose out of the water and faced the windows, spreading her legs. The sight of her purple buttocks where his fingerprints lingered ripped a growl from him.
“We will not do this too often. It will affect your aikido practice, and I will have none of that. Hopefully, this will relieve you a little?” he whispered before ducking lower to press and slide his tongue from her pussy lips to her puckered hole. Lana gasped; only his firm grip on her hips kept her from crumbling down. The combination of stinging pain and sensual pleasure was delightful, and both knew now they enjoyed giving and receiving it.
“Yes… Thank you…” she replied under her breath. Honda grunted, face buried in her, and showed his thorough appreciation for her bruised ass. It was outrageous to have such a skillful tongue. Being the object of his devotion made her juices flow anew, and it didn’t take long for her to climax.
She had long lost track of the number of times she had come over the past hours. Whatever happened next, it would be a challenge to find a partner who could top him. As domineering and downright annoying–or rather, infuriating–as he was, giving her pleasure was as important to him as taking his, even if under his terms. When Lana recovered, Honda directed her to sit on the border of the tub and then moved to the opposite side.
“So, what is the situation at your office?” he asked.
Such a quick change of topics. She blinked and tried to switch to a more business mode, despite their current situation. “It’s far from perfect but seems under control. A meeting with my senior managers on Monday will sort it out once and for all.” High time I get rid of this pressure. I’m tired being Richard’s human shield when it comes to handling Michelle.
Honda quirked an eyebrow. “They didn’t demand to see you at once?”
“Was this even an option for me?” she inquired with a mix of defiance and humor. She didn’t wait for a reply. “Actually, they did, but thanks to you, I could justify my ill-timed absence.”
To her deep satisfaction, Honda seemed puzzled. For once, she was the one surprising him. She shrugged and threw him a coy look. “I told them I was meeting someone associated with Nakazawa Holdings. Funny how dropping that name makes a boss much more understanding and stops them from breathing down your neck.”
He pinched his lips in annoyan
ce; maybe he didn’t appreciate her use of that name for her own benefits. But he didn’t comment on it, merely uttering a grunt.
The doorbell rang. With a sigh of relief, Lana stepped out of the tub, put on her fluffy bathrobe and let in the hotel staff delivering their room service. He set up the table in front of the sofa. Honda came out of the bathroom just as the door closed behind the hotel employee’s back, wearing a simple yukata provided by the hotel. Lana groaned but kept her composure. There was no helping it: she was way too much appreciative of his body wrapped in traditional attire.
They ate in comfortable silence. After the eventful lunch they had shared earlier, it was nice to enjoy dinner without having to navigate the delicate waters of cross-cultural dominant-submissive and three-way power dynamics. Not to mention the stormy situation at her workplace. It also proved they could be alone in the same room without ending up naked, with body parts probing each other. For the sake of any future interaction in public, it was crucial.
After emptying her second glass of Primitivo, Lana stifled a yawn. The day had been long and demanding at all levels even if beyond satisfying. She would welcome more shut-eye but didn’t dare assume this was what her partner had in mind. Her longing look at the bed didn’t go unnoticed though, and Honda chuckled.
“Oh, have I exhausted your stamina? This is yet another thing we should work on.” Such an insufferable show of typical male cockiness had her throw him a glance that was anything but respectful. This turned his amused smile into a more predatory one, and his eyes took on a warning gleam. “I am almost of the mind to start that part of your training now and remind you of basic rules in matters of etiquette and respect,” he purred. “For the sake of your bruised assets, and because I intend to keep you busy tomorrow, let’s get some rest now.”
Before joining him in the bed, Lana put back on her pants and swapped her bathrobe for a lighter yukata. Her eyes closed on what she would later remember as the day before her life was thrown upside down.
15
On Shaky Legs
The room is dark. Empty. Broken furniture and glass clutter the floor. A sickening tangy smell fills my nose. The world is pain. Red, black pain. My body is in pieces, soaked by rivers of blood, but the hole in my heart hurts even more. I can’t move. Can’t lift a finger. My eyes are open, but everything around me is blurry. Fear rises to new levels when two legs come to stand in front of me.
So. They came back to finish it. Finish me. I choke on the hatred and rage swelling in my chest. They crouch, and a face fills my field of vision. I whimper, the need to scream is overwhelming, but I can’t even draw a proper breath.
Slanted yellow eyes stare at me. Lips pull into an ugly smile to reveal long, inhuman teeth. A long red tongue darts out.
With a gasp, Lana sat on the bed, clutching her sheets. The disgusting remnants of her nightmare dissipated like smoke, and already, she couldn’t remember all details. Yet fear gripped her, and her heart drummed wildly in her chest.
Danger. We’re in danger!
Her trembling hand shook Honda’s sleeping form. “Wake up… please, wake up!” She switched on her bedside lamp and glanced at the time. 3:32 am.
Her companion opened a bleary eye. “What is it?”
“Jishin desu! Jishin desu!” Their phones came to life, blaring the shrill alarm and the flat recorded voice warning of an impending large earthquake. Wide awake, the couple jumped out of bed. Lana grabbed her smartphone and started counting seconds. On average, the alarm–which picked up a tremor’s P waves, that traveled faster than its destructive S waves–could offer between three and fourteen seconds of heads-up.
“Jishin desu! Jishin desu!”
Four, five, six…
“I have the flashlight, take the bed cover, go to the bathroom!”
Seven, eight, nine...
Honda had barely pushed open the room door when the building began to move, slowly at first, and then with increasing speed. By the time he reached Lana in the shower area of the bathroom, he couldn’t keep his balance. She caught him when he fell, saving him from hitting his head against the bathtub wall. She covered their heads with the thick and fluffy duvet to protect them from anything heavy enough to split their skulls.
“Shouldn’t we go into the tub?” Lana had to shout to be heard over the frightening rumbling noise.
Honda shook his head. “No! So close to the windows, it would be too risky!”
“Oh, Dio mio…” Lana whispered, trying to suppress her exploding fear.
“So long… It’s a strong one…” Honda acknowledged, knuckles white as he held on the edge of the tub.
Their building was now oscillating awfully. Lana squeezed her eyes shut; the ground at their feet was not made of hard rock, but sand and porous clay. Adjacent to the bayside, their hotel had been built on man-made land, regained over the sea. Even worse, being on the 31st floor amplified the quaking.
Peeking outside, Lana beheld an impossible, out-of-this-world spectacle. Lana’s stomach flip-flopped. “Dio mio!” she exclaimed again, this time not bothering to hide her terror.
Steel and glass skyscrapers screeched and undulated like bamboo trees in a storm, lights flickering against the heavy blackness of the night. Mother Earth heaved and shrugged, indifferent to the transient world of men and their understanding of reality.
Honda put a hand on her arm. “Listen to me.” The fact that he didn’t bother with the formal register betrayed his tension. “The building’s doing what it’s supposed to do. It’s good it’s moving like this, as it’s new and follows the strictest standards. The epicenter isn’t under us, so we’ll be fine!”
Lana let his words sink in. He was right; it was terribly impressive and frightening, but they would be all right as long as they didn’t get hurt by debris on the floor or falling on them.
After two long minutes, the rumbling and shaking subsided. They shared a knowing glance. Many strong aftershocks could be expected, and they needed to get to the ground floor. Her smartphone was already feeding detailed data.
“It was a M8.4! And here in Minato-ku, it registered as shindo 5+.” The Japanese earthquake scale went up to a maximum of 7. It provided a precise indication of how strongly the surface shook and the level of destruction caused at a specific point. “The epicenter was in Gunma prefecture,” she pointed out, relieved. This was deep in the mountains, north of Tokyo metropolitan area. “No tsunami alert for now.”
Honda nodded, but his next words didn’t lighten her mood. “Remember what happened in 2011. Strong earthquakes like this one can be either pre-shocks announcing larger ones or trigger other faults. We should expect bad surprises in the coming days, weeks or even months. For now, let’s grab our shoes and head for the staircases.”
Back in the main room, Lana grabbed her purse and didn’t bother changing back into her dress. Her yukata would have to do. She threw a disgusted look at her black pumps and their 7 cm-tall heels.
“I won’t get far with those...”
Honda took one shoe and snapped the heel at its base. Before she could protest, he did the same with the other one and handed her the ‘reformed’ pair without any further comment.
“Th… thank you,” Lana managed to utter, outraged. “I’ll write that on my insurance claim…” she added under her breath. Of course, her shoes were far from being flat, but she had to concede it was a little easier to walk fast now.
The corridor was dark, only illuminated by emergency lights and the flashlights of guests coming out of their rooms, some more frightened than others. Everyone was heading for the emergency exits. Small aftershocks rocked the ground, but after the main tremor, they were manageable.
Right when Honda and Lana were about to push the heavy emergency door, a commotion behind them caught Lana’s attention. An obviously pregnant Western woman in nightwear stood on the threshold of her room, skin too pale and eyes wide with fright. She held the hand of a sobbing boy in pajamas, not older than three or four. Blo
od from a nasty gash on his brow smeared his face.
“Help! Help us, oh please… someone help us!” She pressed her distended belly and had difficulty standing upright. Lana grabbed Honda’s elbow and pointed wordlessly at the distraught family. They wouldn’t make the trip down 31 floors on their own.
“You carry the child while I support the mother,” he said. “Explain this to her.”
“Understood.” Lana ran up to them and kneeled in front of the boy. The gash needed medical attention but didn’t seem life-threatening. “Hey hey there, shhh, don’t be scared, everything will be fine,” she tried with the kindest voice she could muster. Comforting children wasn’t something she was used to. She glanced up at the mother who grimaced in pain and clutched her lower belly. “Ma’am, we’ll help you evacuate. Can you walk?”
The woman groaned and supported herself against the wall. “Thank you. I’m due in six weeks, it’s really hard…”
Lana translated, and Honda frowned. “We have to go now, but we will be as careful as possible. Also, they need to put on shoes.”
After Lana relayed his concern, the woman pointed inside the room. “Our shoes are in the closet.” Lana went inside to pick them and saw various pairs of sneakers, including one close to her size. She took a pair and joined their group in the hall.
“Do you mind if I borrow one of your pairs? It will be much safer to carry your son if I can walk properly.” Embarrassed, she showed her dismantled Louboutin.
“Yes, of course! Help yourself.”
Relieved, Lana put on a black and white pair. “I will take care of your son. What’s his name?” They were taking too much time, but she tried her best to rein in her impatience. It became urgent to reach the ground floor.
“Leo, but he doesn’t speak English, only Dutch. I’m Maya.”
“I can’t speak Dutch,” Lana said with a smile, “but we will make do. I’m Lana, and this is Honda san. Are you traveling alone?” They headed to the staircase.
