“Why?” Breana narrowed her eyes at Savannah as if she’d just said something completely farfetched. “You’re a journalist, girl. If ever there was a story to find out, he is it.”
Savannah shook her head. It just felt very stalkerish to her, and uncomfortable. She knew herself when it came to guys, and knew very well that it was the ones that she was attracted to that she had to be careful of.
She’d never met anyone until now who she was super attracted to.
“I’ve been busy packing, and gathering my thoughts,” she decided to say.
“Oh please honey, at this rate you’ll have at least ten cats by the time you’re thirty-five.” Breana walked over to Savannah’s desk and started up the laptop.
“Breana, please. Don’t you think it’s a little weird?” Savannah rushed over to join her. Breana made a dismissive gesture and proceeded to log in. Savannah gave up arguing and fell into the chair next to her.
“Hey, is there any more ice cream?” Laura asked
When Savannah and Breana turned and shot her a withering glare her cheeks flushed a dusty rose color.
“Seriously Laura, I still can’t work out how you can finish a family-sized tub in minutes, and still want more?” Breana grimaced at her.
“I’m sorry, this stuff is just to die for,” Laura said when they both started laughing. “They won’t let me eat in the lab.” She was a scientist at Cervantes.
“There’s more in the freezer.” Savannah told her, pointing to the kitchen.
On hearing that, Laura rushed off to get more ice cream. Breana typed Hiroshi’s name into the Google search bar. Within seconds the page was filled with results.
“Where do we begin? Oh my gosh, let’s look at images.” Her eyes were wild with anticipation.
“Why don’t we look at the company details and stuff like that,” Savannah suggested, because that was perhaps a safer topic to look at, and talk about, if she spoke to him.
“No, that’s so lame-o.” Breana never listened in the best of times, what made Savannah think she would listen now? She watched her click on the images icon and soon the screen was littered with pictures of Hiroshi.
Her hands stilled probably about the same time that her heart stopped.
“You know when you said he looked like a model?”
“I was completely right,” Savannah answered mindlessly as her eyes glued to a shirtless picture of him that revealed the fantasy muscles she’d imagined when she met him. Her breath caught, and warmth spread throughout her as her eyes took sight of the inky-black Japanese characters that were tattooed down the left side of his chest. They disappeared beneath the waistband of the Levi’s he’d worn low. His definitive six pack was the flawless illustration of perfection.
“Whoa!” Laura gasped as she joined them. “Is that him?”
“It is indeed,” Breana cooed, gawking at him. “Someone open the window and the door, it just got super hot in here.”
Savannah’s eyes were still glued to the picture, taking every inch of him into her memory. She looked at his confident composure and the way his arm reached back against the wall he’d rested against. In his eyes he had that I’m so sexy, I could have you if I wanted look, which enthralled her even more.
Breana scrolled down the screen, revealing more pictures. A few were very businesslike and professional, but she couldn’t help noticing that the others were of him with various women. All very beautiful and gorgeous, looking like they’d just stepped out of a fashion magazine. Just like him.
There sure were a lot of women. It shouldn’t have surprised her. A guy like that either classed himself as single because he wanted to keep himself unattached and available for his admirers, or he had a girlfriend. She would never imagine him being single in the ordinary sense of the meaning. Like her.
Breana continued to scroll, and several pictures appeared of him with Jade Fox, who was not only a supermodel, but also one of the Victoria Secret Angels. Savannah’s eyes widened. This was why he’d looked familiar. She’d seen him in the tabloids. Jade Fox was always popular in the fashion world, and always in the news. There wasn’t a single fashion or beauty magazine that Savannah had read that didn’t have her in it.
“You’ve got to be at least curious about him,” Breana stated, glancing at her as she clicked onto a link which took her to an article.
“Sure.” Savannah nodded, she was definitely curious.
“What if he asked you out?” Breana whipped her hair around and looked at Savannah with wild excitement.
“You’re kidding right?” Savannah drew her brows together in an agonized expression. “Me? You saw the pictures of those girls, and you think I have a chance. Also, Jake embarrassed me to no end with the fat story, and then my parents told me, right in front of him, that I practically have no ambition in life.”
“Some guys like girls like that,” Laura offered.
“Laura.” Breana swatted her arm.
“It’s true,” Laura defended with a pout.
“Savannah you’re just as beautiful as any of those girls,” Breana said matter of factly.
Bless Breana for thinking that. Savannah had been told how beautiful she was countless times, but she thought she looked average. Breana was the one who was beautiful, with her bright, honey-colored eyes, thick mane of dark hair and perfectly sculpted figure. Savannah had always thought she was the splitting image of Tyra Banks. Laura was beautiful, too, with her piercing, sky blue eyes and golden blonde hair that made her look like she’d just stepped out of a fairytale. A little like Sleeping Beauty.
“I don’t have a chance, Breana. And I shouldn’t go there thinking I do. I’m going to Japan for the adventure and opportunity.” She smiled, reveling in the thought. She couldn’t wait to get there. She simply couldn’t.
“You know you can’t change my mind once I get an idea stuck in.” Breana wiggled her finger in front of her.
Savannah sighed. There really was no point arguing.
“I’m not going to let you end up with the lame, boring-as-hell guys you usually go for.” Breana cringed.
Savannah couldn’t argue with that, either, or even defend herself, for the matter. She bit her lip to stifle a grin and held her breath. The guys she’d been with had been lame and boring as hell.
There was Jack, her first boyfriend in high school. He was a total bookworm, whose idea of fun was going to the library, all the time. She’d stayed with him because her parents loved him, but boredom to death eventually got the better of her. Then there was Sean, the banker, who had no time for her. She’d stayed with him and let that drag out for far too long because her parents loved him. They had a very hard time believing her when she told them she caught him cheating on her.
Along came Tobias, the artist. Her parents absolutely adored him and were so sad when he left to live in Paris. They weren’t the kind of couple who would have been able to maintain a long distance relationship, and Savannah had just started working at The Bay News.
She stopped at Ben, who talked about ants and bees all day long like they were vital to him. Savannah struggled to remember what actually interested her about him. He was unattractive and extremely geeky. Her parents loved him. But, last year she quit him on the same evening that she quit the Bay. No more ants, or bees.
Just no more.
It wasn’t that she’d set out to create relationships that would never work or last. She, too, dreamed of finding true love, the same as most, but just hadn’t gotten around to it. She’d been so focused on her career that she just hadn’t tried.
The common denominator between all those guys was that her parents had loved them. Savannah had lived her life picking guys who she thought would meet their expectations, never hers. It was almost like a buffer so that they wouldn’t keep on at her about journalism. Perhaps in her subconscious, she’d felt that if she did something they wanted they would allow her to get on with what she loved.
She supposed relationships could be i
ncluded in the shakeup she’d given her life. So maybe instead of the typical, boring as hell, lame guys she picked, she should try for the bad-boy businessman who made her brain feel like scrambled eggs.
She laughed mentally at the thought. There’s no way she had an ounce of a chance with Hiroshi, but she had to agree that Googling him was definitely a real treat.
They spent the rest of the time looking at various articles. There was lots about the company, his love for fast cars, his family, something about his grandfather after he died and his bio. She found out he was thirty-six, went to Princeton and had a younger sister the same age as her who lived in Japan with their mother. His father lived between Japan and the U.S., as did his uncle and cousins who ran the other branches of the company. When it came to the articles showing how much money their family had, Savannah’s mind was blown away. Those kind of figures were completely inconceivable.
And, it wasn’t just the company they owned. They had a chain of Japanese restaurants across the world, and hotels with spa retreats. They had several yachts, and Savannah wouldn’t be surprised if they had a plot of land in heaven right next to the good Lord himself.
She caught a glimpse of their stately home in Yokohama, and she couldn’t believe she was going to be staying there. It would absolutely give her a good break from her claustrophobic, dinky apartment, which at the moment was cluttered with travel books hanging off the shelves and stacked in piles on the floor.
Her mind went back to Hiroshi, and she thought he appeared to be a heck of a lot different to what she saw of him online. The Hiroshi she met talked about stocks, shares, and computers. However, she read in an interview he did a couple of years back that he’d said he loved “fast cars and beautiful women,” when asked what was the most important thing in his life. The guy she met didn’t look like the kind of person who would say that.
There also seemed to be a lot of articles about him a few years ago, but nothing much in recent years. If there was anything, it was strictly work related, and what Laura had called boring. Nothing about fast cars and women like in the past, and sadly no half-naked pictures.
They browsed for a few more hours and decided to drag themselves away from the screen when they got hungry. They then ended the night with more pizza, ice cream, and a movie.
On Sunday the real adventure began. It was the day of her departure.
A limo came to pick her up just after three in the afternoon to take her to the airport. When Jake had told her he would send someone to get her, she definitely hadn’t expected to be travelling in style. She’d practically skipped into the car squealing with delight and had to take pictures, which she sent to her friends. Within seconds of posting, they both responded, wanting to see more.
Next was arriving at the airport. She was greeted by an elderly lady called Melissa, who wore a sharp-looking business suit and her hair cut low. She and another gentleman helped Savannah with her luggage, then guided her to a private exit.
She couldn’t restrain the gasp of surprise that escaped her lips as they got outside. Parked on a paved hangar-sized area alongside the airport’s international runway was a supersized private jet designed for those who wanted the best in life and a taste of finer things.
Today that was her.
Boarding the plane held even more fascination. Savannah was truly, truly impressed, and left utterly speechless as she stepped inside the plane. It looked exactly like an apartment. A very luxurious, well-furnished and serviced apartment. With wings.
It was like something out of Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous and made her apartment look like a garden shed. Melissa showed her around, taking her to the living area that was fitted with beige-and-white leather banquettes. Fine wool carpet covered the floor, reflecting the same coloring. That was complimented by top-of-the-line mahogany side tables and a sixty-four-inch widescreen TV mounted on one wall with surround-sound speakers, iPod docks and games consoles.
The kitchen was next door, and filled with an assortment of goodies. There was pizza, chocolates of different descriptions, a mini bar with more chocolate and goodies, and sweets galore. As if that wasn’t enough, there was also a hot chocolate machine and an espresso maker.
The last place Melissa took her to was the bedroom, which hosted a queen-sized bed, another TV and an en-suite bathroom.
“How many bedrooms does this plane have?” Savannah had to ask.
“It has five.” Melissa smiled, seeing how fascinated Savannah was.
“Five bedrooms.” Savannah widened her eyes at the thought. The plane was like a house for a family. Geez.
She wished her friends were here. They’d be running around trying to look at everything and could share her excitement.
“Make yourself completely at home. I’m leaving now, but if you need anything press the buzzer and Lincoln will assist you. He’s the co-pilot. I’m guessing your brother will be held up in meetings for most of the journey, but hopefully, you won’t be too bored.”
“Thank you. I’m sure I’ll be fine. It’s like a whole world in here,” she chuckled. She had hoped to see Jake, but meetings were just one of those things you had to understand, and there was no way she’d be bored.
Look at this place. She looked around taking in the design and oriental artwork on the wallpaper. Wallpaper, on a plane. She had to get a picture of that, and everything.
Melissa showed her a few more things and talked her through all the safety precautions before leaving her. Savannah then made herself comfortable in the living area as the journey began. She got cozy with her brochures and guidebooks on Japan, making a note of all the events that were taking place over the summer.
From what she could see, she couldn’t have been going at a better time because spring and summer in Japan was a total blast with the fantastic festivals they had, along with everything else.
Savannah wanted to go to every single one and see everything.
Chapter 4
What was the point of meeting only to go around in circles and come up with nothing? It was so frustrating. Hiroshi swore that talking to his father was like talking to a damn wall.
But it wasn’t just his father.
It was all of them.
He looked around the meeting room, at the stern expressions on his cousins’ faces. The two of them, both Kaito and Shinji, had the same look. Like they’d had this discussion before, and this was just a stage to see how things would play out.
Jake sat rigid next to Hiroshi and hadn’t said a word. Not a good sign, but a good indicator that they had definitely come up against a very high brick wall, and there was no way over or around it.
The budget for the training center had been cut down by more than half, and to add to that his father had given it a trial period of two years.
A trial period.
Nothing they ever did as a company would ever need a trial period, and the training center certainly did not.
He imagined it now. A year to get off the ground and a year to attract students. That wasn’t enough time. Even if they’d said five years. Now that would have been reasonable and not so obvious that they were all trying to get him to drop the idea altogether.
Hiroshi moved his focus from the overbearing monitor on the wall that displayed his father, suited up in his office in Tokyo. He looked over to the window and gazed ahead at the wisps of white clouds hanging lazily in the sky as the plane sliced through them.
A terrible sense of bitterness assailed him, sinking his spirit. Mindlessly, he ran his finger along the edge of the black glass surface of the long meeting table that took up most of the room.
He’d proposed the idea for the center early last year after going to a business conference where Apple and IBM had announced their new courses for their technicians. Both were Fujita Tech’s greatest competitors, and one reason why they were so great was that they invested in their brand in every way. They had courses so that technicians and computer engineers knew how to handle their operat
ing systems. That meant that they could expand on their systems and make them more available to everyone, worldwide.
He’d thought, why couldn’t Fujita Tech do the same? Like every other technological company, they provided state of the art software programs and anything technology related, but a training center would put them in the running with the other big brands and move them along at the pace that technology was going. They were also developing their own operating system that would rival all that currently existed. Having a training center that could provide training on their current and future technology would definitely be in their best interest.
Hiroshi even got the planning permission to start work on the old rubber factory in North Tokyo, and certification to run it as an educational establishment. All he had to do now was put everything together, but now this had happened.
This wasn’t a meeting; it was a face off. Three to two. The ceiling light that illuminated the room, flickering at intervals, only served to enhance the tension.
It was surprising that Uncle Minato hadn’t joined into the teleconference. Had he done so he would have probably sat right there next to his father, and most assuredly sided against Hiroshi.
How long had they been talking for? Hours. Going over things that wouldn’t matter.
The whole scenario reminded him of the uproar after his grandfather passed away, and the sneaky, covert meetings that used to take place. All in an attempt to get rid of him. Anger knotted inside him at the thought that they were still trying. He didn’t know why he thought they’d stopped and had given him a chance.
His grandfather had specifically written into his will that the only way the company could be taken from Hiroshi was if he expressly gave it back. He must have preempted the repercussion to follow, and while Hiroshi had exhibited complete disregard for the company when he was alive, he must have known that would change, too.
Everyone expected Hiroshi to give the company back after his grandfather’s death. They even had an official meeting with him, with all the release forms to sign. They got the absolute shock of their lives when he tore the forms in half then excused himself and Jake so they could get on with work.
I Only Have Eyes For You Page 4
