Hiroshi took it. “What’s this?”
“Fujita Technologies, as a company can only have a maximum of three directors and a minimum of one. Your grandfather did it that way to maintain tight control. He didn’t want too many cooks.” He seemed to contemplate his next words. “So, it was always me, your uncle, and your grandfather. Until he died. As I was the eldest I was trusted with the task of making new appointments. That document details your appointment as a new director, taking your grandfather’s place. I’m really hoping you’ll accept.”
Hiroshi looked down at the envelope in his hand and just stared at it in utter disbelief.
In all the time he’d worked and taken care of the company he never imagined something like this happening. It would never have even crossed his mind because he knew it was impossible to conceive.
He looked back up to his father and saw the eagerness on his face. He looked eager for him to accept.
“You’ll have control with your uncle and me over all branches—Washington, New York, LA and Tokyo—and no one will have the power to question your actions or ideas. And if they do,” his mouth tilted into a small smile as he could only be referring to Hiroshi’s uncle. “They’ll have me to answer to because you’ll always have my vote. What do you say, son? Please, can you give me another chance?”
Hiroshi searched his father’s eyes and found nothing but love and respect there. Savannah was his number one priority, but yes he could give his father a chance.
He nodded. “Yes. Yes, I can. Thank you.” As he spoke, he saw the appreciation in his father’s eyes, and when he moved to hug him, Hiroshi fell into his embrace.
“No, thank you.” His father rested his hand on his shoulder as he pulled back. “And, you don’t have to live with any form of guilt anymore. There is nothing to feel guilty for,” he said pointedly. He reached out and patted Hiroshi’s head like he used to when he was so young he could just about remember the gesture. He thought he must have been about seven or eight. “You’ve more than proven yourself to me, and your grandfather would have been proud of the man you’ve become.”
Hiroshi bit the inside his lip to hold in the emotion that suddenly swept over him. He’d been carrying that guilt around for so long that it had become part of him. He’d always, always feel terrible for choosing to race instead of seeing his grandfather one last time, but maybe one day he could truly let go. It would help now that he had his father’s support.
“No, go, go get your girl back.” His father smiled. “I’m sorry for whatever reason you lost her. I think I speak for your mother, myself and Sakiko when I say we look forward to seeing you both.”
It meant a lot to him to hear that. It gave him strength. He just hoped he could indeed get his girl back.
Hiroshi stared after him as he left, his skin tingling as it all sunk in. He had to sit to steady his mind.
Jake came back into the room with a wide smile on his face. “So, Director Rosh, how does it feel?”
“You heard?”
“Of course, and yes I was totally listening.” Jake laughed. “Looks like a happy ending to me.”
Hiroshi shook his head. “Not yet. Not just yet.”
His happy ending was with Savannah.
* * *
“Judge C, could we have some more ice cream please?” Laura asked in a meek voice looking wanly at Savannah’s mother.
Breana laughed and shook her head. “You mean you. Not we.”
“Leave the poor child alone. In this house, we eat,” Savannah’s mother retorted, flicking her wrist at Breana.
“She’s had two tubs already.” Breana giggled. “If she continues she’s going to turn into ice cream.”
Savannah offered a small smile, trying to put her best face forward. After all, they were all here for her.
Her mother had invited them for a girly evening. All an attempt to cheer her up. It was nice having them around her, and yes it did cheer her up. To some extent.
Being back in San Francisco felt strange, and she felt entirely out of place. That was strange, too. Coming home should always be a good feeling, but maybe it didn’t when home no longer felt like home. She blamed Japan for that. Savannah got too comfortable there.
She was too distraught to go back to her apartment, so she’d gone to her parents’ house to stay for a while.
They’d taken exceptional care of her and did all they could to help her feel better. Her mother, in particular, had gone over and above herself. She’d made Savannah breakfast in bed every day, gave her extravagant lunches and gourmet meals, and even tried to take her shopping.
The shopping attempt had been terrible because Savannah just couldn’t bring herself to go and had slumped into a walking fashion disaster over the last week with her messy bun and assortment of fluffy sweaters.
And now there was this girly evening. Her mother had served up her favorite Mexican feast of enchiladas, quesadillas and one hell of a size nacho mountain. She also bought six flavors of ice cream, which Laura had been grateful to hear, and made a pineapple upside down cake—Breana’s favorite.
All this effort, just for her. She was starting to feel bad that she wasn’t feeling better already.
She watched her mother rush off to the kitchen and return with a large tub of strawberries and cream ice cream.
“Is this okay, Laura?” she asked.
Laura’s eyes lit up and went wide. “It’s beautiful.”
Savannah offered another smile. She was trying. Really trying. It was just that right now she would have preferred to go to her room and cry. Again.
At least she’d finished her article. It took time, but it was done.
She also read through the email that Brian had sent with all the information for the jobs. They were offering her the staff position on a starting salary of fifty thousand a year. Nearly double what she was getting at The Bay. That would increase by five percent each year. And if she went down the freelance route they’d pay her three thousand dollars for each issue. Each issue had to have a minimum of five articles, which was no problem, and she had to do a minimum of eight articles a year.
Both were amazing opportunities, but she still hadn’t decided yet. She was aware that she had until the end of the month—and that was in two days—but was waiting till she had more strength and could see clearer. She didn’t know when that was going to happen.
Every time she went to email Brian to accept the staff position by default she remembered how easily she would have turned it down for Hiroshi, and that she still would.
She still loved him even though…
Even though he never loved her.
Despair lived in the cave of her lonely soul, and she didn’t know when she was going to feel normal again. She was a woman who needed to face some harsh realities.
But she couldn’t do it now.
Feeling the tears coming again she pulled herself up off the sofa and stood up.
“I’m going to get started on the dishes,” she said. They all gave her that look she’d been getting a lot of lately. One of concern, and pity. They felt sorry for her.
She would, too, if she were them.
“Sweetie, why don’t you rest up and I’ll do that,” Breana offered, smiling warmly at her. “I’ve done the least since I’ve been here. And all Laura does is eat.”
“No,” Laura said through a mouth full of ice cream, eliciting a knowing look from Savannah’s mother.
“It’s cool. I said I would earlier. You guys should put the film on. I’ll come and join you when I’m done.” They were going to watch Clueless, one of her favorites.
“Okay. Call us if you need any help,” her mother said. She gave her a wink, showing her understanding of Savannah’s need to be alone. Savannah nodded her appreciation and went to the kitchen.
A small tear ran down her cheek just as she entered. She wiped it away and clamped down on her lips to hold back the rest. The tears had to stop soon, right? How much did a person have to cry before they were empt
y? She was even beginning to annoy herself.
She walked over to the sink and started to gather the plates they’d used earlier for cake. As she started placing them in the dishwasher, she caught sight of a postcard she’d sent her parents from Japan. It was of the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto. She’d bought it on the day she was there.
The day when Hiroshi first kissed her, and truly swept her of her feet.
Everything had taken off from there, moving so fast she could barely keep up. She shook her head trying to mentally shake the memory.
Best to forget.
Forget everything.
Better to pretend it never happened than to remember it did. People say it’s better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all. She didn’t believe that.
She would have preferred not to have loved at all. It was too painful to lose it all. So very painful.
She loved Hiroshi with all her heart, and she’d loved Japan. Now both would bode painful memories for her.
But how could she just forget? How could she forget him?
Feeling the tears running down her cheeks she turned around to grab the box of Kleenex she’d seen on the shelf, and jumped at the sight of Hiroshi standing by the kitchen door. She gasped bringing her hands to her cheeks.
Oh God.
She’d gone mad.
She’d stayed in her depressive state for far too long, bringing on some type of psychosis where she was hallucinating.
She watched him walk closer to her. He seemed so real. But he couldn’t be. Hiroshi was supposed to be in Washington, or maybe Japan. She didn’t know.
What she did know was that where ever it was he was supposed to be, it wasn’t in her parents’ kitchen in San Francisco.
And, why would he be here?
He stopped in front of her, towering over her with his height in that assertive way he had. The sight of him, real or not, made her heart leap within her chest.
For one brief moment she forgot all that had happened, her mind just zoned out, and all she wanted to do was throw herself into his arms the way she used to. It was all the more believable when he reached out to cup her face and covered her lips with his, soul kissing her until she felt weak.
It was only then that she realized he was real, and her eyes widened.
He moved back, pulling out of the kiss slowly, and stared deeply into her eyes while he still held her face.
“Hiroshi?” Her poor voice shook. His warm brown eyes gazed back at her with what she could only describe as love.
But it couldn’t be, he didn’t love her.
“Please, please tell me there’s some part of you that’s still mine.”
She narrowed her gaze at him, confused.
His eyes pled with her, and while she knew the truth she didn’t know if she should say it. He’d hurt her so much already as it was, and her heart couldn’t handle any more pain.
“Savannah,” he took hold of her shoulders and really looked at her, pleading. “Please, tell me there’s some part of you that’s still mine.” A small tear ran down his cheek.
It was this that released her tongue.
“Always.” She spoke through her own tears, exposing her heart again. “But I don’t understand.” She backed away out of his grasp. “Why are you here, Hiroshi?” Her stomach clenched, and she found herself unable to breathe.
“I came for you,” he confessed.
She gazed at him, stunned. “Why?”
His expression filled with an air of determination as he looked down at her. “Savannah, I made a big mess of things between us. I did.” He shook his head.
“I don’t understand.”
He pulled in a breath and sighed. “That day when we were in Fuji when you got the offer from the magazine, I was going to ask you to move in with me. I thought that we could get a nice place together.” He offered a small smile.
What? She narrowed her eyes at him remembering that day so well. It was less than two weeks ago.
He’d said he had something important to ask her and after Brian called he’d said it was about going to the beach. She’d had a feeling then that he couldn’t have just wanted to talk about the beach, but she was too overwhelmed by everything to mention it.
He pulled in a breath. “Then all that stuff happened with the company, and all I could think of was what you were giving up to be with me when things for me had just become a bigger mess. When that happened, I couldn’t see a way to manage everything. I…only broke up with you because I wanted you to take the opportunity with the magazine. Because you wanted it more than anything. I couldn’t allow you to give that up for me.”
She looked up at him, understanding what he was saying, but finding it difficult at the same time to hold back the anger that suddenly gripped at her.
Her mind had been through torture. Her body had been through torture. She was completely weak from it all, and so was her poor heart.
“You told me I saw more to our relationship than what was really there.” She searched his eyes as they clouded with guilt. No words on earth could ever express how hurt she was when he said that. Those words had shut her down.
With the same air of determination he exhibited when he first came in, he took both her hands into his. Just the feel of his hands touching hers quickened her pulse and sent that warmth to her heart that gave her awareness of its existence.
“I didn’t mean it.” He shook his head. “None of that was true. It killed me to say it. I thought I was doing what was best for you. You have to believe me. I just…didn’t want to prevent you from accomplishing your dreams.”
More tears streamed down her cheeks. “You destroyed me that day, Hiroshi. The stupid magazine didn’t matter to me at all,” she lashed out.
The thought of it all upset her, but relief diffused the anger. It was a strange feeling, like being on one of those crazy roller coaster rides as it twisted and turned you, and took away every sense of control you had.
“I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry. What I wanted to really say was this: run away with me. Run away with me and be mine forever, so we can start a life together away from everyone and everything because I love you. I love you, Savannah, and it wasn’t something I just realized. I always felt it. You captured my heart as soon as we met. Right here.” Her eyes never left his as he poured out his soul to her, filling hers with new life as he told her he loved her. “I’m so ashamed that I hurt you so much.”
She was unable to speak. Her breath hinged against the constriction that had built up within her chest from the overwhelming spin of emotion that elevated her mind and soul.
“Please, can you forgive me and take me back?”
As if she could say no to the only man she knew she would ever love in this lifetime. An uncontrolled flutter of laughter escaped her lips at the absurdity of the question.
“Please tell me that’s a good laugh.” He looked uncertain and worried.
“Yes. And yes I can forgive you and take you back. I love you.” It wasn’t hard to say.
“You love me?” He looked like it meant everything to hear her say that to him.
He looked like how she felt.
“I do.”
“I love you, too, and I promise I will never hurt you ever again.” He cupped her face again and wiped away the tears that continued to stream down her cheeks. He then smiled down at her with sparkling eyes. “Savannah, you have to take the job. Take the staff position. Don’t freelance anymore. It won’t be the same.”
“But, that puts us right back to the problem of never seeing each other.” It did.
All she wanted was to be with him, and she had him. After the nightmare time she just had there was no way she was going to do anything that would put her in that position ever again.
“I think you’ll find that we’ll see each other practically every day,” he chuckled lightly.
She narrowed her eyes, not understanding. “Hiroshi, how will we see each other every day if I’m flying around t
he Caribbean?”
“I’m coming with you,” he declared brightly.
She gasped, and her hands flew up to her mouth in intense astonishment. “What?”
His smile dazzled, and he looked proud. “I’m coming with you.”
“How is that possible?” she shrieked.
“It’s a long story I’ll tell you all about later, but in short I quit the company. Then my dad gave it back to me to have complete control over, so now I get to do what I want, and I want to go traveling with you. The training center can take care of itself. I may have to be present at either place from time to time, but I can mostly work remotely and be with you a hundred percent. I can be there while you write about your adventures.”
“Oh my gosh,” she gasped. “I can’t believe you’d do all that for me.”
“Of course I would. So please, will you take the job? I’m totally getting excited here to see the Caribbean. Imagine dancing on the beach in Cuba, or the Dominican Republic.”
She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. “Thank you so much. I’ll take it.”
He held her against him, close to his heart. “Good. You deserve it.” She looked up at him and saw that his expression became more serious, nervous even. “Now I have something to ask you.”
“Yes,” she gloated with a small laugh, not wanting him to be nervous to ask her anything.
“You don’t know what I’m going to say,” he protested with a hearty laugh.
“But I know I’ll say yes.” She smiled, hoping he would ask her to move in with him. That would be over-the-moon fantastic and definitely a dream come true. Moving in together was a very big statement that symbolized their love and devotion to each other. It showed they were serious and she could only wish that their relationship could develop into more than that.
“This is something you’ll want me to ask you.” He nodded with a lopsided grin.
“Okay, I’ll just pretend I have to consider it. I’ll even say hmmm.” She smiled, feeling the lightheartedness of her old self coming back. It was very refreshing.
“Okay.” He pulled in a deep breath. She thought he looked more nervous than back in Fuji.
She started thinking about where they would live and what kind of house they would get. But, her heart just about jumped out of her chest when he lowered to one knee and reached into his jacket pocket to retrieve a soft pink suede box.
I Only Have Eyes For You Page 32
