He shook his head and bent down. ‘What’s wrong? You’re better than this. You’re stronger than this.’
She closed her eyes for the briefest of seconds. When she opened them again he saw a whole host of vulnerability in the tiniest of flashes. ‘Welcome to my life, Avery. Just as well you don’t plan on being around too long. You’d have to get used to it, just like I have.’ Her voice was barely a whisper. The most fleeting of glances was taking the whole shine off their day.
He didn’t know where the words came from. They were just on his lips and out there before his brain had processed them. ‘And I would. Every. Single. Day.’
Both of them froze. He hadn’t meant to say them. Of course he would be leaving soon. He didn’t even know what this was.
Those deep brown eyes of hers were like a bottomless pool. They’d sparkled earlier. He liked them best like that. He wanted to bring that back. That was all this really was. That was all this could ever really be.
Her eyes blinked shut again for a second. He knew.
He knew she wasn’t really taking him seriously.
But when she opened them again it was as if she were giving herself a mental shake. She was putting it all behind her.
Part of his heart twanged as her mask slipped back into place and she smiled up at him.
He took a deep breath. It was time to get things back on track. ‘What do you have in store for me this afternoon?’
She stood up, arching her back and stretching. His eyes were instantly drawn to one place. Underwear didn’t appear to be required under the pyjamas. Any more thoughts like that and he’d need to find his jeans again.
She put her hands on her hips and looked at him. ‘Today is all about culture. I’m introducing you to some of the most famous Japanese pastimes.’
‘Do any of these pastimes involve food?’
She laughed. ‘You should know me by now. They all involve food. We’ve got a bit of a journey next. Why don’t we grab a drink and something to eat before we head out?’
She headed for the stairs and he followed close behind. He’d just spent ninety minutes in one of the hottest places he’d ever been, yet Katsuko still looked immaculate.
‘Did you even go into the bathhouse? How come your hair hasn’t frizzed in the steam? You don’t have a hair out of place.’
She turned in the stairwell and put a hand on his shoulder. Because of their position on the stairs her breasts were directly in his line of vision. Some things just couldn’t be complained about.
‘I told you. I’ve been coming here for years. It only takes me five minutes to fix my hair as they have hairdryers and straighteners in the changing room.’
‘You straighten your hair?’
She gave him an astonished look. ‘Every girl straightens her hair.’
He shrugged. ‘Good to know. Must have missed that one.’
They walked into the bar and sat at one of the tables. Avery went to pick up the menu but she put her hand on his. ‘Can I give you a recommendation?’
‘If I let you, can I claim a reward?’ The words came out instantly. He could feel the connection again. Feel the buzz between them. The truth was, it never seemed to go away. He couldn’t remember ever feeling like this.
But he could remember someone talking about it. His father. He’d always talked about feeling electricity between him and whatever number wife he was on. The trouble was, the electricity always shorted out. His father lost interest quickly and moved on.
Katsuko leaned across the glass-topped table towards him. He couldn’t imagine ever losing interest in her and he’d barely even scratched the surface. There was just that tiny little gnawing feeling that he didn’t want to end up like his father.
‘Has anyone ever told you that you can be quite cheeky?’
‘Has anyone ever told you that you bring out the best and the worst in them?’
She sat back a little, the smile dropping from her face. ‘I bring out the worst in you?’
His stomach churned. Wrong, wrong thing to say. He’d been thinking too much. Drawing comparisons with a man he’d never had anything in common with. He covered quickly, leaning across the table again and whispering, ‘You bring out lots of bad thoughts in me.’
There was a second of silence, then she smiled again as the waiter appeared. She spoke rapidly in Japanese to him and he nodded and disappeared.
‘What did you order?’
‘Two beers and two portions of prawn and pork pancake with caramelised onions and crispy noodles. Trust me, it’s delicious.’
He groaned. ‘I trust you already. It sounds delicious. How long will it take them to bring it out?’
‘Ten minutes.’ She tilted her head to one side. ‘This is the first time I’ve seen you out of work without your hat.’
His hand went automatically to his head. ‘I know. I had no idea where we might go. I know there are a lot of theme parks in Tokyo. I didn’t want to lose my hat on the first ride.’
‘You thought I might take you to a theme park?’
He held up one hand. ‘I had no idea. I thought you might be a bit of an adrenaline junkie.’
She frowned. It was obviously an expression she wasn’t familiar with.
He waved his hands. ‘You know, someone who likes motor racing, bungee jumping and parachuting.’
She shuddered. She actually shuddered. ‘Not a chance.’
He was amazed. ‘But at work you seem fearless—you don’t like theme parks?’
She counted off on her fingers. ‘I don’t like roller-coasters, I don’t like things that make you go upside down, things that shoot you into the air. I definitely don’t like ghost trains.’ She held out her hand and gave it a little shake. ‘I don’t mind simulator rides because I know they’re not real, and I might go on a water ride depending on how big the drop is.’
‘You’re really a big scaredy-cat. I’m so surprised.’
She shrugged as the waiter brought over their drinks. She took a sip from her beer bottle and gave him a wink. ‘Maybe I just like to surprise you.’
Was she joking? Pulling his leg because she wasn’t really scared of anything?
A gorgeous smell wafted towards them as the kitchen door swung open. He waited until the plates had been put down and the waiter had walked away. He picked up the chopsticks and wondered how on earth he could do this without getting into a mess.
Katsuko was staring at him as if she had something else on her mind. ‘You already surprised me,’ he said as he tried to grab some of the pork.
‘I did?’
‘You got me naked on our third date.’
* * *
This guy was going to drive her plain crazy. She hated to admit that she loved being in his company. But one minute he seemed to flirt like crazy and the next he seemed to back off. Yet if he did anything else as well as he kissed...
She had to keep reminding herself he’d been gentlemanly earlier. He hadn’t really meant what he’d said. He had been protective of her. And that was nice. It was kind. But she had to remember it wasn’t more than that.
She took him to the train station and listened to him talk about his favourite places in America for most of the journey. He was reluctant at first but she was glad that she’d asked. After a few questions his answers grew more passionate and she could see the love for the place reflected in his eyes. By the time they reached Komagome Station she knew that he loved the Lincoln Memorial, the Smithsonian and an original nineteen-fifties diner back in Ohio. The one thing she did notice was that his memories all seemed attached to his uncle—none of them were about his mother or father. It seemed odd. Her favourite places were always associated with the people she’d been there with, a few with her parents and a few with Don. None with her grandmother.
‘Your family must miss you,’ she said as they rode on the train.
He blinked. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You’ve been to lots of overseas bases. You’ve moved around a lot. Don’t they get tired of it all and ask when you’ll come home?’
It seemed a natural question. She knew it was one that Don would ask her if she moved base.
He hesitated. And in that second her insides curled up a little.
‘My family aren’t the most...traditional.’
‘And mine is?’
She could see him thinking about what to say. He met her gaze. ‘The picture you carry, of your mum and dad? I think it’s safe to say my mum and dad have never looked at each other like that. They weren’t a match made in heaven. In fact, both of them seem to have made it their life’s ambition to get married as many times as possible. My sister seems to be learning from their examples.’
She was stunned. The way he’d delivered the words made it clear this topic wasn’t really open for discussion. She licked her lips and said quietly, ‘People can make mistakes.’ They were pulling into the station.
Avery must have recognised the English signs as he stood up. ‘But wouldn’t it be nice if they learned from them?’ he muttered.
They walked out of the train station into the clean, fresh air.
‘Where are we?’ Avery looked around.
She pointed forward. She’d just glimpsed a tiny part of the man that was Avery Flynn. She was curious to know more. But not curious enough to press where she shouldn’t.
‘This is Rikugien. It’s my favourite Japanese garden in Tokyo. It is so peaceful you can easily forget that you are in the city.’ She held out her arms as they walked towards the entrance. ‘And we’ve come at the perfect time of year. It’s gorgeous in autumn when the maple trees turn a stunning blend of red and yellow. The only time of year it looks better is spring when all the pink cherry blossom is out.’
She turned and he was watching her carefully. ‘First a bathhouse and now a Japanese garden? You’re like a different person today, much more chill.’
She stepped up right under his nose and whispered, ‘Say the word, Avery, and I’ll take you shopping. I can guarantee complete and utter chaos.’
He slid his hand into hers. ‘I think I’ll stick with the Japanese garden.’
They wandered around the gardens for nearly an hour. The main part of the gardens had a large central pond surrounded by hills and trees. Katsuko led him to a bridge and stopped halfway. ‘Look over there. That’s garyu-seki.’
He wrinkled his nose as he stared at the half-submerged rock in the water surrounded by a whole array of turtles. ‘What does that mean?’
‘It’s called the sleeping dragon rock.’ She gave him a nudge. ‘If you close your eyes and squint a little it looks like a dragon.’ She couldn’t hide the hint of laughter in her voice.
He tilted his head from one side to the other, obviously trying to picture the rocks as a dragon. ‘It might have helped if they’d painted it.’
She laughed. ‘You’re supposed to use your imagination.’
He pointed to the widely dispersed small buildings surrounding the pond. ‘What are those?’
Something inside her fluttered. She’d had lots of different colleagues from all parts of the world. It wasn’t the first time she’d taken someone sightseeing around Tokyo, but sightseeing with Avery felt different than normal.
No one else had kissed her at the Hachiko Crossing. Most people wanted to go to sumo wrestling or one of the theme parks. She’d never really shown a colleague the things that she loved in Tokyo. The things that she would miss most if she ever left.
She stepped a little closer. ‘If I tell you, will you promise to behave?’
He put his hand on her hip, pulling her closer to him. ‘Me? Behave? After you’ve already gotten me naked?’
She shook her head. He was going to bring this up for ever. A little breeze blew between them, sweeping her hair across her face. His fingers reached up and stroked her face, catching the hair and tucking it behind her ear.
For a second she was lost. It was like an instant flash forward to something that would never exist. She’d kind of like to feel like this for ever. She could picture him in fifty years’ time, telling their family that Katsuko had got him naked on their third date.
She sucked in her breath sharply. Where had that come from?
‘You okay?’ He must have seen her moment of panic. His stubble brushed against her ear and she caught her breath again. Time to focus.
She nodded. ‘Those are Japanese tea houses. I thought you might like to visit one and see a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.’ She held up her hand. ‘But be warned. It takes just under an hour. You’ll have to learn some patience.’
He caught her unawares, leaning forward and brushing his lips against hers. ‘You’re teaching me everything I need to know about patience.’
If he hadn’t stepped back when he did she would have responded instantly, wrapping her arms around his neck and demanding to be kissed like before. Instead, he slipped his hand into hers again and gave it a little tug.
She pointed to the nearest tea house. ‘This is the one we’ll go to. It’s built from wood from the Meiji period. It survived the war.’
‘What’s the Meiji period?’
‘It was the late eighteen hundreds right up until the First World War.’
The free-standing tea house had a good view of the sleeping dragon, built in an arbour on a stream that ran through a gorge. The water fell down through the rocks, sending a light spray into the air, and a large collection of koi circled nearby. There was a tranquillity about the place—even though it was in the open air. Quiet noises of the lapping water, rustling leaves and forest wildlife echoed around them.
‘It’s beautiful,’ he whispered.
She smiled. ‘Yes. Yes, it is.’ She gestured towards the tea house. ‘We call them chashitsu.’ She pointed to a variety of exquisitely dressed women in traditional kimonos with their hair in intricate styles decorated with combs and ornaments. ‘And these are the teishu, the host and teachers of the tea ceremony.’
He looked amazed. ‘Are we going in there?’
‘We are. Now, take your shoes off and...’ she put her finger to her lips ‘...don’t speak.’
The teishu met them at the door and gave a little bow. The floor was covered with tatami mats. She invited them to sit down and Katsuko sat cross-legged on the floor and Avery joined her.
She loved the tea ceremony but she enjoyed it even more as she watched Avery’s face. She could see him itching to ask questions at every part of the ceremony. Even though it was called a ceremony it was more like a carefully choreographed dance.
The host ritually cleansed each item for the ceremony—the tea bowl, whisk and tea scoop, using prescribed motions, and then placed them in a precise order. The whisk was used to create a thin paste from water and a special type of powdered green Japanese tea called matcha. The paste was then whisked into a thick liquid.
This was the part of the ceremony that Katsuko loved. It was rhythmical, almost hypnotic, watching the liquid being whisked. Avery hardly moved. He was even breathing quietly as he watched everything intently. She slid her hand over next to his. He didn’t even blink but must have sensed it was there because his warm hand covered hers. His thumb found its way under her palm where he stroked softly, sending a whole host of tingles up her arm. No. She’d never felt like this at a tea ceremony before.
When the tea was ready it was served in the tea bowl—the same tea bowl used by everyone. Bows were exchanged and Avery followed her lead. She raised the bowl as a gesture of respect to the host. Katsuko rotated the bowl, took a sip, complimented the host then wiped the rim of the bowl clean and passed it to Avery.
; He mimicked her actions perfectly. He never even grimaced when he tasted the bitter tea.
When the ceremony was complete the teisha invited Avery to ask questions. And he did. More than Katsuko could ever have imagined. He’d paid attention to everything.
Every day this guy did something else to make her like him more.
An hour after the ceremony started it was finally complete. They emerged back out into the afternoon sun and had only taken a few steps when Katsuko’s phone buzzed.
She pulled it from her pocket and sucked in a breath. ‘Not again.’
Avery turned towards her. ‘What? What is it?’
She paused, well aware that she was about to ruin a perfectly good day. ‘I’m really sorry, but I’m going to have to go. It’s my grandmother.’
‘Is she sick?’ There was instant concern on his face.
She gritted her teeth. If she were sick, things would be more straightforward. She gave a wry smile. ‘Not sick, just cantankerous. She’s flung her carers out. She does this on a regular basis.’
He half smiled. ‘She what?’
Katsuko turned on the path to head back to the train station. ‘It’s like dealing with a toddler. At least I think it’s like dealing with a toddler. Every now and then she throws her carers out and texts me to complain. What it means for tonight is that there’s no one to make her dinner or get her ready for bed. I’ll need to go and help.’ She shook her head. ‘Then I’ll need to phone whoever she’s insulted this time and apologise.’
Avery kept pace beside her. ‘She does this a lot?’
‘Oh, yes.’ Katsuko was trying to calculate in her head the simplest way for Avery to get back to base. She pulled their tickets from her pocket.
‘I’ll tell you which line to get and where to change.’
He shook his head. ‘No, you won’t.’
She stopped walking. ‘Why?’
He stuck his hands in his pockets and kept walking. ‘Because I’m coming with you.’
She couldn’t hide her surprise. ‘What? No, you can’t. I mean, you don’t want to do that. You go back to base. I don’t know how long I’ll be. It’s not fair.’
One Kiss in Tokyo... Page 11
