Sammy in Japan (Single Wide Female Travels #8)

by Lillianna Blake

  “Really?” I tried not to think about the spit all over the gum and took it from her. I wedged it between the sole of my shoe and the broken heel. Surprisingly, it fit very snugly into place. I tested my weight on it and found that it held steady. “Thanks a lot, Yuki. That’s a good tip.”

  “No problem. I’ll translate for you during the talk if you like.”

  “I’d like that very much. I was worried that maybe some people wouldn’t be able to understand me.”

  “It’s pretty common here to speak English as well as Japanese, but it doesn’t hurt to have a translator just in case.”

  “Perfect. You’ve really made this such an easy time for me.”

  “It’s because I want something from you after the book signing.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

  “Uh. What?”

  “I’ll tell you after.” She offered a sweet smile, then walked over to begin seating people who’d arrived for the book signing.

  I didn’t have much time to be nervous as the crowd filled in quickly. I thought about the vast difference between the cardboard cutout at the door and the reality of me in my pencil skirt.

  As I began to speak, Yuki stood near the podium and translated what I said into Japanese. I found it hard to pay attention to my own words because the language sounded so interesting to me.

  “One of the things I enjoy about Tokyo is how friendly people are. I really want to say thank you for being so welcoming.”

  I continued by sharing one of the chapters from my book. As I spoke I noticed a little laughter. I started to wonder if maybe some of what I’d said wasn’t translating well into Japanese.

  I tried to be more simple in my speech. As I continued, more laughter began to spread throughout the audience. My cheeks grew hot. I didn’t know what the laughter was about, but it was hard to believe that it wasn’t about me.

  As I finished my talk, someone stood up in the back of the audience and waved something in the air. It took me a moment to figure out what it was. When I did, panic set off a wave of dizziness. The laughter increased as the woman continued to wave the underwear back and forth like a flag. All of my worst fears were coming true.

  This wasn’t a misunderstanding. This wasn’t me overreacting to implied dislike. This was all-out heckling, and the underwear meant that somehow the story of my bathroom troubles had gotten out to the rest of the world.

  I gripped the podium so tight that my fingers ached. I had a choice. I could either run off crying, or I could face my fear and find a way to make it better. After a few quick breaths I cleared my throat.

  “Oh, are those yours?” I smiled. “Very nice. It reminds me of the first time I encountered the toilets here in Japan. I just have to tell you that toilets in America are not nearly as complicated. Let’s just say, I left a restaurant with my underwear in my purse.” I laughed as I looked out to the women sitting before me.

  “Have any of you ever had an embarrassing experience like that? I think many of us live in fear of being embarrassed. I know I used to—but I’ve learned to embrace it. Embarrassing things happen and it’s not the end of the world. In fact, many times we can learn from these moments. Either we learn to pay more attention to the buttons on the wall, or we learn to have a better sense of humor about life. If we can’t laugh at ourselves, that’s a sure sign that we are taking life far too seriously. Don’t let fear of making an embarrassing mistake stop you from doing anything you desire.”

  Despite the heckler’s attempt to disrupt me, the audience applauded my words and the book signing still felt like a success. If I’d run off in hot tears, there wouldn’t have been any applause.

  I watched as Max walked up to the person who’d started it all. He had a few words with her, then directed her to the door.

  As soon as she was gone I opened up the question and answer portion of the evening.

  Chapter 11

  Many of the questions were familiar, but one took me off guard.

  “So are you planning to start another book tour soon?”

  “No, I think this will be it for a little while.” I hadn’t even thought of going on another book tour.

  “When will the new book be finished?”

  “I plan to speed up work on that when we get back home and settled in.”

  “Do you have an exact timeline on the book?” another person asked.

  “No, not yet. As soon as I do, I’ll update everyone on my blog.”

  As the questions continued I realized that I didn’t have a lot of answers. In fact, many of them illuminated my lack of a plan. Yes, I liked living in the moment, but the moment of the book tour was quickly passing and I had no idea what it would lead to next.

  After I signed books, Max caught me by the arm and pulled me off to the side.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Sure.” I smiled at him. “Thanks for having my back.”

  “I’m sorry that it happened.”

  “I’m not. It was kind of funny actually.”

  “Samantha! What a great job tonight.” Yuki walked up to me and gave me a slight hug.

  “Thanks, Yuki. It was great having you there to translate everything.”

  “Sorry about the heckler. There’s always one in the crowd.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “Now remember that favor I asked you for?”

  “Yes.” I braced myself.

  “You absolutely must do karaoke with me tonight.”

  “Karaoke? In a bar or something?”

  “It’s called a karaoke box. They’re all over Tokyo. For one price you get drinks and you get to sing your heart out. Sounds like fun, right?”

  “Maybe.” I did my best to hide a yawn. “Today’s been a little adventurous for me.”

  “Please, just one night out? All my friends will be there, and they’re dying to meet you.”

  “Okay.” I smiled. “If it’s for you, Yuki—anything.”

  “Fantastic.” She clapped her hands. “My mother will close things up here. Just give me a few minutes to change.”

  “This is going to be fun.” Max grinned. “I can’t wait to hear you sing your heart out.”

  “Max, you know I can’t sing.”

  “You can too. You just tell yourself you can’t.”

  “Max.”

  “Sammy.” He looked into my eyes. “I think your singing is beautiful.”

  “Good, because I intend to do a duet.”

  “With Yuki?

  “No, with you.” I poked him square on the nose. “And I get to pick the song.”

  “Aw, Sammy. I don’t know about that.”

  “I do.” I smiled and kissed his cheek. “It’s going to be fun, remember?”

  “Yes, I remember.” He sighed and kissed me lightly on the mouth. “I guess I’d better start practicing.” He began to sing a high note.

  “Wow, you’re very talented.” Yuki bounded back into the room, although I almost didn’t recognize her.

  She wore big pink puffballs in her hair and something that could have been a sailor suit if it weren’t doll sized. I blinked as I took in the outfit.

  “I know it’s a little much, but it’s the thing right now—funky, fun, cute.” She grinned.

  “It’s a very interesting style.”

  “I’m glad you think so! I got you one too.” She held up a bag.

  “What? No, I don’t think I could wear that.”

  “Why not?” She grinned. “Don’t you want to blend in?”

  I wasn’t sure how bright pink could blend in, but neither did I want to hurt Yuki’s feelings.

  “Okay, I’ll try it on, but if it doesn’t fit, I’m not going to wear it.”

  “There’s a room where you can change over there.” She pointed to a hall at the back of the shop.

  I wasn’t sure that the outfit would fit. It was skin tight on Yuki she’d probably guessed too small when choosing a size for me.

  When I changed and looked in the mirror on the back of
the door, I was greeted by a surprising version of myself. Unless it was Halloween, I didn’t usually get too wild with my clothing choices. Bright colors, interesting style maybe, but not a sailor suit.

  The full effect of the outfit made me look about ten years younger. I flashed back to a time when everything about me was awkward and insecure. Why couldn’t I rock this outfit? I had every right to have as much fun as Yuki did.

  I stepped out of the room with a renewed sense of pride.

  “Wow! I might like this better than the anime version.” Max wrapped his arms around me. “You look amazing.”

  “You really do.” Yuki piped up from beside him. “Selfie!” She drew us both close and snapped a picture of all of us together. “Let’s go, the taxi is waiting!”

  Chapter 12

  We piled into the taxi and were off into the bright city lights of Tokyo. I drank in all the flashing, the multi-colored glows, and the assortment of large screens filled with advertisements.

  “You’re going to love this. It’s a great way to let loose and relax.”

  “Thanks, Yuki. I probably would have just gone home and curled up in bed. I’m glad you talked me into going out.”

  “Some of the things you talk about on your blog really hit home with me—like always having fun. I want to do fun things all the time now. I don’t want to be bored, or staring at the television, or waiting for something to happen to me. So I haven’t found a boyfriend yet, but I can’t find him at home. The more I go out, the better chance I’ll have of meeting someone amazing.”

  “I’m sure you will. And you’re right, it’s so easy to fall into the rut of routine and forget that there’s an entire world out there just waiting for you to explore.”

  “Here we are.” Yuki paid the fare and we stepped out of the taxi.

  Until that moment I’d forgotten all about the broken heel of my shoe. When I stepped down onto the curb, the gum no longer held and I lost my balance. This time Max was too busy snapping a picture of one of the nearby buildings to notice, and Yuki had run ahead to greet her friends.

  As I tumbled to the sidewalk, a wave of dizziness washed over me that took my breath away. My knees hit the hard surface with a small shock of pain that made my head stop spinning. I blinked a few times, then started to push myself to my feet.

  “Sammy! Are you alright?” Max grabbed my hand and helped me up.

  “I forgot that my shoe was broken.” I sighed as I tugged the shoe off my foot. “I think I might be too tired for this. I got really dizzy when I fell.”

  “It’s all the lights and the noise. Do you want me to take you back to the hotel?”

  I looked ahead at Yuki with her friends gathered around her. They were all just as outlandishly dressed and enthusiastic.

  “No, I don’t want to disappoint Yuki. I’m sure I’ll feel better once we get inside.”

  “Okay, just lean on me.”

  I hugged his arm as I hobbled my way toward Yuki.

  Yuki turned and waved to me as we walked up.

  “See! I told you she would come!” She clapped her hands and grinned at her friends.

  All her friends greeted me and I learned their names in such a flurry that none of them stuck. But it didn’t matter. They were beautiful young women who wanted to spend an evening with me, just because I’d written a book.

  It was a reminder that my career wasn’t just about making money. It was also about being an example for my fans—a proud and confident woman who lived up to her ideals.

  Once we were settled inside I did feel calmer. The music was upbeat and the drinks were fizzy and sweet. Since I was already quite tired, I avoided anything with alcohol and just stuck to the virgin versions of my favorite drinks. It was a definite break from my clean eating, but the sugar gave me a buzz that renewed my energy somewhat. I knew it meant that later I might crash, but at least I could have fun for the moment.

  Yuki stormed the stage first. Our stage wasn’t private. There were a few others around us, but they were far enough apart that we had the illusion of privacy. When Yuki began to sing I was blown away by her voice.

  She sang some songs in Japanese and others in English. Her friends joined her on stage and they did a group number that was made even more entertaining by their laughter and expressions. The way they interacted together with playful jabs and tolerance gave me the impression that they’d been friends for a long time.

  When Yuki finally stepped off the stage, her skin was covered in sweat. I was inspired by how much fun she’d had and hoped my experience might be the same.

  “Your turn!” She thrust the microphone at me.

  “Alright, let’s do this!” I climbed up on stage, barefoot and ready to sing as loud as I could. As soon as the lyrics flashed on the screen, however, I realized they were in Japanese. I stared at the symbols on the screen and had no idea what to sing. As the music continued to play, I decided to just make up some words. What came out of my mouth sounded good at first, but then became very silly.

  “Traveling from sea to sea, it’s good to be me. Got my honey with me, going to live my life to be happy…it’s good to be me—got my honey with me.”

  Yuki and her friends stared at me while Max burst out laughing. He climbed onto the stage beside me and began to dance to my strange lyrics.

  “Nothing’s going to get me down. I’m going to keep on smiling as long as I don’t fall down…I’ll just keep styling. Might need to change my underwear, but that’s okay. Now I’ve always got a spare and I can be naked in an onsen all day!”

  As the nonsense words continued to spill from my lips a few more people gathered around our stage. Maybe it was Max’s dancing, or the fact that I was probably coming across as quite intoxicated, that led a small audience around us to be entertained.

  Soon Yuki and her friends climbed up on stage with me too. We all began chanting the same silly verse together and by the time the music stopped my stomach hurt from laughing.

  “That was great.” Max kissed my cheek. “And yes, you’ve got your honey with you. Always.”

  Not long after we climbed down from the stage I rested my head on Max’s shoulder. I listened to the music and the voices of the people singing.

  “Sammy, let me take you home.” Max kissed my forehead.

  “No, I’m fine. Let’s stay.”

  “You were snoring.” He grinned. “I’m taking you home.”

  “Okay, that’s probably a good idea. I think I’ve had too much sugar.”

  Chapter 13

  In the taxi on the way home I tried to get comfortable. No matter how I shifted I couldn’t get my stomach to settle down. I started to wonder about some of the drinks I’d had. I hadn’t tasted any alcohol, but they were so sweet— maybe I didn’t notice.

  Max helped me into our room and settled me on the futon, then he sat down beside me and pulled his shoes off. I listened to each thunk as they hit the floor. My stomach churned a little more.

  “Max, we really don’t have any plans, do we?”

  “Plans?”

  “About what comes next after the book tour.”

  “Not really. I thought you liked it better that way.”

  “I do, but maybe we need to have some idea.”

  “Okay.” He shifted on the bed and met my eyes. “What do you think? Are you going to spend the next year on the next book?”

  “I guess. I think I could use some calm after all this. I think tonight proved that I’m not that young anymore.” I laughed.

  “You’re young.” He brushed his fingertips along my cheek. “But we have been on the go nonstop. It might be good to have a year where we just relax, work, and get your next books out. After that, we can start thinking about other things.”

  “Like another book tour? This one has been quite an adventure.”

  “Yes, it has, but that’s not exactly what I mean.”

  “Oh?”

  “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you brought up before—abo
ut starting a family. I’m getting more used to the idea. I think we could use this next year to prepare. Maybe figure out our parenting styles, what we’ll do for education and—well, you know—all the conversation that goes along with the decision to start a family.

  “Max, that’s a great idea. That will give us plenty of time to get used to the idea as well. It would be great to have a few more books added to the series before we shift into baby mode.”

  “See? Now we have a plan.” He kissed me. “I have a plan for you tonight too.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes. You need to rest, drink water, and get all that sugar out of your system. We leave for Kyoto the day after tomorrow, remember?”

  “Yes, I do. I’m sure I’ll be fine by then. But I will drink and rest. What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to make sure that there’s nothing on the Internet that shouldn’t be.” He winked at me. “I’ve got your back.”

  The thought was comforting, even though it would be impossible for him to find everything that might be online. Still, the fact that he was going to try filled me with gratitude.

  I started to sit up to grab my bottle of water, but another wave of dizziness hit me. I chugged the bottle and collapsed back against the bed. The exhaustion of the day sunk into every cell of my body. My eyes closed and I could still hear the silly chant of the song we’d sung playing through my head.

  The next morning as soon as I opened my eyes, I wished that I hadn’t. I closed them again as if I might be able to ignore the churning in my stomach and fall back to sleep. I thought back through what I’d eaten the day before. We’d had a few snacks at the karaoke bar, none of which I’d recognized. It was either that, or I really had ingested way too much alcohol without even realizing it.

  “Up and at ’em, Sammy. We’ve got to get going if we’re going to hit all our spots today.” Max bounced down on the bed beside me.

  “Oh no.” I clamped my hand over my mouth. “Please don’t move.”

  “You’re sick?” He brushed the hair back from my face. “Wow, you look pretty pale. Do you want me to get you some crackers or something?”