Blossoms of The Heart

by Khardine Gray

  “See you later, Phoebe.” Scott smiled at Phoebe.

  She blushed at his obvious admiration of her.

  “See you.” She smiled.

  There was no greater war leader and strategist than Chinese military general Sun Tzu.

  His philosophy in his book The Art of War was spot on and didn’t just apply to war. It applied to life too.

  The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. I was a firm believer in that. That’s why people thought I was scary because I used my fist when necessary.

  The other times like now only required a look.

  Scott went to smile at me as he passed by with Kenny.

  “Aren’t you joining us?” He was foolish enough to talk to me.

  I cocked a brow and continued to stare, and stare and stare.

  Scott looked confused. He opened his mouth to talk but stopped himself.

  “Come on, man. Tai needs sleep. Lots of it.” Kenny chuckled, resting a hand on Scott’s shoulder.

  “What’d I do?” Scott muttered.

  Thank fuck he at least knew that he’d done something to piss me off. Akito may own the place but they knew that next to him I was boss.

  They continued walking out the door.

  I looked back to Phoebe and saw she’d started packing up her things.

  In complete idiot mode, I jumped up out of my chair and went over to her. I knew I was just stirring the pot and could have saved myself from making things worse but I couldn’t help myself.

  “Hey, how’s the journal coming on?” I asked when I got up to her desk.

  My presence startled her. That’s how much she’d blocked me out. It was as if I wasn’t even here.

  “I’m still stuck.”

  “Jesus H. with the way you’ve been lounging around the place I thought you were nearly done.”

  Her face when I said that was…

  Well she became instantly pissed. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. Talking movies and fucking shit when you have a journal to translate. If you’d done it by now our jobs might have been a lot easier.”

  “I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. You can’t question what I do in my own time.”

  “I wouldn’t have any cause to question you if your own time didn’t seem to take up the whole time.”

  She looked at me like I’d lost my mind. I couldn’t blame her.

  I would look at me like I’d lost my mind.

  But then I remembered how crazy she made me wanting her years ago and not being able to have her, and still here I was wanting her again and not being able to have her.

  “What is the matter with you?” She snapped folding her arms under her breasts giving me an eyeful of the swells of her tits that were pressed in that top of hers. It had a deep cut V-neck on the front and tapered into the back where it was tied up with a ribbon.

  And of course she had to be in a skirt.

  “Nothing. Question is what’s wrong with you. This is work, act like you’re at work. And when the fuck did you start liking Frank Sinatra?”

  “You are unbelievable.” She widened her eyes at me. Tossed her hair over to one side and turned to continue packing up her bag. That was when I saw it .

  A tattoo.

  It was there on the center of her lower back showing through the ribbon.

  The Japanese character for fire, just like mine on my chest.

  She’d been here for three weeks now, with the way I obsessively looked at her I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t seen it before.

  It was the top. Today’s top provided a better visual.

  I marched up to her and tugged at her top, needing to see properly if I was seeing right.

  She whirled around and swatted away my hands.

  “What the hell’s gotten into you?”

  “What’s that on your back?”

  “Are you kidding? It’s a tattoo, what is your problem?” She stepped away from me. “Are you on drugs?” She looked at me like she really believed that.

  “When’d you get it?”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  “What did mommy dearest say?” I wished I could have seen that woman’s face when she’d seen that her precious princess had been marked.

  “My mother is not the boss of me.”

  “Oh yeah? Sure looked that way when last I saw her. Looked like she practically had a lead round your neck.” I needed to stop. I needed to stop right now and not dig the past up.

  When her mother caught us together that was my fault. I shouldn’t have tried anything with her in such and obvious place, and I knew people were around.

  There was nothing she could have done either. She was young and I had no business being with her.

  “I’m leaving. Something is clearly wrong with you.”

  “Yes, there is but we always knew that, didn’t we? Scott on the other hand is wonderful. Your mom will approve of his Frank Sinatra ass. I can almost guarantee he’s not thinking of bending you over the desk and fucking you in every hole in your body that counts.”

  Even as the words left my lips I knew what she would do next. Not because she’d done it before.

  No, it wasn’t that.

  When she raised her hand and slapped me across my face I knew it was coming because I deserved it.

  Chapter 17

  Tai

  I worked from home the next day.

  Had to because I didn’t want to face anyone and I didn’t want to see Phoebe.

  I was acting like a jealous ex and I was nothing of the sort.

  We’d never been together and I was acting like she’d done something to me.

  It wasn’t her fault that I had this Candace situation. Had it now for over a month.

  Over a damn month.

  I was supposed to be working, as in doing actual work but I spent most of the day on the beach smoking and drinking.

  By nightfall I was in a worse state and not in the mood to speak to anyone.

  Akito called at nine sounding awful, like he was dying. The sound of him snapped me out of my state.

  “Hey Akito, are you okay?”

  “I have the worst cold, Tai.” He answered sounding weak and wheezy.

  “What do you need? I can be there in a few minutes.” I could jump on my bike. No, damn I’d been drinking. Drinking far too much to drive and I had a migraine.

  “I’ll be okay. Mitsuke is here giving me that awful green soup. It’s Phoebe I’m worried about. She’s still at work. There’s a power cut at the center. I think one of the wires tripped and she insisted on working through the night. I’m just worried. That part of town can be dangerous at this time.”

  “Dad, calm down. Your blood pressure. Remember,” I heard Mitsuke say.

  I was already grabbing my jacket. “I’ll go over there and see if everything’s okay.”

  Akito was right to worry. Phoebe shouldn’t be at work at this hour, but maybe just like everything else that was my fault.

  “Thanks, Tai. I would have gone myself but I really don’t feel well. I doubt I’ll be well enough to go in tomorrow.”

  “I’ll take care of everything.”

  “Thanks, son.”

  I always liked when he called me son. It was a sign of respect and appreciation.

  Time to get my act together and stop this stupid wallowing.

  In my post drunken state I took a taxi .

  I went to see Phoebe first before venturing down to the control room where the main systems were.

  She’d bought a few candles. Scented ones so the place smelled of cinnamon and vanilla.

  She was at her desk reading. Looked like she was reading the journal.

  When I got closer I could see she was, and she was wearing ear phones so didn’t hear me come up behind her.

  When she did see me she jumped out of her chair and clutched her hand to her chest.

  She wore a jumper today that didn’t show any cleavage but made a different sh
ow of enunciating how round her breasts were.

  She pulled the ear phones out of her ears. “You scared the life out of me.”

  “What are you doing here at this hour?” I’d sobered up a lot on the way here. The pure night air had cleared my mind too. Made me wish I’d taken my bike and not that awful taxi. As luck would have it, the driver was a Frank Sinatra fan. I nearly got out and walked, but decided against it.

  “I’m working, what does it look like I’m doing? Lounging around as you put it?” Her blue gaze was turned amber by the candlelight.

  “Come we’re going to check out the fuse first then I’m taking you home.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I’m working and I’m on a roll. I’ll stay for as long as I need to, even if it takes all night.”

  “You’re a pain in the ass you know that?”

  “Well I guess it takes one to know one because you’re a pain in my ass too.”

  It was dark enough for me to discourage me from looking but the minute she said ass my eyes went straight to it, even though she was facing me. And, because I couldn’t see her ass completely I was looking at her crotch.

  Then I remembered what I said to her and the slap she gave me.

  She picked up a box of Kleenex and threw it at me when she saw the way I stared at her.

  “You are such an ass.”

  “Fuck, can you please stop saying that word?”

  “You’re the perv, plus I’ve never known anyone who could say fuck that much.” This was too much for my nerves. It was also the epiphany of the conclusion I’d come to earlier.

  That animal hunger for her pulsated through me, raw and primal. Forceful.

  “Phoebe, I had too much to drink today. Far too much. Please stop saying ass, and don’t say fuck. Just please. Now whatever it is you’re doing can wait until tomorrow.”

  She stared at me for a few seconds then ran her hands down her thighs on the silky material of her skirt.

  Another skirt.

  “I’m on to something and I don’t want to be accused of being lazy.”

  “You aren’t lazy, we can all see that.”

  “You think I’m lazy.” She pointed out.

  “Where in the hell did you get that idea from?”

  “You practically called me lazy last night.”

  “I didn’t call you lazy. I was just…” Jealous.

  She folded her arms and waited for me to finish talking. “Then you brought up the past, and you didn’t come in today.”

  “I’m amazed you noticed with dear Scott to attend to your every need.”

  “He was just being nice.”

  “He wants to get in your pants, skirt, whatever.”

  “Well at least he didn’t kiss me, and push me away and tell me it’s complicated leaving me feeling like shit after.” She glared at me.

  Shit.

  “What?”

  “Just forget it. I don’t know why I said that. You have this habit of making me crazy. I don’t need crazy now. Been through enough.”

  That made me wonder what she’d been through. I thought back to that night weeks ago when Candace brought up that who Mr. Phoebe thing. Her eyes looked guarded now just like that night.

  She wouldn’t tell me anything now if I asked. Not while she was wound up the way she was.

  “I’m gonna check the switches, get your stuff together.”

  She didn’t answer but at least she’d started packing up.

  I went downstairs into the control room. I’d found a flashlight in the cupboard outside.

  It was as Akito had said. The wires had tripped. Looked like the one of the sockets on the ground floor had a short in the fuse. I isolated that, turning the power off to it and switch back on everything else. Thankfully it came back on and all the lights flickered on.

  I went back upstairs to get Phoebe but my heart literally sank when I saw she’d left.

  Phoebe

  Dear Ms Walker,

  We have officially closed the offer of sale on Beaufort House and the its’ adjacent guest house.

  We apologize for any inconvenience caused and have refunded your deposit. Please allow 7-10 working days for this to show in your account.

  Please also accept $250 as a gesture of goodwill for the mistakes made on our part. This too will be in your account within the same time frame stated above.

  We hope that we will be able to assist you in finding another property.

  Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

  Yours sincerely,

  Joshua Dupont.

  That was the email I was greeted with this morning. Hadn’t expected it.

  It was nice of the real estate agent to be all official and even offer me compensation, but I kind of wish he hadn’t bothered.

  It just reminded me of what happened.

  I’d be moving into the lake house next month if all had gone to plan. Instead when I went back to Chicago I’d be going back to my little apartment.

  The prison.

  God, that was what life had come to.

  Until then I was here. And once again I found myself thinking, if I didn’t allow Tai to drive me crazy I might possibly enjoy myself.

  My ears were still ringing, and burning, from what he said to me the other night.

  Only he could have gotten away with saying something so vulgar with no effort at all. No shame, no thought or anything.

  And, I was so shocked the only thing I could think to do was slap him.

  He was the second man I’d full on bitch slapped in my life.

  I didn’t know what was happening to me and I didn’t want to think about it today. Tai had a day off yesterday. I was having one today, and for a good reason too.

  Akito was sick with a bad cold and he couldn’t stay here by himself.

  Mitsuke had a photoshoot she needed to be at, but wanted to turn down before I stepped in to help.

  What was the good of me being here if I couldn’t help in these small ways?

  Besides the notes I’d made on the journal had slowed my progress. Just as I suspected it was going to take a while. I’d already had to send off a few request for help from my friends back at the Smithsonian. Straight to the Washington headquarters where they had more resources. I was stuck on the meaning of a few words. When I translated the characters it didn’t make sense.

  The date verification on the samurai came back from the antiquities authenticator yesterday. It was agreed that the samurai lived around the early fourteen hundreds.

  It didn’t really help me much in the practical sense but maybe helped me piece things together to some extent. They’d verified that the samurai was a general and I came up with the theory that maybe he was on a secret mission.

  That was what I was on to last night when Tai interrupted me.

  He interrupted and still hadn’t thought to apologize for his behavior towards me.

  I spoke to Akito about my findings earlier. Then I went into town to get him some rose tea. When I got back he looked a little better.

  He was on his feet and in the kitchen making Umami beef stew.

  “Akito I can finish that off for you.”

  “No. You’ve done enough and you will not make it like me. This is Rukia’s recipe.” He nodded firmly and smiled. “I appreciate you staying with me today.”

  “I’m glad to have stayed. How are you feeling? I was gone for just over an hour you should still be resting.” I placed the box of tea on the kitchen counter.

  “I feel much better. I’ll be at work tomorrow. This isn’t the week to get sick. I need to be able to man the place while everyone’s at the cave on Friday. There are two more big projects that I have to tend to on top of this one.”

  Yesterday we decided on another trip to the cave. I didn’t need to go but thought I would in case they found something more. They were going to be taking some additional equipment down the path we’d gone to try and see if we could go deeper.

&nb
sp; “Akito you work so hard.” He did work hard for a man his age. Not even dad worked as hard as him.

  At least he wasn’t going in the caves with us.

  “It keeps me going. Come let me show you how to make this. You can show it off to a man more deserving of you one day.”

  I smiled at him. That was a nice thought. Being with someone more deserving, like I was something special.

  He’d lined up a host of vegetables and other ingredients on the work top. Onion, garlic, carrots, sake and miso.

  Looked super healthy.

  “Thank you for saying that.”

  “Only saying what’s true my dear. You know in my book I have two daughters. Since your father is the same with Mitsuke I think it’s safe to consider yourself with two dads.”

  “I already do, otousan.” Father in Japanese.

  He looked touched to hear me say that.

  I took one of the smaller knives and started chopping the carrots.

  “So daughter,” He tilted his head and smiled. “Tai called me three times today to see if you were okay. Imagine my disappointment since I’m the one who’s sick.” He chuckled.

  I pouted. “He should have been calling to ask if you needed anything.”

  “He’ll catch on eventually. Are you two okay?”

  “We’re fine.” It was best to say that.

  “You sure. It was the third call that got me suspicious. I know my nephew can be hard work at times.”

  I bit the inside of my lip to try to keep from laughing out loud.

  “Yes. That is true.”

  “Phoebe… it’s me. Remember we talk like friends. You remember when you came and asked me if a college boy could ever be interested in a high school girl?”

  God, how the hell did he remember that? I was sixteen.

  “That was for a friend, she needed advice and I couldn’t give it to her.” My cheeks colored fiercely at the memory. That was the summer when I decided that I was going to tell Tai I liked him.

  It didn’t happen because I chickened out. My mom was a real pain that summer. Everywhere I looked she was there, like she knew what I was up to. I couldn’t talk to dad about boys and Mitsuke always gave me the worst ideas so I went to Akito.