Young and Restless

by Imari Jade

  “Why are you smiling?” Kioshi asked as he sat up.

  “Because you look so angelic when you sleep.”

  “You watch me while I sleep?”

  Cristal nodded. “You do it so peacefully.”

  Kioshi yawned. “I dreamed about you.”

  Cristal smiled. “Liar. You probably dreamed about all those beautiful fan girls.”

  Kioshi snuck a kiss. “You’re the only fan girl I love.”

  “You are so whipped, Ki,” Izanagi said from the seat behind them.

  “Bite me, Iggy,” Kioshi replied back.

  Cristal knew the two of them were only playing. They were close, great friends and band mates. And they got along a hell of a lot better than the members of Aomori.

  The bus driver opened the door and the warm summer air entered the cabin.

  “Everybody off,” Saburo shouted. He exited first, followed by Shiro, her, Kioshi, Izanagi and then Hiroyuki.

  They waited on the sidewalk for Masaaki, Yori, Takumijo, Ichiro, Satoshi and Kenshin to leave the bus. Takumijo looked like he’d been asleep the entire trip. He had big circles under his eyes and his hair was mussed.

  The driver opened the compartment on the side of the bus and began unloading the luggage.

  Shiro, Hiroyuki and Izanagi went into the hotel for empty carts.

  Cristal smiled. Kioshi didn’t perform manual labor. He was in for a rude awakening if the two of them ever moved in with each other.

  The others returned with the carts and began stacking on the luggage. For a bunch of guys, they had more cases than her.

  Saburo and Masaaki entered the hotel and she and Kioshi followed them to the registration desk. There were three workers on duty, a young man and two women.

  “Welcome to the Hotel Madrid,” the guy said to them. “How may I help you?”

  “My name is Masaaki Fugimoto. We have reservations under Niigata Entertainment.”

  The guy checked the computer. “Si, señor. We’ve reserved an entire floor for you and your guests. Can I have your card?”

  Masaaki gave the man a black card and then clerks began doling out keys and room assignments.

  One of the females called for bell hops, while the other one flirted with Satoshi. She spoke to him in Spanish.

  “Do you even know what she’s telling you?” Yori asked him.

  “No, but my answer is yes to anything she has to offer,” the piano man for Aomori said.

  Cristal chuckled. Satoshi was back to his old self again. She had dated him once upon a time, but now they were just friends. He was always the flirty one in the group, but also the one everyone went to with their problems. Recently, he had to deal with a couple of demons of his own…alcohol, drugs and anger was not a good mix for an entertainer.

  The bellboys arrived and they took the carts and headed for the elevators.

  Masaaki passed out keys while they walked. “Try not to lose them.”

  Kioshi looked at his card and then hers. He smiled innocently at her. They had the same room again. That meant neither of them would get much sleep.

  The groups took up three of the elevators. They got off on the sixth floor. They had a routine while traveling. Everyone walked to each other’s rooms to help with the luggage until the last person was safely in their room.

  Masaaki gave each of them a sheet of paper with everyone’s room and phone numbers on it. No one was to leave the hotel without informing either him or Saburo, and they all ate together when they could. Masaaki was very set on doing things correctly and in a timely manner. And he did a head count every night before he went off to bed. Of course Aomori never stayed in their hotel rooms, but managed to get back to them before Masaaki woke up.

  Once everyone was settled, Masaaki called each and every last one of them and made arrangements for them to meet him in the hotel’s restaurant. It was lunch time but they always waited until after the rush hour so their large groups didn’t interfere with the other hotel guests.

  Cristal had already unpacked her necessities and the outfits she would be wearing while in Madrid. Both groups were scheduled to perform on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and then they would be back on the bus on Monday morning. In between that time the groups had to rehearse, try on costumes, get their hair done, do laundry and then spend some time sight-seeing.

  Kioshi knocked on the door. He had gone off to get some bottled water.

  Cristal opened it.

  He rewarded her with a big kiss. “Let’s skip lunch,” he said eyeing her from head to toe.

  “But I’m hungry,” Cristal said backing into the room.

  “So am I,” Kioshi said. “But not for food.”

  The next thing she knew she was buck naked on the bed and Kioshi had his head buried between her legs feeding himself.

  “Oh, what the hell,” Cristal said finally relaxing. She propped a pillow beneath her head and just let Kioshi have his way.

  ****

  Everyone eyed them suspiciously when they finally entered the restaurant.

  “I fell asleep,” Kioshi said before anyone could ask why they were late.

  Takumijo had that all-knowing smug look on his face.

  Cristal rolled her eyes at him. She and Kioshi walked past everyone and sat down next to Izanagi.

  A waitress appeared and handed them menus.

  Kioshi ordered first.

  “That’s a lot of food, dude,” Izanagi said to him.

  “I burn a lot of energy when I sleep,” Kioshi said.

  “What about you, señorita?” the waitress asked Cristal.

  “I want fruit salad and vegetable soup.”

  “Is that all you’re going to eat?” Kioshi asked her eyeing her suspiciously.

  “Yeah,” Cristal answered. “I’m saving room for dessert.”

  “I want ice cream,” Izanagi said.

  Izanagi was still growing and he loved sweets.

  Cristal was afraid to eat anything heavy just in case the nausea returned, and there was no way in the world she could do dairy. “I want cake,” she said to Izanagi.

  After lunch Masaaki sent them back to their rooms to relax. “Tomorrow you guys have a fan signing. So rest.”

  “Can we go swimming before dinner?” Izanagi asked.

  “Yes, but don’t bother the other guests, don’t give away your identity and no fighting,” Masaaki said like an old man.

  “Do you want to join us at the pool?” Kioshi asked Cristal. “You can wear that new red bikini I bought you.”

  Every male with them looked in her direction.

  “No, I think I’m going to go to my room for a nap,” Cristal answered. She couldn’t help but notice the disappointment on all of their faces. That red bikini Kioshi had given her was no more than a few pieces of fabric and ties. There was no way she was going to parade around a pool dressed like that in front of seven horny young men.

  Masaaki rose first. “I will see you guys in the lobby at seven this evening for dinner. Our reservations are at eight.”

  Everyone entered the elevators again and Cristal and Kioshi walked to their room after they arrived on the sixth floor.

  “I’ll wake you at six,” Kioshi said to her.

  Cristal looked at her watch. That just gave her three hours to feel better. Three hours later, though, she felt worse.

  ****

  “Are you okay?” Kioshi asked Cristal when she returned from the bathroom.

  “Yeah, I think I might have the flu or something.”

  Great, just great. They had just arrived in Spain and Kioshi was anxious to do a little sight-seeing. “Do you need anything?”

  “A glass of water would be nice. I don’t think I can stomach any food right now.”

  Kioshi walked over to the mini-fridge and got Cristal a bottle of cold water and brought it to her. “Anything else?” He was trying hard to be a dutiful boyfriend.

  “Yes, have Saburo book you a separate room. I can’t have you catching whatever this
is I have.”

  So not in my plans. Kioshi had been waiting for hours for Cristal to wake up from her nap. The things he had planned to do to her when they were naked boggled his mind. Aw, shit. They would just have to wait. “Okay,” he said. “But I need to take your temperature first.” He got the thermometer out of Cristal’s medical kit.

  Cristal opened her mouth, but kept her eyes closed.

  Kioshi put the thermometer into her mouth and Cristal closed her lips around it. After a couple of minutes he removed it.

  “What does it say?” Cristal asked.

  “Ninety-eight point six. You don’t have a fever,” Kioshi announced.

  “Good, then it’s probably something I ate.”

  Maybe, but Kioshi didn’t think so. Cristal had been sick off and on for at least a month. She’d been trying to hide it but he knew her well enough not to fall for it. He figured it was just a female thing and she was too much of a lady to discuss it with him.

  “Go check on that room,” Cristal said. “If you get sick they will have to cancel the concerts.”

  “I don’t care about the concerts,” Kioshi said. “I care about you.”

  “Thanks, but if you don’t make money I won’t get the big house you promised me.”

  “Don’t joke,” Kioshi said. “But I can take a hint. I’ll come to check on you later. Get some sleep.” He kissed Cristal on the forehead and left the room. He walked down the hall to Saburo’s room and knocked on the door.

  His manager answered. “What’s wrong?”

  “My lady is sick. I need a room.”

  “She’s been sick since we left Osaka,” Saburo said inviting him into his room. “So I’m way ahead of both of you.” He picked a key card off of his desk and handed it to Kioshi. “Your room is next to hers. It’s adjoining so you can check on her.”

  “Thanks. You’re real smart for a manager,” Kioshi said.

  “Do you have any idea what’s wrong with her?” Saburo asked.

  Kioshi shook his head. “I think it’s a female thing.”

  “Women are complicated creatures,” Saburo said as he walked Kioshi to the door. “Give her a couple of days to recover.”

  “What am I supposed to do until then?” Kioshi asked.

  “Hang out with Hiroyuki and Izanagi.”

  “I can do that. I better move my things into my room first.” He left Saburo’s room and went back to the one he was sharing with Cristal. He found the woman of his dreams sleeping. He quietly gathered his things and moved into the room next door. Instead of going out with his friends, Kioshi stayed in and watched some television just in case Cristal needed him.

  ****

  Cristal felt a little better the next morning. She showered and dressed and then left her room to join the others down in the dining room for breakfast. Saburo and Masaaki were already there talking.

  “Konnichiwa,” Saburo said when he saw her. “How are you feeling this morning?”

  Cristal bowed to the two men. “I’m feeling much better, thanks.” She sat down. “It was probably a virus or something.” She didn’t want the group to feel sorry for her. Her plans were to find a doctor who would treat her as soon as possible so she wouldn’t miss any of the tour.

  The members of Aomori began arriving—Yori first, followed by Ichiro, Satoshi and finally Takumijo who looked like he’d been out partying all night. There were bags under his eyes and a grimace on his face. They’d been in town one day. How did he find a club so soon?

  The members of Distraction finally came in and joined them. They pulled a table over and connected it to the bigger one so they could all fit. Shiro and Kenshin were last to come down. Both guys looked like they were a bit hung over too. Shiro sat down next to Hiroyuki and then Kenshin sat down next to him.

  “We’re missing one,” Saburo said. “Where’s Terrie?”

  “He had a meeting this morning with Ken Chikako,” Takumijo said.

  Ken Chikako was a movie producer who was in Madrid to do a documentary on Aomori. He’d been taping the group since they left Osaka. Terrie’s relationship to Ken wasn’t clear, except the man had hired him as a makeup artist for Aomori.

  “Does anyone besides me feel a little creeped out by the cameras filming our every move?” Ichiro asked. Ichiro was the youngest member of Aomori and married to Cristal’s best friend Shaundra.

  “Just ignore them and act naturally,” Masaaki said. “It’s not like they are going to follow us into the bathroom.”

  The waitress finally came over to take their orders.

  More people affiliated with the tour entered the restaurant.

  Amaterasu Yamaguchi, one of Takumijo’s female lovers entered with another of the dancers. They walked up to the table. “Call me,” Amaterasu said to Takumijo.

  “Later,” he said and then he went back to reading the menu.

  Amaterasu and the other woman walked away and found another table.

  “What will you have?” the waitress asked Cristal when she got around to her.

  “Two slices of wheat toast and a cup of hot green tea,” Cristal replied.

  Everyone at the table looked at her oddly.

  “They have grilled fish,” Ichiro said. “It might not taste as good as mine, but I’m sure it’s edible.” Ichiro owned several restaurants in Japan and up until recently he was the cook for Aomori.

  “I’m sure it is,” Cristal said. “But I’m not very hungry this morning.”

  Kioshi looked over at her with a strange look in his eyes.

  The waitress moved to the next guest.

  “What is on schedule for today?” Cristal asked Masaaki.

  “The groups will be rehearsing at the Madrid Dome, followed by a couple of fan meetings. I’ve made reservations at a restaurant for dinner and then you guys can go off and do a bit of sight-seeing.”

  Cristal groaned inside, hoping she’d be feeling better later so she could accompany Kioshi to see Madrid. And since neither group needed her to accompany them to their rehearsals she was free to go over to the hospital and try to get a doctor to check her out.

  “Why?” Masaaki asked. “Is there anything special you’d like to do?”

  “No, I think I’m just going to take it easy the rest of the morning,” Cristal said. “You guys go off and have some fun, but come back to get me for dinner.”

  The waitress began placing napkins and silverware on the table before them. The next time she returned she came back with some of their plates.

  Cristal ate her toast slowly and sipped her tea, fighting to keep it down. Unfortunately, she threw it back up after she said goodbye to everyone and returned to her room. Maybe I have a stomach ulcer instead of a virus. She waited until she was sure that Kioshi and the others had left the hotel before going down to the front desk to ask directions to the nearest hospital. She was going to have fun in Spain even if it killed her. There was no way she was going to miss seeing Madrid with Aomori and Distraction.

  ****

  “The doctor can see you now, Señorita Gentry,” A kindly-looking nurse said to her. They had already taken a blood and urine test and she’d been waiting for the results for over two hours. Since then a lot of people had come and gone in the busy hospital waiting room. Luckily, she had her e-reader with her.

  Cristal rose and followed the nurse inside an open door. The hospital didn’t seem any different than the ones back in Japan, except just about everyone here spoke Spanish except her. She only knew a few basic words, but she wasn’t fluent by any stretch of the imagination. Her stay was so long because she had to wait for an English speaking doctor to become available.

  “Please remove your clothing and put on this gown with the open part to the front,” the nurse told her.

  “Si,” Cristal responded. I just have a stomachache, why do I have to get naked?

  A doctor entered once she had changed and was seated on the examining table. He appeared to be in his late forties or early fifties, with wavy dark brown
hair and a friendly smile. “Good morning, Señorita Gentry. My name is Doctor Juarez.” He shook her hand and then sat down at the desk to read over her chart and lab results. “How have you been feeling?”

  “Nauseated,” Cristal answered.

  “And how long have you been feeling this way?”

  “About a month,” Cristal said. “I thought I had the flu or a virus, but I’m not coughing and I don’t have a fever.”

  “Are there any other symptoms?” Doctor Juarez asked.

  “I feel bloated and my breasts hurt. And I have this strange pulling sensation around my belly button.”

  “When was the date of your last menstrual cycle?”

  Cristal had to think for a moment. Things had been so hectic since the beginning of the year and she’d been so busy.

  “You don’t remember?” the doctor asked.

  “Ah, March or April, I think. It never has been regular, but I believe it was March. That’s it.” She wasn’t sure. Hey, it’s June. Sometimes she missed months, so she never worried about it before. She had thought about going back on the pill, but hated the idea.

  The doctor rose and went to the door. He called the nurse in and then he went to the sink and washed his hands.

  The nurse entered the room and the doctor donned a pair of gloves. The nurse made her lie on her back and put her feet in the stirrups.

  “I’m just going to examine your breasts and stomach and then give you a pelvic exam,” Doctor Juarez explained.

  “Okay,” Cristal said, dreading the latter. It was a good thing that she only had to go through this once a year.

  The doctor was swift, gentle and thorough. “You can sit up now. Come to my office after you dress.” He left the room.

  The nurse helped her to sit up and then she left too.

  Cristal climbed down from the table, dressed and discarded the soiled gown and sheet into a hamper.

  The nurse was at the desk, busy with another patient. She pointed toward a door on the left.

  “Gracias,” Cristal said. She entered Doctor Juarez’s office and sat down. “Have my tests come back yet?”