Young and Restless

by Imari Jade

  There was a soft knock at her door. Cristal left the bathroom to answer it. She found Kioshi on the other side looking so cute in a navy suit and tie.

  “Hello, baby,” he said giving her one of those rare smiles. “Are you ready for your night out on the town?”

  Cristal nodded. “Yes, just let me get my purse.”

  Kioshi waited in the hall.

  Cristal got her purse, checked for her room key and joined him. “Where are Hiroyuki and Shiro?”

  “They are waiting downstairs in the lobby,” Kioshi answered as they walked toward the elevator. “Saburo gave them the ‘don’t’ speech.”

  “What’s the don’t speech?”

  “Don’t kiss or hold hands in public.”

  “Oh,” Cristal said smiling. It must suck to be famous and gay and have to hide their love.

  “He gave me the same speech,” Kioshi said. “I’m going to ignore him.”

  “Good idea,” Cristal said. “Do you have your sunglasses?”

  Kioshi patted his top pocket. “Yes, I’ll put them on before we enter the lobby. But I think it’s pretty silly since my hair color will give my identity away.”

  “Naw,” Cristal teased. “There’s bound to be millions of platinum-blond hotties in Madrid.” They entered the elevator and took it down to the first floor.

  “Funny,” Kioshi said. He put his sunglasses on.

  Cristal trembled. He looked so hawt. Maybe they should just stay behind and have a little sex.

  “What are you smiling about?” Kioshi asked her.

  “I’m just thinking about taking you back up to my room and having my way with you.”

  Kioshi pushed his glasses down the bridge of his nose and ran his gaze over her. “You look so beautiful in that dress that I might have to take you up on your kind offer.”

  The elevator door opened and Cristal spotted Hiroyuki and Shiro waiting for them. “Aw, we can’t disappoint them. They’re already nervous.”

  “Yeah,” Kioshi said allowing Cristal to step off the elevator first. “It truly must suck to be them. How are you feeling?”

  “Much better,” Cristal answered. “I think whatever that doctor gave me did the trick.”

  Kioshi looked over at her again as they walked. “Yes, it seems that way.”

  Hiroyuki and Shiro were both wearing suits. Shiro’s was navy like Kioshi’s, but not cut to fit like the younger idol. Hiroyuki was decked out in light brown linen. It went well with his auburn hair. They both sported dark sunglasses.

  “Hey, guys,” Cristal said upon approach. “Let’s go have some fun.”

  “I’ve mapped out our itinerary,” Shiro said as they left the lobby and entered one of their rental cars. “First we’ll do a little sight-seeing, then dinner, followed up by more-sightseeing.”

  Cristal noted he didn’t mention clubbing. Being famous put a damper on the young couple’s relationship. She wasn’t in the mood for dancing anyway. The first stop was the Museo del Prado, Spain’s national art museum. Both Kioshi and Hiroyuki had a keen eye for art and often went to the museum back home in Osaka every chance they got. Their baby would not only be musically gifted but intelligent too, Cristal mused to herself while they stopped to look at Francisco de Goya’s La maja desnuda and his La maja vestida oils on canvas. They were two almost identical pieces of art except in one, the model was nude and in the other she wasn’t.

  “I like the one with the naked model,” Shiro said.

  “You would,” Hiroyuki replied.

  Cristal agreed with Shiro. The naked one was better, and kind of sexy. After much walking and much discussion by two young art connoisseurs they eventually ended up in the main exhibition hall on the first floor. Cristal had seen enough art to last a lifetime. Her ex-lover, Yi-jun Lee, liked art too. No wonder their relationship didn’t last.

  They ended up at one of the oldest restaurants in the world where they dined on cochinillo—roast suckling pig cooked in wood-fired ovens. The place reminded Cristal of a vaulted cellar and it was filled with tourists because she thought she heard every language imaginable being spoken.

  After dinner, Shiro took them to, of all places, a flamenco club. “You have got to be kidding me,” Cristal said as Kioshi pulled her through the entrance.

  “Come on, babe, live a little,” he said to her.

  The members of Distraction never failed to amaze her. “Where did you guys learn to dance the flamenco?”

  “It was part of our training,” Hiroyuki said. “Mr. Goro insisted that we learn all styles of dance.”

  There were many young people their age present and none of them seemed embarrassed or looked at them strangely as they joined them on the dance floor. Cristal had the time of her life dancing the sultry dance with Kioshi and watching Hiroyuki tease Shiro with his sexy style. No one even cared if two dudes were dancing together. There were a lot of guys doing the same thing.

  Kioshi’s phone beeped with a message as they all sat down at a table to rest. They ordered nojitos—non-alcoholic drinks made with lime juice, club soda, mint leaves and brown sugar and served over ice. “It’s Iggy. He said to have a nice time and don’t drink too much.”

  “Silly boy,” Cristal said as she sampled the drink the waiter brought her. “He must be feeling pretty lonely without you guys.”

  “I don’t think so,” Hiroyuki said as he messed with the piece of mint on the side of his glass. “He’s hanging out with Aomori tonight.”

  “What?” Cristal asked.

  “They’re going clubbing.”

  “Do Saburo and Masaaki know?”

  Kioshi nodded. “Saburo is going with them.”

  “Oh, that does make a difference,” Cristal said sarcastically. “Not. Where are they going?”

  “To a place called Kapital,” Shiro answered. “Kenshin told me about it. It’s a famous mega club in Madrid. It’s supposed to be seven-stories tall and feature karaoke, salsa, hip hop, rhythm and blues and soul music.”

  “Sounds like a nice place,” Cristal said. She wondered how much trouble those idiots could get into.

  “Do you want to go there?” Shiro asked.

  “Hell no,” Cristal said. “I’m having too much fun here.” A waiter passed with an orange looking drink in a glass. Cristal stopped him. “What is that?”

  Luckily, the guy spoke English. “A fizz. It contains cranberry juice, orange juice and club soda.”

  “Bring one for everyone at the table,” she told the waiter.

  The guy left.

  Cristal rose. “Wait for the drinks,” she told Kioshi. “I have to pee.” She’d spotted the ladies room as soon as she entered the bar.

  “Do you want me to come with you?” Kioshi asked.

  “No, I’m old enough to go to the toilet by myself,” Cristal teased. She walked away from the table. That nojito went straight to her bladder. An hour later, she was all flamenco’ed out and ready to go back to the hotel.

  They left the club and right next door was a little Spanish pastry café that was still open. Cristal eyed something delicious through the window. She almost drooled.

  “Do you want to go in?” Kioshi asked.

  Cristal nodded. “Yes, please.”

  Kioshi led her and the others inside and found a table for four. A waitress arrived and Kioshi pointed to the picture of the dessert on the menu—Bizcochos Borrachos, which, roughly translated, meant drunken sponge cake.

  “That does look delicious,” Hiroyuki said. “I want some too.”

  Shiro ordered cinnamon ice cream.

  Cristal wanted ice cream too.

  Kioshi wasn’t big on sweets. He just ordered a cup of coffee.

  The waitress brought back the desserts. Cristal dived right into hers. The light spongy cake was drizzled with a sweet sauce made from brandy, lemon and cinnamon.

  “This is going to go straight to my thighs,” Hiroyuki said as he ate some of his dessert.

  Cristal chuckled as Shiro looked over and ch
ecked out Hiroyuki long dancer’s legs. He just shook his head and didn’t comment.

  Smart man, Cristal thought.

  “Iggy would be in seventh heaven in this place,” Shiro said as he ate his ice cream.

  True, Izanagi had one ferocious sweet tooth.

  “Are you really going to eat all of that?” Kioshi asked Cristal.

  “Uh-huh,” she answered as she sampled the ice cream. Before she knew it, she had eaten both desserts.

  “Amazing,” Hiroyuki said. “I can’t believe you devoured all of that.”

  “I’m glad to see that she’s getting her appetite back,” Kioshi said. “She’s eaten very little since we left home.”

  Cristal smirked. The trick wasn’t eating it but keeping it down. So far so good.

  Shiro took them back to the hotel after that.

  “Are you still in the mood for having your way with me?” Kioshi asked Cristal as they walked to their rooms.

  Cristal opened her door and pulled Kioshi inside.

  ****

  “Are you guys just getting back in from your outing with Cristal?” Takumijo asked Shiro.

  Shiro nodded. “Yeah, what’s up?”

  “Would you like to go out with us?”

  Shiro looked at Hiroyuki. “What do you think?”

  “I’m game if you are,” Hiroyuki answered. Takumijo and Terrie were much older than them and could watch to make sure they returned safely. Still, he had heard a lot about Takumijo’s destructive behavior.

  “Okay, we’re in.” Kioshi and Cristal had gone up to their rooms looking very much in love and probably wouldn’t leave each other until morning. “Where are we going?”

  “To Chueca,” Terrie answered.

  “Isn’t that the area where—”

  “Yes,” Terrie answered before Hiroyuki could finish his sentence. “I think the two of you will like it there. No one will bother you.”

  “Let’s take the car,” Shiro suggested. “I just filled it with gas before we came back to the hotel.” He and Hiroyuki climbed in the front seat while Takumijo and Terrie got in the back.

  “What’s the name of the club?” Shiro asked.

  “Menses,” Takumijo replied.

  Shiro programmed the GPS and began driving. He maneuvered his way around town again.

  Hiroyuki looked out of the window, glad that Shiro was an excellent driver. Madrid at night was very beautiful. He liked seeing all the urban outdoor sculptures, and all the monumental fountains of the Paseo del Prado. There were also some fine churches and cathedrals in the area. He would love to go visit a few of them while they were in town but they were on a very tight schedule.

  The voice on the GPS came on reminding them that they were almost to their destination.

  “This is a very popular gay community,” Terrie said.

  That was nice to know. “How did you find out about it?” Hiroyuki asked.

  “On the internet, of course. I really hate the idea that we can’t be free to just be ourselves anywhere we go.”

  Well, they could, but it would cost them some popularity and maybe even their lives.

  Shiro found a place to park and they all got out.

  “I didn’t expect to see this many people,” Shiro said happily. “It looks pretty lively around here.”

  Takumijo took Terrie’s hand and they walked ahead of them.

  He and Shiro had to hurry to keep up with them. They passed several little cafes and boutique shops he’d like to visit. And there were many outdoor bars. Damn, why hadn’t they found out about this on the day that we arrived?

  “This place looks good,” Takumijo announced as he entered one of the clubs.

  The rest of them followed him inside. Hours later, Hiroyuki had danced so much and met so many wonderful people he hated to go back to the hotel.

  Chapter Five

  Harper picked up his phone and dialed the operator. “Hello, I’d like to make an overseas call to Los Angles, California.” He gave her the number. Harper pressed the speakerphone button so he could move around freely while the operator put the call through. It rang a couple of times before someone picked up.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello, beautiful.”

  “Harper? How nice of you to call,” Shaundra Yoshida said.

  Harper got comfortable on the bed and sat back on a pillow. “How is California?”

  “It’s sunny,” Shaundra answered.

  It was so good to hear her voice.

  “What are you doing up so late?”

  It was about seven o’clock in Los Angeles. “I couldn’t sleep,” Harper admitted.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He could hear the concern in her voice. “Our kids got arrested about a week ago.”

  “Tricia and Damien?” Shaundra asked.

  “Yes, and Kevin.”

  “How? What happened?”

  “They got into a fight in a club.”

  “They got jumped?” Shaundra asked worriedly. “Are the kids okay?”

  “Yes, they’re fine, and no they didn’t get jumped. Tricia and Barbara Peters got into a fight over Damien.”

  “Oh, is that all?”

  “What do you mean ‘is that all’? Aren’t you concerned that your daughter has been brawling in a club like a common thug?”

  “Did she win?” Shaundra asked.

  Not exactly the reaction he was expecting from the girl’s mother. “Yes, if you call getting her ass thrown in jail winning. I had to go bail all of them out.”

  “Is this about the money, Harper? How much was her bail?” Shaundra asked. “I’ll wire it to you.”

  “No, it’s not about the money, damn it. Your child is out of control.”

  “My child, as you put it, is a grown woman. Did she start the fight or did Barbara fuck with her first?”

  Uh oh, he’d gotten her mad. “I don’t know because I wasn’t there. Barbara said that Tricia jumped her in the ladies room for nothing.”

  “And you believed her?” Shaundra shrieked so loud the speaker on the phone crackled.

  Harper jumped, startled. The cougar is angry about her cub. And the way he handled the situation. “Yes,” Harper said. “Why would Barbara lie? She was in bad shape when I arrived at the jail house. Her clothing was torn and she had a black eye.”

  Shaundra didn’t respond at first. “And what kind of shape was Tricia in?”

  “I didn’t see any physical scars,” Harper said. “But she was ranting and raving and threatening to kick everyone’s ass including Amaya’s.”

  “What does Amaya have to do with this?” Shaundra asked.

  “She was with me when I bailed the kids out. She and I were just returning from a date.”

  “So why was Damien and Kevin arrested?”

  “Because they were trying to stop them from fighting. Damien is pretty upset about this.”

  “Well, he shouldn’t be since this is all his fault anyway,” Shaundra said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Barbara has been flirting with him since she met him. Everyone in the building knows that, and he hasn’t done a damn thing to discourage her. If you don’t believe me, ask Cristal. Barbara was even all under Damien’s ass at the graduation party.”

  Harper tried to recall that evening. “So they danced a couple of times. That doesn’t mean they’re having an affair.”

  “It doesn’t mean that they aren’t, either,” Shaundra said. “The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, Harper.”

  Oh, no, she didn’t just go there.

  “Sounds to me like Tricia was just trying to defend herself. You better keep that bitch away from my baby. Don’t have me get on a plane and come back there.”

  Yup, she’s pissed. Everyone knew that Shaundra didn’t like to fly. “No, don’t come back. I have everything under control. Kevin has been looking out for Tricia and everything has cooled down for the moment.”

  “Kevin? Why is he looking after Tricia and
not Damien?”

  “Because Damien is mad at her for jumping on Barbara.”

  “What?” Shaundra asked, making the speaker static again. “He’s petting up that heifer? What kind of fiancé is he? I don’t care if Tricia is at fault or not. He should have her back.”

  “You don’t know how angry Tricia was that night. She was mad at everyone except Kevin.”

  “I’ve always said he was the smartest one in your family, Harper. You’ve known Tricia since she was a child. When has she ever gotten mad like that or caused any trouble?”

  “Never,” Harper admitted. He felt so foolish for being played by Barbara. “I suppose I should have taken that into consideration.”

  “Yes,” Shaundra said more calmly. “I’ll call Tricia when I think she’s awake. Is she still at the Yoshidas?”

  “Yes,” Harper answered. “Daichi said Tricia has been helping out at the restaurant and that he hasn’t had any trouble with her.”

  “Of course he hasn’t. My daughter isn’t a troublemaker. Thanks for calling. I’ll straighten this out.”

  She disconnected the call without even saying goodbye to him. That meant he had pissed her off royally. Harper didn’t like that. He never wanted to make Shaundra mad at him. He was still so much in love with her that he couldn’t see straight. Maybe he should send her some lingerie. That always made her happy. Had he treated her a lot better years ago when they first met maybe she would be married to him now and not a guy young enough to be her son.

  Harper pressed the button on the phone to turn off the speaker, crawled under the covers and closed his eyes. Maybe he should invite Tricia out to dinner and have a long talk with her. Could Shaundra be right? Was Tricia the victim?

  ****

  “What’s this?” Damien asked Barbara as she waved two tickets in front of him.

  “These are tickets for the Japanese National Baseball game. I know how badly you wanted to see them play.”

  “The game was sold out. How were you able to get two?”

  “I have my connections,” Barbara bragged. “I’ll give them to you, but they come with strings attached.”