by Laine Watson
We’re at this revolving restaurant in the sky for our engagement dinner in a reserved room in the back of the restaurant. Its decoration gives off the theme of Aztec-meets-modern-trends. There’s an open bar, and the lights give off at a cozy, soft ambiance. Across from us is a flat screen wall TV and a projector. Haru and I, along with the bridesmaids, Darby and Mira, and his groomsmen, Hayden and Trent, sit at a large round table and listen to the beautiful orchestral music playing as our well-dressed server greets everyone is. My eyes linger on the tall glass vases in the center of the table with gold and wine-colored feathers, beautifully placed along with golden roses, creating a beautiful bouquet. Around the vase are small decorative glasses full of water. A golden rose floats on top of the surface of the water in each glass. We wait for our food, after the server has taken our orders, making idle chat.
The dinner is expensive and small; and by small, I mean, the right portion sizes—but the presentation is amazing. We chat and laugh, tell stories, and pass the time. We watch videos edited by Darby from when Haru was a kid and pictures of me as a kid. We have dessert and the best wine I’ve ever tasted. However, as fancy as it is and as much as it costs, Haru’s yawns give him away.
I lean in to whisper, “You’re not having fun.”
“S-o boring, so boring.” He closes his eyes tightly as he frowns playfully.
“What do you want to do?”
“Honest answer or romantic answer—we are here celebrating our engagement.”
“Tell me both, and I’ll pick which one I’m okay with.”
“Okay.” He chuckles. “Romantic answer: I want to be anywhere with you, doing anything. As long as we’re together, it doesn’t matter.”
“Aw, I think that’s the one I’m okay with, but let’s hear the other.”
“Honest answer: I’d like to go out to a bar and hang out with my buddies, get drunk, and take you home and fuck you until you’re unable to speak.”
The second part of that honest answer sounds more appealing than the romantic answer. Haru is never scared to say exactly what he wants.
His gaze is so captivating, I can’t look away.
“Your buddies from work?” I ask.
“Yeah. You and Darby could come and meet everyone.”
“Darby’s not...” I gaze over in her direction. I gasp slightly as I observe her stance. Hayden has moved from his seat to sit next to her.
She’s leaning into him, laughing—non-bitch like.
That’s new. I guess Hayden really did like her. Maybe she liked him too. I mean, look at Haru and me. I giggle to myself. My thoughts quickly veer toward a plan that spans much further than us going to hang out with some cooperate guys. I pivot and turn back to Haru. “Okay.”
He narrows his eyes at me. “What’s that look about?”
Dammit! Why does he know me so well? He’s honest, so I’m going to be honest, too.
“What if Hayden and Darby got together? She’d come here more often, and we could see each other.”
“That’s true, princess.”
“They sort of have a history. We saw him a lot at clubs and parties back in college. Every time he was trying to get with Darby. She always turned him down, he was gross and annoying.”
Haru chuckles.
I glance down at my lap and twiddle with my fingers. “You were the nice one back then. I was kind of wild and disgruntled. We’re different people—they’re different people now.” I smile a little, “It could work out for them too. She mentioned something about moving here a while back, but I think she was just kidding. Maybe if they get together, it won’t be a joke anymore.”
Haru smirks.
“Look over there! They look like they’re having a lot of fun with each other. She actually looks like she likes him.”
“You know her well enough to judge. I don’t think Hayden’s looking for anything serious, though.”
“I don’t know what Darby’s looking for.”
“Okay, princess, why don’t we let them find out? Let’s go.”
Chapter Thirteen: Black Spring
Mira goes home. The rest of us go to this fancy bar. The ceiling looks like falling feathers and balloons; it’s so cool. The windows are wide and are the length of all the outer walls. You can see the entire city, it seems. There are white sofas and marble granite-looking tables instead of wooden chairs and tables connected to booths. The lights are all colorful. It’s like we’re under the ocean. The only thing that’s missing is sea life.
“Wow, where are we?” Darby walks in next to me, wide eyes and an astonished expression on her face.
“This is our spot. It’s called Kuro Haru,” Hayden answers.
“What?” I say. “I would have noticed if it said Haru in any part of the name. I didn’t see anything out there.”
“It’s out there, right above the doors in Japanese symbols,” Haru informs me.
“Oh,” I say, thinking back. I did see sleek black symbols on the front of the building.
A few gentlemen in nice clothes walk in.
“Arima!” One of them shouts and side hugs Haru.
They chat amongst themselves with enormous smiles on their faces. I dart my eyes over at Darby, and we share a gaze.
“Thanks for coming, guys. I know it was short notice, and it’s not just the guys tonight, but...” He steps back and fans his hand in front of me. “This is my fiancé, Summer Vaughn. Soon to be Arima. Don’t embarrass me. She might not let me out the house again,” he says with pride in his eyes.
My heart flutters.
“Summer, these are some of my colleagues from work.” He tells me.
“Hi.” I smile.
“This is my college buddy, Trent, and Summer’s friend, Darby.” Haru continues the introductions.
“Hey,” Darby says, unfazed by the abundance of hot, successful men around us.
Looking over his friends, they are all so different and so clean cut. It looks like we went to a charity event and bought a bunch of hot guys to support the cause.
His friends all greet me.
Haru smiles at me. “She’s the reason I said goodbye to the old me.”
I lower my eyes to the floor quickly; my cheeks burn faintly.
“Aw, princess. I didn’t mean to make you blush.”
I gaze up at Haru, who is staring back at me with loving eyes.
“Who are you?” One of the men laughs. “Princess? Really? No wonder you never bring her around. You’re a tamed puppy around her.” He snickers along with the others.
“I was thinking the same thing.” Trent laughs.
“You should have seen them at the house,” Hayden says. “No one’s that in love.” He laughs, and I catch Darby’s eyes veering over him and then his over me.
What was that look?
“Whatever. She’s my princess.” He kisses me in the hair. “I can take a couple jabs at my masculinity for her.”
“Oh, Mr. Arima.” A well-dressed host in a crisp white shirt, white vest and a modernly sleek turquoise tie, approaches us. “Your party is larger than usual tonight. Your regular table will not be suitable. Please allow me to choose a space that will accommodate your party better.”
Haru says something in another language.
I stare at him. His tone is professional, and the host leaves with a graceful bow and one hand folded behind his back.
“What did you say? Was that Japanese?” I ask immediately.
“Yes. I told him it was fine,” Haru says.
“Haru, you don’t speak Japanese.”
“Not a lot, but sometimes, on rare occasions.”
Heh. Show off. I smirk mischievously at him.
“Mr. Arima, your table is ready.” The host returns and leads us to our table.
As we leave the foyer and walk through some frosted white double doors, the faint music that had been easy to ignore grows louder. There are lots of people chatting, dancing, and playing games, but not games I’d expect to be at a bar.
Instead of pool and darts, there are poker tables along the backside of the open lounge, and all along both side walls, there are designated game rooms.
Along the left and right-side walls of the bar are elegant pillared in square game rooms. Along the pillars are curtain-like fabrics draped from the top. So many colors and neon lights. I’ve never seen such a cool place. The bartender to our right is dressed in a white suit coat and the same kind of tie as the host. His ensemble is put together so nicely and perfectly.
The host extends his hand toward the plush white sofas with the white ottoman to match. Haru sits and I sit next to him. On the other sofa, Darby sits, and Hayden slides in next to her with a smile.
He likes her; he has to. He’s being way too forward.
“Yeah. I can’t believe you only come here with your friends,” I exclaim.
“You can come too; I just didn’t know if you’d like it here. It’s loud, and sometimes it can get crazy.”
“No, I love it. Where do you usually sit?”
Haru extends his neck and points east of us. “Over there. It only accommodates four or five people comfortably.”
“It’s nice; it’s off in a corner.”
“Yeah, we just get drunk and play games. I plan on doing that tonight, so you’ll have to drive home.”
“So, I can’t drink?” I ask, arching my neck.
“Oh, shit. I didn’t realize you would want to.”
“What the heck did you think me and Darby were doing in our wild days, just going to clubs and being sober?”
He laughs. “I forgot you used to pretend to be a bad girl.” He leans on me and kisses me.
“Hey, are we going to get drinks, or are you guys going to be 'handsy’ all night?” Darby frowns.
“Drinks!” I yell.
Haru arches his neck with a somewhat questioning expression. “You were just pretending to be a bad girl, right, princess?”
“Are you scared I’ll do something crazy?”
“I’m always scared you or I will do something crazy.”
I smile at him. “Don’t worry, Haru.” I kiss him.
On the table, there is a tiny turquoise button to summon the waiter; it turns red when pressed. When the waiter comes, we all order drinks.
After we’ve had a couple of drinks, everyone is chatting with each other. The night is perfect. Haru and I kiss and laugh with one another once we’ve reached our comfortable limit of intoxication. We play some games with Hayden and Darby, not having seen his other buddies for a while.
Finally, I’m tired, and I want to go home. We say goodbye, and Darby and Hayden order a taxi for the four of us, leaving Haru’s car at the bar until we can come back and get it. Hayden’s car is at our house. When we get home, Darby hops in the car with Hayden; she doesn’t even come inside the house.
No friends, no Max—just me and Haru.
The house is quiet. Haru can’t seem to keep his lips or hands off of me as I prepare to take a shower.
He goes to the other bathroom downstairs and takes one. We could have taken a shower together, but both of us are drunk, I didn’t think of it until it was too late.
Once I’m done with my shower, my intoxication is wearing off. I put on one of Haru’s old work shirts because I want something of his on my body. I lie on the bed, thinking about what Haru might do tonight.
He knocks softly on the door and waits only a few seconds before the door swings open to the bedroom, my figure hidden under one of his shirts and pajama shorts.
I walk over to him and kiss him gently. As we kiss, he receives a call. He smoothly answers. He says nothing except, “Okay.” After a while, the call ends.
“Who was that?” I ask.
“Max isn’t feeling well. I need to take his medicine over to my parents,” Haru says with no expression on his face and leaves the room.
“Okay.” I follow him up to Max’s room.
“I’ll be right back,” Haru tells me after gathering the medicine.
“Are you bringing Max home?”
“I don’t know. If he’s got a high fever, we might have to take him to the emergency room, but we’ll see.”
“Okay.” I watch him leave the house.
I lie in our bed for a while, not thinking about anything. I try not to admit it, but I’m growing impatient. Just as I’m falling asleep, I hear a knock on our door. I don’t understand why he knocks. Maybe it’s just to let me know he’s coming in.
“I was wondering what was taking so long.” My smile is so wide, my cheeks hurt. I lunge and wrap my arms around Haru’s neck.
“Is Max okay?”
“Oh, yeah. He didn’t have a fever. He was already sleeping when I got there. I left the medicine, though, just in case he’s not feeling well before we pick him up tomorrow.”
“You’re such a good dad.”
Haru nods tiredly.
He seems unusually distant.
“So, you had fun tonight?” I ask, assuming Haru couldn’t possibly want to have sex anymore after having the scare with Max.
“I’m about to have more fun.”
I was wrong.
Before I know it, Haru kisses me more deeply than I’ve ever been kissed before. My body rages, tensing and waiting for ecstasy to replace it. I move three steps backward.
My lips eagerly dance with Haru’s, and my hands limply dangle in the front of his shirt as he guides our intertwined bodies toward the bed.
He pushes me backward roughly. I fall onto the mattress, stunned and silent, staring at him in eager curiosity. That feeling—that beautiful, adrenaline-inducing feeling rises. He removes his shoes without hesitation, pulls his belt from his waist in one easy tug, and throws it beside my body. My chest tightens as desire and fear grow inside of me, anticipation getting the best of me.
Towering over me, Haru pulls the collared shirt from my body, careful not to tug my hair, and tosses it on the floor. It would have probably been easier to unbutton the shirt, but maybe his mind is still as clouded as mine. He eyes me hungrily, his groin throbbing on my thigh and his face reddening at the sight of my bare chest. He picks up the belt beside me and pulls my hands together over my head, binding them tightly so I can’t wiggle free.
My sense of freedom is compromised. My cheeks burn as my breathing grows increasingly labored. I test the grip on the belt wrapped snugly around my wrists. I can’t get out, even if I try. I glance down just in time to watch Haru crawl over my body and secure a cloth around my eyes; the knot tied tightly at the back of my head. I smile weakly, involuntarily. Though I have yet to tell anyone, especially Haru, it’s exactly what I want.
My skin tingles as Haru slides my pajama shorts down my legs. He keeps my panties on, though I can’t imagine why. He is unpredictable—I like that about him. His lips graze my skin from my hip bone to my navel, then to my rib cage and collarbone. With each passing second, my goosebumps rise higher and higher off my skin. Each kiss elicits a unique squeak of surprise or satisfaction.
I hear movement, assuming Haru is taking his clothes off. The sensation of him looming over my frail, nearly bare body, heightens my arousal and fear. All his motions stop. He’s not moving or saying anything. My legs tense up with excitement. Is he staring at me? In a fit of anxiety and impatience, I call his name in desperation.
“Har—”
“Beg,” Haru says in this obscurely sexy tone; his voice lubricates me.
He leans forward and flicks his tongue over one of my hardened nipples once, chuckling at the tiny moan I emit. The sound of his laughter is taunting. He does it again, then once more, before taking my nipple between his lips and sucking it slowly. His free hand trails over my stomach and up my arms, tickling me ever so carefully until I am squirming beneath him. He retracts his mouth, starting the same agonizing process on the other nipple. My moans float into the air, massaging his eardrums and making the tent at his hips grow.
I want it inside me.
“You're so sexy,” he utters
in a groan, focusing less on his hard-on and more on my wiggling body. He leans down again and kisses me softly, parting his lips with minimal pressure. I kiss him back, wanting more than just soft kisses, but receiving only the lightest of pecks. He licks my top lip teasingly. I reach upward for him again, forgetting my wrists are tied, my back arching.
He chuckles darkly. “You want more?”
“Yes, Haru!” I respond, my voice quiet and breathless.
His free hand moves from lightly touching my skin to gripping my throat. In his grasp, my windpipe expands as I inhale sharply, no restriction of oxygen, just the restriction of blood flow. My lip quivers, sheer fright moving through my body, running even more swiftly through me, overpowering the fear, excitement, and arousal. The mixture of fear and trust arouses me so much. Not knowing what pleasures beset me is an exhilaration far beyond any I have experienced.
“Yes, what?” he says, authoritatively.
“Yes, Daddy,” I peep.
Haru releases my throat and kisses me again. This time, longer and more lovingly, before putting his lips to my ear and muttering, “Good girl.” He pauses, “Now beg.”
“Beg for what?”
“What you want.”
“No, give it to me!” I say, frustrated. “You know what I want.”
“Heh.” He takes my earlobe in his mouth and gently suckles it. He pauses for a second to whisper, “Stop me if you need to.” He finally removes my panties.
My brain swims in a sea of satisfaction and anticipation. I childishly groan as he takes his lips away from my ear, but squeak in surprise when he lifts my leg.
With a flat palm, he strikes my ass harshly.
