Destination Wedding (6/6)
Destination Wedding, 6/6
His jaw popped a little when he woke up, and he grinned. It had been worth it. He'd gotten home exhausted, ready to collapse only to find she'd stolen into his room and fallen asleep on his couch.
Unlike the previous morning, he wasn't woken in a hurry. Sleeping in bed alone, he usually tossed and turned, abusing his pillows and sometimes waking at the foot of the bed turned the opposite way. Today he woke on his back, his arm completely asleep underneath Keiko's neck. She was curled up against him in that silly, sexy Sailor Moon (Mars, he reminded himself) costume, one of her long, shapely legs flung over him, her foot dangerously close to his crotch.
It was an enviable position, waking with the perfect girl in his bed. Her presence had healing properties, Sho was convinced. The bizarre bachelor party, the horrible walk to the hotel in the dead of night - all he'd needed was the sound of her breath catching, the noises she made while he went down on her. Even his feet didn't feel so bad.
He didn't move a muscle, feeling her stir a few minutes later. "Good morning," he whispered, kissing the top of her head.
She sounded rather pleased, letting out a gentle sigh. "Am I still in this stupid costume?"
"If I had my way, you'd wear it to the wedding."
She jabbed him in the side with her finger, making him groan. She sat up, adjusting the rumpled bow on the front of the costume. "I think Kou-san probably wants it back."
Sho was struck with the urge to go ask Shibasaki-san how much it cost, but he held his tongue. They stretched, and he sat up too. He turned his head, seeing her sitting beside him, simply enjoying the sight of her so close. Like she was meant to be there. "I need to tell you something."
She looked at him with big, innocent eyes. "And what's that?"
He reached his hand over, taking hers. "If I don't bring it up, I'm sure Yuriko-san will. And I wanted to be the one to tell you. On Saturday," he started, realizing just how long ago Saturday felt, even if it had only been a few days, "when we were at the airport and Yuriko called me."
"About Aiba-san meeting us?"
"Do you want to know how I found you?"
She tilted her head, confused, obviously remembering how creepy he'd probably looked skulking around the gate. "How?"
He blushed, looking down at the blankets but squeezing her hand tighter. "I thought it was ridiculous, but over the past few days it's been on and off ridiculous with people like Yuriko around. Anyway, she didn't give me your name. And she didn't tell me what you looked like. She just told me I had to find the most beautiful woman sitting at the gate."
Keiko seemed to freeze up a bit, embarrassed. "Well," she stuttered, "you were looking around for a while, huh? Must have been dumb luck..."
"Keiko," he said, "you were the first and last person I spoke to at that gate. I found you. First try."
She licked her lips. "Why are you telling me this?"
He didn't know why. He really didn't. But he'd woken with her in his arms, wanting to know anything and everything he could about her. And he didn't care how long it took. "I guess I don't want you to think that this ends on Saturday when we fly home. I don't know what the future holds, and I don't want to go overboard about it, but I want to see you. In Tokyo. Whenever you'll let me." He paused. "That is, if you want to, obviously."
She knocked him back against the pillows, laughing cheerfully as she climbed on top of him. She grabbed hold of his hands, pinning them back behind his head and nuzzling against his neck.
"So that's a yes?" he asked before yelping suddenly as her teeth nipped at his ear.
At some point during the previous day she'd slipped condoms into the drawer of his bedside table, and without hesitating or changing venue they made love, him getting off quicker than he'd have liked. But it was difficult when she was on top of him, her long hair falling in a curtain around them, her body clenching around him as she came with his name on her lips.
He didn't let her go after, the two of them slowly making their way to his bathroom. She held her hair aside as he slowly unzipped the costume from her neck to the base of her spine, reveling in her body as she stepped out of it and opened the shower door. They laughed as they both tried to fit into the glass stall designed for one, Sho stubbing his toe and Keiko knocking the shampoo pump bottle down with her elbow.
It was a lot less dangerous than being in that dark pool at least, the water cascading down around them as he kissed her, turned her around so he could stand behind her and simply hold her as the spray steamed up the glass. When was the last time Sho had been this happy? This relaxed?
One cramped, silly shower later, they dressed for the day in their respective rooms. The rehearsal and dinner were that night, but since they weren't in the wedding party, they didn't have to attend. They could finally spend the day together on their own terms and without interruptions. The garden, the hike and picnic. It was back on, and the Okinawa weather was ready for them.
It was finally time for Sho to try the breakfast buffet, and it was minutes before closing as they hurried through with their plates, Keiko shoving an extra croissant onto his plate with a laugh.
They found Ohno-san still sitting with Nino, four hours after the breakfast had opened. He saw some of the other wedding guests scattered around the room, looking hungover and miserable. Sho was about to turn them around, find another table before Nino spied them out of the corner of his eye.
Nino grinned, moving aside so the seat in the booth beside him was free. "Keiko-chan, please." He gave Sho a knowing look as he sat down beside Ohno.
"Hello," Ohno said cheerfully, spraying toast crumbs from his mouth, already one of the gang.
"Keiko-chan," Nino started, picking up a thin slice of bacon and smiling. "Let me tell you every embarrassing thing there is to know about my friend, Sakurai Sho."
--
She trampled through the woods, the mud still squishy after the rain a few days earlier. She could hear Sho behind her, narrating. Apparently his hobby was videotaping his vacations - it had just been so long since he'd taken one that he'd insisted on filming everything thus far. He'd even had her hold the camera and film the drive, the pair of them borrowing Aiba's convertible yet again because of his splitting headache from the "booze cruise" Sho had skipped.
Keiko was kind of glad Sho had accompanied his friend back from Naha, if only because a hungover Sho would not have made the day they were having possible. Nino had kept them in the hotel dining room for a good hour, introducing the strange, tanned Ohno-san - and could Ohno-san possibly camp out in Sho or Keiko's room? Surely they didn't need separate rooms now...
Sho had tried to be chivalrous, had declined, but Keiko had simply smiled and offered her room, no questions asked (provided she was able to clean up and move her things first). The look on Sho's face - shock, amazement, happiness all in one - had confirmed that she'd made the right decision. Once that had been settled, she and Sho had hit the road, spending a few hours looking at the gorgeous plants and flowers of the tropical park.
After that they'd picked up some bento lunches from a roadside diner, sitting on the hood of the convertible they'd parked by a scenic overlook. Now they were deep into the forest, en route to the waterfall. Even with the mud splattering her sneakers, catching her shins, she didn't mind.
He'd all but confessed to her that morning, in a tentative, sweet way that had let Keiko know he was fine with whatever she decided. And what she decided was that they were going to make it work. She had her busy job? Well, he had his too. The way he made her feel, the way he loved her body, and the way he'd respected her from day one...there was no way she could let Yuriko's hard work at matchmaking go to waste.
"Kitagawa, the intrepid explorer, has seen the jungles of Brazil, of the Congo...but none hold the promise of these ancient trees here in Okinawa," Sho narrated in an obnoxious, travel documentary-style accent.
"Intrepid explorer?" she asked, sidestepping a rock and trying her best to stay on the path because of all the signs warning about snakes. "I'm no such thing."
"Humble," Sho continued, "as well as intelligent and beautiful, we see Kitagawa lead the way despite the treacherous environs!"
She turned, crossing her arms. "You must be quiet, Sakurai," she said, taking on a snooty tone. "Legend tells of an ancient evil lurking among these trees, drawn to the voice of a good-looking man."
"Well," he said, smiling as he pointed the camera at her. "I hope you will protect me."
He mercifully gave up on his silly narration when they arrived at the falls, filming everything with little bursts of "amazing!" and "awesome!" She leaned back against a tree, taking in the sights and watching him scurry back and forth like an excited kid.
She slipped her phone from her pocket. "Put the video camera down, I want a normal picture."
He chuckled, holding out his hand for the phone. "Alright, I can take a normal one..."
"I want you in the picture," she said, holding the phone insistently. "I want to remember us here. Together."
"Oh," Sho said, sounding surprised even now after all they'd been through. "Of course."
They stood in front of the falls, and she could feel the spray faintly against her back. She held the phone up, hoping they were both in the shot. "Cheese!"
She took a look at it, seeing that Sho had crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out. "Oh, thanks a lot," she grumbled, holding the phone up again. "Do it properly! Here, I'll even give you a countdown. Five...four...three...two..."
His hand found her cheek, tilting her face sideways, and their lips met just as her finger pressed down on the button. She jumped back in shock, seeing the wicked grin on his face that she was starting to love. "There," he said. "How's that for proper?"
She bit her lip to hold in a laugh, turning the camera towards her. It was perfectly framed, his hand just tilting her chin up, his lips millimeters away from her own, her eyes closed. Romantic, something that would usually make her gag if her friends ever showed her shots like that on their own phones. "I can't share either of these with my mother," she said shyly, shutting her phone and putting it back in her pocket.
He had the video camera on again, checking his watch. "Kitagawa must lamentably return from her forest trek, as the paths are closed at sunset."
She rolled her eyes. The voice was back, so was the camera. They headed for the car, trudging back along the path. They'd brought some hotel towels and extra shoes with them, and she was grateful to change out of them and wipe the mud from her legs, putting everything in a bag and shoving it in the trunk.
"You know," she said, itching at a mosquito bite on the inside of her elbow, a reward from the day. "I think we've driven this car more than Aiba-san has."
Sho pulled out of the parking lot, a lot more at ease than he had been on the day of the aquarium visit. "I think you're right."
They fell into a companionable silence, heading south for the resort. They'd set the GPS to use the backroads, enjoying the more winding, scenic route back. She watched Sho drive, confused to see him moving his lips, then stopping, then starting again. What was he trying to say?
"Sho-kun?"
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "I was just thinking. I haven't asked you about last night. About the club. Did you...have a nice time?"
"It was different. If you're into exhibitionism and, um, spanking." She smiled to herself. "Or feet, I suppose."
"Did you participate?" he asked, his voice noticeably higher, more nervous.
"No."
"...did you want to, you know, try it?"
"Maybe."
"With the people there?"
She grinned, giving him a coy look before replying with a simple "No."
"With someone else?"
"Yes."
His hands were almost shaking. "With...me?"
"Yes."
They continued driving, Keiko knowing that Sho's interest was rising, but if they stuck to the route they were on, it would be at least another forty-five minutes to an hour before they made it to the privacy of the hotel.
"Maybe we should pull over," he said, scratching his face hesitantly.
"Oh? Why?" she teased him deliberately.
"Because if we don't I'm probably going to wrap this car around a tree, and I don't think Aiba would be very forgiving about it."
They found a turn-off, what seemed to be a private road nestled among the trees. Sho was increasingly antsy as they moved forward, further and further from the main road. The sun would be setting soon, but it was even darker here under the forest canopy. Sho turned off the car, letting his hands fall to his lap.
"Tell me more about this club, if you don't mind."
She slouched down in her seat, slipping out of her sandals. "Hmm, but the birds might hear."
"Kei-kooooo," he said then, sounding like she was driving him crazy.
"So it's bad to crash Aiba's car," she said, surprised by how calm she sounded despite the obvious way this conversation was heading. "But it's fine to have sex in it?"
"Towels," Sho mumbled. "Still towels in the trunk. He'd never know."
They were outside in the open air, neither of them sure how isolated they really were, driving in a car that wasn't theirs. It was everything the Keiko of a week ago would have probably thought was way too risky.
But that was the Keiko of a week ago. "Get a towel then."
He had the door open before she was even finished, folding down the driver's seat and hurrying to open the trunk. He returned quickly, spreading one of the white towels on the backseat, where just days earlier they'd sat together on the drive from the airport. He was in jeans and a t-shirt, and he sat down a little awkwardly in the middle of the seat, unzipping his jeans and sliding them down his hips to rest at his knees.
She made quick work of her shorts, unbuttoning them and sliding them down her legs. Saying a prayer for the gods of driving to keep anyone from turning down their road, she slid off her panties too, leaving her clothes on top of the dashboard. She climbed into the backseat, naked from the waist down and settled on top of him, a leg on either side of his thighs.
"Now," she said, resting her arms casually around his neck. "What do you want to know about the club?"
"Everything," he replied.
So she sat there, feeling him grow unbelievably hard beneath her as she explained the night at the Ripened Peach - the scarf she'd kept tight around her wrist, the way she'd seen eyes looking her up and down in appreciation, the way watching everything made her both confused and hot at the same time. "Keep talking," he murmured, tugging on her shirt until she lifted it up and over her head. She arched her back, feeling his thumbs rub her nipples through the fabric of her bra.
Talking about it brought the sights, the sounds of the club back to her mind, and she shut her eyes, Sho holding her firmly atop him, his hot mouth everywhere against her bare skin. She told him about the people getting whipped, flogged, spanked. How she couldn't decide if she wanted to do it or have it done to her. He found her hand, bringing it between them to his erection.
He arched into her palm with a moan, his voice lost somewhere between her collarbone and cleavage. The head of his cock was already slick, and she continued to talk, her voice getting lower and softer as she stroked him up and down.
She leaned in close, right next to his ear. "If you'd been there, I suppose I would have tried anything."
He groaned, fumbling around a bit to find a condom he'd taken out of his jeans pocket (having clearly planned for something on their outing today). She took it from him, rolling it onto him. Their eyes met, and Keiko knew that they had to get going now before somebody caught them...or they got too many bug bites.
She moved, sighing as he easily slipped inside her. He surprised her by not moving, instead holding her face in his hands and kissing her gently, his fingers twisting through her hair. "This is just about the dirtiest thing I've ever done," he admitted, groaning a bit as she adjusted on top of him, taking him deeper inside her.
"Good," she replied.
He held her close, letting her set the pace as she moved on top of him. She couldn't help smiling, watching him as he watched her, knowing that the lust in his eyes had to match her own. She started out slow, wanting to enjoy the feeling, but her own curiosity and need got the best of her. She'd spent too long talking about the Ripened Peach.
"Order me around," she said, stroking his cheek. "Do what you want to me."
"Aren't you on top right now?"
"Do I have to ask you again? I'll tell you to stop if I can't handle it."
His wicked smile was back. "Alright. Then I'm going to spank you."
"Don't tell me," she said, heat building between them as she rode him a bit harder. "Just do it."
The crack of his palm against her ass had to have been heard somewhere, and she cried out - not in pain, but in desire for him to do it again. Seeing her reaction made him smile all the more, and he did it again. And again until she nearly collapsed against him, laughing and happy.
"Take off your bra." Without slowing her pace, she reached behind her back and undid the clasp, obeying. "Touch them." He held her steady and she moved her hands from his shoulders, stroking her own breasts, twisting her own nipples between her fingers.
"Now," he said, sounding like he was going to lose it any minute, seeming to be choosing his next orders carefully. "Touch your clit while I fuck you." Moving one hand back to his shoulder, she moved her fingers between her legs, finding herself warm and wet to the touch. Instead of Keiko moving on her own, Sho was arching up off the seat, filling her forcefully. Polite Sho was gone, raw need visible in his face as she tried to follow his commands to the letter.
She could sense her orgasm coming, her fingers working furiously because he wanted her to and, she discovered, because she liked having a part in her own pleasure. "Wait," he whispered. "I'll give you a countdown." The bastard, recalling her picture-taking in the forest.
"Five," he whispered, slipping his hands under her bottom to draw her even closer.
"Four." Her legs trembled, and she seemed to forget that they were outside, easily caught.
"Three." His voice unsteady, she knew he wasn't going to make it...
"Two." It hit, and she cried out, feeling herself contract around him.
He didn't make it to one.
--
Sho was surprised they even made it to the ceremony the following day. He'd never gotten so close or so comfortable with anyone in his life, and if he could, he'd stay in bed with Keiko as long as he could. They'd been fairly exhausted upon returning to the hotel last night, had both woken with a little less bliss than they had the previous day. That, of course, was thanks to the nasty red mosquito bites dotting Sho's arms and legs, although Keiko had gotten the worst of it.
Even now at the reception, looking so lovely and serene beside him at the table with her hair knotted up and her violet strapless dress, he could spy her slipping her hand under the tablecloth as the catering staff brought plates around. To anyone else, it might have looked like Miss Kitagawa Keiko was up to no good, which made Sho grin. Only he knew her secret. There was a nasty bite at the top of her thigh, a sore spot that no amount of aloe vera lotion and Sho's rubbing fingers had been able to help thus far. Although Sho had been all too happy to volunteer with the lotion bottle over the course of the day.
Sho didn't know much about wedding ceremonies. He'd attended his fair share, but he usually tuned out, got lost in his own selfish wishes and worries as the bride and groom made their pledges to one another. But seeing Nino up there with the burnt orange sunset skies and ocean waves just outside the chapel window, holding Yuriko's hands so gently as he said his vows, promising "never to piss you off more than necessary," Sho knew he'd never attend one like this again. And he'd never forget it.
Many of the women had cried, even dominatrix Shibasaki had had tears streaking down her cheeks as the waves hit the shore and the minister held back a snort at some of the odd promises Nino and Yuriko made to each other. Keiko had not cried. The poor thing had bitten her lip and squeezed his hand, simply to keep herself from scratching her itchy legs.
But the more laid-back reception brought her itching back in full force, and Sho caught Ohno-san (placed with them at the obvious 'singles' table) staring with amusement in his eyes. His mouth seemed to linger on chewing a piece of shrimp, his gaze tracking lower as Keiko's hand moved desperately under the tablecloth. Sho came to her rescue with a rather impolite elbow to her arm.
She looked up, catching Ohno's eyes. And where any other woman Sho knew would probably have gone red in the face or cussed Ohno out for being a creep, Keiko smiled at him. "Mosquito bite," she explained calmly.
"Ah," Nino's newest friend replied. "Those are the worst, huh?"
Eventually the dinner plates were cleared, the cake and desserts brought around, and it was time for a few speeches. Kou-san went first, bringing the room to near hysterics as she explained Yuriko's first night at the Snake and Earring Club, an outright disaster where Yuriko had apparently tried (and failed) to tie someone up, landing them in the hospital with rope burns. "But," Kou explained, "I taught her everything she knows. So Ninomiya, I'd say you owe me some back pay."
The mood shifted after that as Kou handed the microphone over to Aiba-san. Where Sho had grown accustomed to weddings full of tearful, emotional women, Aiba was already crying as he shakily pulled out some notecards from the pocket of his tuxedo jacket.
"You are the worst best man ever," Nino complained jokingly, trying to swat Aiba in the ass. "What are you crying for?"
"I just...I just...I love you, you're my best friend!" Aiba spluttered out, probably coating the microphone with snot as everyone laughed. Sho had to wonder how the simple, kind guy at the head table was the same person who cooked on TV and charmed his audience with all his cool, model-like smiles. Aiba stumbled through a rather rambling speech about him and Nino growing up relatively poor, how they'd rode the train to school together every day, how they'd both beaten the odds.
Aiba didn't even get a chance to finish, Nino springing out of his seat to wrap his friend in a hug that had the room clapping and crying. Sho noticed that even Ohno-san was sniffling at their table in between bites of dessert.
"Enough crying!" Yuriko finally protested, getting to her feet and smiling, wiping tears from her eyes. "The only crying I want to hear is from the losers who don't manage to get their hands on this!" She held up her bouquet, wiggling it enticingly. "On your feet, ladies, this isn't a rehearsal!"
"Kick their asses, Keiko-san!" Ohno cheered her, and Sho watched her look slightly embarrassed. The other single women got out of their chairs and headed for the dance floor while the DJ started up with some anticipation-building music.
She looked up, meeting Sho's eyes. They'd only known each other a few days. It was ridiculous to think of her catching the bouquet actually meaning anything. It was just a silly tradition. But if he was thinking it, so was she, and they were frozen.
Mercifully, Rola-san intervened, rushing over to their table. "Keiko-chan, come on!" she said, grabbing Keiko roughly by the arm and yanking her to her feet. "I need your help. Elbow some of these girls for me, okay?"
Sho couldn't help but chuckle, watching Rola drag Keiko off to the floor. The music continued to build, and he watched the women huddle together, eager for the flowers to find their way into their hands. It seemed like there were several wannabe brides in attendance as Yuriko left the head table and started doing a few practice swings with her bouquet.
Sho just sat back, watching Keiko's face grow more and more confused as Rola tried to get them into an advantageous position on the dance floor. Ohno moved out of his seat, right into the one at Sho's side. "Nino was telling me that you and Keiko-san have just met this week."
"Right," Sho said, distracted by the commotion on the dance floor.
"He said you were both, you know, not the impulsive type," Ohno continued, helping himself to a stray cookie on Sho's dessert plate.
"We're not."
"So why do you want her to catch it so badly?" Ohno asked plainly, teeth crunching down on the cookie.
Sho turned abruptly, seeing the fisherman looking at him curiously. It all flashed before Sho in an instant, the thought of one day standing where Nino and Yuriko had stood. Pulling up the wedding veil and finding Keiko's face beneath it. He remembered speaking with Nino on the bus.
The universe aligns, and she's there, and you'd be a fool to doubt yourself.
"Well?" Ohno asked, crumbs shooting out of his mouth and onto Sho's suit jacket.
A fool to not just do something about it.
Sho got to his feet, his chair falling back with a noisy thud. "Keiko!"
Most eyes in the room turned to him in surprise. Rola alone ignored Sho's outburst, still trying to tug Keiko into place. But Keiko looked at him, her face pale and confused.
Sho turned scarlet. "Uh, good luck!"
She smiled, giving him a thumbs up. "Thanks!"
The music cut off, and Yuriko took command of the room once more. "Okay, this is some serious bouquet business right now." She turned, putting her back to the women behind her as she readied the flowers. "Here they come!"
--
Yuriko smiled as she went through the hefty report Keiko had brought her. "This is amazing," she said, flipping through the pages. "You put a lot of work into this."
Keiko shrugged. "I wanted to be thorough." The report, filled with examples and potential places to expand the Puppy Play audience, had kept Keiko running on about three hours of sleep a night for the past week she'd been back home in Tokyo.
Yuriko and Nino had only just returned from their honeymoon in Bali. Newlywed life was already serving Keiko's client well. Yuriko looked relaxed, refreshed, happier than ever. The wedding band and her engagement ring sparkled on her left hand as she set Keiko's work down on her desk.
"You've done so much for Puppy Play in so short a time," Yuriko said. "Are you taking time for yourself?"
"What do you mean?"
Yuriko sighed, leaning back in her chair. "When I first saw you in Okinawa, that first night at dinner you were shy, quiet, and sad..."
"I wasn't..." Yuriko raised an eyebrow, but Keiko pressed on. "I wasn't sad, not really."
"You were just a buzzing little worker bee. But when I left a week later," Yuriko continued, "you'd changed, so beautifully. I thought I'd worked a miracle. Everything about you just relaxed, all the tension seemed to fall off you. I wasn't wrong, was I? It wasn't just the tropical setting, all my meddling, it wasn't a fluke, was it? Everything with Sho-kun?"
Keiko looked down. When she and Sho had parted on Saturday at Haneda, they'd exchanged numbers. They both had a lot of work waiting after a week away, so they'd mutually agreed to give one another space until they caught up. Until they were ready to move forward. They hadn't so much as sent one another a mail in that week, both returning to the anonymity and restlessness of Tokyo. It had almost been too easy to settle back in to life with Jack in her small apartment, sitting in front of her laptop with her glasses perched on her nose as she worked.
It had been the longest week of Keiko's life.
"We've been working. Busy."
Yuriko shook her head. "I should have cheated, let you catch the bouquet..."
"But Rola-san..."
Yuriko laughed. "Oh never mind, you're still as stubborn as ever. All I'm saying is I don't want you working yourself to death trying to sell dog collars for humans! Sho-kun's working himself to death selling rocking chairs. And you're both adorable people for being that way. But there's more to life than giving all of yourself to your work, isn't there? Keiko, you give me 200%, and that's what the people recommending you to my account told me. But they're just dog collars, in the end. They don't need your complete and utter devotion. I'd be happy with your 100%, Keiko. Save the other 100% for you. For what you want and what makes you happy, whoever or whatever that is."
It was rather odd to get lectured by someone a few years younger, but she was right, in a way. Yuriko bringing her to Okinawa wasn't just for her to meet Sho, to find someone who fit her perfectly. It was the beauty of discovery itself, taking a break from her scheduled, structured life and figuring out what her own "perfect" actually was. Yuriko hadn't wanted to be a simple matchmaker - she'd wanted Keiko to discover what truly made her happy.
"You're lost in your head again," Yuriko interrupted. "Thinking too much. The both of you are so...so cerebral."
Keiko grinned. "I am who I am."
"And that's why this meeting is over for today," Yuriko said, standing up. "I forbid you to do any work on this account for the rest of the day, is that clear?"
"If you say so..."
She watched Yuriko scribble down an address on a notepad. "Go here, 7th floor."
"The StimInc building?"
"Thanks for all your hard work today. Now get out of here." Yuriko smiled. "Go, I said."
Keiko clutched the address in her hand and her purse in the other, the subway howling through the tunnels under the city as she headed back for Shimbashi. All this time he'd been working a block away. Could she even get in to see him? Would he be in the middle of something? Would he mind her interruption? It was only 2:00 in the afternoon. Well, Keiko decided. He'd just have to make an exception.
She got off the train, feeling nervous. She couldn't call it love. Not yet. But she could call it potential happiness. Or just happiness, full stop.
Nino found her in the lobby, dressed in jeans that had seen better days and a t-shirt for the Ripened Peach club in Okinawa. He smiled at the sight of her, immediately catching her by the arm and gently pulling her away from the security desk. "My guest," he told the security staff, and they nodded immediately.
"Ninomiya-san," she said, trying to put on a casual air.
"Kitagawa-san," Nino replied, escorting her to the elevator. She watched him pull an ID swipe card from his pocket, holding it against a sensor and pressing '7' as the doors closed. "Need this to get anywhere around here. Security's important. Don't want any rocking chairs walking away, right?"
"Thank you," she murmured, slightly embarrassed.
"This'll be better, I think," Nino said. Keiko suspected that Yuriko had called him, told him to expect her. "He would have had to come down and get you, and there goes your fun surprise."
The elevator pinged at the seventh floor, and the doors opened, revealing a short corridor and a set of glass doors emblazoned with 'Okada & Morita Design.'
"See you around," Nino said with a wink as the doors closed. The receptionist had seen her getting out of the elevator, had seen Nino inside with her, and greeted her warmly as she entered.
"Sakurai Sho, please?"
The receptionist pointed her in the right direction. The floor plan was relatively open. Sho had explained that the sixth floor was heavily soundproofed, mostly serving as a work area for the owners who then shipped pieces off to an off-site warehouse. The seventh floor where Sho worked was full of furniture examples, honeycomb-style cubicles, and small offices, full of salespeople and account managers. Sho, as lead accountant, had an office in the rear of the floor near his friend's, the owner.
The office walls facing cubicle-land were glass, and she saw a few people watching as she walked past on her way to the other end of the floor. She found the nameplate for Sakurai, smiling as she saw him through the glass for the first time in a week. His office wasn't very large, but it suited him. Like his hotel room had been, his desk was covered in paper, his bookshelves full of account ledgers because he refused to put his complete faith in computer files.
Even though he faced away from the window, he was engrossed in his computer screen, his fingers moving briskly across his keyboard. Her heart caught, watching him work, seeing him so serious. She was interrupting. Old Keiko would never interrupt. Old Keiko would never have even shown up without telling him.
"You'd have to fire a cannon next to him to distract him from that computer," said a voice at her side. She jumped a bit, seeing a shorter man with rather intense eyes but a kind of absent-minded smile had approached without her noticing. He had bits of sawdust in his hair. "Okada Junichi, my name's on the front door."
His boss! Keiko made to apologize, but he shook his head and chuckled. "Come here, with me. I'll bring him for you."
She obediently followed the man away from Sho's office door and to a small conference room at the end of the floor. This one, Keiko noticed, did not have glass walls. She decided to be blunt. "Let me guess," she said. "Ninomiya-san's doing?"
His face gave nothing away. He only brought his finger to his lips and closed the door, leaving her inside.
--
Mizuhara had been ambitious while Sho had been gone, signing on two new clients and pushing through the paperwork. He was double checking her numbers when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He hadn't even heard the door open.
Okada, just up from his workshop if his dusty clothes were anything to go on. "Got someone in the conference room," he said.
"Client?" Sho mumbled, thinking through the day's calendar. Nobody was due in.
"Potential dining room set," his boss explained, turning Sho's chair. "But she wants the best. Only the best. And I was explaining that we'll give her the best our accountant allows, so I want you to say right to her face what she can and can't have."
Sho was tugged out of his seat. "Hold on, wait wait wait..."
"You're the one going on and on about saving money," Okada continued, dragging him out of his office. "So Go and I have been thinking that maybe you should be there to explain our...limitations."
"Is she famous? Oh god," Sho babbled. He was going to lose them business! "We can come up with the money, I'm just trying to keep us afloat. Wait, seriously, this isn't funny, I can't tell someone famous that we won't..."
His boss abruptly opened the conference room door, and Sho saw her. "So," Okada said, "I'll leave you to it." He pointed down. "And that's the lock."
And with that the door was shut behind them. Keiko was there, standing a little awkwardly next to the conference table. Her hair was pulled back, and she was in a business suit and pumps, looking every ounce the professional. She was here. She was here for him.
Sho spoke first, immediately wishing he hadn't. "How are your mosquito bites?"
She shifted her bag from hand to hand. "Ah, they've healed. No more itching."
"That's good," Sho said.
She took a step forward, then another. "Yuriko told me to stop working for today. She sent me over here."
"Did she?" He found himself easing up a bit, seeing her bright eyes again after such a long, boring week. He couldn't stop looking at her, couldn't help falling all over again. "Keiko..."
"Mmm?" She was in arm's reach now, setting her purse down on one of the chairs and leaning back against the conference table. He moved to her side, leaning back as well.
"I've spent this whole week wanting to call you, hear your voice. But I didn't want to interrupt. Since, you know, we agreed to..."
She suddenly exhaled. "That was such a dumb agreement."
He turned, finding her smiling at him, and he couldn't hold back. One week had seemed like years, and he was finally able to cup her cheek once more and kiss her. He took it slow, kissing her like he had the very first time, tasting the sugary sweetness of her lip gloss. Hopefully the lights wouldn't go out this time.
She hadn't caught the bouquet Yuriko had tossed, but Sho had spent the rest of the time in Okinawa, the flight home, and this long, work-filled week thinking of how pointless it would be to move forward without her by his side. There was still so much he wanted to know about her. A week wasn't enough time. He had to learn what she liked and what she didn't, where they'd clash and where they'd get along.
He'd almost called her as soon as they'd gotten in separate cabs at Haneda, but he'd let her go. He'd given her time. Now, feeling her soft skin under his fingers, her lips parting to deepen their kiss, he decided he'd already wasted enough time. "What are the words women want to hear?" he asked, leaning his forehead against hers. "You know, these days?"
"The words?" she asked, confused.
He kissed the side of her mouth, her cheek. "Like do I say, go out with me? Or let's get together? Or be my girlfriend? I haven't done this in a while, so I want to say the right thing..."
She found his hand, giving it a squeeze. "How about we skip that part and I just say yes?"
"I knew there was a reason why I liked you."
Even though his boss had been bold enough to point out the lock on the door, Sho didn't mess around on work time. Which was why he decided work time was over, at least for today. She grabbed her bag, and he grabbed her other hand, pulling her out of the conference room. His office door already had a sign pasted to it, "GO HOME!!!", courtesy his boss.
Leaving his computer the way it was, he simply grabbed his briefcase and keys, slamming the door behind him and taking Keiko's hand again. He heard whispers and even a few encouraging whistles from the cubicles as he walked past and out the door, but he didn't care.
When they were in the StimInc lobby he looked around, gesturing wildly. "Where do you want to go?"
Keiko got up on her tiptoes, fingers snaring in his hair as she pulled him down to her mouth. When she let him go, she smiled.
"Everywhere."
Ending Notes
Kitagawa Keiko's cat in real life is named Jill - in the AU-niverse, I've named him Jack :)
I owe a debt of gratitude to the following sites:
Kitagawa Keiko's Writings. An English translation of Keiko's blog - one night instead of writing I think I read two years of Keiko's life in blog entries. So whether I've characterized her properly or not, I did kind of fall in love with her.
Kafuu Resort Fuchaku Condo Hotel. This is where they were staying, but I changed some details to suit my nefarious purposes!
Okinawa Chapel List. Includes the Ao-no-Chapel at the Kafuu Resort, but I mostly used this to get some good wedding chapel visuals for Okinawa. Ugh!! Who wants to get married in Okinawa? Let's go!
His jaw popped a little when he woke up, and he grinned. It had been worth it. He'd gotten home exhausted, ready to collapse only to find she'd stolen into his room and fallen asleep on his couch.
Unlike the previous morning, he wasn't woken in a hurry. Sleeping in bed alone, he usually tossed and turned, abusing his pillows and sometimes waking at the foot of the bed turned the opposite way. Today he woke on his back, his arm completely asleep underneath Keiko's neck. She was curled up against him in that silly, sexy Sailor Moon (Mars, he reminded himself) costume, one of her long, shapely legs flung over him, her foot dangerously close to his crotch.
It was an enviable position, waking with the perfect girl in his bed. Her presence had healing properties, Sho was convinced. The bizarre bachelor party, the horrible walk to the hotel in the dead of night - all he'd needed was the sound of her breath catching, the noises she made while he went down on her. Even his feet didn't feel so bad.
He didn't move a muscle, feeling her stir a few minutes later. "Good morning," he whispered, kissing the top of her head.
She sounded rather pleased, letting out a gentle sigh. "Am I still in this stupid costume?"
"If I had my way, you'd wear it to the wedding."
She jabbed him in the side with her finger, making him groan. She sat up, adjusting the rumpled bow on the front of the costume. "I think Kou-san probably wants it back."
Sho was struck with the urge to go ask Shibasaki-san how much it cost, but he held his tongue. They stretched, and he sat up too. He turned his head, seeing her sitting beside him, simply enjoying the sight of her so close. Like she was meant to be there. "I need to tell you something."
She looked at him with big, innocent eyes. "And what's that?"
He reached his hand over, taking hers. "If I don't bring it up, I'm sure Yuriko-san will. And I wanted to be the one to tell you. On Saturday," he started, realizing just how long ago Saturday felt, even if it had only been a few days, "when we were at the airport and Yuriko called me."
"About Aiba-san meeting us?"
"Do you want to know how I found you?"
She tilted her head, confused, obviously remembering how creepy he'd probably looked skulking around the gate. "How?"
He blushed, looking down at the blankets but squeezing her hand tighter. "I thought it was ridiculous, but over the past few days it's been on and off ridiculous with people like Yuriko around. Anyway, she didn't give me your name. And she didn't tell me what you looked like. She just told me I had to find the most beautiful woman sitting at the gate."
Keiko seemed to freeze up a bit, embarrassed. "Well," she stuttered, "you were looking around for a while, huh? Must have been dumb luck..."
"Keiko," he said, "you were the first and last person I spoke to at that gate. I found you. First try."
She licked her lips. "Why are you telling me this?"
He didn't know why. He really didn't. But he'd woken with her in his arms, wanting to know anything and everything he could about her. And he didn't care how long it took. "I guess I don't want you to think that this ends on Saturday when we fly home. I don't know what the future holds, and I don't want to go overboard about it, but I want to see you. In Tokyo. Whenever you'll let me." He paused. "That is, if you want to, obviously."
She knocked him back against the pillows, laughing cheerfully as she climbed on top of him. She grabbed hold of his hands, pinning them back behind his head and nuzzling against his neck.
"So that's a yes?" he asked before yelping suddenly as her teeth nipped at his ear.
At some point during the previous day she'd slipped condoms into the drawer of his bedside table, and without hesitating or changing venue they made love, him getting off quicker than he'd have liked. But it was difficult when she was on top of him, her long hair falling in a curtain around them, her body clenching around him as she came with his name on her lips.
He didn't let her go after, the two of them slowly making their way to his bathroom. She held her hair aside as he slowly unzipped the costume from her neck to the base of her spine, reveling in her body as she stepped out of it and opened the shower door. They laughed as they both tried to fit into the glass stall designed for one, Sho stubbing his toe and Keiko knocking the shampoo pump bottle down with her elbow.
It was a lot less dangerous than being in that dark pool at least, the water cascading down around them as he kissed her, turned her around so he could stand behind her and simply hold her as the spray steamed up the glass. When was the last time Sho had been this happy? This relaxed?
One cramped, silly shower later, they dressed for the day in their respective rooms. The rehearsal and dinner were that night, but since they weren't in the wedding party, they didn't have to attend. They could finally spend the day together on their own terms and without interruptions. The garden, the hike and picnic. It was back on, and the Okinawa weather was ready for them.
It was finally time for Sho to try the breakfast buffet, and it was minutes before closing as they hurried through with their plates, Keiko shoving an extra croissant onto his plate with a laugh.
They found Ohno-san still sitting with Nino, four hours after the breakfast had opened. He saw some of the other wedding guests scattered around the room, looking hungover and miserable. Sho was about to turn them around, find another table before Nino spied them out of the corner of his eye.
Nino grinned, moving aside so the seat in the booth beside him was free. "Keiko-chan, please." He gave Sho a knowing look as he sat down beside Ohno.
"Hello," Ohno said cheerfully, spraying toast crumbs from his mouth, already one of the gang.
"Keiko-chan," Nino started, picking up a thin slice of bacon and smiling. "Let me tell you every embarrassing thing there is to know about my friend, Sakurai Sho."
--
She trampled through the woods, the mud still squishy after the rain a few days earlier. She could hear Sho behind her, narrating. Apparently his hobby was videotaping his vacations - it had just been so long since he'd taken one that he'd insisted on filming everything thus far. He'd even had her hold the camera and film the drive, the pair of them borrowing Aiba's convertible yet again because of his splitting headache from the "booze cruise" Sho had skipped.
Keiko was kind of glad Sho had accompanied his friend back from Naha, if only because a hungover Sho would not have made the day they were having possible. Nino had kept them in the hotel dining room for a good hour, introducing the strange, tanned Ohno-san - and could Ohno-san possibly camp out in Sho or Keiko's room? Surely they didn't need separate rooms now...
Sho had tried to be chivalrous, had declined, but Keiko had simply smiled and offered her room, no questions asked (provided she was able to clean up and move her things first). The look on Sho's face - shock, amazement, happiness all in one - had confirmed that she'd made the right decision. Once that had been settled, she and Sho had hit the road, spending a few hours looking at the gorgeous plants and flowers of the tropical park.
After that they'd picked up some bento lunches from a roadside diner, sitting on the hood of the convertible they'd parked by a scenic overlook. Now they were deep into the forest, en route to the waterfall. Even with the mud splattering her sneakers, catching her shins, she didn't mind.
He'd all but confessed to her that morning, in a tentative, sweet way that had let Keiko know he was fine with whatever she decided. And what she decided was that they were going to make it work. She had her busy job? Well, he had his too. The way he made her feel, the way he loved her body, and the way he'd respected her from day one...there was no way she could let Yuriko's hard work at matchmaking go to waste.
"Kitagawa, the intrepid explorer, has seen the jungles of Brazil, of the Congo...but none hold the promise of these ancient trees here in Okinawa," Sho narrated in an obnoxious, travel documentary-style accent.
"Intrepid explorer?" she asked, sidestepping a rock and trying her best to stay on the path because of all the signs warning about snakes. "I'm no such thing."
"Humble," Sho continued, "as well as intelligent and beautiful, we see Kitagawa lead the way despite the treacherous environs!"
She turned, crossing her arms. "You must be quiet, Sakurai," she said, taking on a snooty tone. "Legend tells of an ancient evil lurking among these trees, drawn to the voice of a good-looking man."
"Well," he said, smiling as he pointed the camera at her. "I hope you will protect me."
He mercifully gave up on his silly narration when they arrived at the falls, filming everything with little bursts of "amazing!" and "awesome!" She leaned back against a tree, taking in the sights and watching him scurry back and forth like an excited kid.
She slipped her phone from her pocket. "Put the video camera down, I want a normal picture."
He chuckled, holding out his hand for the phone. "Alright, I can take a normal one..."
"I want you in the picture," she said, holding the phone insistently. "I want to remember us here. Together."
"Oh," Sho said, sounding surprised even now after all they'd been through. "Of course."
They stood in front of the falls, and she could feel the spray faintly against her back. She held the phone up, hoping they were both in the shot. "Cheese!"
She took a look at it, seeing that Sho had crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out. "Oh, thanks a lot," she grumbled, holding the phone up again. "Do it properly! Here, I'll even give you a countdown. Five...four...three...two..."
His hand found her cheek, tilting her face sideways, and their lips met just as her finger pressed down on the button. She jumped back in shock, seeing the wicked grin on his face that she was starting to love. "There," he said. "How's that for proper?"
She bit her lip to hold in a laugh, turning the camera towards her. It was perfectly framed, his hand just tilting her chin up, his lips millimeters away from her own, her eyes closed. Romantic, something that would usually make her gag if her friends ever showed her shots like that on their own phones. "I can't share either of these with my mother," she said shyly, shutting her phone and putting it back in her pocket.
He had the video camera on again, checking his watch. "Kitagawa must lamentably return from her forest trek, as the paths are closed at sunset."
She rolled her eyes. The voice was back, so was the camera. They headed for the car, trudging back along the path. They'd brought some hotel towels and extra shoes with them, and she was grateful to change out of them and wipe the mud from her legs, putting everything in a bag and shoving it in the trunk.
"You know," she said, itching at a mosquito bite on the inside of her elbow, a reward from the day. "I think we've driven this car more than Aiba-san has."
Sho pulled out of the parking lot, a lot more at ease than he had been on the day of the aquarium visit. "I think you're right."
They fell into a companionable silence, heading south for the resort. They'd set the GPS to use the backroads, enjoying the more winding, scenic route back. She watched Sho drive, confused to see him moving his lips, then stopping, then starting again. What was he trying to say?
"Sho-kun?"
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "I was just thinking. I haven't asked you about last night. About the club. Did you...have a nice time?"
"It was different. If you're into exhibitionism and, um, spanking." She smiled to herself. "Or feet, I suppose."
"Did you participate?" he asked, his voice noticeably higher, more nervous.
"No."
"...did you want to, you know, try it?"
"Maybe."
"With the people there?"
She grinned, giving him a coy look before replying with a simple "No."
"With someone else?"
"Yes."
His hands were almost shaking. "With...me?"
"Yes."
They continued driving, Keiko knowing that Sho's interest was rising, but if they stuck to the route they were on, it would be at least another forty-five minutes to an hour before they made it to the privacy of the hotel.
"Maybe we should pull over," he said, scratching his face hesitantly.
"Oh? Why?" she teased him deliberately.
"Because if we don't I'm probably going to wrap this car around a tree, and I don't think Aiba would be very forgiving about it."
They found a turn-off, what seemed to be a private road nestled among the trees. Sho was increasingly antsy as they moved forward, further and further from the main road. The sun would be setting soon, but it was even darker here under the forest canopy. Sho turned off the car, letting his hands fall to his lap.
"Tell me more about this club, if you don't mind."
She slouched down in her seat, slipping out of her sandals. "Hmm, but the birds might hear."
"Kei-kooooo," he said then, sounding like she was driving him crazy.
"So it's bad to crash Aiba's car," she said, surprised by how calm she sounded despite the obvious way this conversation was heading. "But it's fine to have sex in it?"
"Towels," Sho mumbled. "Still towels in the trunk. He'd never know."
They were outside in the open air, neither of them sure how isolated they really were, driving in a car that wasn't theirs. It was everything the Keiko of a week ago would have probably thought was way too risky.
But that was the Keiko of a week ago. "Get a towel then."
He had the door open before she was even finished, folding down the driver's seat and hurrying to open the trunk. He returned quickly, spreading one of the white towels on the backseat, where just days earlier they'd sat together on the drive from the airport. He was in jeans and a t-shirt, and he sat down a little awkwardly in the middle of the seat, unzipping his jeans and sliding them down his hips to rest at his knees.
She made quick work of her shorts, unbuttoning them and sliding them down her legs. Saying a prayer for the gods of driving to keep anyone from turning down their road, she slid off her panties too, leaving her clothes on top of the dashboard. She climbed into the backseat, naked from the waist down and settled on top of him, a leg on either side of his thighs.
"Now," she said, resting her arms casually around his neck. "What do you want to know about the club?"
"Everything," he replied.
So she sat there, feeling him grow unbelievably hard beneath her as she explained the night at the Ripened Peach - the scarf she'd kept tight around her wrist, the way she'd seen eyes looking her up and down in appreciation, the way watching everything made her both confused and hot at the same time. "Keep talking," he murmured, tugging on her shirt until she lifted it up and over her head. She arched her back, feeling his thumbs rub her nipples through the fabric of her bra.
Talking about it brought the sights, the sounds of the club back to her mind, and she shut her eyes, Sho holding her firmly atop him, his hot mouth everywhere against her bare skin. She told him about the people getting whipped, flogged, spanked. How she couldn't decide if she wanted to do it or have it done to her. He found her hand, bringing it between them to his erection.
He arched into her palm with a moan, his voice lost somewhere between her collarbone and cleavage. The head of his cock was already slick, and she continued to talk, her voice getting lower and softer as she stroked him up and down.
She leaned in close, right next to his ear. "If you'd been there, I suppose I would have tried anything."
He groaned, fumbling around a bit to find a condom he'd taken out of his jeans pocket (having clearly planned for something on their outing today). She took it from him, rolling it onto him. Their eyes met, and Keiko knew that they had to get going now before somebody caught them...or they got too many bug bites.
She moved, sighing as he easily slipped inside her. He surprised her by not moving, instead holding her face in his hands and kissing her gently, his fingers twisting through her hair. "This is just about the dirtiest thing I've ever done," he admitted, groaning a bit as she adjusted on top of him, taking him deeper inside her.
"Good," she replied.
He held her close, letting her set the pace as she moved on top of him. She couldn't help smiling, watching him as he watched her, knowing that the lust in his eyes had to match her own. She started out slow, wanting to enjoy the feeling, but her own curiosity and need got the best of her. She'd spent too long talking about the Ripened Peach.
"Order me around," she said, stroking his cheek. "Do what you want to me."
"Aren't you on top right now?"
"Do I have to ask you again? I'll tell you to stop if I can't handle it."
His wicked smile was back. "Alright. Then I'm going to spank you."
"Don't tell me," she said, heat building between them as she rode him a bit harder. "Just do it."
The crack of his palm against her ass had to have been heard somewhere, and she cried out - not in pain, but in desire for him to do it again. Seeing her reaction made him smile all the more, and he did it again. And again until she nearly collapsed against him, laughing and happy.
"Take off your bra." Without slowing her pace, she reached behind her back and undid the clasp, obeying. "Touch them." He held her steady and she moved her hands from his shoulders, stroking her own breasts, twisting her own nipples between her fingers.
"Now," he said, sounding like he was going to lose it any minute, seeming to be choosing his next orders carefully. "Touch your clit while I fuck you." Moving one hand back to his shoulder, she moved her fingers between her legs, finding herself warm and wet to the touch. Instead of Keiko moving on her own, Sho was arching up off the seat, filling her forcefully. Polite Sho was gone, raw need visible in his face as she tried to follow his commands to the letter.
She could sense her orgasm coming, her fingers working furiously because he wanted her to and, she discovered, because she liked having a part in her own pleasure. "Wait," he whispered. "I'll give you a countdown." The bastard, recalling her picture-taking in the forest.
"Five," he whispered, slipping his hands under her bottom to draw her even closer.
"Four." Her legs trembled, and she seemed to forget that they were outside, easily caught.
"Three." His voice unsteady, she knew he wasn't going to make it...
"Two." It hit, and she cried out, feeling herself contract around him.
He didn't make it to one.
--
Sho was surprised they even made it to the ceremony the following day. He'd never gotten so close or so comfortable with anyone in his life, and if he could, he'd stay in bed with Keiko as long as he could. They'd been fairly exhausted upon returning to the hotel last night, had both woken with a little less bliss than they had the previous day. That, of course, was thanks to the nasty red mosquito bites dotting Sho's arms and legs, although Keiko had gotten the worst of it.
Even now at the reception, looking so lovely and serene beside him at the table with her hair knotted up and her violet strapless dress, he could spy her slipping her hand under the tablecloth as the catering staff brought plates around. To anyone else, it might have looked like Miss Kitagawa Keiko was up to no good, which made Sho grin. Only he knew her secret. There was a nasty bite at the top of her thigh, a sore spot that no amount of aloe vera lotion and Sho's rubbing fingers had been able to help thus far. Although Sho had been all too happy to volunteer with the lotion bottle over the course of the day.
Sho didn't know much about wedding ceremonies. He'd attended his fair share, but he usually tuned out, got lost in his own selfish wishes and worries as the bride and groom made their pledges to one another. But seeing Nino up there with the burnt orange sunset skies and ocean waves just outside the chapel window, holding Yuriko's hands so gently as he said his vows, promising "never to piss you off more than necessary," Sho knew he'd never attend one like this again. And he'd never forget it.
Many of the women had cried, even dominatrix Shibasaki had had tears streaking down her cheeks as the waves hit the shore and the minister held back a snort at some of the odd promises Nino and Yuriko made to each other. Keiko had not cried. The poor thing had bitten her lip and squeezed his hand, simply to keep herself from scratching her itchy legs.
But the more laid-back reception brought her itching back in full force, and Sho caught Ohno-san (placed with them at the obvious 'singles' table) staring with amusement in his eyes. His mouth seemed to linger on chewing a piece of shrimp, his gaze tracking lower as Keiko's hand moved desperately under the tablecloth. Sho came to her rescue with a rather impolite elbow to her arm.
She looked up, catching Ohno's eyes. And where any other woman Sho knew would probably have gone red in the face or cussed Ohno out for being a creep, Keiko smiled at him. "Mosquito bite," she explained calmly.
"Ah," Nino's newest friend replied. "Those are the worst, huh?"
Eventually the dinner plates were cleared, the cake and desserts brought around, and it was time for a few speeches. Kou-san went first, bringing the room to near hysterics as she explained Yuriko's first night at the Snake and Earring Club, an outright disaster where Yuriko had apparently tried (and failed) to tie someone up, landing them in the hospital with rope burns. "But," Kou explained, "I taught her everything she knows. So Ninomiya, I'd say you owe me some back pay."
The mood shifted after that as Kou handed the microphone over to Aiba-san. Where Sho had grown accustomed to weddings full of tearful, emotional women, Aiba was already crying as he shakily pulled out some notecards from the pocket of his tuxedo jacket.
"You are the worst best man ever," Nino complained jokingly, trying to swat Aiba in the ass. "What are you crying for?"
"I just...I just...I love you, you're my best friend!" Aiba spluttered out, probably coating the microphone with snot as everyone laughed. Sho had to wonder how the simple, kind guy at the head table was the same person who cooked on TV and charmed his audience with all his cool, model-like smiles. Aiba stumbled through a rather rambling speech about him and Nino growing up relatively poor, how they'd rode the train to school together every day, how they'd both beaten the odds.
Aiba didn't even get a chance to finish, Nino springing out of his seat to wrap his friend in a hug that had the room clapping and crying. Sho noticed that even Ohno-san was sniffling at their table in between bites of dessert.
"Enough crying!" Yuriko finally protested, getting to her feet and smiling, wiping tears from her eyes. "The only crying I want to hear is from the losers who don't manage to get their hands on this!" She held up her bouquet, wiggling it enticingly. "On your feet, ladies, this isn't a rehearsal!"
"Kick their asses, Keiko-san!" Ohno cheered her, and Sho watched her look slightly embarrassed. The other single women got out of their chairs and headed for the dance floor while the DJ started up with some anticipation-building music.
She looked up, meeting Sho's eyes. They'd only known each other a few days. It was ridiculous to think of her catching the bouquet actually meaning anything. It was just a silly tradition. But if he was thinking it, so was she, and they were frozen.
Mercifully, Rola-san intervened, rushing over to their table. "Keiko-chan, come on!" she said, grabbing Keiko roughly by the arm and yanking her to her feet. "I need your help. Elbow some of these girls for me, okay?"
Sho couldn't help but chuckle, watching Rola drag Keiko off to the floor. The music continued to build, and he watched the women huddle together, eager for the flowers to find their way into their hands. It seemed like there were several wannabe brides in attendance as Yuriko left the head table and started doing a few practice swings with her bouquet.
Sho just sat back, watching Keiko's face grow more and more confused as Rola tried to get them into an advantageous position on the dance floor. Ohno moved out of his seat, right into the one at Sho's side. "Nino was telling me that you and Keiko-san have just met this week."
"Right," Sho said, distracted by the commotion on the dance floor.
"He said you were both, you know, not the impulsive type," Ohno continued, helping himself to a stray cookie on Sho's dessert plate.
"We're not."
"So why do you want her to catch it so badly?" Ohno asked plainly, teeth crunching down on the cookie.
Sho turned abruptly, seeing the fisherman looking at him curiously. It all flashed before Sho in an instant, the thought of one day standing where Nino and Yuriko had stood. Pulling up the wedding veil and finding Keiko's face beneath it. He remembered speaking with Nino on the bus.
The universe aligns, and she's there, and you'd be a fool to doubt yourself.
"Well?" Ohno asked, crumbs shooting out of his mouth and onto Sho's suit jacket.
A fool to not just do something about it.
Sho got to his feet, his chair falling back with a noisy thud. "Keiko!"
Most eyes in the room turned to him in surprise. Rola alone ignored Sho's outburst, still trying to tug Keiko into place. But Keiko looked at him, her face pale and confused.
Sho turned scarlet. "Uh, good luck!"
She smiled, giving him a thumbs up. "Thanks!"
The music cut off, and Yuriko took command of the room once more. "Okay, this is some serious bouquet business right now." She turned, putting her back to the women behind her as she readied the flowers. "Here they come!"
--
Yuriko smiled as she went through the hefty report Keiko had brought her. "This is amazing," she said, flipping through the pages. "You put a lot of work into this."
Keiko shrugged. "I wanted to be thorough." The report, filled with examples and potential places to expand the Puppy Play audience, had kept Keiko running on about three hours of sleep a night for the past week she'd been back home in Tokyo.
Yuriko and Nino had only just returned from their honeymoon in Bali. Newlywed life was already serving Keiko's client well. Yuriko looked relaxed, refreshed, happier than ever. The wedding band and her engagement ring sparkled on her left hand as she set Keiko's work down on her desk.
"You've done so much for Puppy Play in so short a time," Yuriko said. "Are you taking time for yourself?"
"What do you mean?"
Yuriko sighed, leaning back in her chair. "When I first saw you in Okinawa, that first night at dinner you were shy, quiet, and sad..."
"I wasn't..." Yuriko raised an eyebrow, but Keiko pressed on. "I wasn't sad, not really."
"You were just a buzzing little worker bee. But when I left a week later," Yuriko continued, "you'd changed, so beautifully. I thought I'd worked a miracle. Everything about you just relaxed, all the tension seemed to fall off you. I wasn't wrong, was I? It wasn't just the tropical setting, all my meddling, it wasn't a fluke, was it? Everything with Sho-kun?"
Keiko looked down. When she and Sho had parted on Saturday at Haneda, they'd exchanged numbers. They both had a lot of work waiting after a week away, so they'd mutually agreed to give one another space until they caught up. Until they were ready to move forward. They hadn't so much as sent one another a mail in that week, both returning to the anonymity and restlessness of Tokyo. It had almost been too easy to settle back in to life with Jack in her small apartment, sitting in front of her laptop with her glasses perched on her nose as she worked.
It had been the longest week of Keiko's life.
"We've been working. Busy."
Yuriko shook her head. "I should have cheated, let you catch the bouquet..."
"But Rola-san..."
Yuriko laughed. "Oh never mind, you're still as stubborn as ever. All I'm saying is I don't want you working yourself to death trying to sell dog collars for humans! Sho-kun's working himself to death selling rocking chairs. And you're both adorable people for being that way. But there's more to life than giving all of yourself to your work, isn't there? Keiko, you give me 200%, and that's what the people recommending you to my account told me. But they're just dog collars, in the end. They don't need your complete and utter devotion. I'd be happy with your 100%, Keiko. Save the other 100% for you. For what you want and what makes you happy, whoever or whatever that is."
It was rather odd to get lectured by someone a few years younger, but she was right, in a way. Yuriko bringing her to Okinawa wasn't just for her to meet Sho, to find someone who fit her perfectly. It was the beauty of discovery itself, taking a break from her scheduled, structured life and figuring out what her own "perfect" actually was. Yuriko hadn't wanted to be a simple matchmaker - she'd wanted Keiko to discover what truly made her happy.
"You're lost in your head again," Yuriko interrupted. "Thinking too much. The both of you are so...so cerebral."
Keiko grinned. "I am who I am."
"And that's why this meeting is over for today," Yuriko said, standing up. "I forbid you to do any work on this account for the rest of the day, is that clear?"
"If you say so..."
She watched Yuriko scribble down an address on a notepad. "Go here, 7th floor."
"The StimInc building?"
"Thanks for all your hard work today. Now get out of here." Yuriko smiled. "Go, I said."
Keiko clutched the address in her hand and her purse in the other, the subway howling through the tunnels under the city as she headed back for Shimbashi. All this time he'd been working a block away. Could she even get in to see him? Would he be in the middle of something? Would he mind her interruption? It was only 2:00 in the afternoon. Well, Keiko decided. He'd just have to make an exception.
She got off the train, feeling nervous. She couldn't call it love. Not yet. But she could call it potential happiness. Or just happiness, full stop.
Nino found her in the lobby, dressed in jeans that had seen better days and a t-shirt for the Ripened Peach club in Okinawa. He smiled at the sight of her, immediately catching her by the arm and gently pulling her away from the security desk. "My guest," he told the security staff, and they nodded immediately.
"Ninomiya-san," she said, trying to put on a casual air.
"Kitagawa-san," Nino replied, escorting her to the elevator. She watched him pull an ID swipe card from his pocket, holding it against a sensor and pressing '7' as the doors closed. "Need this to get anywhere around here. Security's important. Don't want any rocking chairs walking away, right?"
"Thank you," she murmured, slightly embarrassed.
"This'll be better, I think," Nino said. Keiko suspected that Yuriko had called him, told him to expect her. "He would have had to come down and get you, and there goes your fun surprise."
The elevator pinged at the seventh floor, and the doors opened, revealing a short corridor and a set of glass doors emblazoned with 'Okada & Morita Design.'
"See you around," Nino said with a wink as the doors closed. The receptionist had seen her getting out of the elevator, had seen Nino inside with her, and greeted her warmly as she entered.
"Sakurai Sho, please?"
The receptionist pointed her in the right direction. The floor plan was relatively open. Sho had explained that the sixth floor was heavily soundproofed, mostly serving as a work area for the owners who then shipped pieces off to an off-site warehouse. The seventh floor where Sho worked was full of furniture examples, honeycomb-style cubicles, and small offices, full of salespeople and account managers. Sho, as lead accountant, had an office in the rear of the floor near his friend's, the owner.
The office walls facing cubicle-land were glass, and she saw a few people watching as she walked past on her way to the other end of the floor. She found the nameplate for Sakurai, smiling as she saw him through the glass for the first time in a week. His office wasn't very large, but it suited him. Like his hotel room had been, his desk was covered in paper, his bookshelves full of account ledgers because he refused to put his complete faith in computer files.
Even though he faced away from the window, he was engrossed in his computer screen, his fingers moving briskly across his keyboard. Her heart caught, watching him work, seeing him so serious. She was interrupting. Old Keiko would never interrupt. Old Keiko would never have even shown up without telling him.
"You'd have to fire a cannon next to him to distract him from that computer," said a voice at her side. She jumped a bit, seeing a shorter man with rather intense eyes but a kind of absent-minded smile had approached without her noticing. He had bits of sawdust in his hair. "Okada Junichi, my name's on the front door."
His boss! Keiko made to apologize, but he shook his head and chuckled. "Come here, with me. I'll bring him for you."
She obediently followed the man away from Sho's office door and to a small conference room at the end of the floor. This one, Keiko noticed, did not have glass walls. She decided to be blunt. "Let me guess," she said. "Ninomiya-san's doing?"
His face gave nothing away. He only brought his finger to his lips and closed the door, leaving her inside.
--
Mizuhara had been ambitious while Sho had been gone, signing on two new clients and pushing through the paperwork. He was double checking her numbers when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He hadn't even heard the door open.
Okada, just up from his workshop if his dusty clothes were anything to go on. "Got someone in the conference room," he said.
"Client?" Sho mumbled, thinking through the day's calendar. Nobody was due in.
"Potential dining room set," his boss explained, turning Sho's chair. "But she wants the best. Only the best. And I was explaining that we'll give her the best our accountant allows, so I want you to say right to her face what she can and can't have."
Sho was tugged out of his seat. "Hold on, wait wait wait..."
"You're the one going on and on about saving money," Okada continued, dragging him out of his office. "So Go and I have been thinking that maybe you should be there to explain our...limitations."
"Is she famous? Oh god," Sho babbled. He was going to lose them business! "We can come up with the money, I'm just trying to keep us afloat. Wait, seriously, this isn't funny, I can't tell someone famous that we won't..."
His boss abruptly opened the conference room door, and Sho saw her. "So," Okada said, "I'll leave you to it." He pointed down. "And that's the lock."
And with that the door was shut behind them. Keiko was there, standing a little awkwardly next to the conference table. Her hair was pulled back, and she was in a business suit and pumps, looking every ounce the professional. She was here. She was here for him.
Sho spoke first, immediately wishing he hadn't. "How are your mosquito bites?"
She shifted her bag from hand to hand. "Ah, they've healed. No more itching."
"That's good," Sho said.
She took a step forward, then another. "Yuriko told me to stop working for today. She sent me over here."
"Did she?" He found himself easing up a bit, seeing her bright eyes again after such a long, boring week. He couldn't stop looking at her, couldn't help falling all over again. "Keiko..."
"Mmm?" She was in arm's reach now, setting her purse down on one of the chairs and leaning back against the conference table. He moved to her side, leaning back as well.
"I've spent this whole week wanting to call you, hear your voice. But I didn't want to interrupt. Since, you know, we agreed to..."
She suddenly exhaled. "That was such a dumb agreement."
He turned, finding her smiling at him, and he couldn't hold back. One week had seemed like years, and he was finally able to cup her cheek once more and kiss her. He took it slow, kissing her like he had the very first time, tasting the sugary sweetness of her lip gloss. Hopefully the lights wouldn't go out this time.
She hadn't caught the bouquet Yuriko had tossed, but Sho had spent the rest of the time in Okinawa, the flight home, and this long, work-filled week thinking of how pointless it would be to move forward without her by his side. There was still so much he wanted to know about her. A week wasn't enough time. He had to learn what she liked and what she didn't, where they'd clash and where they'd get along.
He'd almost called her as soon as they'd gotten in separate cabs at Haneda, but he'd let her go. He'd given her time. Now, feeling her soft skin under his fingers, her lips parting to deepen their kiss, he decided he'd already wasted enough time. "What are the words women want to hear?" he asked, leaning his forehead against hers. "You know, these days?"
"The words?" she asked, confused.
He kissed the side of her mouth, her cheek. "Like do I say, go out with me? Or let's get together? Or be my girlfriend? I haven't done this in a while, so I want to say the right thing..."
She found his hand, giving it a squeeze. "How about we skip that part and I just say yes?"
"I knew there was a reason why I liked you."
Even though his boss had been bold enough to point out the lock on the door, Sho didn't mess around on work time. Which was why he decided work time was over, at least for today. She grabbed her bag, and he grabbed her other hand, pulling her out of the conference room. His office door already had a sign pasted to it, "GO HOME!!!", courtesy his boss.
Leaving his computer the way it was, he simply grabbed his briefcase and keys, slamming the door behind him and taking Keiko's hand again. He heard whispers and even a few encouraging whistles from the cubicles as he walked past and out the door, but he didn't care.
When they were in the StimInc lobby he looked around, gesturing wildly. "Where do you want to go?"
Keiko got up on her tiptoes, fingers snaring in his hair as she pulled him down to her mouth. When she let him go, she smiled.
"Everywhere."
Ending Notes
Kitagawa Keiko's cat in real life is named Jill - in the AU-niverse, I've named him Jack :)
I owe a debt of gratitude to the following sites:
Kitagawa Keiko's Writings. An English translation of Keiko's blog - one night instead of writing I think I read two years of Keiko's life in blog entries. So whether I've characterized her properly or not, I did kind of fall in love with her.
Kafuu Resort Fuchaku Condo Hotel. This is where they were staying, but I changed some details to suit my nefarious purposes!
Okinawa Chapel List. Includes the Ao-no-Chapel at the Kafuu Resort, but I mostly used this to get some good wedding chapel visuals for Okinawa. Ugh!! Who wants to get married in Okinawa? Let's go!