Sexy Back

Ju was staring in the bathroom mirror getting ready to shave.  He’d just gotten out of the shower and was only wearing a towel around his waist since the bathroom was toasty warm.  Aya was in the shower at the moment.  For a change they had showered separately.  He had a mini-tour to get to and he knew from experience that both of them in the shower at the same time led to fun and games and he didn’t have the time.

He had just finished lathering up when he heard the water shut off in the shower.  He watched his wife emerge in all her naked glory but didn’t turn around.  The image in the mirror was enough to make him smile.  He watched as she toweled off some then tied the towel around her body before giving him a look.

He sighed but went about shaving.  He was surprised when he felt small, soft hands caressing his back. 

“You have the sexist back.” 

Ju laughed.  “Only you would think a demon was sexy.”

Aya hmphed.  “It’s not the demon…well not only the demon.  That tattoo artist made sure that the demon accented how wide your shoulders are and how small your waist is.  He really did a good job.  Besides.  Is it a crime to tell you that you have a sexy back?”

Ju just shook his head and washed the soap off of his face.   He headed into the bedroom and found his wife getting dressed.  He had to admit.  She was awfully sexy from the back as well but for totally different reasons.  He told her that and she just called him a pervert and finished getting dressed. 

They had a nice quiet breakfast, then gave each other a kiss and a long hug since Ju would be gone for about three days.

Ju got back in town a little earlier than he had planned so he and the guys he had played with, hung out for a while.  He did call Aya to let her know and she told him to have fun but not be too late. 

It wasn’t too late when Ju got in.  Since he hadn’t seen his woman for a few days, he wanted to make sure it was early enough for him to make up for some lost time.

He called her name when she didn’t meet him at the door.  The woman could usually sense when he got in like an alarm going off.  She answered him from the bedroom and he smiled as he headed that way, hoping to catch her in the act of changing clothes.  What he got was a little more than he’d bargained.

His wife was stretched out on the bed with a blanket pulled up to her neck.  The look she was giving him made the awesome one take immediate interest.   When he started to go over to the bed to get a kiss, she told him to go shower and she’d be waiting for him when he was done.   Not knowing what to make of that he just shrugged and went to shower. 

When he came out of the bathroom, he was just wearing a towel around his waist.  What he saw made the front of that towel start to tent.  His wife was laying on the blanket now and from her shoulders to just below her buttocks was an intricately done tattoo.

The tattoo consisted of a bird of paradise; wings partially spread.  On the wings, there was a design of swirling, iridescent colors of blues, greens and reds.  The bird’s tail was long and swirled around Aya’s buttocks once with the tip pointing to the heaven he knew was between soft cheeks.  It was beautiful and she was beautiful with it.

He licked his lips and moved over to the bed, looking down at his wife who had a cat that ate the canary and got away with it, look on her face.  He leaned down to get the kiss she was offering before inspecting the tattoo more.  It was then he realized that it wasn’t a tattoo but a body painting.  He’d seen them on cosplayers at anime conventions.  He knew of a number of places that did this sort of thing. 

He was kind of glad it wasn’t permanent.  He ran his hands along her skin.  It was truly a work of art.  “The artist did a good job with this.  Did he decide what to draw or did you?”

Aya smiled.  She knew what he really wanted to know.  “SHE had me pick from a number of designs she had.  When I told her why I wanted it, she made sure that the tail landed where it did.  I called her a pervert and she told me from all she’d heard about why I wanted one she figured I was married to one so…”

The smile on Ju’s face got wider the more Aya talked.  He was happy he wasn’t going to have to kill someone for putting their hands on his naked wife.  When she was done talking, she gave him a long hungry look. 

“You do know that since I’ve gone through all this work, the least you could do is show me how much you appreciate it.  I’m not getting any younger you know.”

Ju didn’t need any more of an invitation.  He threw off the towel he was wearing climbed on the bed and proceeded to molest his wife in a host of different ways that she seemed to appreciate from the delicious moans he was getting from her.

He decided that he was going to up the ante and follow the tip of that bird’s tail to the heaven it was pointing at.  He was very pleased to see that his wife was of the same mind and had prepped for it and had a lubed condom ready.  It made for a quick and easy clean up.  They didn’t do anal often but when they did, they both enjoyed it immensely and this time was no exception.  They both came with very satisfied smiles on their faces.

They snuggled for a time afterward and Ju told her about his mini-tour before his stomach let out a loud gurgle.  Aya shook her head laughing. 

“We need to eat.  If you’re a good boy and eat all your dinner, I’ll let you wash this off with some special soap she gave me as your dessert.”  The smile she was giving him as she spoke promised some serious fun and games.  He was all for that.  She gave him a kiss full of love then got up, threw on a robe, his, and left to go fix something quick.  She told him to take a catnap.  He was going to be up late.  Ju had no problem with that.  He decided that sexy backs were a real good thing.

You’d Think I’d Know Better by Now

Aya was hosting the motorcycle club she was in.  They were in the midst of a lively game of mahjong when the subject of her husband came up.

“Where’s that chick magnet you married hiding?   I know how he hates to be around a room full of gaggling women.”

Aya laughed.  “When he found out, he called his stylist to see if the man could squeeze him in today.  He knows that a trip to see the man is an hours long affair mainly because he’s so busy.  For Ju to be squeezed in will just make the trip longer.  We will probably be done and you guys gone before he gets in.  That’s a good thing actually.  I can get very energized, said with the four-finger quote sign, when he gets a nice style.  He considered running away from home the last time.  It really was a nice cut though.”

The ladies all laughed understanding what the energized consisted of.  Each of them who had partners had things that energized them as well.

They had just finished playing and were cleaning up when Ju appeared.  Aya had her back to the room but turned when things got quiet.  What or whom she saw made her inhale sharply.

Ju was standing in the doorway looking as smug as a man could look.  The ladies around him while quiet, were all giving him smiles that would have made their partners a tad jealous.  Even Aya had to concede that he looked magnificent.  She licked her lips and the smile on his got even wider.  He’d had a feeling that she would like his new hair but from the reactions around him, he had the sneaky feeling that the word like was an understatement of monumental proportions.

He’d told his stylist not to cut his hair much.  Just a trim to even out the edges.  His stylist suggested the hair color and while Ju knew Aya loved his hair all black, he wanted to see what her reaction would be to his hair being platinum blonde.  When he’d seen himself in the mirror at the salon and the reactions from some of the ladies there, he knew it was a winner.

Hana, who had dropped by on her way home from work, leaned over to a still staring Aya and whispered in her ear.  “I see your bed wizard is looking for some action and from the look on your face I’d say he was going to get some.”

That broke the spell Aya was in as the term “bed wizard” got her giggling.  Ju was really gonna cringe at that one and Aya was glad Hana had said it so no one else could hear.  She turned to the other ladies and announced that it was time for them to leave so Aya could appreciate Ju’s new hair properly.  That got all the ladies giggling.

Aya just shook her head and addressed her handsome hubby.  “You do this on purpose don’t you?  What am I going to do with you?”

One of her guests quipped that she’d give Aya some suggestions if she needed the help.   Hana just laughed and told her that she was pretty sure that Aya didn’t need any suggestions.

She whispered into Ju’s ear as she was leaving, that she hoped he survived the rest of the day.  He gave her his best, “Now why would I want to do that?” smile and held the door open as the ladies filed out.

After everyone had left, Ju turned to his wife and asked her what Hana had said that got her giggling.  The look he got on his face when Aya told him Hana’s new name for him was almost as funny as the name. 

“Remind me to hide all of their phones and computers the next time I’m at the club.  That woman and google have got it in for me.  Now that the ladies are gone, what do you think of my new do?”

He got his answer when Aya ran her fingers into his hair and pulled him down for a kiss that made the awesome one twitch.  He smiled when they broke the kiss.  “I’m going to assume you like it.  Hey!  Where are you going?”

Aya turned and said, “I’m going to finish cleaning up.  That should give you enough time to either get naked or hide.  The choice is yours.”

The look she had on her face made Ju pale but the awesome one twitched again.  He decided that getting naked was his only option and headed toward the bedroom to wait for his sexy woman to have her way with him.  Seems the awesome one was all in with that idea. 

It’s Just a Haircut.

Ju watched his little spitfire going about her normal housecleaning routine. He was mildly puzzled at her lack of attention. He had not too long ago walked in from getting his hair cut and while he knew she liked it longer, he thought the cut was good enough to get her engine running. Instead, he got a simple kiss and “that looks nice baby” and that’s all. He shrugged and went back to watching the soccer match when he wasn’t watching her.

Aya knew her hubby was watching her from time to time, probably wondering and or fuming slightly from her lack of enthusiasm at his new haircut. She had to admit that while it was shorter than she liked, the way that it was cut fanned around the base of his neck and his ears and was just calling her to play with the strands at the base of his neck. It was one of his zones and if she did that then the housework wouldn’t get finished. She did a mental sigh and continued with what she was doing.

She was just putting the finishing touches on her meal planner when a shadow appeared on the table. She looked up to find Ju staring down at her. He leaned over and got into her face. “You’ve been ignoring me long enough woman. It’s time for you to do the whole “play with my hair thing”. The grin he had on his face promised that playing with his hair wasn’t all she would be doing if he had his way.

That smile faltered when she smiled back at him.  He slowly backed away from the table as she stood, a feral gleam in her eyes. 

“You know you would have been wise to leave while you had the chance.  Yes, it’s short but it’s delicious looking all the same.  I’m going to have fun with you.  I’d tell you that you’ve been warned but it’s far too late for you to escape me now.”

She had backed him into the living room and against the sofa.  He dropped down with a huff and leaned back as his wife got into HIS face.  She then climbed into his lap, ran her fingers into his hair and tried to kiss his face off while playing with the hair at the base of his neck.  She knew she’d gotten the attention of the awesome one when Ju shuddered slightly and grabbed her bottom.    

She giggled softly and then began a slow march from his lips to well everywhere else, removing clothing as she went and thankful that not only did she know where everyone was, she’d made sure that all the locks were set.  Ju wasn’t going to know what hit him.

Later after he’d gotten his wits back, he looked down at his very content wife and wondered why something as simple as a haircut could set her engine going.  Whatever the reason he was happy, she was happy and all was well with the world.  All he had to do now was decide when and what he was going to do when it was time for another trip to his stylist.

Aya’s Mother’s Day

Ju looked around to make sure everything was perfect.  Aya had gone to her parent’s house to spend some time with her mom for Mother’s Day.  They both decided that Ju’s gift would be him not attending.  The two didn’t get along and both he and Aya didn’t see a reason why he should play nice when they both knew her mother wouldn’t and would complain about Ju ruining her Mother’s Day with her daughter even if he didn’t do a thing but be there.  He waited for her to leave then put in a call to Yoichi.

He explained to Yoichi what he wanted and the young man was more than happy to help.  For one thing it kept him from having to figure out what to do about Aya because his restaurant was booked solid from opening to closing due to it being Mother’s Day and he was upset that he wouldn’t be able to spend any of the day with his stepmom.  Second, he was more than happy to help his dad out.  He knew that Ju couldn’t do what he wanted done on his own…at least without Aya suing him for divorce.  The thought made Yoichi chuckle and Ju had a pretty good idea why he was after his request.  The young man knew his dad very well.  Once the Yoichi request was done, Ju hopped into the GT and headed out.  He had some shopping to do and not a lot of time to do it in.

He was pacing near the front window when he heard Aya pull into the driveway.  He grinned.  She was going to love her Mother’s Day as much as he loved her which was more than he could say.  The whole time he was planning things, he thought about how happy she’d made him and his, their, son.   Even after that huge and potentially damning misstep that Yoichi had made when they first let him into their lives, she had forgiven him without so much as one regret and had shown him as much love as she would have if she had given birth to him.  He was practically bouncing by the time she got to the door.

Aya was glad they’d decided that it would be best if Ju stayed home.  Her mother was in rare form even for her.  Aya had gritted her teeth so much it was a wonder her mouth didn’t hurt.  She was looking forward to spending some time with her snuggle bunny.  First a toe curler, then decide on dinner.  She was hungry.  Her parents had invited her to dinner but she passed saying she was tired, she was but of her mother, and wanted to go home.  She was thinking about what to eat when the door to the flat opened just as she was putting the key in the lock.   Ju was standing there dressed in black slacks and a black dress tee shirt holding a huge bouquet of red roses in a beautiful crystal vase.   He handed them to her as he stepped back to let her in.

Aya didn’t know what she appreciated more, the roses or seeing her husband dressed in all black.  The slacks he was wearing were custom made and fit him perfectly.  He even looked like he had a little booty in them.  He smiled when she licked her lips while taking the flowers.  He leaned down and she gave him that toe curler before smelling the roses.  She put the flowers down on the table in the foyer then sniffed.  Something smelled delicious…besides her husband who was wearing that cologne she liked so much.  He held out his hand and escorted her into the living room.

Aya just stopped and stared.  The room was full of flowers of all types, some with balloons saying Happy Mother’s Day.  Almost all of them had some type of card connected to them.  Aya walked from vase to vase, smelling the flowers, reading the card and balloons.  Some of the cards had gift cards in them to some of Aya’s favorite stores or bistros.  She turned at a light touch to her shoulder.  Ju took her in his arms and gave her a soft kiss.  He then cleared his throat as he stared into her eyes.

“I just want you to know that I think you are the most wonderful mother Yoichi could have.  He has blossomed under your love and for that, you have both of our utmost love and devotion.  He couldn’t be here because of how busy the restaurant is today but he sends his love and he sent dinner in special containers to keep things warm.  We decided together on what to order.  Now if my lovely wife would be so kind as to follow me, dinner awaits.”

He took her hand and escorted her into the dining room and sat her down at the table.  Aya was still trying to process everything.  She looked up when Ju came out of the kitchen carrying two plates.  He placed one down in front of Aya and she blinked.  On the plate was some roasted leeks, a potato puree and thinly sliced Miyazaki, wagyu beef.  Ju laughed at the fish out of water motions his wife was making.  She finally recovered from her shock and looked at her husband while he opened up a bottle of bubbly. 

“Ju…this, this.  I can’t even comprehend the cost of this beef.  How?”  She just shook her head.  The beef in question was A5 if it was anything from the marbling.  The cost was astronomical.  She waited until Ju was seated before taking a piece of the steak and placing it in her mouth.  The beef practically melted in her mouth.  It was tender and had an almost buttery taste.  She moaned in pleasure then glared at her husband when he started laughing.  That laugh cut off quickly after he had a bite himself.  His eyes rolled back and he moaned as well. 

“This is almost as tasty as you are.”  He got no answer from his wife who was busy eating.  She hadn’t had much and the food was delicious.  Ju smiled at his wife than ate himself.  He had suggested the wagyu beef but he didn’t know that Yoichi was going to supply Miyazaki beef.  It was one of the most expensive types of wagyu.  The meal was delicious though so Ju wasn’t going to complain too much about the cost since Yoichi had supplied the beef for free, his gift to his stepmom. 

After they had finished dinner and had more champagne, Ju handed Aya a card that was in with the food.  It read as follows:

“Dear mom.  I can say that with the full knowledge that you are the perfect mother that I’ve needed in my adult life.  You have had faith in me and have never had a problem giving me that potent glare of yours when I messed up.  I don’t know where I would be without you in my life and I’m so very thankful that you are.  Always know that I love you as much as if we were mother and son by blood.  I doubt if we could be any closer.  Enjoy your Mother’s Day and try not to kill dad with love.  I’ve gotten used to having him around.  All my love, your son, Yoichi”

Aya tried to hold back the tears but when Ju handed her a tissue, the damn burst.  She had never imagined that one day she would have a child but Yoichi couldn’t have been more of a son if she had birthed him herself.  She was a lucky woman to have met and married his father and then have him come into her life.  She stood and walked over to Ju who had wisely slid his chair back so she could climb into his lap.  She kissed him and the kiss was full of love. 

“Thank you for this, for Yoichi, for being the man that I love so much.  And if you think that I didn’t notice how delicious you are looking then you are in for a big surprise.”  The look she was giving him promised a whole lot of attention after the dinner dishes were cleared away.  Ju had no problem being Aya’s Mother’s Day dessert.

A Silent Declaration of War part 1

It was lunchtime when Ju made it to the hospital.  He found Hana and Amaya in the cafeteria having lunch.  He pulled up a chair and grinned at the two.  “Soo…have I missed the fireworks?”

The ladies glared at him for a minute before collectively sighing.  “There have been no fireworks.  No one has seen the man yet.  Hopefully Amaya can get through the day without having to deal with him at all.” 

Amaya for her part seemed lost in thought.  She wasn’t quite sure how she felt about things.  She was very fond of Yoshiya though they hadn’t gotten around to doing anything physical.  As for Naohito, she wasn’t sure which one she would have to deal with, Aya’s ex or her…was he her ex or something else?  She looked up when Ju called her name.

“Are you going to be okay?  This has got to be kind of stressful at the least.  If you want me to, I can kidnap him and hide his body where no one will ever find it.”  He was grinning when he said it but Amaya wasn’t so sure he didn’t mean it.  There had never been any love lost between those two. 

“I don’t think Aya would like having to visit you in jail so no.  I can handle him if he gets out of line but I’m thinking he won’t, at least not early on.  I’ll give him a chance mainly because I’m not sure how I feel about him.  It’s been so long and so many things happened to put a strain on our relationship to begin with.  And then there is Yoshiya.  I really like the man.  I’m kind of interested in seeing where this could go.  He’s good people.”  She sighed again.  Life had gotten complicated.

Everyone at the table looked up when the cafeteria suddenly went quiet.  Since it was employees only, there were no visitors there so when things got quiet it usually meant that everyone’s attention was focused on one thing.  The thing in question was the appearance of Naohito.

Amaya sighed again and resisted the urge to slump down in her chair and try to remain unseen.  Considering she was sitting with a six-foot-tall man sporting blonde hair where everyone else had black hair kind of made them stand out since her hair was blonde as well.  They were like a pair of headlights on in the dark.

Naohito, for his part, pulled up short when he saw the trio.  Seeing Hana with Ju just reminded him of the fact that Aya was off the table.  It still galled him to know she was with…that, but it was obvious, even to him, that she loved him deeply.  He was considering just turning around and leaving but something told him that probably wouldn’t be a good idea considering all the looks he was getting so he gathered his nerves together and headed toward the trio. 

He walked up to the trio and bowed slightly to Ju and Hana.  When he got to Amaya, he smiled that fake smile that he had first used on her.  He gave her a slight bow and took a good long look at her.  She really was quite pretty.  “I hate to interrupt your lunch but may I have a word with you alone?”

She nodded slowly and stood telling Hana to finish her lunch.  Ju gave her a reassuring smile and watched as the two headed to a table near the back of the cafeteria.  Ju watched them go and wished he could be a fly on the wall near them to hear the conversation.  He just watched figuring he was close enough to help if Amaya decided to kick Naohito in a delicate place.  The thought made him grin.  Hana saw that grin and figured not knowing what was going through the man’s head was probably best.

Once they were seated, Naohito flashed that fake smile again.  He opened his mouth to say something and Amaya held up her hand to stop him.  “If we are going to have a conversation, the first thing you need to do is drop the used car salesman smile.  I don’t like it and I never have.”

Naohito sat there slack jawed before a true smile crossed his face.  “My apologies.  I should have known better.  Look, I’m not sure how to even begin this conversation.  I just found out that we were engaged before my unfortunate accident.  Other than the fact that you are beautiful, a very respected nurse and apparently very perceptive, I know nothing about you.  I would like to change that.  I hope that maybe the spark is still there somewhere inside you and that maybe we can rekindle the flame of love we used to have.  I know you don’t owe me anything and it’s been a long time for us both but I’m hoping you will give this, us, a chance at maybe getting back to where we were.  If there is someone else, I’ll understand but I can still hope.”

Amaya’s heart went out to the man in front of her.  Things must be difficult for him considering all that had happened.  Still, she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to pursue a romantic relationship with him again.  For one thing, she had no way of knowing which Naohito she’d be getting and two, there was Yoshiya.  She had grown quite fond of him and while they hadn’t gotten around to being intimate, she wasn’t averse to the idea.  She was sure of one thing; she’d have to think on it and she told Naohito as much.  He nodded and one could tell he was disappointed but he didn’t push the issue. 

“You have my number.  Call me and let me know what you decide.  But before you go can I ask a question?  Are you seeing someone?  I mean, you’re beautiful and I can’t imagine you being alone for long.  If you are, as much as I probably won’t like it, I will understand.”

Amaya gave him a long look before answering.  “Yes, I am but so far we have only gone out a couple of times.  Now if you will excuse me, I have to get back to work.”  With that she gave him a sad smile, collected Hana, said good-bye to Ju and left the cafeteria.  

Naohito watched them go with a slight frown on his face.  She hadn’t come straight out and said she wouldn’t consider starting things up again but there was that other guy, Aya’s friend, who might affect her decision.  Naohito decided that maybe it would be wise to get some info on the man.  Who knew?  It could come in handy.  He was about to get up when Ju pulled up a chair and got into his face.

“Dude, I’m putting you on notice.  If you do anything to hurt that woman, I’m going to make sure that you regret it for the rest of your life.  She’s good people and deserves some quiet time after what you put her through.  If she decides she isn’t interested, you would be wise to leave her be.  Consider this a friendly warning.”  With that cryptic remark, he rose and walked out of the cafeteria.

Naohito watched him go with a disgusted look on his face.  He still couldn’t see what Aya saw in the thug.  When they said that love was blind, deaf, dumb and stupid, they must have been talking about that relationship.  He shrugged and went about trying to figure out how to get that guy’s name again.  Maybe he could find out through the gossip ring that prevailed in all hospitals.  Someone had to know and he was determined to find out.

It took some work but Naohito finally found out what Yoshiya’s name was though he still didn’t know anything about the man.  He made a few calls then went back to his dealership.  He had some plotting and planning to do. 

It was late when Aya finally got home.  The job was easy but the commute was a long one.  She had a few days off before her next job and was determined to spend some of that time sexually molesting her missing husband.  She licked her lips at the thought.  He owed her one at least, after the tender loving care she gave him the night before.  She considered calling him when she heard his bike pull up.  She was waiting for him at the door, a smile adorning her face.  Ju knew that look and gave her the same smile in return.  He gave her a quick kiss.

“I know that look missy.  Food and talk first, then you can have your way with me.”  That made Aya smile even wider.  Ju just grinned and shook his head.  That woman and her engine.  You would have thought she’d be tired after work but she seemed to always put aside a little energy for bone jumping.  He ordered some food while Aya went and showered.  He was on his laptop checking his schedule when she reemerged.  He blinked and the smile that crossed his lips would have made a sane woman run screaming from the room.

Aya was in one of her old nurse’s uniforms, half of it at least.  The top just barely covered her assets.  While she wasn’t wearing any hose, she still had a white garter on and with her being barefoot it gave off a really kinky image to her perpetually horny husband.  Her hair was loose and in disarray as if someone had been running their fingers through it.

She walked past him while giving him a grin and headed for the cabinet where they kept the pet’s food.  She gave Ju, who was watching her intently, a nice view of her bottom with a white set of barely there’s on, as she bent down to fill up their bowls.  She smiled when she heard his chair slide across the floor.

Ju, for his part, had completely lost interest in his laptop when his wife decided to put on a show.  He walked up behind her and whispered in her ear. 

“After dinner, I’m going to have a whole, whole lot of fun with you.”  He gave her neck a quick kiss and headed toward the door as the bell had been rung.  He paid for their food while Aya got out plates and made herself some tea.  Her sexy husband would have to wait until she ate.  Having your stomach growling during sex kind of killed the mood and she hadn’t eaten much all day.  She had a rain check she had every intention of cashing in after dinner.  She fixed her tea, got Ju a beer and the two sat down for a meal.  They talked about the Amaya situation while they ate.  Ju let her know that he had put Naohito on notice.  Aya wasn’t happy that it had to be done.  It meant that they were probably dealing with the old Naohito.  She sighed.  There wasn’t much they could do about it so they finished their meal then went about trying to out sexy each other which led to some truly amazing sex even for them.  Tomorrow would have to handle itself.

While the Ichihara’s were indulging in each other, Amaya was contemplating what her next move would be.  In all fairness, Naohito should be given a chance to rekindle their romance but that being said, he had lied to her about one of the most important matters in their life and the life of her best friend.  She wasn’t sure if she was ready or even able to forgive him for that.  And then there was Yoshiya.  He was kind, handsome and patient.  She knew he had some secrets that were too painful for him to divulge but she was pretty sure that since he hadn’t been a part of Aya’s life for decades, they wouldn’t concern her or her family.  If things progressed, she wondered if he’d tell her.  Aya was pretty sure he’d left out somethings and she was also sure that they would be very embarrassing for him but not dangerous especially since he’d run away from home to avoid that type of scene.  She turned over, closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep.

Across town, Naohito had just gotten off of the phone with his detective.  He had no intention of sitting back idly and letting some tattooed yahoo claim what should be his.  While he didn’t remember Amaya, she had to be something for him to consider marrying her.  He had every intention of finding out what she was about.  He just had to get the competition out of the way first.  Hopefully the man had something in his past that could be used against him.  With that silent declaration of war in mind, Naohito settled down to sleep.

Dedicated to a wonderful writer, my daughter from another mother and my most valued friend who keeps me happy and writing.  Happy Birthday Jessi!

I’ve Got A Bad Feeling About This -part 2

It had been a couple of weeks since Naohito had met up with Aya to find out what he was missing due to his loss of memory.  He had talked to his shrink about it and the woman was pleased that he had gotten some closure.  He didn’t tell her about his suspicion that there was something they hadn’t told him.  He didn’t have anything besides his impression that they had but he just couldn’t shake the feeling.

He had called his ex-detective and was surprised to find out that the man had retired and had sold his business.  He explained to Naohito, once he got over the shock of hearing from a “dead” man, what had happened with Misaki and their part in it.  He then gave Naohito the name of the current owner of the agency and his number, telling Naohito to call the man since he wanted no part in whatever Naohito was up to.  He’d known Naohito long enough to know that if he was looking for a detective, he was up to something and it probably wouldn’t be good for someone and he wanted no part of it.

Naohito looked at the small piece of paper with the address on it then up at the small but well-maintained house.  The detective had told him about him signing a lease for the house but for the life of him he didn’t know why.  He had his own quarters at his parent’s home.  It was away from the main house which gave him privacy so leasing this house was a mystery.  He was about to get out of his car and go knock on the door when a car pulled up in front of the house and a guy he’d seen before got out.  It was Aya’s old friend.  He walked to the passenger side and helped a tall blond out of the car.  The woman was very pretty from what he could see.  She was laughing and the sound made Naohito smile for a second before frowning at how close the guy was standing to her.

He watched as they talked for a few minutes before she waved at the guy and walked to the front door of the house.  She turned, beamed a smile at the guy, then opened the door and went inside.  Naohito’s jaw dropped.  What in the hell?  Why would he have leased a house for her?  Who was she to him?  Who was she period?  He waited for the guy to leave.  He couldn’t remember his name off hand but this bared looking into.   He was wondering if he should knock on the door when his phone rang.  He looked at the caller id and sighed.  He’d forgotten he had a meeting with his mother.  He told her he was on his way, looked at the house once more, then pulled off into the night.

Aya looked up at the sound of the front door opening and smiled.  Her baby was finally home.  It was later than she had expected him to get in so the session must have gone much longer than planned.   She got up and met him in the foyer, a concerned look crossing her face as she saw how tired he looked.  He gave her a weak smile then yawned.  He’d been up early and the session had been tiring.  He hated working for that particular artist but the pay was too good to turn down.  She walked over to him and gave him a soft kiss when he leaned down for one.

“You look like you are about to drop.  Have you eaten?”  She frowned when he said no.  She shooed him into their bedroom to change while she went to fix him something to eat.  When he didn’t come out after a while, she went to check on him and found him sitting on the bed in just his tee and his boxers, pants still at his ankles and from the looks of things he was dozing.  She quietly left the room and came back a few minutes later with his dinner on a tray which she placed on the night table before gently waking him up.

Ju looked around like he didn’t know where he was before giving a weak laugh.  He must have been more tired than he thought.  He smiled when Aya bent down and pulled his pants from around his ankles and motioned for him to get in the bed after she put some pillows against the headboard for him to lean against.  She put the tray across his lap then went and got him a beer.

She sat on the edge of the bed and watched while he ate.  He looked so tired but he was still the handsome man she’d married so many years ago.  She reached out and gently pushed an errant lock of hair from his face.  “What would I do without you woman?  Remind me to never, ever, ever work for that asshole again.  It’s just not worth the money.”

Aya just nodded, deciding that saying “I told you not to” might not be wise.  She talked softly about the job she had coming up and how long she would probably be away.  It was just idle conversation since they had already gone over everything the night before.  She just wanted to make sure he stayed awake long enough to finish his meal.

Once she was satisfied that he’d eaten enough, she took the tray back to the kitchen.  By the time she had gotten back, Ju had thrown the extra pillows to the side, lain back down and was softly snoring.  She bent down and not wanting to wake him, carefully kissed him on the top of his head.  She left the room closing the door behind her.  She had a few things she needed to do and it really was too early for her to turn in.  She had just finished the dinner dishes when her cellphone buzzed.  She looked at the caller id and got a puzzled look on her face.  It was Naohito’s mom.

The conversation was short and too the point.  It was also troubling.  There wasn’t much she could do about it at the moment and she wanted Ju’s input before doing anything.  It could wait until morning.   She did call Hana to let her know that Naohito would be at the hospital in the morning, resuming his duties on the board and to warn Amaya if she talked to her before Aya had a chance too.  Nariko had tried calling the woman but her phone had gone to voicemail so she had just left a message for her to call her.   Aya had also called and the same thing had happened so she had called Hana instead.  They had talked for a few minutes about Naohito’s return but Aya didn’t get into the reason why Nariko had called her.  Aya’s mood lifted some when Erie got on the phone to say hi and Ichiro had gurgled his version of hello.  She was smiling by the time the call was done.

She fed the pets then took a shower in the spare bathroom so she wouldn’t wake up her sleeping hubby then crawled into bed next to him, spooning at his back.  It was still a little earlier than she normally turned in but she could cuddle on the sly like this and honestly, she needed it.  Tomorrow would be full of issues.

Aya was up and dressed by the time Ju got up.  He showered and went in search of his wife.  She was on the phone in the kitchen.  She placed her finger to her lips and continued listening to the conversation on the other end of the line.  When she hung up, she turned to get a quick kiss from her hubby before motioning for him to sit while she got him some breakfast.  She talked while plating up his food.

“That was Hana.  She said that Naohito started back at the hospital this morning.  When he saw her, he peppered her with questions…about Amaya.  Seems he found out about the house and saw her and Yoshiya last night.  Hana finally told him that at one point he and Amaya had been seeing each other.  She didn’t tell him they’d been engaged.  He’ll probably find that out from the gossips in the place.  She did manage to get hold of Amaya and warn her.  I’d go over there but I have a job.  I’m going to try to get hold of Amaya myself and let her know that if she needs me, I’m there for her.”

She placed their plates on the table and sat down.  “This is going to be a mess.  I can only hope that Hito will behave like a human and not like the mini-monster he was all those years ago.  Time will tell.”

Ju hadn’t said anything while Aya talked.  He was wondering if he should let Yoshiya know.  That problem was taken care of when Aya mentioned that she’d called him and clued him in.  “What did he say to all this?”

Aya laughed.  “He let out a stream of curses that would have made your hair turn colors permanently.  Some of them were very creative.  If things don’t work out, he won’t be happy about it but he knew going in that it was a possibility.  I think he’s used to life crapping on him.  He needs a break.”

They continued to eat in silence, each in their own thoughts.   Ju finally spoke, a thoughtful look on his face.  “You know, I’m wondering how Naohito is going to go about facing Amaya.  I doubt if even he is dumb enough to get in her face and accuse her of anything.  After all, he was “dead” for over a year and missing in action for almost another year.  He really has no right to berate her for moving on.  If he’s smart, he’ll approach her like someone she’s just met and try to woo her away from Yoshiya.  I’ve got a half a mind to go see what develops.  It should be interesting.  If I know Amaya, and I do, she won’t take kindly to him getting too aggressive and will let him have it, ex-fiancé or not.”

He got a mental image of Amaya putting Naohito in a headlock and chuckled.  Aya just shook her head as she cleaned off the table.  She didn’t even want to know.  Instead, she gave her husband a not so quick kiss, told him to behave while she was gone, then grabbed her things and headed out.  Ju watched her go then called Hana to find out when he should show up.  This was going to be interesting.

I’ve Got a Bad Feeling About This part 1

Aya stood in the doorway and watched as Naohito slowly walked to his car, clearly lost in thought.  He stopped long enough to take a real good look at the GTO, walking around it and peering inside.  He shook his head, got into his BMW and pulled out of the parking lot.  Aya would have paid a small fortune to know what was going through the man’s head.  She turned and let out a squeak when she bumped into Ju.  She hadn’t known he was standing behind her.

“Well that went weird.  I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of this.  I wonder what his next move will be.  Hopefully he’ll tell his mom what his shrink thinks and we can try to figure out his next move.  I’d bet a month’s salary that he knows we aren’t telling him everything.  Oh well.  Time will tell.  Now, how about my lovely wife coming back to the table so her starving husband can eat then take her home for some ravishing?”

Aya grinned at him before shaking her head and following him back to the table or tables since another table had been pushed up to theirs.  It was decidedly an all-male situation.  Toshi and Yoichi had their heads together talking.  Yoshiya and Arly were having a conversation of their own that was anything but quiet.  All of them were plucking sushi from the boat and wolfing it down.  She was happy to see they had left her plate alone and assumed that her hubby had warned them off.  There were two waitresses there who had been taking orders apparently and were waiting for Aya and Ju to put their orders in.

Once that was done, Yoshiya pulled Aya aside and started peppering her with questions.

“What was that all about?”  Aya explained about Naohito wanting some answers.  She let him know that they hadn’t mentioned Amaya but she didn’t think that would be a secret for long.

Yoshiya looked toward the door.  He had a feeling that things were going to get a little messy.  He and Amaya, while not actually dating, had become friends of a sort.  Yoshiya was working on making that stronger and Amaya wasn’t exactly fending him off.  The last thing he wanted was Naohito back in the mix.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking but just how much is the man worth?  That suit cost a small fortune and he has a BMW.   You know Amaya better than I do.  Would that kind of stuff sway any decisions she’d make about who she’d want to be involved with?”

Aya shook her head no.  “She’s not wired that way so being poor and skinny won’t affect her impression of you one bit.”  She laughed at the glare she got for that remark.  “Seriously though.  If it’s to be it will be.  There is nothing we can do about it.  I can say for certain that there is no such thing as a secret that will never be revealed if more than one person knows about it.  What happens after that is anyone’s guess.  Now bring your skinny butt back to the table and eat before Ju eats everything in sight.  That man has a black hole for a….”

She stopped talking and sighed.  Shoyo and Goner had just walked in.  Aya said a silent prayer and pushed Yoshiya back to the back of the restaurant hoping she hadn’t been seen.  It didn’t work and she cringed at the Aya-chan! coming from Shoyo.  For someone as small as the man was he was loud and truly had a black hole for a stomach.  What concerned her more was Toshi and Goner in the same restaurant much less the same room.

She turned and gave Shoyo her cheek for a kiss and a nod to Goner who was wise enough not to even attempt it though he was smiling from ear to ear.  “What has you so happy?”

Shoyo was the one that answered.  “We just came from court.  He’s got partial custody of his kids so now they will be staying with him during their breaks from school and every other weekend.   We came here to celebrate.”

“That’s good news I suppose.  I thought you and your ex had an agreement.  What changed?”

“Some poor sucker…”  He stopped when he spotted Toshi who was glaring at him.  “She got engaged.  I figured I’d better put my bid in for kid time before she got married and things got difficult.  Since I’m home more now because of business, I just felt it was time for me to make that move.  Her getting engaged just cemented my resolve.  What’s with the party?”

“Not a party.  Just had lunch with an old friend.  Now if you would be so kind as to let me go back to my husband who is, at the moment,  giving you the “I’m gonna whip his ass because he’s alive” look.  Shoyo!  If you touch my sushi there is going to be a problem!”

She left Goner standing there shaking his head in amusement.  He fell out laughing when Ju smacked Shoyo on the back of the head for eating some of his sushi.  Shoyo decided he’d worn out his welcome and waved to the group before he and Goner got a table of their own away from Toshi and company.

In another part of town, Naohito was sitting outside of Ju’s shop with his mouth open.  The place was much bigger than he expected.   He’d called one of his dealerships and had gotten the address for the place.  He wanted to see what Aya’s husband was all about.  He remembered that Aya had mentioned they owned the flat above the shop.  If that was one flat and not a group, then it was a nice size.

He got out of his car and walked across the street.  There was a vintage Porsche sitting in the driveway along with a Honda SUV.  If they could afford the Porsche and the GTO, then they were doing quite well.  He decided that he may as well check the shop out and went in to a very large, very full shop.  He checked out the photos on the walls near the office and had to admit that if the man had done those cars, he had some skill.  He jumped a little when a young woman asked if she could help him.

He turned around and Tomoka recognized him.  She gave him a deep bow.  “Kei-san.  It’s nice to see you again.  I hope you are well.  Ju and Aya are not here at the moment.  How can I help you?”

Naohito stammered a hello.  He wasn’t expecting anyone there to know him by sight.  “I’m sorry but I don’t remember your name.  You are?”

Tomoka smiled at him.  “Yes of course.  I’m Tomoka, the sales manager and the girlfriend of Ichihara-san’s nephew Hayato who is the shop manager.  Hayato isn’t here at the moment either but perhaps I can help you.”

Naohito nodded.  “I just wanted to have a look at the place since I’ve been hearing good things about it.  You guys are very busy I see.  Tell me.  Those photos on the walls, are they cars customized here?”

Tomoka grinned.  “Not only were they done here but all the ones pictured were done by Ichihara-san.  I will admit.  He is very talented.  If you’d like, I can show you his portfolio.  It’s very impressive.”

He was about to turn down her offer when one of the bay doors in the back of the shop opened and a car was driven out.  Naohito caught a glimpse of cars in a back lot and his eyebrows went up.  Tomoka noticed and smiled.  “Want to take a look?  It’s where we put our finished cars waiting for pick up.”  When Naohito nodded, they headed toward the back lot.  They passed a smaller area with three motorcycles in it.  Two of them chopped.  He asked Tomoka about them and stopped abruptly when she said they belonged to both Aya and Ju.

“Wait.  He has her riding a motorcycle?  Doesn’t he realize how dangerous that can be?”

“She did that on her own, the lessons.  It was an anniversary surprise for him.  Up until recently, he’d have a cow if she went riding alone but she’s in an all-female club now so they ride together for safety.”

Naohito still didn’t like the idea but there was nothing he could do about it so he continued into the back lot and whistled.  There were at least ten cars back there, all customized and looking ready for a car show.  There were cars of every make and model, size and color.  Some had a lot of detailing, some a little but all intricately done.  He could see now why he and his family used the shop.

Tomoka pointed to four cars and beamed with pride.  “I came up with the designs for those cars.  I’m rather proud of how they turned out.  That’s how I managed to get the job here.  Ichihara-san liked my portfolio when I showed it to him and the rest is history.”

“So the shop is theirs and the flat above it.  Interesting.”

“Up until recently Hayato and his mom lived there as well.  Yoichi had a room in the back here.  They’ve all moved out now so the flat is completely theirs now.”

If Naohito didn’t know before, hearing of Aya having a family that she lived with up until recently just cemented what he was already thinking.  She had well and truly moved on.  He looked up at the sound of his name being called.  “Are you alright?”

He nodded.  “It’s been a long day.  I’m tired and more than a little overwhelmed with it all.”  He looked around once more before saying goodbye.  He was both happy and sad that Aya was so happy.  Deep down he had harbored a little hope that since she had forgiven him that maybe there was still some love there but after seeing her with her husband and hearing about the life they had built he knew that was a pipe dream.  That being said, he still couldn’t shake the feeling that he was missing a puzzle piece.  When he got back to his car he pulled out his cellphone and called his ex-detective.  Maybe it was time to put the man back on the payroll.

Meanwhile back at the restaurant, Aya was watching her beast and Shoyo trying to out eat each other.  Since Goner had left after his meal, Shoyo had joined the rest of them and ordered more food.  Yoichi just stared with his mouth hanging open at the amount of food the man had ordered for his lunch.  He swore all that he’d eaten with Goner had just been a snack.  He figured Goner would be a little strapped for cash since he’d had to pay a lawyer and court fees and had taken pity on the man since Goner had offered to pay for lunch as a thank you for his support.

Toshi leaned over and said softly, “I swear I don’t know where either of them put it.  I’d get fat just looking at that much food much less eating it.  I mean Ju is tall so you’d figure he might be able to eat a lot even if the man is scarecrow thin.”  He chuckled at the mini-glare Aya gave him for that comment.  “Shoyo is another thing all together.  He’s short and skinny.  I don’t know how he does it.  I wonder if I can get him to some scientists and have them check to see if he really does have a black hole in his stomach.  It would explain a lot.”

Yoichi just nodded.  This was his first time seeing Shoyo chow down.  Everyone else was used to the sight.  Ju finally sat back and patted his stomach.  He was done.  Shoyo just grinned and finished off his bowl before snagging the last of the sushi.  Ju shook his head.  In all the years he’d known the man, he’d never once been able to out eat him.  He’d come close on occasion, even had one draw but usually he was always the one to cry uncle first.

Aya was trying not to laugh at her stuffed husband when her cell went off.  It was Tomoka.  She listened then hung up, a puzzled look on her face.  She turned to Ju when he asked what was up.

“It seems that Naohito went past the shop.  He asked some questions and looked around.  Tomoka said he got very upset when he found out you were “allowing” me to ride a motorcycle.  She explained to him about how, why and that I’m in a club but she didn’t think it calmed him down much.  She said he seemed upset about how well we were doing and left saying he needed to sort things out.  I hope he didn’t think there was any way he could insert himself into my life.  If he couldn’t see how much we love each other then that’s his problem and not ours…I hope.”

Ju shook his head.  He had a feeling that somewhere down the line, Naohito was going to step wrong with him.  Whether with Aya or Amaya if he found out about her.  He couldn’t be sure which, but he was damn near sure it would be with one of them.

 

Strange Times part 3

Naohito shook his head at the news about the rock band. That was a lot to take in.  Something clicked in his head so he blurted it out.  “That GTO in the parking lot.  The customized one.  That’s yours?”

Ju nodded, grinning widely.  He was proud of that car.  It was almost as nice as his mustang was but he was honest.  Nothing could replace that car mainly because of the memories that came with it.  He and Aya had many a romantic moment in that car.

Naohito had to admit, the car was amazing.  Custom car shop, rock musician.  Interesting.  He wondered idly about groupies.  Either job would have them flocking to him.  Being in love didn’t necessarily mean being faithful.  He checked out the way Aya was looking at the man and it was clear she loved him.  He hoped that her love was returned in equal measure.  He was brought from his musings by Aya resuming her tale.

She told him how they had run into each other at one of his dealerships.  How he had started working on the board at the hospital and why.  He smiled when she told him he’d donated money for the children’s wing and the cafeteria for the staff and that the board had asked him to be a member.  She made sure she emphasized how much money he had gotten for the hospital for the improvements it needed.  All of that was well and good but didn’t get to the heart of why he was there.  Naohito knew her well enough to know she was procrastinating.  He finally called her name in a tone she knew all too well.  Sighing, she got to the main part of the story or at least she tried too.  Her husband beat her to it.

“The story isn’t pretty and I’m sure my beautiful wife doesn’t want to upset you more than she has too.  I don’t have that problem.  Long story short.  Your private detective hired a woman to see if I was bedding groupies.  I don’t by the way but you wouldn’t believe that.  Her name was Misaki and she used a drug on me when I wouldn’t bite.  I had a reaction to the drug that almost killed me.  Granted you didn’t know that at the time.  You even sent Aya pictures of us together.  Aya didn’t buy it for a minute.”

Naohito was trying to process what was being said.  He nodded absently when he thought he should.  “You said I sent pictures and you still didn’t believe he had strayed?  You had that much faith in him?”

He turned to Yoichi when the young man spoke up.  He’d forgotten he was even there.  He hadn’t said a word up until then.

“I can tell you from personal experience that they both have complete faith in each other.  It’s amazing really.  I sorta found out the hard way that if they don’t catch each other in the act with the guilty party confessing, then no amount of anything will convince them that they aren’t being faithful to each other.  Watching them being so in love still, makes me smile.  It gives one faith in love.”

Ju finished telling the tale.  “When that didn’t break us up, you gave up trying and started dating a receptionist at the hospital.  She was nuts, tried to kill Aya and you took the knife meant for her.”

Aya spoke up then.  “I’m sure you had questions about that scar on your chest.  No, it didn’t come from the fall.  You saved my life Hito.”  She had been watching him carefully while Ju talked.   He had gotten a blank look on his face while Ju was explaining the groupie situation to him.  Aya had always prided herself on knowing his moods but she was at a loss.  She figured telling him something that he did right might shake whatever black clouds may have been forming in his mind.

He looked up at Aya saying that he had saved her life. That made him smile.  “I owed you that at least.  Now, how did I get on that bridge and why are you the one to tell me?  How are you involved in all of this?”

“Hito…you found out that Misaki had taken the money you had paid her, gone to Morocco and had given the same drug to a man who died.  She was wanted by the police so you were trying to find her.  Things came to a head when we, Ju and I, found out it was you that had gotten her involved in our lives in the first place.  We went to Nagatoro to try to catch her and turn her over to the authorities in Morocco.  She was in disguise and managed to slip you the last of that drug.  It makes you susceptible to just about any suggestion.  She had you call me to the bridge where she was going to kill me.  You fought the drug but not before she managed to knock me out.  Blind luck kept me from falling off that bridge when I first went down.”

She fingered the white streak of hair on her head.  Naohito spoke up.  “Is that where she hit you?  Damn, what did she use?  Never mind.  It’s not important.  I’m surprised you are letting it stay white.”  He blinked at the smile that generated from Aya but she remained silent about her reasons.  He had a sneaky suspicion that her husband may have had something to do with it.  He just shook his head again and waited for her to continue the story.

“From what I was told, you and Misaki got into a hand to hand and the moorings on that old bridge broke on one side causing the whole thing to lurch to the side.  It was around that time that Ju showed up and made it to me while you held Misaki back.  He managed to grab me just as the other mooring gave way and you and Misaki fell.  You know the rest.”

For some reason Naohito didn’t think she had told him everything.  Why did he even need to be there?  It didn’t make sense to him.  His detectives could have probably handled the whole thing.  Aya being there didn’t make much sense either unless she wanted to scratch the woman’s eyes out which he wouldn’t have put past her.  He looked at Aya and voiced the question in his mind.  “Why did I decide to go there myself?  What was in it for me?  Hell.  Why did you go?  Why didn’t we just let the authorities take care of it?”

Ju knew that they couldn’t or shouldn’t get Amaya involved and since he preferred her not being involved with the man at all, he told the lie he knew his wife wouldn’t.  “You figured if you could catch her and ship her off to Morocco, your name and family wouldn’t be involved.  While you didn’t get her to drug me, she was working for you in a sense when she did it.  You didn’t want the scandal.”

What Aya’s husband said made sense but for some reason Naohito had a strange feeling that a piece of this puzzle was missing and he had no idea what or how to find out.  If Aya wasn’t contradicting him then he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to get her to tell him one way or the other but she was wearing a blank expression so something was up.

He sighed and sat back in his chair.  This was a lot to take in.  He still had a lot of questions but for the moment, he was having a hard enough time dealing with what he’d just been told.  One thing he was pretty sure of, Aya was off the table.  Even if her husband wasn’t the type he would have ever thought she’d choose for a mate, it was obvious that she adored him.  She was happy and there was nothing that he could think of that he could offer her that she didn’t already have.

He looked up at a giggle from her and watched as her husband whispered something else that made her giggle again before getting up and leaving the table.  “Whatever I was thinking at the time, I didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell did I?”

“I’m sorry Hito but no you didn’t.  I tried to tell you a number of times but you know how stubborn you can be.  This time it cost you dearly.  Be happy you are still alive.  The fact that you survived that fall is honestly a miracle.  I’m glad you did though.  If nothing else I owe you my life twice over.  You deserve a second chance at life.  Take advantage of it and continue to be the man who worked so hard to help the hospital financially and the man who was willing to take a knife to save a friend.  I’m not sure if the old Naohito would have done that.”

Naohito had the good sense to blush at that last remark.  She didn’t know how right she was about him back then.  As much as he blamed Ayumi for some of the things he’d done, she hadn’t made him do everything.  His hands certainly weren’t clean.  Not as dirty as Ayumi’s but not clean.  He still had the nagging feeling that she was keeping something from him but since he had no proof, he tried to put it out of his mind.

Aya excused herself and went to see what her snuggle bunny was up to.  While she was gone, Naohito and Yoichi got a chance to chat.  “If I’m not being rude, what did you mean by you found out the hard way?  Don’t tell me you hit on Aya!  You’re still in one piece so her husband, despite looking like a yakuza enforcer, didn’t go after you.”

Yoichi didn’t go into a whole lot of detail but told him about his mother’s dying wish and that he’d tried to make it seem like there was something going on between he and Aya.  Ju didn’t buy it and as for Aya….

“My stepmom has the most forgiving heart of anyone I’ve ever met.  Even if you don’t remember anything, just the fact that she is here meant that she forgave you for what you did.  I’m not sure how many people could or would have done that.  Let me give you a word of advice.  Take her forgiveness and wrap it around you like a blanket.  Whenever life gets cold, pull that around your shoulders to warm your soul and try your damnedest to not do anything to soil that blanket, especially when dealing with her, her friends or her family.  I for one wouldn’t want to be on her bad side and we won’t even talk about how protective my dad is of her.  Hana can be a force to be reckoned with as well.  She works at the hospital.  You get the three of them mad at you, just move out of town.  It would be safer.”

He was laughing when he said that last part but Naohito got the impression he wasn’t kidding.  He idly wondered how he’d missed seeing Hana during his walk through.  He really didn’t remember much about it only that it was strange and a tad boring.  He hadn’t been told why he was there at the time.

They both looked up at the sound of Aya laughing.  Ju was with her and he was carrying a sushi boat of all things while Aya had a smaller plate of sushi.  They set them down on the table and explained that Ju wanted sushi and since Aya was inclined not to have her insides on fire, she got a small plate with very little wasabi involved.  “I’m warning everyone now.  There is probably just as much wasabi involved as sushi on that boat.  You might want to order something to drink now.  My baby loves his sushi volcano hot.”  She giggled when Ju poked her in the side before sitting down.

Yoichi gave Naohito a “I told you so” look before digging in.  Even Naohito grabbed some.  He was hungry.

Naohito nodded appreciatively.  “This is a nice place.  How’d you learn about it?”  Yoichi spoke up then patted Naohito on the back when he started choking.  “You own this place?  How did you go from acting to owning a restaurant?”  He was about to answer when someone came in and the first thing they heard was “Aya-mei!”

As a group they turned to find Yoshiya, Arly and Toshi of all people headed their way.  Yoshiya was grinning his goofy grin and Toshi had a smile on his face that made Yoichi want to go hide.  He hadn’t seen his lover in a couple of weeks and had forgotten the man was coming by.  Naohito was amazed at all the tattoos headed their way and figured that he was out of his element with that group.  He ate another piece of sushi and got Aya’s attention after Yoshiya had dragged her out of her seat, given her a bear hug and a kiss on the cheek.  She introduced everyone to Naohito before following him away from the table that had gotten very crowded and very loud.

“I’d better go Aya.  I have a lot of stuff to think over but let me ask you a question.  That tall skinny guy, he gave me a weird look.  Did I know him at some point or do something to him?”  Aya answered honestly as they headed toward the door, that the two had never met but Aya had told Yoshiya about him when they were catching up.

“Guess that explains it.  I’m gone.  I’m going to go call my shrink and set up an appointment.  I need to talk to him.  Try to sort all of this out and decide what I should do next.  Thank you for telling me all of this.”

For Aya’s part she could see that he was unsure of his next steps and wondered if a hug from her would make things better or worse.  She called to him just as he got to the door.  “Hito, things will work out.  You have my number.  Feel free to call.”

He gave her a wain smile, bowed and left still thinking that she was holding something back and determined to find out what it was.

 

 

 

Strange Times part 2

Aya thought about how to break the news to Ju without him going ballistic.  He never liked Naohito and she was pretty sure he wouldn’t want to do anything to get him back into their lives.

She knew that there was no way to keep the fact that she was somehow involved in his “accident” from him forever.  Chances were that even if she hadn’t called him, eventually he would have asked Hana about her since he would be resuming his place on the board.  There was no chance that the hospital wouldn’t contact him about his position once they found out that he was healthy enough to participate in meetings again.  Plus the hospital could use the money he generated so they’d be eager to get him back on the board.  There was just no way she could see around it.

Ju’s car was in the garage when she got home and she sighed.  Any other time it would have put a smile on her face but she still hadn’t figured out how to tell him what was going on.  Not being one to put off what she considered a difficult task, she parked her car and went in.  She was glad she’d stopped to get him more beer and pizza for dinner.  At least he’d be well fed and she hoped rather mellow after a few beers.

When she got in the flat she went to put up the beer and the pizza and found her magnificent beast with his head in the fridge looking for a beer.  He looked up at the sound of bottles clinking and grinned.  Aya wasn’t sure if he was happier to see her or the beer.

She took a moment to look at him.  He had cut his hair super short, dyed it cyan and was sporting the beginnings of a goatee.  She was hoping that he would let that goatee grow long enough for him to have to tie it off.  She used to use it to reel him in for kisses when he had a long one.  The thought made her lick her lips.

Ju saw that and grinned.  He walked over, grabbed her and a beer.  He kissed her breathless before opening the beer and taking a swig.  “I’m not sure which tastes better, you or the beer.  Hello beautiful.  What have you been up too while your magnificent beast was away?  Aya?  Why do I have the feeling you are about to tell me something I’m not going to like?  You always have that look on your face when you are about to drop something unpleasant on me.  Please don’t tell me we have to have dinner with your mother.”

Aya gave him a mini glare for that remark but she ushered him to a chair, took a seat next to him and began her story.  She got a lot of glares and frowns but not the explosion she thought she’d get.  “You seem a lot calmer than I thought you would be.  What am I missing?”

He held up a hand and began ticking off fingers.  “One, he kept that woman off of you long enough for me to get to you.  Two, Amaya loves him for whatever reason.  Three, at least now we can do this right.  If he sees immediately that you are in a loving relationship it might curb his baser instincts.  Have you called Yoichi to see if he’ll be available?  If nothing else, he should put a nail in the “maybe she’ll leave him” coffin.”

Aya couldn’t find fault with what Ju had said so she gave him one of her “I’m going to give you a treat” smiles and pulled out her cell to call Yoichi.  For a change the young man wasn’t busy and readily agreed to the lunch and made sure that they would have some privacy for the meeting.  With that taken care of Aya turned to her handsome hubby who was now stuffing his face full of pizza.  She just smiled, shook her head and grabbed a slice of her own pizza.  They ate in comfortable silence, each wondering what tomorrow was going to produce.

Ju dressed in all black and had his hair freshly spiked.  He wasn’t going to hide who he was because Naohito may have had issues with it.  The fact that he was wearing a suit, even if he had a black dress tee shirt on under the jacket, was as much concession as he was willing to give to looking normal.  He also knew how his wife responded to him in all black.  He was planning on taking stone cold advantage of that once their little meet and greet was over.  From the look Aya gave him when she saw him, his message had been received loud and clear.

Aya was wearing black slacks and a simple but expensive cream colored sweater with streaks of cyan and turquoise running through it at random places.  They looked like what they were, a prosperous couple.  Not super wealthy but not poor either.   Ju had to smile at his wife’s choice of clothing.  She looked sophisticated hot and with the matching colors, all his, lock stock and high heels.

Aya raised an eyebrow at the smile he was giving her.  “What?  Too much?”

He walked over to her, pulled her into his arms and gave her a quick kiss.  “You look marvelous.  I was just thinking how lucky I am.  I’ll make sure to show you once we get back home.  Those pants and that sweater accent some of my favorite parts.  Come on sexy.  The sooner we get this over with the sooner I can peel you out of your clothes and see what you are wearing under all this.  I love surprises.”

Aya just shook her head and followed him out the door.  She figured telling him she was wearing some new barely there’s would get the man to say to hell with lunch and have at her right then.  What he didn’t know was that she had been plotting his undoing ever since he put on that suit.  She just loved him in all black.  Right now though, Naohito was their main concern.

Yoichi hadn’t seen his dad in a couple of weeks.  He had been on location for a movie and had just recently gotten back to the big island.  He almost didn’t recognize him when he walked in wearing all black, a black fedora, and sporting a goatee.  All that changed when he saw the way Aya was looking at him.  No one gets that look from her but his dad.  When Ju took off his hat and revealed cyan colored hair, it was proof positive it was him.  He walked over to them, gave his dad the man hug and kissed Aya on the cheek.

He led them to an area in the back of the restaurant that had been roped off for larger parties but since the lunch rush was over for the most part, it wasn’t needed.  He sat down at a table farthest from the main area and motioned for Ju and Aya to have seats.  They could see the door from where they were sitting and would be able to spot Naohito when he showed up.

After everyone had ordered something to drink, Aya clued Yoichi on what was up.

“I can’t believe he survived that fall.  If you guys were as high up as what I’ve heard then it’s a miracle he is still alive.  I wonder what he is going to make of our family.  It’s going to be a lot to take in.  I just hope that he understands right off that you guys are a set and one won’t function without the other.  By the way dad, you are looking positively scary in that all black.  Aren’t you worried about that?”

Aya laughed.  “Hito knows how much I like guys in all black.  As long as your father refrains from giving him death glares, it should be fine.”  She laughed as Ju gave her a mini-glare for that remark but his face softened when she scratched the hair on his chin.  She giggled when he whispered that she might want to stop doing that before he decided that lunch would be her.   She stopped but not before giving him a smoldering look.

Their beverages had just arrived when Naohito made his entrance.  He also was dressed in all black though the suit he was wearing cost a small fortune.  One of the waitresses escorted him to the back where Aya and company were waiting.  Ju had put his hat back on and they all stood as the man was led back to where they were waiting.  Ju even put on a smile that anyone who knew him would have known was fake but since the person he was smiling at didn’t know, he didn’t care.  He didn’t want his princess mad at him so no glares for now.

Naohito was clearly nervous and surprised that Aya wasn’t alone.  He should have known that she would probably have a family.  She was good people and he was terribly wrong to have done what he did to her.  He gave her a long look.  She had aged well, looked fantastic and cultured.  When he was introduced to her husband, Naohito was a little taken aback.  The man was taller than he by about three inches and rail thin.  He could tell from the smile he gave Aya when she said her husband, that the man adored her.  Her stepson….Naohito’s jaw hit the floor.  He knew that face.  He pointed at Yoichi and stammered out a shaky hello.

“You’re, you’re, you’re that guy on tv, in that crime drama.  You’re Aya’s stepson?  That makes him your dad.   I think I need to sit down.”

Naohito took a seat and jumped a little when Yoichi asked if he wanted something to drink.  The man nodded, ordered some tea and cleared his throat nervously.  He looked down at his hands which were clasped tightly together and cleared his throat once more before sighing and shaking his head.

“Aya I, don’t know what I was thinking when I asked for this lunch.  I know you have no reason to listen to anything I have to say but I’m so very sorry for what I did to you.”  He looked at Ju and thought he detected something a little off.

“I’m going to assume that you have told your husband about our past.  That would be something you wouldn’t keep from him if you are the same Aya I remember.  I was young and stupid.  I heard that you and your husband managed to get the goods on Ayumi and put her away.  I want to thank you for that.  It was something I had been trying to do for years.”

He stopped talking when the waitress returned with his tea.  He almost choked on it when Ju took his hat off.  He blinked.  What in the world would possess anyone to dye their hair that color much less a grown man?  What kind of job could he have that would allow him to have such hair?  His curiosity was really peeked now.  He shook it off and continued.

“They tell me that I was hurt when a bridge we were on collapsed but no details.  I’m not sure I want to know but I think I might need to know.  My shrink says that my memory will probably not return so any info I could get would be helpful.  I didn’t even know that Aya was back in the picture until she called.  No one is telling me anything and it’s so damn frustrating!”  He slammed his cup on the table spilling tea and getting concerned looks from those at the table.

“I’m sorry.  I just…just want to know.  How would you feel if five years of your life just disappeared?

Aya gave Ju a look and he shrugged.  They waited until the waitress had cleaned up the spilled tea and left before Aya started her story.  Ju figured he may as well get comfortable and took off his suit jacket, hanging it across the back of his chair.  The look Naohito gave him at the sight of all Ju’s tattoos would have given anyone pause if they’d noticed.   What in the world had Aya gotten herself into?  The man had to be yakuza with all those tats and that hair.  Who would dare say anything about it?  He was getting a really bad feeling about this and more than a tad angry.  He took some calming breaths.  Aya was no fool and he’d seen the way she looked at the man.  She clearly loved him so there had to be something he was missing.

Aya started by telling Naohito about meeting Ju in ICU.  She glossed over the reason why he was there other than to say it had been a car accident.  She really didn’t want Ju to relive much of it if at all possible.  She told of how they had fallen in love almost at first sight and that he had proposed before they had even kissed.  She let him know that Ju was the proud owner of a very profitable custom car shop and the flat above it.  It was the shop that his car dealerships had a long term contract with to do special projects for their customers.  That got Naohito’s attention.  He knew that there was no way he or his family would deal with anyone not on the right side of the law so the man couldn’t be yakuza.  He breathed an inward sigh of relief.  Still, what the hell was with all the tats?

That question was answered when a pair of young ladies entered the restaurant and began fangirling big time.  Naohito assumed it was because of Yoichi so he was very surprised when they asked for Ju’s autograph and ignored Yoichi completely.  Ju happily gave it to them along with a couple of selfies and the ladies went to their table talking excitedly between themselves.

Aya noticed his surprised look and explained that her husband was a very sought after bass guitarist and that until recently he had played with one of the most popular rock bands in Japan.  Naohito knew how much Aya loved rock music though he wasn’t a fan and that many performers sported tattoos.  He shook his head.  This was more than he was expecting and they had only scratched the surface.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strange Times pt 1

Aya sighed for the tenth time. To say that the phone call was strange would have been an understatement of monumental proportions. She simply told Naohito that she had gotten the number from his mother after she had seen him on tv and left it at that though if he had pressed her that lie wouldn’t have held up. She agreed to meet him the next day for lunch.

She tried calling his mom again and was told she was still out. She left a message and called Amaya to see how she was holding up and was surprised when Amaya asked her to meet her for lunch. Since she had no plans for the day and her handsome beast was at a recording session, she agreed and headed out to the bistro where she had first seen Naohito and Amaya together. She was even more surprised that Naohito’s mother was there with Amaya. She took a seat, ordered some tea then looked at the two ladies expectantly.

Nariko was a stern looking woman. One look at her and you knew she was a force to be reckoned with. She was in a way but she also had a kind heart when it came to her son. She always wanted the best for him but she was the one that thought she knew what that was better than he did. She and Aya hadn’t exactly been friends but they weren’t enemies either. They shared some mutual respect. As far as Aya knew, Nariko had no idea that she had gotten pregnant and Naohito had left her stranded all those years ago. Aya had no intention of telling her either. So, she was very surprised when Nariko started off by telling her how sorry she was for her son’s actions all those years ago.

That made Aya’s eyebrows rise though she only nodded acknowledgement of the apology. She turned to Amaya who smiled faintly at her.

“Nariko thought it would be best to tell me about it wondering if the news would make me change my mind about Naohito. I told her that I already knew which I think surprised her.”

Nariko spoke up then. “Honestly it did my dear. I misjudged both of you ladies and for that I am extremely sorry. For either of you to know this and forgive him means that you have good hearts and care for Naohito though I’m sure in different ways.”

She sighed. “Now that you are both here, let me explain what’s been going on. Apparently when the bridge collapsed and Naohito and that evil woman fell, he landed partially on her. He was cushioned from most of the damage by her body but he did hit his head when he landed. He was knocked unconscious and the current carried him down stream. He washed ashore near a fishing village. He clothing was in tatters hence the lack of a wallet or phone. He was in very bad shape so the local doctor took care of him until he was able to move about.”
She took a sip of tea before continuing.

“Apparently he was in a deep coma for much of the time but when he came out he remembered nothing. Not his name, age, where he was from, nothing. The doctor figured that since he was found on the shores of the river, he had to have come from upstream so he had Naohito taken to the closest big city and you know what happened from there. What you don’t know is that my husband and I took him to one of the best neurosurgeons in the country. He says that there was some permanent brain damage. Nothing major but apparently it is affecting his memory centers. The psychiatrist that he has been seeing thinks that there is a good chance he will never recover all of his memory which is why I needed to talk to you two ladies. I need to know what happened.”

Amaya was about to speak when Aya placed a hand on hers. “This is my story to tell but before that, there is something else you haven’t told us isn’t there?”

Nariko sighed. “My son became a different man after reuniting with you and meeting Amaya. I like this man more than before. He is kinder I guess, more thoughtful of others. I liked the changes in him. My fear is that those five years or so that are missing will cause him to go back to the self-serving man he had become over the years. I love my son but I’m not blind to who he was. That he could abandon you when you were pregnant just shows how shallow he was back then. I’m terrified that he will be the old Naohito and not the newer version. The psychiatrist asked that I find out what happened if I could, so that he can make a decision as to whether it would be wiser to tell him about his lost years or not. He did call me excitedly and told me that you were going to meet him tomorrow so I thought it best to know before hand and to let you know if you could say anything or not.”

Aya shook her head. This had all the makings of a first-class mess. She took a sip of her own tea then started her tale. She told Nariko about the groupie, the poisoning, tracking her down, the drug and how Naohito had fought it long enough to keep her from killing Aya though it was a close call. If Ju hadn’t arrived when he did and bravely went out on that bridge, she wouldn’t be there to tell the story. The more she talked, the paler Nariko got.

By the time Aya was done, Nariko was crying softly. She wasn’t sure if it was because Naohito had so carelessly started the whole episode in motion or that he fought through the drug enough to stop that woman from killing Aya outright. She cursed Misaki from the depths of her soul. She looked up at the sound of her name and took the tissue that Amaya held out to her.

After carefully dabbing at her eyes, she excused herself and called Naohito’s shrink. She gave him the whole story and nodded a few times before returning to the table.

“His doctor advised that if he asks, tell him slowly and look for any signs of distress on his part. If it looks like he is handling things then continue telling him. He said that you don’t need to volunteer any information off hand. If he wants to know badly enough he will ask. Chances are he won’t. He has no basis for asking at the moment. He didn’t even know how you got his cell number.”

Aya nodded. “I’ll be meeting him for lunch tomorrow but I will have Ju with me. I don’t want him to get any ideas about a “me and him”. If he decides to play things like he did before as far as Ju is concerned, I will let him know that it was that attitude that got him in the condition he is currently in. I’ll let Ju know what is going on. Hopefully he will behave. What’s going to happen with Amaya?”

Amaya shook her head sadly. “There is no way of knowing if we will ever get back together. First, he would have to be interested. That will take time. He’s been having plastic surgery to correct the damage done to his cheek and the area around his eye which is why he’s wearing a patch. It’s one of the reasons why we hadn’t heard from anyone. He was in Sweden with one of the world’s top plastic surgeons. From what Nariko said, he’ll still have a faint scar but nothing too bad. Maybe when or if he starts back on the board, we can meet and fall in love again. That’s all I can hope for.”

Aya nodded, finished her tea and stood. “I need to get back. Amaya, Nariko, call me if there are any changes and I’ll let you both know how lunch goes. I think I’ll have him meet us at Yoichi’s restaurant. I can introduce him to my husband and my stepson. Might let him know that I’m a happily married woman. Ladies.”

With that she left the bistro. She had a bad feeling about this.