"Hey! Yuzan!" Shigeru waved wildly as the dark rental car pulled away from the curb and headed for the hotel. He turned her way and smiled as he approached, escorted by her security guard who had met the car.
"Yo, Shigeru!" he greeted her before seating himself. "You weren't kidding about schedule adjustments. I didn't know you were planning to take me to the other side of the world."
"Our Houston branch office hosted a conference on experimental oil extraction techniques, and I thought I'd show you what the Crescent City has to offer since New Orleans was just a hop, skip and jump away." She laughed. "Well, for me, that is."
"Despite the distance, I'm looking forward to it," he answered, his eyes looking at the other tables. "The menu appears to be a little limited, but I'm willing to try new things."
"Aw, this is just the beginning. You can't visit New Orleans without having a beignet at Café du Monde. Miyashita ordered for us as soon as Kikuchi radioed that you were a few blocks away. Were the flights and connections smooth?"
"Sure, my 'chaperone' took care of everything, and I was able to nap for several hours. By the way, Ando shed tears of joy that he wouldn't be required for this meeting," he informed her.
"We'll have to torture him some other time, then. Here we are!" she exclaimed as their order arrived.
Yuzan looked at it with interest. "Lots of powdered sugar. I guess it's a little messy to eat?"
"That's half the fun," Shigeru teased.
"It's good!" he said after his first bite.
"Absolutely! Fried dough covered in sugar, what's not to like? Doughnuts, sata andagi, funnel cakes, they're all comfort food of some kind." She lifted her cup. "Plus, café au lait. Coffee with chicory and scalded milk." she enlightened him. "It's a traditional Creole drink and absolutely necessary, according the Book of Shigeru, to drink with beignets."
"Mmm!" He winced a bit at the bitterness of the chicory. "Will the Book of Shigeru allow me to have seconds on the beignets?"
"Well, I have other places I want to take you, but knowing your appetite... Miyashita, get us both another plate!"
By the time they finished their carriage tour of the French Quarter, Shigeru was fanning herself and Yuzan with a lace fan purchased from a street vendor. "It's late in the year, but it's still hot and humid in this part of the United States," she explained. "Miyashita will take us to our hotel to freshen up and change. There's a dress code for dinner, but once you see the menu you won't mind."
"But our agreement was for desserts!" he protested.
"Don't worry, there will be magnificent desserts," she patted his hand as she assured him.
Two hours later, as they waited for the elevator with the security guards, Yuzan looked around the hallway and commented, "It's a little quiet around here. Not what I had expected of New Orleans."
"Yes," she commented, securing the card key in her evening bag, "I reserved the entire floor so that we wouldn't be disturbed by late night party goers. Even though the International House is a couple blocks off the French Quarter, it can still get rowdy. If you want to visit Bourbon Street after dinner, we'll have to stick close to Kikuchi and Miyashita. Anything can happen there after dark."
As they entered Arnaud's, Kikuchi murmured, "The Okawahara reservation for Iberville and Bienville." Immediately a tuxedoed staff member escorted them to an enclosed room with one table, walls covered in richly brocaded fabric and ceiling adorned with silver leaf. They were escorted through that room to its twin beyond it, where the single table had place settings side-by-side, not across from each other.
Yuzan looked at the room's open area as the waiter seated Shigeru. "You know, another table could fit in here."
"This room can be set up with three," commented the waiter smoothly as he placed a menu in his hands.
Yuzan craned his neck at the security guards. "So why are your guards in another room?" he asked Shigeru.
"It's for their gastronomic protection," she smiled at him. "I think our appetites would kill theirs."
"Really?" he asked. His eyes widened as he viewed the menu. "Oh my."
"Yes," she laughed. "But you're not allowed to see the dessert menu. No," she cautioned him as his hand raised. "Whatever he offers you, do not show it to him," she ordered the waiter.
"Yes, ma'am," was the reply.
"Do you trust me?" She leaned to her right and asked Yuzan.
"With my appetite, yes," he replied.
She plucked the menu from him. "Very well, we will start with Shrimp Arnaud, Escargots en Casserole, Crab Claws Provinçale, Alligator Sausage, and Oysters Bienville."
"And which table will be receiving which appetizers?" asked the waiter.
"Oh, that's just for us," Shigeru informed him cheerily. "Those two can order for themselves."
"Ju-just for you two?" he stammered.
"Plus Seafood Gumbo, Shrimp Bisque, and Assorted Greens Salad. Yes, and for the entrees," she studied the menu with her tongue slightly protruding in concentration, "Shrimp Creole, Arnaud's Crab Cakes, Ponchartrain, and Pompano Duarte. We will need additional plates or bowls each course for sharing, and check the wine history under my name and bring us two bottles of my favorite white."
As the waiter staggered to the other room, Yuzan looked at her admiringly. "Wow, the super rich really are different. But seriously, is that enough food for both of us?"
Shigeru leaned over and whispered in his ear. "I didn't want to cause a total meltdown at the beginning of the evening. I don't think the waiter is able to handle yet the information that we are ordering every single dessert."
The service that evening was exquisite and attentive, although they couldn't help but notice some oddities about the attendants.
"I believe we are the entertainment for tonight," Shigeru commented after yet another stranger cleared plates from the table.
"Yes," Yuzan agreed. "I think we have seen at least three quarters of the wait staff so far. However, your employees are suffering despite your consideration of having two rooms."
"I know," she giggled. "The waiters keep opening the door between the rooms and the guards keep closing it. The last time Miyashita's face looked a little green when he caught sight of our table. You'd think we had him on a shrimp boat in the middle of a hurricane."
Yuzan paused while dividing the Ponchartrain, a fillet topped with crabmeat. "You know, my brother once claimed that he wanted to be a fisherman."
"The genius? As a career?" Shigeru paused, fork suspended in midair. "I wouldn't think that went over well with Dickhead Dad."
"No," he agreed. "Father would never have permitted that. But that happened after I got him kicked out of the house."
"I assume that he amended his career plan?" she enquired.
He laughed. "Actually, he did end up on a boat, although it was as assistant on a research voyage. And he did catch a large tuna, so I suppose that dream was fulfilled." He laughed shortly. "I'm just sorry that I had to betray him for him to find his own way."
"From what I saw at the wedding, it didn't look like he has hard feelings over it," she noted.
"Yes. He humbled me by telling me that none of it was my fault. If I could just make myself believe it…"
"Hey! Stop beating yourself up!" She lightly smacked his cheek, then let her hand to rest there for a moment. As he looked at her in shock, she continued, "You were just a boy yourself at the time, and he's happy now. He could never have managed that in your dad's toxic home. You did the best thing by getting him out of there."
"But when we moved there I promised to make a place for him. I failed."
"Cut it out!" She suddenly slammed her cutlery to the table, pulled his head forward, and kissed him noisily on the mouth. Her cheeks colored as her eyes flitted away from his stare. "I'd rather see you quiet than talking bad about yourself. Now finish that fish or I won't order dessert."
"I suppose that's an offer I can't refuse," Yuzan said, blushing.
Three quarters of an hour later he looked on as the table was filled with an assortment of plates and bowls. "All right," he said after examining them, "I recognize crème brûlée, bread pudding, custard, and a chocolate bombe. What are the rest?"
"Frozen praline soufflé, pecan pie, strawberries Arnaud. And after we finish these, we will have an assortment of flavored ices."
"Marvelous!" He sat back. "Let's begin!"
The door between the Iberville and Bienville rooms was closed with a decisive "Click!"
Both Shigeru and Yuzan occupied themselves with their laptops and phones for several hours on the flight back to Japan. After completing a number of conference calls, Shigeru leaned back and stretched her arms above her head. When her eyes opened, she glanced Yuzan's way and was intrigued to see her name on his screen.
"What are you working on?" she asked, bumping her shoulder against his.
"Hmm?" He looked up distractedly. "Oh, the latest pain in the butt. I'm having to plan my birthday party next month."
"You're kidding!" She looked at him. "You're not kidding. Who plans their own party?! Where's the surprise?! The excitement?! The presents?!"
"Well," he laughed. "It's a tradition with my father. Have a big whoop-de-doo often enough to give the reporters something to write about, and maybe the press won't mention his infidelities. It's one of the requirements of my job that I make it memorable and not disappoint him."
Shigeru stared at him. "Some father." When he only responded with a shrug, she added, "Are you planning the food as well?"
He grinned at her. "Absolutely! That is one of the privileges of planning your own party."
"I noticed my name," she pointed to the screen. "Does this mean I'm invited?"
He gave her a shy smile. "Your family is. I hope that you will be the representative again. It will make the evening easier to deal with. There won't be many there that I care to spend time with."
"I absolutely will! I'd love to see what you select. This can be our next meeting." She squeezed his hand. "Can I peek at the guest list?"
"Sure!" He gave her a puzzled look but handed over the laptop. She scrolled through the list making noncommittal sounds. "What are you thinking?" he asked.
"I'm thinking that this might be a more fun party than you anticipate," she smiled at him, handing the computer back. "I know members of some families on the list, and I'll call and tell them to make sure to be their family's rep that night."
"That's nice, but the party I'm most looking forward to will be after this one winds down."
"Really?" she asked.
"My cousin Mitsuyoshi is having a get-together of some of Haru's and my friends at his business afterwards. It will be considerably more casual and the food definitely more plebian, but I wonder if you'd like to attend that with me as well."
She caught her breath." Of course. But won't that be a lot of trouble for your cousin, having to go straight from one party to host another?"
"Oh, Mitsuyoshi won't be at the fancy wingding," Yuzan said absently, scrolling through the menu list. Sensing a chill in the air, he looked at Shigeru and jumped at her glare. "Wait, it's not like that! Even if Dad wanted him, Mitsuyoshi wouldn't come! They pretty much hate each other," he muttered.
"Why's that?" She asked.
"Oh, Aunt Kyoko would never say who his father was, so she was cast out of the family home, and then Dad wouldn't pay for her treatment when she had terminal cancer."
"Have I mentioned lately that I don't particularly care for your father?" she asked through gritted teeth.
"You can never say it too often," he reassured her.
"So what happened with your aunt?"
"I managed to get the money Mitsuyoshi needed, but he didn't accept my trade. That was when Haru left," he added. "He insisted on paying me back."
"But he is family—"
"It's a matter of honor with him, and I respect that. Of course, he doesn't know that I didn't tell father he was repaying the money." At her gasp, he added, "Once I was given a position in the firm that allowed me to handle investments, I set up and managed a trust fund using his payments. He has a nice little sum just waiting for me to think of a way to give it back to him…"
Shigeru leaned across the armrest and hugged him. "I knew you weren't a douchebag like your father!"
"Oi!" he said, pretending to look offended. "Did you ever think that I was?"
