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The Glass Wall
"Oui?" Yes?
"Ms. Jiao?" the receptionist from the main desk replied with her quiet brisk tone, "Ms. Richards would like to see you in her office immediately."
"Thank you," Gigi replied taking a moment to inventory herself. What had she done lately that would have come up to the notice of one of the Senior Design Coordinators? Since the arrival of the baby…Iliana… Georgeanne sighed, not allowing herself to travel down that stressful road. Standing, she brushed off her knee length sweater dress, straightening the tiny belt around her waist, flipping her hair, and headed off to one of her major bosses office, Vince Camuto boots accentuating her confident pace.
"…And let me assure you Mrs. Ikeda that our firm will avail itself in every way possible," Ms. Richards voice rang out clear and strong as Gigi pushed open the door to the office. "Ah, Ms. Jiao," she said acknowledging the arrival and signaling to the chair occupied by a female client, "Let me introduce you to Mrs. Ikeda."
Automatically Gigi extended her hand then pulled it back as recognition crossed her face. She knew the woman in the chair facing her, not this new surname, but definitely the woman. Kei. Rapture. They meant the same thing. And Kei embodied her name. To cover her faux pas she placed her hands by her side and gave a bow. "Konnichiha," Hello.
"Amaku, utsukushi i Georgeanne." Sweet, beautiful Georgeanne. Gigi felt her body flush, the memories as close to her as they had been thirteen years before.
"Ikeda fujin ka?" Mrs. Ikeda? Gigi asked raising an eyebrow. This was not a name she had expected the woman to have: the Mrs. part yes, the particular last name no.
Mrs. Ikeda smiled coyly, shrugging her shoulders, "Watashitachi ha sukoshi frenchie atodekono kaiwa wo tsuduke rubekidearu." We should continue this conversation later little frenchie. The nickname pleased Gigi as much as it had as a fifteen year old but instead of letting herself go back down that road, she sat in the vacant chair, turning to face the intrigued Ms. Richards.
"Well," Ms. Richards cleared her throat gently, not understanding the exchange that just took place, "I'm confident that Ms. Jiao will be able to produce quality work that will appeal to your tastes and make your new house feel like a home."
"Pardon?" Gigi asked confused. Mrs. Ikeda, Kei, lived in Tokyo. Or at least she had lived in Tokyo and this was not an international firm. Confusion turned to pleasure mixed with nettles of pain. She must live here now.
Ms. Richards hastily broke in to explain, "Mrs. Ikeda and her family have moved here from Tokyo to expand their business and would like to audition our decorating talent. You've been requested to complete the furnishing of their new home which will determine whether the Ikeda's will proceed with our services for their new offices." Oh so this job was just a prelude to a significant amount of money coming in to the design office. Wait, she'd been requested? Gigi gave Kei a swift glance. Oh, she was still as cunning as she'd been during their teens.
Gigi nodded, resisting the urge to flip her hair, lick her lips, or give any hint that she found Mrs. Kei Ikeda tempting at all. Instead she squared her shoulders and looked at the woman's earrings, "I'd be happy to assist you and your husband in making your new living quarters a home. I find it is best to set up a consultation appointment at your new address in order to utilize your time most efficiently. What is the best time for us to meet next week?" The words came out automatically, their easy repetitive nature making it simple to strip away emotion.
Ms. Richards spoke up quickly, "Actually the Ikeda's are going to be out of town for a month starting next week so they'd need their consultation completed immediately."
Kei smiled, "Yes, my husband and I would like to have this finished by the time we arrive back to the states."
"I understand completely," Gigi amended, "What would be a better time to meet this week?"
"Tomorrow, nine am for a breakfast meeting," Kei said checking her thin, expensive watch and frowning at the time. She stood, forcing Gigi and Ms. Richards to stand as well.
"That sounds wonderful," Ms. Richards gushed, "Well it was a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Ikeda. Ms. Jiao will show you out."
Gigi moved to the office door to hold it open for Kei, carefully holding herself out of the way so they wouldn't accidentally brush against one another. But she should have held her breath too. The light floral scent of Kei's perfume floated past Gigi, sending off memories of before, ones that often haunted her in Tokyo when their paths would cross at social events. They moved through the hallway, Kei's knee length purple pencil skirt, slate blouse, and slate heels turning heads. Or maybe it was the huge rocks that comprised her engagement and wedding rings. But mostly Gigi had a shrewd notion it had been the little gossip that sat at the receptionists desk. Regardless, the walk the front lobby and elevators felt long.
"Mrs. Ikeda, it was wonderful to see you," Gigi said automatically as they reached the lobby.
Kei Ikeda moved to the desk where the receptionist quickly scampered to provide the knee length jacket and matching handbag that belonged to her. Kei turned, leaving her back exposed to Gigi. Carefully, Gigi opened the jacket, and helped Kei slip into it, the necessity to move it forward onto the woman's shoulders requiring Gigi to get closer than she wanted. Kei quickly flipped her hair over the jacket's collar, some of the strands whipping past Gigi's nose forcing her to take a step back and clench her teeth.
"Watashi niarutameni ashita matsu kotogadekinai," I cannot wait to have you tomorrow, Kei told her, the smile merely a hint on her lips. Gigi didn't respond. "Watashi haanatanotameno huruma wo okuru bekidearuka?" Should I send a car for you?
Gigi knew Kei was aware that she did not want to complete this assignment and was forcing her hand with the offer. "No. Arigatou. Sayounara Kei." Thank you. Goodbye Kei. Gigi bowed again so that her ground out reply wouldn't sound too disrespectful. Keep up the professional façade, even when she felt like falling apart.
"Oyasuminassi sukoshi frenchie." Good night little frenchie. Before the elevator doors fully closed on Kei, Gigi was already on her way back to her office. Fifteen minutes later she'd rescheduled all of her appointments for that afternoon and the following day, booked an afternoon at the spa for tomorrow, and was in her car, speeding out of the garage on her way home.
"Kaihatsu shinasai," 'Open up', Kei teased her giggling at the end as Gigi looked up, eyes glassy, face flushed, hair fanning all over the bed. Gigi loved the pressure building inside of her and knew that it would be all over if she complied so she shook her head, unable to say no. Kei giggled again, running her hands over Gigi's thighs to settle on her hips, "Sukoshi frenchie," 'Little frenchie,' she cooed. Gigi squirmed and the pressure built. For a moment she forgot and tried to move her hands but they were tied together with a scarf and held to the headboard. She groaned. Kei giggled some more and she had to join in.
"Seikou." 'Fuck.' Gigi moaned as Kei slid down her body, stopping when her mouth pushed teasing breaths over her hips.
"Kaihatsu shinasai," 'Open up' Kei said whispering over Gigi's overheated skin. And this time, Gigi complied because she didn't know how to slow down. Kei's fingers had barely touched their mark before her mouth took over, and then Gigi started screaming her release. It took a minute for Gigi to come down from the clouds, to open her eyes to stare into the face that was now hovering over hers. Kei pressed their lips together and Gigi found herself giving over into a long, slow kiss. Kei undid the restraints and Gigi let her hands roam into the other girl's hair as a prelude to grabbing her arms, flipping her gently over. Kei giggled again. "Watashitachi haanatono jisei ni torikumu." 'We will work on your self control.'
Gigi groaned into her pillow. She felt hot, her limbs felt heavy. She let her eyes slowly adjust to the darkness of the room. Eleven twenty-seven pm. She'd slept the afternoon away. She'd lain in bed with memories of those months at fifteen with Kei swirling in her head. That particular memory wasn't the first time they'd been together but it had been a prelude to four of the best orgasms of her life. Gigi carefully removed Junior's arm from around her waist before sitting up then launched herself into the bathroom. She took a quick cold shower then made her way downstairs for some yogurt to ease her hungry stomach.
"Gigi?" the rumbling voice was low in the darkness but approaching her in the kitchen. Rather than respond she waited until he'd entered the room and put his arms around her. "Feel like explaining what's up?" Gigi shrugged knowing that wasn't an answer and Junior stripped her spoon from her fingers. She just opened the drawer and pulled out another to continue eating. "Did you get fired?" Gigi raised an eyebrow, one of the Toretto's favorite moves. Junior brushed her hair over her shoulder then kissed her neck. "Is Han ok?"
"Hmm, Han's fine." At least he'd sounded fine the last time she spoke to him considering he was reading her the riot act on Junior's behalf. She could still hear his words ringing in her ears, though he didn't raise his voice once.
"You married him so go play housewife Georgeanne." Gigi continued to lay listlessly on the oversized bed in her room at the penthouse, the darkness incomplete with the lights of the city and stars bright from below and above, shining into the glass wall. She hadn't come to the penthouse for Han's pity and wasn't surprised that he was frustrated with her. She'd just come to escape the little house where she, Junior, Nic, Gio, and the baby now lived; to escape the pretense that she was getting over her disgust at having a child, that she was still enjoying married life with Junior.
Gigi snapped back to the present as Junior ran his hands down her sides. It was the right move, but guiltily she thought, it was the wrong person. She finished her last scoop of yogurt, turning away to put the dishes in the sink. "Aijin," Lover, she whispered in his ear, grabbing his hand to lead him upstairs. There would be plenty of time to worry about her meeting with Kei.
Five weeks. Five weeks had gone by relatively tame. It helped that the temptation Kei offered that first day was not repeated in front of her husband the following morning. Gigi had spent that nerve racking hour with Kei and her husband Ryuu taking measurements, asking questions about their vision for their living space, colors they absolutely abhorred. In other words, she'd been professional. The rest of those weeks had been spent working on their house while they were out of town which suited Gigi just fine. There had been that day when they'd returned and she'd gone to greet them, complete a final walkthrough. But it had been easy to ignore Kei when Ryuu was so close, scrutinizing every detail, holding the big commercial job in his hands.
So the call from the receptionist's desk saying Mrs. Ikeda was waiting for her in the lobby caught Gigi off guard. They were still waiting for a decision regarding the office building so there was no reason for the visit unless… Gigi made it to the desk, noticing Kei hadn't bothered to remove her coat.
"Mrs. Ikeda," Gigi welcomed her, intending to offer her hand to shake but finding herself swept into a quick air kiss instead, cheeks meeting briefly before they walked down to Gigi's office, closing themselves in.
"What are you doing today little Frenchie?"
Gigi thought carefully about her answer, "Not what I originally planned."
Kei giggled, "Such a shame. I've been planning this for a while." She brushed her hand across Gigi's lips and involuntarily Gigi licked them, catching Kei's fingertips.
"Kei, I'm busy and you're married."
Kei smiled, "Interesting. You're worried about my marriage. What about yours?" Gigi thought about it. What about her marriage? She cared for Junior, she really did. Didn't she? Kei took advantage of the silence, "Besides, I'm not asking to sleep with you little Frenchie. But I could use help shopping."
"Shopping?"
"Yes. Ryuu's hosting a dinner for some business associates and I need a woman's opinion on my outfit," Kei giggled, "and you're the only friend I know here."
"My schedule's pretty full today," Gigi said brushing her hand over the computer mouse to click on her calendar.
Kei leaned over to peer at the full day, then pulled out two fancy envelopes. "Perhaps your boss would make an exception since we're announcing your firm will complete our office remodel."
Gigi's phone rang, forcing her eyes away from the little minx offering her an excuse to spend the day together. After a quick conversation with her boss, Gigi placed the phone on the hook and shook her head in defeat. "Don't you have an appointment today?"
"Yes, I came to deliver the good news first. Have your schedule clear by the time I get back. I'm starving."
And Gigi cleared her schedule. She even, in a moment of inspiration, called Junior to ask him to pick up the kids. When he asked why she was ready with, "I'm going to work late then visit Han." So what if deep down she felt that he knew she was lying.
Junior sat in the chair he's pulled from Han's room facing the door to Gigi's room. There were moments when he felt like he should just go home. He couldn't understand why he didn't. And yet, every time he was ready to get up he felt his rage kick up again. And so he sat. The moon marked the passage of time through the extremely large glass window that acted as the wall for the entire side of the penthouse but Junior quit marking time by it ages ago. Instead he slouched in the chair and listened to the sounds coming from the bedroom. Screaming, then silence. Moaning, then more silence. Panting then longer silence. Begging, then this current bout of eerie silence. One of the voices he didn't know but it was high, womanly, and it mingled with a voice he did know all too well. But he'd never heard it like this: crying out in abandon, completely open, not worried about being caught or caring if she was.
As the night turned into dawn he felt himself go through a multitude of emotions. The rage was easy to explain, the quickest emotion to come forward when he first arrived. As the hours passed the others came to the fore: confusion, bitterness, heartache, regret, and overwhelming sadness. As the sun rose he began to wonder if he had always known in the back of his mind that she would be capable of this type of betrayal. This, promiscuity, came easily to her. Motherhood and marriage were foreign. For the umpteenth time he asked himself why he'd chosen her, why he had to love women unable to stay with him. A twinge of sadness tingled in Junior's heart as his thoughts returned to Lena. If only she'd lived. He wouldn't be sitting here with the butt of a gun warming slowly in his palm, the barrel resting on his leg to point at the closed door. Junior knew most of all that he wouldn't be here getting ready to change lives forever. And as the sun began to rise to an overwhelming peak, streaming shafts of light pierced the glass wall to irritate his red rimmed eyes. It was only then after forcing his eyes closed that Junior saw the faces that broke through his brokenness in that sunlit hallway. His children: Nic, Gio, and Iliana.
He thought he heard a door close softly making his eyes open quickly to check if he'd been discovered, but the door where his vigil had played out was still firmly shut. Morning had come but the rage filled thoughts that had compelled him no longer held him captive. Instead he felt sick inside to think that he could have murdered his wife, his friend, his cousin. In less than two minutes he'd reengaged the safety, tucked the gun into the pocket of his jacket, and moved the chair back to its original position in Han's bedroom. In less than five minutes he was in heading out of the high rise building in search of coffee and an excuse to give Nikki for not coming home all night.
Ryuu Ikeda was looking for his wife. Her driver had returned yesterday afternoon spouting nonsense that Kei had insisted that she did not need his services for the rest of the day. Ryuu shook his head at the memory of the stupid man. He didn't pay the driver to think, just to do his job: drive Kei to all of her appointments and bring her home. She'd lost her driving privileges well before they'd left Tokyo, before his father had exiled them because Ryuu couldn't control his wife. And now she was missing. Although Ryuu had a shrewd idea where she was. He scrolled through the familiar names in his contact list, stopping at his accountant. Sometimes credit card statements told more about your movements than any private detective ever could.
Water sluiced over her body, washing away the scent of the last eight hours. Gigi ran her hand over her stomach feeling the slightly raised skin that marked where her stitches had been. She sighed heavily her skin prickling in guilt while flushing in remembered ecstasy. It had been too simple to say yes, not worth bothering to pretend resistance was an option. Last night hadn't felt like going back in time to those first few weeks when she'd been the prey at fifteen. It had been more hot and explosive than that, her skills as a lover honed over time. It was she who had tricks that excited Kei instead of the other way around. The night had been wonderful, more sensual than she would have expected. And if there was a moment to feel guilty wouldn't she have felt it now?
No the guilty feeling just prickled a little when she bent over the bed ten minutes later to kiss Kei's slight shoulder. It grew when she walked to glass wall in her room to pull back the curtains, revealing the sun moving higher in the sky to light the city laid out waiting for her rejoin reality. But it disappeared rapidly when Kei's hands wrapped around her body, pulling the towel covering Gigi down so they could make love once more in the sunshine in front of the whole world.
Ninety minutes later Gigi and Kei walked hand in hand up the spiral staircase, both impeccably dressed. Kei was already on her cell phone, her rapid conversation in Japanese a feeble attempt to placate her husband. Hmm. Gigi wondered why she wasn't feeling panicked about creating a story for Junior. Then again, there was no reason to lie, not completely anyway. She had come to see Han, but she'd also known that he wouldn't be home. She just wouldn't mention it again unless he asked.
Kei snapped her fingers in front of Gigi's face before grinning. "That's better," Kei whispered softly, "Aijin," Lover, she pulled her face close for a kiss and for some reason word twisted Gigi's heart. Right name, wrong person. This kiss was tender but not the reasons tears threatened to spill from her eyes. The weight of the destruction Gigi had just set in motion was crashing into her. They pulled apart and guiltily Gigi pulled open the front door, eager to escape so she could get to work, find solace in the one thing she hadn't screwed up in the last few weeks. Before she could stride out of the door Kei gasped. A man was standing in the doorway blocking any attempt at exit.
"Kei," Ryuu said quietly, "and Mizz Jiao." Gigi took a step back. Not that the man towered over her, but because she could see the disappointment and rage within his eyes.
"Good morning Ryuu-san," Gigi said carefully. The slap he levied to her cheek knocked her to the floor. Before her head stopped spinning, he'd closed the door to keep Kei's screams from leaving the penthouse.
"What are you doing? Are you crazy?" Kei screamed at him while backing away. The distance between the two wasn't widening and within seconds she found herself turning to run for the stairs. Before she could take the first step, he'd grabbed her hair, pulling her forcefully back, swinging her around until she fell at his feet.
Gigi stood shakily, adrenaline telling her to flee but fear for Kei keeping her there. "Ryuu," she said calmly, "you have what you came for, and" she motioned to the woman now cowering in front of him, then wiped the trickle of blood from her lips, "you've punished me. It's time to leave."
"I've had enough Kei," Ryuu said angrily, tugging the woman's hair till she cried out again. Gigi started backing away feeling sick at what she was seeing and subconsciously knowing that she wasn't going to prevent him from beating them both to death.
"Ryuu I swear, it's not what you think," Kei cried, her hands trying to hold the strands of her hair to her scalp so the pressure would ease. Instead it got worse as he twisted her hair in his hands then roped it around her neck. Surprised it took her a few seconds before her hands began to claw at the vise around her windpipe.
"Shut up!" he screamed watching her face purple. Gigi felt herself stumble and she turned to run for the stairs, praying she could make it to the door of her room in time before the rage lifted enough for him to catch her next. She got the top of the stairs door intending to make her decent. 'Not far, not far!' she thought to herself. "STOP!" he screamed but she kept running.
The sound of the gun made Gigi's eyes go wide. Wait, was he still screaming? Why didn't she feel like she could hear it? Gigi looked in front of herself at the glass wall and the red material splattered on the surface. She looked down at herself, blinking in surprise at the hole in her side that was beginning a stinging burn.
"Merde!" Shit! the exclamation the only one that would come to her. She let her body sink slowly to the ground. If she was dying, she wanted a refund. Memories didn't flood her mind and play fast forward. Instead she felt horrible pain and started to cry.
"Are you going to hang by my ride all night?" Shawn drawled, curving his arm around her shoulders. Gigi worked to maintain the indifferent look her father often wore at races. She should be indifferent since races had been a large part of her entire life, and yet there was something about being close enough to drive that gave her a renewed vigor for coming.
"Shawn, give her some space," Neela told him in a low voice. Neela understood that fifteen year old girls needed some space when they were trying to see and be seen.
Shawn loped his arm around Neela instead, "Alright, well let's how Han's latest project's going." The reference to the latest racer to join their team did nothing to change Gigi's mood. That guy Hiroshi was a pain in the ass. He was seventeen and swore up and down that it would only take a matter of time before Gigi wised up became his. Neela seemed to agree that it would be only a matter of time…before Han drop kicked the guy into next week for putting the moves on Gigi. But deep down, Gigi wondered if her Dad…If Han she corrected herself, wasn't saying anything because he wanted to know if she even liked guys. Sometimes Gigi wondered herself. It's not that she didn't like guys, she just didn't think about dating period.
"I'll meet you upstairs," Gigi told them before weaving into the crowd looking for some music to fill her mind instead of her thoughts. She nodded to several kids she knew from school and most of the kids who knew her by her family's reputation in the racing world. They respected Han and his team, and her by association, but someday… Before she found her groove anywhere the shouting and running started. Guess there was about to be another race. Her cell buzzed and the message confirmed what behavior had hinted at. Racing was about to start and Hiroshi was being challenged. She sighed inside. That meant she would be expected at the finish line upstairs. Rather than waiting for the rush of people to get to the elevators, Gigi stalked against the crowd to the currently empty doors. She reached for the button that would take her to the top floor but a girl rushed in.
"Arigatou." 'Thank you,' she said giggling. She pushed the button instead then turned to stare at Gigi's face.
"Unzaeiaueumoka?" 'Are you bored too?' The girl asked looking Gigi up and down. The gaze was almost rude. Rather than speak Gigi shook her head in disagreement. The girl giggled again, closing in on Gigi's space. Rather than backing down, Gigi stood her ground which wasn't hard when she was taller than the other girl before they added heels. The smaller girl giggled again, "Chousen noyouni mie ru. Watashi ha chousen wo konomu." 'You look like a challenge. I like a challenge.'
Glass shattered and a cold gust of air spilled into the penthouse. Gigi continued to feel the fire on her side but she also felt herself getting dizzy and getting ready to pass out again.
The elevator pinged open and the girl stepped away, melting into the crowd already in position at the finish line. Gigi couldn't tell why her heart had started to pound, why the anticipation she felt wasn't for the end of the race and was completely on the girl who'd hit on her in the elevator. Fighting the urge to look for the girl, she forced herself to prop herself on Shawn's car which had already completed its race for the night, the hood now cool enough to lean against again. She flipped her phone open to pretend to keep up on the progress of the racers and soon enough the elevators had spit out a much larger crowd to usher in the final leg of the race. She finally heard the squeal of precision tires taking the last curving turn on a drift. There was a small metal scrape against the cement but it didn't stop Hiroshi from coming in first or getting cheered by the crowd. Gigi could see in his face that he was upset that he'd scraped up his paint job even though he smiled heartily, smacking hands with Twinkie and Earl then giving her a wink.
"Soshite ima watashitachi ha pâtei wo tanoshi mu!" 'And now we party!' he said happily making a move to put his arm around her shoulders which she quickly turned away from to so she could enter Shawn's car before she got roped into riding with Hiroshi.
Five weeks later and the same scene played out. The party was of course in full swing when they arrived, the crowd parting for Han and his team to come in, be congratulated, and grab drinks. Gigi moved to the DJ, eager to get some music playing that she could shimmy to before she went to hide in Han's office while he found who he wanted to take home. Tonight Gigi was feeling on par with the models that filled the place. She was wearing a little shirt and skirt ensemble straight off the runway to include the heels. Noël had picked her bribery well. The DJ started spinning one of her current favorites and she gave him a nuzzle with her nose against his cheek before walking to the floor, executing a turn then swaying to the beat. After two minutes the song started to fade into another one of her favorites. Closing her eyes the music started to take over. One second she was dancing alone, the next she was enveloped closely from behind.
"Konnichiha sukoshi chousen," 'Hello little challenge,' the girl's voice flowed into her ears. Gigi felt her heart start to pound.
"Vous êtes très grossier," 'You are very rude,' Gigi scolded.
"I don't understand little frenchie," she giggled. Gigi turned to look into the girl's eyes. "You understand English little frenchie?"
"Don't call me that," Gigi said hotly opting to play the bad ass instead of dealing with the unfamiliar feelings coursing over her.
"Then what do I call you huh?"
"What do I call you?" Gigi's voice not betraying that she was nervous.
"Kei."
Gigi walked away smiling to herself but Kei followed. Soon Gigi was down the stairs in Han's garage sitting on the hood of his Mona Lisa. Fewer people were milling around in here but she felt almost alone with this girl down on the shop floor. Kei stood in front of Gigi, not giving her a way to move.
"Frenchie," she started.
"Gigi."
"Ah," she smiled pushing strands of Gigi's hair from her face, rubbing her neck gently, "a French name for frenchie."
"Stop that," Gigi whispered out, the touch catching her off guard. Kei licked her lips and Gigi found herself mirroring the action.
"Is everything you do French Gigi?" Kei asked, her voice husky, her face close to Gigi's now. Before there was time for more than a short gasp, Kei's lips found Gigi's in a sweet first kiss that segued into a longer more visceral second kiss.
Was someone grabbing at her?
Kei's hand moved in Gigi's hair, grabbing it to pull her face closer as they melded into a long third kiss, her other hand sliding up her leg and skirt. Gigi felt herself shudder at the feelings racing over her skin which was warming, tightening, and melting all at the same time. Gigi felt her legs slowly close around Kei's body, pulling their bodies closer together and Kei's body shook with a giggle that was swallowed by their melded mouths.
Kei finally pulled back from the kiss, placing her lips against Gigi's ear and breathing warmly into it, "Watashi hahoshiito omou," 'I want you,' she whispered huskily.
"Gigi!" Kei's voice echoed loudly from the vicinity of the front door. The door shut out the noise and Gigi let herself slip back into peace.
"Gigi!" her name felt loud over after hearing the proposition whispered in her ear. She groaned deep in her throat as she looked up to see Shawn and Hiroshi staring down at her. Several revelers stopped milling around to stare at a possible drama situation. Kei didn't move away, preferring to push Gigi's long brown hair over her shoulder and begin trailing small kisses down her neck. Gigi's eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment, the attempt to gain control over herself lost as the top lashes met the bottom ones. When she opened her eyes, her father was standing there and the Kei was giggling again.
Han's mouth twitched involuntarily into a small smile even though his comment was delivered in a bored voice, "careful not to get anything on the paint." Feeling her embarrassment rising Gigi pushed Kei back, sliding carefully off the hood. Once standing she wasted no time grabbing Kei's hand. They traveled up the stairs, past her father and a very stunned Hiroshi, through the club, past the games in the attached arcade, and onto the streets of Tokyo to hail a cab so they could continue this first exploration in private.
The pain in her side stung, breaking into Gigi's thoughts. Dimly she knew that Ryuu was dragging her to the window, no longer a smooth wall protecting them from outside forces. She felt the air rushing hurting her eyes as she looked across the expanse of buildings and streets that made up Los Angeles. She felt a jolt as Ryuu grunted lifting her body, a short suspenseful moment where she wasn't attached to his body anymore, and then closed her eyes looking for peace as the scene before her was replaced with a quickly moving view of the street growing larger as she zoomed towards it.
The crying hadn't stopped, even when she told herself it would. Three days later the pain of Kei's goodbye still felt as raw as that moment in the morning light. The moment where Kei had woken her with a kiss on the shoulder and a fast coupling interrupted by Kei's intended. Mr. Chen at twenty-two was a great looking guy, someone she and Kei often joked that they should marry. Except the joke would turn into reality for Kei in a few months when she turned eighteen. But that day Mr. Chen was Kei's angry betrothed, lashing out at both girls before Kei stepped in to take his fists on herself alone. When he was done, he'd grabbed Gigi's arm to drag her forcibly from the house teeming with servants who stood by silently.
"Let her go!" Kei screamed, tears streaking down her face.
"You want me to let her go? After she disgraces me! After you disgrace me!" Tiny flecks of spit hit her face.
Or were those tears?
Kei gazed into Gigi's face, "Yes. She was just a toy. I won't play with her again."
The sharp pain in her heart was so awful that she didn't even notice when he let her go and she fell…
Junior spent the last two hours walking aimlessly around the city, the cup of coffee stone cold and untouched. Unable to find his equilibrium Junior suddenly longed to bury himself in axel grease and the clink of familiar tools. Work was simple enough, even when your family was as nosy as his was. He'd be able to get under the hood and work out all of his frustration on engines and breaks, tire rotations and spark plug replacements. He turned the corner with the intent of getting in his car and going straight to the garage but was brought up short by the flashing lights rotating red, blue, and white light across everything in their eerie way. A small crowd was gathered around the scene being roped off by police.
Junior's scalp began to crawl and he ran a hand cautiously over his head to ease it. For a moment he looked at his car, easily accessible and unblocked by the commotion. He could leave. But would that look suspicious? Conscious of the gun still lying against the small of his back he moved to blend into the crowd. He could see why some people were holding their hands to their mouths. The pavement and the walls close by were spattered with blood and other biological material. But what made him reel back in horror was the familiar color of the hair sprawled on the pavement and the familiar pattern of the small piece of skirt not marred by the gruesome aftermath of hitting the pavement from what he instinctively knew was the penthouse which she'd spent the last twelve years of her life.
Feeling numb, Junior backed up to remove himself from the crowd remembering to move slow, not arouse suspicion. The last thing he needed was to get stopped by the cops with a concealed weapon on him. He got in his car careful to start up slow, ease away from the pavement, and started breathing once he turned the corner. The gun on his back felt like a target but he refused to remove it until he saw his Uncle. Brian would know what the best course of action would be to get rid of the firearm. Just in case. Just in case someone thought that he killed his adulterous wife. Fleetingly he recalled that he had been set to do the same just two short hours ago. And in that time, someone else had done the job.
Junior's cell began to sing, startling him so badly that he had to correct sharply or risk slamming into a parked car. Trembling, he pulled over letting his head fall over his steering wheel before flipping the phone open, pressing the receiver to his ear. The baby in the background crying could only be his daughter. And then the cry in Nikki's voice overwhelmed him, "Oh God Junior! I was worried you were.."
"What's wrong Nikki?" he asked in a shaky voice.
She sniffed and he heard the wailing baby fading into the background, "Gigi's dead Junior. I…I…Liam told me. He was part of the team that responded to the nine…"
"Nikki, have the cops…" he cut her off quickly, trying to marshal his thoughts into something that resembled rational thought. He had to protect himself and family. He needed to act quickly.
"What about them?" she sobbed.
He felt himself tearing up but sucked in a deep breath, "Have they come to the house yet?"
"Uh…no. Why?" she seemed confused. "Oh no, no, no, no!"
Junior's mind made the leap the same time she did, "No Nikki! I didn't I swear! She was already like that when I got there."
"What do you mean 'when you got there'?" she said her voice starting to rise.
"Shut up Nikki, or the boys will hear."
He heard her sucking in breaths to calm herself, "Where are you?"
Junior laughed hard, "I don't know." He looked up to see if he could recognize his surroundings. "On my way to the O'Connor house but I know already that Uncle Brian's probably not there."
"Jun…"
"Nikki, I don't know what to do. I…I don't want to come home and have the police take me away…not in front of Nic and Gio."
Nikki pondered what he was saying and trying to decipher what he was keeping hidden. The doorbell rang and he heard the brush of the curtains being swept aside quickly then returned. "Shit. There's an unmarked in front of the house. Go to the parts store Junior. I'll call you there." The phone line went dead. Junior considered throwing the phone out, crushing his link to traceability but he didn't. That would make him look very guilty. Instead he followed his younger sister's advice, executing a sharp u-turn to head in the direction of his uncle's auto parts store. He'd parked in the back, right next to his uncle's car. It would keep it from being viewed directly from the street and yet he could explain that it was normal for him to park next to his uncle the owner if anyone questioned him. And he knew the cops would when the caught up to him.
The store had a modest crowd milling around when Junior arrived. He walked purposefully to the back, passing his uncle on the way to the office. Brian followed without comment until the door closed. "Has Nikki called for me?"
Brian studied his nephew's face. This was the face of a troubled man and it threw his investigative instincts into alert. "Why would your sister call you here?"
"Probably cause she thinks I will have dumped my phone by now," Junior explained pacing the floor speaking in a quiet agitated voice, "the police are at my house to tell me Gigi's dead and I need to stash my gun."
Brian's heart stopped beating for a few seconds then sped into gear, "Did you…"
Junior whipped his head from side to side so violently that his neck hurt, "She fell…but I was at the penthouse, and my car was there. And the doorman knows me."
"So he must have seen you leave," Brian said reasonably. But even that wouldn't stop the police from suspecting Junior first. Junior nodded then hid his face with his trembling hands. "Where's the gun?"
Junior whipped it out from behind his back and Brian motioned to a file cabinet where he kept Dom's smaller specialty parts that were too expensive to keep in the warehouse. He emptied a box and stuck the gun in it. He would have to dump it later.
"Now what?" Junior asked reflexively.
"Go to work. And when the cops get there, tell the truth," Brian told him then gave him a hard glare, "well most of the truth." Brian handed Junior a few boxes of parts.
"What are these for?"
"Well if they're there before you, just say you came here to pick up some parts for the garage. I'll call ahead so the team knows to keep the story up."
The phone rang and Brian immediately answered it, "Uh huh, hold on."
Junior took the receiver from his uncle, pressing it to his ear, "Nikki?"
"Yeah. Well bro the cops are on their way to the garage to tell you the news personally." Junior looked over his shoulder, his uncle was already on his cell conveying the cover story.
Junior sighed heavily, "Ok. I'm on my way there. Did you tell them the truth? That neither of us were home?"
Nikki's voice shook, "Yes. I didn't have a choice. The boys asked if you were ok and I…"
He understood, "Good. You did the right thing. I'll see you later," he told her as Brian started waving his hand for Junior to get going. He hung up, handed the phone back then exited the store with his packages in tow. The entire ride to the garage was torture, sickness and fear intermingling with his grief. But now was not the time to break down. He needed to save it for when he was given the bad news in a few minutes.
"Papi you want me to install…" he called out as if he didn't know they had special company. He stopped when he saw the two plainclothes standing with their notebooks out talking to his parents, Leon, Vince, Casche, and Ryan.
"Are you Mr. Dominic Toretto Jr.?" the first cop asked.
Junior nodded, "Yeah."
"Sir when was the last time you saw your wife Mrs.," the cop began checking his notebook as if he needed to confirm the name, "Georgeanne Toretto?"
"Yesterday morning before she left for work."
"Uh huh," he said absently scribbling in his notebook, "and did you have any contact with her since?"
"She called to say she was working late," Junior told them truthfully, "Why? Is she alright?" He forced himself to say the words even though he knew what was coming.
The cops stared at his face for a long moment, then the second one delivered the message, "We regret to inform you that Mrs. Toretto was found dead this morning."
Junior let the words sink into him, let his legs finally give out and his hands drop the boxes of spark plugs he was carrying. The trembling he'd been holding in overcame him. The cops looked sincerely upset at his display. Letty looked at him sadly before closing her eyes and asking, "What happened?"
"She was found in front of the building where her father lived," the first cop began.
"What happened?" Dom repeated, his voice deep and gruff.
"That's what we're trying to find out Mr. Toretto," the second cop replied.
"How?" Leon asked stunned.
For a moment neither cop looked like they wanted to divulge the details then the first sighed, "She fell from her father's penthouse window."
Junior finally started crying, his nerves completely frayed. Whatever happened, it was finally out in the open. The second cop looked really concerned, "Mr. Toretto, um, Jr., we will need you to come down to the morgue to identify the body…and we'd like to interview you.
"I…need…my children…they'll need to know…" Junior sputtered. Casche placed a hand on Ryan's shoulder, the older man springing into action.
"Er," Ryan said capturing the cops attention again, "maybe another family member can do it?"
"We haven't been able to contact the deceased father Mr. Han Jiao," the first cop admitted the inflection in his tone an invitation to provide information on Han's whereabouts. No one volunteered.
"Let me close the garage," Dom began, "and you can do your interview here."
Before the cops could object, Dom and Vince went to the big bay doors and began lowering them. Ryan excused himself for some fresh air and Junior somehow knew that Ryan would be contacting his twin Tony the lawyer and spreading the word to the rest of the family. Casche went to Junior's side, helping him stand and propping him against the trunk of the nearest car. Letty and Leon mimicked the action against the cars closest to them, and when Vince and Dom returned, they did the same. The first cop cleared his throat.
"Can you tell us your whereabouts from the time you left your house yesterday evening?"
Junior rolled his shoulders once, "First I went to Gigi's office," he said wearily as the detectives scribbled, "I noticed her car was still in the garage. I tried calling her desk but hung up when she didn't answer." The second one nodded and he continued, "so I went to see her father."
Both cops looked up at him but Junior continued in his defeated voice, "I knocked and when no one answered I went inside to wait."
"Was the door unlocked?" the first cop asked.
"I had a key," before the cops could comment he continued on, "and I left at six am."
"Did you see your wife there?"
"No. I sat in the house waiting for her to wake up but it was getting late and I wanted to get to work so I left."
"Where was she when you left?"
"In her bedroom."
"And you didn't just walk in and wake her?"
"Door was locked," Junior supplied. He didn't know if it was the truth or not because he'd never tried to open the door. The second cop nodded and Junior finished his story, "I went for some coffee a few blocks away."
"And when he got here, I sent him to pick up those parts," Dom supplied as if he was finishing the conversation they'd began before Junior had arrived.
"Ah yes, I have your statements Mr. Toretto," the second cop notated. The first cop looked at his partner, then the folded their notebooks up, and nodded to the group.
The first cop led the way out, "We'll be in touch."
As soon as they left Ryan spoke up, "Junior, everyone I called is going to meet at your place."
Leon sighed heavily, "Yeah, you better get over there."
Junior shook his head numbly as Casche began to steer him out of the garage. Ryan piped up, "Oh and Junior? Don't say a word till Tony gets there. Not to anyone ok?"
Junior nodded but he didn't register the mandate. Instead he let himself shut down on the ride home, Casche driving extremely careful. For a moment Junior wondered if it was to give him time to gather his emotional strength to face the boys, but Junior noticed the unmarked car that drove past them as Casche pulled to the curb.
Once inside, Junior felt himself become entangled in three sets of arms. Lowering his head he saw his sister's trembling curls, Nic's bowed head resting against him, and Gio's upturned tear streaked face. He heard Nikki mumbling into his chest, and when the word "Dios" God hit him he realized she was praying. Casche gently pulled Nikki away shuffling her to the couch and forcing her to sit. Slowly his house began to fill, until the small living room was crammed with bodies. Nic, Gio, Sadie. Vince, Dom, Leon, Letty. Ryan, Casche, Tony, Nikki. Summer, Jenna, Trix, Cory. Brian was the last to show up.
"Hopsital's short staffed so Mia will stop by later," Brian told the waiting group, "Has anybody heard from Han?"
Dom sighed, "He's on the first international flight home." The news stung in Junior's wounds. The deliberate lie was salt in the open flesh of his mind.
Vince looked at the young boys. Nic and Gio were old enough to understand the loss of their stepmom but the discussion that was about to take place was not meant for their ears. "Nic, Gio. Take Sadie and wait for us in your room." For a moment Nic looked ready to protest.
Casche added looking Nic in the eyes, "Keep my girl safe while we talk." Nic rolled his eyes but he led his brother and three year old Sadie to Gio's room, slamming the door in defiance. The bang woke Iliana and Nikki instinctively moved to the baby's basinet to comfort her. Once the baby had quieted down snuggled safely in her aunt's arms, Tony finally spoke.
"Junior, I…we all need to know what happened last night but first," Tony took in a deep breath, "You know everyone in this room will use discretion but I…I need to know…"
Junior knew what his cousin was asking, "Yeah. Tony, will you represent me? Be my legal counsel or whatever?"
Tony nodded, "Yes. And as you know, this conversation will be covered by attorney-client confidentiality."
"Sure," Junior replied weakly. Without prompting Junior began to recall his steps in the last twenty-four hours. He did his best to remove his emotions from his story but the venom that had built in him as he sat in that hallway the previous night came flooding over him.
Dom cleared his throat, "So you just left? You never saw her or who she was with?"
"No. I figured she'd get tired, or realize that she needed to come home," Junior spat, "but she just stayed, fucking all night."
An uncomfortable silence fell then Jenna spoke, "Then what evidence do you have that it was her? Or that she wasn't alone?"
"Well there were two voices, one I didn't recognize, and one I clearly did," Junior said pointing to his daughter and rolling his eyes. Jenna blushed.
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh," Junior gave a mirthless laugh, "and to think I left her alive for someone else to come along and do the job anyway."
Summer looked at Junior's raw and emotional face, "You didn't kill her though. I don't think you would have done it either." Jenna nudged the young woman in the ribs. "Well, you wouldn't have. It's out of character for you to harm your family intentionally."
"So you left?" Leon said rubbing his chin in his hands. Junior continued the story, telling them how he roamed the streets aimlessly for hours with that stupid cup of coffee. How he'd seen something wrong when he arrived to get his car. Several people sucked in their breath as he described the scene: recognizing her hair, her skirt, but unable to do anything but back away, to save himself for his children.
Tony commented, "Well it will be easy to prove that Junior wasn't there at the time of the murder."
"Huh? How so?" Ryan asked.
"Security cameras. Even if there are none in the building, the ones on the street will be able to show him walking for the coffee, possibly where he went for hours."
Junior breathed a sigh of relief, "That sounds simple."
"But it doesn't tell us who killed her," Letty said quietly.
"Or if it's an isolated incident," Brian added.
"Who have we pissed off lately?" Leon asked flippantly.
"Can we start on a smaller scale?" Letty asked in a tired tone. Leon put his arm around his best friend and she leaned into him.
"Maybe you're not the only jealous husband Junior," Summer added.
"Look let's not speculate," Tony advised.
"Yeah, we have bigger problems," Cory noted.
Trix wiped her eyes, "Yes, there is a funeral to plan."
Junior stood suddenly his face livid. His mouth open and closed as if he wanted to rage, yell and scream. No sound came out except, "NO!"
"Junior, Gi…" Nikki began but he turned on her, pointing his finger at Iliana.
"I'm not doing shit for her. So take her kid and get out."
Dom stood too intending to grab his son, shake some sense into him but the younger man stepped out of reach. "Take it easy."
"We'll take the kids with us tonight…"Letty started but Junior shook his head violently.
"Take her, I don't care. I don't want to look at her. But leave the boys here."
"You can't mean that Junior. Iliana is your daughter," Nikki told him. He turned around swiftly, walking to the little girl's room. They heard him slamming around in there, the crash of roughly handled drawers and the slam of her closet doors. He returned with a bag filled with baby items, letting it drop roughly at Nikki's feet.
"And now she's yours," he told his sister before walking out of his house.