"Handcuffs"
by: S. Schumaker
Standard Disclaimers Apply
Chapter One
She stood behind the small counter, her feet aching from the high heeled shoes she wore. She looked down at the watch on her wrist, as she glanced back toward the wide entryway. She sighed in happiness as the final passenger aboard flight 362 finally came forward from the terminal. She smiled happily, her day was almost over. She watched the man walking toward her, a small black briefcase in his hand. She had to admit that he was simply gorgeous. He looked to be American, his crisp black suit pressed and his hair a little long, flowing into his eyes. She nearly choked out: "Votre passeport, s'il vous plaît," as he approached her.
Akito Hayama glanced at the smiling flight attendant and gave a little smirk. He reached into the pocket inside his jacket and removed his passport, handing it to the woman. He kept her gaze as she opened the small book, glancing over his picture and information briefly. He gave her a smile he knew would send quivers down her spine. He was trying to distract her from his false passport, and he was doing just that. "Ah, bienvenue, Monsieur Johnson." The beautiful blond woman replied, giving him a dashing smile. Akito gave a small chuckle, watching her nearly melt in his presence. "Merci, ma chérie." When she returned his passport, he gave her hand a small kiss in thanks. He slid the book back into his jacket and headed toward the exit, on his way to Nice, France.
Once outside in the warm Nice air, he hailed down a taxi and headed toward his private castle, Château de la Fleur. He never traveled with more bags than his simple briefcase. Ever. Due to his line of work and the amount of money that he had, he owned numerous houses and apartments across the globe including the Château de la Fleur. During the drive to his Nice home, his mind began to replay his childhood and the times he spent with his current target.
He was never a very talkative boy, and even a less talkative man, but young Kurata Sana brought out feelings inside his troubled mind that he had never felt before or since his time with her. They met in junior high and instantly were enemies. He was a troublemaker, and she was always in the spotlight. She was well loved by everyone who knew her and anyone that met her was immediately in awe of her. She had an amazing light which caused crowds of people to admire her. She became an actress at a very young age and was an instant success. She did commercials, plays, dramas on television, and even movies before she was sixteen. Her brilliant smile lit up Japan and soon Akito himself was affected by it.
After numerous arguments in school and a bubbling hatred for the young girl, his feelings for her began to change as she took him under her wing and really helped change his life for the good. She reconnected his family and helped Akito to express his feelings openly when he was hurting. Their relationship soon became a very deep friendship that no one could break apart. As time moved forward, so did their feelings for one another. Akito fell hard for her, harder than any man has ever fallen for a woman. At the young age of fifteen, he had found his true love and he never wanted to lose her. The two of them were inseparable, but soon Sana's fame began to slowly chip away at their deep love for one another. Every month she was sent off somewhere to work on a movie or commercial. She was always gone and Akito's heart couldn't stand the heartache of being apart from her. The last straw in their relationship occurred when Akito's family decided to move to America when he turned sixteen. He had absolutely no say in the decision and was forced to move away from Japan and away from Sana. They tried desperately to make it work, hopeful that the distance wouldn't break them apart. However as the months passed, neither could deny that they were losing touch with each other. They were no longer apart of each other's lives and soon broke it off for good. Akito hasn't spoken to her since.
As he sat in the back seat of the taxi cab, he opened up his briefcase and removed the manila envelope once more. He found the recent picture of her and held it tightly in his hands. The memory of Sana's beauty when they were together was nothing compared to the current picture Akito had of her. She had turned into a gorgeous woman and he found himself extremely drawn to her beauty. Her hair was long and shiny. He longed to run his fingers through it once again. As he looked at her eyes, he noticed a sparkle in their depths. She definitely wasn't the same girl she was at sixteen. Her smile was very seductive and Akito found himself getting aroused at the mere sight of the picture. He quickly slid the photo back into the envelope, closing and locking his briefcase in haste. As he slammed the lid of the case closed, the taxi cab came to a halt in front of his dear château.
The castle was very old, the brick gate surrounding it was chipping away and covered in vines. Akito stepped from the cab, paid the driver, and began to walk up the long path toward the front doors. Along the path were flowers of every kind and color. The fragrances nearly knocked Akito out as he moved through them. He hardly recognized the different sculptures and lawn art leading up to the front door. It had been many years since he had stayed in this castle and he wondered what other changes would await him inside.
After walking for nearly five minutes, he reached the tall oak doors. Before he could grasp the large steel handles, the door swung open and six cheerful faces greeted him. Akito looked over the people in his house and recognized his two maids, his cook, his butler, his driver, and his personal assistant. All six of them made their homes the Château de la Fleur and it had been years since he had been in contact with them. "Ah! Welcome Mr. Ackerman! It's been such a long time!!" He smiled at the charming voice of Luc Dubois, his driver. He put out his hand for a shake in greeting, but instead young Luc grabbed him and embraced him tightly. Akito laughed at his employee, performing le bise with everyone else in turn after Luc finally released his disarming hug.
"Are you here on business, sir?" his personal assistant Juliette asked.
"Yes, I am. I will be staying here for at least a week. I'm sorry I didn't inform you all sooner, but you know my line of work doesn't really allow time to stop and make a phone call." Akito smiled. The seven of them moved into the house further and continued to make small talk for awhile. "Well, I think I'll go to my room to rest for awhile. Jet lag is a bitch. Dinner is still at nine?"
"But of course, Mr. Ackerman!!" the cook, Henri replied, giving him a thumbs up. Akito smiled at him before moving towards the stairs and up to the third floor. Once he reached his floor, he had to stop and think about where to go. The castle had nearly seventy rooms and Akito's memory was a little fuzzy. Eventually though, he remembered that it was the door which contained a large door knocker shaped like a snake. He slowly began walking down the long hallway, checking each door as he passed by them. His shoes clicked softly on the marble floor and echoed down the hall as he continued on. Finally, he reached a large mahogany door with a snake embedded into it's center. He opened up his briefcase and slid open a side pocket, removing a very large, very old key. He ran his fingertips over it gently before sliding it into the keyhole on the door, and turning the lock. The door opened with ease and he quickly slid in, checking the hallway of any people before slamming the door shut and locking it behind him.
To Be Continued...
(AN: I think that I'll leave it at that this time. It's been so long since I've updated so here a little taste for all of the readers out there. Please R&R...and if you have any knowledge about guns, please e-mail me...because I know jack about them...and obviously, they are a HUGE part in this story...anyone please let me know what you think!! Thanks!!)
Votre passeport, s'il vous plaît - Your passport, please
Bienvenue - Welcome
Ma chérie - My dear
Château de la Fleur - Castle of the Flower (Yes, I totally made this up...lol!)
Le bise - The Kiss (This is the traditional greeting of the French, the "air-kissing" between good friends and acquaintances)