* I want to give a huge shout out to every one of you who keep returning to read my story. Thank you so much. These past couple of months have been a bit rough with some things I have been dealing with and I am so fortunate to have such wonderful fans that instead of criticism for my lack of posts, you have all been cheering me on and leaving wonderful messages. Thank you all. I'm going to try to get the next chapter up by the end of December. I made sure this chapter was on the longer side as a little thank you to all of you. Love you all! P.S. I didn't get a chance to fully edit this so please let me know if there are any errors and I'll make sure to fix them!*
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Mai stood on the pavement and looked from the case file in her hand to the building in front of her. The Raven Hotel was a relatively decent size for the outskirts of London, looking to be about six storeys. However, the thing that held her attention was the intricate Gothic-inspired architecture which was unlike any hotel she had seen before.
It was breathtaking. The photo inside the case file couldn't compare to the real thing.
Stone spires towered overhead, casting long shadows from the rising sun. Detailed pointed arches adorned each window and flying buttresses supported the roof like delicate fingers. The thing that really caught her eye was the circular tracery at the facade of the building. The elegant window looked like a blooming rose and Mai wanted to engrain it into her memory.
The sound of the car door closing behind her caught her attention and she turned to see her friend approaching.
Gene whistled in awe. "Wow. Beautiful, but definitely haunted."
"Without a doubt," Mai nodded in agreement.
Laughing, Gene nudged the brunette with his elbow and nodded towards the building. "Let's head in and meet with the owner. I'd like to get a quick tour and set up base before Masako arrives."
"I'm excited to finally meet her," Mai said eagerly. "You said she has a meeting before coming?"
Gene's smile faltered slightly. "Yeah. She'll be visiting America for another case soon and they needed to brief her on everything. Anyway, let's make our way in, shall we?"
Mai nodded and followed after her boss' brother. She had thought the outside of the hotel was stunning, but it didn't compare to the interior. The large lobby had arched doorways and a vaulted ceiling. The dark wooden ribs of the vault intersected in such a way that it looked almost star-like. With her eyes cast upwards, she was oblivious to the fact that Gene had stopped walking and nearly bumped into the man. Catching herself just in time, she tore her eyes away from the splendor of the lobby and saw a man in a dark grey suit standing just a few feet away.
"Mr. Ferrell, I presume?" Gene greeted, with an outstretched hand.
The dark haired stranger nodded blankly, his face neutral, and shook his hand. "You must be Eugene Davis. Your brother called to inform me that he wouldn't be able to attend. I was hoping to meet the famous Oliver Davis, it's unfortunate but it couldn't be helped I suppose."
"My apologies. I assure you our team is vastly talented and BSPR has never failed a case during our forty years of operation," Gene endorsed.
"Very well. He did speak highly of the three of you," the man looked at Mai before turning towards Gene again. "Speaking of...I only see two of you."
Gene smiled politely. "Miss Hara, our other teammate, will be arriving within a few hours. Did my brother inform you of our room requests?"
"Two rooms for sleeping, one room for the equipment. Correct? " Mr Ferrell confirmed.
"Brilliant. Would you be able to show us to the room we can use as our base as well as a tour? After we are done setting up our equipment we'd appreciate it if we could interview any staff that have had encounters with the spirit," her friend requested.
Mr. Ferrell nodded curtly and began walking through the lobby. "As you can tell, this is the lobby. The ground floor also holds a restaurant and an exercise room. In addition to the ground floor there are four storeys of rooms and suites. The top storey of The Raven is an event hall equipped with a bar."
"When did you begin to notice any paranormal activity?" Gene questioned.
"The first instance happened in December," Mr. Ferrell said.
"Was there anything significant happening at the hotel at that time?"
The owner of the hotel nodded. "We had just finished remodeling the hotel a few weeks prior."
"Remodeling or renovating is a very common trigger for paranormal activity. A lingering spirit may be there for decade without making itself known, but once the environment starts to change they can begin to grow restless or even malicious," Gene explained. "When was the hotel built?"
"Although the hotel looks centuries old, construction was completed twenty years ago. I designed it myself and had it built from the ground up," the tall man replied.
"I see. Was there anything residing here before you bought the land? Perhaps a house or another building?" the dark haired man questioned.
Mr. Ferrell shook his head as they ascended a large staircase. "It used to be an abandoned car park."
"I see. What did your remodel consist of?"
Mai could see the man was growing tired of answering so many questions but continued anyhow. "We replaced the furniture and decorations. The previous items we had didn't fit the aesthetic of The Raven."
Mai looked around as they made their way down the hall. The lights on the wall looked like real candles even though they were not. The electric flames illuminated the old paintings, photographs, tapestries, and artifacts adorning the walls.
A dinging sound echoed through the hallway but she was too preoccupied looking at the decor to notice.
"I know you have answered many of these questions with my brother but I just want to make sure I get every detail," Gene explained. "You said there have been no deaths here, but close calls."
Mr. Ferrell stopped in front of a door numbered 201 and pulled a key card from his pocket to open the door.
"Yes," he sighed, but not in irritation. "The reason I hired you was because we have been having an alarming amount of attempted suicides in the past few months. Staff members as well as guests."
Another ding rang out through the hall and the two men turned to look towards Mai expectantly. Her eyes grew wide when she realized what the noise was. She quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, switching it to silent mode.
"I'm so sorry!" she apologized, bowing slightly in embarrassment and placing her mobile back into her pocket.
Gene gave her a sympathetic smile and turned back to the man standing next to him. "You think these attempted suicides were caused by a spirit?"
The owner sighed again. "A staff member, whom I trust wholeheartedly, has taken a leave of absence because whenever she enters the building she feels herself slipping into a depressive state, almost against her own will. One day she came to work and appeared in good spirits, but by the end of her shift she was rushed to the hospital. She would have died had another housekeeper not found her before it was too late. Once she left the building her depression left immediately. Similar instances have happened with a few others. On top of that, guests and staff have been mentioning seeing people walk through the halls and walls in the middle of the night."
Mai listened eagerly as Mr. Ferrell recounted the paranormal activity occurring at his hotel. She felt the phone in her pocket vibrating on and off over the next few minutes as it received more messages. She fidgeted in her spot, hoping the two men hadn't noticed the sound and thought her unprofessional.
Mr. Ferrell opened the door and the group entered the spacious room. Mai had to admit, in all the hotels she had ever worked in she had never seen one like this. Instead of typical drab cream colored walls, they were black. There was a single modern bed adorned with white, black, and grey bedding off to the side of the suite. On either side of it, there was an intricate metal panel in the wall illuminated from behind as to act like a lamp. The metal was carved into the silhouette of a bare tree and it stretched from the floor to the ceiling.
At the far end of the room there was a large glass sliding door covered in a thin white curtain. There was an empty black desk and a large black leather sofa on that half of the room as well.
"This room will serve to hold your equipment," Mr. Ferrell explained. "We are unable to take the beds out of the rooms so I arranged for it to be a room with a smaller bed, that way you would have more space for your things. Rooms 202 and 203 are also yours as well for sleeping."
"Greatly appreciated," Gene thanked the man.
"If you don't mind there are some things I need to tend to," Mr. Ferrell said, bowing his head slightly. "Ring down to the concierge at the front desk if you need to reach me."
"Very well. Thank you again for your time," Gene replied.
The owner of the hotel made his exit and Gene turned towards Mai. "So…" he began. "Who was it that kept messaging you? Whoever it was sounds like they're desperate for your attention."
Mai's eyes grew wide when she remembered her phone. "Oh! I'm so sorry about that, I promise this has never happened before. The only ones who have my number are work and Ayako."
Gene's brow's raised happily. "Oh, ho. Could it be my brother, perhaps?" he teased with an insinuating smirk.
Mai laughed slightly and waved a dismissive hand before pulling out her mobile. "Don't be ridiculous. Your brother would be the first one to scold me for incessant phone usage during work hours. He'd probably even dock my pay."
He snorted but couldn't help his curiosity and leaned over her shoulder as she opened her phone.
Mai's brown eyes narrowed slightly at the unknown number displayed on her screen. She tapped the messages and her brows furrowed further.
8:30 AM - Good morning. What are you up to today?
8:31 AM - Do you want to go grab some breakfast?
8:32 AM - No? How about that brunch thing everyone always talks about?
8:35 AM - Are you not awake yet?
8:37 AM - I just checked, I guess you must be at work.
"Who the hell is that?" Gene asked bluntly.
Mai looked over her shoulder at the man and shrugged. "I have no clue."
She stared at her phone in confusion before quickly messaging back.
I'm sorry, I don't recognize this number. Who is this?
She was slightly surprised when her phone vibrated within seconds.
It's Phillip. Hope you don't mind that my Pops gave me your number.
"Phillip?" Gene repeated, his disapproval was evident in his tone. "Who's this Phillip guy and why is he messaging you like a desperate teenager?"
"Oh, it's my landlord's grandson. He's acting as landlord in his absence," Mai explained distractedly. "The thing is, I didn't know Bertel even knew my number..."
"Your landlord's asking you out for breakfast?" Gene pried, unimpressed.
"Not my landlord. His grandson," she corrected, shaking her head. "And it's not like he's asking me out for a date. He just wants a friend. He doesn't know anyone in the area."
"Right. I'm sure that's it," he said sarcastically. He straightened up and the small scowl on his lips didn't go unnoticed. "Well, anyway, we're working so phone away. We should go get the equipment."
"Of course!" Mai agreed and put her phone down on the desk before following Gene out of the room.
Four hours later, the two had set up the equipment in the base, arranged dozens of cameras around the hotel, and interviewed the staff. Mai dropped onto the sofa with a tired sigh and looked over at Gene. He was reading through the notes they had taken from their interviews with a studious stare.
"This is odd," he muttered.
"What is?" Mai wondered and straightened up.
"Most staff have encountered a spirit in some way. However, nearly every description of who or what they saw is different. I'm thinking either they didn't see the spirit very well or they actually have…" he paused as he flipped through the notes and counted. "-Thirteen different spirits haunting this hotel."
"That's a lot," Mai whistled. "Why do you think there are so many all of the sudden?"
"It must have something to do with the remodeling that was done recently," he hummed curiously to himself.
Mai stood up and walked over to her friend to peer at the notes he was holding. "But how could it be that so many spirits suddenly showed up? It isn't as if their remains were moved here."
Gene nodded and put the notebook down. "True, but I think I have an idea-"
The two paused when the door to the base suddenly opened. A large smile spread across Gene's face when a petite woman wearing a kimon gracefully walked into the room. She was beautiful, with delicate features and stunning jet-black hair that fell to her shoulders. Her freshly trimmed fringe hung just above her grey eyes that verged on silver.
"There she is!" Gene beamed as he made his way to the woman and picked her up, happily spinning her around.
A small squeak left the woman. "Gene! You just saw me this morning," she grumbled in embarrassment.
"Every second from you feels like an eternity, my queen," he winked and placed her back on the ground.
Two dainty hands rose up to straighten her kimono and tame her hair. "Really, Gene, you're like an overactive puppy," she shook her head, trying and failing to hide an entertained smile.
Gene laughed and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Love you, darling."
Mai chuckled at the cute display and Masako looked over at her.
"Masako, this is Taniyama Mai, Noll's new assistant," Gene introduced with a wave of his arm.
The two women smiled warmly at each other and bowed respectfully.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Masako greeted. "Gene has been telling me so much about you. I have to admit I was surprised to hear Oliver hired a new assistant, but from what I hear you have proven yourself more than worthy."
Mai fidgeted awkwardly from the praise. On top of that, it was an odd sensation meeting one of Japan's biggest celebrities in person. Perhaps it was because she had watched her show so often, but for some reason Mai couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity, as if they had met once before…
"T-thank you very much, Hara-san," she said quietly, looking at her hands.
Masako shook her head gently. "Please, there is no need to use honorifics. We aren't in Japan anymore so I prefer to be called Masako. Do you mind if I use your first name as well?"
"O-of course!" Mai stuttered.
Masako smiled sadly. "I hope you don't feel uncomfortable, I know people usually do when they meet m-"
"-I'm not uncomfortable! I've just never met a celebrity in person before," Mai waved her hands frantically.
The other woman chuckled softly and Gene ruffled Mai's hair. "Don't worry she doesn't bite. I actually think the two of you will get along quite well!"
The two women smiled warmly at each other before Masako looked back and forth between Mai and Gene. "So, what did I miss so far? It sounded like you were trying to piece things together when I walked in."
Gene pointed a finger in the air. "Ah, yes! We interviewed the staff and I was surprised that there were descriptions of thirteen separate spirits."
"That sounds about right," Masako said with a nod as she closed her eyes, no doubt sensing spirits around them. "When I walked into the building I could tell there were quite a few spirits. I don't sense any harm from them, however, I am sensing a lot of pain."
"Pain?" Mai repeated curiously.
Masako nodded again. "One of them is very sad. I can't pinpoint where it is coming from though. I just feel a fog of sorrow throughout the hotel. Now all we have to do is find which spirit is the source of it."
Mai watched the woman in awe.
Gene smirked and nudged his friend. "Brilliant, isn't she?"
"Stop it," Masako chastised embarrassedly.
"Oh yeah, Gene, you were saying you had an idea as to why there were so many spirits all of the sudden?" Mai remembered.
"Ah! Spirits tend to linger where their remains are or where they died. However, there are times when a spirit can be tied to a specific location or even an item," he said thoughtfully.
Mai understood what he was aiming at. "You think that the spirits are connected to some of the items that were added to the hotel during the remodel?"
The dark haired man nodded in confirmation. "It's the best explanation I can think of. Mr. Ferrell had mentioned how he wanted the aesthetic of his hotel to be modern yet have an aged history. He told me he named the hotel after the Edgar Allen Poe poem, The Raven, and that is what inspired the interior designs. In order to find fitting items, he bought most of the decor from nearby antique shops."
Masako placed a thoughtful finger on her chin. "So you think some of those items may have spirits attached to them?"
"It's more than plausible," he agreed. "The only thing is, did these items show any signs of hauntings before, or only once they arrived at the hotel? That could help narrow some things down."
"That sounds like a job for Yasuhara," Mai chirped, knowing how much her bespectacled friend loved doing research for cases.
"I'll give him a ring and have him reach out to all of the shops Mr. Ferrell purchased his antiques from," Gene mentioned, pulling out his mobile.
"What would you like us to do?" Masako asked softly.
"Let's begin by gathering room temperatures. Once that is done we can wait until nightfall; every encounter the staff had with seeing a spirit was during later shifts," he explained. "I say we wait until night to start any real investigation."
"Okay!" Mai beamed and smiled brightly at the famous kimono-clad medium. "I can record the temperatures if you'd like to join me."
"I'd like that," Masako smiled behind a dainty hand. "I will see if I can sense anything while we are walking around."
Mai hurriedly grabbed the clipboard and pen to record the temperatures of the hotel and the two women made their departure. She could hear Masako's graceful footsteps behind her and she swallowed heavily. Her hands fiddled with the clipboard hugged to her chest. She had so many questions she wished to ask the doll-like woman, yet she didn't know how to begin.
"Gene told me that you actually attended the high school where he and I first met," Masako began.
"I did," Mai smiled. "It's a small world, isn't it?"
"It is," the woman nodded slowly. "May I ask...did we ever meet back then? I can't shake the feeling that we have met before."
"This is our first time meeting, but I know what you mean. You feel very familiar to me, and not just because you're a celebrity," Mai admitted.
"Curious," Masako whispered to herself.
The pair recorded temperatures in comfortable silence. In each room, the doll-like woman closed her eyes, sensing for a sign of any spirits. Mai watched her in fascination until she was finished.
"I feel nothing from this room," she informed her and they made their way to the next one.
Mai opened her mouth slightly as if to say something but closed it after a second thought.
"It's alright," Masako said, knowing the brunette wanted to say something. "You can ask me."
Mai blushed slightly, realizing that her inner struggle must have been blatantly obvious to her new teammate. "A-are you sure? You probably get millions of questions a day, being a celebrity and all."
The dark haired beauty giggled again. "In Japan, yes, but here in England I'm relatively unknown. It's been a nice little holiday away from the media these past few days. And anyway, it's not as if you're a journalist who's going to publish anything I say in the papers. Feel free to ask me anything."
The brunette beamed at the medium. She didn't understand why Ayako hadn't liked her. "How long have you known you have had your ability? Did it come on later in life or was it since birth?"
"I've been able to see and interact with spirits since as long as I can remember," she replied politely as they came to a stop at another rooms.
Mai quickly took the temperature and jotted it down before replying. "Just like Gene and Naru."
"Yes. That was one of the reasons Gene and I started talking all those years ago, actually," Masako admitted with a gentle smile.
Brown eyes glanced over at the dainty woman. "Really?"
Masako paused momentarily, deliberating if to continue or not. "Having such abilities as a child was rather...hard. Gene and I never had many friends growing up. Either we were the object of ridicule or the other children were scared of us. I was only eight years old when my mother and father decided to school me from home. Gene and Oliver's parents did the same with them once they were adop-" She gasped and quickly covered her mouth, eyes wide. "I shouldn't have said that."
Mai comfortingly placed a hand on the woman's arm. "It's okay. I already know they are adopted. Oliver told me during one of our last cases."
Grey eyes stared at Mai in shock. "Oliver told you? He's always been adamant about keeping that a secret."
"Really?" Mai asked in surprise. "But why?"
"Well...He always says no one needs to know such personal information. Truthfully, I think he does it for Luella more than he does it for his privacy." Seeing Mai's questioning gaze, she continued. "Some people can react oddly when they find out someone was adopted rather than conceived naturally. They make nasty comments like 'so they aren't really your children' or 'you aren't really a mother."
Mai's fingers curled into a fist in anger. "How dare they say such things! She's more of a mother than many biological ones out there!"
Masako nodded in agreement, but Mai could have sworn she saw sadness behind those eyes. "That's very true...You may not know this yet, but Oliver adores his mother. Even though she tries to hide it, he sees how heartbroken it makes her when people make those comments so he ordered us all to never say anything about it."
Mai's heart fluttered in her chest at the thought. She felt her admiration for the man grow any time she learned something new about him.
"He really is such a kind person," she whispered to herself. Looking over, she saw Masako smiling at her thoughtfully. The brunette quickly cleared her throat and pointed up ahead. "W-we just have a few more rooms left on this floor. Do you sense anything?"
"Not from this floor, no," Masako smiled softly.
"Okay, let's finish up on this floor and make our way to the rest of them. It may take a while since this place is so large," she added.
With that, Mai made her way down the hall with Masako in tow.
Nearly an hour later, the two found themselves at the top-most storey of the hotel. The only thing on this level was a grand event hall.
"Our last stop!" Mai sighed happily as she opened two large doors, revealing the event hall to them.
The white marble floors contrasted the dark wooden columns and vaulted ceiling. The vaulted ribs on the ceiling matched the star-like design in the lobby of the hotel. There was a large bar to one side of the room, with racks of fine wines and liqueurs. Beautiful portraits and mirrors adorned any wall space. Large arched windows were spread evenly on each wall, standing at three metres tall. Mai made her way into the hall and looked out of the large windows, admiring the view of the London skyline and view of the River Thames in the distance.
"Isn't it beautiful, Masako?" Mai said excitedly and turned towards her new friend only to pause when she found her.
Masako looked pale, startling the brunette. Mai quickly made her way over to the other woman.
"Masako, are you okay?" she worried.
Masako's eyes looked distant and sad with unshed tears that threatened to fall.
"Masako!" Mai called a little louder, shaking the woman's shoulders.
Grey eyes suddenly came into focus and Masako shook her head. "Mai?"
"What happened?" Mai pried.
Masako reached up and held her forehead. "I walked into the room and I felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow. And then I started thinking about...some personal things."
Mai studied the room cautiously, a comforting hand still on Masako's shoulder. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me. Let me take down the temperature and we can head back to base. Let's hold off on this room until all three of us can explore it together, shall we?"
Mai quickly recorded the temperature before the two women made their way back down to the base.
Gene was looking over some notes when the pair returned. He turned to them brightly but his smile faltered when he saw the drying tears on Masako's cheeks. Quickly getting to his feet, he strode over to her.
"Are you okay, love?" he asked in concern.
She smiled at him softly and nodded. "I'm okay," she reassured. "We had been in the event hall and I had a sudden wave of sadness fill me. Our spirit causing everything is hurting deeply."
Gene's eyes softened and he placed a gentle kiss on the crown of her head. "I'm glad you're safe."
He pulled back and looked over at Mai who held out the clipboard in her hand. "All of the temperatures have been collected. They all seem normal, even the event hall."
The man nodded thoughtfully and took the board. "Very well. I believe most of the activity we will see will be during the night. Let's take today easy and try to do some research on the items here and the hotel itself. We will see what is recorded on the CCTV tonight and make a plan in the morning."
"Okay," Mai nodded.
"Oh, by the way, Mai. Your phone has been buzzing again," Gene mentioned.
Her eyes widened slightly. "I'm so sorry," she apologized and picked up her mobile from the desk. Her brows furrowed when she looked at the screen.
"Is everything alright?" Gene asked suspiciously, making his way over to her.
A smile was quickly plastered to Mai's face and she shoved her mobile into her pocket. "Fine and dandy."
The man nodded slowly, not buying her reaction. "Mai...you can always let me know if someone is bothering you."
Masako looked over at Mai empathetically. "Someone is bothering you?"
"No, it was just a wrong number. Don't worry," she smiled again and picked up a file of notes on the desk.
Gene's eyes hardened, knowing exactly who it was that had messaged her earlier. He had been sitting at the desk when her phone lit up multiple times. Although she hadn't saved the contact, he remembered the number as the same one from that morning.
The rest of the day had gone quickly. They had called Yasuhara to see if he had found anything but he had no luck yet. Gene and Masako had gone around the hotel once again and this time the medium was unable to sense the spirit she had felt before.
Mai had taken the room with the smaller bed and Gene and Masako took the other one. Her room was directly in between the base and theirs. Before they had left for their case, Mai had talked to Ayako and asked for some protection charms just to be safe. She had gotten three; one for each of the three rooms they were using.
She lay there now, staring, eyes open but unable to see in the darkness of her room. She let out a sigh and thought back to earlier. When she had returned back to base and checked her phone, there had been another four missed messages from Phillip. First, he apologized profusely for not asking her if it was okay for him to get her number, then he started asking why she wasn't replying and if she was mad at him. She had replied, informing him that she was on a case and couldn't use her phone much while she was working. His response came quickly, apologizing once again and telling her they could plan something when she gets home.
A gnawing feeling in the back of her head told her there was something odd about the man, while another part of her felt badly that he was all alone in a place he didn't know anyone with a world of troubles on his shoulders. She thought of Mr. Hicks and that anyone related to such a kind man couldn't be a bad person. She hoped Bertel was doing better and would be back soon. She missed him dearly.
Her phone vibrated from its position on her bedside table. She paused momentarily and wondered if it was Phillip again. Cautiously she reached over and turned over her mobile to look at the screen.
She felt her breath catch.
"Naru?" she whispered to herself when she saw the name that was displayed. Typing in her passcode, she wondered if he had messaged her accidentally.
Is my brother containing himself?
A small smile pulled at her lips and she began to write back. I'm afraid he has angered the spirit and summoned a portal to the underworld.
Pressing send, she waited. She rolled onto her side, head cradled in the cloud-soft pillow, and watched the three dots indicating he was typing a reply.
Very funny. Even through text she could hear his sarcastic drawl.
Her fingers tapped away at the keypad of her mobile. I'm surprised you're messaging me instead of Gene.
My brother is the type of person who could be in a life or death situation and still say everything is fine.
She let out a quiet laugh. Ah, so you're saying you trust me more?
The three little dots appeared before suddenly they were gone and Mai bit her lip timidly. After a moment they returned and her phone vibrated as his message delivered.
To put it simply.
She couldn't help the smile that graced her lips. Her thumbs hovered over the keyboard momentarily.
How is France?
Decent. The conferences have been sufficient.
Have you done anything exciting?
Such as?
She rolled her eyes. You're in one of the most famous cities in the world. Please tell me you're taking advantage of that.
I'm here for work, not sightseeing.
She huffed at his response. Not even the Eiffel Tower?
Unless there is a spirit taunting the tourists, I have no interest in such things.
A chuckle escaped her lips. Well aren't you a bundle of fun? Too bad, and here I was, hoping to invite everyone to Japan one day.
There was another pause. Those three little dots kept appearing and vanishing, as if he was unsure what to write.
That would be an exception.
Mai could feel her heart begin to flutter. Did he actually want to go with her to Japan one day?
Another message popped up. The paranormal activity there supposedly surpasses that of Great Britain.
She sighed, of course he was thinking about work. Have you ever even gone on holiday for yourself?
I've never seen a need to.
Naru, have I ever told you you're a workaholic?
Once or twice.
She snorted. Well, if you ever do go to Japan, I forbid you from working.
Why's that?
I'll be your own personal tour guide. If I ever go back to Japan I want to be able to enjoy all of my favourite places again instead of working. Also, I think you would find exploring and learning about another place highly enjoyable.
I suppose that is reasonable.
Mai looked over at the clock on her bedside table and turned back to her phone. Why are you still up? Isn't it nearly midnight there?
It's only an hour ahead of London.
The brunette frowned. You have conferences tomorrow too, don't you?
I do.
Get some sleep. I'll message you tomorrow to let you know how the case is going.
Ok.
She paused again, wondering if she should send the next message. Biting her lip she chose to send it.
Goodnight, Naru.
She placed her phone down, not expecting a response from the man. She had just closed her eyes when she heard the phone vibrate once more. Reaching out, she unlocked it.
You too, Mai.
She quickly dropped her phone back onto the nightstand and turned onto her back. The sound of her pounding heart raced in her ears and she felt the heat flooding her cheeks.
How could just a simple message affect her so much?
She knew how, however, she didn't like the answer. It wasn't as if anything could ever come from her growing feelings.
But even still...
The brunette fell asleep that night trying, and failing, to keep the smile from pulling at her lips.