Author's Note: I never make notes for my stories on ffn because there isn't an official place for it. On AO3, there are warnings about the fact that I've only read Eisuke's MS, I am using the MS as a jumping off point for my story, I am not trying to be true or accurate to the characters or the original work. If you've gotten this far, you've probably already figured that out :). However, I've still gotten some complaints about where I took Baba and Ota's characters in chapter 6. I am doing different things with their characters, they are who I need them to be to make my version work.

However, I can tone them down. And I made some mistakes in chapter 6. I didn't explain the scene well enough, and that laid more blame on Baba and Ota than they deserved. I also intend for them to explain their points of view at a later chapter. I've gone back and made some changes to the guard scene in chapter 6. If you don't feel like reading the scene changes, I'm going to go over them here as well as some insight into Baba and Ota's POV. Some of the following is a spoiler for a later chapter, so skip it if you want!

Baba is basically completely innocent in all of this. He was in the factory stealing stuff. He couldn't hear or see Olivia. He has no idea that something happened. I changed the chap 6 scene so that Olivia sits up in the back seat rather than lying down. She also pulls herself together when they ask if she's okay. She doesn't want to tell them what happened. She's too freaked out, it's an intimate subject and she doesn't know the two of them very well.

Ota was positioned kind of far from the event. The factory took up the entire block, so he had to be a little far away to find a place to hide. He was also on the phone when she started screaming. Due to the distance and the phonecall, he didn't hear her screaming right away. Olivia was also hidden my bushes. I didn't make this clear enough in my original version of the scene. In my rewrite, I have the guard push her further into the bushes to let the reader know that she is hidden from view. Ota can't see what's happening to her. He didn't ignore her, his just didn't assume the worst. He assumed that she was okay because she said she was okay.

Baba and Ota assumed that Olivia would not be in danger during the heist. They didn't think that something like that could happen in broad daylight. And unless you live in a dangerous country, most people would assume that a young woman would not be in that much danger on a city street during the day.

-Cass

Mamoru and I spent the earlier part of Sunday being couch potatoes. We even stayed in our pajamas. He called and had a bunch of unhealthy snacks sent up, so we munched on chips and candy while playing video games for hours.
I was so grateful to Mamoru for spending time with me. He really helped to keep my mind off of my worries and kept me entertained. I'd asked him to sleep on the futon at the end of the bed during the night - in the end I had felt like I wouldn't be able to sleep otherwise. He'd been nice about it, acting like we were having a slumber party, although he made it very clear that he was not going to get involved in a pillow fight.
This was a chance to get to know him better, one I enjoyed. At times he would be a little talkative, but it seemed like it never took long for him to lapse back into a glum silence.

"You're going easy on me!" I cried out with a laugh as I won a race in a video game. "There is no way you suck this bad at this game."
"Hey, I'm here to be nice to you. It wouldn't help at all if I kicked your ass in every game. You'd end up in a deep depression," he said, putting his controller down to light a cigarette.
"I can't really be happy about winning if I know that you are letting me win," I explained.
"That may be true, but you are pretty bad at this. Do you ever play video games?" he asked.
"Not really. They seem like a waste of money."
"Don't even say something like that to Eisuke. You'll get an hour long lecture on the benefits of video games," he said with a laugh. "And don't ever play with him. He will not go easy on you. He will crush you, make fun of you and then make little comments about your inadequacy for at least two months."
I laughed as I reached for a bag of chips. "It sounds like you're speaking from personal experience."
"Unfortunately. Maybe the next time your therapist comes, I'll take a turn myself," he said.
I laughed at his joke, but couldn't help but wonder if it wouldn't do him some good to talk to Ran. He definitely seemed a little depressed or...something.

I'd asked for my fashion team to come at 4:00 to change me into a dress and do my hair and makeup. I wasn't sure what time Soryu would be back, but it seemed likely that he would report to Eisuke that I'd stayed in my pajamas all day if that's the way he found me. The pajamas might also give him the impression that I was not trying to move forward - and that was certainly not the case.
I wasn't comfortable wearing a dress, though. It made me feel exposed and vulnerable. Less safe. I had to keep reminding myself that I was okay, that I had been dressing like this all the time. Even when I was working as a housemaid my uniform had been a dress. It wasn't a big deal, it was normal. It was not asking for trouble.
After dinner, Mamoru and I played poker until Soryu arrived, but when the front door finally opened both Eisuke and Soryu walked in. I froze. I hadn't expected Eisuke. I hadn't mentally prepared myself. I began trembling. He'd been staring at me from the moment that he walked in the door. He came to stand in front of me, his eyes were dark and angry, searching mine as if he could read all of my secrets. I held my breath until his eyes slid away. He flicked his chin - a signal that must have been meant for Mamoru because the two of them disappeared upstairs.

"Oh God," I breathed, covering my face with my hands, my trembling turning to shaking. I'd suddenly remembered what he had said the day that he left: "Someone touched my property." Had I purposefully not remembered that? How could I have done that? I needed to prepare, to gather my strength, to be ready to face him. I'd pushed him to the back of my mind, and that had been a big mistake.
"Olivia," Soryu said gently, taking my arms and pulling my hands from my face. "Does he scare you that much?"
I stared up at him mutely for a moment, trying to get my thoughts together. "No. Not usually, but is he super mad at me? He looks really mad."
"He is very angry about what happened, but he is not mad at you. Not at all. Do you understand?" he asked. When I nodded, he said, "Good. Let's take care of this concierge thing."

We sat down and Soryu pulled out his phone where he must have made some notes and began reading off a list of rules.
"Stay in the hotel or on hotel grounds at all times. It should not be necessary for you to leave the hotel as part of your job. If it does come up, you will have to have permission first."
"But won't that be suspicious? If I suddenly have to ask permission to go somewhere?"
"No. You will also need to watch out for the media. Kuroba has been informed of this and told that you should not leave the grounds for that reason."
"The media?"
"Eisuke and his female companions are photographed by paparazzi all the time. Of course there is an intense interest in you from gossip magazines. Do not answer questions or talk to anyone that you are unfamiliar with. You never know when someone might be a plant trying to get a story. Stay on script with your coworkers, but don't give them any unnecessary information. All employees have been instructed not to speak to the media, but it is always possible that someone will be more interested in making some quick cash or getting attention than following rules or keeping their job."
"I never thought about paparazzi. I guess I'll have to stay on my guard in more ways than one," I said thoughtfully.
"Do your best to make note of all of Kuroba's behaviors. Even if they seem meaningless to you, they may mean something to Eisuke. You should be prepared to be debriefed at the end of each day. After a couple of days, you'll get used to the sort of questions that we ask and you'll get better at gathering information for us."

"The story is that you want to work, you're bored in the penthouse. Eisuke wants to spoil you, so he is giving in to your request. It's a temporary arrangement, to test the female concierge training program so that a true program can be built that will start in November. Kuroba has been selected because he's doing a great job as concierge and because you're already familiar with him." Soryu explained.
"Temporary? Does that mean that I won't really be able to work?" I asked, feeling confused and disappointed.
"It's a complicated issue, Olivia. Eisuke travels internationally, he's not going to leave you here to work when he leaves the country. And I think even Eisuke doesn't know what he is going to do with you in the long run. I'm just going to be honest. Letting you go is problematic. You already know enough to be a threat to our operations, and the more you are with us, the greater that danger becomes."
My mind reeled with shock.
"We will never be able to fully release you and we will not release you in Japan. You will have to remain an employee within the Ichinomiya Group or in Eisuke's underground business. I think that you will be most comfortable working at one of the Tres Spades hotels, so training as a concierge is a very good idea. The hotel that we're building in Toronto will be completed at the beginning of next year. In my mind that is the best place for you. You've already got Canadian citizenship. Your English is at a good place to be improved. It seems to be a perfect fit. But if there is somewhere else that you'd like to go, just let me know," he said.
I couldn't believe it. "That's the plan? To just dump me in a foreign country? I'll never be able to return to Japan?"
"As of now, nothing is settled. I'm just thinking of preliminary plans in order to be prepared for when the time comes. Eisuke could decide he's finished with you next week or ten years from now. At this point," Soryu shook his head as if he were mystified himself, "there's just no guessing what he'll do. I have to be ready for any eventuality. And we won't be dropping you off anywhere. You will be provided with a home and a job and The Ichinomiya Group will ensure that you are taken care of, probably for the rest of your life."
"This is not real. This can't be real! You guys are really going to take away my life no matter what happens! Even if I'm good and do everything that you ask! This is so not fair!" I wanted to draw my legs up onto the couch and put my head on my knees, to hide my face and cry in frustration, but I couldn't even do that because I was wearing a short dress. Per Eisuke's orders. I just wanted to scream.

"Olivia."
Looking up, I saw Eisuke crossing the room toward us. My heart shivered. I was vaguely aware of Mamoru giving me a little wave goodbye before heading for the front door, but mostly all that I could see was Eisuke's relentless eyes watching me. I stood up, but my thoughts scattered.
"Come upstairs with me."
"I still need a couple of minutes," Soryu said. He seemed far away. Eisuke gave him a nod. He opened his briefcase and began pulling out items. "Here's your keycard. It's programmed with all of the standard concierge permissions, plus the penthouse and its elevator. You must be careful not to allow this to fall into someone else's hands. If you ever discover that it is missing, do not bother looking for it. Call me immediately so that I can turn it off, then look for it.
This is your cell phone for work. It is set up to only call hotel numbers, the penthouse, Eisuke, Mamoru and myself. I also programmed Ran Nitta's number into it, in case you ever feel like you need to speak to her. And this," he handed me a small black device, it was about one inch square and had a button on it, "is a tracking device. It will allow us to know where you are at all times. If you are ever in danger, just press the button and someone will be there to help you right away."
"Thank you," I said, accepting the things from him. I'd barely been able to listen to the things that he'd said. All of my attention was being pulled towards Eisuke as he stood silently watching us. He gave a nod and turned away. I followed him upstairs, my mind blank. I didn't even want to think about what he might say to me.

Upstairs in the living room, I sat Kaki down on the floor and was subjected to another onslaught of Eisuke's eyes. "Oh my God!" I cried, covering my face, unable to control myself. "I don't want to do this."
"What is it that you don't want to do?" he asked. His voice was calm and slightly curious. I slowly dropped my hands from my face and said, "I don't want to be yelled at or lectured. I don't want to do anything hard. I just need something to be easy."
"I'm trying to make your life easy, Olivia. I'm going to take care of you. Whether you are with me or I send you away. You've just got to stop fighting it."
Taking a deep breath, I tried to process what he was saying. "But it's so hard," I said. "How can I just to let things happen to me instead of being in charge of my own life? What would you do if you were in a situation like this? Could you just go wherever someone pointed you and do whatever you were told?"
"I will always do exactly what I have to do to succeed," he said, as if that answered everything.

I took a deep breath and tried to pull myself together. I knew that things weren't so bad. I knew that things could be worse, but that knowledge didn't make the things that I was struggling with less difficult to handle. It was my habit to pull myself up and move on, but faced with so many setbacks, that habit was becoming harder and harder to maintain. And the future looked grim. I wasn't going to be keeping my job, I was only going to be allowed to work for a short time - until it was no longer convenient for Eisuke. When he grew tired of me, they were going to send me out of the country. I'd be all alone in a foreign land. Far away from Japan and the culture that I was familiar with. Far away from Eisuke.
I knew that there wasn't any choice. I knew that I had fallen into a trap and there was only one way out. I was struggling and complaining because I didn't like the road to freedom, when freedom was the only thing that I claimed to want - the only thing that I could allow myself to want - because I couldn't ask or expect or want to stay with him. That would only lead to heartbreak. My only choice was to keep doing what I had always done: struggle through.
"I'll try. I'll try to stop fighting and just make the best of things. It'll help that I get to work for awhile. Things will feel a little more normal," I said, speaking more to myself than him, trying to bolster my courage and make a plan that I could follow through with. He watched me quietly for a handful of endless seconds, his eyes not as aggressive as usual. Awareness tightened my heart and interfered with my breathing.
"Tell your cat to stop attacking me."
I tore my eyes from his and scanned the floor. Kaki was behind one of his feet, reared up on her hind legs, repeatedly swatting at his pant leg with fast fierce smacks. "Oh!" Scurrying over I scooped her up and cuddled her to my chest. She twisted in my hands, determined to keep her eyes on Eisuke. "I'll put her in her box."

Into the bedroom I went and placed her in the box, admonishing her quietly. "No more attacking. That's the boss." I looked at the sides of the container. How long would it be before she was able to jump out of it? "You'd better stop or you'll have to be locked in a cage when you get bigger."
Turning around, I gave a start and gasped. Eisuke had followed me silently into the room and was standing so close that my heart jumped into my throat. He stepped forward and closed a hand on my upper arm to hold me in place, tilting my chin up with his other hand. I caught a brief flash of his gleaming eyes as his mouth descended to take mine.
His kiss was...careful, studied, patiently exploring. My heart had contracted as his head dipped lower, anticipating the typical savage onslaught of his mouth but as his lips worked their way over mine, softly caressing, I felt the tension leave my heart and my body. With a sigh, I opened my mouth to him, encouraging him to enter when before he had always demanded entry.
His tongue worked gently over mine, his movements slow and measured. When I tentatively responded with a stroke of my own tongue, his tongue retreated, drawing me into his mouth. I gasped and broke our kiss, tipping my head back to look into his eyes. I was met with his usual stare and a raised eyebrow. He was inviting me to do as I wished.
Returning to his mouth, I pushed forward with my tongue, I went up on tiptoe, pressing closer, seeking his heat, breathing in the scent of him, raising my hand to brush over his soft cheek, my thumb swirling over the contours of his ear before my fingers buried themselves in his hair. Moaning into his mouth, I stroked my tongue over his, feeling him, tasting him, trying to draw his essence into me while he opened himself to me and allowed me to do as I wished. I was so happy to feel him like this that I was almost tearful. I was being given a gift, the chance to learn his body - to learn him. Free from the overwhelming passion that he usually poured into me, I could maintain some self-control and focus on what I wanted to do.

Placing his hands on my hips, he steadied me as I pulled back, slipping my tongue out of his mouth to lick and nibble at his lips, sighing with pleasure and happiness and contentment. Desire was building in me - slow, deep and strong - rousing and warming my skin as my body began to ache for more of his. I tipped back, detangling my fingers from his hair and sliding my hand down his neck to his chest. I used both hands to rub over the layers of fabric that separated me from his skin.
I looked up at him. His eyes were watching me, of course, and he gave me a slow flick of his chin, granting me permission, spurring me on. I began the exacting task of opening him like a package, undoing button after button as I removed his blazer and his vest before beginning on his lavender shirt. I'd hoped to be met with skin that I could taste and touch as I unbuttoned that final row, but I discovered a white undershirt adding another layer of protection to his chest.
With a moan of frustration, I removed his cufflinks and pushed his shirt off his shoulders and to the floor before tugging his undershirt from the waistband of his pants and pushing it up over his abs. His hands moved to take over, pulling his shirt off and revealing his upper body to my eyes and hands. I traced my fingertips over the lines of his chest, brushing lightly over his nipples and pecs, gliding over his firm abs, drawing a line down to his belly button and circling it playfully.
"Olivia," he whispered, and I looked up to meet his smoldering eyes. "Take your dress off."
"Yes." I took a step back and reached for the hem of my dress, pausing as a thought struck me. I looked up at him, meeting his eyes boldly. "Get on the bed."
He smirked, his expression a blend of humor and approval. "May I take my pants off first?"
"Yes."

I watched as he removed his belt, shoes, socks and pants, before he lay down on the bed wearing only a pair of boxers and looked up at me with a cocked eyebrow. I responded with a little smirk, curling my upper lip as I tossed my dress over my head, removed my bra and crawled onto the bed and over his body, a knee between his thighs, my hands on either side of his chest. On all fours, not touching him anywhere, just the heat from his body was enough to make me shiver, my nipples tightening and tingling. I looked into his ever-observant eyes, they were filled with a restrained burn. They emboldened me, pushing me forward.
I dipped my head to lick over his nipple, the taste of him twisting low in my belly, the smell of his skin winding through my mind. As I licked and sucked on his nipples, my fingers questing over his hard stomach and shoulders, his hands moved up to skim lightly over my sides and back, telling me how much pressure and pain he liked, rewarding me by tugging me closer and pressing himself into my mouth when I got something especially right.
I trailed a path of kisses up his strong neck - drawn back to his mouth - to nip and suck at his lips and invade his mouth with my tongue. Enjoying the feel and the taste of him I celebrated my freedom to do as I wished, as his hand moved down to my ass to trace over the edges of my thong. I lifted my mouth from his to sigh and arch my back like a cat and allow the pleasure of his touch to course through me.
"Olivia."

I looked down to see his eyes blazing, full of need, asking permission. With a smile of satisfaction, I took his hand and placed it on my breast, sinking into his embrace as he wrapped his free arm around me and pulled me close. My body stretched along his, skin pressing to skin damply, and I relished the feel of him against my thighs as our legs tangled together.
His lips returned to mine, but he continued to restrain himself, drawing passion out of me, rather than drowning me in the force of his own desire. I clung to him, tangling my fingers in his hair and writhing against him. I was hot and he was warm, tenderly caressing his hands over my body, massaging my breasts and slowly pinching and tugging at my nipples until I was moaning and pressing against him, begging wordlessly for more.
He gently rolled us over and separated from me to kneel between my legs, his hands caressing my inner thighs. Reaching the thin fabric of my thong, he traced up along the edge of it. Slowly, holding my gaze, he pulled the flimsy underwear down, off of me, leaving me bare under his eyes. Starting from my ankles, he carefully studied every curve of my legs making his way back up, as if memorizing each shape, until I had drawn up my knees and spread myself wide open for him. I watched his hand as he moved to draw his fingers over the bare flesh of my pussy. I may have enjoyed the feel of touching my own waxed skin, but the sight and sensation of Eisuke touching me was infinitely more intense. He explored my folds thoroughly, touching me with great care, softly swirling his thumb through my slick heat.
He slowly pushed two fingers into me and everything came crashing down around me. I'd forgotten myself, I'd forgotten everything, but suddenly all that I could see was dirt beneath my face as the guard moved his fingers inside of me. I gave a little scream and kicked my way up the bed, away from Eisuke's hand. I ended up sitting on a pillow, shaking and looking around in panic for some unknown escape route.
"Olivia," Eisuke said, moving closer to me, putting his hand out to stroke my hair. "It's okay. It's me. I'm not going to hurt you."
I watched him warily as he searched my eyes and then moved to pull me close to him. He quietly made shh noises in my ear and stroked his hand over my back, hugging me close to him. It took a little while, but I felt myself relax into the comfort that he was offering. I turned into his hug, pressing myself closer, putting my arms around him and burying my face in his neck. It had been far too long since I had had a real hug from someone. Years. It felt so good to be so close to him. He was strong and I felt protected in his arms.
He held me tightly for some time, his hand stroking gently up and down my back, before it began to wander to other parts of my body. It slid warmly over my hip and down my leg and back up again, up my side and to my shoulder, where it pushed me back a little, separating me from his chest so that it could get in and rub over my breast.
"Eisuke, I-"
"Let me," he said. "I want to comfort you."
He lay me back down on the bed and began to softly massage my breasts. I didn't know what to do. I needed comfort, I craved comfort, even though this felt wrong. And he wanted it. It was easier to try to give it to him, to let him take it, than it would be to fight him. If I turned down his offer of comfort, he might never extend it again. My mind may have been confused, but my body knew Eisuke's touch. The passion that had gone to sleep flared back to life when he bent his head and began licking my breasts.
I threaded my fingers through his hair and arched into him, holding his mouth to me as his lips and tongue played with my nipple. My thoughts and my fears faded away, replaced by the desire that he was always able to arouse in me, like a master with a puppet. Soon I was moaning and bucking against him, my body begging for more. Just like he'd wanted. He moved down to kneel between my legs once again.
"Look at me," he said. "Open your eyes and look at me. This is me inside of you."

His eyes locked on mine, he slowly pushed two fingers up inside of me, watching for my reaction. Holding his gaze, I breathed deeply in an attempt to maintain control as my body adjusted to the invasion of his fingers and then tightened around him. It hurt a little - I was still tender inside - and my mind was threatening to burst into panic, but he kept staring into my eyes. He made me focus on him, he would not release my gaze and I felt the fear fading in the wake of his stare. There was only room for him.
Reading every nuance of my expressions, he knew exactly when I had relaxed and was ready to accept him. He bent his fingers and moved them slowly inside of me, testing my reaction. Closing my eyes and tipping my head back, I moaned loudly, writhing and pushing myself into his hand, allowing my self-control to slip away as all of my attention focused on the movement of his hand.
His thumb moved to rub my clit while his fingers worked inside of me and I began shrieking endlessly, everything disappearing except Eisuke and the feeling that he was building inside of me. At one point, I became mindful of my screaming and grabbed the pillow next to me to cover my face and drown out the sound. Eisuke quickly ripped the pillow from my hands and threw it off the bed, putting more pressure on my clit as if to ensure that I was lost to his touch.
My legs began shaking as I approached my climax and he reached up with his free hand to pinch a nipple, sending me over the edge. The walls of my pussy spasmed around his fingers as all of the tension in my body collected and released. My screams turned to gasps as the orgasm left me and he moved up next to me, pulling me close and holding me, dropping several kisses on my forehead.

I lay stunned, unable to understand or believe what was happening. He was holding me tenderly, his hand stroking over me. Is that what this whole thing had been about? From the beginning? I thought of the restraint that he had used, the gentle touches, building me up without overwhelming me with his own desire. And - I bit my lip as the thought occurred to me - he had only used his hand. Could he have been trying to replace the memory of what the guard had done to me? Was this his way of caring for me after the difficult event? My mind stuck on the idea, not knowing what to do with it. The idea was so incomprehensible that I could not accept it, even as he held me in his arms, his hand caressing lightly over my skin.
"I'm growing uncomfortable."
I nodded against his chest. This was the Eisuke that I knew. If he had meant to comfort me, it was an aberration of his true nature. It was just something that he had done, with purposeful intention, a step towards a goal. Just like the things that he had done in the past to prove his ownership and keep me in line.
He released me and I watched as he stood up next to the bed and pulled off his boxers. His cock was standing tall and hard. He moved back onto the bed, his eyes on me. Is this what he had meant by uncomfortable? Not that he was uncomfortable holding me, but that he still needed release? He was moving to kneel next to me and I sat up reflexively, my hand reaching for him. He stopped me just as he had before, but this time his hand took my wrist and he held it instead of flicking it away. His eyes delved into mine.

After a moment, he lay back on the bed, his hands gently guiding me and I moved between his legs, a nervous anticipation beginning to fill me. Something more unbelievable, something more impossible. I reached to take him in my hand, learning his hardness and the silky smoothness of his skin, circling my thumb gently over the underside of his head.
His hands urged me forward and I bent to lick my tongue over the tip of his cock, hearing his sigh of satisfaction as I began running my tongue down the length of his shaft, caressing him with my fingers and my mouth. I breathed in his scent and absorbed his taste, memorizing it along with the feel of him under my tongue and fingertips. His fingers tangled in my hair, tugging gently, urging me on, speaking silently of his need for me to bring him to his climax.
Obeying, I took him into my mouth, fisted my hand around his shaft and began working diligently to pleasure him, swirling my tongue and rocking him back and forth in my mouth before plunging down on him again and again. I let his fingers in my hair and his low moans guide me, pushing him quickly towards his orgasm.
His fingers twisted into my hair and held me still as he released himself into my mouth, his seed bursting over my tongue, sweet and salty. I swallowed him down - I had waited too long to have him in my mouth to do anything else.
Releasing him, I sat up, watching him as he lay on the bed panting a little, not knowing what I was supposed to do. His hand came up, caught my arm and pulled me towards him. I fell partially across his chest and he held me there in a gentle hug for a few minutes.

"You have work in the morning. You should get ready for bed."
I nodded, taking it as a dismissal. Retreating into the bathroom, I took a quick shower. Washing the scent of him from my skin, I wondered the whole time what was going on. If this were a normal relationship I could just talk to him, but I knew there was no sense asking him questions. He did what he did, for his own reasons. I remembered Mamoru telling me not to try to guess at his intentions. It seemed like the best advice.
After brushing my teeth and drying my hair, I stepped out of the bathroom, unconcerned about my nakedness. I was sure that Eisuke had already left the room and even if he hadn't, he'd seen everything there was to see. I went to get my pajamas from the top of the dresser, when he spoke from the bed - startling me so much that I jumped. "Don't put those on."
I turned to look at him. He was lying in the bed, his hair slightly damp. He must have showered in another room and then gotten back in the bed. After a few moments of trying to wrap my brain around what was happening, I walked over to the bed and climbed in. Eisuke reached to flip the switch that turned off the lights and then settled back into the bed. He reached for me, pulling me against him, positioning me so that I was snuggled up against his side, my cheek on his chest, his arm around me.
Almost paralyzed with shock, I slowly moved my arm so that it lay on his chest. It felt as if the entire world had flipped upside down and I didn't understand a single bit of it.

Eisuke's Mental Notes 7/22/2018:

...Olivia is proving to be too enticing. She is distracting me from my intentions and I have allowed it. It will be an interesting idyll to indulge her for a time. She is convenient and it is a novel experience to focus only on our pleasure, without a greater goal in mind…

"Wake up."
I opened my eyes to see Eisuke's face above me and the memories of what happened the previous night washed over me, filling me with uncertainty and confusion.
"It's time to get ready for work," he said. "Let's take a shower."
'Let's take a shower'? I thought as I crawled out of bed and trailed after him into the bathroom, not quite knowing what to do with myself and certainly not knowing what to think. All that I could do was follow his lead and try not to stare at his naked body as we stepped into the shower and began washing ourselves. 'This is like being at a bathhouse,' I told myself. Only it was a coed bathhouse with a man that I had been intimate with the night before. But it seemed like we were just sharing the shower - was Eisuke interested in conserving water? But he had showered separately the night before…
I reminded myself that Mamoru had warned me that guessing at Eisuke's intentions was a slippery slope. 'Just shower,' I told myself, trying to hurry to complete the job. As I rinsed conditioner from my hair, I realized that Eisuke was just standing there waiting for me to finish. When I stepped from under the spray of the water, looking up at him questioningly, he stepped close and took my face in his hands, dropping his mouth to mine for a kiss.
A typical Eisuke kiss. A burning hot, demanding everything from me from the first moment kiss. In moments I went from feeling awkward and uncertain to aroused and focused entirely on the feel of him. My body responded to him as if it had been programmed to do so, every cell jumping to attention and begging for more of him. I wrapped my arms around him and lowered a hand to smooth over his firm ass, whimpering into his mouth, pressing myself against him, wanting to feel and know nothing but him.
His mouth left mine, dropping a few kisses here and there as his lips trailed down my body, his hands pushing me back against the tile wall as he knelt before me. He raised one of my legs and hooked it over his shoulder, his tongue finding the folds of my pussy without hesitation. My body quaked as his tongue lapped over my clit, not quite prepared for the intense stimulation. Moaning, I tangled the fingers of one hand into his hair and with the other tried to find purchase on the wall, doing my best to steady myself.
Sliding two fingers into me, he immediately began a fast rhythm of plunges as he continued to work his tongue fiercely on my clit, relentlessly pushing my body faster and further than it was ready to go. His free hand came up to rest on my stomach, bracing me against the wall as my body quaked under his touch and I began screaming with pleasure. With his mouth and fingers working on me aggressively, it felt as if he tore the orgasm from me when I came.
Gasping in breaths that sounded more like sobs, I tried to bring my twitching body under control as he stood up and looked down at me, he eyes hooded. "Clean yourself up and go to your team. They're waiting for you," he said. I forced my malfunctioning body under the spray of the water and quickly washed between my legs, glancing quickly at him before leaving the shower and stepping into the bathroom.
I was rattled and confused as I quickly dried off, donned my robe and fled downstairs to my team. I felt as if I needed to escape him, to put some distance between us so that I could gather my thoughts. 'He's just having fun doing sex things with me,' I told myself as I hurried down the stairs. 'There is no reason to read anything more into this than it appears to be at face value. Just enjoy it for what it is and then move on or you will drive yourself crazy.'
When I arrived in my salon I was greeted with awkward smiles and no one quite wanted to meet my eyes. It dawned on me that I had just been screaming like a banshee upstairs. 'Damn that man!' He knew exactly what he was doing, and he'd gotten me so befuddled that I hadn't even been thinking about propriety. There was nothing to do but power ahead, I couldn't run and hide in a closet just because everyone had some idea of what had been going on upstairs.
Mika, Rin and Daichi dressed me for work in my new women's concierge uniform. It was similar to the suit that Takahiro and the other concierges always wore, a dark gray three piece suit with a light gray vest. The women's version had a pencil skirt with a slit in the back and a blue scarf instead of a tie. I stood in front of the mirror admiring my new suit and the chignon that Mika had put my hair into. My team had made me look very professional, and it made me feel excited about my first day of training. With Eisuke clouding my thoughts, I'd forgotten to be either excited or nervous.
My three team members were having a heated discussion about a pair of fashion glasses that Daichi wanted me to wear.
"They make her look sharp, smart and professional," Daichi insisted. "People will take her more seriously if she wears them."
"It's just strange to wear glasses if you don't actually need them," Mika argued. "They're not a typical accessory. It's almost like a lie. I'm against them."
"A lie?" Rin laughed. "That's like saying wearing makeup is a lie. It's just another way to enhance your appearance. I vote for them. I think she looks nice."
The three looked at me to get my opinion. "I think I like them," I said. "They kind of make me feel like I'm getting into a new mode and a little bit like armor, too."
"It's settled then," Daichi said triumphantly.
I walked them to the elevator and then went to the dining room where I found both Eisuke and Soryu seated at the table eating breakfast.
"Good morning," Soryu said. "You look all set to go. Do you have the things that I gave you?"
"Yes," I answered, patting my pockets. "I've got everything on me."
"Where did you get those glasses?" Eisuke asked.
"From Daichi. They're fashion glasses, not prescription. He thought they made me look more professional," I explained.
"Wear them to bed tonight," he said, as casually as if he were telling me to pass the salt. Setting the coffee that I had been carrying to my mouth back down on the table, I stared at my plate, my thoughts scattering and my cheeks flushing.
Soryu cleared his throat and said, "I have a question for you, Olivia."
I looked up at him, grateful for the change of subject and reached for my coffee. "There have been some changes in the casino and we find ourselves in need of two new agents for the underground side of things. Your friend Sakiko has just received a promotion and could be a good choice. What are your thoughts."
"I don't understand. She'd be working for the underground side of things? I'm not sure Sakiko would do anything criminal," I said, feeling concerned for my friend.
"As an agent in the casino, she would mostly be listening to conversations and reporting what she hears. At times she may be part of an operation, but even that would be very controlled and in the casino itself. She wouldn't be put into danger," he explained.
"What are the benefits of her being an agent?" I asked.
"Increased pay and once she joins the underground side of things, we'll make sure that she's taken care of. She'll be more important to the organization and will likely receive promotions more quickly because of that."
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask," I said hesitantly. "She can make her own decisions."
"Olivia," Eisuke said. "Soryu has talked to you about the importance of staying on script and avoiding talking to anyone who may be associated with the media?" When I nodded, he continued. "I'll be cheating on you starting today, so a story needs to be prepared for that. The easiest thing to say is that you're fine with an open relationship. If anyone asks you, let them know that you don't think it's a big deal and shut them down from asking additional questions."
I blinked at him, completely shocked. "You're going to cheat on me and you want me to let anyone who asks know that I don't care?"
"Exactly," he said and continued to eat his breakfast as if he hadn't said something that should have qualified him as insane.
"I'm finished," I said, pushing my plate away from me and looking at Soryu. "I'm ready to go downstairs now."
When we stood waiting for the elevator, Soryu sighed and said, "It's how he does things. He dates women for the advantages that they have to offer, whether that be a connection, information or some sort of status play. He doesn't take his relationships seriously. In his mind, they're just a part of his job, a way to achieve a goal."
"It doesn't matter anyway, since we aren't actually dating," I said. "He isn't really cheating on me."
"Well, something's going on," he said.
"If I knew what it was, I'd tell you," I said. "Let's stop talking about this. I want to forget about everything upstairs in the penthouse and focus on work."
"If you say so," Soryu said. "But if you need to talk later, just let me know."
"Thanks, Soryu. You're a good bestie."

Takehiro was waiting for us in his small office. He greeted us with a smile and shook Soryu's hand. "She doesn't need an introduction, so just make sure you take good care of her," Soryu said and reminded me to call if I needed anything on his way out.
"Well," Takahiro said. "This was a pleasant surprise. I get an assistant and I get to work with one of my favorite employees. There isn't a ton of room in here, but I had them put a little desk over here for you. We'll just have to be careful not to crash our chairs into each other."
"This looks great. I'm really happy to work with you and I can't wait to start learning to be a concierge. And I wanted to ask, would you prefer that I start calling you Mr. Kuroba?"
"No, don't worry about it. Takahiro is fine. We're just going to be getting closer if we work together all the time," he said with another smile. "It's funny, actually. I'd been planning on asking you out - I was just taking a little time so that we could get to know each other a little better - and then I heard that you were dating Ichinomiya. I guess taking my time wasn't the right strategy."
"Oh," I said, surprised and a little uncomfortable. "I hadn't even realized. It's flattering of you to say that."
"You're flattered, and my heart is broken," he said, his tone lightly joking. "But there's no fighting fate, right?"
"Right," I laughed with him even though I still felt uncomfortable. Was this something that I was going to have to tell Eisuke? Would he let me keep working with Takahiro if he thought Takahiro might flirt with me? But then again, why would he even care? He was going to start dating someone else, maybe I would be allowed the same freedom. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. There was no way that Eisuke was going to let anyone else touch me.
"Let's start with morning rounds," Takahiro said and led me out of the office. "We'll start by checking in at the front desk and doing a rundown of all the special check-ins for the day."
"Sounds great," I said, a notepad and pen in hand. "I'm ready to learn everything as quickly as I can."

"Olivia!" Sakiko called as soon as I finished paying for my lunch in the employee cafeteria and turned to look for a table. "I'm over here!"
"It is so good to see you," I told Sakiko with a happy sigh as I took a seat at the table where she was sitting with another young woman. "I've missed you so much!"
"Me too," she said and then complained with a dramatic pout. "I got a new roommate at the dorm and she is nowhere near as fun as you are. She keeps borrowing my stuff and not giving it back and she doesn't like Pumped 4.2!"
I laughed. "Heaven forbid! At least you don't have to worry about her stealing your fantasy husband. Yasu is all yours."
"Who's talking about fantasy husbands? You totally snagged Mr. Ichinomiya! You have a real life fantasy boyfriend!" she squealed. "What's it like?"
"It's kind of like being a princess," I said, knowing that this was the story that she needed. "I have a team of people who do my hair, makeup and clothes and Eisuke even had a room renovated into a salon for me. It's pretty amazing - and crazy!"
"Wow! Are you serious? I always knew that Mr. Ichinomiya would be a great boyfriend. I mean, I know he has a reputation for going through women like water, but it's obviously different when he falls in love for real," she said with a romantic sigh.
I couldn't help laughing at her. "Yeah, but enough about me. I heard that you got a promotion!"
"Yes! I am now a croupier instead of just an assistant. I'm working at the baccarat table and it is so much more fun than roulette. And, oh! I almost forgot, this is my assistant Kita Oshiro," Sakiko said, finally introducing me to the woman sitting next to her.
After I'd greeted Kita, Sakiko asked me for my new phone number. "Oh no!" I said, patting my empty pocket. "My cell phone was digging into me, so I took it out of my pocket and put it on my desk. These pockets are in exactly the wrong place for a phone, and I don't have my new number memorized yet."
"Be sure to bring it to lunch tomorrow. It would be nice to at least be able to text you, even though I know that you are probably really busy with Mr. Ichinomiya," she said with a laugh.
I smiled and focused on my lunch. I wondered if Soryu would let me exchange phone numbers with Sakiko. What could it hurt? If I could talk to her at work, why couldn't I talk to her on the phone? And Soryu was even thinking of bringing her into Eisuke's underground operation. If he was thinking of doing that, certainly I should be able to give her my number.
A thought suddenly occurred to me and I flicked a suspicious glance at Kita, my stomach sinking a little. She was a new employee. What if she was someone from the media? I'd just told them about my fashion team and salon...that wasn't too bad, right? Was it the sort of thing that a magazine would want to print? Would Eisuke be angry if other people knew?
I was also struck by another suspicion. Eisuke had people working as agents in the casino. What if Kita was one of them? What if she was there to watch me and report what I was saying to Eisuke? I remembered him telling me that he got reports about me all the time. There was no reason to think it would be any different when I was working in the hotel. In fact, it would make sense if I were being watched even more closely to ensure that I didn't make any false moves.
I suddenly felt uncomfortable in the busy cafeteria with people all around me. I hadn't thought about it before - I'd just been so happy to see Sakiko - but everyone was casting glances at me. Everyone was curious and looking for gossip, even if they weren't planning on sharing it with a magazine. I was suddenly intensely self-conscious and very happy to get back to the little office as soon as possible.

_*_*_*_*_

I'd spent the morning making rounds with Takahiro and meeting many of the people that it would be important for me to know. After lunch he had me get on the computer and familiarize myself with the digital forms that concierges were expected to complete daily as well as some of the rules and standards for the job. He was in and out of the office for the next hour or so while I focused on taking notes.
"Hey, how's it going?" he asked as he stepped back into the office. "Almost finished?"
"I think I have about three-quarters of it completed," I said. "I may be going overboard with my notes, but I don't want to forget anything."
"That's the best way to do things," he said with a reassuring smile. "I'm going to send a few emails and then I want to take you down to the front desk so you can learn the check-in process. Whatever you haven't finished by then you can just save for tomorrow."
I agreed and got back to work, trying to go a little faster to accomplish as much as possible by the time he had finished his tasks. About ten minutes later he got a phone call and turned to me to say, "Looks like plans have changed. There's a disturbance over in the employee dorm. This is perfect."
"A disturbance? What?"
He laughed as he led me out of the office. "It's the dorm manager's day off and two of the women living in the dorm are having some kind of argument about a guy. I didn't take the time to get too many details. It's a great opportunity for you to learn to handle a dispute. As a concierge, you'll have to deal with employees and guests who are angry. You'll have to arbitrate disputes and work to solve problems so that everyone feels happy with the results. You'll learn all about it in training, but there's really nothing like doing it for real."
"Wow," I said with a nervous laugh. "I didn't even think about that side of the job. A concierge really does have endless responsibilities." I pulled my keycard out as we reached the entrance to the tunnel that lead from the hotel basement to the employee dorm and scanned it to open the doors.
Takahiro moved to hold the door open for me, and then reached out and grabbed my hand, knocking the black card from my fingers. "What?" I said, confused, but he just grabbed my arm with his other hand and pulled me into the tunnel, letting the door fall closed.
"What are you doing?!" I asked, confused and a little angry. "You made me drop my card." I stepped forward to open the door and get my card back.
"Wait, come on," he said, pulling me back to face him. His voice serious and his eyes more intense that I'd ever seen them. "You're wasting time. We have to get you out of here."