One year of dating and Sam had never really been inside of San-Li's apartment before. He picked her up and dropped her off there whenever they went out, but all he had to do was knock and she'd come out, quickly closing the door behind her. If they didn't go to the movies they went to his house for popcorn and Netflix. Honestly he was kinda afraid of what he'd find inside. Her stolen goods? Weapons? He had no idea. So when he opened the door he was surprised to find a simple, modern, and kinda messy apartment. The kitchen had take out boxes and empty ramen noodle packs everywhere, but all the dishes were clean. The living room had a couch and a low table covered with a towel and various mechanical parts. But there was also a large flat screen t.v and a game/dvd system.
"San-Li?" Sam called out closing the door behind him. "I'm here."
"Shoes please!" She called out from somewhere in the apartment.
Sam looked down and saw that there was a small wooden area were two pairs of shoes were thrown haphazardly. Sam knelt down and rearranged them neatly with his.
"Did you bring your over night bag?" San-Li called out.
"Yes."
San-Li came out of one of the rooms, presumably the bathroom, wearing a plain t-shirt and jogging pants and rubbing a towel through her hair. Sam set down his bag with a smile and kissed her gently on the lips.
"Well, I'm glad our little talk last night worked." She chuckled.
"Um...honestly it wasn't just your ultimatum," He admitted bashfully. "Believe it or not I do find you pretty attractive. I'm a smart, shy guy not a robot."
"And I'm surprised you didn't try to fight me on the overnight bag thing." She said tying her hair in a loose knot. "I'd thought you'd freak about us staying in a different time period for a few days."
"I'd done it before." Sam shrugged. "Though not by choice and it was never more than a day or two."
"What about a week?" San-Li asked walking to her bedroom and gesturing for him to follow. "You alright with working with me for a week?"
Sam felt the bond marking on his wrist start to throb and shrugged. "I don't think I have much of a choice."
He hesitated going into her bedroom and could feel his face starting to heat up, he had never been in a girl's room before. He glanced around and saw that her room was completely messy with clothes all over the floor, magazines and books strewn all over her unmade bed, and a changing screen and a make up stand standing in the corner. Several kimono also hung on the wall.
"Japan?" Sam asked.
"Kyoto, 19...46." San-Li took down one of the kimono and disappeared behind the changing screen.
Sam turned away respectfully while she changed. He heard the rustle of fabric and her humming under her breath. She came out again wearing a pale short sleeved robe that just came past her knees. She sat down on a cushion in front of the mirror and looked over at Sam.
"You can sit down if you want." She said. "This might take a minute."
Sam grabbed one of the bean bag chairs and sat down a little behind her. "What are you doing?"
"Doing my hair and makeup." She winked at him in the mirror.
San-Li started by shaking her hair out of its messy knot and brushed it until all of the tangles were gone. She then took a small bundle of cloth and wrapped most of her hair around it, creating a large bun, securing it with pins and a strip of cloth. The last section of her hair was her heavy left bang. This she rolled in a large roller. Sam started coughing when she sprayed her hair all over with a sticky hair spray.
San-Li then took off her eye patch. Sam leaned forward eagerly but she tilted her head in such a way that he couldn't see anything. She then pulled out a contact lense case and a small jar of coverup. As soon as she finished San-Li then unrolled her left bang, swept the end back behind her her, and pinned it down. The result was that her bang was now a large wave that swept elegantly over her left eye. She shot him an amused look when she noticed his disappointment.
"I don't know why you want to see my eye so badly." She laughed.
"Because you won't let me." Sam mumbled with a small smile.
"There's a lot I won't let you see." She winked.
San-Li then grabbed a large brush, dipped it into a chalky, white paste, and started painting her face and neck until they were completely covered.
"Geisha make-up?" Sam asked as she put on touches of pink eye shadow.
"Uh-huh," San-Li lit a stick of wood, blew it out and started drawing on eyebrows.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Sam asked. "Geisha were sort of mistresses in training."
"I know. That's why I wanted you to come with me."
"Me?" Sam watched as she painted her lips. "What can I do?"
San-Li went over to the changing screen and finished putting on the rest of the kimono. The outer robe was red with swirling orange and pink designs while the obi (a wide cloth belt covering her entire middle) was yellow with orange flowers.
She started putting ornaments in her hair and looked at him in the mirror. "I know I've just convinced you to treat me like your actual girlfriend-"
Sam cringed. "Please don't say that."
"-but now I kinda need you to treat me like your mistress."
"What?" Sam blushed bright red and stared at her.
"I need you to pose as a young American businessman so I can pose as your mistress." She repeated matter of factly.
"I-I can't do that!" Sam stammered blushing.
"Why not?" San-Li pouted and slowly walked up to him. "Didn't you say you found me attractive?"
Sam took a shaky breath. San-Li looked breathlessly beautiful, like a perfect Japanese doll come to life.
"That's the problem." Sam mumbled. "I'm guessing that we aren't going to have separate rooms?"
"Nope." San-Li grinned. "But trust me, this job is important to me so I'll behave myself."
"Promise?"
"Nope."
Sam had no choice but give in anyway and changed into the business suit at her demand. She then finished packing her suitcase and used her watch to warp them through time and space.
