Chapter 6 : Day Two
I
He was physically drained and racked with doubts. Justin wrestled with his tie for several minutes much to the amusement of his wife of fourteen hours.
"Come… let me fix it for you. Have you forgotten how to do your tie overnight?" She took control of the navy blue silk accessory and deftly transformed it into a Windsor knot against the plain white shirt he was wearing.
Where did she learn to do this? That note said… Did she help Chiaki with his tie? Blast… what's the matter with me? Whatever happened between them was in the past… I shouldn't let it affect me that much. Still, she never once mentioned that she dated Chiaki at any stage. Why am I surprised… they performed together on a few occasions and I suppose some women might find him attractive.
Justin turned to the logical side of himself but to no avail. The insecurities that were simmering beneath kept rearing their head.
Is she still in love with him? Am I just second best to her?
He averted his eyes and quickly came up with some excuses. "Just tired… I suppose. Didn't get much sleep last night."
"Didn't you? Not used to sharing a bed with someone?" She flashed him a mischievous grin.
"It's not that… probably just the excitement of everything. With everything's that's been happening, there was probably a lot on my mind."
"Care to share them with me?"
He stared at her, inwardly wrestling with a morass of insecurities and doubts. "Are you happy, Rui?" He managed to stammer. "With me…"
"You've already asked me that a dozen times." She placed her hands on her hips and looked at him mystified.
"You could have done better for yourself." He tried desperately to keep the frustration out of his voice.
"Perhaps…" She teased playfully. Seeing the expression on his face, however, she grew serious.
"Justin, what's wrong… are you having second thoughts?" She leaned closer and grasped hold of his hands.
"Are you?"
Her indignation was palpable. "What kind of question is that?"
"A straightforward one."
"No… I'm not. I can't believe you're still asking me that after last night. Was it not all you expected?"
"Last night… was wonderful… better than wonderful."
"Then what is the problem?"
"There's no problem. It's just me, Rui… I'm just tired. My mind's all over the place."
"Well, I know just the remedy for that…" She reached for his lips and was stunned when he pulled away.
"I have to go… I need to talk to someone… Guild business…" He grabbed his jacket and hurried toward the door.
"What about breakfast?"
"I'll meet you at the restaurant." He pecked her on the forehead.
"Justin… what's going on…" She protested. But it was too late… he had already dashed out the door and slammed it behind him.
Elsewhere Chiaki watched his wife attempt to bring order to her slovenly mop with something that vaguely resembled a hairbrush. He wanted to ask her about the all-important recital which was consuming his thoughts. Yet, when he opened his mouth, something less scintillating fell out of it.
"You didn't wear that dress… in spite of me saying that I liked it."
"I'm saving it…"
"Huh? For what…"
"The ball, idiot…Muki… there's not much point in me wearing a dress you like to something that you're not going to, is there?"
"The ball?"
"Your secret conductor business should be finished by then, right?"
"Maybe… It's very complicated at the moment."
"Gyabo! They can't expect you to be working when they're all enjoying themselves at the ball, can they?
Good question. I don't think they care particularly. "I'm sure everything will be resolved by then." was the half-hearted assurance.
"Good… Nodame will be the most desirable woman at the ball. Fuoh..."
Chiaki narrowed his eyes and shot her a dour look. "Hey, what… are you talking about?"
"Well, if a beautiful dress can melt the stone, cold heart of Chiaki Shinichi, I am sure I will have the other men falling at my feet with no trouble at all."
"Stone, cold heart? Men falling at your feet? Who are you talking about… Are you having delusions of glamour?"
"Nodame only speaks the truth…" She insisted seriously. "Mukyaaa!" She gave an unholy yelp as her husband slammed her onto the bed peevishly.
"I'd rather tie you up and have you locked up in this room, than let you loose in a room full of ogling men, if that's going to be your attitude."
"But don't you want to have a wife that you can show off." She looked at him genuinely puzzled.
"I didn't marry you because I wanted a trophy wife…" Goodness knows if I wanted one of those, you wouldn't have been on that list.
"I know that… but I want you to be proud of me."
"A dress isn't going to be make me more or less proud of you."
"But don't you want people to see that you have a desirable wife?" She was still mystified.
"No… absolutely not…" Chiaki was furiously adamant.
"Huh?"
"I only want me to see… that I… have a desirable wife." Chiaki mumbled awkwardly.
The light dawned in her eyes. "Husband… can it be that you are being possessive?" She twittered gleefully.
"I'm not possessive." Chiaki declared glibly, although Jankowski's marital woes were never far from his mind. "I'm… exercising my right as a husband to… er… enforce… er… exclusive claim over my wife."
"Hmph… whatever… The trouble with you is that you still can't say what you feel… always hiding behind words."
"I don't hide…"
Nodame looked infuriated for a split second and then with a resigned air, attempted to get out of bed. "Ah well, at least Nodame can always take comfort in breakfast."
However, once again, she fell victim to her husband's temperament. "Mukyaa… what are you doing?" She cried as she was forcibly propelled back into the bed. "Are you trying to kill me?"
"Not at all…" Positioning himself on top of her, her husband whispered huskily into her ear. "I can make you a better offer…"
What he was going to offer, she didn't find out. At that moment they were both startled by a sharp rap on the door.
Deflated, he got up and straightened his clothing. "Did you order room service again without telling me?"
"No… not me…" She looked at him innocently. "I like the breakfast bar downstairs."
"Then who is it?"
"I have no idea."
Chiaki made his way to the door reluctantly. Oh really. Wonder if this another one of her shenanigans. "Who is it?" He raised his voice in obvious annoyance at the door.
"Chiaki, it's me, Justin Lee…"
Justin Lee? What does he want from me first thing in the morning? Another new proposal… amendment? Doesn't this man ever stop working? Or understand the meaning of privacy?
Opening the door, Chiaki observed that Justin was perceptibly jittery.
"Chiaki." Justin strode into the room, with anxiety written all over his face and then saw that Chiaki was not alone and stopped. "I'm sorry. But is there some where we can talk? Alone?"
"Er… well… we were…"
Nodame took this as her cue to exit. "You know what, I'm ready for a good, hearty breakfast. I'll see you later, husband."
"Nodame… wait…" Chiaki tried to collar her, except that she managed to slip past him and out the door.
"Meet you at the restaurant." She blew a kiss and skipped down the corridor, as her helpless husband watched her disappear from his view.
When Nodame was safely out of earshot, Justin turned to Chiaki in an heart-wrenching tone of voice, "Chiaki, I have to ask you… what was the nature of your relationship with my wife?"
"Your wife?" I wasn't even aware that he was married.
"Rui." Noticing the blank look on Chiaki's face, he explained. "Son Rui… the pianist."
"You're married to Son Rui?" Chiaki threw him a stunned look.
"Just yesterday."
"Oh… congratulations." No wonder he wasn't at the emergency meeting yesterday afternoon.
Justin studied Chiaki's face and saw nothing but surprise. "Thanks… it was a spur of the moment but we've been together for the past 3 years."
"I saw her a year or so ago but she said nothing about you two being an item."
"Her mother didn't exactly approve. In fact, she doesn't even know that we're married."
"That I believe." Chiaki looked amused.
Justin was somewhat relieved by Chiaki's seeming indifference. "You know her pretty well, don't you?"
"I suppose…" Remembering Justin's original question, he quickly added, "On a professional level mainly. You don't think that we were…"
"I don't know what to think." Justin sank into the nearest available armchair, overcome with a myriad of emotions. "I received this last night. It was slipped under our room door."
Taking hold of the note, Chiaki perused it carefully. When he looked up, his face was grim. "Several notes of this nature have been distributed to various members of the guild. Your is the sixth that I know of. Two others refused to show me theirs… guilty secrets from the past most probably."
"Why didn't I know about this?"
"Most likely you were getting married at the time." Chiaki remarked dryly. "While you were busy, we held an emergency members meeting yesterday to discuss the matter." And I have the unenviable task of tracking the culprit down.
"Yeah…" Justin broke into a sheepish grin and scratched his head. "But why me? Or you for that matter?"
"I don't know what the perpetrator was trying to achieve sending you this note. But let me assure you, there has never been anything between us. The first time I met Rui, I was already involved with someone else. She was aware of that." Although it took me a little longer to realize it. "Have you asked her about it?"
Justin shook his head. "I was afraid to… I was afraid of what the answer might be."
"Why? Didn't she marry you willingly?"
"It's just that for the last three years, I felt that she was holding back. I didn't know why and when I got my hands on this, my first thought was…"
"There was someone else and now you had a name for your suspicions." Chiaki finished his sentence for him.
"I wouldn't have minded if she had told me. I'm not so naïve to think an attractive girl like her would not have her share of suitors. I mean, I had a few relationships before her. But she had been non-committal."
"Lee, contrary to what was written in this note, I never led her on. Nodame and I have been together for about seven years now, all through the time I became acquainted with Rui. For my part, I'm telling you the truth. I am, however, surprised that you came to me first."
"I just… didn't know… what I would do if… I was afraid that… I would do something that I would regret later."
"Well, I'm glad you asked the question first before throwing the first punch."
"I don't think your wife would've liked it very much if I messed up your face on your honeymoon."
"No… not much. And trust me, you don't ever want to get on her bad side."
"Really? She's that scary?"
"Very."
The terror of a wife was not looking particularly frightening at that moment. Ravenous perhaps but hardly the horrifying creature her husband was making her out to be. Taking a languorous whiff of the aroma permeating the dining area, she was feeling very much in her element. Food had that effect on her… it was capable of taming the beast and sending her into a state of pure unadulterated bliss… something that would take her new husband a lifetime of learning to do.
She had been rudely interrupted the previous day. There seemed to be a blatant disregard for a hungry woman's need for peace and quiet while eating. First by that tenacious British bulldog, James Beresford and then by Milch. On this day, she would be the epitome of vigilance… giving neither of them cause to barge in while partaking of these delectable delights. Looking cautiously to the left and to the right for uninvited guests, she zeroed in on the smorgasbord and plundered the glutton's haven faster than she could play the rubato for the Rach 3.
Craving for some peace and quiet, she tucked herself in one corner of the dining room and attempted at leisure to satisfy her rapacious appetite. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Another newly wed who had been recently rebuffed by her newly acquired spouse was in dire need of companionship and who better than a familiar and somewhat friendly face. The only companionship that Nodame was interested in at that moment was the maple syrup covered pancake she was savouring. But it was not to be.
A slim figure slid into the seat opposite her. "Nodame… I'm so glad I spotted you. I hate eating alone, don't you?"
Huh? Rui? "Whotchuduuingheer." Nodame was not ready to engage in intelligible dialogue.
"Don't mind me, Nodame… Go ahead and finish whatever it is you're eating…"
Nodame was wondering at that moment if she had done something to offend a certain higher power or was it just her miserable fate to have breakfast interrupted on her honeymoon.
She did, however, decide to take up Rui's generous offer and continued chewing silently, staring at the half-empty platter in dismay. Rui, on the hand, was unexpectedly garrulous.
"You must be wondering what I'm doing here."
Nodame nodded obligingly. The thought had cross my mind.
"I'm on my honeymoon too. Just got married yesterday. Surprised?"
Surprise was an understatement. Nodame almost choked on second last chunk of fried flour.
"Are you alright?" Rui got up and went over to pat her back.
Again, Nodame assented and hurriedly stuffed an omelette in her mouth in case she was tempted to say something.
"Guess who I married?"
Nodame, of course, had no idea and stared at Rui with anticipation.
"Justin Lee… the Taiwanese conductor. You know him don't you? Not very tall, short hair… adorable nose, a human dynamo."
The description had a ring of familiarity about it although it could have been the profile of half a dozen or more men of her acquaintance. Nodame, however, was in something of an omelette state of mind and the one she was devouring was particular distracting.
Rui, however, seemed not to notice and continued prattling. "He's a good man and I'm lucky to be with him although we haven't told mother yet."
Nodame's interest was momentarily piqued when "mother" was mentioned. She recalled all too clearly that Rui's mother had more than a temper and wondered how long before the dragon would descend on this place and release her unmitigated fury.
"Want to see the ring he gave me?" Rui seemed preoccupied with fingering her ring. Fidgety almost.
Nodame moved her head amicably. Hers was not to question why… hers was to do or…
Cry? Nodame froze as she heard sniffles turn into sobs. Rui… was crying? But why? She had seemed rather pleased with life earlier.
"He hates me…" was what she managed to decipher between sobs and wails.
"Who?"
"Justin…"
"But didn't you two just get married?" Nodame wondered if she'd missed something… like a couple of pages or more from a manga that she'd been reading half-heartedly.
"He's changed his mind."
"He has? Why?"
"I… I… don't know. He seems… so… distant…"
Nodame decided to take the plunge and ask the next obvious question. "Did… er… you or he… have er… problems with the… man and woman music thing?"
"Man or woman music thing?"
"You know…" Nodame made the necessary gestures to get her point across but they seemed lost on Rui.
"I don't…"
"The thing you did on your… er… wedding night…" She mouthed the word "sex" inaudibly as extra reinforcement.
The penny dropped. "Oh that… yes, well… it was okay." Rui responded shyly. "I'm not very experienced."
"Only okay? That can't be good."
"Huh?"
"No wonder you're having problems already."
"Whaat?" Rui was stunned beyond words. Whatever sympathy she was expecting from Nodame, this was scarcely it.
Nodame lowered her voice to a whisper. "Men need to feel that they are doing well. Any reservations on your part could shatter their ego." She added conspiratorially.
Rui had no response for that. Years spent in music training and touring the world did not prepare her for the Nodame factor. Fortunately for both them, the conversation came to an abrupt end with the arrival of Chiaki.
"What you both being so secretive about?" Are they exchanging notes, I wonder?
"Nothing… just girl talk." Nodame kept a neutral expression on her face.
"Congratulations, Rui… I heard the good news."
"Thank you, Chiaki."
"Your husband told me to tell you that he's waiting for you in your room."
"You spoke to him?"
"Yeah, I did…"
"Can I ask you what you talked about?" She asked anxiously.
"Maybe it's best you ask him yourself…"
"Is he alright?"
"Let's put it this way, he was a happier man when I left him than when he burst into our room earlier."
Rui gave Chiaki a smile and a hug. "Thank you, Chiaki." and took off with a rising hope in her heart.
"Now, Nodame… what were you two talking about?"
"Nothing… really… just stuff between girls."
"I hope you didn't tell her anything that you shouldn't have."
"Who me? Of course, not… Don't be ridiculous, husband."
The husband glared at his wife for as long as he could without blinking but she did not crack… she did not so much as bat an eyelash.
A feeling of relief flooded over her but alas it was short-lived. As Rui crossed the lobby, a familiar scream of tyranny reverberated through the room.
"I knew I'd find you here."
"Mama…" How did she get here so quickly? I'm not ready to deal with her yet.
"Come home with me at once… you silly girl." The mother swung her arm and reached for her daughter with practiced efficiency. "Hope you haven't made a fool of yourself."
"I… can't…" The daughter struggled to break free.
"Okay… who is it… Justin or Chiaki?"
"Pipe down, Mama… People can hear you. Chiaki is married now…"
"So it's Justin then? How many times have I told you that men only care about one thing?"
"Mama… Justin's not like that." Rui protested vainly. "Anyway, we were married yesterday."
"What?! Without my permission? I insist you get an annulment."
"I am twenty-six years old soon to be twenty-seven, Ma. I don't need your permission to get married."
"You're making a terrible mistake."
"Well, maybe I am. But at least it will be my mistake, Ma. Mine." Rui spoke with uncharacteristic defiance and stormed off before anyone could see the tears steaming down her hot cheeks.
Her mother could only stand there… all agape… What did that pup of a boy do to her daughter?
"See you later, husband."
Chiaki gave his wife's hand a light squeeze before pulling away in a different direction.
"Don't forget, we're having dinner with the president of the guild tonight. Don't forget to take a bath, wear something decent and don't over do the make up."
"Yeah, sure." Nodame waved her arms airily before abruptly putting her hand to her mouth. "Oh, I almost forgot… Guess who I saw last night…"
"Who?"
"Guess…"
"How am I supposed to know? There must've been at least 250 people there."
"Possibly… Ha… you'll never guess."
"I don't have time to play games, Nodame… We'll talk about it later."
"But wait…"
Someone called out for Chiaki some distance away. He gave her one last look before walking away slowly.
Nodame sighed. Perhaps it was for the best. It was hard to know how Shinichi would react to news about his father. The anger he had built up over the years against his father would not be so easily pacified. It occurred to her in some nebulous way that 20 questions might not be the best way to approach this. She would have to find some other way to break it to him gently.
She decided to turn her attention to her plans for the day. Some sightseeing for the day would be good. Karlskirche maybe, The Hofburg, Schonnbrunn Palace, The Danube Tower…
So engrossed in the planning and recitation of her mental list, she did not see that someone was walking briskly in pursuit of her.
"Ms Noda… wait… A word if you will." Her pursuant waved her down breathlessly. "I'm so glad I caught you in time. The receptionist wasn't sure when you'd be back in your room."
Nodame was astonished. "Miss Sophie…" How did she know I was here?
"Oh good, I'm glad you remembered me."
"Yes, of course. What can I do for you?"
"Can we talk somewhere?"
"Sure… what about?"
"It's about Masa… and his son…"
An uneasy tension sprung up between them.
"His son?" Does she know?
"You're married to his son, aren't you?"
Gabon. She knows. "Does he know?"
Sophie nodded slowly. "He found out last night somehow… something you said gave him the idea. Anyway he called his ex-wife… to be sure..."
"Gibo?… They talked?"
"For a while… Apparently it was all very amicable."
He's going to kill me. "What does Chiaki sensei want from me?"
"He doesn't know I'm here. He doesn't even know that I know. But…"
"Yes?"
"I worry about him. I think it pains him that he doesn't know his own son although he tries to brush it off… as if he doesn't care."
Like father, like son. "His own son doesn't know him either and pretends he doesn't care."
"I feel that something must be done. Is there… some way… we can bring them together?"
There was a meaningful pause as Nodame attempted to sort out her own feelings regarding that thorny dilemma.
"I don't know Miss Sophie… I don't know if Shinichi will agree to this… it's so complicated…" And it would take a miracle of Puri-Gorota proportions.
II
As he strolled down the corridor, Beresford could not shake off a persistent feeling of impending doom. He wondered at his own wisdom… for this sentimental gesture on his part… and seriously doubted whether it would be reciprocated.
If he had been truly honest with himself, Beresford would have admitted that wherever he went, a feeling of suppressed loneliness followed him. Because of his reputation as a ladies man, he had never expected to form permanent ties… indeed… it suited him not to. He gloried in being a free agent… answerable to no one but his own lusts. Time and age, however, were variables that he had not factored into his plans. Certainly, there were transient pleasures to be had but the truth was the life he led was a lonely one. In many ways, he and Peter Drake were not so different… pathetic creatures clutching onto one morsel of gratification to the next, only to find at the other end of the road, ashes and broken glass in their place.
Hence, it was with much trepidation he went to visit his friend, who had reportedly awoken but was still in a weakened state. Not too surprising, he was met by a bitterly miserable Peter Drake as he entered the room.
"Why have you come? Haven't you done enough damage? Come here to twist the knife and finish the job, have you?" For a man who was weak, he managed enough venom to paralyze an elephant.
"Peter… it wasn't me…" Beresford was inwardly relieved that his friend was physically incapacitated. Drake looked as if he was ready to throttle him.
"I thought we were friends, James. Why?" Drake implored with a heartbroken sob.
"I swear I wasn't sleeping with her. Goodness knows she wasn't even my type. You know me better than anyone… you of all people should know that I couldn't stand the sight of that woman. I still don't know what the blazes you saw in her."
"But the photo… the message…"
"It's bollocks … Some fiend is out to cause problems in the guild. I've been talking to some of the others. Apparently several notes of a similar nature have been passed around."
"Really? What about the photo…"
"The coppers asked me about that too… She wanted a job… for… one of her… boys and tried her usual tricks on me."
"Who took the photo then?"
"I don't know… I thought she set it up, trying to get back at me. But now… I'm not too sure."
For a while both men fell silent and digested the ramifications of those recent developments. The room was so quiet that one could hear the tension between them gradually easing.
Drake ended the silence with a dose of mournful anguish. "This is the end of the road for me, James. I just know that she's going to leave me now."
Beresford thought the kindest thing he could do for his friend at that moment was to be brutally honest.
"Is that such a catastrophe really?" He paused to let the thought sink in. "That woman almost destroyed your life, Peter. She married you for your money so she could indulge in all her extra-marital diversions on the side… Now that she's run you dry, she'll have no qualms about abandoning the sinking ship."
"I loved her… gave her everything she wanted. That surely must've meant something."
Not to her. "I know… But maybe it's time to think about what you want."
"I just want her… back."
Lord what fools these mortals be…
III
"Are there any messages for me?"
"Oh yes, Mr Chekhov… the nursing home rang…"
"Is it my wife? Is she alright…"
"She had a fall this morning. They tried to get you on your mobile phone but you must've switched it off."
"Did they say how she is?"
"They were quick to reassure me that she was attended to immediately. Other than that, I don't know."
"Thank you. I'll get in touch with them myself once I return to my room."
That he was worried was an understatement. He had been of two minds about coming to the conference but Weiss and some of the others had managed to convince him that a few days away from caring for his wife would do him some good. Everyone was at pains to assure him that she would be in good hands. In his haste to get to the elevators, Ivan Chekhov brushed past a bellhop absent-mindedly.
"I'm sorry."
"My apologies…" A youngish man in his early twenties tipped his hat and maneuvered himself and the trolley he was pushing, out of the way.
It was only later when Chekhov arrived at his room and started to make that call, that he realized that there was something familiar about that man.
Author's Comments:
To my regular reviewers... Ebony, Kana and Kandida... I give you my heartfelt thanks for giving me that extra push to get the next chapter done. Goodness only knows how much I needed it last week. Star Garden, I just saw your review... thank you... I'm glad you loved it... I'm trying to work super hard on the characterization especially because of issues with Intermezzo in that regard.
I'm slowing down a little with the updates because I expect the next two months to be super busy. I looked at my diary last week and gasped in horror as I noted the number of things I've committed myself to in March and April that require preparation. Not to mention my return to part-time work. Ah well... at least I can claim to have a life... :D