Chapter 15

Pauline and Kev walked out of the cinema hall into the cool night. There were a number of people shuffling into the building for the next feature presentation. The two went down the block to a fast food restaurant for their dinner. As they waited for their order to arrive, they discussed the movie.

"Well, I don't think it was as funny as the critic wrote in the paper," Kev said with a shrug in refute to his date's previous comment.

"What?" she asked. "That movie was too funny. I mean, think of when Brandon jumped through the window when he thought his ex would bust him," she said with laughter in her eyes.

Kev crossed his arms and rested them on the table. He wore a grey turtleneck and pulled the sleeves up to the middle of his forearms. They wrapped his well toned upper arms like a glove, and Pauline could easily see even the slightest movement of his biceps. He spoke, "Ok, I'll admit that bit was pretty funny." A waiter brought them their meals. As he returned to the kitchen, Kev continued, "I think if I'd have watched that movie on my own or with someone else, I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much."

Pauline just looked at him, and then diverted her gaze to her pasta with crab cakes. He, on the other hand, continued to look at her a little longer before he dug in to his chicken fried rice. There was a compliment there, she thought. But she really didn't want to think about it because she could feel herself growing more and more attracted to him, and really, it would be pointless.

After taking his first bite, Kev asked, "Don't you want to know why I wouldn't have enjoyed the movie with anyone else?"

"Coz I'm great company, obviously," she said in mock pride and a little laugh.

He pointed at her couple of times before he replied, "That's why. Because of the way you laugh. It's…so contagious." He looked down at his food, obviously shy as he continued, "It's like music to my ears."

Pauline shook her head as she said, "You amaze me. You really are nothing like you pretend to be in class."

"I don't pretend," he said seriously. "Who you see in class is just one side of me. This, right here, is the other."

They ate the rest of their meal in relative silence. When they were done a waitress came to clear their table. "Would you like some dessert?" Kev asked Pauline.

"Nah, I wouldn't be able to finish it."

"So you can share mine then? What you can't eat, I'll finish." She couldn't deny his suggestion what with the cute look he'd given her. A nod from her got him sending the waitress for a vanilla sundae with strawberry ripple. "Two spoons, please," he added.

When the dessert arrived it had one spoon only. "Don't worry about it," Pauline said as he was about to protest. She gestured to spoon feed him the first scoop, and he studied her face carefully before accepting it, giving her a very roguish smile.

As they continued to enjoy their dessert, Kev asked, "Have you had a good time tonight?" He tried to seem calm and collected, but Pauline could tell there was a lot riding on her answer.

"Against my better judgment, I'm gonna have to say, yeah, I've had a great evening."

He bit his lower lip, but he could not suppress a smile. "I'm glad." Then looking down at the dessert glass and fiddling with it, he said in a quiet voice, "I think you're very beautiful."

His date had been looking at him while he had said those words. "Kev," she called gently. As he raised his gaze to her face, she looked into his eyes. "Say that again."

He gulped hard. Luckily his turtleneck hid what would have been a very obvious movement of his Adam's apple. He felt heat rise up his neck into his cheeks. His eyes were on her as he repeated, "I think you're very beautiful."

She smiled. "Thank you," she said, blushing in equal measure.

"Will you go on another date with me?"

Pauline did not even hesitate before she answered. "No."

"Why, don't you like me?"

She ignored his question. "Why do you even want to try? I'm…I'm just kid to you."

His eyes were serious but his tone was warm. "I want to try because I like you. Yes, you're a few years younger than me, but that doesn't make you a kid. You're smart, you're mature.

'See, the advantage about marking all your papers is I get to see how each of my students reasons. The assignment about the court case is a great example. So many students got it right; made a case for the defendant. But your reasoning behind your defense was one of a kind. I love the way your mind works.

'I'd just like to get to know you better, if you'd let me," he said sincerely.

Pauline sighed. She very slowly slid her hand across the table, inching her hand to his. Their fingers touched ever so slightly, and she said sadly, "I like you very much. But this just can't be. I should never have accepted to go on a date with you."

He now laid his hand on hers, covering it completely. "If I wasn't your teacher, would you go out with me again?" She nodded in reply. "Then I'll render my resignation first thing in the morning."

xxx

Early on Saturday morning, Kensei sat with his mother in the dining room. Her younger brother had gone down to the golf course, while her sister in law had gone out shopping with Mushi. "*Oka-san," he said, "You need not worry. I'm not doing anything…serious."

"How can you tell me not to worry," she complained in a faint Japanese accent. "How do I not worry when I'm afraid that the next phone call will be to tell me of your death?" She shook her head in disproval, her long, straight dark hair and bangs whooshing form side to side. "Would you please, just stop what you do and get an honourable job."

She was talking about the drug dealing. Her son had been doing drugs and alcohol from a tender age. By the time he was eleven, he had joined a bad group of boys who did hard drugs. His behavior required that she and her son move out from her home. She used to leave with her brother and his family many years ago, but when Kensei joined the gang and took up their habits, Mr. Sanban had to put his foot down for the sake of his family. He was afraid that his nephew would be a bad influence on his daughters. She had tried several times in vain to get her son clean through rehab. But he always found a way to get high. Eventually she quit and just hoped that as he grew up he would outgrow his habit. He was surprisingly responsible as an adult. But he still had underground ties of which she did not approve.

"Oka-san, I promise, I am getting out of this business." If she only knew the extent of what I do, he thought. But she should never know about the boys. I would shame her even more than I do now. "I am getting out and preparing to settle down. I will live a normal life," he said as he reclined further in his chair.

"Really?" she asked joyfully. "You will leave this dark world behind?" He nodded and smiled at her. "And you have a girlfriend? That is good. She will help you to be more stable. When do I meet her?" He just smiled at her.

xxx

Kuki arrived home in the midmorning. She planned to spend the weekend with her family. She had actually not been home since the beginning of the semester, which was about two months. None of her parents' cars were in the driveway. She noticed a slick silver Mercedes SLR parked under a tree right off their driveway. Wally would love that, shethought with a sad smile. "Oh Wally," she said under her breath. She removed her spare key from her pocket and tried to insert it into the keyhole. It would not enter. She bent low to peep through it, and noticed there was a key in the hole already. She rang the doorbell.

"Aunt Suzuka?" she said in surprise when her auntie opened the door for her. Gosh, it had been so long since she had seen her.

"Sweetheart," Suzuka said with a warm smile as she hugged her niece. "You're so grown up and pretty. Come in, come in. Kensei," she called, "come say hello to your sister."

Kensei walked into the livingroom and smiled at Kuki. "*Ohayo," he said with a polite bow.

"Ohayo kuzaimas," she replied, reciprocating his bow.

"Oh, I'm so happy we're one big family again. You two need to catch up," Suzuka said blissfully.

xxx

Kuki was in her room searching her desk drawers for her college catalogue. She could hear a deep rumble and girly voice outside her room. Then laughter as Mushi burst through her bedroom door, Kensei behind her. He stopped at the door as he looked at Kuki. She looked at him apprehensively. Her little sister was oblivious to the rising tension between Kuki and Kensei. "Come in," Mushi said innocently as she beckoned him with her hand. He walked in slowly, unsure of what to do. He stood awkwardly next to the wall.

"Mushi!" Mrs. Sanban called from the kitchen.

"I'm coming," she yelled back as she briskly walked out of the room.

Once alone, Kensei straightened his back and looked at his cousin. She stared at him wearily, papers in hand. "How are you?" he asked.

"Alright, I guess."

He nodded, studying her face. "You're afraid of me," he said matter-of-factly. She just continued to stare at him. He crossed the room, heading toward her. She was seated on her bed, and she instinctively moved further away from him as he approached. He stopped when he saw her reaction. "Sorry," he said as he raised his hands, his palms facing her. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Kuki thought he looked sad when he said that. He looked at her desk and saw a picture of a blond boy in a frame. He picked it up and studied the boy's face. "This your boyfriend?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"*Soka," he said quietly as he gently put down the frame.

xxx

Oka-san is 'mom' in Japanese, Ohayo is 'good morning', and soka is 'I see'