"Thank you, this was great".
An hour later, they had finally gotten around eating their dinner.
They ate sitting cross-legged on the bed. He had brought the food there, knowing she was exhausted. Also, her sitting on his bed, covered only by a pillow on her front was a sight he did not want to disrupt.
They had been in bed for an hour now, talking, holding each other and relishing in each other's presence . The initial euphoria having ebbed, they had taken their time unhurriedly and languidly mapping each other's bodies.
She disposed of her empty plate on the bedside table with a loud clatter.
He observed her stretched naked back, as her attention lingered on the table. She tossed her hair to get it out of the way, as she gingerly plucked a cream-coloured paper between her two fingers. Turning to him, she gazed inquiringly.
"You're going to this too?"
It was an invitation to an official luncheon the following day hosted by an established national newspaper. The event was dedicated to celebrating the Hundred Most Influential People of the year. Misaki knew she had made the list, but she had not been bothered to check the entire list of the other nominees.
Takumi got rid of his own plate and inched closer, capturing her warm body in his arms.
"Yes, an unnecessary flashy spectacle..", he murmured, nuzzling her hair distractedly. He smirked, catching her eye. "Of course, for me the sole purpose of going was to stalk you there."
He was intentionally turning it into a joke, trying to disguise the truth. Despite the intimacy they had shared throughout the evening, the fear that he might overwhelm her with his emotions, his passion and cause her to escape remained. Thus he could not have her know that having received the invitation, initially he had groaned in annoyance, but later, when he had obtained the guest-list from his assistant, he had noticed her name there.
She rolled her eyes. "Figures. I'm not even sure if I'm.." His lips interrupted her.
She blushed, smelling herself on him. His touch was sweet and soothing.
Wrapping an arm around his neck, she returned the slow kiss, tugging at his lower lip.
Just as he removed the pillow from her lap, a muted sound of cellphone resounded in the room.
His heart stopped, hearing the generic beeping sound getting louder.
It's him.
Taking in her frozen expression, he knew she was thinking the same.
After few seconds, as the ringing continued, she detached herself from him, avoiding his eye and sprang to her feet, hurrying to her purse to retrieve the offending object.
As her eyes registered the caller number, however, he noticed her stiff shoulders relax.
"Oh.. Ayumi?".
Talking to her – assistant, secretary, partner? - he was struck by the transformation in her voice. Suddenly authoritative and powerful, her tone had descended an octave lower. Even her posture had shifted into a power-walk: her back straight, eyes narrowed in concentration.
"Yes, tell me."
He relaxed too, sitting up to lean against the headboard with his hands behind his head. He observed her pace slowly around the room, her pale body reflecting the shadows of the late spring evening.
Padding around the room with the phone held to her ear, one hand distractedly combing out knots from her long stresses, he admired her from the distance. Still completely naked, she was a picture of a mature confident woman completely comfortable in her skin and body. Had he not - only fifteen minutes ago - possessed the same body intimately on the bed, leisurely, unhurriedly?
"Ayumi, you do realize that's in less than two days?", she hissed irritably. She walked to the mini-bar and poured herself a drink. "I returned to Japan two days ago, I can't travel to bloody Berlin regardless how important the opportunity is".
Berlin? His propped his ears.
"I know, but I absolutely, definitely cannot go now", she huffed impatiently as she took a quick gulp of her brandy and licked her upper lip. She stole a glance in his direction. He twitched.
He watched her slowly pace to the window, letting out "mm"s and "tsk"s as she listened to the caller for a moment.
"You can give them my answer right away for all I care. You don't have to wait till Monday".
He got up, approaching her.
"Yes, you too. Thank..", the rest of the sentence was stuck in her throat as she felt his arms wrap around her.
"Do you mind?", she muttered, hanging up.
He kissed her temple, rubbing her arm.
"So, what about Berlin?"
"Long story.. ", she waved her hand dismissively "I was offered to represent a controversial human rights activist that has been unjustly convicted.. It's been all over the media, a big deal. Would have been a good opportunity if it wasn't so soon after my return to Japan."
He pulled her hand up, holding her drink to his lips, taking a swig.
"Also, at the moment my hands are full with more urgent issues."
He held her pensive, meaningful gaze. He knew she was referring to the problems in her firm she had told him about earlier, but he hoped their relationship was amongst the "urgent issues" she planned to deal with.
The phone-call had pulled them out of their brief make-believe world. The mood in the room had changed and he could feel her getting restless.
"I have to go."
He nodded, before squeezing her for the last time.
The elegant couple walked out of the hotel's revolving doors, making their way to the taxi waiting at the side-walk. She did not want him to accompany her out, but he had insisted.
When they reached the car, she turned. Before leaving the room he had thrown on his button-down shirt and a pair of trousers. With his tussled bed-hair and bitten-up lips, he looked ridiculously attractive in his unapologetic just-fucked splendour. Some passer-byes slowed down to openly admire him.
She searched for the right words under his wary, scrutinizing eyes. In the semi-darkness they were the colour of a river in woods.
Where do we go from here?
"I will talk to him." She whispered. "But I need some time".
He said nothing for a while, but merely took her by her elbow, giving it a soft squeeze.
"I cannot bear to stay away from you", his voice was strangled, partly to limit the audience of his words and partly due the terror, agony he was feeling at the prospect of letting her go. "Not any more."
She nodded. Hurry up, burn the bridge quickly, his words implicated.
"I will see you tomorrow at the luncheon."
As she reached for the door, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him, plating a soft, but lingering kiss on her lips. She heard somebody gasp and giggle. At this point, they had attracted an audience of curious on-lookers who were openly gawking at the intense exchange. Nervously, her eyes quickly scanned the crowed briefly, relieved to see no familiar faces.
As the car set off, watching him standing on the side-walk with his hands in his pockets, she had a deja-vu. Only two days ago, she had seen him in the exact same circumstance. She remembered the peculiar feeling – the ringing in her ears, the complete numbness setting in her body, paralysing her for a moment.
As the car rounded the corner of the street, she leaned her head against the cold window, closing her eyes.
Come what may.
Author's Note:
Coming next: an inevitable meeting of Hinata and Usui. The plot is going to get thicker from here, I promise. I'll update soon.
Please don't forget to review!