As I returned to the hostel, I found Emile, grinning through his teeth, in the lobby.
“Somebody didn’t sleep in his bed last night. I presume you got along well with your guest?”
“Yamamoto san? Yes, she was fine.”
“Fine how?”
I gave him a look.
“Gentlemen don’t tell, mmm?” he persisted.
I dismissed him with a wave of my hand and went upstairs to get a few extra hours of sleep before the next shift at the Mansion.
My third night at work was uneventful. I served multiple customers over a relatively short time and I found myself thinking of Mrs Yamamoto more often than I should.
The next evening I was waiting with anticipation for her to come, hoping I wouldn’t be assigned to somebody else’s table first.
“Nik, there’s a man waiting to be served, table 3,” said Emile.
“I should wait. I’m pretty sure Mrs Yamamoto will request for me again.”
“Is she here?” Emile looked around the room. “I don’t see her. Get your ass to work.”
I was about to protest when I saw her entering. “There she is.”
“Perhaps, I shall be her butler today,” said Emile and rushed toward her.
Surprised by his action, I watched hopelessly from the counter as he escorted her to the same table she sat at the last time. I tried to make eye contact with her and when she finally saw me, she said something to Emile that sent him right back to me.
I turned my hands palm-up, bewildered. “What the fuck, Emile--”
He shoved the menu at me. “She wants you, you lucky bastard.”
I was relieved and excited to see her. She greeted me with her warm smile, looking very elegant in a grey suit and a purple blouse.
As we indulged in sushi plates and wine, she spoke about her daughter, who was finishing a Ph.D. in microbiology, and her son, a lawyer, married with two kids. Both lived in the US. She would visit them twice per year, and once per year, they would come to Japan.
“And your husband?” I asked carefully.
“My husband and I live together in our big house in Osaka. He has his own floor of the house and I have mine. You see, my husband and I, have an understanding.”
As I remained silent, she continued: “In our society, it’s sometimes easier to keep up appearances. We share a very big, family company and if we were to split this could hurt our image.”
“So, you prefer to live in a lie.”
She chuckled and waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, no, it’s not a lie at all. It’s a very strong partnership, a partnership with great respect for each other.”
I shrugged indifferently, even though I wasn't completely convinced. "If you say so."
“Our ways are not easily understandable.”
She took a sip from her glass and closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the taste of the wine. We opened our second bottle.
“David san, I noticed, you did not take the envelope I left for you in my hotel room.”
“You didn’t owe me any money.”
She looked at me for a while, evaluating my answer.
“We both satisfied our needs,” I added.
“So desu ne, I see. And would you be willing to accompany me tonight as well?”
“I would.” I replied, without thinking too much about it.
Comments (0)
See all