Once in her room, she asked me to treat her in the same manner as last time. With my confidence boosted by the wine, I enjoyed playing with the power she gave me over her much more, and in the end, we both fell onto the bed exhausted.
She lay on her back next to me, with her hand below her head and stared at the ceiling. I observed her silhouette in the dark.
“Why do you want me to be in control?”
She turned her head to me, her eyes gazing at me for a prolonged moment, then looked up again as she began to explain.
“I’m the CEO of my company, as well as the head of my family. My husband, he doesn’t possess the character for such a role, he’s always been more of an artist. So, I’m constantly in charge and sometimes, I need not to be.”
“And for that you go to the Mansion?”
“Well, in Tokyo it’s easier. There’s more anonymity and I’m more free to do things, which I cannot afford to do in Osaka. A friend recommended me the Mansion, for excellent food, as well as for the service.”
“So you’ve been with other butlers before?”
“Yes. Does that bother you?”
“No, not really.”
“Well, you’re the only one that didn’t take the money.”
I ignored her remark. Working in the Mansion was not exactly the most dignified job, but the thought that I would get paid for sex disgusted me. I slept with Mrs Yamamoto because I wanted to, and while sexual desire was part of the reason, I also liked just being with her. The feeling of loneliness certainly acquired a new dimension since I came to Japan, and I hated to admit it to myself, but I missed having a closer connection with another human being.
“What’s your name, Yamamoto san?”
She turned on her side and we were now facing each other.
“Will you tell me your real name too?”
I smiled. “Sure. I’m Nik.”
“Just Nik?”
“Niklas. But only my grandmother used to call me by my full name, nobody else does.”
“Oh, is your grandmother still alive?”
“No, none of my grandparents are. My grandmother on my father’s side was the only grandparent alive when I was born. She died, quite soon after my father.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It was a long time ago.”
“How old were you?”
“I was 17 when my father died. My grandma died a year later. Look, I don’t really want to go into this kind of talk. It’s all in the past.”
“Of course, as you wish.”
“So what is it?”
“What?”
“Your name...”
“My name is Asami.”
I couldn’t resist it. I passed my hand over her face and removed a few strands of her hair. “It’s a lovely name.”
She took my hand, gently removed it and took some distance from me by turning on her back again.
“Nik san, would you tell me why you came to Japan?”
“Maybe later. First you should come over here.” I turned on my back as well and uncovered the blanket. Her confident composure soon changed into a timid and obedient one and she complied.
After sex, we both fell asleep and the next day I woke up again alone in the bed. A note reminding me I can stay until 2 pm in the room was waiting for me on the desk. I was tempted to stay longer, wait for her to return and see her reaction, but in the end, I respected her wishes. The boundaries she set for our relationship were very clear.
Another two days passed before Asami revisited the Mansion. As we enjoyed the dinner, she spoke about her company, which she inherited from her father. Initially, they produced high-quality kitchen knives. After she took over, she expanded the production, eventually turning it into one of the most known companies in the country for kitchenware.
“It’s not easy to be a woman CEO in the corporate Japanese world. I constantly need to prove my authority to other, male CEOs, who always ask me about my husband and would prefer to discuss business with him. But my husband has never been interested in business matters. He has contributed to the company as an artisan and a designer. I, on the other hand, love my job, even though it can be tough sometimes, and I’m also very good at it.”
Her eyes lit up, as she spoke, revealing her passion for her work. I could relate and felt closer to her for that.
“Asami, I don’t work on Sunday. Would you like to meet and go somewhere?” It took me a while to pose this question, and as the words left my mouth I felt very awkward about it. When she did not answer immediately, I regretted I asked.
“I can’t. I’ve already made plans for the weekend,” she replied flatly.
That night she didn’t ask me to accompany her. She told me, she had an early meeting in the morning and she wanted to be fresh and fully prepared.
“I guess I see you on Monday then?”
“Most certainly,” she assured me with a warm smile.
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