In Deep Kimchi (18 page)

Satoshi agreed. “Speaking of which, what is next on our schedule for today?”

“Packing,” Yori said, sliding back into place as their leader. “We’re moving over to the Dome Hotel in the morning.”

“It’s not going to take that long to pack,” Satoshi insisted. “So does that mean we have some free time?”

“Yes,” Yori answered. “What do you plan to do with your freedom?”

Satoshi looked at his watch. “Watch television. Ms. Morrison and three of the authors are going to be on
Around the Town
this afternoon.”

“The talk show?” Yori asked, trying not to sound excited. “How do you know this?”

“I overheard them talking the other day. And four of the other authors are doing a promotion at a bookstore in Shibuya.”

“Not the bookstore,” Ichiro begged. “Fans will be there.”

Satoshi chuckled. “You didn’t seem so upset to be around fans earlier. Just a little shy.”

“None of them tried to touch me,” Ichiro confessed. “But I might not be so lucky at the bookstore with all those men and women discussing romance books.”

Both Satoshi and Yori laughed.

“Go on and laugh. They don’t pinch your cheeks or try to feel you up to see if you’re a boy or a girl.”

“You’re going to learn to appreciate your looks one of these days,” Satoshi told him. “So what if you’re as pretty as a girl? I know you’re a boy.”

“You do not count,” Ichiro stated matter-of-factly. “It’s embarrassing.”

“Ms. Morrison doesn’t seem to care. In fact, I think she likes everything about you,” Satoshi told him.

“Do you think she would go out with me?” Ichiro asked.

“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask her.”

“Shaundra isn’t in Tokyo to date,” Yori replied as he moved around in his seat. “She is working and, besides, she has kids our age.” For some reason, that didn’t bother him.

“How do you know so much about her?” Ichiro asked suspiciously.

He couldn’t bear to look into Ichiro’s big blue eyes and tell the truth.
Damn Ich for being so
needy
. “I’ve talked to her a time or two.”

“So you think I should not ask her because she is too old for me?”

Yori groaned to himself.
Why me? Just tell him how you feel about her and get it over with
.
The sooner the better
. Yori chickened out. “No, I’m not saying that. Go on, ask her out. What do you have to lose?”

“His virginity,” Satoshi answered for him.

Ichiro’s entire face turned red again.

Another little part of Yori died inside.

* * * *

Harper handed the authors their proofs that had been delivered to him from
Flowing Magazine.
Everyone
sat around the table in a small conference room inside the Dome Hotel where they had moved to earlier that day.

Shaundra pulled hers out of the envelope and looked at them. Everything was there except the cover shot with her and Yori. “Something is missing,” she told Harper.

“Oh, you’re talking about the cover shot.
Flowing
is not going to release it until the concert this weekend. Jay is being very secretive about it too. I don’t think Mr. Niigata has seen the proofs yet either.”

Dorothy pulled her photos out and squealed. “Shaundra, you just have to see these. I look thirty years younger.”

Funny, Shaundra thought as she looked at her proofs. So did she. The wonders of modern photography. The two women exchanged proofs. Shaundra smiled at Dorothy’s rock photos. The women wore wild-looking wigs. Even the guys looked great in their sixties fashions and wigs.

“Oh my,” Dorothy exclaimed. “You look so beautiful in this picture.”

Shaundra looked up. “Where?”

“Right here in this classical photo with Ichiro and Yori, and look how they’re gazing at you. Honey, you’re in serious trouble.”

“Let me see those,” Harper ordered.

Dorothy passed the photos around to him.

“Shit,” he said as he looked through them. “What did you say to them to have them look at you like two predatory wolves?”

“I didn’t say anything to them. I just walked into the room and found the two of them there in white tuxedos. Your friend, Jay, posed us and then told us to smile at each other.”

“He said smile, not undress each other with your eyes. Those two are positively leering at you.” He looked at the other proofs. “And look at how short that mini-skirt is in this photo. It’s shocking.”

“It’s no shorter than the one you brought for me to go out clubbing in.”

“Maybe I made a mistake by choosing that particular outfit.”

“Let me see those,” Riley replied. “They must be something special if Harper’s this riled up.”

Harper passed the photos to Riley. “I’m not riled up. I just don’t like the way those two are looking at Shaundra. God, she’s old enough to be their mother.”

Shaundra ignored his last comment.

Riley whistled. “Baby, you’re hot. Look at those legs.” He showed Jackson the soul music photo.

“I’d do her if I was into women,” Jackson confessed.

Riley looked at the other photo. “Wow, I see what you mean. They want you so bad.”

Dorothy spoke up. “All three of you guys are just being ridiculous. So what if the pretty little Asian boys have the hots for Shaundra? She’s single and beautiful. What did you expect to happen when you put a lamb into a lion’s den? Those are virile young men. Of course they’re going to go after her. They can smell a nice woman a mile away. “

“Thanks,” Shaundra said to Dorothy. “But so not helping. Harper, they’re only pictures. So what if they’re sensual-looking? They’re going to sell a lot of magazines and that’s wonderful promotion for KiNii.”

“I’m more worried about what Mr. Niigata is going to say when he sees them.”

“What can he say?” Shaundra argued. “Those are his wolves. You don’t think they looked like this when he discovered them years ago? No, he made them look and act like this.” She really didn’t see anything wrong with the photos. They were perfect for that type of magazine. The photos made it back around to her and she looked at the classical ones again. Maybe she’d missed something. This time, she looked the entire picture over and not just the beautiful clothes
. Shit, Harper is right
. Both of them were looking at her like a piece of prime meat. If she didn’t already know how they felt about her, this would come as a complete shock.

“Under no circumstances are you to be alone with either of them,” Harper told her. “In fact, the less they see of you, the better.”

“I am not a child, Harper. I know how to control two twenty-four or five-year old men. I have two sons of my own.”

“Your sons don’t look at you like that. And I must say, I’m quite surprised at Ichiro.”

“Why are you surprised at Ichiro and not Yori?”

“Because I saw that look in Yori’s eyes every time he danced with you. Up until now, I thought Ichiro was gay. Hell, he looks more like a woman than you two ladies. Boy, was I mistaken.”

“Should I be offended?” Dorothy asked as she put away her photos. “I have more breasts than Shaundra and Ichiro, so technically, I’m more woman than he is.”

Shaundra rose from her seat and walked over to the window. “This conversation is getting ridiculous.” She looked out the window, spotting the Tokyo Dome where Aomori would be performing in a couple of days. She didn’t know if she looked forward to that or not.

“What’s next on the agenda?” Jackson asked Harper.

Shaundra returned to her seat.

“We’re going to visit the Dome Mall, soak in a hot spring and then get massages.”

“I’m for that,” Jackson replied. “I hope I get a cute little male masseuse with nimble fingers.”

“Will the other four authors be joining us?” Dorothy asked.

“No, this is just a special treat for us. Remember, they’re from here and they do this type of thing all the time.”

Shaundra moved her neck around. She could use some loosening up, too, and the hot springs sounded so inviting. “What time are we leaving?”

“In a few minutes,” Harper answered. “We won’t need a driver since everything is in walking distance. So, if any of you want to change shoes, do so now.”

Shaundra didn’t have to worry about that. She was casually dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and tennis shoes. No one else responded either.

“Okay,” Harper said as he collected the packages of proofs from them. “Just let me call Jay and tell him that you all approve of these.” He picked up the phone and dialed a number. “Yes, this is Harper. Everyone loves their proofs, especially the classical ones with Ms. Morrison and those two punks. Remind me to strangle you the next time I see you, buddy.”

The last thing Shaundra heard before Harper hung up the phone was Jay laughing.

* * * *

“You look pretty good in a tux and tails,” Satoshi told Ichiro as they looked through the proofs the photographer had sent to them.

“Thanks,” Ichiro replied, going through his. “So does Yori.”

“Well, Yori looks good in anything he puts on,” Satoshi admitted. “He’s built like a model.”

“Hey, what about me?” Takumijo asked as he posed seductively.

“Stop fishing for compliments,” Satoshi told him. “You already know you’re a stud.”

Ichiro kept staring down at the photo of himself, Yori and Shaundra Morrison. “I don’t know if I like this one.”

“Why not?” Takumijo asked, walking over to see it.

Ichiro handed it to him.

“Oh!”

“What are you guys doing?” Yori asked as he entered the room.

Ichiro got out of his chair and rushed out of the room.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“Depressed,” Satoshi answered.

“What for this time?” Yori asked.

Takumijo handed him the photo.

“Oh!”

“Same thing I said. What is the matter with you, Yori?”

Yori continued to stare at the photo. “I didn’t know it would come out like this.”

“You two guys are looking at her like you want to devour her. I expected to see that expression on Ichiro’s face, but not yours,” Takumijo replied, quite upset. “Have you lost your mind? You know Ichiro likes her.”

Yori flipped through the other photos. “The photographer posed us.”

“Yes, but he didn’t put that look in your eyes,” Satoshi teased. “I’m shocked. What is Amaya going to say when she sees these?”

“Maybe she won’t see them.”

Satoshi laughed. “This is getting better by the minute. Of course she’s going to see it. Her folks are fashion designers. She’s going to rip your head off. Both of them.”

Yori groaned. “It’s not that bad.”

“Poor Ichiro ran out of here in tears,” Takumijo said, adding his two cents. “You’ve done some low things before, Yori, but I never thought you’d try to steal a woman from Ichiro.”