by Cee, DW
Now, I couldn’t look at her. I was ashamed at my behavior and angry for making Emily suffer through such misery.
“If you were there that long, why didn’t you call me? I believed you were with your friends. You know I would never abandon you, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. Jake, I know you would never intentionally hurt me. I didn’t call initially because I knew you needed to cool down. Then I didn’t call because I was angry with you and Max. Eventually I didn’t call because I knew it was over between us and that you wouldn’t want to see me anymore. Then, sometime after, I sat in the middle of the Skywalk and fell asleep from emotional exhaustion. Only with the help of a kind park ranger was I able to rent a car. Afterward I went to go see my parents and then I came home. The rest you know.”
Hearing the story from Emily didn’t make it any better. In fact, I felt worse. Emily was smart to make me promise her to let go of this day. I laid back and couldn’t speak for a while.
“Jake.” Emily brought her face right up to mine and forced me to look at her. “You promised to let this go. Forget about this day, or I’m going to start feeling guilty about the fact that none of this would’ve happened if I had turned Max down from the onset. Do you want me to start wallowing in my guilt?”
“No…I don’t want you to put this on yourself. Let’s change the subject. Why did you come all the way up to the OR that day you were leaving for Japan but run away when you saw me? That was you I saw in the elevator, right?”
“You saw me?”
“I saw you about to cry in the elevator and I ran down the stairs to catch you but couldn’t. Why didn’t you stay?”
“Well, the chief spotted me downstairs in the lobby when I stopped by to drop off your letter, and he urged me to come up. Against my better judgment, I followed him up like a sheep about to be slaughtered. When I saw you walking down the corridor, thoughts about our crazy meeting in New York sprang to mind, along with the fact that you hadn’t called me in three weeks. All that combined, I didn’t want my heart broken if you were to reject me again, so I got scared and ran…into an elevator.” She laughed. “If you would’ve caught me downstairs and asked me to stay, I would’ve dropped all my plans to have had one more chance with you. I guess that’s what I was secretly hoping for when I followed the chief up to the OR.”
“But why Japan? Why did you come here and so suddenly?”
“It’s actually not as spontaneous as you think. I applied for a teaching position before I met you. They happened to have an opening in January. Timing-wise it just worked out.”
“So all this time you wrote letters to everyone, but no one was able to write back to you? Did you make any friends here? It sounded like you traveled quite a bit in Japan.”
“Sarah had my contact info. If you would’ve found Sarah, you would’ve found me much earlier.”
“Yeah, I tried. Without a last name, it wasn’t easy. What is her last name by the way?”
“Well now it’s Charlie and Sarah Abner. Before, it was Jenkins, and Max’s last name is Davis. Anyhow, I didn’t have too many friends here because we had a hard time communicating. But I did get to see a lot of this beautiful country. I used to go into Tokyo all the time.”
“By yourself?” I couldn’t imagine my timid girlfriend traveling the country alone.
“Yup, by myself. Aren’t you proud of me? I did a lot of things by myself. While we were apart, I became a more independent person by choice. When my parents died, I survived out of sheer necessity. But out here, it was more out of a desire to learn about this country. I had a good time by my lonesome.”
“I am very proud of you, Sweetheart. Every time I read one of Jane’s or Nick’s letters it brought a smile to my face knowing you were living a full life despite my absence.”
“So tell me some of the things you did while I was away.”
“Well, I waited and waited for letters that never came,” I lamented.
“Am I back to being in trouble?”
“No.” I quickly kissed her lips. “I read your journal over and over again, attempting to make myself believe you still loved me. Did you know I forgot all about your journal till after you left for Japan? Only when you sent your first letter to Jane was I reminded. I was giddy for weeks after reading your journal. I didn’t realize you wanted to make out with me from day one.”
“Oh, no. You can’t use my journal against me.” She started laughing. “I think I was in love with you from day one.”
I held her even closer to me. “I know I was in love with you from day one. Anyhow, I’m not using your journal against you. I’m just stating a fact. Did you keep a journal while you were here?”
“Yeah, I did.” There was a note of apprehension.
“Will you let me read it? I’d like to share what was in your heart during the months you were away from me.”
“You don’t want to read it, Jake. Of course there’s a part of me that enjoyed being here and appreciated living with the Suzukis, but there was another part of me in that journal that struggled through each day. I don’t think I want to read it again for a while.”
“Whenever you’re ready to visit that life, I’d like to do it with you, OK?”
She nodded with a smile.
With that we stopped talking and after a long and passionate embrace, I encouraged Emily to get some sleep. I could see the sun coming up. If my arms were what she needed to get a peaceful night’s rest, I would become her pillow for the night.
I couldn’t sleep. Just content holding my long lost girlfriend, I caressed her like a father holding his newborn. I could’ve held her and watched her sleep for days. She woke up mid-morning with a dazzling smile.
“You’re still here,” she spoke whimsically. “It wasn’t a dream.”
“I’m still here, Love, and will be with you forever.” I kissed her head before we got up to get ready for the day.
With half the day gone, we grabbed a quick lunch and went to the Sony store to buy her a laptop.
“When does your flight leave, Jake?”
“At midnight. I have some time. What do you want to eat for dinner? Let’s go have a nice dinner, then I’ll catch the Shinkansen to Osaka and fly out of there.”
“Didn’t you say you came in through Narita?”
“Yeah, but once I got there, I realized it would be easier to get home via Osaka from where you were. They say it’s about an hour and a half train ride. What do you want to eat, My Love?”
“I’ll give you one guess,” she answered excitedly.
“Sushi?”
“Yup!” She jumped up and down. “It’s expensive to eat sushi here. A lot more expensive than the States, so I didn’t eat it too often. Now that you’re here, I’ll have to take full advantage of you.” It was good to hear Emily giggle again.
A VAIO for Emily, a PSP and Nintendo DSI for Yuki and Ryu, and a multicourse sushi dinner for both of us, and it was time to part. As the night wore on, so did the frown on Emily’s face. It was going to be hard to separate again.
“I don’t want you to go. It feels like a dream to be back together with you. I don’t want to say good-bye anymore.” I had never seen Emily cry so hard. Impossible to believe, but I was the stronger one.
“Love, it’s only for twelve days. We’ll see each other soon. After that, we don’t ever have to say good-bye. Make sure you log on to your computer at 9:00 p.m. your time. This will serve as a substitute until Paris.”
What I really wanted to say was I’ll stay here till your school year is done. I’ll take a sabbatical and you can sleep in my arms nightly, but I didn’t.
“OK,” she sobbed. “I’ll miss you.”
“Me, too, My Love. Me too.”
We said a quick good-bye and got on our trains.
Back at home and back at work I crossed off each day with a thick black X till the twelve days were done. I started the mornings, 5:00 a.m. to be exact, on
the webcam with Emily. Many of the days I had to keep our conversation G-rated due to Yuki and Ryu eavesdropping or outright participating in the background.
“Hi, Jake san!” Both kids greeted me before Emily got to the computer. “Emily go to the store for making breakfast tomorrow. Can we talk to you?”
“Sure. How are you two doing?” I greeted them warmly.
“We are fine. Jake san, you marry Emily soon?” Yuki asked.
“Can you keep a secret?” Perhaps I shouldn’t entrust my deepest secret to a couple of elementary students.
“Yes. Please tell us.” Yuki was the talkative one today.
“I am going to propose to her when I see her in Paris.”
Both kids looked at each other—mouths wide open—and yelled, “Okasan, Otosan!” Next thing I saw were four faces looking back at me on my computer. Yuki rattled off what I assumed was my secret to her parents and both their faces lit up with joy. Yuki’s mom proceeded to say, “Good luck, Jake san,” and left the conversation.
“Hey, what’s going on in here?” I heard my love walk into the room.
Both kids giggled and left the room. I should have made them promise me one more time to keep my secret. I trusted they would.
“Good morning, Honey. How are you? I’m sorry I’m late. I had to run to the neighborhood store.”
“Hi, Love. What’s for breakfast tomorrow?”
“I learned to make these glutinous donuts filled with an from Mrs. Suzuki. I’m going to try them again tomorrow.”
“What’s an?”
“It’s sweet red beans. It’s delicious. I’ll make them for breakfast when I get back home.”
My heart tingled when she referred to living in my parents’ house as home. It would absolutely be her home till we got married and created our own home.
“Do you know we only have three more days till we see each other?”
“No…I haven’t been counting down the days at all,” she answered nonchalantly. “I’ve only been counting down the minutes.”
She made me laugh this time. “Did you get the ticket I sent you? Are you packed and ready to leave?”
“Thank you for the ticket, and I already sent most of my stuff to your parents’ house. I will send the last box the day I leave. Honey, I have a request.”
“What is it?”
“Do you think I could leave this laptop here with the Suzukis when I leave? They’ve been so kind to me the last five months. They’ve treated me like their family, and though I’ve given them a gift already, I’d like for the kids to have this computer.”
Always a sweet soul, I loved her more with each act of kindness. “Of course, you can. I’ll buy you a new computer when you get home.”
“Thank you, Jake. The kids will be thrilled. Isn’t it time for you to get to work?”
“Yeah,” I answered, my voice full of regret that I didn’t stay in Japan with her.
“I’ll see you in Paris, Dr. Reid.”
“Bye, Love.”
Chapter 17
Will You Marry Me? Part 2
The plane landed in Heathrow on time, and Gram had sent her driver to pick me up. I never understood the appeal of London, as weather was always drab and everything was so overpriced. We pulled up to Gram’s flat, and she was waiting for me at the door.
“Good morning, beautiful Grandmother.” Her wide smile told me she liked this address.
“Hello, favorite grandchild. How was your flight?”
“It was fabulous. Gram, nothing could possibly spoil this day and the rest of my life, as a matter of fact. I’m going to be with Emily again.”
“Follow me, Jakey.” She led me up to her room. From a safe in her huge closet, she pulled out the most stunning diamond. I couldn’t believe she was willing to give this to me and a girl she’s never met. “This is for you and Emily.”
I hugged my Gram for a long time. “Thank you, Gram, for loving Emily so much. She will be very touched to know you gave this to us.”
“My only requirement…hand it down to your daughter. That was my mother’s request, and I failed her by having five sons.”
“We’ll try, Gram. We’ll come see you after Paris, and you can finally meet your newest granddaughter.”
“I can’t wait,” Gram said, sending me off to Paris.
I checked into Hotel Ritz, a stomping ground for my family when we were younger, and thought long and hard before deciding to get two rooms instead of one. I kept telling myself Emily would want me to hold her to sleep every night like she did in Kyoto, but I knew if I slept with her for six straight nights, sleep would be the last thing on my mind. In fact, Emily would lose sleep again. Against my better judgment I got adjacent rooms.
“Bonjour, Monsieur Reid.” The concierge recognized me from my youth.
“Bonjour.” I didn’t know whether I should speak French or English since the concierge was actually an American expat. My French was a little rusty so I decided to speak English. “You still remember me? I haven’t been here in years.”
“Oh yes. How could I forget? Your family came here yearly. What brings you here this week? Are you here on business or vacation?”
“Purely vacation—actually I need to go pick up my girlfriend at the airport soon.”
“Ah, you’re here with an amour?”
“Yes. Do you think I can ask you for a few favors?”
“Of course, Monsieur Reid. How can I be of help?”
“My girlfriend arrives at noon. Could you ask housekeeping to draw a bath for her? We should be back here in an hour. Also, would the chef do a cooking class for us at the Escoffier sometime in the early afternoon?”
“Bien sur! I will take care of it for you, and I will get you a car and driver for the week. Anything else?”
“Do you think we’d be able to get a reservation for dinner at Le Jules Verne tonight?”
“I don’t see why not. I’ll take care of that as well.”
“Merci!”
“Your car will be ready in about twenty minutes. He will meet you outside.”
“Thank you very much,” I repeated.
While waiting for the car, I walked past the posh shops and noticed a striking outfit gracing the window of Chanel. Emily would look gorgeous in this outfit. I’d have to have her try it on and buy it for her even if she refused. A nice sales gal greeted me.
“Bonjour, monsieur.”
“Bonjour.” I answered. “Could you put this outfit on hold for me till my girlfriend can come and try it on?”
“Of course, sir. What is your name?”
“Put it under Jake Reid. Thank you.”
This day was turning out better than expected. Emily probably had no expectations of this day except to be with me. I was sure she would be delighted.
My driver was waiting when I got back to the hotel and we left for Charles de Gaulle airport ready to pick up my future bride. Emily came out early with one compact suitcase and ran into my arms. We couldn’t let go of one another. Her longing, no different than mine, expressed itself in a borderline wanton kiss that I thoroughly enjoyed. Sooner than Emily expected, I pulled away, not wanting to get carried away with our embrace. I was inches away from calling the hotel and canceling that second room.
Trying to shake off her kiss, I held her hand and took her to the car.
“This is not our car, is it? You got us a driver too?” Aghast, Emily stared at me and wouldn’t get in the car.
“Yes, it is, and yes, I did.” I didn’t see why she looked so embarrassed.
“You have got to be kidding me. We cannot ride around Paris in this limo. How embarrassing. We’re not rock stars.”
“Get in,” I commanded.
Emily was in awe with the sights of Paris. Her eyes didn’t leave the scenery even with me by her side. At one point during the ride, I had to coerce her to look at me, so I could embrace her. Indubitably, her face got red and told me to ho
ld off till we got to the hotel. With all that was intimated since my love landed in Paris, that second room looked more and more unnecessary by the minute. Still, I would respect her—or better yet, her mother’s wishes—a little while longer till we got married.
We walked up to her room and disappointment streaked across her face when I led her into her room. Little did she know how hard it was to see her want me this much. Was this reverse psychology she was using on me? Why was I the one now trying to preserve her purity? I kept reminding myself I wouldn’t have to wait much longer.
“This room is amazing, Jake.” I led her into the bathroom for her bath. “What’s all this?” Her lips formed an appreciative semicircle, and she came over and placed her arms around my body.
Housekeeping had done a fabulous job of drawing my love a bath. Hundreds of rose petals covered the water and scented candles lit up the room. Hot water flowed from the mouth of a gold swan, and I encouraged Emily to relax before we began our many excursions.
“Why don’t you unwind a bit and we’ll start our trip after your bath.”
“Thank you, Jake. You know, you’re spoiling me. I can really get used to this.” I wanted her spoiled and loved. The theme of this trip would be to assure her of my love.
“It can all be yours if you like, My Love. No one is stopping you.” She looked like she was considering taking my offer.
As I headed to the door to run my errand, Emily stopped me.
“Where are you going?” Was this a trick question? Wasn’t she about to undress and take a bath? Did she want me to join her?
“Um…out to give you some privacy. Do you want me to stay?” Staring into her face, I saw her contemplate that thought. Absence truly had made the heart and body grow fonder. It was unreal—no, it was perhaps my dream come true—to witness such desire in her eyes.
She changed the look on her face and casually asked, “No, I mean where will you be while I’m taking a bath?”
“I need to stop by Boucheron. I’ll be right back.”
“What’s Boucheron?”
“It’s a jewelry shop.” Before shutting the door I peeked at her curious expression.