Elle wouldn’t allow that to happen again. She understood what she needed to do now. She had listened to the signs. It was still going to take time and work to make her marriage successful—they weren’t Jonathan and Jennifer from an episode of Hart to Hart—but it could be done.
“And I love you.” Win kissed Elle, put on his suit jacket, and walked to the door. He turned back toward her before leaving. “I hope you have some luck tracking down Mitch. Let me know if you want me to put someone on it.”
“Thanks. Good luck with your meetings.” Elle watched Win leave. She had been right about him; he was a good man—the kind of man who understood the subtle perfection of saying “And I love you” over the more pedestrian “I love you, too.”
She lay back down on the bed considering where she would start with her search when Win’s head suddenly popped back in the door. “One more thing—since we’re shaking it up a bit. How do you feel about quitting the club when we get home?”
“Yes! Let’s!”
“Good. I’m tired of playing golf with those guys. They all cheat!”
Elle smiled. At last, she was happy. If only she could find Mitch, her life would be complete.
9:51 a.m.
Elle chewed on her piece of toast, thinking it was the best toast she had ever had—nice and hot, which was impressive, considering it had made its way to the suite via room service. French bread toast with apricot jelly—not typical for a Japanese breakfast, but delicious.
Elle couldn’t help feeling everything was headed in the right direction. That anything and everything was possible again. How ironic that she had been so afraid of returning to Japan, only to find herself more optimistic about her future than ever.
Elle would now focus on finding Mitch. Hotel pen and pad in hand, she made a list of places to visit. The first few were obvious: the apartment she and Mitch had shared (she had the key in her purse), the mom-and-pop grocery store they had frequented, and The English First school where they had worked. Elle wasn’t sure going to any of these places would yield any results—it had been over twenty years—but it was a start.
What about Samantha’s? Elle was uncomfortable with the idea of seeing the club again, it was the site of so many of her poor decisions. Still, she should go there. Kenji was the last person she knew of who had been with Mitch. It was highly improbable that the club was even still open, let alone that Kenji would still work there, but she would try.
What if Samantha’s was still open? What if Tak still owned the club? Elle shuddered. She had promised to share more of her past with Win, but maybe she didn’t have to tell him everything . . .
Elle put the pen in her mouth and thought of other ways to find Mitch. Perhaps she should ask the hotel concierge to do a Google search in Japanese for him. Was there even such a thing? She would ask Brynnie.
Elle heard a door open and looked up from her notepad to see her daughter enter, freshly showered and wrapped in a soft, fluffy white hotel robe. “Good morning, sweetheart. Perfect timing. Room service just came. They didn’t have kombucha, but I did get you some green tea and a bowl of fruit.”
“No kombucha! Here I thought this was a luxury hotel . . .” Brynnie grabbed a mug of tea off the table, stopping first to give her mom a hug. “Green tea will be great, thanks.”
“Is Four awake? I ordered him an omelet and some toast.”
“Yep, but he’s FaceTiming with his bae, so he’ll be awhile.”
“His bay?” Elle was confused. She tried to keep up with her teens’ lingo, but she had never heard this expression before.
“B – A – E. Before anyone else—it’s slang for your significant other.” Brynnie was matter-of-fact, free from the condescending tone that often accompanied her attitude when explaining things to her mom. Things were better.
“Oh, got it.” Elle took a drink of coffee. “I like Tabby; she’s a sweet girl.”
“Yeah, she is. What she sees in Four, I’ll never understand.”
“Brynnie!”
“I’m kidding!” Brynnie took a piece of toast from Elle’s plate. “But you know what I mean. He’s a good kid and all; he’s just got a bit of growing up to do.”
Elle nodded, she had reached the same conclusion with Win just hours before. Their conversation fresh in her mind, Elle decided to broach the subject of Brynnie’s sexuality. It couldn’t hurt, especially as her new mantra was all about honesty. “I remember most boys in high school as being pretty immature. Maybe that’s why you’ve never found anyone you’ve wanted to date.”
Brynnie shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah, maybe.”
“There isn’t anyone at school you like, no one you’re attracted to?” Elle chose her gender-neutral words carefully.
“At Country Day? Are you kidding me? No!”
Elle decided to just come out with it. Brynnie was a straightforward kind of person. She would appreciate her directness. “Sweetheart, you know your dad and I love you, more than anything, and . . .”
“And what?”
“Well, if it turns out you prefer . . . if you are, you know, attracted to women, it’s fine. We just want you to be happy.” There—she said it.
Brynnie’s head popped back in surprise. “So, you and Dad have discussed this?”
“Yes.” Elle sat back. She wanted to give Brynnie time.
“You’re telling me if I were a lesbian, you guys wouldn’t be at all disappointed, embarrassed even?”
“Embarrassed, no!” Elle answered truthfully. “We would never be embarrassed or ashamed of you. I’m so proud of you—you must know that. We both are.”
“I get that with Dad, but what about Aubrey, all your tennis ladies—wouldn’t it be hard for you with them?”
It stung Elle that Brynnie didn’t question Win, but her own allegiance was in doubt. How could her daughter believe she would care about what others thought?
Because she did. Elle couldn’t deny it. Brynnie could detect the truth in the same way she could. She saw her mother’s weakness.
And maybe Elle did care too much about what others thought, but not regarding Brynnie. She loved her daughter unconditionally. “Fuck them. If they don’t like it, they can go to hell.”
“Mom!” Brynnie choked on her green tea.
“I’m serious, Brynnie.” Elle meant it. She wouldn’t abide her so-called friends mean-spiritedly gossiping about her daughter. In fact, Elle was planning to confront them all about their behavior once she returned home.
“Well, as much pleasure as I know it gives everyone at Country Day to think otherwise, I’m not a lesbian.”
Elle felt relief, then guilt about the relief. Why would she feel relieved?
Brynnie continued, “Though I do enjoy making people wonder. It kinda lets you know right away where you stand, know what I mean?”
“I do.” Elle nodded sympathetically. She considered Aubrey’s cruelty toward Brynnie and understood that her initial reaction of relief was not due to prejudice, but the realization that being straight meant her daughter would be spared the callous judgment of ignorant people. As self-assured and confident as Brynnie was, it would still be difficult to be openly gay. “Dad went as far as to suggest you bring a female date to the deb ball.”
“Really? That would be hilarious. Can you imagine? All those tight-asses wouldn’t know what to say or how to act.”
“Yeah, I can picture them all practically tripping over their Jimmy Choo stilettos at your grand entrance. That might be worth seeing.”
“I’m sure a cosmos or two might be spilled.” Brynnie laughed, then looked at her mom thoughtfully. “Since we’re having this Hallmark mother-daughter moment, I’ve got to say, I’m happy to see you eating normally.”
Elle was startled. “What do you mean?”
“C’mon, Mom. You never eat carbs, and you’ve had rice all week. And you just ate toast. White toast!”
Again, Brynnie’s observations were keen. Without a scale, Elle hadn’t been obsessively weig
hing in every morning. She hadn’t even given much consideration to what she was eating. And here Elle thought she had been so smart, so careful all these years. Adamant that Brynnie would not grow up with body-image issues, she had never mentioned the word diet, never restricted what Brynnie ate, never complained aloud about her own weight. Careful as Elle had been—or thought she had been—it hadn’t been enough to mask the truth.
Elle conceded, admitting, “I suppose you’re right.”
“It’s good. You seem more relaxed, happier.”
“Do I?” Win had said the same thing.
“Yeah, you do. I like it.”
“Me, too!”
“So, tell me more about Mitch . . . about our plan for today.”
Elle began to answer when Four bounced into the room, naked, spare a pair of navy-red-and-green plaid boxers—the same type Elle had wanted Mitch to wear instead of tighty-whities.
“Morning!” Four hugged Elle.
“Good morning! I ordered you some breakfast.”
“Awesome. I’m starving.” Four grabbed his plate of food and hopped enthusiastically onto the couch across from Brynnie, sitting down cross-legged.
“Ew! I can see your nut sack!” Brynnie turned away.
“Impressive, right?”
Brynnie shook her head in disgust. “At least tuck them in or something. Really—I’m trying to eat.”
Four ignored his sister and took a bite of the omelet off his plate. “Mmm, this is good. That food from last night didn’t sit so well . . .”
Brynnie shook her head. “You’re so gross.”
“Speaking of gross, I wouldn’t use our bathroom for a while.”
“Four, really? Is that necessary?” Elle tried to be patient.
“I’m just warning you, that’s all. I told you that shabu-shabu didn’t sit well. It’s a good thing there’s a normal toilet in there. I coulda been in big trouble if I had to squat through that one.”
Elle frowned, concerned. “I hope it’s not the same thing you had on the plane.”
“Nah, it was just that shabu shabu. I’m good.”
Elle noticed Four give Brynnie a furtive glance. She briefly wondered what it could mean, but dismissed it as inconsequential. She had more important things on her mind. “So, I was just talking to Brynnie about looking for my friend Mitch today. Do you want to come with us?”
“Mitch—is that the gay guy you were talking about?”
Elle was angry. More at herself than anyone else. Four’s attitude and ignorance were her fault. She had given him too many passes. It had to stop. Treating him with kid gloves wasn’t going to bring Jimmy back. It was her responsibility to teach her son to be a more thoughtful and empathetic young man. “Four, you have to stop categorizing people. It’s ignorant and shameful.”
“Sorry, sorry!” Four held up his hands.
“I’m serious about this. Don’t be that guy. You know better.” Elle looked to Brynnie. Had she been firm enough? She added for emphasis, “Really, I mean it. It’s not acceptable.”
Brynnie didn’t say anything. Elle took this to be her tacit approval.
“Okay, you’re right. I got it. Sorry.”
Elle hoped Four meant what he said. She would no longer condone his flippancy. “So, do you want to join us?”
Four stretched out lazily. “The thing is, the hotel lobby is a major Pokémon Go hotspot and I’m in the hunt for Tauros. You good with me staying here?”
Elle tried not to be disappointed that Four was more interested in playing a video game than spending time with her, but as Brynnie had pointed out, he was still young and immature. It would be fine. Besides, they would probably have a better time without him, anyway.
“Yeah, sure. Just be ready by five-thirty. That’s when the car is coming to take us
to dinner.”
Four held his thumb up. “Got it.”
Pleased, Elle stood and turned to Brynnie. “All right, I’m going to go get ready. Let’s plan to leave in about half an hour.” Elle was excited and optimistic. “Operation Find Mitch is officially underway.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Golden Earring: “Twilight Zone”
June 5, 2017
5:22 p.m.
Elle studied herself in the full-length mirror with distaste. She looked ridiculous, but what could she do? In the Japanese tradition of gift-giving, the Tsugunai President, Mr. Akimoto, had presented her with a gown ahead of that night’s formal dinner. It would be rude for Elle not to wear it.
Still, the dress was beyond awful. It was hot pink, strapless, and too body-hugging for someone her age. Plus, it had sequins. Sequins! If Elle had a corsage, she would look perfect for her high school prom.
Mr. Akimoto’s other gifts had made more sense. There had been a welcome bouquet in their hotel suite of Elle’s favorite flowers, yellow Gerber daisies; Brynnie had received a leather-bound book on Buddhism; and Four a popular gaming system which wasn’t available in the States.
Yet, inexplicably, Elle had also received a Miss America gown and a tube of ruby red Christian Louboutin lipstick. (There was no way she was putting this on—the gaudy gown was bad enough.) Elle sighed. Oh well. It was the thought that counted, and she needed to get over her aggravation with the dress. Tonight was important for Win, so Elle had to make the best of it.
Win. What would he think of the dress? Would he be as horrified by it as she was? Elle hadn’t seen him all day. His meetings had run late after another snag in negotiations, so he had been unable to come back to the hotel. Elle and her children were going to meet up with him at the Tsugunai offices.
Elle dreaded seeing Win in her current get-up. And then there would be the cameras at the event, capturing for all of eternity her fashion disaster. Ainsley, wearing a minimalist Calvin Klein or Ralph Lauren gown which showed off her perfect breasts, would probably smirk. Joy. Elle had that to look forward to. At least there was nothing between the young producer and Win. He had assured her of as much the previous night.
For the first time since arriving in Tokyo, Elle was irritable. Up to this point, she had been uncharacteristically at ease, not prone to her usual mood swings, but wearing this dress annoyed her, and she couldn’t shake a lingering sadness that her search for Mitch had been unsuccessful.
Full of hope, Elle had carried the apartment key to her old neighborhood, but it turned out the block was no longer residential; it was now a business park. Even the small grocery shop she and Mitch had frequented was gone, replaced by a Taco Bell. This last discovery had, at least, brought a smile to her face. The absence of Mexican fast food in Tokyo was something Mitch often bemoaned, especially after a late night out drinking. It was nice to see the chain had finally made it to Japan.
But then there had been more bad news. English First was out of business, as was Samantha’s. Elle had been naive to think she would somehow stumble upon her old friend in a city of over thirteen million people. She would talk to Win about hiring someone to find Mitch when they returned home. Being in Tokyo had brought back to life so many happy memories of her old friend, it was important to her that they reconnect.
Elle looked in the mirror one last time, grabbed her purse, and walked into the sitting room of the hotel suite. The car to take her family to dinner would be there any minute. As Elle entered the sitting room, neither of her children looked up from their phones. She had to speak to get their attention. “What do you think?”
Brynnie lifted her head. Seeing Elle, she placed her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide in disbelief.
“Wow.” Four followed, his fingers split in shock against his face.
“I know! I know!” Elle shook her head with a playful smile. The whole thing was so absurd.
Brynnie stood up from the couch. “You look like someone on Dynasty.”
“Well, at least I haven’t crimped my hair. The sad thing is, I would have worn something like this back in the day.”
Four cringed. “That woulda been a
bad day.”
“Yep, I had a lot of those.” Elle pulled at the top of the dress. “What do you think Dad will say?”
Brynnie shook her head. “I don’t know, but I think we should take a picture and text it to him as a warning, so he’ll be prepared.”
“That’s a good idea. Let’s do that. Four, can you take a selfie with your phone?”
“Only if you promise to never say selfie again!”
Four and Brynnie surrounded Elle. She looked at her children with approval. Four was debonair and handsome in a fitted tuxedo with a madras plaid cummerbund and bow tie. Brynnie had taken the unusual step of applying lip gloss and a touch of mascara, and she looked radiant in the simple, understated white pantsuit she had also worn to her high school graduation. The three huddled together and Four extended his right arm with the phone in it. “Here we go . . . one, two, three, cheese!”
Elle snuggled in close to her children and smiled. Forget the stupid prom dress. She was happy. Jimmy would have been proud of the family she had created. Even her mom might have been, too.
5:33 p.m.
“So, what is it exactly that we are going to tonight?” Four sat across from Brynnie and Elle in the limo taking them to the headquarters of Tsugunai.
“Well, from what I understand, they are going to unveil the technology Dad’s company bought. It’s a sort of lifelike robot that can think for itself.” Elle honestly didn’t know any more than that. Win had explained only enough for her to be able to give the opening remarks at the press conference the next day. He wanted her to be surprised by the product’s introduction along with everyone else.
Brynnie was skeptical, saying, “I’m not so sure about the wisdom of artificial intelligence. Who knows what it could lead to?”
“You’re right, sis. I’m sure it’s some sort of conspiracy by corporate America to take down the indigenous people of Malawi. I think it sounds cool. Maybe I can teach it to play lacrosse.”
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