“I’ve been up since three. I’m beat, but I can’t keep my eyes closed.”
“I know the feeling. Try to stay up if you can. Have breakfast. It’ll help.” She went into the bathroom, took a shower and brushed her teeth. When she came back, she held Kaatje’s face in her hands and kissed her a dozen times. “My mom will keep you busy if you let her.”
“I will.” Kaatje stood and they hugged tenderly. “I had fun with your family last night. We all missed you.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t at least introduce you all. Was everyone nice to you?”
“Very nice. Your mom acted like I was a member of the family who she’d just seen a week ago. She was fabulous.”
“That’s her. She’s been an angel, trooping everyone around to keep them busy.”
“When I get some rest, I’ll meet up with them. I love being led around.”
“Then the Nielsen women are just the ticket.” She kissed her one more time. “I miss you already.” She sighed. “Tomorrow’s the big day. I wish I could say I’ll be home tonight, but I’m taking another suit and blouse just in case. I might have to bathe in the Pirate’s Lagoon.”
“I wish I could go with you, but I’m looking forward to spending time with your family.”
“They’ve got you for two more days. Then you’re all mine.” She stood in the doorway, looking at Kaatje longingly. “I’ve been fantasizing about how it would be when you got here. I had all of these dreams of jumping into your arms and making love for hours.” She let her head rest upon the door for just a second. “I promise this is the crappiest reunion we’ll ever have. We’ve got nowhere to go but up.”
*
June the first, nine o’clock in the morning, and every important person in Osaka as well as in the national government of Japan was seated on a massive dais in front of the entrance gate. Since the park was the biggest project to open in Japan since the earthquake, the opening had garnered extensive international attention, adding to the pressure. But there was nothing to do at that moment but reflect while the speeches droned on.
Laurie had stood on this very spot over six years ago, fresh from completing her MBA. She and Fernando had been in Osaka for some meetings with the governor of the Osaka prefecture, and she was going to stay on for a few months to co-ordinate a mass of details with the site managers and transportation planners. She’d been terrified. It was her first time out of the country, and she didn’t speak a word of Japanese. Now, here she was, six years and what seemed like a billion miles in travel later, knowing her parents, her sister and brother-in-law, her nieces, and most important, Kaatje were all here together. She couldn’t find any of them in the crowd. In fact, she was fairly sure she wouldn’t be able to catch up with them until she was back at the hotel. But knowing they were there made the whole, ridiculous journey seem like it had been worth it. Now, if the gates opened properly, the food wasn’t toxic, and the rides didn’t kill anyone, it was all downhill.
*
The park closed at eleven, and everyone responsible for a department or division met at 11:05 in a well-disguised conference room not far from Teddy Bear’s Bee Hive. They picked apart every minor problem that had occurred until the Chairman of the Board of Luxor appeared and personally thanked each of them. When he stopped in front of her, he leaned in and said, “We have big plans for you, Laurie. I know it’s too soon to talk about your next assignment, but your work here has guaranteed you a ticket to do whatever interests you.” Then he shook her hand while patting her firmly on the back, like a coach would to a player.
Unlike someone heading out to put a hit on a wide receiver, she felt nothing but relief. Having the chairman know her name and praise her should have been a highlight of her career. But standing there, watching him speak to the next person in line, she was hit with a bolt of insight. She’d finished a huge, soul-draining project. It was a major accomplishment, but it was over. She’d given all of her time, energy and attention just for this day—but it felt completely hollow. It sounded stupid to even consider this important in the scheme of life. She knew now that she should have figured this out long ago. But the truth was that neither Luxor nor Teddy Bear could ever give her what mattered. Kaatje mattered, and she couldn’t leave the room fast enough to get back to what was truly important.
*
It was twelve thirty when she slipped her card key into the lock of her suite. As she knew she’d be, Kaatje was wide awake and ran to the door before it was completely open. “Best sight I’ve had all day,” Laurie sighed as the heavy door thudded behind her.
“Seeing the president of Japan on that big roller coaster wasn’t better?”
Laughing tiredly, Laurie shook her head. “Nope. You win.” She almost fell into Kaatje’s arms and they hugged tenderly for several sweet minutes. Nothing was better than holding someone you loved. It was an injection of a wonder drug. Everything was fine now that she was where she belonged.
“I’m proud of you,” Kaatje whispered. “If there were more people like you, the world would run like a Swiss clock.”
“Maybe. And a lot more people would die of exhaustion.” Kicking off her shoes, she started for the bedroom, but Kaatje stopped her and tightly held her in her arms for a minute. “Don’t toss off a funny comment. I’m very proud of you, and I want you to take that in.”
Laurie stood there for a bit, letting the words reach her emotions. “I do,” she whispered, then suddenly felt tears come to her eyes.
“And the thing I’m most in awe of is that you did it while staying remarkably, actually ridiculously, good humored.” She put her hands on Laurie’s arms and held her a foot away, gazing at her. “I can’t imagine working as hard as you have, but if I’d had to—everyone would have known I wasn’t happy about it. That was never true for you.”
“Thanks.” It was hard to swallow around the knot in her throat, but she nodded and smiled.
“I hope you’re at least half as proud of yourself as I am.”
“It will take me a while to be able to reflect. Right now I just want to get into that bed.”
Kaatje put an arm around her shoulders and they moved across the room. “You can sleep until noon, then I’ll get you a big American breakfast.”
She can’t be serious. How can she not know? “I’ve got to be at the park at seven. Everything we couldn’t get finished for the opening has to get done now.” She turned and put her hands on Kaatje’s shoulders, seeing the disappointment in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I assumed you’d know…”
“I should have. I knew you’d only just been able to get your ‘no go’ list done. There must be a thousand other things you have to see to.”
Laurie unzipped her skirt, then turned to catch a glimpse of the bed, looking at it like it was her lord and savior. “I wish it were only a thousand. I’d be a very happy woman.” She fought through the torpor to focus. Her hands settled around Kaatje’s waist and she gazed into her eyes, seeing how open they were to anything she might say. “I’ve been crazy to work this hard for this long. Meeting you has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’ll never let work rule my life again.”
Kaatje’s smile was so lovely that Laurie forced herself to ignore the rest of the truth. Finishing the job after coming to this realization was not going to be easy.
*
Finally, two days later, on Sunday morning, Laurie stayed in bed until noon. She and Kaatje ordered room service, and stayed in bed after they ate, talking and kissing and cuddling. Laurie was still a long way from rested, but she could imagine a time when she’d get there.
“What are our plans?” Kaatje asked. “When can you go back home?”
“Mmm, probably three months. If everything…” She stopped, knowing she’d screwed up again. “I’m sure I told you that.”
“I’m sure you didn’t.” Kaatje slipped out of bed, heading for the bathroom.
Laurie sat there, stunned at her own inability to communicate with her lover as well
as she did with ride designers. There was a loud bang in the bathroom, and she guessed it was Kaatje hitting something hard.
She jumped out of bed and went to lean against the door. “Kaatje?”
“Not now,” she said, her voice tight.
“I’m sorry. Really, I am. I was sure I told you the shake-out would take a while. I have to turn everything over to Hiroshi. That’s six years of—”
The door opened and Kaatje walked out, cheeks pink. “I know. I know. Six years. I’ve heard that a thousand times. Everything revolves around the fact that you’ve given a fucking stuffed animal six years of your life!” She grabbed a shirt and a pair of jeans and stormed out into the hallway, stark naked. Laurie stared after her, too stunned to follow. Tears started to flow and she mentally kicked herself savagely for screwing everything up this badly.
She knew, she was one hundred percent certain she’d told Kaatje the shake-out would take a while. But she was equally sure she hadn’t ever sat down with her to go over the timeline. She’d expected these dates to just be obvious to her, and that was utterly ridiculous.
Kaatje had never, ever cursed like that. Actually, she’d never come close to raising her voice. Laurie had no idea how to approach her. Maybe letting her have time alone would help, but it could just as easily make her feel abandoned. Why wasn’t there a clear, easily understood manual for how to handle a relationship?
She headed for the bathroom, acknowledging that it hardly mattered. She’d be too busy to read it. She got into the shower and afterwards got dressed as quickly as she could. Kaatje had been roaming around the area, and she might have been oriented, but Laurie had seen nothing but the front entrance of the hotel where she got into and out of cars. Still, she had to go looking for her even if it was a waste of time. When she opened the door she almost tripped over her. Kaatje was sitting right next to the door, her legs splayed out in front of her. “I don’t have any money. Or shoes,” she said miserably.
Laurie reached down and helped pull her to her feet. “Want to go inside or go for a walk?”
“Inside.” They went back in. Kaatje was deflated. Her affect was glum and her voice soft. “It makes sense that you still have work to do. You don’t just open the door and walk away. I didn’t think to ask.” She finally met Laurie’s eyes and said, “I’m sorry for getting angry.”
“It’s okay.” She petted her cheek, trying to maintain eye contact. “I won’t have to work nearly as hard as I have been. And there are dozens of places to see that would keep you busy all day.”
Her answer was obvious before she said a word. Kaatje often didn’t say everything that was on her mind, but sometimes her expression did. “No. I can’t stay here for three months. Besides going broke, I need my quiet time. The ocean nurtures me.” She looked into Laurie’s eyes as if begging for understanding. “That’s who I am. Amsterdam wires me up, St. Maarten calms me down. Osaka has wired me up pretty fast, but not in a good way. I don’t have friends or family or any of the homey things that sustain me.”
“Could you stay just for a while?” If there was a chance, she’d gladly beg.
Kaatje took her hand and gazed into her eyes for a few minutes. There was no way this was going to be a good talk. Kaatje looked like she was going to lower the boom, and no one could have blamed her.
Laurie started shaking like a dry leaf in a strong wind. Kaatje’s voice was soft, but determined. “I’ll go back to work. I’d much rather be with you, but I’d go crazy being alone in a country where I don’t know anyone and can’t speak the language.”
“Cherry blossoms?” That was not the home run she was trying to think of, but it was all that came to mind. “Osaka’s kinda like Amsterdam. There are rivers everywhere, and when the cherry blossoms bloom there would be amazing pictures you could take.”
Kaatje looked like she was trying to figure out a way to say “yes.” Her eyes twitched just a millimeter from left to right. “Don’t they bloom in the spring?”
“Isn’t it spring?”
“No, Moppie. It’s June.”
“Right, I knew that. I know! Someone was talking about the Tenjin Matsuri Festival. It’s a very big deal. I’m not sure what it is, but they said they have great fireworks. It sounded like it’d be great to shoot.”
Kaatje looked contemplative. “If it’s in a couple of weeks, I should be able to stay busy. But that’s about my limit.”
“But what about the future? What will happen when I’m free?”
“Then we have to make some decisions.” That was not a news flash, but Kaatje didn’t add a word. It was like she was tossing a grenade at Laurie.
“Did you like LA at all?”
“I could live there. I went down to Huntington Beach and got to surf waves that were better than any I’d ever ridden. And if I could run my business out of Marina del Rey, I’d be content to just see you at night. You’re worth an awful lot of sacrifice, Laurie.” She held her by the shoulders. “I hope you know that.”
“But,” she said, her lip quivering.
“But I did a lot of research when I was there, and it looks like it would be impossible for me to get permission to live and work in America. Unless I read things incorrectly, the only way we can be together is if you move to Holland or St. Maarten.”
Stunning. She was willing to give up what she loved and live in Holland full time. Who wouldn’t love this woman? Kaatje fixed her with those beautiful blue eyes. She desperately wanted to say she’d throw everything away to go sail on Kaatje’s boat. But that wasn’t true. It might be true next week, or next month, but making a decision like that right now was beyond impossible. For Kaatje to even ask that meant she still didn’t understand the true meaning of exhausted. “I want to say I’ll drop everything and go. But I need a few months to decompress and think. I’m not sure what day it is, other than open plus five.” She slapped the side of her head with her open hand. “Who talks like that?”
“You do.” Kaatje kissed the top of her head. “You’ve been thoroughly indoctrinated.”
“That’s for sure. I can’t make any decisions until I’ve gotten some sleep. I honestly don’t feel like myself any more, Kaatje. Do you understand?”
“I do. You’ve been sleep deprived for months. That screws you up.”
“It does. I’m screwed up. But once I rest, we can figure this out. There’s a way through this that will make us both happy.”
Looking heartsick, Kaatje leveled her gaze and said, “What if we can’t?”
“We will. I just opened a multi-billion dollar theme park on a different continent. Practically by myself. We can figure this out too.” Her exhaustion might have made her promise or say anything.
Kaatje took her hand and led her to the bed. After undressing, she held her close under the fluffy duvet. “Let’s sleep a little right now. Just close your eyes and listen to my heart beat.”
Laurie heard three beats. Then nothing.
Chapter Seventeen
LATER THAT EVENING they had a fantastic dinner and managed to find a sake they both enjoyed. They were sitting there, digesting their meal when Laurie asked, “How would you like to go to work with me tomorrow?”
“How do I do that?”
“If you want to, I’d like to have you with me for a day. I could show you the park close-up. I think you’d enjoy it.”
Kaatje smiled warmly, showing her teeth. “I’d love to be with you for a whole day. Won’t your bosses think it’s a little funny?”
“They all went back to LA today. I’m in charge until I pack up and head home.” She picked up both arms and held them over her head for a moment. “I’m king of the forest. Bears live in the forest, right?”
*
The alarm buzzed loudly, waking them at six. Laurie lay there for a moment, trying to get her bearings. It was Monday, and Kaatje was coming to work with her. With a surprising amount of energy, she leaned over and kissed Kaatje’s still face. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”
Kaatje let out a grunt of acknowledgment and Laurie went to start the shower. When she was blow drying her hair, Kaatje stumbled into the bathroom and wrapped her arms around Laurie’s bare body. Laurie stroked her back and kissed her sleepy face. “Too tired? You can come over later if you want.”
“No, I can do it. It just seems really, really early.” She went into the shower and stood there with the hot water hitting her right in her upturned face.
*
Kaatje wasn’t as fast as she should have been and they got to the park later than Laurie planned. Laurie flashed her pass, then spent some time getting Kaatje set up with an all-access visitor’s pass. It was almost seven, but there was no way she was going to be late. Especially when she was bringing her girlfriend. As they walked down the deserted main street, she started to pick up the pace and by the time they reached the Bee Hive, they were practically at a jog. Laurie took a quick look at her watch as they walked into the conference room. Seven on the dot.
Five people had obviously just arrived. They were all opening up their laptops and had been chatting companionably. But all conversation stopped when Laurie entered. It wasn’t a sense of power that filled her when that happened. It was a sign of respect, and she liked that more than she would have admitted. “Good morning, everyone. This is my…” She didn’t know how to introduce Kaatje. There were many terms, but none of them were perfect. Especially for her staff. She took the easy way out and ignored using a title. “This is Kaatje Hoogeboom. She’s going to shadow us today. Kaatje, this is Hiroshi Oh, the manager of the park, Toshi Yakamoto, his assistant, Tim Holmes, head ride engineer, Reiko Ishii, head of food and beverage, Seiji Okada, head of security, Kunio Miura, head of maintenance, and Eichi Maeda, head of entertainment.” The door opened and two Americans entered, both looking nervous. “Glad you could join us,” Laurie said, with a smile that bordered on sarcastic.
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