“Are you trying to provoke me? Sorry. I was making small talk, not really trying to be nosey.”
“It’s all right, but let’s deal with one thing at a time. Now, to your seat issue.”
“You mean your issue.”
“We’ve already established that this seat is unequivocally mine. You do have a window seat. That one,” he said pointing to the seat next to the one she’d commandeered temporarily.
“Nope, nope, no! I do not want to be boxed in by some stranger for the next four hours. Why can’t people do their damn jobs properly? God! Is that asking too much?”
“Lower your voice and stop swearing. There are other people in this car beside us, and frankly, I’m not a fan of the language either. I guess you’re not one to get into the whole Christmas spirit, huh? Tis the season?”
“Yeah, right. Fa la la la la!” This time there was no mistaking her sarcasm. “What, are you some religious type or something? No cussing, no drinking, no sex, no fun?”
“No, I’m not some religious type. I’m just respectful.”
“I’ll take my ticket back now, thanks.” Holding out her hand she expected him to hand it back and to stop this unwanted exchange.
“I’m sure we can work it out, without making someone else uncomfortable.” As far as he was concerned, gorgeous or not, this woman was destined to make someone very sad for the holidays.
“So, I’m given the wrong seat and you think someone else will be uncomfortable. I’m the someone that’ll be uncomfortable. When I bought my ticket, I pointed to the window seat. This window seat,” she added looking down at his seat. “It was part of my perfect plan. A single seat by the window was meant for me. It’s why I chose it.”
“Subtle. Sit back down, please. The train is going to stop again in a few minutes. That was the announcement you just heard.”
“Did you grow up here? No one who simply studied sounds that native.”
“I did, but that’s a long and involved story. Maybe later.”
“Right. Our later is really limited, since I don’t plan on spending any more time with you than I have to.” Leah indicated her watch.
“I have a solution for that.”
The attendant took away the older couple’s tray and they pretended to not listen to the conversation that was going on behind them. Leah could see the looks they were not so subtly giving her and her unnamed companion over their shoulders. That was the drawback of them being Americans. A native Japanese couple wouldn’t have given them a second glance or listen.
As the car filled up, Leah kept her eyes focused out the window. She decided to grab her book and earbuds and fulfill her zoning out plan. Prayerfully, it would be a nice monolingual Japanese lady who wasn’t interested or able to chat who would occupy the spot beside her. A man, of any nationality, would either be a pain in the ass, like this one, or try to flirt. She wasn’t interested in either scenario. People, men and women she’d found, behaved as though she dressed for them, solely for their attention, but she was a true girly-girl and had been enjoying dress up since she was five years old. Anytime she went anywhere, Leah dressed intentionally. She didn’t believe in dashing out the house halfway ready. She knew she looked great and that was the only opinion that really mattered to her.
Before the car pulled away again, she heard the flawless speech of her traveling partner. He obviously didn’t think she could handle things on her own. Maybe she was a little shrill, but it wasn’t for no reason. Refusing to give him, the old couple or the newly arrived person any attention, Leah maintained a rigid posture with her back to the rest of the car.
“Problem solved.”
Him again.
“What problem? What solution?” Her voice said she was bored senseless with the exchange, but even she was having a hard time not giving into human curiosity.
“I’m not going to talk to your back, honey. You need an attitude adjustment, for real.”
That made her turn with a quickness. She couldn’t be sure what nationality he was, but he was absolutely acting like a hundred percent man. Ugh, testosterone.
“Pardon me. Don’t call me honey. I don’t know you like that and right now I don’t want to either.”
He slid into the aisle seat next to her and leaned in as close as possible. He wasn’t whispering exactly, but the lady now occupying his seat and the elderly couple certainly couldn’t hear.
“I explained to the nice lady that my wife and I were having a little disagreement and that you bought separate seats because you were upset, but that I’d apologized and now you really wanted me to sit with you again.”
“You’ve got some ego on you, buddy. And, you can let my hand go now. I’m sure she’s sufficiently convinced of our love.”
“Oh, I think hanging on to your hand is saving you in ways you can’t imagine.”
Leaning down, he kissed the back of her hand. Not sure if the charade was driving him, or his undesired attraction to this ungracious woman, but holding her hand was sparking something. He went with his gut and decided to not overthink it. “So, now that we’re married I think we should know each other’s names, don’t you?”
Chapter 3
Leah covered her mouth to stifle the laughter. Damn him for smelling so good and being charming to boot. She didn’t need this, not even for four hours.
“That’s funny?”
“Honestly, everything, since I stepped on this train, has been nothing but a comedy of errors. Learning my ‘husband’s’ name after the fact actually fits this scenario perfectly. So, let’s have it.”
“Oh, my name. Yes, I’m Adrian.”
“Like Cher or Madonna? Or, is there more?”
“Adrian Nakamura Johnson.”
“Are you kidding me? Nakamura Johnson. Is that part of the longer story you mentioned earlier? Seeing as how you’re my husband, I think I deserve at least an abridged version of the explanation.”
“Do you think saying that with that cute little crinkle in your nose is going to have me giving you what you ask for on the rest of this ride?”
“You think I’m cute?” Maybe this wouldn’t be all bad. It did feel nice having her hand enveloped by his.
“I think the crinkle in your nose can be cute, but a marriage can’t be built on cute noses alone. Who exactly are you, besides a cranky traveler?”
“I’m not always a cranky traveler. I just like things to go a certain way. That’s not so abnormal you know.”
“Name, please. The next time I need to scold you about your filthy mouth or ungrateful attitude I’d like to use it.”
“Scold me? On reserve for later. It’s Leah. And, yes before you ask, like the princess.”
“So, I’m in the presence of royalty.”
That cute little nose was going to get him into a world of trouble. This girl, young woman, was obviously a captivating little minx. She was perfectly adorable and way too much his type. Adrian hadn’t encountered someone quite like her since his return to Japan and to say he was missing steady female companionship would be an understatement.
He’d really thought his ex would have jumped at the chance to join him in Tokyo. She was always talking about doing something new and wanting new experiences. She’d certainly introduced him to a bunch of new things he now happily claimed as a natural part of himself. But in the end, the prospect of leaving the country and truly depending on Adrian alone scared her more than anything they’d tried up to that point. He couldn’t even convince her to give it a go for a little while. They’d been good together and he’d thrown himself into work and nursed his broken heart for nearly six months. That was almost two years ago.
Eventually, his human needs won out and Adrian jumped back into the deep end of the dating pool. There was no shortage of beautiful woman in the city, in his profession, or in his bed, but after a while, they all started to look and sound the same. It totally became about the physical and he couldn’t ghost them quick enough beyond the third night shag. Leah
was the first person he’d met in Japan that he felt an instant connection to. He was looking forward to the next couple of hours and getting to know the little lady who didn’t travel too well.
“To hear my family tell it, yes. Yes you are, sitting with royalty, I mean.”
“So, are you telling me you’re spoiled beyond repair?”
“No, of course I’m not saying that, but being the only girl in the family has had its privileges.”
“Then I guess I’ve been duly warned. So, princess, are there any other heirs to the throne?”
“Yes, but I just call them brothers. My twin brother, Luke – yes, my parents thought they were hilarious – lives in New York, and our older brother Eric lives in Arizona near our folks. He should have been voted most likely to never live further than thirty minutes from home. The only reason he’s even that far now is that his office is in his town and he hates commuting.”
“What about you? Why are you so far? Oh, let’s enjoy some of these included snacks. Do you want a Japanese or a western meal?”
“What’s in each one? I love Japanese food, but I don’t love surprises.”
“No surprises or super unrecognizable foods. Plus, it comes with wine.”
Adrian got the attendant’s attention, “Sumimasen, Kōbe ekiden ga arimasu ka?”
They continued with their extremely polite exchange and Leah took the opportunity to complete the once over she’d started earlier. He smelled like heaven on earth, all natural with hints of sandalwood and something calming and unidentifiable that made her want to snuggle in close and spend hours in his arms. It must have been a casual day in his office or wherever he was coming from. The look was a cross between office formal and a professor. Dark grey slacks were matched with a charcoal grey Henley and a cable knit sweater with those wooden buttons that made a man look distinguished beyond handsome. Only the second button from the top was done up. His blazer was discarded and hung on the hook on the back of the chair in front of him.
“Your lunch will be right up.”
“Kobe, that’s beef, right?”
“Very good, wife. Now, where were we? Ah, yes, what exactly brought you to Japan?”
Folding her hands in her lap, Leah ran through the viable answers to his question. She’d never see him again, so she could always go with the truth. That would likely result in her ugly crying all over him. She could offer up an innocuous answer that would be total bullshit, but it also wouldn’t reveal any soul-crushing secrets. Then there was the reader’s digest version of the truth – that being the real story, less all of the emotional baggage. Whatever it was, she knew she had to come up with it quickly. His dark eyes were boring into her.
The crinkle in the bridge of her nose was getting more pronounced and although she was sitting perfectly still, her left eye twitched just enough to be a noticeable red flag – for someone as observant as Adrian. Scrutinizing a client’s every facial tick for telltale signs of outright deceit or less than forthcoming disclosure was one of his superpowers. She was going to answer him, but the truthfulness of whatever story he was about to hear remained to be seen.
“Let’s say I needed a change of scenery.” Leah finally answered in as a vague a manner as she thought she could get away with while buying time.
“Arizona to Japan, yup I’d say that covered a scenic change. I was hoping for something a little more specific though.”
“I was actually working a job I loved. It paid well and wasn’t that difficult. It wasn’t in my field, but then again almost nothing is, or isn’t. I was an English major. This offer sort of came out of the blue and, well, you know how it goes.”
“Nope, tell me. Hold that thought.” Adrian put her off while the attendant set up their seat trays with linen, chopsticks and wine glasses.
“Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita.” Leah offered up, more gracious than she’d been since she got on the train.
“Your language skills aren’t so bad.” He turned back to her as the attendant moved on.
Her blush was cute and showed on her cheeks and the tops of her ears. This trip was going to be over too soon for his liking, he could tell that already.
“I mastered saying thank you before I even left the country. For the first month please, thank you, excuse me, sorry, water, and bathroom was the full extent of my abilities. I am a lot better these days, but nowhere near as fluent as you.”
“Shall we toast?”
“To what?” Her question came out coy sounding, even to her own ears and even though that wasn’t her intent. The smile he turned her way, she decided, was worth the small sacrifice to dignity. Coy, she couldn’t remember the last time she played at that.
“To making new friends, sharing secrets and safe travels.”
Clinking glasses she was already about to sip when she caught on to his reference to sharing secrets. This man was going to know her completely and she wasn’t anywhere near as afraid as she should have been.
“So, princess, you’ve managed to escape giving me a thorough answer, but you are out of distractions and interruptions.”
“But, we’re about to eat. It’s rude to talk with your mouth full.”
“But it’s dangerous to tell a lie, especially to someone who’s come to your rescue.”
“Um, dangerous. Maybe I’m willing to take my chances.”
“I’ll tuck that away as useful information for later. So, the offer came to you out of the blue.”
Gazing at her over the chopsticks poised at his lips, Adrian looked at her kindly, but with a soul reaching intensity that made her straighten her posture and compulsively tidy up her tray even though there wasn’t a single item out of place.
“I did something incredibly stupid on the dream job that I loved. I was going to stay and live in the consequences of my own stupidity, after an appropriate period of self pity, but then I get this email. It was about a job I’d randomly applied to a few years ago. At the time they didn’t have anything that was a fit for me, but no biggie because they said they kept everyone’s information on file in case something did open up. There really wasn’t a plan in place to move to another continent. That lack of a plan turned my family on its ear. My brothers said I was just getting rid of an old toy for a shiny new one and my parents assumed I was acting out, but against what they didn’t know. For some reason, none of them believed I could be making the decision for me and about me. Apparently, I do things on a whim with little to no thought of the long term consequences.”
She’d put that last sentence in air quotes and Adrian wanted to know who had put those particular thoughts in her head. His story was different, but not much more thought out beyond what it meant in his immediate future. Some impulses were good and even necessary if you wanted to make a big change, but the way she was telling it confirmed that she had definitely left some details out.
“Am I to guess that last bit is a direct quote from your dad?”
“No, Daddy doesn’t do reacting harshly. Well, not with me. Our standard model is I screw up. He shakes his head in grave disappointment and then my mother ‘deals’ with me. He just looks at me with those disappointed eyes until my punishment is up and I’m back in my mother’s good graces. If Mommy is happy than everyone else gets to be happy.”
“Yikes. So, it was your mom’s quote?”
“No, it was Eric’s. My big brother can be intense and a real stick up the—”
“Don’t.” Adrian smiled at her, holding a finger up to halt whatever naughty word was about to fly from her beautiful mouth. “He sounds like he doesn’t mind some solid life structure. There’s nothing wrong with that, you know. Sometimes clear cut boundaries can even be comforting.”
“Says the man who looks like his whole life is wound really tightly. One big ol’ clear cut boundary.”
Going back to eating and drinking, Leah was appreciative of the wine that had come with their lunch. It was a crisp cold chardonnay and she could feel a calmness come over her as it made its w
ay down her throat. With a subtle lick of her lips, she didn’t realize that her joy had been audible.
“You like?”
“Pardon me. I didn’t realize how much. I’ve only done the train twice since I moved here and both times I ordered the ‘western’ meal. I’ve been missing out.”
“Indeed. And, for the record, I’m not wound nearly as tightly as you think. I’m betting I could surprise you.”
“I’m becoming more convinced of that by the minute. So, what’s your story?”
“You’ve finished yours? I really don’t get to know the stupid mistake? We’re practically strangers on the train. We likely won’t see one another again. It can’t be that bad.”
“By those standards, no, it’s not. I mean it didn’t result in a double homicide or anything.”
“Good to know. I’m enjoying your company and I would hate to think you were a homicidal maniac.”
“Believe me, I’m not anywhere near that interesting. Actually, I need to excuse myself for a perfectly normal reason. Seriously. The ladies room. Considering this is a first class car it should be a very pleasant experience.”
How was it that someone he’d known so briefly could make him smile so much? Already, she was igniting something in him that he’d been certain was too deeply buried to even have a single ember left. But, here he was dreading the end of his commute. Normally, he slept or read for the hours it took to get from his mother’s place back to the city center. Talking to someone he’d just met and under such blatantly rude beginnings wasn’t his style at all. He favored poise and graciousness attached to beauty. Curt, confrontational, with a potty mouth, wasn’t his typical draw, but all of that was packaged with beauty and showed up sexy as hell. It was decided. Before they got off this train he was going to get her number. It might not end up as forever, but it sure as hell would end up as interesting.
“Anata no tsuma wa ima, shiawasedesu. Mō tatakaimasen. Sore wa īdesu.”
12 Naughty Days of Christmas 2018 Page 26