by Imari Jade
One of the babies cried upstairs.
“Now you can groom those two,” Takumijo said.
“I guess it’s feeding time for them,” Ichiro replied. “She’s breastfeeding them.”
“But I thought she decided against it,” Takumijo said.
“I thought so too, but I saw her do it on the day we named the boys. The sight nearly brought tears to my eyes. She had one baby nursing from each breast while she talked to us.”
“In front of your family? You mean Daichi got to see the goods?”
Ichiro shook his head. “No, she was covered. Daichi took pictures. They’re going into the babies’ christening book.”
“I bet you wanted to change places with one of them,” Satoshi teased.
“Yes,” Ichiro admitted. “I am so horny.”
Satoshi chuckled. “You heard the nurse. Shaundra can’t have sex for at least five weeks, and only if she’s speaking to you by then.”
“We’re going back to Europe the day after tomorrow, so you won’t be tempted,” Takumijo told Ichiro. “And if you get desperate enough, I’ll give you comfort.”
Ichiro glared at him. “You touch me and I’ll kick your ass. Or haven’t you noticed I’m as tall as you guys are now?”
“I’ve been meaning to ask you about that. Why are you still growing?”
“I eat right,” Ichiro said. “And now Satoshi is the runt of the litter.”
Satoshi chuckled. “You’ll be the runt of the litter again when your sons are our age. Those are going to be some big boys. Shaundra must be glad they’re finally out of her body.”
Ichiro nodded. “From what I can, tell she’s lost most of the baby weight. I’m surprised. I thought she’d retain a lot of it.”
“Nope,” Satoshi said. “She told me she always bounces back pretty well after a pregnancy. I guess it’s her metabolism or something.”
“You and my wife are getting just a little too chummy,” Ichiro told him.
“We’re friends,” Satoshi said.
Ichiro rolled his eyes at him. “Yeah, I know. You better not go buying her any underwear like Harper.”
“Can you imagine how big her butt is now that she’s given birth?” Satoshi asked.
Ichiro groaned. He was going to kick the piss out of Satoshi if he didn’t stop.
“She already had a lot of junk in that trunk,” Takumijo added. “It jiggled when she walked.”
“Yes, it did,” Satoshi agreed.
“Why are you losers discussing my wife’s butt?”
“What else do we have to do?” Takumijo asked. “At least you have that butt to sleep next to tonight.”
“No, I don’t,” Ichiro said. “I think I better sleep in Cristal’s old room. I can still hear the babies if they cry during the night.”
“Chicken,” Satoshi teased.
“She tried to choke me,” Ichiro said in his own defense. “What part of that don’t you understand?”
Both Takumijo and Ichiro laughed.
Takumijo looked Ichiro over. “You’re six foot tall, and nearly two hundred pounds. How much harm can she do to you?”
That was true. Nearly two hundred pounds? When had this happened? All he wanted to do was add some muscle, but lately, he’d been living at the gym trying to work out his frustrations. “Do you think Shaundra might be scared of me now? I mean, because I’m bigger?”
“You’ve always been bigger than her,” Satoshi said as he polished off his cup of sake.
“No, I mean the muscles?”
Takumijo shook his head. “Don’t be foolish. Women like men with muscles.”
Satoshi bobbed his head in agreement. “Just wait. You’ll be beating her off you again.”
“I don’t want to beat her off me. I need her on me or under me,” Ichiro insisted.
Satoshi and Takumijo laughed at his statement.
“You better get used to your hands,” Satoshi said. “Five weeks is a long time.”
“I wonder if her mouth is off limits for five weeks.” Ichiro asked.
Takumijo spat sake across the room and Satoshi choked.
“What?” Ichiro asked.
“Don’t say that,” Satoshi warned. “I’m liking the visual way too much.”
One of the babies cried loudly upstairs.
“Get you mind out of the gutter, Satoshi,” Takumijo said. “And let’s go see if we can give Shaundra a hand with our babies.”
****
Shaundra had just gotten Raiden to sleep when Ryoto woke up ready to eat. “You guys have this tag-team thing down to a science,” she said as she sat down in the rocking chair with him. She could tell them apart without the bracelets. Raiden was bigger in the face and turned red when he cried. And Ryoto had a sweeter disposition and a heartier appetite. He’d catch up in weight with Raiden if he kept that up. “You guys will probably not taste a hamburger and fries for a long time because Daddy will insist that you eat nutritious meals. And Mama is never going to dress the two of you alike. You are individuals.” She’d chosen blue, brown, yellow, and green for their layette and decided to interchange the clothes until they outgrew them. She didn’t want her babies to be referred to as “the twins.” And only on rare occasions would she dress them alike. Probably for publicity pictures or she would have to kill Mr. Niigata.
Ryoto opened his eyes and looked up at her. “Why, hello, Ryoto. Are you enjoying your meal?” The baby smiled at her like he understood her. “You’re going to be a heartbreaker one day. But you need to treat your woman with respect and never cheat on her. We women don’t like it.”
The baby continued to watch her while he suckled.
Shaundra hummed to him and before she knew it, she was singing one of her favorite songs to him. It was ‘Begin’ by Tohoshinki.
The baby continued to watch her as she sang. She hadn’t felt like doing so in a long time. She’d grown up in a church, sang in the choir, and taught Sunday school until Tricia graduated from high school. Her mother always thought she’d be a singer because of her deep, throaty voice, and how she and her sister used to sing duets in the church choir. Lord, that seemed like eons ago. She’d discovered writing and gotten married. Now, she was married to one of the hottest tenors in all of Asia.
****
“Is that Shaundra singing?” Takumijo asked as they tiptoed upstairs to check on the babies.
Ichiro nodded. “That’s the song we walked down the aisle to when we got married.”
“I never knew she could sing,” Takumijo said.
“Me either,” Ichiro said.
“She has a lovely voice,” Satoshi said as they stood in the hall listening. “Like a jazz singer.”
“Why didn’t she ever tell me she could sing?” Ichiro asked.
“Because you’re the singer in the family,” Takumijo said. “And she’s the writer.”
“But you think I would have heard her at least once.”
“She sang before with Cristal,” Satoshi reminded him. “We were on our way to or from somewhere and Amaya got all pissed off because they were singing some American song.”
“But not like this,” Ichiro said. “And in perfect Korean.”
“And she’s singing from her heart,” Satoshi said.
“Maybe she’s never had something to sing about before,” Takumijo said.
“Or, maybe she just didn’t want to,” Satoshi said.
“Where the hell did she learn Korean from?” Ichiro asked.
They tiptoed back down the stairs to give Shaundra a chance to entertain her sons.
Chapter Ten
“What do you mean you’re going to Japan?” Tricia asked Damien as they sat on the floor in his bedroom at his father’s New York mansion.
“My father and the Dean discussed it and came to the agreement that maybe, just maybe, I would do better at a Japanese University to finish off my Master’s degree. And they also decided that maybe I should get a job at my father’s publishing company and start learning
how to be responsible.”
“But what about us?”
Damien looked over at the love of his life and tried to pretend none of this affected him. “It’s not the end of the world. It’s just for a semester. We can be together after that.”
Tricia pouted.
His cock stirred in his briefs as he gazed upon those luscious brown lips.
“A semester is a long time. What if you meet someone else?”
There could never be anyone else for him but her. He’d been in love with her since they were kids. And he knew even back then she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. “I won’t even look at another woman while I’m there,” he promised.
Tricia rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t you know such things are out of your control? You’re blond and green-eyed and those little Asian girls are going to go ga-ga over you.”
“Maybe,” Damien said, lifting her chin and staring deeply into her eyes. “But only you have my heart.” He lowered his head and kissed her.
Tricia melted in his arms and his body hardened with desire. “I want to make love to you so badly,” he whispered against her lips.
“And I want a wedding ring and a commitment,” she whispered back against his.
Damien groaned and moved her away from him. “I think I need a dip in a cold Alaskan river.”
Tricia giggled. “Don’t you think it’s hard on me too? But I want our first time together to be special and on our wedding night.”
“I hope you’ve been looking for a bridal gown and picking out churches,” Damien said. “I plan to marry you as soon as we graduate and not another day later. I can’t take this anymore.”
“I want a black and white wedding,” Tricia told him. “All the guys will be in black tuxes with tails, and the girls will dress in virgin white.”
“And then that night, I’m going to rock your world.”
Tricia laughed and punched him on the arm. “You better live up to the hype.”
“Or what? You’ll leave me for one of those pretty boy J-Poppers?”
“I might,” Tricia said.
Damien grabbed her and they wrestled around on the floor. He tickled her and Tricia squealed with delight.
The door opened and eighteen-year-old Kevin Kehoe stood in the doorway. “What are the two of you doing? I can hear you all the way down in my room.”
Tricia and Damien sat up.
“I’m tickling her,” Damien admitted to his younger, geekier brother.
“Very mature,” Kevin said, leaning in the doorjamb. “I’m trying to study.”
“You should be out on a date somewhere,” Damien told him.
“I’m not interested,” Kevin said. “Women are a hindrance.”
“Hey!” Tricia said.
“Well, maybe not you, but all the rest. I’m not interested in going to movies or to clubs. I need a degree, and I can’t get one if I’m gabbing on the phone to some skirt.”
“Skirt?” Tricia asked, puzzled. “Are you sure he’s human?”
Kevin shook his head at them, closed the door, and walked back down the hall to his room.
“I won’t be a bit surprised if he ends up dating a guy,” Damien said.
Tricia chuckled. “He’d make a cute Uke with those big brown eyes and that blond hair.”
“A what?” Damien asked.
“A Uke…the feminine male in a gay relationship. Don’t tell me you’ve never read yaoi?”
“Yo what?” Damien asked.
“Yaoi. It’s like Japanese manga written by women.”
Damien made a face. “No, why would I read something like that?”
“You better pick up a couple of yaoi manga and educate yourself. It’s very popular in Japan.” She pouted again.
“It’s not going to be the end of the world, baby, and I’ll be too busy with my job and getting my degree to have time to read comic books.”
“What kind of work will you be doing?”
“I don’t know. I think I’ll be an assistant to some publicist.” It’s probably some decrepit little old man who can’t speak English.”
“How good is your Japanese?”
Damien said something to her.
“You’re fluent?”
He nodded and smiled at her. Why did she think he was just a pretty face? “Kevin too. My father has had big dreams for us since we were kids. He’s always wanted to open a business in Japan.”
“And you can’t pass Economics?”
“Not can’t. Didn’t want to,” he answered. “But I’ll graduate and make you proud of me.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” Tricia said. “I plan to be a high maintenance bride, and I’m expecting a nice-sized diamond in my engagement ring. Something pear-shaped with plenty of carats backing it up, and set in a gold band.”
“Oh!” Damien said. “Then I better brush up on my ass-kissing, because my father may have to spot me a loan until they crown me Emperor of Japan.”
She chuckled. “Okay. I’m only teasing. You can make the band silver.”
Damien shoved her on her back and rolled on top of her. “I plan to give you everything your heart desires. And in return, all I ask is that you pledge your undying love only to me.”
Tricia wrapped her arms around his neck. “I think I can handle that.”
****
“How are you feeling?” Charlotte Martin, Shaundra’s editor, asked her.
“Swell,” Shaundra said. She hadn’t talked to Charlotte in a while and felt bad about it.
“I’ve seen pictures of the babies. They’re adorable.”
“Thanks,” Shaundra said. “They’re asleep now and being guarded closely by their father.”
“Have the two of you patched things up yet?”
“No,” Shaundra said. “He’s just spending as much time with them as he can before he flies back off to Europe.”
“Oh, yeah. Harper told me that Aomori is performing there.”
“Yeah, they’ll be flying back to France tomorrow, and then they’re off to Amsterdam.”
“But they will be back in time for the christening and Christmas?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“Why don’t you sound sure?”
“Because they never really include me in their plans anymore.”
“You don’t sound upset about it.”
“I’m not. I have a full plate. I don’t have time to travel and follow them on the road.” She paused. “Have you had time to look over the book I sent you?”
“Yes,” Charlotte said.
“Well, what do you think?”
Charlotte chuckled. “Personally, I think it’s the best thing you’ve ever written.”
“What?”
“Girl, I think you got a winner. I can’t wait for Harper to read it. He is going to flip. It’s sexy and humorous, and the heroine has more substance than any other heroine you’ve created.”
“Thanks,” Shaundra said. She knew she had a good book after it had brought her to tears when she read over it.
“So when can I get the next book in the series?” Charlotte asked like a true editor.
“I don’t know. It depends on my two little guys.”
“But haven’t you hired a nanny?”
“Don’t go spreading that around. It’s not common knowledge yet.”
“Do you mean you haven’t discussed it with Ichiro yet?”
“No.”
“Why? You don’t think he will like her?”
“It’s not a her.”
Charlotte squealed. “What?”
“It was Harper’s idea and I agreed with his choice.”
“Is he cute?”
“Very,” Shaundra replied.
“I can’t wait to hear all of the juicy details.”
“That’s for a future conversation,” Shaundra told her.
“Well, you better get back to your little bundles of joy,” Charlotte said. “I’ll try to call you in a couple
of days.”
“Give everyone my love,” Shaundra said. “Goodbye.” She hung up the phone, left her office, and walked slowly back to her bedroom to check on the babies. She found Ichiro seated in the chair rocking Raiden in his arms.
He put his finger to his lips. “Shush. I just got him back to sleep.” He rose and put the baby back in his crib. His brother snored peacefully on his back in his crib. Ichiro walked out of the nursery and into the bedroom, giving her a good look at him.
Ichiro appeared much older than twenty-five. She corrected her thoughts. He would be turning twenty-six on Christmas Eve. Mr. Niigata was throwing a party for him.
His body had filled to grown man proportions and he now sported hair on his face…something he didn’t have when she met him.
“Can we talk?” he asked.
She really didn’t have anything to say to him, but she nodded. Shaundra sat down on the bed and Ichiro sat down in the chair.
“I know things haven’t been right between us for a long time. And I know it’s because of me. But I want you to know that I’m still in love with you and I always will be. I just can’t stop loving you, baby.”
Shaundra sighed. Words.
“I never cheated on you, Shaundra. I know you don’t believe me, but it’s the truth. Eri kissed me. Nothing else happened. I don’t know why I called out her name. You’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted to make love to. You fill me with great joy and you’ve made me the happiest man in the world with those two beautiful babies. So please don’t give up on me yet.”
Shaundra tried to digest all he had told her. All he wanted her to do was tell him that everything was okay and that she forgave him, but she couldn’t. It wasn’t just the sex with Eri, or the kiss. It was a combination of things. He’d lied to her, abandoned her, and put her through that paternity test. And all she’d ever done was love and want the best for him. Why couldn’t anyone understand that she was hurting emotionally? Ichiro had wounded her, and it was going to take more than pretty words to fix her. She’d been through an earthquake and tsunami, had stopped breathing a couple of times, and had been in a coma, all since meeting him. How much more was she expected to go through in the name of love?