I Just Can't Stop Loving You

by Imari Jade

  “The woman is a bitch and Osamu has good tastes,” Takumijo said, rising and heading toward the hotel door.

  “See you guys later,” Ichiro said, turning toward the elevator. “Try to stay out of trouble.”

  Cristal and Tae entered the door just as Takumijo and the others were about to leave.

  “You guys on your way out?” Cristal asked.

  “Yes,” Yori answered. “How was your date?”

  Leave it to Yori to ask such a rude question. Satoshi awaited the answer.

  “The food was great and I was with a pretty woman,” Tae replied. “That makes for a perfect date.”

  “When are you leaving?” Yori asked rudely.

  “Tomorrow morning. I have an early flight back to Japan. So I plan to go to bed shortly.” He smiled smugly. “Unless I get a better offer.”

  Cristal continued over to the elevator and struck up a conversation with Ichiro.

  “You mean if Cristal lets you in her room,” Takumijo said. “Let me know how that turns out.”

  Satoshi pushed past them. He had heard enough.

  “What’s wrong with him?” he heard Tae ask.

  “I don’t know,” Yori said. “He’s your brother. Maybe you should ask him.” He bowed. “Have a pleasant evening and disaster-free ride back home.” He exited and Takumijo followed him out of the door.

  ****

  Ichiro dialed Shaundra’s cell phone as soon as he got back to his room. She picked it up on the first ring.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello, baby.”

  “Hey, Ich.”

  “I just called to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.”

  “Same to you.”

  It was like talking to a stranger. “How are the boys?”

  “They’re eating their last meal for the night,” she told him.

  “Are you still breast-feeding them?”

  “Yes,” Shaundra answered. “I like spending time with them and they are getting so big.”

  Ichiro sighed. “I hope they remember me.”

  “They do,” Shaundra said. “How is Amsterdam?”

  “Lonely,” Ichiro said. “I miss my family.” He waited for her to respond. She didn’t. “How did you spend the holiday?”

  “Harper and his son stopped by and we had dinner together.”

  “Harper has a son?” Ichiro asked.

  “Two, Damien and Kevin. Damien has moved to Japan to finish his master’s degree and he’s working at KiNii.”

  “Good,” Ichiro said. “I hate to think that you spent it alone.”

  “It’s just a holiday,” Shaundra said. “It doesn’t matter.”

  He heard one of the babies smacking. “Which one is that?” Ichiro asked.

  “I think it is Ryoto. I can barely tell them apart now. They look exactly like you. He’s really greedy and thinks my breasts are his own personal domain.”

  Ichiro chuckled. “Smart boy.” He paused. “Tell him to save some for me.”

  Shaundra chuckled this time. “Ryoto barely wants to share with Raiden. You should see him. He’s just as big as his older brother now.”

  “I can’t wait to get back to see them. And you,” he added.

  “Where are the losers?” Shaundra asked.

  “They went out,” Ichiro answered.

  “And you didn’t want to go out with them?”

  “No, I’m not in the mood to get arrested.”

  Shaundra chuckled. “Smart boy.”

  “Well, I better let you get back to nursing. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”

  “Okay,” Shaundra said.

  “I love you.”

  “Yeah.” Shaundra said. She disconnected the call.

  Ichiro shook his head and tossed the phone on the bed. She was still mad at him.

  ****

  “Now there’s something you don’t see every day,” Yori said as they watched a young woman perform an erotic show for them through a plate glass window in the red light district of De Wallen. They had arrived and went to a bar first, threw back a few drinks, and wandered the streets until they found the real entertainment.

  “And certainly not in Japan,” Satoshi agreed. “No, that isn’t true.” He had had quite a lot to drink and wasn’t feeling any pain. Except now he had a raging hard-on after looking at twat for the last couple of minutes. “I wonder how much they charge an hour.”

  “I wouldn’t touch that with a ten foot pole,” Takumijo said. “No telling who’s been there before you.”

  Satoshi frowned and glared at him through bloodshot eyes. “When have you gotten so picky?”

  “Since recently,” Takumijo said. “I didn’t come all the way to Amsterdam to get the clap. I’ve had enough penicillin shot up in my ass for a lifetime.”

  Yori chuckled. “At least you’re honest about it.”

  “I need to get laid,” Satoshi announced.

  “You could have stayed back at the hotel for that,” Takumijo said. “All you had to do was knock on Cristal’s door. But like a fool, you left her there with Tae.”

  “I won’t take sloppy seconds to that bastard,” Satoshi said. “And besides, I’m tired of waiting for her to come around. I’ve been celibate long enough.”

  Yori chuckled at his expense. “I was wondering when you were going to snap out of it. I kind of miss the old Satoshi who had a different girl on his arm every weekend.”

  “Well, I think you’ll be definitely be seeing more of him,” Satoshi announced. He pulled his collar tightly around his neck to fight off the cold.

  “Especially since you still can’t get next to Shaundra,” Yori teased. He did know how to push a button and work a nerve.

  “That’s because she’s still recuperating from childbirth. Other than that, I’d be all in that if I thought I have a chance right now. But since I don’t, I’m going to pick me up a cutie, take her back to the hotel, and screw her brains out.”

  “I refuse to ride in the limo with a skeezer,” Takumijo said to him.

  “Satoshi is just talking shit,” Yori said.

  “I don’t know,” Kenshin said, still watching the blonde in the first window. “I think he’s serious. I’ve been checking him out lately. He seems depressed about something, and my guess, it’s caused by his brother suddenly showing up in town.”

  Satoshi ignored their conversation. What did they know?

  “That’s because Tae is a lowlife bastard,” Takumijo said. “What kind of man moves in on his brother’s territory?”

  “Yi-jun, Yori, and Satoshi,” Kenshin answered as they walked up to the next window.

  “Not funny,” Yori said. “I would never touch Cristal. She’s not exactly my type.”

  “What’s wrong with Cristal?” Takumijo asked.

  “She’s mean and she has a Satoshi attitude,” Yori answered.

  Kenshin agreed. “And she can’t make a decent pot of coffee.”

  “And she’s one of the fellows,” Takumijo added.

  “All good qualities,” Satoshi said.

  “Plus, she’s destined for Satoshi,” Yori said. “The two of them were made for each other.”

  If so, then why did he feel so bad?

  “And I can’t wait for them to have some cigar-smoking, card-playing babies,” Takumijo said. “Raiden and Ryoto need friends.”

  “Who?” Kenshin asked.

  “Ichiro’s sons.”

  “Is that what Shaundra named them?” Kenshin asked.

  “Man, where have you been?” Yori asked.

  “Puppy-dogging behind Masaaki,” Takumijo answered for him. “Yes, those are their names. I wonder how big little Takumijo has grown.”

  “Please don’t tell me you’re still calling him that?” Yori asked. “He’s name is Raiden and he’s going to be the lead singer of a future pop group. Women will love him.”

  “What about Ryoto?” Kenshin asked.

  “He will probably become a publicist for his mother,” Yori answered. “She will
need someone to look after her affairs once she divorces Ichiro.”

  “Shaundra is not going to divorce Ichiro,” Kenshin argued. “I’ve seen how the two of them make out.”

  Yori shook his head. “All in the past. She thinks he cheated on her, so the making out is over.”

  “You are wrong,” Kenshin said. “I know Ichiro. He wouldn’t cheat on Shaundra and you guys know it too. Why would he cheat on her when he has the best piece of ass in Asia? Her shit is so good she has all you fools fucked up in the head.”

  Satoshi couldn’t help but smile at Kenshin’s description of them and their involvement with Shaundra.

  “You guys are no better than Tae. You just do a better job of hiding your dark side.”

  “What dark side?” Yori asked. “I don’t have a dark side.”

  Takumijo and Satoshi walked down to the next window.

  “I still don’t understand why she doesn’t have an effect on Takumijo,” Kenshin said.

  Yori led Kenshin with him. He peered into the window. “Oh my,” he said.

  Satoshi chuckled at Yori’s discomfort. The dancer had long black hair, a pretty face, huge breasts, and a long cock. “Shaundra does not affect Tak because she’s not exotic enough for his tastes.”

  Yori pulled both Takumijo and Satoshi away from the window.

  ****

  Cristal had just turned out her light for the night when she heard her drunken friends coming down the hall. Damn, she wished she would have gone out with them instead of fighting off Tae for the last couple of hours. She looked over at the clock on the nightstand. “One.” She sighed. Well, at least they hadn’t been escorted home by the police.

  Cristal closed her eyes. Tae had turned in early after striking out with her. She just didn’t see him in a romantic capacity, even though he bore a striking resemblance to Satoshi. The fact that she didn’t trust him either played a lot on the decision she had made tonight. She knew his only interest in her was hurting Satoshi and making a name for himself. But, not even she was foolish enough to fall for it. Luckily, he took the rejection easy enough and went up to his hotel room to pack. After he left, she telephoned her family in California to wish them a happy Thanksgiving, and then she worked on the promotion for Ichiro’s birthday party that Mr. Niigata was planning.

  Someone knocked on her door.

  Cristal crawled out of bed, wondering who it could be. “Who is it?”

  “It’s me.”

  Satoshi? She opened the door. “What do you want? It’s late.” He smelled like he’d been drinking hard liquor and a lot of it.

  “Where is he?” Satoshi asked, pushing the door open and entering without an invitation.

  Cristal quickly closed the door. “Have you lost your mind? No one is here.”

  Satoshi turned on his heels and looked at her. “Is that what you wore to seduce him?”

  She tried to cover up her teddy. “What are you talking about? I didn’t seduce anyone. I’ve been in my room working since I returned from dinner.”

  “Don’t lie to me. I bet he’s in your bed sleeping it off.”

  He slurred his words. Cristal frowned. She didn’t like where this was leading. She pushed past him. “There’s no one in my bed and even if there was, it’s none of your business.” She guarded her door.

  Satoshi shoved her aside roughly and entered.

  Cristal rubbed her arm. Satoshi had never treated her that way before. What had he consumed besides liquor? She entered the room. She found him checking out the bathroom and the closet. “I told you that no one is here.”

  “Then he must have gone back to his own room after fucking you,” he shouted.

  She frowned at his crude language. He sounded and acted more drugged than drunk. What had those other idiots let him take? “You need to go to your room and sleep off that attitude.” She turned to exit the room and Satoshi grabbed her arm and kicked the door closed. He threw her on the bed so hard her head ached.

  “Hey, what is wrong with you?”

  Satoshi unloosened his tie and tossed it on a chair. He unbuttoned his shirt and took it off too. “You're what’s wrong with me,” he shouted at her. “Now shut up and fuck me.”

  ****

  What the fuck have I done? Satoshi sat up straight in the bed the next morning after he woke up. He was still dressed in his clothes, reeking of bourbon, and had one hell of a headache from the drug he had taken. And he deserved to suffer for what he had tried to do to Cristal. Oh yes, he remembered everything, each and every second of the verbal attack on her until she got him out of her room. He trembled. She was his best friend and he deserved to go to jail for how he had treated her.

  Satoshi punched the side of the mattress. He’d never tried to take a woman by force before, and he had even slapped her when she cried. And Cristal hardly ever cried. He looked over at the phone. Should I call her and apologize? No, she probably wouldn’t answer the phone and he wouldn’t blame her. No. He would have to face her like a man, clean and sober, and beg her forgiveness. And he would probably need to get a good defense attorney if she decided to press assault charges against him for slapping her. The attack had happened on foreign soil, so they would probably lock him up for a good long time. His brother might be his best bet if he needed an attorney, but he’d rather rot in jail than ask him for help. He looked over at the clock. It was nearly noon. That meant Tae should be on his way back to Japan by now to tell his parents on him.

  Someone knocked at his door.

  That was probably the police coming to arrest him.

  He manned up and walked to the door to meet his fate. A fist caught him in the face the minute he opened the door. “Fuck,” he screamed from the pain and the surprise. He fell to the floor.

  A very angry Takumijo stood over him. “What did you do to Cristal?”

  Satoshi scooted away from Takumijo.

  Takumijo closed the door and turned the security lock.

  Satoshi gulped. He hadn’t seen Takumijo this mad, ever. “I made a mistake.”

  Takumijo grabbed him by the hair, pulled him to his feet, and punched him in the gut with the other hand. “You want to beat up on women? I’ll teach you how to do it properly.” He punched Satoshi in the gut again, and he went down on his knees.

  “I’m sorry,” he whined. “I didn’t mean to slap her. I just got so mad at her for cheating on me with Tae. I didn’t mean for it to go this far.”

  “But it did,” Takumijo said angrily. “Are you crazy? You should see her. She has a black eye. You slapped our princess, you bastard. I don’t think I can ever forgive you for this.”

  Satoshi rolled around on the floor, groaning from his injury.

  “And for the record, she did not invite Tae here. He came on his own and she was just being polite keeping him from bothering you. That’s all it’s been all along. I thought you knew Cristal well enough to how she feels about you.”

  “I’ll make it up to her,” Satoshi said, spitting blood. It felt like one of his vital organs had exploded from Takumijo’s punch. “I’ll even go to jail.”

  “All she ever did was love you. All of this is your fault and you better fix it,” Takumijo told him, pacing the carpet like a caged animal.

  Satoshi struggled to sit up. “Does anyone else know?”

  Takumijo sat down on the chair. “No. She just called me. She’s too embarrassed to face anyone else.”

  “Tell me how to fix this,” Satoshi cried. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Just stay the fuck away from her. I’ll fix this.” Takumijo rose. “And take a bath. You’re a mess.” He walked toward the door and unlocked it. “I am so glad we’re going back to Osaka soon.” He walked out the door, leaving Satoshi to wallow in his own sorrow.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Shaundra wiped the drool from Raiden’s face. “You’re a sloppy baby,” she teased. “But you have the cutest little chubby cheeks.”

  “I think that borders on spoiling him,” Dae-Hyun said as he
wrestled Ryoto into a clean diaper. “Besides, I think this one has the chubbiest cheeks. All four of them.”

  Shaundra smiled. She hadn’t felt this happy in a long time and she had Dae-Hyun to thank for it. They were taking the boys out for a walk around the property in the stroller. December had arrived and it was getting colder, so they needed to bundle the twins up before taking them out. And she also needed some exercise. She had only left home once for her check up and she was getting a bit stir crazy.

  “We’ll just walk around the property a couple of times and then we’ll come back inside,” Dae-Hyun said. “Hopefully, the walk will put them asleep so we can have another lesson.”

  They’d been practicing for seven weeks now and she was getting pretty good and liking every moment of her martial arts lessons. He’d started her off with karate and then jujitsu and now he was teaching her tae kwon do. And when they weren’t sparring, he was teaching her Japanese and Korean. Dae-Hyun tested her by making her hold a conversation with him without using English.

  Shaundra looked forward to today’s lesson. She had finally stopped bleeding and her stitches had dissolved. Other than a slight pull around her navel and a little backache, she felt almost back to her old self again. Once a day she spoke to Ichiro’s people on the phone. She put off visiting them or allowing them to visit her because she didn’t want them to tell Ichiro that she had moved out of the farmhouse. No one else knew except Harper and Damien and she knew neither one of them was going to say anything. And she made sure she told everyone to call her on her cell phone and not the house phone because she didn’t want them to disturb the babies.

  And the stupid security guards had bought the story that she was staying with Ichiro’s people until he returned, so they probably hadn’t even gone back to the farmhouse to check to see if she had returned. Mr. Niigata should fire all of them. She’d driven off the property and met Dae-Hyun the same day and she never went back.

  Shaundra got into her coat and gloves while Dae-Hyun put the coats on the babies. Minutes later, he left her to put the double stroller on the sidewalk outside and then he came back inside to get Ryoto while she carried Raiden. This was her life now and she was making the best out of it. The only other person she kept in constant contact with was her editor, and just the other day she found out that some movie studio was interested in turning her latest best seller into a movie. That didn’t concern her too much at the moment because she had things on her mind. Aomori would be returning soon and she wasn’t prepared to face Ichiro.