by Z. Allora
“But I think you forgot my favorite.”
Checking his pile, Jordon asked, “Which?”
Tian Di searched and, two aisles over, found the Sakura Rose section.
“Wow.” Jordon ran his finger along the spines of his own manga. “This is incredible.”
Tian Di snapped a picture of Jordon in front of his section of mangas.
Grabbing a few of his titles, Jordon held them and posed.
A staff person appeared out of nowhere and reminded them, “Photos are forbidden.”
Tian Di clicked four pictures before he nodded and held up his hands to indicate he’d take no more pictures, though he was thrilled to get the ones he’d taken.
Jordon added one of his manga to the pile. “My publisher still hasn’t sent me a copy of this one.”
They meandered to the payment area via the yaoi merchandise aisle. A couple of phone charms, a messenger bag with popular characters on the front flap, and a dog tissue holder were added to the need-to-have pile.
Jordon paid for his purchases.
Tian Di grabbed a couple of the bags.
Not being able to wait, Jordon snatched his copy of Sakura Rose out of the bag and removed the plastic. “I’m too curious to wait.”
Two uniformed staff people surrounded him. “No. Do not open. Please out.”
The staff repeated their diplomatic way of tossing them out of the store in English.
“We should go.” Tian Di could feel his face heating up.
“Oh wow! The story came out better than I hoped. I had a hell of a time with this storyboard.” Jordon ran his fingers over several of the pages. “What? Oh my. I just wanted to—”
The staff walked them to the stairwell. “Please. Leave.”
Jordon laughed. “Wow, kicked to the curb for the crime of opening my own purchased manga.”
He was fascinated by Jordon’s lack of concern. “It doesn’t bother you, does it?”
“No, does it bother you?” Jordon bounced down the stairs.
Did it? “If it were me, I would be red-faced—I mean, embarrassed—but if I really think about it, no harm was done other than not following a rule you didn’t know about.” If Tian Di were honest, he was tired of following rules and traditions that made no sense.
“Sorry if I embarrassed you.” Jordon frowned.
Tian Di waved him off and wanted him to smile. “I wonder if they had known you were opening your own book if they would have acted differently.”
On the way back to the hotel, they sat down and ate a couple of slices of pizza and a Mirinda orange soda. “Ah, a true Japanese meal.”
Tian Di tried not to laugh. “And for dessert, shall we get some beef tongue ice cream?”
“Ew! No. I’ll play the ugly American card to opt out of a bovine tongue-flavored cone.”
Once back in the room, Jordon checked the time. “I guess we should get ready.”
Needing to take the worry off of Jordon’s face, Tian Di reminded him, “Japan’s a very environmentally conscious country. I think it would be frowned upon to waste water.”
“The stall looks tiny, but since I’ve already ripped the fabric of society at Animate, I think I should respect all other laws.” Jordon peeled off his T-shirt. “But we only have time for, like, you know, our regular shower, right?”
Tian Di nodded.
And Jordon exhaled harder than normal but unzipped his pants in a hurry.
JORDON GROWLED at his cell phone after texting his brothers that he was fine three times, then tossed it on the bed. He seemed more agitated after the shower than before. He kept fussing with his shirt, his tie, his hair.
Tian Di brushed Jordon’s hands away and straightened his suit, then ran product through his hair and kissed him until Jordon melted against him. “You look handsome. They’ll love you.”
Jordon shrugged. “Thank you for doing this with me.”
“Of course.” How could he make this easier on Jordon? Trying to think of ways to avert potential problems, Tian Di suggested, “To keep matters simple, I can introduce myself as your assistant or translator.”
“But—”
This wasn’t America. “I know you’re not ashamed of me or of us, and neither am I. But just like you don’t want our relationship to hurt me, I feel the same. Let this be about you as an artist.”
Jordon sighed. “I don’t like it, but fine.”
Tian Di smiled with more confidence than he had and guided Jordon downstairs to the ballroom.
As soon as Jordon gave his name to one of the doorkeepers, she jumped out of her chair. “I’m terribly sorry about the confusion around your name when you were checking in. I hope you were not embarrassed by my mistake.”
“Not at all. The fault lies with me. My apologies.” Jordon took the name tag that read Jordon Davis. He smiled and gestured to Tian Di. “This is Tian Di Zhao. He will be acting as my assistant and translator.”
“Very good.” She quickly made Tian Di a name tag and swept them inside the ballroom. There were about thirty round tables perfectly set and scattered across the plush red carpet. Chandeliers dripping with crystals diffused a soft light across the ballroom.
The hostess led Jordon directly to a group of two tall men and one petite woman. “Excuse me. Allow me to introduce you to Mr. Davis and his assistant, Mr. Zhao.”
The woman introduced the tall man in the elegant navy suit with a lighter blue shirt and a blue tie as “Mr. Sato, your assistant editor.”
Jordon exchanged business cards, a handshake, and bow. “Mr. Sato, nice to meet you. I saw the pictures you posted from your Kyoto holiday. They were quite artistically taken.”
Mr. Sato looked to the assistant, who translated Jordon’s words, and nodded. “Thank you.”
The translator said, “Mr. Davis, may I present Ms. Ito, your editor.”
Jordon exchanged name cards with her and stared down at the cardboard rectangle. He shook hands and executed a bow. “It’s very good to meet you. Thank you for the book recommendation about the Edo period. You were correct. I never realized the impact that time had on drawing today.”
“Mr. Davis, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am happy you enjoyed the book.” She spoke with only the slightest accent.
The translator paused dramatically before introducing Jordon to Mr. Miyazaki, head of Kin Jirareta Ai Press.
Jordon bowed. “Mr. Miyazaki. It is a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for the opportunity you’ve given me.”
“I still recall how Ms. Ito put you forth as a new artist with such strength.” Mr. Miyazaki shook Jordon’s entire body with a firm handshake.
“It’s uncommon for me to feel so passionately about an artist’s work. Mr. Davis impressed me and my staff by sending me six completed stories as well as his own popular series published in America. This is why I fought strongly for us to publish him.”
Mr. Miyazaki frowned for a moment. “It would have been more compelling to build on your already embedded fan base by using the same name, but Ms. Ito convinced me it wouldn’t be necessary.”
“Lucky for me, I was correct. As Sakura Rose’s numbers suggest.” Her expression reminded Tian Di of his sister. It showed she was more than aware of her worth and merely tolerated the figurehead’s position of power.
Jordon gave her a dazzling smile. “I appreciate the chance you took on me. Thank you for inviting me to this event.”
“Enjoy the evening,” Mr. Miyazaki said in an almost dismissive fashion as he turned and stalked to another group.
Ms. Ito smirked. “Find me a bit later. I would like to discuss the next few stories with you while you’re here.”
“Of course.” Jordon smiled.
Tian Di and Jordon were shown to their table. “Will you need me to stay with you and translate?”
Shaking his head, Jordon gestured to Tian Di. “No, Tian Di will assist me. Thank you for allowing me to distract you from your other duties.”
Her eyes lit a little too brigh
t. “It was no trouble. I will have another place setting added to the table. Anything you need while you’re here, I’m—”
“I appreciate the offer, but Tian Di will make sure I have everything I need.”
Just like that Jordon stopped Tian Di from eating vinegar. Any jealousy he had vanished.
The woman nodded and backed away.
Tian Di whispered, “I definitely will make sure you have everything you want or need.”
Jordon’s green eyes had grown huge, and his mouth dropped open. He might have been trying to say something, but only a squeak came out.
“Are you okay? Here, drink some water.” Tian Di handed him the goblet from the table.
Jordon drank some and with trembling hands put it back on the table. “I’m fine.”
He was anything but…. Maybe it was just nerves.
People started to fill in around their table. They were all around their early twenties, all pretty, and if catching snippets of their conversation counted, each one was interested in Jordon. Apparently being daughters of executives in the main publishing house got them prime seats. Every one of them seemed to be major fans of Sakura Rose and American men.
After the introductions and name card exchanges, Jordon took charge of the conversation and made sure everyone was included. He asked the quietest woman at the table, “Where would you set a BL story outside of Japan?”
Her eyes lit, and without hesitation, she claimed, “China.”
“China?” Jordon asked, and the rest of the group murmured.
“The culture is different, and I think Chinese men are… lovely.” She ended on a bold statement as she gave Tian Di a small smile.
That was very sweet. Tian Di inclined his head, but then returned to hanging on every word Jordon uttered so no one was led on.
Between the salad course and the main course, a woman with a rainbow ribbon loop pinned to her dress said, “Sakura Rose, I truly love your work. I especially like that your stories allow us a better understanding of… what does Tricks call it?”
She glanced around the table for help. Each of the other women shied away from the question like it was a bug. Tapping her ribbon, she said, “Like this.”
Jordon grinned. “The gays of the rainbow.”
She earnestly nodded. “Yes, reading him helped me understand about….” She gestured to Jordon to help her.
“Um… other orientations,” Jordon supplied.
“Yes, that’s the word. Orientations. Not just men who like men, but women who like women and people who like both.”
“That’s wonderful to hear. I think the sports manga have really impacted BL in a positive way. I want to contribute to the progress.”
TIAN DI stayed glued to Jordon’s side throughout the evening. If Tian Di wasn’t already hopelessly in love with Jordon, he would be tonight, watching him charm not only the executives, but to take time to care for others. Tian Di had the most amazing boyfriend in the world.
“They’re worshipping you like a rock star,” Tian Di whispered. He was happy they appreciated Jordon.
Jordon chuckled. “You’d know. Let me get you a drink. Preference?”
“Surprise me.” Tian Di watched Jordon order them two flutes of champagne.
The woman on his right stopped her conversation and asked quietly in fast Japanese, “Why is your boss bringing—”
Jordon brought Tian Di a drink.
Jordon touched his hand and smiled. “I’m going to speak to Ms. Ito again. Do you need anything else?”
“No, I’m fine. Thank you.” Tian Di turned back to the woman who questioned him.
“Ah, I see why he’s bringing you back drinks.” The woman’s conclusion was correct.
He wasn’t sure if he should attempt to dissuade her, so he opted to change the subject. “Tell me, do you live in Tokyo?”
TIAN DI practiced his Japanese on the women around the table. Once he submerged himself in the language, the words came back.
He fended off another question about Sakura Rose. “I’m not sure what will happen with the storyline next. I believe he is speaking with his editor, Ms. Ito, right now.”
One woman waxed poetic. “Such luck to know what the next adventures will be while we have to wait.”
A collective sigh turned into smiles when Jordon returned.
Jordon crashed down into the seat and inclined toward Tian Di. “Dude, you’re never going to believe this. They want me to speak. Should I get that woman who helped before?”
Tian Di grinned. “Do you think I’m shy?”
The bark of Jordon’s laughter startled some around the table. “No, I guess not. After Beijing, this is a small audience for you.”
Tian Di asked, “What do they want you to talk about?”
“Ms. Ito didn’t say.”
“Well, that makes it easy. When?”
“Um, now.” Jordon gestured to the frantically waving translator standing with Ms. Ito.
Tian Di stood. “After you.”
Ms. Ito waited at the podium. “Greetings. Welcome to the tenth annual gathering of Kin Jirareta Ai Press. I’m Ms. Ito, and I’d like to thank the artists for leaving their storyboards, the editors for leaving their storylines, and the fans for setting aside their reading tonight to celebrate with us.”
Tian Di whispered a basic translation to Jordon. He added, “Remember, that feeling you think is nervousness is really excitement.”
Jordon groaned quietly.
Ms. Ito continued, “Tonight I would like to introduce the artist responsible for one of the fastest-selling and most popular series Kin Jirareta Ai Press publishes. Please welcome Sakura Rose.”
“You’re up.” Tian Di gestured for Jordon to climb the stage steps.
The crowd rose to their feet, applauding Jordon, then finally sat back down.
Tian Di raised the mic to his and Jordon’s height and brushed a hand across Jordon’s for a moment to remind him he wasn’t alone. “Thank you for the warm welcome tonight, and thank you for allowing me to be part of the Kin Jirareta Ai Press family. I’m honored to be an artist with this incredible publishing house.”
People applauded after Tian Di translated.
“We are all dependent on the eyes of our editors and assistant editors to protect us from ourselves. A special thanks to Ms. Ito and her team from shielding the world against my mistakes, plot holes, and storyboard disasters.”
The audience chuckled after the translation.
“Our press is named Kin Jirareta Ai, or Forbidden Love. It is my hope someday that there are no forbidden loves… only love.”
Tian Di had to swallow hard before he translated.
Everyone shot to their feet, and Jordon ended his speech on the perfect high note.
“Ai wa ai. Love is love.”
Chapter 15
IDK WHAT to do. I love Tian Di. I don’t want to lose him! Jordon texted Gwen.
If he’d ditch you over that F him! Gwen was never one to suffer compromises well.
Gwen! Jordon needed to get a grip. Tian Di didn’t seem to be that type of man but….
Anal Ease or just tell him yr not into fuking. But talk to him. Gwen signed her text with a happy face with whirling crazy eyes.
They’d been going around in circles dozens of times, and Gwen kept ending in the same spot.
Jordon sent a thumbs-up.
Zack’s text flashed across the top of his screen. Where will you be 4 this vac? How long?
Not sure yet. Yeah, that would go over well with his schedule-happy brother—liking everything to be scheduled.
What? Why not? If he doesn’t want to go with you, I can still be there by 3pm.
Shit! The organizer from hell knew the flight schedule? Of course he did. Jordon hurried to text. We haven’t talked about it yet.
Can’t you talk to him?
Jump to conclusions much?
Sorry.
He’s sleeping right now.
In your room?
Duh! There was a long pause that held all the unfair censure Jordon could take. Jordon fired off, He’s my bf!
Make sure you use protection.
Argh! Should be sufficient to let Zack know what he thought about that!
You call me if you need me. Anytime. Zack’s words screamed how far out of his comfort zone he was.
Of course. Later. Jordon tried to set his phone aside.
Call me or text me.
Jordon texted, Got it. Having fun here. Later.
He felt trapped in an Edvard Munch painting. The expressionist painter who put The Scream on canvas had a way of giving life to the anxiety and angst that streamed through Jordon’s body. Trying to set and hold his new boundaries was exhausting. No wonder he’d never done this before.
A soft snore from Tian Di’s side of the bed made Jordon’s fret turn to the possible ways Tian Di would react to Jordon’s not wanting to have sex. Or maybe he should just suck it up and do it. That’s what he said….
Tian Di rolled closer, and in his semiconscious state, tucked the blanket around Jordon, making a burst of affection replace the doubt. Tian Di cuddled into Jordon’s back. His morning erection couldn’t be missed, bumping against Jordon’s ass.
And all Jordon’s ill feelings resurfaced. Jumping out of bed, he hurried into the bathroom and used the toilet. He brushed his teeth, turned on the water, and stepped under the spray.
As he rinsed the shampoo out of his hair, Tian Di joined him in the shower. “Morning, my love.”
Jordon opened his mouth to a minty kiss. Tian Di swept his tongue past Jordon’s lips, and Jordon’s toes curled in response. Everything stood up and took notice. How did a kiss chase away his crazy?
Tian Di traced the probably dark circles under Jordon’s eyes. “You didn’t sleep well. Are you still keyed up about last night?”
“I don’t know.” Jordon rinsed off.
“You were amazing. Everyone loved you. So sexy…. Mmm, maybe I can relax you?” Tian Di skimmed his hand down to Jordon’s stomach en route to his erection. He wrapped his hand around Jordon’s shaft and gave a moan-inducing stroke.