The Daydreamer Detective Opens a Tea Shop

by S. J. Pajonas

  I closed my fingers around the engagement ring box in my pocket, pulled it out, and slapped it into his outstretched hand. His face paled when he saw the box.

  “Let me tell you how I’m different from Amanda. I care about the people I love. I don’t blackmail them, manipulate them, or drop them once they become inconvenient. I don’t put my own well-being or my own career before theirs. I stand by them when things get rough and do everything in my power to make them happy.”

  “Mei —”

  “Stop,” I growled. He clamped his mouth shut. “You don’t value my opinion. You don’t trust me. You didn’t tell me the truth, and most of all, you led me to believe you loved me when you showed the exact opposite.”

  The tears came, and I couldn’t stop them. I rubbed my face, grateful I opted for no makeup.

  “But you are one lucky guy because I have months of evidence to show that’s not true. I saw what you’re like when your back is to the wall, and I hope I never see it again. I hope you never feel compelled to act that way again.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Good.” I sniffed up through my tears. “You have one chance to make it up to me. I’m sorry that when you go inside your place will be a mess and 50,000 yen will be missing from the cash stash in the wardrobe. I needed it to get you out.” I grabbed the door handle and dropped his keys into the cup holder. “When I commit, I commit for life. Remember that. I’ll be at Akiko-chan’s when you’re ready.”

  I jumped out of the car and took a deep breath of cool, spring air, hoping it would halt my tears and put me right. Just beyond the car was my poor, neglected tea shop. I rested my hand on the metal shutters for a moment, promising it I would be back soon.

  I was three blocks from the nearest bus stop, so I started walking. A car door slammed shut behind me.

  “Mei-chan, wait!”

  I kept walking. Following me was not part of the plan.

  “Wait! Please!”

  My feet ground to a halt outside of Izakaya Jūshi. Inside, the day was getting started, and I could see Etsuko’s family waving to us. I ignored them.

  Yasahiro ran up, huffing and out of breath. He’d sat and done nothing the last few days. “Why are you at Akiko-chan’s?”

  I suddenly became very interested in my shoes. “Mom kicked me out the other day. We made up, but it’s been tense, so I’ve been staying with Akiko-chan.”

  “Your mother kicked you out? Are you serious?” He stared at me in disbelief.

  “I really don’t want to talk about it.” I turned to get moving again, but he grabbed my arm.

  “Wait.”

  I came close to throwing him off, but I froze when he sank to his knees on the pavement. An old man passed us and eyed Yasahiro warily.

  “I don’t deserve you,” he said, and my face blushed so hard that I pulled my collar up to cover my cheeks. “And for some reason, you continue to be good to me and love me, even when I screw things up, big time.”

  “Yasa-kun, get up,” I whispered, glancing inside the izakaya and seeing Etsuko’s mother, father, and brother watching us. Oh no. I hated public displays of affection.

  “I thought for days in jail about how I would fix things with you. I regretted saying I was thinking about moving to Brazil. You looked like I had killed your cat when I said it. It was wrong, so wrong. And I didn’t listen to you. You told me not to talk to anyone, and I caved the very next day. Because you’re right. I didn’t trust you, and I should have. I didn’t value your opinion, and I should have. I just spent days in jail thinking about what a terrible person I am.”

  People stopped across the street to watch, and I squirmed, both uncomfortable with the publicity and happy with his attitude. This whole scenario could’ve gone wrong. He could have walked away. He could have been mad with me for giving him a hard time after spending days in jail.

  He lifted the engagement ring box. “I bought this for you weeks ago. I wanted to marry you then, and I want it even more now. If you’ll forgive me, if you take this ring, I promise to stand beside you, forever.”

  “Even if things are really rough?”

  “Yes.”

  “Even if your plans don’t work out the way you want them to?”

  He closed his eyes and lifted the box even higher. “Yes.”

  I let him squirm for two more seconds. Just because.

  “Then yes, I’ll marry you.” A real smile graced my lips for the first time in a week as he got up and opened the box. Giddiness made my teeth chatter as everyone around us held their breath. I looked over Yasahiro’s shoulder and his neighbor, Koshiro, was watching us, too. This would be the talk of the town in less than ten minutes.

  “I love the ring. I wore it for a day, just to try it out, you know.”

  He slipped it onto my finger, and I sighed in relief. The world was slowly righting itself.

  “I’m glad you love it. I agonized for days on what to get you. How did you find it?”

  I shrugged my shoulders as I held my hand up, and Etsuko’s family inside the izakaya cheered. I laughed, my chest light and airy.

  “I, uh, made a mess of your place looking for it. Kumi confessed about what happened, so we had to look for it on our own. You should have just told the police you bought an engagement ring. They really thought you used that money to pay a hitman.”

  He sighed, pulling me to him and relaxing into my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around him.

  “I was afraid that after the way I acted, you would turn me down. I didn’t want to put you through any more pain on my account.”

  It was real. He was real. The ring was real. He really proposed.

  It was safe to tell him.

  “I’m pregnant,” I whispered into his ear, and he stilled.

  “You’re… pregnant?”

  “Yeah,” I said, wincing at his shocked expression. “I guess we weren’t careful enough.” He barked a laugh, and I relaxed. “Mom kicked me out because I got pregnant, and she’s embarrassed. We weren’t engaged, and I was bringing shame on the family.”

  He lifted his head and looked at me, his face serious. “You got pregnant all on your own?”

  I laughed and squeezed him tighter. “That’s what I said.”

  He kissed my cheek and turned me back towards his apartment. “This is the best news I’ve ever had. I’m not sure how I could go from being in jail in the morning to being engaged and a future father less than a few hours later. It boggles the mind.”

  I waved to the people around us. “Welcome to my whole last week.”

  “Let’s go tell your mom and Akiko-chan. I don’t want to go home yet.” He wiggled his keys at me.

  “That sounds like the perfect plan.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  The sun warmed my face as I smiled at the crowd on the sidewalk. I waved to Mom, Chiyo, Goro, Kumi, and Kayo, and they all waved back. The streamers on either side of the door blew in the wind, and smoke curled from the incense in the stone pot right outside. Akiko supported Murata on her elbow as they spoke quietly to each other, and other neighbors gathered around as the time drew near.

  “Are you ready?” Yasahiro asked, dropping another package of napkins on the bench next to the catered food.

  I stopped ogling the outside crowd and straightened the dishes one last time. The tea cups were clean, the hot water sat ready in the dispenser, and my computer was set up to take in new accounts. I thought I was ready. Was I ready? I had to be ready.

  Ugh. I hated the anxiety of opening day, but in five short minutes, the event would be underway.

  I heard a few people outside cheer and lift their voices. My heart raced to twice its usual pace when the mayor and the new regional manager of Midori Sankaku cut through the crowd to the front. They were followed by a few reporters who snapped their photos bowing and shaking hands with the guests.

  “What the…?” I dusted off my apron and set it aside, but Yasahiro grabbed my arm to stop me from going to the door.

/>   “I did this,” he said, handing me a brand new pair of scissors. “You’ve worked hard on this for months. It shouldn’t go to waste now.”

  He gripped my upper arms and smiled at me, and the moment gave me the peace I’d hoped for since the investigation ended. Mom had forgiven us both for getting pregnant before getting married, I had seen a doctor, and I then spent two weeks healing and resting, managing my morning sickness and dizzy spells. The police found Aya and Ichiro, but Mom asked them not to arrest them or press charges. She got her car battery back and forgave Aya for taking the money. It was a few weeks of unrest, but at least no one was in jail anymore.

  And finally, we were at opening day. We were late, but we were there.

  “I know, but what if all the attention brings negative energy to the tea shop?” I clasped my hands together, squeezing my fingers in a vice-like grip. “I just want it to go well.”

  Yasahiro extended his arm to the window. “This is good. This way more people will know this shop exists. Just think of those newspapers you’re constantly taking away from Murata-san’s apartment.” He laughed and I relaxed. “That generation doesn’t use smartphones and computers. You needed real publicity.”

  “You’re right.” I blew out a steadying breath. “Shall we do this?” I held up the scissors, and he gestured in front of him.

  “After you.”

  Yasahiro held the door open for me, and I stepped out into the warm late spring air, the sun blanketing us in sparkling light. I leaned across the red ribbon and hugged Mom, Chiyo, and waved to everyone else. The mayor, Shin Tajima, and Ichiro Ando, the new regional manager of Midori Sankaku, approached and bowed to me. I smoothed out my black wool sweater and jeans, wishing I had chosen a kimono for opening day. But this was how I planned to dress in the coming months. I would brave my pregnancy in comfortable clothes while I worked. It was the least I could do for myself.

  “Congratulations on the opening of your tea shop. Oshabe-cha will be a blessing to our town and for our neighbors.” Tajima grasped my hand, patting it in a fatherly fashion. Hormones, stay put!

  “Thank you. I’m honored you’re here to welcome my humble business,” I said, using all the polite language I could find in my vocabulary.

  “It is us, the citizens of Chikata, who are the honored ones.”

  We bowed to each other, and I stole a glance at Mom. She was proud, her chest puffed and expression sincere and happy. I was glad we patched things up. She was even happy enough to offer the house and the new barn as a site for the wedding in late June, only a few weeks off. I wanted to get married before I was showing too much, and the weather would still be beautiful in Japan. Yasahiro and I would marry and then honeymoon in Paris. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

  But it was only a few weeks ago I had felt the same way before Amanda came into our lives and threw everything into chaos. From now on, I’d have to be prepared for anything. More money stashed away. Better relationships with people like Akai. And possibly, it was time to consider self-defense classes and learn more about private investigation. There would always be people out there trying to hurt the ones I loved. I wouldn’t let them do it without a fight.

  “Shall we cut the ribbon?” Ando asked, and I broke out of my daydream of kicking some unknown assailant’s hind end with a baby in a carrier on my back. I bowed to cover my embarrassment and stepped up to the ribbon.

  With Tajima and Ando on one side and Yasahiro and I on the other, I raised my scissors to the ribbon and cut in one swift motion.

  Oshabe-cha was open, and a new era of my life had begun.

  End Book Three

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  Thank You!

  Thank you so much for reading The Daydreamer Detective Opens A Tea Shop. I hope you made it through in one piece! That was quite a roller coaster ride for Mei.

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  If you want the next book in the series… >> Check on the availability of The Daydreamer Detective Returns A Favor here.

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  Now I need to ask a big, huge favor. Please leave a review of The Daydreamer Detective Opens A Tea Shop. I welcome all reviews positive or negative. Reviews are so important to both authors and readers.

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  If you want more books like this one, sign up for email alerts, and I’ll let you know when they’re available. Sign up at http://www.spajonas.com/newsletter/ or you can check for more books on my website at http://www.spajonas.com/books/

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  Thank you again for reading and being awesome! I look forward to writing many more books for you to enjoy.

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  xo, S. J.

  From S. J.

  Hello, readers!

  I hope you enjoyed the third book in the Miso Cozy Mysteries series. When I finished with this book and sent it off to my beta readers, I decided to include my brother in the process for the first time. He’s an avid reader and had read all the previous books in the series. I figured he could give me some insight on what I had missed in the plot and what I could fix before final revisions. He did catch something I missed, but then he said, “You’re so mean to all of your characters!” I’ve never laughed so hard hearing that.

  Yes, I am a mean, cruel, nasty author to all my characters. How boring would it be to read a book where nothing really happens to the characters? Super boring, as far as I’m concerned. I love to put people to the test and see what happens to them afterwards, see how it changes them. Every story I write has some kind of trial meant to move the story forward. Without this, the story wouldn’t be a story at all.

  When I started with Mei, I wanted to present her at her lowest. According to reviews (most of which I do not read but other people do and let me know), readers either love Mei and see something of themselves in her, or they hate her. Good. That’s the way I want her. That’s the way I build all of my characters. I can’t please everyone, but hopefully, some can identify or empathize with her. But she’s always a work in progress. She changes with every book. She learns from her experiences, and she grows. That’s something I love about writing series! I don’t think I’ll ever stop.

  Anyway, I’m excited to write the next book in this series. When I was in Japan in August 2016, I experienced something that I think would make a great addition to the next book. And I have several news stories from Japan archived away to add to later books in the series too. This is only the beginning! Thanks for reading and giving this series a chance.

  xo, S. J.

  Acknowledgments

  Big thanks goes out to all the people who helped or inspired me with this book including…

  My awesome critique partner, Tracy Krimmer.

  My buddy who hung out with me in Japan when I was there last, Jennifer Ford.

  Cori Wilbur.

  Lola Verroen.

  Anne R. Tan.

  All those in my favorite FB author groups.

  My brother, Brendan.

  My mom, Claire.

  My husband, Keith.

  And my two girls, C and D.

  Check out the first chapter of The Daydreamer Detective Returns A Favor…

  “Wrap the yarn around the hook and pull it through.”

  Saya leaned over the table, careful to watch each of the ladies work their crochet hooks through the thick yarn and figure out who needed help. It was her attention to detail that inspired me to hire her for Friday craft nights at Oshabe-cha.

  This was now my favorite day of the week. Each week, I offered a crafting class following afternoon tea, free to my VIP members. Last week, we learned about sock mending. This week, crochet. Each of my usual ladies, and one of the usual men, had turned out to take the class, and they were all enjoying it, laughing and talking throughout the lesson. Their smiles warmed my heart. Next week, Saya would return and show them how to crochet plastic bags together to make mats, something
we could either use for picnics or donate to the homeless living in Tokyo parks.

  “You’re doing a wonderful job,” I whispered to Murata, my longest-standing client, neighbor, and friend. She smiled up at me as I reached to collect her teacup.

  “You flatter me too much, Mei-chan.” But she blushed as she continued practicing her stitching.

  I maneuvered my small baby belly past her and the woman sitting next to her. At nineteen weeks pregnant, I still wasn’t used to the belly I had grown. The new distribution of weight knocked me off balance, and my swollen abdomen caught a lot of errant crumbs even though it wasn’t that big yet. I looked strange and lopsided, and my clothes all fit weird. Eventually, I’d have to stop using a hair elastic on my jeans buttons and buy real maternity clothes, but that day hadn’t arrived yet. I was happy to be pregnant, but I was also unhappy with how uncomfortable my body was.

  My changed figure didn’t seem to bother Yasahiro though. He doted on me, waiting on me hand and foot. Some manly instinct must have told him to keep an eye on me whenever he could because he was always around when I was changing my clothes. I smiled and tried not to laugh as I deposited the dirty cups in the back room’s sink and made my way back to the front. Oh, Yasahiro. He was so predictable.

  Letting the cool air of the air conditioner units waft over me, I took my time ambling through the front room of Oshabe-cha. The late August heat was oppressive, heavy and humid, making me sweat almost the instant I stepped outside. Thank goodness Yasahiro had sold more international property to pay for the heating and cooling upgrade. Oshabe-cha needed to be comfortable for my elderly clients. Many of them didn’t have air conditioning, and this was their only respite from the heat.