"Now this is what I call fashion," Cristal exclaimed as she watched Basil Degare's showing with Yi-jun. Today they were wearing matching navy blue and white military-type outfits.
Hers came with a smart little navy blue pillbox hat with a white bow that made her feel like the first lady of the country...stylish and classy right down to her conservative navy blue pumps.
His had a dashing white captain's cap with a navy blue band and a little golden anchor pin in the center.
On the catwalk models paraded in sexy and form-fitting fall fashions that didn't fail to impress her. Basil had decided to make his fashions fun, contemporary and affordable, yet he also threw in a couple of outfits on the higher end that a person on her income would have to save for. One of them was a snappy little black long-sleeve dress that plunged ridiculously low in the back. It also came with matching black scarf that the model wore around her shoulders like a drape.
Only someone with breasts that didn't sag could pull that look off, because there was no way to wear a bra in it. Cristal sighed. But it was oh, so chic. She could just see herself wearing it to some fancy event with a pair of black stilettos and carrying a tiny black clutch. Cristal chuckled to herself.
Where was she going to wear something like that in Osaka?
Yi-jun had disappeared during the intermission and had not returned, leaving her time to take good notes that would hopefully enable her to write a good article and satisfy Mr.
Niigata.
Yi-jun returned after the show had ended without a reason for his disappearance, and she wasn't about to ask. "Did you miss me?"
Cristal rolled her eyes at him. "I've been a little busy," she replied as she put down her tablet and followed it up by storing her cameras and equipment back in their cases.
Yi-jun rested his hand atop hers. It was the first showing of intimacy toward her since he'd left her bed earlier that morning.
Cristal quickly snatched her hand away. "We need to get out of here. I have to type up my notes and finish my article."
"How long is that going to take?" Yi-jun asked. "It's our last night in France." He sounded a bit disappointed.
"A couple of hours, maybe," Cristal answered. "Why?"
"I thought you might like to go out with me to see some more of France, and then maybe a candlelight dinner, and then..."
"Forget it," Cristal replied. "The last time we went out we ended up..."
"What?" Yi-jun asked, looking at her with those intense eyes.
"You know." It wasn't like her to be embarrassed about such things like sex.
Yi-jun chuckled weakly. "You can't beat a man for trying.
Listen, about last night..."
Cristal put her finger to his lips. "I know. It didn't mean a thing to you. Don't worry - I won't get all emotional and clingy just because you are the best lover ever. I'm a big girl. I know it was a spur-of-the-moment thing and I was handy."
She rose and walked down the aisle of the empty room before he could see the shame she felt.
Yi-jun caught with her outside, touching her elbow. "You have it all wrong."
Why is he being like this?
"Let's not argue on our last day here. Tomorrow we'll be on our way back to Korea and we won't have a lot of time to be together."
He would be working on another movie, and she would be preparing to go off to China with Aomori. Maybe it would be for the best to end it now before anything started...before she lost her heart to him. "Okay, I'll try to finish this up quickly.
But just a tour of the town," she told him. There was no way he could be interested in her romantically with all the beautiful women he came in contact with on a daily basis.
Beatrice arrived with the limousine, and Yi-jun helped her in and then climbed in behind her. He didn't say too much, just fiddled with his laptop that he had retrieved from under the seat in the limousine as they headed back to the hotel.
"What are you doing?" Cristal asked after watching him for several minutes.
"Making arrangements for this evening and for our return trip back home," he answered, closing the laptop and pushing it back under his seat. "The plane will be ready to leave around eight in the morning."
"Okay," Cristal replied. "I'll be ready. I plan to be in bed early."
"Me too," Yi-jun replied, setting back in his seat. "I won't keep you out late."
Cristal sat back in her seat. She guessed he was pissed off at her now. She sighed. It was all his fault anyway for taking her out of Korea. She bet he was wishing now that he'd taken someone who was a lot more fun.
"She is the most exasperating woman I know," Yi-jun said to Dong Kobayashi, his agent, once he was back in his room after seeing Cristal to hers.
"Whom are we discussing?" Dong asked. "You've been through so many women I can't keep track of their names."
Yi-jun frowned at the phone. He didn't have time for Dong's sarcastic wit. "Cristal Gentry."
"Oh, the one you flew off to France with? How is that working out?"
"Things were going along smoothly until last night," Yi-jun stated absently as he paced the floor in his room.
"Oh? What happened last night?"
"We went for a moonlight carriage ride, and then we went to dinner and then..."
"Let me guess? You slept with her."
"Yes," Yi-jun admitted. "I didn't plan to, and now I think I've messed everything up."
Dong chuckled. "What do you mean? She's not expecting you to marry her, is she?"
"No, it's nothing like that," Yi-jun replied. "In fact, it's just the opposite."
"Does that mean she isn't looking at you all dreamy-eyed after getting with the rich and fabulously handsome Yi-jun Lee?"
"No, she acts like it was some kind of one-night affair that I orchestrated. She doesn't think I really care for her."
"Do you?" Dong asked like that was such a big surprise.
"Of course I do. I wouldn't have gone through all of this if I didn't. Cristal is special. She's more than a fling."
"Oh, there you go with all that serious mushy stuff," Dong replied. "Forget about her." He paused. "Anyway, you'll be too busy to get serious. Have you forgotten about your career?
The shooting on your next action flick starts in a few days."
"Yes, I know all about it," Yi-jun said, flopping down on the bed. "It's just that I want to continue seeing her exclusively, but she's going to be pretty busy herself. Did I tell you that she's a publicist for Aomori?"
"The singing group?" Dong asked.
"Yes, Satoshi Hayashi introduced us."
"Isn't he your friend from Japan? The one who dates just as many women as you do?"
Yi-jun cracked a grin. "Yes."
"If she's so special, why didn't he keep her for himself?"
"I have no idea," Yi-jun replied. "But he is a good friend.
Maybe he is involved with someone else and thought I might like her. Friends do that for friends."
"I don't remember him being that nice and generous,"
Dong replied.
Come to think of it, neither had he. "Anyway, that's not why I called. I'll be back in Korea the day after tomorrow."
"Good, I'll be around," Dong replied. "What are you doing the rest of the day?"
"Taking Cristal to see some more of Paris, and then we have plans to retire early. Our plane is scheduled to leave very early tomorrow."
"How early?" Dong asked.
"Eight."
He laughed. "Then you'll have her in your bed by two, which gives you only a couple of hours to win her over with your love before you the plane takes off."
"Not funny," Yi-jun told him.
"Yes it is. But don't worry. Your ego can occasionally take a rejection. See you in two days." He disconnected the call.
"No, my ego can't," Yi-jun said to the dead phone line. He put the phone on the nightstand and walked into the bathroom to shower and shave.
"I just heard from Cristal," Satoshi told Takumijo as he entered the dance studio where Takumijo was busy practicing some new dance moves.
Takumijo sat down on the floor and began to stretch out his muscles. "What did she say?"
Satoshi sat down on the floor next to him. "That she'll be returning the day after tomorrow."
"Is she having fun with Yi-jun?"
"She didn't say. I asked about him, but I couldn't get a decent answer out of her."
Takumijo stopped stretching. "That only means that she's swept away by all his magnificence or she hates him."
Satoshi sighed. "With Cristal one can never be sure."
"You don't suppose Yi-jun tried anything with her? You know, try to get her in his bed?"
"Would you be upset if he did?" Satoshi asked.
"I don't know. Cristal is like an annoying little sister. I would hate to think that she would succumb to Yi-jun charms and then he'd dump her. Life is going to be quite unbearable around here if this is true. It's bad enough that pretty boy and the geisha are having marital problems."
Satoshi scooted forward. "What kind of marital problems?"
How was it that Takumijo always seemed to know all the good gossip?
"You know, Shaundra and her fear of flying thing, and Amaya with her nagging. I swear Yori looks no miserable."
"Well, that's his own fault," Satoshi replied. "No one told him to marry her. He knew what he was getting into."
"And he's not over Shaundra yet either. I can see it in his eyes. It's just eating away at his gut."
Poor Yori," Satoshi mused. That served him right. "That was his fault too. He should have told Shaundra how he felt about her. Instead he just backed up, and Ich stepped in and stole her."
Takumijo nodded. "But maybe he thought he was doing the right thing by stepping back, Kind of like you did with Cristal."
"I don't know what you mean."
"Cristal is perfect for you," Takumijo explained. "But you sent her to Yi-jun, your best friend. Sometimes friends do foolish things in the best interest of their friends and sacrificing their own happiness."
Satoshi rose quickly. "That's not exactly how it happened.
Cristal needs someone who is kind and fun and who can offer her a good life."
Takumijo looked at him oddly. "And you think you can't give her that?"
"No," Satoshi replied. "I'm not right for her. I have done too many bad things and hurt so many women. Yi-jun has been with a lot of women too, but he has a squeaky clean reputation. Her father will like him."
Takumijo rose and walked over to him. "He would like you too. It's not like you've committed a crime. So what if you've sown more than your share of oats. What a man does in his past should stay in his past."
Why was Takumijo the only one who truly knew him? "I'm not quite over Shaundra either," he admitted. "But I'm trying.
I would never purposely do anything to interfere with her and Ichiro. It's just that I was so glad to see her when she arrived and a bit jealous of how happy the two of them are."
"You'll find someone who will make you that happy one day," Takumijo assured him as he picked up a towel and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Maybe," Satoshi said, not so convinced. "What about you?"
"You're not my type," Takumijo joked.
"No, I mean, how are things going?"
"Fine," he said. "You don't have to worry about me."
"But I do worry. I don't want you to get hurt."
"I won't," Takumijo replied. "I've been very careful."
He would just have to take Takumijo's word for it. "So how's the dance steps coming?"
"I think we're going to wow them for the anniversary show. We can go over them when Ichiro and Yori get down here."
Both couples were out doing their own things, as they had been for the last week and a half, taking in the sights of Korea when the group wasn't performing. Shaundra had been going to the psychiatrist every day for treatment but wouldn't know if it worked for another couple of days when they flew back to Osaka.
The door to the studio opened, and Ichiro walked in dressed in workout clothes and ready to dance. "Let's get this party started," he said.
"We're still missing a set of feet," Takumijo replied.
"He's changing," Ichiro told them. "I ran into him a few minutes ago. He said he'll be down shortly."
The feud between the guys was just stupid. Shaundra was well aware of the tension in the mansion since their arrival, and hopefully they could put all this animosity toward each other aside until after the tour.
"Doctor Wong will see you now, Mrs. Yoshida."
Shaundra rose and followed the receptionist down a long hallway that led to the psychiatrist's office. The young woman bowed and left her at the door. Shaundra knocked.
"Come in," a kindly voice said from inside, and in English.
Shaundra sighed, gathering her courage and entering.
"Good morning," she said, bowing to the grandfatherly man she found. He wore a black business suit and had a pair of glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.
Doctor Wong bowed back. He pointed to a chair. "Please be seated."
An English-speaking doctor was going to cost Ichiro a fortune, she mused as she sat down.
"How can I help you today, Mrs. Yoshida?"
"I'm afraid to fly."
Doctor Wong sat down behind his desk, opened a tablet and wrote something down. "Why?"
"Why what?" Shaundra asked as she nervously looked around the office. The man had a lot of important-looking credentials, which was comforting.
"Why are you afraid to fly?"
"If I knew the answer to that I wouldn't be here."
Doctor Wong chuckled. "True. Most people come here already self-diagnosed." He sighed. "Fear of the unknown, fear of crashing, fear of height. There are numerous reasons people don't like to fly. It can be quite frightening to some, while others don't have a problem hopping on a big metal contraption and putting their lives in someone else's hands."
He made her feel comfortable. "I think I'm more afraid of going down quickly and slamming into the ground."
Doctor Wong smirked but did not comment. He just kept jotting on the table. "Perfectly understandable but not untreatable. Tell me, when was the last time you flew?"
"A couple of days ago from the United States to here."
"And what happened during the flight? Did you experience any kind of discomfort or anxiety?"
Shaundra shook her head. "I was drugged."
Doctor Wong raised an eyebrow. "Drugged?"
Shaundra nodded. "Valium, prescribed by a physician."
"Drugging is an effective method, but it can also be dangerous and addicting."
The addiction was the reason she was there. Ich didn't have to tell her that he was worried about her. She saw it in his eyes every time she came down off the drug. "My husband is a pop idol, and he wants me to accompany him on his tours. We're supposed to leave next week for Japan and then off to China. Personally, I don't think I'm going to make it."
"Then we'd better get started. I think you are a good candidate for hypnosis."
Shaundra sighed. "Do you really think you can help me?"
Doctor Wong nodded. "I think I can, but it all depends on you. It won't work if you fight it." He paused. "Now tell me what you experienced when you flew without medication."
"My heart starts to beat rapidly as soon as I find out I have to fly. And then I get the sweats and I hear my heart pounding in my ears. I get nervous to the point that my body shakes and my thoughts are confused and my speech is slurred. I feel that I'm a threat to everyone aboard the plane...like I might start screaming from fright and terrify the pilot to the point that he might lose control of the plane."
Doctor Wong wrote it all down. "Let us begin," he replied, looking at her with a tender, fatherly expression in his eyes.
"That is no way to live."
Satoshi left the television station and entered the limousine door that Kenshin held open for him. He slid into the back while Kenshin walked around and got into the driver's seat. Everything was ready for their performance tomorrow, and he hoped Cristal would get back in time to be with them. He'd spoken to Li-jun earlier, and the actor said their flight was scheduled to leave shortly.
"We have to swing over and pick up Mrs. Yoshida from the doctor," Kenshin told him as they pulled away from the curb.
"Her appointment should be over shortly."
"Where is Ich?"
"He's scoping out some property for a new restaurant."
Satoshi smirked. The little geisha was turning into a true businessman. Sooner or later he would be too big for Aomori.
The opening of his restaurant in Tokyo was met with rave reviews from the food critics, and the plans for a second restaurant in Osaka were underway. "I think I can keep her entertained on the ride back to the mansion."
"Ich said he would kick your ass if you are anything less than a gentleman with his wife."
Another smirk. "I wonder what he means by that."
Kenshin chuckled knowingly.
Satoshi feinted innocence. "I cannot help it if women find me charming."
"Just try to be nice."
Satoshi sat back in the seat. He could do that, but what would be the point?
Kenshin brought the limousine to a halt after a few minutes of maneuvering through traffic. Satoshi looked out of the window. They were parked outside a huge office building in central Seoul. Kenshin got out and went inside, leaving him on his own, which could prove quite disastrous because it gave him time to plot and fantasize. He opened his iPad and began strumming through his appointments and schedules.
Masaaki had set him up with a few more personal appearances, but other than that he was pretty much free to work on their upcoming album. Ich had written some kick-ass lyrics, and he couldn't wait to get back to Osaka to work on the music. Hopefully he'd have a couple of songs perfected for the China tour.
The limousine door opened a few minutes later, and a pair of long, shapely legs caught his attention as Shaundra slid into the seat across from him. He liked a woman who wore hosiery. He found it feminine and quite sexy.
"Satoshi," she said with an easy smile and a bow of her head. "What a pleasant surprise."
She had no idea how true the statement was. Just seeing her made his day.
Shaundra secured her seat belt, and Kenshin got into the driver's seat and drove away from the curb.
"How did your visit go with the doctor?"
"Very well. Thank you for asking. These visits seem to be helping. "
Maybe he should schedule an appointment to see if the doctor could help him with getting over his fascination with her. Right now his mind undressed her out of the dark business suit she wore. Try as he might he could not put his feelings aside, and he felt terrible because Ich was his best friend. "That's good. We need you on the tour."
"Why?"
"To keep Ich happy and productive. It's amazing how he has come out of his shell since he met you."
"I don't think I have anything to do with that. Ich is just a little shy. I find it adorable."
"I am so jealous," Satoshi confessed.
Shaundra chuckled. The huskiness of the sound made something deep inside him stir.
"Don't tease."
He smiled at her discomfort. "I can still kick myself for not making a move on you the first time we met."
"Then I would not have had a chance to get to know my wonderful husband."
Satoshi sighed. Maybe she thought reminding him she was married would stop him. He wasn't proud of it, but he'd crossed that boundary before. He studied her face, trying to find that little imperfection he could use to reject her from his heart. Shit. Nothing. "Or wallow in all that hair."
Shaundra nodded enthusiastically. "I do a lot of wallowing and a lot of touching."
Satoshi tried to hide his chagrin. If she had chosen Ich over him because of his hair, he was going to be pissed. "I know you're only saying this to make me jealous, and it's working."
"You're so strange."
Other than Cristal, he could never have this type of conversation with another woman. For some reason he felt comfortable in Shaundra's company. "Yes, I know. I still have a few issues to work out. Now tell me, what has that adorable daughter of yours been up to?" He hadn't thought much of Tricia since he'd returned to Asia. She was nice, but she needed to finish her education. And he knew that long- distance relationships never worked.
"She's fine and very busy with her schooling. I feel bad that I'm not there in the U.S. for her at this time."
"Reconsidering your decision to move to Japan?"
"Not really. I know some things may prove difficult for me.
I'm still trying to learn the language and get my stomach adjusted to the food. I really have to watch what I eat."
Satoshi looked over her petite figure. "Are you afraid to gain weight?"
She shook her head. "No, afraid of the salt. Lucky for me I married a chef. Ich prepares most of my meals and helps me control my salt intake."
That was true. She had high blood pressure. "But he can't control it when you go out to eat."
Shaundra nodded in agreement. "That's when I have to be selective. I can't afford to become ill before I find a permanent doctor."
Such things were a mystery to him. He never had to watch what he ate. His metabolism and the vigorous training burned the weight off.
"Now tell me about Cristal."
Satoshi smirked. He knew it wouldn't take her long to get to that subject. "What do you want to know?"
"Where did she come from, and what happened to the other public relations person you had managing your promotions? Spill it. I'm just dying for some juicy gossip."
"She came highly recommended by her father. He's an American general who happens to be a friend of Mr. Niigata's.
As for her predecessor, well, let's just say she didn't take it so well when Yori got married."
Shaundra arched a delicate brown eyebrow at him.
"Meaning?"
"How can I put this delicately? She had delusions that Yori would marry her."
"You mean she was a fan?"
"No, I mean he was screwing her."
Shaundra rolled her eyes at the ceiling. "Boy did I make the right decision."
Satoshi leaned forward in his seat. "Is that the true reason you chose Ich over him?" He had always wanted to know how she made that decision. He would have bet his last dollar that Shaundra would have chosen Yori.
"No, but I had my suspicions. No. I chose Ichiro because he's honest and his innocence swept me off my feet."
"I can be honest and innocent," Satoshi replied.
Shaundra smirked at him. "No. That's not in your character. You might be able to pull off the honest thing, but innocent, no. Both you and Yori emit sexuality out of your pores like blood." She paused. "Since we're putting this all out on the table, I must confess that and say that I was tempted by your charms. Hell, a couple of times I thought about giving you the thrill of your life."
Satoshi bit his bottom lip, intrigued by what she'd confessed. "What stopped you?"
Shaundra settled back in her seat. "I have no idea. Now it's not an option."
Drat, what is this? She liked me too. Satoshi sat back in his seat. Did that mean he still had a chance? Hmm, now that he knew this, what was he going to do? "Tell me honestly. Do you regret marrying Ich?"
Shaundra looked him directly in the eyes. "Yes," she replied. "But not for the reasons you think. I did a lot of soul searching before I accepted his proposal. Ich is so young, and he deserves someone who is going to be around when he get old. And he needs children...something I can no longer produce."
"But there are other ways."
"I know, but to tell you the truth I don't know if I can physically or mentally raise a baby at my age. It wasn't easy raising my brood...the sleepless nights, the arguments, not knowing if I could financially support them and keep a roof over their heads."
"They seem to have turned out all right," Satoshi said.
Shaundra smiled weakly. "That's because you didn't have to live with them. Don't get me wrong, I love all four of them dearly, but they can work a nerve."
Satoshi smiled. Shaundra was really something special, but he could tell that she still had a lot of emotional baggage about the decisions she had recently made. "Have you ever stopped to consider that maybe Ichiro doesn't want kids? Not everyone is cut out to be a parent."
"What about you? Do you want kids?"
Satoshi sighed. "To tell you the truth, I never gave it much thought. You might not be aware of this, but I'm a very selfish person. When I find the woman I want to share my life with, I expect to dedicate my every waking moment to loving her and trying to make her feel like a queen. Kids would only complicate things."
Shaundra fanned herself with her hand. "I don't think that's selfish. Darn. Who would have thought you were such a romantic?"
"I would have cherished you," Satoshi confessed.
Shaundra stopped fanning and gazed at him with those smoky brown eyes that created a warm feeling in his heart and a slow rise in his trousers. "Don't," she replied.
"Don't what?" he asked, noticing the sudden curiosity in her eyes.
"Don't tempt me."