“Yeah. It was scary as hell. It was about ten years ago. I was on my way back from Spring Break in Bermuda.”
“What happened?”
“I swear we dropped a thousand feet, but I’m sure that was just my take on the situation. The lights flickered and the plane was rocking back and forth. Even the oxygen masks came down. I could’ve sworn we were going to die, but we didn’t. We made an emergency landing, but we were fine. Ever since then, nothing scares me on a plane,” he said with a comforting grin.
“I don’t think I’d ever step foot on a plane again if that happened to me.”
“You can’t live your life in fear, Natalie,” he said and I wondered if there was a deeper meaning behind his words.
“No, you can’t,” I agreed quietly and I felt him squeeze my hand.
“Try and relax. I’ll be here the whole flight. You can hold onto me whenever you need to.”
“Thanks,” I whispered as I stared down at our hands. His grip was warm and strong and it made me feel better. He turned his body so his back blocked Court and Anna Beth from view. He raised my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it softly, before releasing it as he rested his head against the seatback and closed his eyes again, leaving my heart pounding and my lungs breathless.
Eighteen
Tokyo was buzzing. I thought New York was overwhelming, but there was something about Tokyo that was almost electric. It was in constant motion, the crowded streets filled with people rushing here and there. I’d stared out the window of the taxi silently as we drove to our hotel, still trying to wrap my head around the fact I was actually in Japan. Even on the plane it seemed like a dream until we landed and I was bombarded with the chatter of a different language and a sea of dark hair when we stepped off the jetway into the airport. We’d cleared customs and got our luggage and were now on our way to the hotel.
I was exhausted and was grateful when the taxi stopped in front of a towering Hilton. I’d managed a few naps on the plane, but what I really wanted was to curl up in a warm, soft bed and get some real sleep.
We all followed Drew inside and after a brief exchange with the front desk clerk, we were on the elevator heading up to our rooms. When the doors opened, we turned right and followed Drew.
“Our rooms are down this hall,” he said, divvying up the keys. “I don’t know about you all, but I’m exhausted, so I’m going to sleep. Feel free to order room service if you’re hungry. Let’s meet up in a few hours,” he said, looking at his watch. “How about five o’clock. We’ll catch some dinner and then hang out in our rooms. We’ll work on the presentation tomorrow. I don’t even want to think about it tonight.”
“Sounds like a great idea,” Anna Beth said. “See you guys later.” She took her key and headed off down the hallway.
“Yeah, I need a good shower and a good nap. See y’all in a bit,” Court said, disappearing down the hall too, leaving just Drew and I.
“You look like you could use a good sleep,” he said, handing me my key.
“Yeah, I’m pretty tired.”
“Well, I hope you can rest up. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow.”
“Yes, we do,” I said, smiling at him as we started walking down the hall.
“Can I help you with your bags?” he asked.
“No. Thanks. I’m good,” I said and we were quiet for a few moments until I stopped in front of my room and slid the key inside. I opened it when the light turned green, but noticed Drew was still beside me. He was opening the door next to mine.
“See you in a little while, neighbor.”
“Yeah,” was all I said and stepped inside.
I turned on the light and was taken aback by the room. I hadn’t expected it to be so nice. There was a sprawling king sized bed in front of a large flat screen TV along with a separate living area with a posh looking white couch and loveseat and a kitchenette in the corner. I wheeled my suitcase over to the bed and then hoisted it up, unzipping it and taking out my toiletries. I walked into the bathroom, which was spacious with a large Jacuzzi tub and a side shower. I’d planned to shower, but the tub looked so inviting and I couldn’t resist the array of oils and bubble bath. I turned on the water till the room was steaming and poured a rose scented bubble bath in as a mountain of white foam skimmed the surface. I removed my clothes, leaving them scattered on the floor and stepped slowly into the nearly scalding water and sinking into the tub. I leaned back and it felt nice. I hadn’t had a good bath in ages. I wouldn’t even be able to stretch out my legs in my tub back in New York and even if I could, I wasn’t sure I’d want to. The tub there was old and the grout was gross. I’d never lay down in it, but the tub here was divine and after a long a fifteen hour flight, I never wanted to get out.
I soaked in the bubbles and washed my hair and eventually forced myself to climb out. The bath had made me even more tired and I was ready to sleep. After stepping out of the tub and drying off, I wrapped myself in the soft, white robe hanging in the bathroom. It was warm and cozy and I could’ve fallen asleep in it, but instead I changed into some sweats and a t-shirt and climbed under the covers. The bed was soft and warm and I was almost asleep the instant my head hit the pillow, until I suddenly realized I hadn’t even contacted home to let Ethan know I’d made it okay.
I rolled over and reached for my bag, not leaving the bed. I dug out my phone, not sure if I could even make a phone call without racking up an insane bill. I didn’t care though. I needed to speak to him, even with the thirteen hour time difference. It was almost eleven o’clock back in New York. He should be home from work by now.
I dialed his number. It took a while for it to start ringing, but it did eventually and after five rings, Ethan’s voice sang through the receiver.
“Hello?” he said and his voice sounded a million miles away.
“Ethan, hey.”
“Nat! Hey!” he said excitedly. “You made it!”
“Yeah. I just got settled into the hotel.”
“How was the flight?’
“Long. Very long. It’s good to be back on the ground,” I sighed.
“So…what’s it like? Tokyo?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve only seen the airport and the hotel.”
“You sound tired.”
“I’m exhausted. I’m actually lying in bed, but I needed to call you first.”
“Then you should go to sleep. We can talk later. I’m just glad you’re there safely.”
“Me too. Would you mind texting my parents and telling them I made it okay? I really don’t feel like getting into a long, drawn out conversation with them right now.”
“No problem,” he said and then his voice turned sweet and soft. “I miss you, Nat.”
“I miss you too. I’ll be home soon. I love you, Ethan.”
“I love you too. Get some rest.”
“Okay. Bye,” I said, my voice fading off as the exhaustion took over. I left the phone on the mattress beside me and curled up under the covers. I told myself it was good to hear his voice and when I closed my eyes, I told myself it was Ethan I was thinking about. I had to tell myself that because I was too afraid of the truth.
Nineteen
When I woke up the morning of the presentation, I knew everyone would be nervous. We’d spent the last couple of days getting it all finalized and I hoped it would go well when Drew spoke with Mr. Tashawa. Drew was always so confident, but even he appeared anxious as we finished it up. He was quiet and I wondered what was going through his mind. He seemed untouchable, almost like he wasn’t a real person like the rest of us, and it bothered me to know he was so unsure.
After a quick shower, I put on a white blouse and black suit. I pulled my hair into a tight bun, applied my make-up and gathered my things for the presentation before heading down to the lobby to meet the others.
I could see Anna Beth and Court were already waiting, both of them sitting in the high-backed chairs. I began walking towards them, but then heard a voice next to me.
“Good morning.”
I glanced to my side and saw Drew in step beside me. His mouth was chiseled into a stern line and his brow was knitted together. He appeared to be concentrating, on the presentation no doubt, but there was no denying how handsome he looked. His charcoal suit was tailored to his body perfectly. His hair was gelled neatly and his face looked like porcelain after a fresh shave.
“Good morning,” I replied.
He didn’t say anything further and a moment later, we joined Court and Anna Beth, who both looked the most polished I’d ever seen them. We all knew how important this was for Drew and first impressions were everything.
“We’re ready for this,” Drew said commandingly and we all followed him out into the busy Tokyo streets.
The cab ride to Mr. Tashawa’s was quiet, with only a few quick questions from Drew as he scanned through his iPad. When the car came to a stop in front of the towering sky scraper, Drew got out first and we all followed him inside. Drew approached an information desk and began speaking to the receptionist in Japanese. It amazed me that he could speak it so well. It seemed like he was always doing something new that impressed me.
Drew motioned for us to follow and after a long elevator ride, we got out on the 45
th
floor. He approached a desk and we were led into a small conference room. Drew began gathering everything together and a moment later the door opened. A pretty Japanese woman came in and began speaking quickly before turning and walking out.
“Alright. Here goes,” he said, picking up his brief case.
“Are you sure we can’t come?” Court asked.
“No. I do this stuff alone. But seriously,” he said, looking at each of us, and I found myself looking away when Drew’s eyes seemed to linger on mine too long. “Thank you for all you’ve done to help me get prepared. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
He stepped towards the door and a moment later he was gone.
It seemed as if he was inside with Mr. Tashawa for an eternity. I was bored and watched as Court played a game on his phone, while Anna Beth read a book. Normally we would’ve talked, but we all knew we were here representing Andrew Saben, so instead, we sat quietly, waiting for Drew to return.
When the door opened to the conference room, our heads all whipped around in unison. Drew was standing there and then a wide smile spread across his face. We all stood up and walked hurriedly over to him.
“I take it the presentation went well,” Court said excitedly.
“It was perfect. Couldn’t have gone any better.”
“Everything’s set with the project then?” Anna Beth asked.
“Construction will begin next month.” Drew was still smiling, but I took note that unlike before he’d left for the meeting, his eyes didn’t meet mine this time.
“Then our work here is done. Time for some fun before we head back tomorrow,” Court said enthusiastically.
“I’m with Court. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” Drew agreed, loosening his tie and unbuttoning the top of his shirt. We all headed towards the elevators, but he stopped me with a gentle touch on my arm as Court and Anna Beth continued on. I was facing him and he was looking down at me, not with a smile, but with a look of ease that had been missing from his face lately. “I wanted to personally thank you, Natalie.”
“For what?”
“That night…when I showed you my sketches and you suggested I do something different… that I step outside of my comfort zone. I can’t thank you enough for that. It changed everything. If we hadn’t had that talk, this whole project would’ve collapsed.” I felt his arm on mine again and I could feel his fierce gaze.
“You’re welcome,” I said, surprised at how quiet I was.
“You taught me something.”
“What was that?”
“Change can be good. New ideas and new experiences are sometimes what we need to see what we’re missing.”
He held my gaze a little longer and I knew he wasn’t just talking about the building he’d designed. He was talking about me. He was talking about us and I couldn’t say anything as his hand fell to his side and he walked away.
~~~
After changing from our work clothes and meeting for lunch and a look around the Ginza, an upscale shopping district in Tokya, at Court’s insistence, we set about exploring the Sensoji Temple, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, and the Tokyo Skytree, which offered a spectacular view of the city. It was a whirlwind tour and by the time we were done, it was nearly nightfall and I was exhausted. My feet hurt and all I wanted to do was crawl into bed, wake up and get back to New York.
When we returned to the hotel, I tried saying goodnight, but I knew that was going to be impossible with Court around.
“Now that we’ve done all the touristy stuff, I say our last night here should be a memorable one.” I could tell by the look in Court’s eyes he had a plan up his sleeve and I doubted it would be one that I liked.
“I don’t think I’m up for a memorable night,” Anna Beth said and I was relieved we felt the same way.
“Just hear me out,” Court began and Anna Beth folded her arms, waiting for his revelation. I could see Drew out of my peripheral vision and he had an amused look on his face. I’d decided he found Court’s shenanigans very entertaining. “I read about this club online called Muse. We have to go. The music is fresh and the dancing is it. You’ve heard about how crazy Tokyo nightlife is. We can’t leave without giving it a try.”
“No.” Anna Beth’s voice was flat and final.
“C’mon, Annie!” Court whined and I had to grin when he called her Annie. She didn’t seem amused though and rolled her eyes.
“I’m exhausted. We’ve been on our feet all day. I need some sleep.”
“You can sleep when you’re dead, girl,” Court said as he swooped in, lacing his arm around Anna Beth’s waist and started tangoing with her. I figured that would at least make her crack a smile. It didn’t and Court stopped, a defeated pout on his face. “Okay, Granny Annie, you go and do some knitting while the rest of us paint the town. You’re in, right guys?” He looked at me and then at Drew.
“I wouldn’t mind going for a little while,” Drew agreed. “I could use a drink.”
Both of their eyes turned to me then and I shook my head.
“To be honest, I’m not really in the mood,” I said gently, not wanting to crush him.
“Not you too, Natalie.” Court was all out pouting now and I felt badly for him. I knew this trip to Tokyo was a once in a life time trip for all of us, aside from Drew, of course. Going to a nightclub was the one thing he’d wanted to do. “Just for a little while. Please?” He put his hands together as he begged and I just shook my head, unable to tell him no.
“Fine. Just for a little while though,” I finally agreed.
He balled his hands into a fist, as he hissed, “Yes!”
“The answer is still no for me though. I really just want to get some rest. You guys have fun though.”
And with that, Anna Beth was gone. I wished I had the fortitude she did, but I couldn’t hold a candle to her and now I’d be spending my night in a Tokyo bar.
“Now that we’ve dumped the old lady, let’s meet down here at 9:30. See you in a bit.”
Court was gone before I could say anything else, leaving me standing there with Drew, who I had worked very hard all day not to have a full conversation with. It was awkwardly quiet and I could feel his eyes on me. I knew I couldn’t avoid him forever.
“I’m glad things went well today,” I finally said, turning towards him. He looked so different than he had in the morning. Before the meeting, he was all business, but now he was just Drew.
“Me too,” he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Like I said earlier, I couldn’t have done it without you guys.”
I just smiled and nodded, the urge to get away and be near him at the same time dueling within me.
“I’ll see you in a bit,” I said quickly and turned to my room before I could say anything else.