Twilight Express Ch. 08-12

Chapter Eight: Melina's e-mail confessions

(New readers may want to read Twilight Express Chapters 1-7 first.)

Had Shinichi been a snoop - which thankfully, he was not - he would have found this e-mail on Melina's laptop soon after her arrival at his home.

To: powderpuffgurl@xxx.xx

From: mel_reilly@xxx.xx

Date: Sept 19, 2004

Subject: my trip to Sapporo and more

Greetings Cathie,

Sorry it's taken me a while to catch up with you, but I've spent the last weeks going back and forth between the Tokyo and Osaka offices while trying to pack up for Sapporo. Hopefully you're not having too much trouble running research on your own in Boston.

BTW, thanks again for your help during the past year - I will reward you richly via duty-free in a few months!

But here's the news that will probably interest you even more than our brilliant careers. My romantic life has suddenly improved in a major way. I'll tell you all the gory details next time I catch you online on IM, so here's the Readers Digest Condensed Version.

Two nights ago I was on the sleeper train to Sapporo, minding my own business in the bar car, and I Met A Man.

The man I met - his name is Shinichi Sakakura, by the way - had actually spotted me at a drinks party several weeks beforehand when I was in Osaka. He had decided to ask someone with our company to introduce us, per local business etiquette. But I already had plans to go out with some of the Osaka staff that evening - they took me out for a farewell dinner and karaoke - so I left the party before we were introduced.

But several weeks later, we met on a train that wasn't even near Osaka. It was one of those chance in a million meetings you read about while you're waiting to check out at the grocery store.

When we first met he explained he'd seen me before, which was a relief. He had begun staring at me as soon as he entered the bar car and I was beginning to wonder why.

We ended up having drinks and talking for a couple of hours, and I liked him more and more. However, it turned out he wasn't going to Sapporo, he was headed to his country home in the Chubu region. He designed the house himself as he's an architect. He invited me for a visit and I accepted.

He was so cute and shy when he asked me, even though I'm pretty sure he's in his 50s. He kept insisting I could stay in the guest room, he'd drive me all the way up to Sapporo if I decided it was time to leave, he'd take me sightseeing ... on and on. He seemed scared I would be offended by his invitation. I finally had to stop him just so I could say yes.

If you're wondering what happened after we got to his place, all I'll say is yes, I misbehaved on the first date. Misbehaved quite a bit, to tell the truth. Things got interesting on the back porch and we never made it past the living room sofa. You know I always believed in holding out for at least two or three dates, but after the first kiss I was a goner. And all those rumors about Asians not being good kissers are just rumors.

I don't have a photo of Shinichi, but he looks like a slightly taller, longer-haired version of a Japanese actor named Sonny Chiba. At least that's who I think he looks like, anyway - he probably sees no resemblance. If you Netflix a Hong Kong movie called Explosive City, Sonny Chiba is the bad guy.

We're going hiking later today so hopefully I'll remember to take my camera. I only really had a look at the area this morning since we didn't get to his house until after dark, but it's postcard-pretty here. He has a beautiful rock garden just outside.

Say hello to everyone in Boston for me. Thanks again for baby-sitting the cat. Hope he hasn't crapped on anything valuable lately.

Yours in bliss,

Mel

Chapter Nine: Breakfast in Bed

Melina woke earlier than usual, as the first light began filtering through the windows of Shinichi's bedroom. She gently removed his arm from around her waist, sat up and looked at him. He looked innocent and even a bit boyish as he slept.

Needing her morning fix of caffeine, and having spotted a coffeemaker in the kitchen the evening before, she eased out of bed and put on her robe. She wasn't ready to wander around in the buff just yet. Besides, there might be neighbors or a gardener about.

Even in his sleep, Shinichi sensed her absence almost immediately and woke. Wondering if she needed something, he got up and found her in the kitchen, literally moving on tiptoe as she quietly opened one cabinet door after another.

"I was just looking for some coffee," she said, trying to straighten her hair with her fingers.

"Don't worry, I have some, I just keep it in the freezer. But I'll make it. You're my guest, remember? Go back to bed and I'll bring it in to you when it's ready."

She smiled. "You're very kind to cater to my addiction. Milk and one sugar, please."

They drank their coffee slowly, both a bit unsure of themselves and each other after the night before. Shinichi had brought Melina some sugar biscuits and she bit into one carefully, holding her coffee cup directly underneath her chin so she wouldn't drop crumbs into his bed.

Even with uncombed hair and her makeup almost entirely gone, Shinichi considered her no less attractive. He noticed that her thick eyelashes were actually lighter than her hair - almost blonde.

Finally he suggested that they go for a walk later that morning.

"I did promise sightseeing, you know," he reminded her.

"I've liked the sights so far," she replied. She leaned over and kissed him. She tasted like sugar biscuits.

He took her empty coffee cup and set it on the floor. Shinichi was tempted to kiss her back, hoping that it would lead to an encore of the previous evening, but decided against it. He didn't want her to think that he had only invited her to visit for immoral purposes.

Instead, he invited her to join him for a morning soak, which she accepted. He had just stepped into the shower when he heard a knock on the door.

"It's not locked," he called out.

She peeked inside, then came in. She had pinned her hair up and was wearing a thin white bathrobe.

"Would you like me to wash your back?" Melina asked. "It's a popular tradition where I'm from."

"Really?" he asked.

"Well, it should be. I just made it up," she admitted.

Taking the washcloth and soap, she lathered his back, but instead of using the washcloth she began to massage him instead. Taking her time, she gradually moved upwards to his shoulders.

Shinichi sat on the bath stool while she continued. Melina had such a gentle touch, untrained but somehow all the better for it. He could not remember any other lover, including his ex-wife, ever caring for him in this way. It added to his increasing belief that he was more than simply smitten with his visitor. He was beginning to believe in love at first sight – or perhaps second sight, to be totally accurate.

She finished his shoulders and began washing his hair.

"It's chamomile shampoo," she whispered. "I thought you might like it."

Careful to keep the soap from his eyes, she began massaging his scalp, then his temples. He sighed.

"You're too good to me," he said, as she rinsed his hair. He had fitted the shower with a handheld sprayer.

"The pleasure is all mine," she whispered.

Shinichi stood up, then backed her up carefully until she was under the shower. Her thin robe was instantly soaked, revealing the curves of her body. He peeled off the robe, then unpinned her hair and lathered it with her shampoo. Holding on to the shower bar for balance, she tilted her head back for him, eyes closed as he rinsed her hair.

As he watched the water run over Melina's body, it was becoming increasingly difficult for Shinichi to adhere to his vow of morning celibacy. But he was resolute.

He finished rinsing her hair, then ran a comb through it. Melina looked up at him.

"Thank you," she said softly. She stood on tiptoe to kiss him.

Her kiss destroyed Shinichi's resolution in an instant. He took her in her arms, both under the still-running shower. In less than two minutes she had wrapped her arms around his neck while he carefully lifted her up, spreading her legs wide open before impaling her on the length of his shaft. He could feel her thigh muscles gripping his sides as he leaned her against the shower wall, pounding her until her entire body trembled with each stroke.

Eventually he shifted their position so that Melina's back was almost touching the shower bar. She immediately knew what he wanted and transferred her grip to it with both hands. Now he was able to back away so that he could watch her body react as he sank himself into her. The sight of her soft nether lips caressing his cock each time he withdrew, combined with the contrast of his darker, scarred body against her own, made it impossible for him to continue for long. Her eyes closed as she savored his warmth filling her.

Afterwards, he leaned against the shower wall, gently lowering her to the floor so she wouldn't lose her balance. A rivulet of semen slowly ran down her inner thigh. They both stood under the warm water, looking at each other, saying nothing.

Suddenly Melina pointed to the area behind him, stammering but unable to speak. Shinichi turned, half-expecting to see an unexpected guest – only to see the marble bath overflowing, flooding the bathroom floor.

Chapter Ten: The Great Outdoors

The bathtub situation wasn't as disastrous as Melina first thought. A discarded washcloth had been sucked into the floor's drain, and the water cleared quickly after its removal.

After a late breakfast, the two set off on a hike through the woods nearby, leaving the marble bath filled for their return. Although small-boned, Melina had no trouble navigating the steeper trails, only stopping occasionally to pull out her binoculars when one of them spotted a bird.

After about an hour, they came to a small clearing with a view of the valley below. They both sat down and shared a thermos of coffee. Shinichi took off his sunglasses, pulled off his shirt and lay down next to Melina.

"Please feel free to take your own shirt off if you like," he deadpanned.

She shook her head. "Might get sunburned, you know."

He smiled, touched the tip of her nose with his index finger, closed his eyes.

Melina surveyed her new lover's body as he enjoyed the midday sun. For someone who spent his days sitting at a drawing board, he looked nothing like an office drone. Instead, his physique suggested that he chopped down the occasional forest, shirtless, whenever the mood struck him. His chest and back bore traces of several old scars, one particularly deep and angry-looking.

"Where did you get this scar?" she asked, tracing the deepest one with her finger. It began on his right shoulder and continued down his back, almost to his waist.

He explained that he had worked on construction sites during college, and been badly cut when another worked dropped a piece of sheet metal on him. The wound had needed about 50 stitches.

"It bled so much that the guy who dropped the sheet metal actually fainted," he said, amused by the memory. "The hospital ended up keeping him in the ER longer than they kept me."

As they talked, they both discovered that their college years were remarkably similar. While Melina had gotten by on a scholarship, Shinichi's wealthy father had opposed his career choice, expecting his oldest son to follow him into the financial sector. Shinichi ended up putting himself through college with occasional help from an uncle.

"Have you patched things up with your father? Or has he attempted to smooth things out?" Melina asked.

Shinichi shook his head. "I'm afraid we're both equally stubborn," he said. "Although my mother suspects he thinks I turned out much better than he had expected."

Melina reached down, brushed the hair from his forehead.

"It's sad you two don't get on. You never know when you might lose your parents," she said.

Squinting into the sun, he looked up at her. She looked mournful, as if had just returned from a funeral.

Suddenly her sadness disappeared. "Don't mind me, I'm just being my counselor self."

"Counselor? I thought you were a researcher."

"I took this psychological test when I was in school. Some Keirsey test, I think. It said I was an idealist and a counselor." She shrugged, then continued.

"People at work do tend to tell me about their problems. It's not like I know the answer most of the time. Maybe they know I was brought up Catholic and they want to confess."

"May I confess something?" Shinichi said, a look of fake piety on his face.

"Sure, why not?"

"I'm wondering what sex outdoors is like. Have you tried it? I haven't."

She laughed. "You're going straight to hell."

After another hour of hiking, they returned to the house and spent an hour soaking in the bath. Eventually Melina ended up napping on the leather sofa.

Shinichi decided to unpack Melina's suitcase in the spare room so she could dress without being disturbed. He also wanted to offer her the option to sleep alone if she chose.

He found himself enjoying the task. As he took out each item, he felt he was getting to know his girlfriend - for that's what he already considered her - a little more. A pair of slim black trousers, a pink cardigan with a black knitted border, a dark green turtleneck with a Gaultier logo, a pair of black Ferragamo flats. A pink and white tank top. An assortment of silk and cotton underwear. An elderly blue cardigan that probably hung on her office chair. The usual collection of hair gels, cosmetics, body lotions. A small bottle of Caleche perfume, which he sampled and liked. A bottle of pills with an Osaka pharmacy label that read TAKE ONE AT ONSET OF MIGRAINE.

At the bottom of the case, he found a framed photograph of three people standing in a snow-filled yard in front of a modest house. Putting his glasses on, Shinichi took the picture near the window where the light was better.

It was immediately apparent who the trio was. Melina's mother shared her Irish skin and green eyes but not her auburn hair; instead, she was a prematurely graying but attractive brunette. Her father, wearing a worn sheepskin jacket, was solemnly standing behind them. Several inches taller than his wife and daughter, he had awkwardly put his hand on Melina's shoulder.

Melina stood smiling shyly, her hair cut short with long bangs. She looked to be about 13 years old, with visible puppy fat and a wire retainer across her front teeth. She was holding a black longhaired cat that seemed to be enjoying the photo opportunity.

He wondered about her early life. Had she been popular at school? Was her childhood happy? Was she an only child? The lack of siblings seemed odd, especially since she had mentioned her Catholic upbringing.

Finally Shinichi put the photograph on the desk, left the room, closed the door quietly.

Chapter 11: True Confessions

Later that day, Melina accepted Shinichi's offer to take her to dinner. Although he was looking forward to taking her to one of his favorite restaurants, she seemed oddly quiet as he opened the Lincoln's door for her.

She said little during the drive to the restaurant, which was some 20 miles away. Finally Shinichi stopped the car to ask if she were feeling well. Although he was dreading her possible answer - what if she had decided to leave for Sapporo? - he considered it worse to pretend he didn't notice her mood.

Her answer was not what he expected.

"I was bad to you on the train."

Melina produced a bundle of banknotes from her handbag. She held it out to him, explaining that she wanted to return the money she'd won during their card game in the salon car. Of course, he refused the refund.

"You won it square and fair; it's yours."

She shook her head, looked as if she were about to cry.

"No, I didn't. I ... I cheated."

Shinichi was surprised at the revelation, but not angry. Instead, he realized that, more than anything else, he was impressed by her skills as card sharp.

"How on earth did you do it?"

She pulled the pack of the cards out of the handbag, fanned them out so that the backs showed. "See these little dots? They're marked cards. I always knew exactly what cards you had." She tried again to hand him the money.

The irony of the situation - his appreciation of a self-confessed cheater's honesty - made it difficult for him to decide how to respond, especially since his prevailing emotion was relief. He was oddly tempted to thank her for not rejecting him.

Finally he took the money, put it back into her handbag.

He said, "Look at it this way. When we were playing cards, we were still practically strangers. I can see how you could have been tempted to gain the upper hand on a stranger, especially if you weren't yet sure you even liked him or not."

Melina looked up at him. "So you're not angry?"

He shook his head. "If you didn't like me just a little bit, you wouldn't have told me the truth."

"Shinichi, I like you a lot." She said this with no hesitation. "That's why I had to tell you."

She almost continued, but stopped. Instead, she took his hand, turned it over and kissed the palm. It was an intimate gesture that he felt not just on his skin, but much deeper.

The streetlight suddenly came on, illuminating her eyes in the car's dark interior as she held his hand. Shinichi felt his heart turning into spun sugar. "My hotaru," he said suddenly.

Melina looked puzzled. "Firefly?"

"Yes," he said. "It's a term of endowment..."

Melina interrupted. "I think you mean term of endearment, sweetheart."

Her use of the word "sweetheart" quickly cancelled his embarrassment.

"Mmmmm ... yes. I'll explain it more later."

They drove on, Melina both relieved and cheered after Shinichi suggested that they use the wager money to pay for dinner. By the time they arrived, her dark mood was gone.

The rest of the evening could not have gone much better. It seemed to both of them that they had known each other for much longer than 24 hours. They discussed their favorite books, their jobs, shared stories of their college days and travels. They even discovered they shared some secret vices: both loved yakuza movies and had watched every episode of Sex and the City. Melina even won the eventual approval of the restaurant staff, who realized that Mr. Sakakura's date was no ordinary foreigner.

Chapter 12: Payback

After dinner, Shinichi suggested a poker rematch, this time with a new deck of cards. They sat on the living room floor, playing on a low rectangular table similar to a traditional dinner table. There was a thick white carpet underneath the table that resembled Mongolian lamb, but Shinichi's soft spot for animals had resulted in the purchase of a synthetic version that cost several times more than the genuine article.

Melina had acquired a taste for the local sake and, as a consequence, was playing a less cautious game than usual. She had removed her shoes and stockings, but still wore the black silk wrap dress she had worn to dinner. Finally her luck ran out along with her playing chips - they had agreed not to play for money again - and they completed their migration to Shinichi's side of the table.

She was a gracious loser. She congratulated him by bowing low, as a villager might bow to a passing samurai.

As she knelt, face almost touching the carpet, she felt Shinichi's hand on the back of her head as he removed the pins from her hair. She rose, only to realize that his hand was still in her hair, holding her gently but firmly.

He brought her face close to his and kissed her deeply, roughly, keeping his hold on her. "Not so fast, my hotaru," he said. She froze, wide-eyed. While she recognized desire in his eyes, she also detected an additional persona, intriguing and dark. The sorcerer of the previous evening was back.