12 – Alex
“How long are you staying for?” Mom had finally unwrapped her arms from around my neck and was sitting beside me on the sofa, holding my hand, patting the back of it. No one else was here yet, just me and mom and I was loving her sole attention, it was something rarely given to me as a child
Not with Jake around
I smiled at her, squeezing her hand. “I have business meetings on Monday, I have to go home on Sunday morning.
“Oh.” Her beautiful face fell, and I felt a pang of guilt. I wish I could have stayed longer, but being here for four days was all 1 could conjure out of Yuka and Sana’s deal, and I couldn’t tell my mom that my boss told me I couldn’t stay longer. In traditional Maria Kazumi style, she’d be on the phone in seconds, chewing Yuka a new asshole. “That’s not long enough. We wanted to spend some more time with you than that. You haven’t been home in so-”
“Alexander?”
I closed my eyes at the sound of my brother’s voice, as it encroached on the beautiful moment mom, and I were having Inhaling, I opened my eyes and turned my head, looking at Jake for the first time in person, in ten years. “Little brother.” Standing, I walked over to him and held out my hand. “Congratulations on your engagement. I did get you something but left it at my hotel. I’ll bring it for you tomorrow, with your wedding gift.”
my hand, then past me, to mom “You invited him?”
Jake looked at my
My jaw clenched and my hand dropped, body tensing.
Here we go…
“Jacob, it’s been ten years. Your brother came all the way from New York, to be here for your wedding. Be nice.” Mom admonished, and Jake looked at me again, his own jaw clenching
“New York, huh?”
“Yep.”
“Long flight?”
“Not really, little over thre
r three hours. Got in late last
night.”
I could do this. Small talk.
I just hoped to God Jake wouldn’t bring up what happened ten years earlier.
That, I couldn’t do.
“Well, thanks.” Jake held out his hand. “I appreciate you coming.”
I gripped my brother’s hand, shaking it. It was clammy and weak, and I let go, as another shadow came to the door and my father walked into the room, nodding, but not saying a word to me, as he walked to his favorite chair and sat down. Then came the overwhelming smell of cheap perfume.
I hadn’t set eyes on Phoebe since high school and time hadn’t been kind to her. Her once naturally blonde hair now seemed to come from a bottle, burned and frazzled at the ends, and if she had any more make up on her face, I could have carved a slice off and handed it out at a kid’s birthday party.
She blinked as she looked at me and Jake, slipping her arm into his “Jake, baby. Who’s this?”
“Uh, you remember my brother, Alexander?”
Phoebe blinked, looking from me to her fiancé and back. I couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes ran up and down my body and for the first time ever, I suddenly had the feeling she thought of me as a piece of meat she could devour. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t recognize you You look different.”
Phoebe would see the variance in Jake and me.
I was taller, broader across the chest, had a fuller head of hair and didn’t look like I was in my early thirties, even though I had just celebrated my thirty–second birthday
Jake looked like a tired, over–worked businessman in his early forties, with his thinning hair, wrinkles at the corners of his
eyes and a slight pouch to his stomach. What the fuck had he been eating? Junk all his life: Being mom’s baby and the only kid at home after I left, I wouldn’t put it past him, to have gotten away with that.
“That’s fine.“I replied, turning and walking back to the sofa, taking up my spot next to mom again and she took my hand. patting it, as if it would calm me. It wasn’t me who needed to be calm. Jake looked like he was ready to throw down at any moment and Phoebe looked like she wanted to jump me. “I came to say hi, before the wedding tomorrow.”
“Do you want to stay for lunch?” mom asked, and I turned to her, shaking my head.
“I’m sorry, mama. Thave a lunch date with someone. I can’t.”
I didn’t know if Rosey would still be at the hotel. I hoped she would. But even if she wasn’t, I wouldn’t stay here and play nice with Jake. Not when I could clearly see he wanted to have it out with me, now he was older and thought he was a man.
But if I fought with him, I might just put him in hospital this time. There was a reason Doi had told me he looked forward to seeing me at the annual clan fight. I was the reigning champion, third year running.
“That’s not fair.” She pouted and I sighed, reaching out and caressing the side of my mother’s face. I had truly missed her. beauty, her simple, yet elegant style and humble demeanor. “We haven’t seen you in four years and haven’t had you home in ten. I just want time to catch up.”
“I know me. I’m sor
“How about we all go out for dinner tonight?”
My jaw clenched at Phoebe’s voice, and I ground my teeth, as mom’s face lit up. “Oh yes! That would be great! What about it. Alex? We can catch up. Jake, you can invite Joey. I’m sure she’d love to catch up with Alex too.”
I turned my head to my little brother, who promptly shook his head. “I called Joey earlier; she wanted to stay home today and make sure she is rested for tomorrow. I wouldn’t be able to convince her if I tried. You know what she’d like. Stubborn
as hell,”
“Got that right.” Phoebe muttered and I pushed my tongue into the side of my mouth, to stop myself from having a go at her. Even though I hadn’t seen Joey since she was thirteen, there was one thing I knew about her, which wouldn’t have changed. She had never been stubborn.
“Oh, that’s a shame.” I looked back to my mom. “You’ll just have to catch up with her at the wedding tomorrow then.”
“I sure will” I smiled.
“Well, Phoebe, you and Jake make a dinner reservation for seven and we will make sure we have otousan and okaasan ready.”
My grandparents! I frowned and let go of my morn’s hand, placing my hands between my knees.
Great
Two more people I really didn’t want to see today, or any other day for that matter. My father’s parents had immigrated from Kyoto, when I was twelve, moving in with us.
My grandfather, I could deal with. He was a simple man, who liked to garden and listen to the radio. He had a pension for good sake and quality tobacco and was most of the time, asleep.
My grandmother… was a tyrant, and probably the reason I was a bit of a rebel when I was younger. Nothing I ever did was good enough for her. And even now, even if I told her I was helping keep the family afloat, by sending money home month, she would still find a way of making it a bad thing
every
“It’s going to be lovely having the whole family here.” Mom gushed and stood, ushering Phoebe and Jake out, leaving me on the sofa and my father sitting in his chair on the other side of the room.
I looked at my dad. Ever the quiet, stoic one of the family. He got his cool, calm demeanor from his own father. My dad lifted his gaze to mine and nodded at me. “Alexander.”
“Pa” I nodded back, not expecting much more from him. My father was not one for drama, or conversation.
“It took courage for you to come back.”
I blinked at him, leaning back on the sofa, listening to my mom and Phoebe’s conflict about where was the best place to eat tonight. “It wasn’t courage, Pa. It was respect. Ma wanted me to come back. I came back.”
Phoebe’s voice rose in the other room, and I watched my dad visibly
w wince.
12 Alex
If the night with me was the most incredible you’ve had in a long time, then you need to get out more.
But seriously. Thank you for making me feel like the goddess you kept calling me.
I’m sorry I can’t stay longer. I would have loved to share a late breakfast with you. Thank yo
you again for letting me forget my problems for the night.
All my love.
Rosey.
I chuckled at the first line. Maybe she was right, but she was also selling herself completely short. She had been incredible and so malleable under my hands. A soft kiss, a firm hand she had melted against me in ways I had only dreamed of
She had been every single part of the goddess I had called her.
“Well there went the best fuck I’ve had in my life.”
I threw myself back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.
There was no way of finding out who she was. Not when we’d not given our real names or told too much private information. It had literally been a dirty night together, with no strings attached.
Usually. I would have been fine with that… but why did it feel like I had just let the best thing, walk out of my life, by being the good son and brother and catching up with my family?
I could have still been balls–deep inside Rosey right now.
“For fuck’s sake.”
Standing. I tossed the note back onto the bedside table and moved through the hotel room, and tried to find something to do, until I had to go play happy families.
