7. Chapter Seven – Lily
Lily
The next morning, I am full of regrets. And pain.
“I can’t believe I let Eve talk me into that. I totally embarrassed myself,” I groan, my phone lying on the bed next to me as I recount yesterday evening to Lucy, my sister-in-law. It’s a video call but for the life of me, I can’t be bothered to look at a screen or hold up my phone. “Don’t laugh at my misery!”
“What do you want me to say?” she teases and bursts into laughter. “Why did you let her talk you into it?”
“She just brings out my competitive streak,” I mumble and press my palms against my eyes. The curtains are closed but it’s still way too bright in here.
“At least you won?”
“Not even that, it was a draw.”
It might have been a draw, but I feel utterly defeated. I don’t even dare move, because even answering the phone had me about to throw up. Which is unfortunate because I really need to pee. And to get out of my clothes from yesterday because I was in no mind to change into my pajamas.
“This is why I never drink more than two glasses of champagne,” I mutter and pinch the bridge of my nose as my eyes start to pound with pain. “Some teambuilding that was, embarrassing myself in front of peers… and Adam. God, that was dumb.”
“You totally have a crush on him,” Lucy interjects, sounding way too happy about her revelation. “You’ve mentioned him ten times since you flew to Tokyo. I’ve been counting.”
“Who in the industry doesn’t have a crush on Adam?” I counter, eliciting a giggle from her. “Google him, you’ll know what I mean. Plus, he’s everywhere I go. I’m probably not mentioning him more than Felix.”
“I’m sure that’s not true.”
“Well, have you counted how often I’ve been mentioning Felix?” I ask, closing my eyes and counting to three before finally sitting up with a loud groan. “Oh god, the whole world is spinning.”
“I’m sorry to say, but that’s just you.” Lucy sounds way too happy about my misery. I’ll have to get her back after her next escapade. “Oh, your brother’s here. You want to say hi?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Come on, he misses you!”
“I do not,” I hear Colin’s voice in the background, right before there’s some shuffling, and I know Lucy is handing him the phone anyways .
God, the two of them. I love my brother and sister-in-law, but in this moment I want to ask them to draw some chalk pictures on a highway.
“You’re hurting my feelings,” I scold, finally picking up the phone, pinching my eyes closed when the screen is way too bright for a moment.
“Wow. You look like death, sis,” Colin remarks and I bite my lip to bite back a comment I’d regret once I feel better.
“Thank you very much,” I say instead and roll my eyes. “How’s the renovation going?”
The two of them have started renovating their house two months back and it’s not going so well. Walls and furniture keep breaking, I think they had a water leak at some point, and one of their windows broke with no apparent reason.
Instead of answering, Colin is giving me the stink-eye and that’s when I decide that I’ve entertained them enough with my misery.
“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’m all out of ‘staring at each other in silence’ time. Unless you both want to watch me either puke or shower, I’m logging off.”
“Ehww,” Colin grimaces in disgust and shudders.
“Have fun in Tokyo,” Lucy snatches the phone back from him and shoots me a smile before the screen goes dark.
I make it through a shower without throwing up, and thankfully, I’m starting to feel better afterward and the world even stops spinning. Once I’m somewhat presentable and sure my stomach has calmed down, I head down to breakfast .
It’s almost time for it to close, but I need something light to start the day, so I hurry and get myself some miso soup to test the waters of what my stomach can… well, stomach.
Once I have my bowl and look for a seat, I spot Adam sitting alone. Heat rushes into my cheeks and I want to turn around and run away. Then again, I’ll have to face him sooner or later. I might as well get it over with.
I take a deep breath. Then another one. Then I straighten my spine and keep my head held high as I walk over to sit at the table next to his.
Of course, Adam is looking perfect, not at all like he overdid it last night. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve seen him drink more than two beers. Then again, I was occupied with keeping up with Eve and didn’t really pay much attention to him.
“I’m so sorry for yesterday,” I apologize immediately when he looks up. It takes everything in me to not turn around and run away or hide my beet red cheeks behind my hands. “I’m not sure what got into me. Eve always manages to bring out my competitive streak. Thank you for getting me to the hotel.”
“It was my pleasure,” he chuckles, and it makes my cheeks even hotter. “It was interesting, actually. I’ve never seen such a quiet drunk person before.” Amusement sparkles in his eyes and a grin keeps tugging at the corners of his mouth. “My brothers usually tend to destroy shit when they’re wasted, so this was a nice change. ”
“Oh god,” I give in and bury my face in my hands, only looking at him through a gap between my fingers.
“And you kept your word. Eve did not get a word out of you,” he continues, nodding, impressed.
“Even drunk me is competitive.” I lower my hands but avoid his gaze. “Too competitive to tell someone my plans.”
“You can thank me though.” Adam leans over, bridging the gap between our tables until he’s suddenly uncomfortably close, his eyes jumping between mine as I stare at him in shock at the sudden proximity.
“Huh?” My voice is only a high squeak and my eyes wide as saucers, my heart beating loudly in my chest. I mean… what?
“Show me around Tokyo,” he demands, his voice rumbling through my whole body, before he leans back and crosses his arms in front of his chest.
“Show you around?” I clear my throat when my voice breaks and raise an eyebrow at him, trying to mask my discomposure. With flustered, shaky hands, I lift my bowl of soup and take a small sip of the soup, just to do something to distract myself from his intense gaze.
“Those spots you told Felix, they look interesting but also very boring to go to alone. Plus, you’ve lived here. You must know some nice spots that are not among the regular tourist traps. Like that museum thing you showed us.”
“That museum literally comes up when you research ‘what to do in Tokyo,’” I point out and cross my arms in front of my chest. “I’m sorry to have to burst your bubble, but my year here was a lot more boring than you’re imagining it. I didn’t have much of a budget to do any cool stuff or visit any good spots.” I lift my hands for quotation marks but he shakes his head like he doesn’t believe me.
“Come on, there must be something. Spend next week’s afternoons with me and show me around. All your favorite spots.”
“The whole week?” My eyes go wide and I shake my head. “Hell no. Not a chance. Don’t you have anything better to do?”
“Why?” He narrows his eyes, ignoring my question. “What do you have planned?”
I fidget and shift in my seat uncomfortably as I try to find an emergency exit to this situation.
In fact, I do have plans on Monday. My only fixed plan for my stay, since I had to buy my ticket in advance for fear of it selling out. It’s the one thing I’ve been looking forward to for weeks now.
For the rest of the week, I was just going off vibes, just doing whatever I feel like, especially considering the heat and not knowing when the rainy season is going to rear its head. I’m just hoping it’s after Monday.
In any case. When there’s no way to escape, it’s best to go on the offensive.
“I can do one afternoon,” I offer him and square my shoulders.
He narrows his eyes at me. This is where his demeanor shifts. Negotiation. I’ve never seen him in action, but now that his serious side is shining through, I’m a bit excited to. Just a teeny tiny bit.
What he doesn’t know is that I don’t like backing down either.
“Four,” he counters and raises his eyebrow, daring me to go lower.
“Two.”
I lift my chin, reciprocating his hard stare. He remains quiet, his eyes jumping all over my face, but I continue to stare him in the eyes. One of my former bosses used to be the master of awkward silences that you at some point start to fill with senseless blubbering so I’ve got countering it with my own silence down to a science.
Two afternoons is alright. Maybe I’ll just have him do the weirdest things I can think of. Pretend like one of the ‘good spots’ he’s wanting is some themed café.
God, just the image of almost two-meter-tall Adam in a maid cafe brings a grin to my lips that I quickly bite down. Hell yeah, if I’m not getting out of it, I’m going to have fun with it.
I have only been to a maid café once with a friend, and I always thought that it was an experience so awkward that I don’t care to repeat it. But if Adam insists, it’s an experience I’ll happily join him in as he sits through it. It’s going to be hilarious.
“Three,” he finally tries to haggle again but I raise my eyebrow at him and lean back in my seat, forcing myself to look stoic instead of giddy at the thought of getting him into a goddamn maid cafe. Maybe I should shoot even higher and make it a host one.
“Two. Final offer.”
We commence once again in what can only be described as a battle of stares before his shoulders ultimately sag and he extends his hand for me to shake.
“It’s a deal.” I take it, noting how goddamn big it is. Mine almost completely disappears in it, but I still manage to get a firm handshake in somehow. “We can meet Tuesday afternoon for the first one.”
“Tuesday it is.” He nods but doesn’t let go of my hand yet. I try to keep returning his gaze, but finally, I catch myself looking down.
God, his hands really are huge.
Suddenly, the other chair at my table rattles and Felix destroys this little moment we were having as he plops down opposite me, a very radiant glow on his face.
“There you are.” I pull my hand out of Adam’s grasp and turn to face him. Well, that guy had sex last night. It wouldn’t be more obvious if he got on the roof and shouted ‘I got laid last night’ from the rooftop.
“What a wonderful day.” Felix grins widely, then shoots me a wink and starts to tear into his food.
“What a beautiful day indeed.” I grin and shake my head at him.
“So, did I miss anything after I left? ”
Ever since this conference started, Felix and a woman whose name I forgot kept flirting with each other.
I had no idea who she was, but I caught Felix doing some research on her during a particularly boring lecture and from what I gathered looking at his screen from an almost 180 degree angle, she’s the assistant of the CEO of a German artist company.
Yesterday, they spent the whole evening eye-fucking each other until I finally convinced him to go over to her. When I glanced at them while bickering with Eve, they seemed deep into a passionate conversation that basically consisted of staring at each other’s lips, until Felix finally told me he’d be leaving not even five minutes after she had bid her goodbye.
“Eve here got into a drinking battle,” Adam lets him know amusedly, and I roll my eyes.
“Really?”
“Eve,” is all I say and his face turns solemn as he nods in understanding. “How was your evening?”
“Are you familiar with the concept of love hotels?” Felix asks me with a cheeky grin, and I burst into laughter. “What a wonderful invention.”
“Of course, I’m familiar with the concept,” I tell him, still giggling.
“You sound surprised, though. Where did you end up?” His voice lowers and he leans forward, hushing his next words right next to my ear, yet loud enough that Adam can still hear .
“Well, did you know that there’s one that appears to be an exact replica of one of the trains we rode in?” he asks, raising his eyebrow at me as I bite down a grin and shake my head. That’s news even to me.
“For real?” My voice is shaking with suppressed laughter.
“I’m not kidding. They had a whole area set up.” He shakes his head in disbelief. “With functioning doors! They even had the station announcements!”
“So you had a wild ride?” I ask him, still giggling, and he playfully hits my shoulder. It only takes watching Adam try to keep his laughter at bay from the corner of my eye before I burst into laughter again, followed by the two of them.
“God, I hate you,” Felix wheezes, making me laugh even harder.