I finally got a call three days after arriving at the vacation house. Ren was practically glowing on the other end of the line. He seemed to love making a woman wait for him while he worked. He loved work so much it was as if he were born to do it. At forty-two years old, he was still single and working as the CEO of an apparel company.
“What’s up, Mimi?”
“I don’t know. You tell me.”
I was about to explode with rage until I heard Ren’s voice, and it annoyed me that there was even a hint of joy in mine.
“I went through a lot of trouble to take time off from work, you know. And you’re not even here. What am I? Your maid? Want me to clean the place before I leave?”
“Oh, don’t be like that. I took time off, too, but I suddenly got—”
“Fine, it’s fine. Just tell me when you’re going to get here. I’ve already wasted three days of my week off. I’m fine with packing my stuff and leaving if you’re gonna take any longer. I didn’t think you could do any worse than when I was in Hawaii, but here we are.”
“Wait, Mimi. Please. I’ll be there as soon as I can, just not tonight. I’ve still gotta meet someone later for dinner, and it’s probably gonna be a long evening. But tomorrow—”
“So you’re saying you’ll be here tomorrow?”
“I don’t know, but just wait for me, okay? Please.”
“Oh, come on…”
Ren Torii was a child. That is, he acted like a kid who complained if an adult confiscated his candy, even if he wasn’t actually in the mood for candy at that moment.
Hey, wait! I was gonna eat that! Give it back!
He’d throw a tantrum, but if he did get his candy back, he’d just hold onto it without eating it.
“I’ll be there, I’ll be there,” he said in an attempt to reassure me. “Besides, you can have a nice time alone at the house, too. Have the chef at Uomasa cook something for you.”
“Oh, a ‘nice time’? I’ve got motorcycle gangs revving their engines outside my window every night. Last year was nothing like this.”
“Ah. Huh.”
“It’s awful. Hurry up and get over here.”
“I want to, Mimi, especially after hearing your voice. I want to see you right now,” he insisted. “Mimi.”
“What?”
“I love you. Really, I do.”
“How about you stop wasting time talking and get over here instead? It’s your loss if a good catch like me gets tired of waiting for you.”
“Gonna leave me for one of those bikers?”
“Maybe I will. I’ve always preferred young bad boys over middle-aged workaholics.”
“Damn, you got me.” Ren said that only when he was happy. “I wish I had two bodies: one for work and one for you.”
He sounded satisfied with that remark.
“Hmph. That’d just water you down, make you even blander than you already are.”
“Man, I’d do anything to see you tonight. But I’ve got dinner plans, then tomorrow I’m meeting a client for golf…”
“So cancel. It’s just this one time. They couldn’t possibly feel more neglected than I’ve felt the past three days.”
Ren usually ate both lunch and dinner at work, so I knew what I was talking about.
“I can’t cancel. You know that. Anyway, I’ll make sure to be there as soon as I’m done.”
Right as he was about to hang up…
“Oh, what do they have at Uomasa these days?”
“Yesterday was sardines. They said they’d make some into a tataki for me.”
“Did you have any?”
“I’m not gonna ask them to do all that work just for one person.”
“Fine, fine. Anyway, this is making me even more excited to see you. I’ll be there soon, so don’t go cheating on me, okay?”
“Oh, I totally will!”
Ren laughed as if that was the funniest thing he’d heard all day.
“Is the bath working?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Wash up before I get there, okay? Wink, wink.”
“Screw you, asshole.”
“I can send Shimon if you’re really bored.”
“I’d rather him than you anyway. Just don’t blame me for whatever happens.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t be like that. You know I can’t let you hang out with him. The guy’s in love with you.”
“He’s still a kid.”
“Kids these days can be scary.”
“It’s your fault he turned out this way.”
“Nah. I saw you egging him on, Mimi.”
Now I was the one laughing.
Shimon was Ren’s nephew who worked part-time at Ren’s company while attending college. I’d gone out to eat with the two of them several times in the past.
Shimon was a really friendly guy, and he seemed to be interested in me, so Ren and I would joke about him whenever we were flirting like this. I had absolutely no interest in kids his age—he just made for the perfect punch line.
Ren hung up in a very good mood. I couldn’t stop thinking about his delightful, expressive face. He wasn’t handsome. In fact, he was short and a bit chubby, but I found him charming and adorable. I know it’s a little strange that a thirty-one-year-old woman like me—eleven years Ren’s junior—landed a man in his forties and considered him to be the most lovable thing in the world, but hey.
I found his steamy, hot-blooded body attractive as well. Whenever he held me, I felt like I’d just been rescued by a lifeguard who was wrapping my waterlogged body in a warm blanket. It was like being given hot soup as my teeth chattered from fear and the cold, my body slowly warming from the inside out.
Sex with Ren was like being rescued, too. I loved every minute of it; he was very gentle.
I didn’t have much experience with men, but based on the few encounters I did have, I got the sense that age had nothing to do with being good at sex. Some old folks sucked at it, some young folks had a knack for it, plus there was always the question of how creative or sensitive a person was in bed. No way men who were stupid or thoughtless would be any good in the sack.
As much as Ren enjoyed sex, he also enjoyed his job. A little too much, even, and that was where I had a problem. After I graduated from design school and got hired within the industry, I started writing occasional articles for fashion magazines before quitting my job and moving to Tokyo. I liked design, so I ended up becoming an illustrator who wrote on the side. Before long, work kept me constantly busy to the point that I was able to support myself.
Tokyo was also where I met Ren Torii, during a magazine interview. We got along really well, so we went out for drinks after work. The following day, I got a voicemail while I was still asleep in bed.
“I’m heading back to Osaka today, so I thought I’d call you to say goodbye.”
It was Ren, sounding very giddy.
“I had a lot of fun last night. Thanks for that. Gimme a ring if you’re ever in Osaka. We’ll go out for some drinks.”
He’d married young but got a divorce after his daughter was born, and he ended up single. I don’t know exactly what happened; maybe his wife left him because he was so obsessed with his work. Regardless, Ren’s a talkative, friendly guy, so he must’ve won ladies over rather easily. Japanese men have never been known for being good talkers, so he probably stood out for being so smooth.
“I love plucky, frank ladies like you. I’m not into playing mind games. My company makes women’s clothing that’s feminine and elegant, but personally, I prefer tomboys. Especially a woman who can rock a leather jacket.”
It was the middle of winter when I met him again in Osaka, and I wore a black leather jacket with dark-brown corduroy pants. There was absolutely nothing sexy about that outfit, but Ren Torii’s eyes filled with desire the moment he saw me, and his plump lips loosened amorously. He was captivated the moment he laid eyes on me, completely defenseless.