There are Many Flowers in Tokyo

Chapter Four

'What were you doing in the park?' Lily asked, realising then that she might have taken him away from a meeting or some urgent business.

'I was on my way here,' he said. 'I thought I'd take a walk instead of a cab today.'

'Shopping?'

He smiled. 'Date.'

'Oh my God, I'm so sorry,' Lily stumbled over her words. 'I must have made you so late!'

They rounded the corner and a woman shouted over the crowd, 'Takashi-kun!'

She was beautiful; sleek chestnut hair, a willowy figure, a clingy black dress and heels so high that Lily wondered just how she was defying all laws of physics to remain upright and balanced in them. The woman strode over with fire in her eyes, whipped her hair back over her shoulder, and launched into a tirade at the man. Her finger jabbed him in the chest, and she gestured wildly at Lily as she shouted. Lily inched back a few steps, keen to put some distance between herself and the arguing strangers. Even if she'd been fluent in the language, she would have kept her mouth shut. Lily knew better than to intervene in a lover's quarrel, especially when it was her presence causing the upset.

So distracted was she by the urge to escape, that Lily was caught entirely off guard when the woman's hand flew at her face and caught her across the cheek. The man – Takashi – grasped his girlfriend's wrist much too late to stop her. Furious, he put himself between the two women and the couple continued to shout at one another.

Lily put a hand to her cheek. The skin stung and burned angrily beneath her fingers. As if the purse snatching hadn't been bad enough, now she had to contend with the utter humiliation of being struck by a jealous woman in public!

It was enough for Lily to turn heel and storm into the mall in search of Grace. She had no patience or humour left for Tokyo on that particular day. She was exhausted, she was battered, and now she just wanted to hide in her room and block out everything that had happened since Grace had woken her up and bundled her into the cab to the airport.

'Wait!' Takashi called after her. 'I didn't get your name!'

Lily didn't answer, but promised herself that she wouldn't get herself tangled up with any more men or relationships during her stay in Japan.

'Darling!' Grace hugged her niece when they met one another outside of the café.

Lily was relieved that her aunt had followed her instruction to stay where she was. At least something was going right for her, even if nothing else was. She reassured Grace, 'I'm fine, really. The police took the thief away. It seems like he's caused a lot of trouble around here. I gave them my contact information in case I need to speak to them while we're here.'

'But, look at you,' Grace fussed and tried to sweep away the dirt and dust clinging to Lily's clothes. 'That was incredibly dangerous, Lily. I don't want you doing anything like that again, do you understand?'

'I know, I know.'

'You were gone so long I was sure you were lost,' Grace continued to fret. 'Did you ask directions? Dare I hope that your Japanese has come along enough for you to do that much?'

'Someone showed me the way back,' Lily said. She didn't see fit to add that the man had been handsome, nor that his girlfriend had become enraged at the sight of him with another woman and had slapped her. She plastered on a smile and asked, 'I don't suppose you can be convinced to go to an onsen, now?'

'No,' Grace took hold of Lily's hand. 'But, I do happen to know that the skyscraper housing the hotel has a wonderful spa facility, and a man-made hot-spring bath that we can book into for private use. How about we spend the rest of the day pampering ourselves, hm?'

Well, it was better than hauling herself around Tokyo on zero sleep and with every risk of running into Takashi again.

Perhaps a massage was the best plan, after all.